Another incident of fly tipping at Redcar

I have today reported, for investigation and removal as soon as possible, yet another incident of fly tipping at the rear of Easson Road and Westfield Avenue.

The Meadows area, Redcar Week of Action highlights

Day 1 of the Week of Action in The Meadows area of Redcar (formally known as the Closes) was bin audit day. An attempt to find out who requires bins after many have been stolen.

Day 2 was skip day. Fellow Ward Councillor Billy Wells and I provided three skips out of the Councillors Neighbourhood Action Partnership funding for residents to dispose of unwanted items. residents were asked to contribute £3 if they wanted to use the skips and around 25 took up the offer.

It is hoped that a residents' group will shortly be formed to help deal with the problems on the estate and help people work together to keep the area clean and tidy.

The skips were available between 10 am and 1.30 pm. The day was organised by Redcar and Cleveland Council's local Community Development Officer, Emma McLoughlan with Billy Wells and myself on hand to assist.

Day 3 was healthy living day. Community Development Officer Emma McLoughlan, supported by myself and Councillor Billy Wells, provided a 'smoothie bike' and the ingredients for local youngsters to make their own by pedalling the bike. A health information boards were also on display.

Day 4 was litter pick day. I was joined by granddaughters Charlotte and Jessica Seaman and Grandson Daniel Abbott, and we formed one team working in The Meadows, Devon Close and Brathay Walk. Two local residents, Neil Johnson of Coast and Country Housing plus Community Development Officer Emma McLoughlan, supported by myself and Councillor Billy Wells were also involved.

Day 5 was patch walk day. Cleveland Fire Service, Coast and Country Housing, Redcar and Cleveland Council's Community Development Officer, Councillor Billy Wells, my daughter Kelly Seaman and myself, looked at problem alley way areas, where youths have been hanging about and setting fires. We also noted a considerable amount of dumped rubbish at 9 Field Head (pictured) which has been reported as a fire hazard.

Week of Action targets Redcar estate

The area around The Meadows (formally the Closes) area

Redcar will get the opportunity to learn new skills and get their voices heard as a week of activities take place as part of the ‘Redcar and Cleveland Love It’ campaign.

Coming as the result of work done in Neighbourhood Action Partnership meetings chaired by ward councillors Chris Abbott and Billy Wells, residents on The Meadows estate will lead on tackling issues affecting the estate including anti-social behaviour and general cleanliness. They will also be forming their own residents’ group to continue this week of action in the future.

Starting on Monday 24 October, members of the ‘Love It’ team will show residents on The Meadows estate how to use their recycling, green waste and general waste bins as well as implementing some anti-theft measures including spray painting house numbers and street names on bins and offering tips on how to secure bins.

There will be a skip day, dates to be confirmed, so people can get rid of bulkier rubbish for £3 each and the money raised will go towards funding new activities and initiatives around the area.

One of those activities is a community litterpick on Thursday 27 October at 10.00am where council staff, residents and volunteers will come together to clean the estate.

It isn’t just waste and recycling that will be part of the week of action as a healthy lifestyles workshop takes place at Rye Hills School from 9.00am – 11.00am on Tuesday 25 October with a healthy eating workshop on the afternoon.

There will also be a microwave cooking taster session at Roseberry Library on Thursday between 1.30pm and 3.30pm.

Also passing on their knowledge is Cleveland Police who will be running a session on crime prevention and Cleveland Fire Brigade will be doing patch walks, both on Thursday.

Cllr Billy Wells, Independent ward councillor for Newcomen, said: “Hopefully if this week of action is a success it will encourage residents in other parts of Newcomen ward to create their own group and have their own week of action and as ward councillors I will work with Cllr Abbott to continue to support this.”

Cllr Chris Abbott, Deputy Mayor of Redcar and Cleveland and Lib Dem councillor for Newcomen, said: “The area needed a new management plan and it is great to see that residents are prepared to work alongside the two ward councillors the community development team and all the other local agencies to help deal with the anti-social behaviour problems, rubbish dumping and get to work on improving the appearance of the area.”

To find out more about ‘Love It’ go to: www.redcar-clevelandloveit.co.uk

Newcomen Ward Neighbourhood Action Partnership

The next Newcomen Ward Neighbourhood Action Partnership is Monday 3rd October 6pm at Roseberry Square Library, Roseberry Road, Redcar.

Barry Coppinger The Police and Crime Commissioner will be attending the next meeting.

Barry will give an overview of what is happening in the Police and will answer any your queries about Anti-Social Behaviour and Crime.

Chris Abbott celebrates 300th Focus newsletter

Long-time community campaigner and Redcar Councillor Chris Abbott is today celebrating the publication of the 300^th edition of his Newcomen Ward “Focus”.

The unbroken series of newsletters began in October 1984, raising issues of council house rent, fly-tipping and asbestos. The “Focus” newsletter has always been about community politics and getting things done for local people issue number one carried the tag line: “It’s often the little things that really matter to people”. Thirty years later, Cllr Chris Abbott continues to work by this premise.

Commenting, Chris Abbott said:

“We have come a long way since the early days when we produced Focus on a typewriter, cut and paste headlines with Letraset and hand drawn graphics.

“Although we now have good quality printing facilities, all the work is still produced and distributed by volunteers at no cost to residents.

“It’s been a pleasure to support the local community these past thirty years and I look forward to many more.”

Liberal Democrat MP for the Redcar Constituency, Ian Swales commented:

“This is an incredible achievement for Chris Abbott.

“It goes to prove that Liberal Democrats are passionate about our local area and work all year round for the benefit of communities.”

The Olympic torch comes through Newcomen Ward at Redcar in pictures

My daughter Kelly Seaman in the queue for the free refreshments provided by Dave Stones on behalf of Newcomen Ward Community Forum, whilst she waits for the Olympic torch to pass through Corporation Road, Redcar.

Here it comes!

The Mascot.

The Sponsors.

Coca Cola.

Lloyds TSB.

The Police Escort.

Here it is!

Newcomen Ward residents show their contempt for Labour's obnoxious smearmongering

Tomorrow is Election Day in the Newcomen Ward By-Election to replace my wife Glynis who died on 7th November.

Within less than 24 hours of Glynis's funeral Labour's smear leaflets started dropping through the letterboxes of local residents, including that of my daughter Kelly and her family.  Labour have reached new lows with smear after smear, lie after lie, allegation after allegation and absolutely nothing about what Labour are doing on the Council or plan to do in the future.

We knew from what people were saying to Lib Dem canvassers on the doorstep that many residents were complaining about the "obnoxious smearmongering antics" of the Labour candidate and his team. But I have never seen anything like these notices which have appeared on doors in Corporation Road (top), and Windermere Avenue (bottom).

Published and promoted by Chris Abbott on behalf of Dave Stones (Liberal Democrats) all at 3 Rydal Avenue, Redcar, Yorkshire, TS10 1JB.

Newcomen Ward Community Forum: First Ever Community Gala Day

Newcomen Ward Community Forum are holding their first ever Community Gala Day, for local residents and the wider area of West Redcar.

The first ever Newcomen Ward Community Gala Day is being held in Locke Park, Corporation Road, Redcar on Saturday 21st August 2010 between 11am - 4pm.

A number of Attractions have been booked for the day, including, Bouncy Castle and Slide, Fairground Ride, Climbing Wall, Face Painting, Balloon Modelling, Walk-a-bout Magician, Miniature Railway, Urban Kaos Street Dance Workshops and numerous other activities. A number of Craft Stalls will be in attendance, along with representatives from Redcar and Cleveland College, Pertemps, Routes-2-Employment, Coast and County Housing and Sure Start and other organisations.

Free Car Parking for the event has been arranged at Redcar and Cleveland College, Corporation Road.

Newcomen Ward Community Forum has been established for over 10 years, and is an independent Community led organisation run by volunteers, It's main aim is to put forward the views of local residents who live and work in the area, to the Local Authority, and other Statutory and Community Groups.

Partners in action in Newcomen Ward

Redcar and Cleveland Safer Communities Partnership is launching an action-packed week of activities in Redcar's Newcomen ward from Monday, 13th October - with help from police horses, police motorcyclists and the Fire Service.

The 'Not in My Neighbourhood Week' event involves the Council and its partners in a range of activities, including a Bring Out Your Dross (BOYD) invitation as part of a clean-up operation, multi agency patch walks and high visibility patrols from the Council's Community Protection Officers and Police.

The BOYD takes place on 13th October and residents in the following locations can place bulky waste out for free collection between 8.30am and 1.30pm only:

The Meadows

Place unwanted items at the garage site to the rear of 23 The Meadows.

Malham Gill

Lingholme

Rosgill

Please place unwanted items at the kerb side near to your property

ensuring that you do not obstruct the footpath/highway.

Rubble, soil and asbestos will not be collected.

A 'Meet the Partners' day is being organised at Newcomen Primary School on Tuesday 14th October where pupils have the opportunity to meet one of the Council's Anti-social Behaviour officers, the police horses, police motorcyclists and the Fire Service.

The Council is also hoping to raise awareness in the lead-up to Bonfire Night, urging the public to contact Trading Standards on 01287 612490 if they think someone is illegally selling fireworks or raise the alarm if they see a bonfire that needs to be removed by ringing a 24-hour hotline on 0800 0131 357.

570 People sign Post Office Petition

Glynis and Ian with some of the petition forms

A petition, containing 570 signatures, pressing Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council to ensure that a post office is included in the new Roseberry Shopping Centre in Redcar has been collected.
Redcar Liberal Democrats started the petition when the post office failed to appear when the new development opened in July.

Newcomen Ward Councillor, Glynis Abbott, said:

“We were led to understand that the post office, which had been a vital service in the old Roseberry Square shopping centre, had been moved into the former Coast and Country Housing Office as a temporary measure before moving into the new Sainsbury’s Local Store. Even the staff were expecting this to happen as late as the end of June.

The queues at the main post office in Redcar town centre are long enough and many elderly people cannot stand for long in these queues.”

Ian Swales, Lib Dem Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Redcar said:

We have had an absolutely tremendous response to the petition in a very short time. People in the area want to see a post office re-opened as soon as possible. We don’t want this to be a casualty of the Government’s post office closure programme.

“We want to ensure that the Council do not let things lie and we need their help to ensure that the Post Office does everything it can to find someone willing to take it on.”

Fiona's Little Helper

Posted by Chris:

When our three year old grandson, Daniel, asked to come with me this morning when I set out to deliver Focus and Fiona Hall MEP's Annual Report I readily agreed.

Carrying Fiona's glossy leaflet along with Focus is heavy work and by putting the carrier bag on the push chair solves that problem.

What I didn't expect was Daniel's willingness to help. We went on our delivery round with Daniel holding some of the leaflets in his lap and handing me one of each when we got to a garden gate.

He was happy as Larry singing Postman Pat and using his favourite cbeebies phrases like "we'll get the job done in no time."

With Focus No 255 now being distributed in Newcomen Ward we must be one of the most frequent in the land having delivered No 1 in October 1984, though I am sure someone will be along to say they have produced more in their Ward?

Lib Dems re-elect Chris

Chris Abbott
Irene Nightingale
Mary Ovens

The 13 Liberal Democrat councillors at Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council have unanimously re-elected Councillor Chris Abbott as their Group Leader.

Chris has been Group Leader since 1999. He and his wife Glynis both represent the Newcomen ward in Redcar, and comfortably held their seats at the elections last week.

Chris’s Deputy will be Councillor Mary Ovens, also from Redcar (West Dyke ward) who is coming to the end of her term as Mayor of the Borough.

The Lib Dem Group will be chaired by Councillor Irene Nightingale, who represents Ormesby ward. She takes over from former Guisborough Councillor Keith Pudney, who did not seek re-election this year.

Cllr Chris Abbott, said:

“It looks as though Labour will now be running the Council. I look forward to making sure that they do not undo the good work that the Lib Dems have done as part of the ruling Coalition over the past four years.”

“We have some very experienced councillors and some talented new ones. I am sure we will be a better opposition than Labour were.”

August 2003 Draft development plans released for consultation

Focus 229 August 2003

Draft Development Plans for Coatham Enclosure about to be released for Public Consultation

PROPOSALS to develop Coatham Enclosure with a mixture of Housing and leisure facilities will go out to public consultation in the next few weeks.

The plans, presented by Persimmon Homes, include 294 houses and apartments, a swimming pool, an extreme sports centre, viewing tower, shops and a pub.

All will be subject to public approval, finance and further technical considerations. If approved it is expected that they will be considered for Planning Permission in May 2004, with a possible start on site in January 2005.

The above article was distributed in both Newcomen and Coatham Wards

Consultation took place in the autumn of 2003 and the results were referred to the Council's cabinet on 16th March 2004. At Cabinet we responded to the views expressed by residents and requested numerous changes to produce an even better, more ambitious scheme.

It included the provision of both a 25 metre swimming pool and a leisure pool, reduced size of sea front apartments, sea front parking, a dance floor, extra parking and better sight lines through the housing part of the development.

This was to delay progress and went to a second public consultation. In spite of a determined campaign to disrupt it, the results showed considerable public support for the proposals and this was backed up by a Mori survey.

In Issue 233 we surveyed residents with the following question:

Please highlight what should be the Council's priorities for Redcar

YES/NO - Develop Tourism in Redcar
YES/NO - Development of Coatham Enclosure
YES/NO - Support Wind Turbines in Coatham Bay
YES/NO - Make Redcar the civic centre of the Borough

In Issue 235 we reported back the results as folows:

Develop Tourism in Redcar
Yes 180, No 26, No Answer 64.

Development of Coatham Enclosure
Yes 144, No 64, No Answer 62.

Support Wind Turbines in Coatham Bay
Yes 106, No 92, No Answer 72

Make Redcar the civic centre of the Borough
Yes 156, No 24, No Answer 90.

January 1997 and the battle to save the swimming pool

Focus January 1997

Liberal Democrat Councillors battle to save Redcar Swimming Pool

REDCAR Council has to make further budget cuts and what is the first thing that our top heavy Labour controlled Council proposes to close?

Yes, you've guessed it, Redcar Swimming Pool.

Newcomen Ward Liberal Democrat Councillors Chris Abbott and Stan Wilson, together with Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Spokesperson, Cllr Joyce Benbow, have pledged to fight any plans to close the pool. They have pressed for cuts in bureaucracy which they believe are the root cause of the Council's troubles.

"Too many Council Departments mean too much bureaucracy and too many highly paid top level Council Officers. The Council can quite easily reduce from ten Departments to six but it is like asking turkeys to vote for Christmas. Council Officers will not propose cutting their own empires. Instead they propose cuts in services to the public. The very basic facilities which the Council was set up to provide." said Cllr Chris Abbott.

"Frankly, the Labour Council have got themselves into this mess by the long term neglect of what is an essential facility for a seeside town. It is vital that it remains open until a new state of the art facility can be provided as part of the regeneration plans for Coatham Enclosure area," said Cllr Joyce Benbow.

"As a former teacher I am most concerned about all the valuable education time which Redcar school children will waste travelling to Saltburn Baths. Local Liberal Democrats will vote against the proposed closure of Redcar Swimming Pool." said Cllr Stan Wilson.

IT is interesting that the Coalition, elected in 2003, has severely reduced the number of departments, chief officers and bureaucracy. Placing the emphasis on putting services first we have dragged the Council up from only fair under Labour to FOUR STAR excellent today. Our plans to provide two new swimming pools in Redcar are now at planning stage and we are determined to bring them to fruition over the next few months.

August 1993 and the plans are still on the shelf

Focus August 1993

When will Redcar get some real regeneration?

REDCAR regeneration is not about the wasteful replacement of good paving on the Esplanade and the erection of a few flagpoles.

Three years ago, in the June 1990 edition, the FOCUS team welcomed the report on the study by Consultants, Drivas Jonus. Listed below are some of the proposals which the FOCUS team felt were right for the town:

WILTON STREET AREA: This could be re-developed with covered access onto a pedestrianised High Street, a sensible traffic management scheme, road re-alignment and better car parking provision.

KIRKLEATHAM STREET AREA: We prefer sheltered housing or civic or cultural buildings on this site not light industry.

COATHAM ENCLOSURE: Removal of the lorry park to a site inland. Re-alignment of MAJUBA ROAD. Possible residential development on the sea front. Improvements to the Leisure Centre and Swimming Pool, plus private sector leisure developments.

Says Cllr Stan Wilson:

"In 1991, the Labour Party took control of the Council and set us back years. They threw out the £50m Motor Sports development, sneered at the TDC, and then wondered why their bid for City Challenge grant money for Redcar was turned down.

This edition of Focus was distributed in Newcomen and Coatham Wards.

More than 16 years of consistent campaigning for the development of Coatham Enclosure

Posted by Chris:

One of the advantages for a Councillor of issuing regular newsletters to the residents he or she represents is that you keep an accurate record of your campaigns and can make you opponents look foolish when they start spreading malicious and inaccurate statements.

The proposals for Coatham Enclosure have been a long time germinating (more than 16 years in fact). I am proud of the fact that Glynis and I have consistently supported the need for the development of this eyesore area for leisure and linked housing development and have kept people informed every step of the way. We have always seen it as a major catalyst for the regeneration of Redcar.

Back in June 1990, the last time the Council was balanced, we reported on the Redcar Regeneration Study by Consultants, Drivas Jonus, who first planted the seed that has only just germinated with the recent submission of a Planning Application for today's much more ambitious scheme. Some of the proposals in the Study never got off the ground others were amended but in the case of Coatham Enclosure they have been, albeit delayed for many years, expanded on and improved by the current administration after listening to the constructive views of residents.

Focus June 1990

REDCAR REGENERATION PLANS WELCOMED

Liberal Democrat Councillors Stan Wilson and Chris Abbott have welcomed the report on the Redcar Regeneration Study put forward by Langbaurgh Council's consultants, Drivas Jonus.

The report concentrates on four principal sites and we highlight some of our proposals below.

WILTON STREET AREA: This could be re-developed as a new retail area with covered access onto a pedestrianised HIGH STREET. Better car parking provision and a widened WEST DYKE ROAD. The Station and former Garden Centre Site were not included because English Estates already propose to build offices and workshops.

KIRKLEATHAM STREET AREA: Sheltered housing is preferred here, by the consultants. This matches the views of local residents supported by the FOCUS TEAM and against the view of the Council who prefer light industry.

COATHAM ENCLOSURE: Possible re-alignment of MAJUBA ROAD. Removal of the lorry Park to a site inland with possible residential development on sea front. Improvements to leisure centre and swimming pool.

WILTON SITE: Encouragement for the provision of modern industrial units on land close to ICI's Wilton Site.

This article was distributed in two editions of Focus in June 1990 - the Newcomen Ward edition and the Coatham Ward edition. It is interesting that opponents of the scheme often claim that they were not informed about the proposals to provide housing on the lorry park.