GLASGOW EAST, a DISASTER for LABOUR!

Yesterday's devastating result for the Labour Party in Glasgow East, their 25th SAFEST Seat MUST be a wake-up call. It would seem that Gordon Brown is leading them, like lemmings to a cliff face!

Quite how they dump a Prime Minister without calling an Election is difficult to see but Brown's authority in the Party must now be seriously eroded as is his credibility with voters!

British Sugar Site.

According to press reports, the Cill Dara Property Partnership, who own the BSC Site, are hoping to start on the redevelopment of this strategic site within 2 years. 

It could involve links with a local university to set up high tech ICT training.

We will await developments!

12 year old girl assaulted in Brinton Park.

According to the Express and Star a 12 year old girl was assaulted in Brinton Park last Tuesday; this is awful BUT, what was a 12 year old doing in a park, with a friend, at 10.30 at night!

Just WHAT were her parents thinking of and WHERE were they?

Maureen Aston Court

This afternoon, as Chair of Wyre Forest Community Housing, I officially opened Maureen Aston Court, the new block of flats in The Horsefair.

It was a lovely "do" attended by many of Maureen's old friends and colleagues from Housing. It was particulary nice to see Sue Compton and Mel Craddock.

Sadly neither of Broadwaters 2 Health Concern Councillors could manage to attend!!

The flats are a real benefit to the area and are another part of the Horsefair Regeneration.

Crossing Picket Lines

As an active Trades Unionist, I'm a past President of the largest Teachers Union Branch in the Country (Birmingham NASUWT), I hate being in the position of having to cross a picket line.

As a Liberal and a Trades Unionist I totally support the campaign being waged by the lowest paid public sector workers against the below inflation pay award which they have been given. The vast majority of Public Sector workers earn less than £17,000 per year. Many, across the country, are taking home around £200 per week, they are affected by inflation, they are not the cause of inflation.

BUT, the people of Wyre Forest elect Councillors to represent them and take decisions on their behalf. They do NOT elect us to refuse to cross picket lines and therefore leave their voice unheard in the Council Chamber.

Although I respect the views of the two Wyre Forest Labour Councillors, I believe they were wrong to refuse to cross the picket line and therefore leave their voters unrepresented.

By failing to attend the meeting the Labour Party were not represented in the vote to proceed with the Single Site.

But at least we know WHY the Labour Councillors weren't there.

Neither the Leader, Deputy Leader NOR the most senior member of the Health Concern Council Group bothered to attend! They sent their apologies but NO explanation!

We are left speculating why THEY didn't come!!

The Horsefair and Broadwaters Community deserves better than this!

Last week the Horsefair, Broadwaters and Greenhill Partnership Assembly welcomed the idea of an Alcohol Restriction Zone in St. George's, Baxter Gardens and Springfield Parks. ALL Broadwaters and Greenhill County and District Councillors (4 Liberal, 2 Health Concern, 1 Labour,1 Tory) are entitled to attend that meeting though last week all we got were 3 Liberals (with apologies from Rachel who had a meeting at one of her children's schools) and 1 Health Concern (apologies from Ken Stokes who was away); neither the Tory or Labour Cllrs bothered to apologise for absence.

Tonight Councillors for that area, ALL of whom moan in the press about misuse of alcohol in our local parks, had the opportunity to vote for our motion on an Alcohol Restriction Zone, which would have supported the excellent work of our local Police Team.

And what did they do?

Our newly elected Tory voted with the rest of his colleagues to send the idea off for a drawn out scrutiny exercise which will hold discussions with everyone, everywhere in the district BEFORE doing anything. ALL Health Concern Councillors who were present voted with the Tories. And what about Broadwaters 2 "wonderful", concerned Health Concern Councillors? Neither of them, one of whom is the HC Group Leader, who likes to call himself "Leader of the Opposition" even BOTHERED to turn up at Council.

In fact NEITHER the Leader NOR the Deputy Leader of Health Concern bothered to come to Council!

 I HAVE SUBMITTED THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS FOR WEDNESDAY'S COUNCIL MEETING.

Questions for Cabinet Members, Council Meeting, July 16^th, 2008 from Cllr. Fran Oborski

1.   To Cabinet Member for Community and Leisure Services

In 2007 a WFDC Leisure Services Officer very successfully co-ordinated a bid, via the Wyre Forest Swimming Club, for £1,000 from the Positive Activities Grant Fund from every Wyre Forest County Councillor , to ensure that free holiday swimming sessions were available to every young person resident in the Wyre Forest District.

This year, instead of this successful scheme being repeated; every member of THIS Council has, belatedly, received a letter from the Manager of Wyre Forest Glades requesting an, unspecified, donation from our Community Leadership Fund towards supporting this very necessary facility.

Could the Cabinet Member tell me;

a). Why the decision was made not to try to repeat last year’s successful scheme?

b). How many District Councillors have currently responded to the request and how much has currently been promised?

c). What will happen to the scheme if an insufficient amount is raised?

2.   To the Cabinet Member for Commercial Services

Some months ago we were promised that the County Council would be amending the Prohibition of Parking Order on Black Horse Lane, Kidderminster to ensure that deliveries to the rear of business properties in Lower Mill St. would not run the risk of receiving parking tickets. Despite this promise local traders have been ticketed and have lost their appeals at the Independent Appeals Panel even though they were told that the lack of provision of parking bays had obviously caused them problems.

Will the Cabinet Member please tell me:

a). How many Penalty Tickets have been issued to Traders and Delivery Vehicles visiting these very important commercial premises?

3.   To Cabinet Member for Community and Leisure Services

The Chairman of the Horsefair Tenant Consultative Committee has congratulated the Council on the provision of the play equipment at the Jerusalem Walk site but he has asked me to provide answers to the following issues:

            a).In view of the heavy traffic use on Broad St. will the fence around the site, part of which has been removed, be replaced entirely with an access gate?

            b).In view of the possibility of drug abuse in the area, could the Cabinet Member please explain why the decision was made to use wood/bark chippings, in which discarded needles would be concealed, for the area under play equipment, rather than a “wet pour” surface which is much easier to keep clean?

4.   To the Cabinet Member for Housing, Health and Rural Affairs.

In view of the current crisis in the housing market and the difficulties faced by many homeowners in selling their properties would she consider releasing more Capital Funds in order to allow partner RSLs (particularly the Community Housing Group) to purchase more “Existing Satisfactory Dwellings in order to assist families unable to obtain mortgages by the provision of houses to rent.

Future Use of the Sion Hill Middle School Site.

The County Council has, at last, brought forward proposals for the use of the Sion Hill Middle School site.

This site is in the Green Belt so cannot be used for Housing!

The proposals are to use the site for: The current Pupil Referral Units PLUS a new PRU for pupils with Medical needs; Area Office accomodation for Children's Services staff based in and serving Wyre Forest; a Professional Training and Development Centre to serve the North of the County.

Staff would relocate to Sion Hill from:

78 staff fromElgar House/Bewdley Rd./Park St-Integration Area Team 

43 staff from Parkgate (On the Lea Castle site)

23 staff from the Areley Centre (ex SIAD and Early Years)

3 (mobile) Extended Schools Co-ordinators

As there are mobile and non-mobile members of staff there would be:

34 fixed workstation spaces

67 flexible workstation spaces

8 touchpoints (available for County Council staff).

Storage facilities

Communal spaces - access to meeting rooms/rest areas/toilet facilities/parking spaces/ICT/photocopying spaces.

The Training and Development Centre would include

Refurbishment of the existing hall to accomodate 323 delegates theatre style and 90 delegates cabaret style

2 x 25 Delegate training spaces with acoustic wall separation which could be moved to give 1 x 50 delegate training space

ICT Learning Centre

Science Learning Resource

Early Years Training Centre

Storage

Kitchen Facility

Reception/Admin Area

Five fixed workstations

Dedicated visitor parking.

Comments welcome!                                                           

Why ALL this fuss about a (Very Second Rate) Shadow Cabinet)?

So Health Concern has issued the names of its (very second rate) Shadow Cabinet!

SO WHAT?

The Wyre Forest Liberal Group has ALWAYS had "Shadow" or Lead Spokesman for each area of Council activity with members of the Group acting in "teams".

What I can't understand is:

After objecting to me being the Wyre Forest nominee on Health Overview and Scrutiny, why isn't Dr. Eeles Leading for them on Health (afterall they DID say he was the ONLY Wyre Forest Councillor who was competent to lead on Health!)?

If Mike Shellie is their nominee on the Housing Company, why isn't he leading on Housing Policy?

Why are the "Stourport Muppetts" given lead roles ahead of people like Brian Glass and Ken Stokes who, at least, have knowledge and a bit of integrity on their side!!

Funny old world isn't it?

Oh, and for the record, the so-called Shadow Cabinet will have precisely and absolutely NO more entitlement to Officer Briefings than any other Councillor and will have precisely and utterly NO more influence than any other non- Cabinet member from ANY Party.

What a super event!

Today we had the first ever Offmore Comberton Action Group, Community Carnival, "The Borrington Bash!".

It really was a superb event and one which ALL the Ward Councillors were really proud to be involved with.

The fancy dress parade led by The Boys and Girls Brigade Band; had Kidderminster Town Mayor, Cllr. Marcus Hart and Ward Councillor, Siri Hayward leading a wonderful collection of really inventive fancy dress pedestrians and decorated prams, push chairs and bikes.

We have some really inventive parents and grandparents in our community! Star turns amongst the children were a little lad, on his bike, dressed as a pirate and towing a trailer which had been converted to a Pirate Ship and a tiny in a push chair, the child dressed as a little devil and the push chair brilliantly covered in cardboard which as genius of a grandad had cut and painted as flames!! Sheer Genius! Well Done!

We also had pretty clever adults which included a "sack of potatoes and a carrot" riding a tandem with the slogan "Don't be a Couch Potato!"

Wyre Forest Council had the "Carbon Footprint" challenge and we gave away loads of low energy light bulbs and water hogs, Worcs. CC had the composting/recycling stand; Fairtrade had a stand, loads of local schools, playgroups and community groups ran stalls, tombolas, cake sales etc. Offmore Evangelical Church provided free tea and coffee. The OCAG Committee and Neighbourhood Wardens had soft drinks, heavily subsidised!!

We were well fed and watered with an excellent pig roast, KD7 Scout Barbeque, Cafe Masala Bangladeshi Food Stall and Farmhouse made icecreams!

The local Police gave away over 250 "goodie bags" thanks to our lovely PC. Sarah Brookes ( Sarah, Rose Bishop and I all visited the Mehndi artist!) and PCSO Karen Lloyd. SARA and the Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Authorities also brought vehicles.

We also had an excellent Mehndi artist, bouncy castles, animal welfare display, coconut shy etc.

Thanks also to Adrian Beavis for the disco music and public address system.

All OCAG Committee worked really hard but we must also thank The Community Housing Group for the loan of generators and wheelie bins, and the Neighbourhood Wardens Team for coming "en masse" to support us!

The Police reckon we had around 1,000 residents visit the event!

All in all, a day to be really proud of, AND the weather held, just a few showers towards the end!!