sign of the times

[fred c]

I could have sworn I had mentioned the Wingfield Castle in my post......... Thats why I asked if UKIP would be preparing a variety of motions to put before council..........It's called being Pro-Active, as for controlling HBC..... Dream On

[Lord Elpus]

I could have sworn I had mentioned the Wingfield Castle in my post......... Thats why I asked if UKIP would be preparing a variety of motions to put before council..........It's called being Pro-Active, as for controlling HBC..... Dream On

Gaining control of a Council and them knowing what to do with that control are two very different things. the likes of Tom and his mates in UKIP are still struggling to understand the concept of being in opposition.

Hartlepool deserves better.

[Inspector Knacker]

As to my views on the Wingfield Castle, i have none at this time however I am always on the side of community led solutions in other words if UKIP did control HBC we would always ask you to decide, what a concept.

If we are to 'decide' what do we need you for ?
We have one party of paranoid deniers, another of flexible compliers and now a party who want the public to do their job for them.

[beanzontoast]

As always Mr, Elpus you are entitled to your opinion, it would be of interest to know your vision for making Hartlepool better, as clearly you have discounted UKIP.
Perhaps the Tory`s then might do it for you, or maybe PHF, or Independants. Thats the trouble you see nothing concrete just eventual character attacks. My view for what it`s worth is that you don`t see anything wrong whatsoever with a Labour controlled town and never have, the problem is several councillors who don`t cut the mustard, would that be a fair assessment. And in the spirit of christmas i have as a gift a copy of UKIP`s 2016 Local manifesto, and a signed small poster of Paul Nuttall, it could be worth something later, i will even throw in a Hartlepool UKIP calendar.

[steveL]

In the Wonderland that the local UKIP party occupy, I'm not at all surprised to hear that Tom has been given the task of writing the local manifesto. Knock on a residents door, ask them what policies they want and that will be UKIP's manifesto; knock on the neighbour's door and ask them what they want and that will be the manifesto - even if it's completely different from the door before.

UKIP locally has only one policy; to agree with everything any resident asks for in order to build up support for Arnott and get him elected as MP and in the meantime, don't do anything or make a stand on anything that may upset Arnott's chances.

Case in point: "I am always on the side of community led solutions in other words if UKIP did control HBC we would always ask you to decide, what a concept. ". This is Tom's latest utterance which coincides with UKIP's oft-spouted pledge to use local referenda more frequently. Then move back a few weeks to the vote to impose a Teesside based elected mayor on Hartlepool, an important change in the way that Hartlepool is governed and probably the most significant vote to effect the people of Hartlepool for years.

What was UKIP's stance on this important issue? - They abstained.

Write your local manifesto, Tom. With the price of Andrex rising, I'm certain people will find a use for it.

[steveL]

In as much as you can attribute any weight to what CAB says, I thought I'd mention what he recently said in the council chamber which was that a pot of money exists for the refurbishment of the Wingfield Castle. This is the way that HBC does things. It doesn't maintain anything really. It waits until something is virtually falling apart then applies for a grant from somewhere to fund a recovery project. The money it has put aside is used as the match funding often required to obtain grants.

This is one of the examples that demonstrates just what little grasp HBC has of running anything as a tourist attraction. If you look at places like Scarborough or Blackpool, tourism is genuinely recognised as an important part of the local economy and so it's maintenance is properly catered for within their yearly budgets.

Have a look at some of the projects/schemes carried out in Hartlepool over the years, usually Government funded. Once completed and the money has been spent, HBC consistently walks away with no planned maintenance in place leaving anything gained from each project to slowly decay. eg Stranton Green, Thornton Street Linear Park, Marine Drive flower beds, Spion Kop pathways. On the lower prom on Albion Terrace, blue trail lights were embedded into the prom from the Block Sands to the Fish Sands. As each bulb has blown, HBC has chosen not to replace the bulb but instead has removed the light fitting completely and filled the resulting hole with Tarmac - classic HBC maintenance.

At the time of Marky's original video, I did suggest dragging some of the Community Service people from their Middlesbrough projects  to put a coat of paint on the Wingfield Castle which I'm sure would be slightly more gratifying than picking up litter in Albert Park. It fell on deaf ears. 

[fred c]

It is the Season of Good Will, so I will put this as tactfully as I can, I admit to being a firm believer in socialist principles & labour voter for most of my life, however, over the last 10 years or so I have become apolitical, I seriously wonder if any of the political parties have any thought for the working class of this country.

Politics locally are a microcosm of national politics, there are a percentage of councillors who have genuine motives, we also have a percentage of councillors who are 'In it for what thet can get out of it', then we have the largest percentage, the councillors who just sit in the background knowing whats going on is wrong, but aren't prepared to stand up & be counted.

The second largest party in Hartlepools council chamber happens to be UKIP, they now have 6 councillors & unfortunately, from the time they gained their first seat on the council they have made absolutely no meaningful contribution to the political landscape in Hartlepool whatsoever.

I don't want to appear unkind in my perception of their lack of constructive contribution, but my observations have been made not from hearsay, but from actually being present on numerous occasions, if UKIP are serious about becoming an effective opposition to the LabTor Mob they need to engage in local politics in a pro-active manner, they need to challenge the ruling group on every contentious motion, they can't continue to sit back twiddling their thumbs waiting for 2020 to come around, to put it bluntly, they need to grow a collective set of gonads  & stop making t**ts of themselves in the chamber.

[kevplumb]

have to agree steve they wouldnt know what PPM was if it bit em on the @ss

[steveL]

Fred, I've seen a letter from Devlin which says that he was approached by 3 party leaders over your blithering idiot remark all supporting Alexander's banning order. The first two, CAB and the Poison Dwarf were obviously predictable but the third came from UKIP.

The only people challenging anything are the Independents, unless you count Tom Hind who seems to challenge Darwin's theory on Evolution every time he opens his mouth or takes to the keyboard.

[mk1]

On the lower prom on Albion Terrace, blue trail lights were embedded into the prom from the Block Sands to the Fish Sands. As each bulb has blown, HBC has chosen not to replace the bulb but instead has removed the light fitting completely and filled the resulting hole with Tarmac - classic HBC maintenance.

On Thornton Street Linear Park they have filled in 2 of the fancy metal gratings that used to surround 2 trees with tarmac. One tree has also  gone completely. The metal railings around the park  are cheap and nasty and the  round metal finials that adorn the top of every second rail are separate items that screw on. Over the years roughly half have been removed and have vanished. The fancy metal alley gates they had specially built to match these railings (to replace the bog-standard type that used to be there and are used everywhere else) have a design fault in that you can open them simply by pushing both gates inward at the same time. This could be fixed by using a different (and more expensive deadlock type  bolt ) lock but they simply will not pay and thus the gates might as well be left open. The stone blocks continue to accrue frost damage and a good third have fractures right through the stone. Since the opening and the  use of it in that years election bumpf by the Labour Ward Councillors it has just gone to ruin.

[mk1]

have to agree steve they wouldnt know what PPM was if it bit em on the @ss

PPM = Parts Per Million where I used to work!

[mk1]

Fred, I've seen a letter from Devlin which says that he was approached by 3 party leaders over your blithering idiot remark all supporting Alexander's banning order. The first two, CAB and the Poison Dwarf were obviously predictable but the third came from UKIP.

I suspect UKIP will go full 'native' when the next Labour Leader gives them a couple of well-paid Chairs.

[fred c]

It is the Season of Good Will, so I will put this as tactfully as I can, I admit to being a firm believer in socialist principles & labour voter for most of my life, however, over the last 10 years or so I have become apolitical, I seriously wonder if any of the political parties have any thought for the working class of this country.

Politics locally are a microcosm of national politics, there are a percentage of councillors who have genuine motives, we also have a percentage of councillors who are 'In it for what thet can get out of it', then we have the largest percentage, the councillors who just sit in the background knowing whats going on is wrong, but aren't prepared to stand up & be counted.

The second largest party in Hartlepools council chamber happens to be UKIP, they now have 6 councillors & unfortunately, from the time they gained their first seat on the council they have made absolutely no meaningful contribution to the political landscape in Hartlepool whatsoever.

I don't want to appear unkind in my perception of their lack of constructive contribution, but my observations have been made not from hearsay, but from actually being present on numerous occasions, if UKIP are serious about becoming an effective opposition to the LabTor Mob they need to engage in local politics in a pro-active manner, they need to challenge the ruling group on every contentious motion, they can't continue to sit back twiddling their thumbs waiting for 2020 to come around, to put it bluntly, they need to grow a collective set of gonads  & stop making t**ts of themselves in the chamber.

Reflecting on the post by steveL re. the 3 party leaders approaching Devlin........ I will amend my comments above re. It being the Season of Good Will........ I don't usually trade in vitriolic comments, but in the light of a spineless immigrant running along to Devlins office with CAB & Raymondo I feel I can make an exception.

I have attended a couple of dozen full council meetings since Statler & Waldorf first entered the council chamber & I can say with out fear or favour they became a complete laughing stock within a matter of months, barely intelligible nonsensical coments on various motions made Lying Ste sound like a latter day Keir Hardie.

Since then of course the party has taken more seats, although I believe, on 1 occasion it was only because one of them had great difficulty actually standing up & come to think of it holding his bladder, anyway I digress, the fact they all 'Abstained' on the Tees Valley Combined Authority vote, gives us all a glimpse of what to expect from this particular bunch of KIPERS.

LABTORKIP MOB............. You know, it might just catch on

[Alnwickist]

Sure the people of Seaton will be overjoyed at getting a new sign. May direct some of the 146m  visitors to help with the big car parking fraud.

[kevplumb]

have to agree steve they wouldnt know what PPM was if it bit em on the @ss

PPM = Parts Per Million where I used to work!

planned preventitive maintanance
yer clown