NO NO NO

[testing times]

We have all come to know only to well what the word 'consultation' actually means in Hartlepool but you may as well give it a go anyway. There are so many things wrong with this idea but it all has the feel of the destination having already been decided on and it's just the route that is up for debate.

www.surveymonkey.com/s/TeesValleyCombinedAuthorityConsultation

[craig finton]

The road to perdition. It took 20 years to get rid of Cleveland County. We need another Keep Hartlepool Out of Teesside Campaign. Mind you, the last one was totally ignored by the men in suits, as usual.

[ashamedtobebritish]

The thing is, we were all told the same things when our illustrious Housing Association was founded many moons ago, saying that merging into a bigger organization would make customer services better, and ultimately give tenants better value for money, has this happened the answer is simply No.

Rents still go up, Customer Service has got considerably worse, jobs have been lost in the restructure of the business, and they luckily wriggled out of a court case that could of easily bankrupted the entire Housing Association, the same would happen with the council, Jobs would be lost, Council Tax would rise to pay for Tees Valley Enterprises (Not Hartlepool Ones) and generally the service the council would give the public would not just be sh!te, but go to Diabolical.

People of Hartlepool want to make sure this dream of the Whackers Belchers gets stuffed somewhere where the sun don't shine!

[steveL]

People need to wake up to what is actually happening here. The new body would have responsibility for economic development, transport, infrastructure and skills and only a portion of its members would have been elected. It would also include representatives from local businesses and other 'interested bodies', none of whom would have a mandate from the people. What they would have is a whole bagful of self-interests. It's conceivable that organisations such as Mandale, Jomast, Wynyard Properties and even Niramax could find themselves with a place at the table.

We already know with the hospital trust what happens when the link between power and local democracy is severed. The suits become arrogant and indifferent to the wishes of local people.

This is a road on which we should not be travelling.

[beanzontoast]

steveL, can I again thank you for the chart produced on one of the other topics, iwhile I was aware of this chart, I am at a loss of how you place such things on this forum,  it's an age thing and I'm sure.

Your comment on No No No, and people better wake up is Spot On. The only problem with waking people up though may be be a tall order, the reason Hartlepool Council are so keen on this is it's labour who is pushing this it's labours regional assemblies resurfacing,   that's why that old street fighter John Prescott was in Newcastle recently,and who do you think has been nominated to head this unit on behalf of Hartlepool,  I can't possibly make any further comment.

[Lord Elpus]

A simple way forward would be a referendum. open and transparent government in action.  Will it happen? Not if the Comrades have their way

[Inspector Knacker]

We're on the road to becoming a parish council housing estate on the far edge of the Teesside conurbation. They want us for the population numbers we bring to the table.....simple as that... sign on the dotted line and we become a backwater where if you need anything in a couple of years you travel through to Middlesbrough.
Consultation is now a very dirty word .

[mk1]

  Will it happen? Not if the Comrades have their way

More so now the future career prospects of one SAB is entirely dependent on  jobs/chairs in the gift of sympathetic Labour colleagues. The man is unemployable in the real world and both he and his botox-enhanced partner will make sure they say firmly attached to the  lucrative gravy train.
Cleveland it is and you better get used to the idea.

[beanzontoast]

You do have a referendum Elpus,  and it's in May next year,  for the town its local elections,  for the country its a General Election,  perhaps you hadn't noticed, in fact something else you may not have noticed Hartlepool is well on its way to a unitary council, a representative of the council has already been selected to sit on the panel when it is set up it's a done deal, and if you managed to look  outside of Hartlepool to Ed Milliband on telly yesterday in his speech on the economy he said it's going to happen, so the labour party got rid of the hospital,  and they are going to get rid of the council.

[marky]

Hartlepool is already a unitary authority and if the plan is really to do away with the council altogether then how would it be possible for that non-existent council to have a 'representative' on the Teesside body? I think the wiring in your brain is all-to-pot mate.

The point is that 'economic development, transport, infrastructure and skills' should remain under the democratic control of local people and not some largely unelected Quango which we know from experience would concentrate all of its effort on the Middlesbrough/Stockton partnership leaving Hartlepool as an also-ran on the periphery.

[Lord Elpus]

You do have a referendum Elpus,  and it's in May next year,  for the town its local elections,  for the country its a General Election,  perhaps you hadn't noticed, in fact something else you may not have noticed Hartlepool is well on its way to a unitary council, a representative of the council has already been selected to sit on the panel when it is set up it's a done deal, and if you managed to look  outside of Hartlepool to Ed Milliband on telly yesterday in his speech on the economy he said it's going to happen, so the labour party got rid of the hospital,  and they are going to get rid of the council.

Tom, we had a referendum to get us out of Cleveland, I think over 90% of the people who voted wanted out and to return to a unitary Authority.  Local election are not the same as referendum, UKIP are supposed to be supporters of local Referendums.  Check it out with HQ. or Pasco

Just so you have no doubt;

Referendum, definition; a general vote by the electorate on a single political question which has been referred to them for a direct decision.

This link might also help; http://www.uk-engage.org/2013/05/what-is-the-difference-between-an-election-and-a-referendum/

As has already been said we've been a Unitary since 1998