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Graham Jones · 08-03-2005, 05:26

So when a prospective councillor tells me what he will or won't do if I vote for him he is in fact wasting my time as there'll be nothing he can do to change the way things are?

depends. but politically IMHO yes. Of course you can work outside of the Council [which I try and do and raise external monies]. What you are now voting for is not a ward councillor but a collective. who runs cabinet. Labour or Tory and who is your ward councillor is much less important than what colour he flys. Its the cabinet system that has created this.

I was joking when I said "Hyndborg BC" but it's beginning to sound like I wasn't far out. If this is truly the case then I fear the council doesn't represent the electorate at all and it makes not one ha'porth of difference how the residents of the borough feel on any subject.

it only matters if a bad decision is found out. And thats 99% a press thing.

I'm beginning to feel very depressed.

I have to live through it. Even if Labour wins power back in Hyndburn with a £27m debt what do you think our agenda will have to be? Its depressing.

No wonder the Ardale Clock hasn't seen the light of d
ay again. How long before a Panopticon ends up the same?

I doubt the Panopticon will go ahead. If your gambling I would say 70.30.

If HBC cannot "maintain" the Coppice (although I'm baffled as to what there is to maintain about a hill - the monument and shelter haven't been touched for years except by vandals) why is there this idea that a Panopticon up there is going to produce funding from some external source?[/QUOTE]

The Regional Park have secured a big pot of grant money for this wider concept of selling East Lancashires appeal to a wider audience.

Someone suggested the Panopticons are more important than the budget and that I was letting Hyndburn down not voting in the sma vote last week at full council.

People who think the Panopticons are important clearly have a scewed perspective. People in Peel would accept an 80 ft concrete cow up there of it meant safer streets, lower crime, better housing, getting rid of landlords, dirty back yards, anti social neighbours, poor job prospects, drug dealers, juvenile nuisance, dereliction and fire starters.

It funny how someone derives at that notion the Panopticons are important. No one has wrote to me ever abut it, nor syooped me inthe streets pf Peel nor rung me up. One lady did mention it after half an hour as a throwaway last week, but she was ringing about Parking tickets and juvenile nuisance. And her opnion was no but wasnt important. The average Joe in a poor area simply isnt bothered.

In fact the only letter writer to Ob to critisise me was upset that I was spending to much time with 'twittering birds and nesting seasons' whilst Peel ward faced real poverty problems. Not true of course. He was going of what he had read in the paper!

At all the resident groups I attend the one issue is when is the council going to invest some money in Peel. Never ever once the Panopticon. People cant be bothered with it. Its not important on peoples agenda around here and as they elected me to put forward their prioroties, then that is clearly the buget buget budget. You'd have to creek your neck to see where the Panopticons features in the list. Sorry but thats Peel Ward.

Now for some people to whom this issue is at their heart this may not be what you want to hear. But you have to respect other peoples considered views. I did the right thing and I'll tough it out with anyone trying to hijack peoples view who elected me. We want investment [wardens a start] in Peel to begin to reverse the decline.

Thats the only message I am getting from the people round here. Peel has now officially dropped into one of the most deprived areas in the country. It has the highest vacancy rates on the Borough 11%, one of the highest landlords at 16%, the highest concentration of bad landlords, some of the poorest health stats. Go and talk about Panopticons on Horne Street where neighbours houses are derelict, abandoned and are fired out by vandals!

Or the needle infested smack den we closed last summer 50 yards from my front door near where my son and his friends play. And the constant stream of smoke screened BMWs screeching by at all hours.

When Cllr Britcliffe puts the Panopticons before that for political gain then yes I will do what is right and ignore the lesser issues and try to force the agenda back onto real issues that affect real people. Why HBC has a £27m debt and why the people of Peel are getting shafted.

I dont expect you to agree, but I hope you respect the facts and where we the residents are coming from.

08-03-2005, 05:26	#163
Graham Jones I am Banned Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 279 Liked: 0 times Rep Power: 0	Re: Council get something right!! So when a prospective councillor tells me what he will or won't do if I vote for him he is in fact wasting my time as there'll be nothing he can do to change the way things are? depends. but politically IMHO yes. Of course you can work outside of the Council [which I try and do and raise external monies]. What you are now voting for is not a ward councillor but a collective. who runs cabinet. Labour or Tory and who is your ward councillor is much less important than what colour he flys. Its the cabinet system that has created this. I was joking when I said "Hyndborg BC" but it's beginning to sound like I wasn't far out. If this is truly the case then I fear the council doesn't represent the electorate at all and it makes not one ha'porth of difference how the residents of the borough feel on any subject. it only matters if a bad decision is found out. And thats 99% a press thing. I'm beginning to feel very depressed. I have to live through it. Even if Labour wins power back in Hyndburn with a £27m debt what do you think our agenda will have to be? Its depressing. No wonder the Ardale Clock hasn't seen the light of d ay again. How long before a Panopticon ends up the same? I doubt the Panopticon will go ahead. If your gambling I would say 70.30. If HBC cannot "maintain" the Coppice (although I'm baffled as to what there is to maintain about a hill - the monument and shelter haven't been touched for years except by vandals) why is there this idea that a Panopticon up there is going to produce funding from some external source?[/QUOTE] The Regional Park have secured a big pot of grant money for this wider concept of selling East Lancashires appeal to a wider audience. Someone suggested the Panopticons are more important than the budget and that I was letting Hyndburn down not voting in the sma vote last week at full council. People who think the Panopticons are important clearly have a scewed perspective. People in Peel would accept an 80 ft concrete cow up there of it meant safer streets, lower crime, better housing, getting rid of landlords, dirty back yards, anti social neighbours, poor job prospects, drug dealers, juvenile nuisance, dereliction and fire starters. It funny how someone derives at that notion the Panopticons are important. No one has wrote to me ever abut it, nor syooped me inthe streets pf Peel nor rung me up. One lady did mention it after half an hour as a throwaway last week, but she was ringing about Parking tickets and juvenile nuisance. And her opnion was no but wasnt important. The average Joe in a poor area simply isnt bothered. In fact the only letter writer to Ob to critisise me was upset that I was spending to much time with 'twittering birds and nesting seasons' whilst Peel ward faced real poverty problems. Not true of course. He was going of what he had read in the paper! At all the resident groups I attend the one issue is when is the council going to invest some money in Peel. Never ever once the Panopticon. People cant be bothered with it. Its not important on peoples agenda around here and as they elected me to put forward their prioroties, then that is clearly the buget buget budget. You'd have to creek your neck to see where the Panopticons features in the list. Sorry but thats Peel Ward. Now for some people to whom this issue is at their heart this may not be what you want to hear. But you have to respect other peoples considered views. I did the right thing and I'll tough it out with anyone trying to hijack peoples view who elected me. We want investment [wardens a start] in Peel to begin to reverse the decline. Thats the only message I am getting from the people round here. Peel has now officially dropped into one of the most deprived areas in the country. It has the highest vacancy rates on the Borough 11%, one of the highest landlords at 16%, the highest concentration of bad landlords, some of the poorest health stats. Go and talk about Panopticons on Horne Street where neighbours houses are derelict, abandoned and are fired out by vandals! Or the needle infested smack den we closed last summer 50 yards from my front door near where my son and his friends play. And the constant stream of smoke screened BMWs screeching by at all hours. When Cllr Britcliffe puts the Panopticons before that for political gain then yes I will do what is right and ignore the lesser issues and try to force the agenda back onto real issues that affect real people. Why HBC has a £27m debt and why the people of Peel are getting shafted. I dont expect you to agree, but I hope you respect the facts and where we the residents are coming from.