Decline.

[Inspector Knacker]

Can someone explain the general decline in the town over recent years. We have a lot of good Labour councils in the area and I see some impressive developments, but all we seem to be doing is haemorrhaging services without so much as a whimper.
Offering parochial distractions and ever changing 'visions' are an irrelevance.
The town is being lead up a junction to obscurity. How about a proper Labour council, even a co-operative of The Four Hoursemen of the Apocalypse and Plague of Locusts would be a step forward.

[Land Phil]

It is simple, those running the town both Senior Officers and Councillors are only interested in themselves.

Who knows if Mike hill is going to shake anything up.
I hope so but I am not optimistic.

[The Great Dictator]

   Our bright young people leave town to go to college and don't return.

   We have an ageing population and no real industry to speak of.

   No proper courts, hospital, bus services, police station, local newspaper and football club to speak of.

   York Road is awash with drunks and drug addicts from 8am till 10pm like never before.

   To stem the reduction in population the government are directing many immigrants here to help prop up our ailing economy.

   Most small towns are the same unfortunately, City Challenge was the last cash boost we had under the Thatcher administration.

   Maybe a Tory MP would help ?

   

[kevplumb]

some valid point's in there

[Inspector Knacker]

There was no fight put up, no anger, just resigned acceptance by our local politicians. They have no fight or passion, just a sloth like apathy, happy to be kings of their parish. Parish pump politicians, who bandy about the word vision without ever producing anything of substance, always jam tomorrow.
Sadly, there are those happy to follow this shuffling crew as the town flounders.

[Inspector Knacker]

This post tells me all I need to know about the Status Quo squad. On a board about local issues, a question is asked about the town's  state and true to form they show no interest whatsoever and carry on producing absolutely nothing but obscure arguments about nothing of any consequence or themselves.

[kevplumb]

top and bottom of it riddler is the town needs work

and I don't mean zero hours and min wage

[Inspector Knacker]

What we need is people with the ability to see where the town is going. There is no perceptible strategy, it's just 'visions' and bumbling along, they even appear to have turned over the town's future to Cleveland Mk 2.
At times you can be excused for thinking we're living in a remake of the Truman Show where a bus load of people have won a competition to be Councillors for eternity  or longer.
A towns destiny is in the hands of the councillors in charge. It ain't rocket science.

[steveL]

Kev is right. The town needs jobs, decently paid jobs. The lack of them is the root cause of so many other problems the town faces

[BresslawoffoftheBunker]

As someone who has been accused of being part of some 'status quo' squad, without explanation I hasten to add, I agree whole heartedly with the OP.  There are jobs around but these tend to be jobs that would suit people in my situation I.e. Semi retired.   There are no 'career' jobs in the town.
If I were a youngster I would certainly consider moving away.

We are living in a town that is governed by people who dream of big things and produce next to nothing.

Occasional 'events' are nowhere near enough and are just an elastoplast over a gaping wound, providing some immediate relief with no long term solution.

[fred c]

The lack of decent well paid jobs is, as others have mentioned the root cause of the problem, that problem won't be solved by spending millions on the likes of Church Street or on building £400,000 pound housing estates.

I think it highly unlikely that a major employer will set up a business in Hartlepool, if that was ever going to happen it would have been under Mandelsons tenure as MP,  as it is, I would prefer the council to stop dusting icing sugar over a turd and use any available money  on the upkeep of local services, amenities and maintaining the fabric of the town for the benefit of the residents.

[steveL]

As someone who has been accused of being part of some 'status quo' squad, without explanation I hasten to add, I agree whole heartedly with the OP.  There are jobs around but these tend to be jobs that would suit people in my situation I.e. Semi retired.   There are no 'career' jobs in the town.
If I were a youngster I would certainly consider moving away.

We are living in a town that is governed by people who dream of big things and produce next to nothing.

Occasional 'events' are nowhere near enough and are just an elastoplast over a gaping wound, providing some immediate relief with no long term solution.

I agree with every word of that.

[Inspector Knacker]

As someone who has been accused of being part of some 'status quo' squad, without explanation I hasten to add, I agree whole heartedly with the OP.  There are jobs around but these tend to be jobs that would suit people in my situation I.e. Semi retired.   There are no 'career' jobs in the town.
If I were a youngster I would certainly consider moving away.

We are living in a town that is governed by people who dream of big things and produce next to nothing.

Occasional 'events' are nowhere near enough and are just an elastoplast over a gaping wound, providing some immediate relief with no long term solution.

Can't argue with that. All they produce are distractions. A weekends bread and circus on the Rec may be the height of their social calendar but an irrelevance.

[notenoughsaid]

   I agree with the contents of the above posts and it is nice to see that people are waking to the fact that we are ruled by boys trying to do a mans job. I have never understood how the leader and his mate gained such power apart from the Mandelson connection.  Their exhibition of politics by fear and spite seem to smack of his attitude to others. It is about time they realized  how people regard them and do something positive about it or get out. Fat chance. Between them  Chris and Ste. have seen off far cleverer men than themselves but  still survive.   Why /How ? It would have been better for all if some of the victims had crossed the floor rather than disappear although I know some still contribute in other circles. My apologizes to any of the long term posters on here who need no converting.    Well said BOTB.

[fred c]

Yep, I can't argue with BOTB and Kev P...good points well made