Please sign my petition to keep Roseberry Library in Roseberry Shopping Centre

Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's 'Shaping our Future 3' strategy proposes moving the books out of Roseberry Library in Roseberry Shopping Centre, Roseberry Road, Redcar. 

It proposes moving them into the 25K Centre, whilst leaving the IT equipment in Roseberry Library and moving Adult Education into the building. 

The Council should leave Roseberry Library intact as it currently is. More should be made of its potential as a meeting place. Roseberry Library is in the best possible position for the area it has served for around 50 years. 

It had been the hub of the former Roseberry Square Shopping Centre and is now an important feature of the modern Roseberry Shopping Centre. Losing the Library will also have a negative effect on the businesses that operate in the Shopping Centre.

Please sign the petition by clicking here:

Newcomen Ward Neighbourhood Action Partnership meetings

NEWCOMEN WARD

NEIGHBOURHOOD ACTION PARTNERSHIP

Monday 21^st November 2016 at 6pm

Roseberry Square Library, Roseberry Road

Redcar

AGENDA

1. Welcome.
2. Introductions
3. Apologies for absence
4. Minutes of last meeting
5. Matters arising
6. Coast and Country Housing
7. Update on community clean up
8. AOB.

Future meeting dates:

9^th January

20^th February

3^rd April

1^st May

26^th June

CONTACT:

Emma McLoughlin (Community Development officer)

Mobile: 07584480408

Email: emma.mcloughlin@redcar-cleveland.gov.uk

Redcar Lib Dems demand rights for renters

Liberal Democrat Councillors in Redcar are demanding greater rights for private sector tenants.

Councillor Lisa Harding, who represents West Dyke ward, has put forward a motion to Redcar and Cleveland Council requesting support for the Renters’ Rights Bill.

The bill is currently in the House of Lords. The bill is the work of Lib Dem Baroness Olly Grender. If passed, it would:

1. Ban letting fees for renters, a practice already outlawed in Scotland which is allowing letting agents to charge both the landlord and the tenant for services.

2. Give renters access to an open register of rogue landlords and letting agents.

3. Bring in compulsory electrical safety checks in rented homes.

4. Prevent rogue landlords from obtaining an HMO licence.

Councillor Lisa Harding said:

“The private rented sector has an important role in helping to address housing need in our area.

“Whilst the majority of private landlords act fairly and take their responsibilities seriously, there is a persistent problem of rogue landlords who have little concern for the welfare of tenants and often fail to meet their legal obligations. This not only affects tenants, but has impacts on the wider community as a whole, as poorly maintained properties blight residential areas, leading in some cases to vermin and other anti-social issues. “It is therefore vital that proper protections are put in place for tenants, ensuring that they have a home which is safe, clean and warm.”

Assurance given that Redcar and Cleveland Council will not charge for emptying green waste bins

As regards the proposal to charge for emptying green waste bins the question was asked at this afternoon’s Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council meeting by my Lib Dem colleague Councillor Glyn Nightingale.

Cabinet Member Councillor Alex Brown accepted that a number of local authorities have started to do this but he gave an assurance that the current administration would not be introducing a charge. This reply will be on the record in the Council minutes and also recorded in the video of the meeting which will appear on the Council’s website very soon.

FESTIVAL OF CHRISTMAS MUSIC

REDCAR AND CLEVELAND OLDER PEOPLES PARTNERSHIP

           

FESTIVAL OF CHRISTMAS MUSIC

With the Wilton Male Voice Choir

At Tuned In Centre, Majuba Road, Redcar

Friday 2nd December 2016 1:00pm to 4:00pm

Prize Draw, Refreshments, 

                       Tickets: £3                                    

From: Steering group members or available at the door

Remembrance Day Parade at Redcar

Councillor Josh Mason Leader of the Lib Dem Group on Redcar and Cleveland Council lays a reef at the Remembrance Day Service at Redcar. Councillor Karen King also lays a reef on behalf of the Humanists.

Add caption

Christmas Lunch

British Legion Poppy Appeal launch at Redcar

This morning as Deputy Mayor of Redcar and Cleveland I launched the Royal British Legion's Poppy Appeal in Redcar.

Daniel in action on Litter Picking Day in The Meadows

Pictured is my Grandson Daniel Abbott part of the litter picking team in The Meadows area the other day and pictured on a previous litter picking day when he was very young.

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

Nice lunch in Redcar Library cafe.

Having had a full day of meetings at the Redcar Community Heart today I found myself in the Redcar Library cafe with twenty minutes to spare before my next meeting but with only £3.00 cash on me after I paid out £4.50 to park.

However, they were serving homemade chicken casserole for only £2.50 and it was delicious. What a change it made from my usual unhealthy diet. I miss proper home cooked meals. I do them myself occasionally but no where near as often as I would like. I will be visiting the Library cafe again very soon.

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.

Lay-by for bungalows in Westmorland Road, Redcar

Success at last with our campaign for a lay-by in front of bungalows 60 to 70 Westmorland Road which I submitted as a contender for funding out of the Council's Public Realm around 18 moths ago. Today I received the following confirmation that the work will start of 3rd October.

"On Monday 3rd October construction works will commence to install a new lay-by on Westmorland Road. This project was one of the 72 Phase 2 Projects of the Boroughwide Public Realm Programme and will consist of the construction of a new vehicular lay-by and a relocated footpath between numbers 60 to 70 Westmorland Road.

"The works will be carried out by the Council’s Highway Services section and weather permitting, should be complete by Friday 16th October 2016. Residents have been informed of the works via letter and Coast and Country Housing (owner of part of the land) has also been kept informed throughout the whole process."

Redcar's Yorkshire Coble pub no longer allowing parents of Lakes Primary pupils to park during School run

I am being contacted by parents and residents concerning the recent decision of the Yorkshire Coble to no longer allow parents to park in the pub car park whilst dropping off or picking up children at Lakes Primary School.

This arrangement seemed to have been working well ever since the current travel to school plans were introduced and I have always thought it was very helpful of the landlord and staff at the Coble to allow this to happen. I am unsure as to why the decision has been taken to block access though I understand it has do do with pub regulars not being able to find parking spaces at times.

I have asked the Council's Highways team to advise on what the Council and the School can do to assist in order to prevent the parking chaos that may result from this decision.

I would welcome the views of residents about this as the Coble is really the only place for parents to legally park when doing the School run. It has been suggested that some parents have been staying too long, arriving early and staying to chat with friends and thereby preventing a swift turnover of parking spaces.

UPDATE 15/09/16 - 11 am:

I have been in touch with Highways and it seems the decision has been made by the head office of the brewery not to permit parents from parking in the pub car park. A number of customers of the pub have complained to Samuel Smith Head Office regarding the parking behaviour of parents parking up. The manager of the Coble has stated they were informed by head office not to allow parents to park up. I have asked an Highways officer to assist in taking the issue up with head office.

UPDATE 15/09/16 - 7.27 pm

One of the Council's Highways Engineers has been in touch with the estates department at Samuel Smith Head office and they have stated that they are standing behind the decision not to allow parents to park in the Yorkshire Coble Car park.

They have stated that the behaviour of the parents from both an attitude and a parking and safety perspective leaves a lot to be desired and that they are not willing to run the risk of an incident occurring on their premises.

I will keep pursuing this but please let me know if you have any suggestions.

New toilets in Locke Park

I learned from a resident today that a young child visiting the park wanted the toilet but was surprised to find they had vanished. Previously in the Locke Road entrance car park, they are now situated, as pictured below, next to the Cafe, which is close to the main Corporation Road entrance and parking area.

Landslide victory for Lib Dems in Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's Ormesby Ward

Redcar Liberal Democrats are delighted to have held on to the Ormesby Ward with a landslide result in a by-election held yesterday. 

Nunthorpe resident Carole Morgan, a former teacher at Nunthorpe School, was comfortably elected as the new councillor in Ormesby, which includes part of Nunthorpe.

The result was: 

Carole Morgan (Lib Dem) 980 

UKIP 138 

Labour 126 

Con 41 

North East Party 15 

The by-election was caused by the resignation of popular Liberal Democrat Councillor Ann Wilson, who sadly died during the campaign. New Lib Dem Councillor Carole Morgan said:

“Naturally I regret the circumstances that led to this by-election. Ann Wilson was a superb representative for the area and was liked by all who knew her.

“I am delighted that the people of Ormesby and Nunthorpe have put their trust in me. I am looking forward to working with fellow Councillors Glyn and Irene Nightingale to serve the local community and protect the area from unsuitable development.

“I will try to be a councillor for all residents, regardless of how they voted.”

Lib Dem council group leader Josh Mason added: “I am delighted with the result and am sure that Carole will be an excellent representative for Ormesby and Nunthorpe.

“The Lib Dem Group on the council will continue to hold the Labour administration to account and fight for the best possible deal for residents across the borough.”

Councillors rushing to criticise colleagues often get it wrong but the damage is done!

Redcar and Cleveland Councillors are at their best when they work together

I was disappointed yesterday to read a post on the Facebook page of a fellow Councillor, a Labour member for Coatham Ward, sniping at me in a very patronising way. It claimed I should have contacted the Council before complaining in the press about the lack of action to repair Redcar Town Clock (see previous item below).

The comment attracted some rather nasty comments in support including one from the other Labour Councillor for Coatham Ward also suggesting I should do like him and contact the Council.

Had they bothered to check they would have found that I DID contact the Council first and I got a very helpful response. However, the number of people who contacted me to complain about the clock not working was the reason why I felt it a necessary and newsworthy action to press release my comments and publish them in my blog.

In addition to that I also complained about the fact that the Council appears to be the only local authority in the country that plants green shrubs in flower beds and boxes.

Two entirely different issues but linked because the Labour leadership of Redcar and Cleveland likes to cut maintenance budgets when faced with having to reduce spending so that people notice and they can then blame the Government.

Both these Councillors post numerous stuff on Facebook daily and send out press statements. It is a bit rich to criticise me in such a patronising way when they do exactly the same themselves.

This reminds me of a similar incident in May, shortly after I received the honour, after 31 years on the Council, of being elected Deputy Mayor. The Council's only UKIP member posted a rant on Facebook about him not getting elected as the Vice-Chairman of something because some of my Lib Dem colleagues had refused to vote for him in spite of a deal agreed between opposition members. 

He singled me out for criticism because, he said, he had voted for me to become Deputy Mayor and I had not voted for him. This vote took place before the vote for committee chairs and vice chairs. This posting prompted a comment from an Independent Councillor claiming that he did not want to vote for me but did so because the UKIP Councillor said he should. Another person claimed I was a "low life."

The truth is I DID vote for the UKIP Councillor and not only that I later strongly criticised my fellow Lib Dem Councillors for not supporting him as well. The Lib Dem Group does not have a whip so members are free to choose but I felt they were wrong on that occasion.

The UKIP Councillor later apologised but the damage was already done, my daughter and granddaughter had already read the comments, which had upset them and no doubt many others would have believed them.

There is a code of conduct for members but some members think that allowing others to make nasty comments on their postings is a way of subjecting opponents to abuse without them being responsible. I beg to differ and would delete any such comments

Get the basics right, repair Redcar town clock and plant flowers not green shrubs.

Redcar Town Clock is not working and has been out of action for some time. 

Redcar and Cleveland must be the only Borough in the country that fills its flower beds and planters with horrible green shrubs.

We had this problem prior to 2003 following a similar period of stringent cuts. We were told the clock was unserviceable but it was only seized up through lack of maintenance and the grass was not cut causing public outrage. 

The Council is failing to get the basics right. These type of cuts are more about making a political statement than a genuine money saving effort. People blame the Council not the Government when these things are done and it harms the Council’s reputation as a caring authority.

Redcar Town clock is relied upon and people hate it when it is not accurate. The Rev Alan Powers, said, when he attended Yorkshire Day in the High Street yesterday as John Vaughan to Chris Foote Wood’s Henry Bolckow, "Redcar town clock was known as the four faced liar," when he was the Methodist minister in Redcar.

Our approach roads to town centres are looking shabby with horrible green shrubs in planters and beds instead of flowers.

I realise the Council is running a ‘Love It’ scheme to get volunteers to plant flowers but every other Borough in the land appears to be able to provide decent flower displays without having to do this why can’t we?

Yorkshire Day in York Monday 1st August 2016

Yorkshire Day in York begins this year at Micklegate Bar, at 11.41am, with a landmark 40th annual reading of the Yorkshire Declaration of Integrity.

The readings are in Old English, old Norse, Latin and modern English, the four languages used in Yorkshire since the earliest known written reference to the Ridings, appeared in the Anglo Saxon Chronicles of 876.

Micklegate Bar is where the West Riding meets the City of York. The readers will then walk the walls to Bootham Bar for the North Riding, then

inside Monk Bar for the City and finally to Walmgate Bar for the East Riding.

A further reading at 1 pm kicks off a fun afternoon of events in St Helen’s Square.

The Yorkshire Declaration of Integrity 2016

YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE:

I (your name) being resident in the (East/North/West) Riding of Yorkshire declare:

that Yorkshire is three Ridings and the City of York with these boundaries of 1141 years standing;
that the address of all places in these Ridings is Yorkshire;

that all persons born therein or resident therein and loyal to the Ridings are Yorkshire men and women;

that any person or corporate body which deliberately ignores or denies the afore-mentioned shall forfeit all claim to Yorkshire status.

These declarations made this Yorkshire Day 2016.

Yorkshire for ever!

God save the Queen!