Boundary Changes

[jeffh]

Being discussed on Facebook are the proposed boundary changes the council is trying to push through before May 2019

The Fens will be split with the West side combining with Rural West and the East side plus Rossmere with Jutland Road & the i block of Owton Manor.

What Labour are doing is combining the Labour vote from Seaton (Jutland Road), Rossmere and the i-block no doubt trying to create a super safe seat they can retreat to.

This adds 3 Labour councillors to the chamber giving a total of 36 councillors - this is only a year after they awarded themselves a 31% pay rise as they represented, and I use that term very loosely, more constituents than other councils - if this goes through can we have our money back?

Don't know whether Loynes has realised here reign as Conservative Leader my be short lived as at the last by-election they got in by a reduced majority, so a strong Independent vote from the Fens may see them off.  No wonder Raymondo did a runner

[Lord Elpus]

Looks like the SCAB's Cranney and Mad Dog are behind this.

Councillors were called to a behind doors meeting on the 26/07/2018.  The propsals were put to them with very little debate, Cranney proposed the acceptance and Mad Dog seconded the proposals.

I hope we see some Independents demand an extension to the consultation process and also ensure the public have a chance to view these proposals.

This is gerrymandering plain and simple.  I understand even some Labour Councillors are objecting to this.

Looks like yet another one of Calamity Chris's 9ct gold, fur lined, gem encrusted c**k ups.  Civic Leader, my ar**, the man is a nincompoop.

[DRiddle]

I wonder if they've taken into consideration the Jutland Road vote is about 27 people . . .

[Lord Elpus]

 With the permission of Robert Smith, see copy of email sent to Gill Alexander, COE HBC;

Dear Ms Alexander,

As Chair of the Fens Residents Association I am being literally bombarded with calls and emails from numerous residents who are furious at the prospect of the Fens being wiped off the Ward Boundary map of Hartlepool. Details of this have only emerged over the last two days. I can sum up the situation as follows:

Residents, FRA and indeed many members have been in the dark about this until a Member's Seminar was hastily convened on the 23rd July with no press or public present. Some members are complaining that there was an information overload and that the map and documentation was only provided on the day, they could not study it before voting and now regret the way they voted. Voices are now being raised demanding that the issue is put on hold and the consultation period put back until at least the end of August to allow for a full and proper Council Meeting and Public Events so that all can democratically get the full detail. This is essential to avoid a serious scandal from occurring. It also seems that a lot of members could not make the seminar at short notice. There are real concerns that HBC is trying to get this through by keeping people in the dark for as long as possible and that democracy is being swept aside to gain political advantages (it is of course unclear who would wish to do this).

The Fens is a distinct identifiable community with its school, shops, residents association and newsletter. The present warding works well because of commonalities between the Fens and Rossmere, indeed community activists from both estates work together with the public and members to bring about environmental and social improvements. Your own criteria directs that under circumstances such as these communities should not be split, it would be the worst possible thing that you could do. There is also dismay that back in May the Boundaries Commission asked you to bring the consultation to the attention of members and to take steps to bring the review to the attention of the public and other interested parties (such as FRA). I have to be honest you have failed miserably to do this. A good example is the tiny undetailed mention of the review in Hartbeat, it was even overshadowed on the same page by details of a consultation about balloon releases!

Ms Alexander, you need to get to grips with this ASAP to prevent damage to the town's reputation, even if it means eating of humble pie and back peddling by you and influential people controlling HBC. Please take note that this email is copied in to the Local Government Boundaries Commission.

I would also point out that the Park Ward is planned on the assumption that the southern end of the South West Extension will contribute voters. In reality this will not happen for decades, so three lucky members for the new Park Ward will have a very easy life and the proper Ward number balance will be a farce from day one.

Regards,

Robert Smith

Chair

Fens Residents Association

[Lord Elpus]

Looks like Gill Alexander will once again be expected to carry the can for shight actions by Calamity Chris and his cabal.

Its about time she grew a pair.

[jeffh]

Wonder which way Moneybags voted on this - with one eye on the Jutland Road Ward?

[fred c]

Looks like Gill Alexander will once again be expected to carry the can for shight actions by Calamity Chris and his cabal.

Its about time she grew a pair.

£143k salary and £22k pension contributions in the last year and to all intents and purposes CAB appears to be running the show.......perhaps the present cull will result in a new CEO ?

[Lord Elpus]

http://www.fensresidentsassociation.co.uk/

[Johnny Bongo]

Looks like Gill Alexander will once again be expected to carry the can for shight actions by Calamity Chris and his cabal.

Its about time she grew a pair.

£143k salary and £22k pension contributions in the last year and to all intents and purposes CAB appears to be running the show.......perhaps the present cull will result in a new CEO ?

Just as a matter of interest....how do the electorate get rid of the CEO of a Council? Do they sign a petition stating a vote of no confidence? 

[The Great Dictator]

   We would have to give her a massive pay off out of Council tax.

[Johnny Bongo]

   We would have to give her a massive pay off out of Council tax.

Why reward someone for failure?  Failure to run a council that is incorruptable!  Failure to investigate councillors that bring a council into disrepute!  Failure to dismiss councillors that are proven liars and fraudsters!  Failure to keep a check on where £millions  of council tax payers money has gone....and to whom!  Failure to investigate why several business ventures, initiated by certain councillors, involving £100's of thousands of council tax payers money, went to the wall, wiping millions from the councils  reserves!  These clowns think they are in a game of monopoly, using our money!  If they did this in China, they'd be executed by now!  However, this is the UK...we reward them for failure!  What a wonderful country! 

[Inspector Knacker]

CEO or butler? Utterly anonymous, as effective as a marhmallow torpedoe.

[Gustaf I of England + BWH]

CEO or butler? Utterly anonymous, as effective as a marhmallow torpedoe.

Whatever she may be, one thing she definitely is is not here. Conveniently on holiday until 13th. August, so I suspect that Mr. Smith's communication will be ignored until it is too late to have any effect.

If anyone is interested in passing on their thoughts on the proposed changes to the boundary commission, the web address is -
http://www.hartlepool.gov.uk/electoral-review . You have until 6th. August to do this.

The case put forward by HBC is also there if anyone feels up to trawling through it but be warned, it is hard going. I gave up after realising that they were using an argument against making changes as their argument for making changes.

[Lord Elpus]

I only hope Hartlepool Independents and PHF Councillors get their act together on this issue.  Shane Moore seems to be on the ball, however, the others I have spoken to don't seem to have much of an idea.

I would be nice to see a bit of civic leadership from you guys and soon, the clock is ticking.

[Lord Elpus]

By kind permission of Fens Residents Ass;


THE GREAT FENS IDENTITY THEFT – A SORRY TALE OF LACK OF TRANSPARENCY AND DECEPTION!

Currently there is a review of Hartlepool's electoral ward boundaries.  Everyone should have been made fully aware of the Hartlepool Borough Council (HBC) badly thought out proposals ages ago so that they had the full details and plenty of time to comment.  It didn't happen and consequently the Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE) received HBC proposals which had never been before the public or the majority of elected members.  The following timeline best explains the incredible train of events:

23rd July – The Council arranges a 'Members' Seminar' (no press or public invited) at which those Councillors who could attend were urged by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to 'accept in principle' a proposal which would see the Fens Estate divided between a new Rural Ward and a new Rossmere Ward with its name completely wiped from the electoral map of Hartlepool. At this point in time the least possible amount of information had been made available to the public and few Councillors really knew what was going on.  Unfortunately because they had no chance to scrutinise the documentation on the desks in front of them they succumbed to the CEO's recommendation to approve the proposals.  Only when they had time to look at what they had agreed to did at least some of them realise that they had collectively done the equivalent of signing a contract without reading it.

30th July – A principled and worried Council insider decided to alert the Fens Residents Association (FRA) to the two way carving up of the Fens, asking that we take steps to alert press and public to what was afoot.  Without delay we did our best to do this before the consultation deadline of 6th August.

31st July – FRA provides the LGBCE with its own objection to any carving up of the Fens, providing ample evidence that the HBC proposals are seriously flawed in a multitude of ways.

1st August – The Independent Group of Councillors finalise their submission and proposal.  It is for a two way division of the Fens, but at least the estate is named Fens East and Fens West whilst they are appended to other large new wards.

2nd August – Unbelievably FRA discovers that HBC in a final last minute twist and act of deception alters their submission to the LGBCE by CARVING THE FENS UP INTO THREE AND STICKING THE FRAGMENTS INTO THREE NEW WARDS meaning that the people of the Fens would have to share Councillors with either Hart Village, West Park or Jutland Road, depending upon which fragment their house would be left in.

3rd August – The Hartlepool Mail highlights the three way carve up of the Fens, underlining the need for residents to send their comments to the LGBCE by the fast approaching deadline of Monday 6th August.

4th August – The Putting Hartlepool First (PHF) group of Councillors lets FRA know that they are submitting an alternative plan that keeps the Fens intact and retains its identity by having a new Fens and Greatham Ward.

6th August – FRA explains to the LGBCE the situation regarding the huge numbers of people we have not been able to contact with details of the review.  The LGBCE agrees to extend the consultation deadline to Sunday, 12th August.

6th August – The Hartlepool Constituency Labour Party wades in with its submission that condemns any splitting of a distinct, identifiable community.

All three of our present Fens and Rossmere Councillors have stood shoulder to shoulder with FRA.  It must also be remembered that although HBC is clearly at fault here for both its unworkable proposals and its lack of transparency, the overwhelming majority of Council Officers will be appalled at what has been done in their name.

Common sense and public interest demand that the best way forward is for the review to be put on hold until a truly independent investigation has taken place. Only in this way will the truth about this issue be revealed.