Where's our big project?

[Inspector Knacker]

Had cause to be in Middlesbrough first thing Sunday morning and drove off Newport Bridge to take the back road by the river towards the new police station/ Albert bridge area. Surprised to see hoardings up complete with graphics for a very impressive business park that I assume is the £55 million development by Tess Valley.
There appears to be a major amount bring spent in all the other authority areas, yet all we seem to get is the loose change from down the back of the Tees Valley sofa for toytown unwanted vanity projects that weren't needed in the first place. The others are getting the big sums while we are getting the equivalent of Titchmarsh and the ground force team turning up to plant a few shrubs.
This seems to be a running saga of being fobbed off because our so called leaders ( I use the term in the loosest sense of the word) are feeble and downright incapable of defending our interests. Services have been disappearing over the horizon for over ten years and our gormless local 'leaders' wave them goodbye.
I never known such toothless 'representation' in my life.
And thereby lies the problem. While the other authorities have ambitious plans and high expectations,, ours are busy running a glorified community centre. We are represented by pygmies way out of their depth.

[Inspector Knacker]

Now money for the train station and park and ride site plus yet more money for Stockton High Street to knock down empty shops and have more green spaces. Is it a shopping street anymore or performance venue for street theatre? They've mucked a once popular market and shopping area well and truly.

[Disgruntled voter]

The FE looks state of the art and so does the new college of art and design . The industrial estate on Brenda road is seeing more investment and the marina way side near the old Jackson landing is slowly starting to recover......but the jewel in the Crown  (Middleton grange) looks like it belongs behind the iron curtain ..... the full thing needs a huge overhaul and realistic rents to attract big names....all the big names are moving to the retail parks where the parking is free and I assume the rent is viable.

[Inspector Knacker]

All very good, but where's our share of the kitty? We've been promised all sorts over the past 20 years and oddly enough we always seem to end up without even the scraps and I'm not just refering to our local 'visionaries'.

[Disgruntled voter]

We need the next Brian Morton to step up and provide us with the next big proposal or a decent team of peogle to steer this town in the right direction .

[Johnny Bongo]

We need the next Brian Morton to step up and provide us with the next big proposal or a decent team of peogle to steer this town in the right direction .

Maybe Brian could give HBC the money back that he owes!  That would be a good start! 

[Disgruntled voter]

And pay his business rates .

[Inspector Knacker]

That's another point. I'm more concerned about what we're going to get from Tees Valley. I hope it isn't based on the old Cleveland Mantra of spending it south of the river and telling you can come and visit and see where YOUR money has been spent whenever you want. There were meagre rewards for this town in the Cleveland days while some places did very well indeed, but I suspect we're being taken back to those days.
We look like we're there to make up the numbers again. Meanwhile we get some loose change to fund 'Incapability Brown' in his twee urban garden projects.