CHIEF EXECUTIVE & TORY LEADER CHANGE COUNCIL’S CONSTITUTION WITHOUT ANY FORMAL DECISION OF FULL COUNCIL, CABINET OR SCRUTINY.

It is with great concern that I find out that the Chief Executive and Tory Leader of North Lincolnshire Council have changed the Council’s constitution without the debate or sanction of Full Council, Scrutiny or even the one party Cabinet.

This is an unprecedented move and yet another affront on local democracy here in North Lincolnshire and people wonder why I refer to us moving to a dictatorship.

The change was given the go ahead by the now outdated ‘Decision Record’ brought in at a time before Scrutiny was on the statute books to implement urgent decisions that couldn’t wait until the next Committee meeting.

The reason for this despicable move would be funny if it wasn’t so serious – ‘There is no ordinary meeting of council scheduled in the current municipal’.

Well who the Hell’s responsible for that ? You’ve got it, the North Lincolnshire Conservative Group.

TORIES RUN FOR COVER AS QUESTIONS ARE ASKED ABOUT THE FUTURE OF BULLS FIELD, BOTTESFORD.

As I’ve made clear in previous blogs, I and my Labour colleagues on Bottesford Town Council have been pushing for Avenue Field also known as Bulls Field to be safeguarded as public open space for generations to come.

I can only re-emphasize our disappointment that North Lincolnshire Council were not supportive in these endeavours, not that it didn’t gain the support of the qualified officers, as it did, but was point blankly refused on political grounds by the non acceptance of a report on the issue by the Conservative Cabinet.

O.K., in politics you win arguments and lose others, not that I would have thought this was a party political issue but more about delivering on behalf of the community.

So having been given the thumbs down you’d think that there’d be valid reasons for this refusal.

I’m obviously expecting too much as none were or have been forthcoming, even the Scunthorpe Telegraph when running the story were given a terse ‘no comment’.

What about the Conservative Councillor for Bottesford surely she’d be behind her own community, that’s her job after all, isn’t it ?

It seems she too has run for cover, just like her political masters -as we encountered a no show at the Bottesford Town Council Full Meeting in January followed by the same absence at the Town’s Parks Meeting a fortnight later.

Conclusion – it’s sad times for local democracy here in Bottesford and North Lincolnshie !

TORY CABINET REFUSE TO GIVE GUARANTEES ON BSF FUNDING FOR FRED GOUGH NOR ASSURANCES ON FUTURE OF DE LACY & LILACS.

I can only describe last night’s Cabinet Meeting of North Lincolnshire Council as a shambolic mess.

Two Tory Cabinet Members sat for the duration of the meeting and said absolutely nothing yet when Labour members asked questions on reports they were either dismissed or told that their questions were irrelevant.

One such question came from my Labour colleague Councillor Tony Gosling who sought guarantees that Fred Gough School would see its full funding as allocated within the BSF Scheme under the previous Labour Government and Council.

No such guarantee was forthcoming, instead the Cabinet Member dodged the question by stating that he wasn’t there to discuss individual schools but to simply look at the scheme as a whole.

We’ll take that as a ‘no’ then.

A second of my colleagues Councillor Pauline Carlile legitimally asked for assurances on the long term future of De Lacy House and The Lilacs.

This was ruled out of order by the Leader of the Council in her position as Chair of the meeting as it had nothing to do with what was being discussed.

This was even stranger still as the paper that was being debated (and I do use the term loosely) was entitled ‘Adult Services Strategy’.

I assume that we’ll take that as a ‘no’ to any assurances as well.

Last on the agenda was a paper titled ‘The Future Management of the Council’ as questions posed by Councillors Stuart Wilson, Mark Kirk and myself were either blocked or avoided and ending in the premature closure of the meeting before the Deputy Leader of the Labour Group, Councillor Len Foster had had the opportunity to pose his questions.

Goodness knows what hidden delights were hidden here, which were not to be exposed.

TORY CABINET MEMBER FOR FINANCE WRITES OFF OVER £1 MILLION OF DEBT OWED TO NORTH LINCS.

An excessive £1,098,346.30 of combined debt owed to North Lincolnshire Council has been wriiten off by the Conservative Cabinet Member for Finance.

In a bumbling, cringe worthy interview for Radio Humberside the same Cabinet Member tried to substantiate and legitimise the decision.

I fully understand that in many cases chasing the debt often gets to the point where it costs more than the original debt being persued.

However this Conservative Council under a Conservative Government has agreed to the writing off of debt as follows.

Council Tax £158,047.91 (an increase of 9.02%)

National Non Dmestic Rate £495.911.20 (an increase of 7.77%)

Housing Benefit Overpayment £79,807.03 (an increase of 4.49%)

Sundry Debts £364,580.23 (an increase of 75.84%)

I only hope no one ever tells me that the economy is safer in the hands of the Conservatives.

NORTH LINCS DICTATORSHIP CONTINUES AS ALL LABOUR MEMBERS ARE REMOVED FROM ‘INTERNAL DRAINAGE BOARDS’

The Tory dictatorship continued today as all Labour members were removed from the seven strong ‘Ancholme Internal Drainage Board’ (covering the Winterton, Broughton, Brigg areas) and the eleven strong ‘Isle of Axholme Drainage Board’.

These Boards are responsible for the water management of water courses to reduce flooding risk, including drains, dykes etc etc. which also includes setting a precept

From 1996 to 2011 representatives have always been appointed to reflect the political balance of the Council giving a mix of both Conservative and Labour reps irrespective of whichever political party ran the Council.

So why flood (excuse the pun) these boards soley with Tory members ? Is it so they can protect and work ‘hand in glove’ with their farmer friends or something even more sinister ?

KEIRADAN PARK MOTORCYCLE NOISE COMPLAINTS

It is disappointing but nevertheless true that my mailbag, e-mails etc over the last month or so, has in the main being about the one issue – the continual noise eminating from the motorcycle track at Kieradan Park, Scotter Road especially on Saturdays and Sundays.

The complaints are not just coming from my own constituents in Bottesford and Yaddlethorpe but further afield as well.

Now no one wishes to be a party pooper and no one wants to stand in the way of youngsters enjoying themselves but by the same token I’m sure that everyone has the right to piece and quiet in the privacy of their own homes especially at the end of a full working week.

What are your thoughts on the issue ?

PICTURES OF FORMER SCUNTHORPE MAYORS & TOWN CHARTER, THE LATEST TO BE STRIPPED FROM PUBLIC DISPLAY.

Pictures of former Mayors of Scunthorpe dating back decades are among the latest heritage items to be removed from public display at Pittwood House as the Conservative regime continue with their vendetta against Scunthorpe.

I, personally, find this insulting to all those people and their families who entered public life and helped shape the town of Scunthorpe over many years.

So those who, along with others, created what has affectionately become known as the Industrial Garden Town are to be unceremoniously thrown to one side as the Tories carry on their onslaught of the town.

Strange that only a matter of weeks ago the name of Pittwood House was dropped in favour of the Civic Centre.

Now isn’t that exactly where civic memoroabilia and regalia should be housed – the Civic Centre ?

So what of the destiny of these pictures, the charter etc ? They’re to be placed in storage at the museum.

Whatever happened to the ‘The Heavens Reflect Our Labours’ ? It seems if the Tories have their way it’ll be erased from the history books !

TORIES SAY ‘NO’ TO PRESERVING AVENUE (BULLS) FIELD, BOTTESFORD AS GREEN OPEN SPACE

Bottesford Town Council has been actively seeking to place a ‘Deed of Dedication’ on Avenue (Bulls) Field, which would have secured the whole site as a green and open space for generations to come.

After a year or more of persuing the issue through all the correct channels and the initiative being warmly welcomed by officers at North Lincolnshire Council, Bottesford Town Council received their answer at last night’s Full Council as it came back as a catagorical ‘NO’.

So where and why this abrupt negative answer was the question, I and my fellow Bottesford Town Councillors asked one by one.

Surely this was a common sense approach to keep one of the few open spaces and natural features we still have and one that Bottesford residents and people from further afield would sign up to.

Our ‘No’ was a political decision issued by Conservative Councillors at North Lincolnshire Council it appears.

Goodness knows what they’ve got in mind for the site – yet more housing ?, one thing’s for sure there isn’t a will on their part for it to remain as open space.

Thanks for nothing at all, once again, to our Consevative Councillors and to the people that put them there.

LEADER ORDERS THE REMOVAL OF HISTORIC FLAGS & HERALDIC DRAPES FROM PITTWOOD HOUSE.

Scunthorpe and North Lincolnshire’s pride and history took a turn for the worse as the Tory Leader has demanded the tearing down and removal of historic flags and heraldic drapes from public display at the Council’s Centre, Pittwood House.

Such emblems are common place in town halls and civic centres up and down the country and add to the character and pride of civic buildings.

Unfortunately, this is no longer to be the case as far as North Lincolnshire is concerned as the present regime contnue to eradicate anything associated with any historic value of Scunthorpe.

THE ‘TATTOOED CHAVS’ COMMENTS FROM TOP OFFICER AND THE DEAFENING SILENCE OF THE TORY GROUP.

The ‘tattooed chavs’ comments by a leading North Lincolnshire Council Officer rumbles on as Look North and other media outlets pick up on the story.

From the Council’s point of view there are, quite correctly, appropriate procedures to go through in dealing with the situation.

However why was there a total lack of leadership from the controlling Conservative Group on the issue. Why the deafining silence from the Leader, the Cabinet Member for Corporate Issues or more importantly the Cabinet member responsible for Social Media including Broadband, even if this was a holding statement to the press ?

As disappointing as it was, there was true leadership from the Leader of the Labour Group, Councillor Mark Kirk, who quite rightly asked for a full investigation into the whole sorrowful matter.