£588m investment plan

[AndyHagon]

I wonder if someone can fill in the gaps for me please - the plan is £588m and we get £40m - that doesn't sound like a lot in the scheme of things. I know there will be extra things like infrastructure plans which will supposedly benefit all the local authorities but I wonder if we've secured our fair share of direct investment?

[Inspector Knacker]

This has concerned me for a while, it looks like we're getting the crumbs from the table.
In relative terms they get penny packets of money for their twee little vanity projects, but that's as far as their limited imagination goes.
I suspect they really don't have any plausible projects if any at all. If you haven't got a viable project, you drop down the list, so consequently they are getting pocket money. Peanuts.
Destination street furniture and cute waterfront walks don't attract jobs to the town, but training and business parks are not our leaders comfortable habitat I'd imagine.
We need jobs, we've got Lanscape gardeners.
I wonder if our representatives are even taken seriously at these meetings, £40m out of £588m would suggest not.

[Bluenose]

it is crumbs  because they have no concerted plan to develop training or jobs. I think they honestly believe that they think can create a costa del Hartlepool and have a tourist based economy. 

[Inspector Knacker]

When Punch turned up to these meetings did no one tell him it wasn't going to be a fancy dress?

[Heknocks68]

Firebrigade and Constabulary still have it (2 name but2) anyone remember the clever land. History suggests we were cut out of a lot then also. Chop chop.

[Inspector Knacker]

Oh I remember it very well. When it's death sentence was announced in 1996 I was over the moon. We called it Toxic on Tees County Council. Middlesbrough was the main recipient of it's largesse. I can't  recall the name of the two Labour Councillors who always seemed to run the show. One looked like Boycey off Fools and Horses and the other looked like Deputy Dawg. They were based in what would now be Redcar and  Cleveland but at the time was called Langbaurgh, silly bloody name.

[Lucy Lass-Tick]

Once upon a time Billingham UDC (aka Dawson City) was lucky to have ICI's business rates - and prospered accordingly. Amalgamated under the 'Cleveland/Teesside' banner its resources seemed to dissipate to become a poor relation.

[Inspector Knacker]

Aye, we used the term Billinghamised to see how a prosperous town was asset stripped and relegated to the status of a large housing estate.
Looks like we've set off on that course. Such a pity we have no one steering the ship.