Redcar & Cleveland Council's funding of Pro-Labour Coastal View and Moor News free newspaper

My December 16th posting about Coastal View free newspaper publishing verbatim scurrilous Labour Party articles smearing the Lib Dems, started with the words "Grant funded Coastal View." This prompted a complaint to Ian Swales' office by one of the owners claiming that the newspaper was not grant funded.

As a sign of good faith, even though I had understood that they had received Council grants, I deleted the words "grant funded."

I have checked with the Council and the newspaper has received the following grant funding:

£5000 (grant) in May 2009, in relation to set up costs printing, design and delivery of the newspaper; 

£3000  (PR work) in May 2009, in relation to PR work carried out for the Enterprise Team.

Since then the newspaper has been taken over and the following has been provided:

£662.50 (grant) in November 2010, in relation to the purchase of a PC and Monitor; and

£1750 (PR work) in January 2011, in relation to promotional activity for the Enterprise Team. 

Every edition since No 3 has carried a full page advertisement paid for by hard pressed Redcar and Cleveland Council who are making severe cuts in public services yet can afford to fund this newspaper.

Issue 3 - Redcar Renaissance. 1 page advertisement costing £250;

Issue 4 - Have your say on Regeneration Masterplan. 1 page advertisement costing £250;

Issue 5 - Sea change on its way. 1 page advertisement costing £250

Issue 6 - Green light for landmark building and virtual shopping is a winner. 1 page advertisement costing £250.

Issue 7 - This is…. £75m Redcar Regeneration. 1 page advertisement costing £250.

Issue 8 - Contractor appointed to deliver Creative Hub and plans in place for Redcar Leisure and Community Heart. 1 page advertisement costing £250.

Issue 9 - Redcar Regeneration gathers pace and outdoor exhibition comes to Redcar. 1 page advertisement costing £250.

Issue 10 - £50k grant is just suite for Loftus Project, Council offers job bonanza support and creative talent throw open their doors. 1 page advertisement costing £250.

Issue 11 - International demand for glimpse of Saxon Princess Treasure, spark of inspiration for half marathon runners, and creative talent throw open their doors. 1 page advertisement costing £250.

Issue 12 - Start on site for £31m Redcar Leisure and Community Heart and youth centre gets green light. 1 page advertisement costing £250;

Issue 13 - A66 improvement plans motor ahead, Seaside scheme set to bring investment and jobs and demolition signals start on site for Creative Hub. 1 page advertisement costing £250.

Issue 14 - £4.9m youth centre work begins, £300k revamp is treemendous for forest and entries pour in to landmark naming contest.  1 page advertisement costing £275;

Issue 15 - Seafront shop to showcase Redcar Regeneration, creative industry set to flourish and mMajor demand to be Eco Village people.  1 page advertisement costing £275;

Issue 16 - Redcar leisure plans given the green light, Princess’s Treasure display attracts 28,000 and pupils all smiles at new £4.75m school. 1 page advertisement costing £275;

Issue 17 - Olympic hero’s jump-start for £31m leisure scheme, hundreds check out Tesco jobs and My place begins to take shape.  1 page advertisement costing £275;

Issue 18 - Ian’s at the art of Redcar’s revival, School children steel themselves for seaside landmark and trip down memory lane for ex residents – South Bank.  1 page advertisement costing £275; and

Issue 19 - Eco Village launch, Flight of the future – Redcar Seafront fly through and Landmark visit for Coatham Primary school to Vertical Pier. 1 page advertisement costing £275.

Last year, in February, Redcar and Cleveland Lib Dems announced that we had included abandoning the "vertical pier" in our manifesto in response to the survey we had carried out that showed 97% of Redcar residents did not want it.  Coastal View asked me to write an article about it. I did this and received an email back thanking me and pointing out that it would be the front page lead story. In the end they didn't publish it and instead a full page Council add appeared in the paper promoting the "vertical pier."