The Cemetery Coffee shop thing.

[Pwilson]

Is the real issue that the Scabs have propped this thing up even though it should have closed (and really was a solution to a problem nobody had) and not the alcohol licence.

I may be wrong but where someone else chooses to buy a beer is an utter non event to me and I can't see this disrespect in having a good time in a bar in such a location when my upbringing taught me that we celebrate the life of those who pass away.

It feels like one of those issues, like Gay Marriage, that causes a lot of fuss and diverts attention from the real issues of the day. Where in reality allowing Gay Marriage only affected Homosexuals in a positive way by making them equal and does nothing at all to change the lives of heterosexual people, likewise the alcohol licence affects nobody's quality of life but may make a small number of people who choose to drink there happy, like most men in Hartlepool I shared my first beer with my father and its actually something many people may appreciate being able to honour their loved ones with a pastime shared by many.

Either way making this an election time issue is a game of political smoke and mirrors because what needs to be talked about is the wall of litter around Seaton, the lies being told about local plans or the lack thereof, the lack of movement forwards on any key changes to the town and why are Labour political candidates posting things through my door claiming they'll fight for a hospital their predecessors have already sold down the river at the behest of Little Iain?

[steveL]

A persons 'rights' only extend to the point when they interfere with the 'rights' of someone else. When a significant number of people are offended at the thought of having an entertainment venue in a cemetery where they have relatives buried then that is a factor which must be considered.

In a week when a new pub has opened within walking distance of the cemetery to add to others already in the vicinity then why offend anyone?

The license extension was originally to allow opening until 11pm but this was changed at the last minute. Even so the intention is clear. It allows not only the sale of alcohol but also live music and the showing of films, video and TV. If they chose to have Sky Sports on display that would be OK too.

The transcript of the sub-committee shows the council solicitor declaring 'morality' to be irrelevant to the council decision making. If that's the point we have now reached and we now officially don't give a damn about the feelings of others then we need another council.

[Pwilson]

I'm just not convinced its the kind of issue to tackle those making the decisions on, perhaps I struggle with the concept of being offended at things as I'm not sure its an emotions I've ever felt.

I agree that the licence isn't needed & that there are other suitable venues within spitting distance. I also wasn't aware the licence included entertainment along with alcohol which does make a difference to the potential character of the venue.

I don't think the Council's place is a moral one, but they certainly should be acting with integrity and in an ethical manner while responding to the needs of the people who vote for them. So I guess if more voters asked for a Cemetery pub we should applaud them, though I'm not volunteering to go looking for these people even though more than 50% of the over 18's in town must have agreed.

[Inspector Knacker]

I don't think the Council's place is a moral one, but they certainly should be acting with integrity and in an ethical manner while responding to the needs of the people who vote for them. .

When they start responding to the needs of the people let me know.

[clav 73]

As part of my job I travel the UK and the rest of the world and not once have I seen or heard of a pub in the cemetery the idea is absurd and no one I have spoken to in this town agrees with the decision but the scabs need the place to make money or they are going to be left with egg on their face.

I agree you celebrate a person's life and some of my best days out have been wakes but this has always been in that persons local pub with all of their mates not in a converted garden centre in the cemetery

As for the entertainment licence to go with it words fail me and yes this is a valid election point as it shows how ridiculous the people in power are (as if the haircuts didn't give it away anyway )

[fred c]

It is a Morally Reprehensible location for a Cafe/Pub, it shows a lack of respect by "The Mob" towards the residents of the town.

But, setting that aside, the cost of the project is something that really should be considered at a time when services & facilities have been cut all over Hartlepool, the figure of £400,000 has been mentioned & when you look at the work that has been done i suspect it may be even higher.

However contrast this whole project to the Cafe in the Park, the lady that runs that has invested her own money into the business & she has to stand or fall by her own efforts.

http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/news/ward-jackson-park-cafe-gets-20-000-make-over-1-6598282

I suppose one of the questions about the cafe in the cemetery is, will we ever see the yearly accounts of the business, & it shouldn`t include the garden centre account, HBC have supported several other cafes in the town to the tune of £23,000 of rate payers money.... this place could prove to be a money pit & I won`t be surprised if the accounts are pink papered.

[stokoe]

Bang on the money there fred,Mr wilson as a resident of the area we were asked along to the cafe by council chiefs for a meeting and asked our concerns,we as a group did not want it there for many reasons far to many to mention.but ill tell you what our main reason for it was RESPECT FOR THE CEMETERY.

[stokoe]

One further thing i forgot to mention was,i asked the question is it making a profit,the response i got was sought of....... what that f**k* it got to do with you.

[fred c]

One further thing i forgot to mention was,i asked the question is it making a profit,the response i got was sought of....... what that f**k* it got to do with you.

That's about right coming from the shower of sh*te  spending taxpayers money on a development that has had no real research or proper business plan conducted before a huge amount of our cash has been spent on it.

A pound to a pinch of pig sh*t, the accounts for the cafe in the cream will be manipulated to cover up any & all likely discrepancies.......... A bit like the Tall Ships "Fairy Tale" accounts. 

[testing times]

There are plenty of Tories in Hartlepool; it's just that there aren't any Tory councillors. For example, normally you would expect a typical Tory to be horrified at the thought of a pub in a cemetery but Wells will vote with Labour tonight.

Well you got that one right, Steve. The attempt to get the council to voluntarily give up the license was voted down by the Labour/Tory coalition to a man.

[Jeff]

Shameful, but no surprise

[for fawkes sake]

Confirmation, if any were needed, that Labour now put themselves above the people. I see a total disconnection between the two.

[ashamedtobebritish]

I don't normally post on here but this issue really got me wound up, as I have family buried in that cemetery.

Hartlepool Council have proved once again that don't give a stuff about the electorate and press ahead with everything that serves their own interests despite the pleas from the people of the town.

This shows the pure self centerdness of our council and conformation that they do not have the public interest in mind when making important decisions about the towns future.

I hope the people thinking of voting Labour remember this, were being sold out.

[Pwilson]

If I've got this right:

Nobody really needs a coffee shop with an alcohol/entertainment licence in that location.

Those who were asked said no.

Lots of people have been vocally opposed to this.

People like me don't care either way, so a U-turn wouldn't make people like me more or less likely to vote Labour.

They had a chance to vote for a U turn and didn't.

So if all that is right, and nobody in the Labour group is getting rich from the coffee shop is the driving force just pure egotism? We all have ideas, some good some bad, those of us who put ideas into action sometimes must accept that ideas fail. It seems odd had I opened a bar in the town centre the council could shut me down and the business not being viable would force me to close. But at the same time an un wanted, not planned properly venture of their own is a cash sink and allowed to go on despite public opinion.

The question is who is making money from the place and who are their relatives with power?

[Jeff]

Usual Wells response when people disagree with him...... 'Nobody has spoken to me and raised an objection'. Along with his stock response ' They are not representative of public opinion'
His contempt for the folk of Hartlepool is sickening. Whether on the subject of Boozers in the Cemetery or the local Residents Association in Rural West Ward.

PLEASE PLEASE VOTE THIS MAN OUT AT THE EARLIEST OPPORTUNITY.