All change at NTC? Options

[Simon Kirby]

I plan to run for election because I actually want to be a councillor and make a contribution in Newbury. I just hope that the people of Newbury don't vote for more paper candidates from the Tories and Lib Dems!!

I will publish my manifesto soon, but I plan to run in an effort to improve transparency in the town. Don't forget both the Fib Dems and Tories have held back information on the Parkway cracks issue, treating the electorate with contempt. I'd also like to pt a stop to empire building by the Lib Dems, who try to take on extra responsibilities as a parish council because they can't win control of the district council.

Maybe in an effort to save costs, the council would consider co-opting me and Simon? (I won't bank on it!)

If anyone would like to help me get elected, please let me know - richard.garvie@gmail.com

(Good luck Simon - you should totally do it!!!)

Good stuff Richard, I'll be pleased to campaign for you. NTC desperately needs free-thinking councillors who can challenge the vested interests and cosy self-serving establishment. NTC spends £1M a year on not very much, and around half of that could be saved just by scaling down their empire.

If NTC does have a role then it's as a facilitator at the centre of the community, and that needs community-minded people to edge out the old guard.

I'm giving some serious thought to standing, but I'd sooner support someone else - it would also be a shame to split the independent vote so if there is another serious independent apolitical candidate I'd sooner get behind the two of you.

Strafin - will you stand? You have experience, and I'd be really pleased to support you.

[user23]

Good stuff Richard, I'll be pleased to campaign for you. NTC desperately needs free-thinking councillors who can challenge the vested interests and cosy self-serving establishment. NTC spends £1M a year on not very much, and around half of that could be saved just by scaling down their empire.

If NTC does have a role then it's as a facilitator at the centre of the community, and that needs community-minded people to edge out the old guard.

I'm giving some serious thought to standing, but I'd sooner support someone else - it would also be a shame to split the independent vote so if there is another serious independent apolitical candidate I'd sooner get behind the two of you.

Since when has The Labour Party been apolitical?

[On the edge]

Since when has The Labour Party been apolitical?

Since it first started.

[Strafin]

I am definetly considering it, I have the inclination and the time.

*edit Wife Dependent

[On the edge]

I am definetly considering it, I have the inclination and the time.

*edit Wife Dependent

Great looks as if we have some lively interest.

[Simon Kirby]

Since when has The Labour Party been apolitical?

For goodness sake User, of all the sensible issues you could raise under this thread you nick-pick inane grammar? Read what I said:

I'm giving some serious thought to standing, but I'd sooner support someone else - it would also be a shame to split the independent vote so if there is another serious independent apolitical candidate I'd sooner get behind the two of you.

another candidate other than me!

As you very well know, the problem as I see it is that NTC councillors are lib-dem and tory puppets who are there mostly for the social status and a shot at being mayor, or getting a free holiday on the twin-town budget. They don't see anything wrong with the council's inefficiency, ineptitude, or stallinist repression and frankly they're appalled and offended at the temerity of the few jumped-up proles who presume to question their omnipotence and disturb their peace. I don't believe it's intrinsically a problem of tory or lib-dem politics, the problem is how the party apparatus has been used to control the councillors and inure them to the developing problems. There have been a series of issues at the council going back ten years, and each time they failed to address their problems they made it harder than ever to confront their decline. Party politics isn't the only factor at play in the development of that culture, but it hasn't helped, and likewise non-con-dem councillors won't in itself cure the problem, but the solution sure as hull isn't coming from the con-dem establishment so it has to be welcomed.

[Simon Kirby]

I am definetly considering it, I have the inclination and the time.

*edit Wife Dependent

Can we get together and talk about it?

[user23]

For goodness sake User, of all the sensible issues you could raise under this thread you nick-pick inane grammar? Read what I said:

another candidate other than [i]me

Just seems as bit strange to refer to The Labour Party as independent.

I'm not sure of the rules, but it says here Richard has been living in Spalding since 2009, so I'm not sure if he's eligible to stand in Newbury.

Spalding Today

[Richard Garvie]

Just seems as bit strange to refer to The Labour Party as independent.

I'm not sure of the rules, but it says here Richard has been living in Spalding since 2009, so I'm not sure if he's eligible to stand in Newbury.

Spalding Today

It's a well known fact I was working in Spalding and living there for a short period before coming back to Newbury and before I got into politics. Roughly end of 2009 and came back in the Feb of 2010 as I'd just tied up the rights for NASCAR on behalf on a SKY Channel the week before the Daytona 500 (start of Feb each year) and I was living in Stockcross back then.

Let's talk about issues in Victoria ward since I got involved in local politics.

CCTV
Pavilion
Skate Park
Play area / fence
Cracks
Speeding buses
Vandalism of Victoria Park kiosk
Faraday Road development / threat to football ground
Threat of a bus lane on the A4
Rats along the canal / back of Poundstretcher
Reduction is staff at railway station
Affordable housing at the racecourse and a proposed reduction of number of affordable homes
Delays to the new roundabout on Hambridge Road, first raised by me last year, later recycled by Lib Dems
Lack of security and police cover around the industrial areas
Safety along footpath of canal
Phasing of traffic lights at Robin Hod and Sainsbury lights
Lack of road improvements to accommodate Parkway traffic
Removal of public use of Bayer car park at weekends

I'm sure there are many more, and I have the press cuttings and audio recordings of the coverage my efforts secured for those issues. If the byelection result was based on hard work and representing the community in that ward, is there many people who would be chosen ahead of me?

My main campaign pitch (if selected by the party) will be that I want greater transparency at the town council, starting with full disclosure of the cause of the parkway cracks issue so residents and businesses in the ward can finally claim on their insurance and receive compensation from whoever was responsible.

Secondly, I would be lobbying for a reduction in the annual turnover of the council. At a time when people are choosing between eating or heating, is it right that we spend this much money on a parish council with very limited powers?

There are many other issues that are important in that ward right now, and whoever the Labour Party candidates may be will fight this election with real passion about doing things differently and injecting fresh, young blood into local politics.

[JeffG]

Removal of public use of Bayer car park at weekends

I didn't know about that, but isn't that up to Bayer themselves, rather than a council issue?

[Richard Garvie]

I didn't know about that, but isn't that up to Bayer themselves, rather than a council issue?

No, Bayer were happy for it to continue but the district council brought it to an end.

[blackdog]

I didn't know about that, but isn't that up to Bayer themselves, rather than a council issue?

It's a council issue because the council decided to stop renting the car park from Bayer on Saturdays - to save costs and raise revenue from its own car parks. However, it is a WBC issue, not an NTC issue. Nor is it particularly a Victoria Ward issue - few residents there need to drive into town and park.

RG does seem to have missed the biggest issue facing Victoria Ward in the near future - the demolition of Highfield Avenue, the bus station and two car parks to make way for a new 'urban village'.

As for the Victoria Park issue - RG makes out that residents etc suffering from subsidence are unable to claim on their insurance without the report - which seems to me to be a ludicrous claim. Why can't they claim? It is up to their insurers to seek redress from SLI/Costain if they choose to do so, not the property owners (unless they weren't insured). If the insurance companies want to seek damages from SLI/Costain they can commission their own report or, more likely, come to a deal with NTC to share a joint action - which would give them access to the NTC report. In reality the insurers probably don't really care who is to blame - they end up paying either way (SLI/Costain will be insured against third party claims) - why add to the bill just to make lawyers rich?

[JeffG]

It's a council issue because the council decided to stop renting the car park from Bayer on Saturdays

I didn't realize the council rented it. I thought it was Bayer returning something to the community. They got a good PR deal out of that as well then, if others thought as I did.

[Andy Capp]

Just seems as bit strange to refer to The Labour Party as independent.

I'm not sure of the rules, but it says here Richard has been living in Spalding since 2009, so I'm not sure if he's eligible to stand in Newbury.

Spalding Today

More mischief making I see user23.

[dannyboy]

More mischief making I see user23.

why not - more fun that way.

[On the edge]

Well good for Richard; at least he has a list of real and pertinent issues. Wonder what our dear Town Councillors would come up with:-

1. Need to convince electors all is OK with water table damage (Don't mention the report!)
2. Urgent refurbishment and renewal of civic robes
3. Vitally necessary issues surrounding flags
4. Errr
5. That's it

[dannyboy]

Well good for Richard; at least he has a list of real and pertinent issues. Wonder what our dear Town Councillors would come up with:-

1. Need to convince electors all is OK with water table damage (Don't mention the report!)
2. Urgent refurbishment and renewal of civic robes
3. Vitally necessary issues surrounding flags
4. Errr
5. That's it

I agree. Apart from house prices in West Berks, equine DNA 'scandal', the Papal Conclave, and meteorite prevention measures I think that list just about covers every base.

[John C]

Let's talk about issues in Victoria ward since I got involved in local politics.

CCTV
Pavilion
Skate Park
Play area / fence
Cracks
Speeding buses
Vandalism of Victoria Park kiosk
Faraday Road development / threat to football ground
Threat of a bus lane on the A4
Rats along the canal / back of Poundstretcher
Reduction is staff at railway station
Affordable housing at the racecourse and a proposed reduction of number of affordable homes
Delays to the new roundabout on Hambridge Road, first raised by me last year, later recycled by Lib Dems
Lack of security and police cover around the industrial areas
Safety along footpath of canal
Phasing of traffic lights at Robin Hod and Sainsbury lights
Lack of road improvements to accommodate Parkway traffic
Removal of public use of Bayer car park at weekends

I'm sure there are many more, and I have the press cuttings and audio recordings of the coverage my efforts secured for those issues. If the byelection result was based on hard work and representing the community in that ward, is there many people who would be chosen ahead of me?

My main campaign pitch (if selected by the party) will be that I want greater transparency at the town council, starting with full disclosure of the cause of the parkway cracks issue so residents and businesses in the ward can finally claim on their insurance and receive compensation from whoever was responsible.

Secondly, I would be lobbying for a reduction in the annual turnover of the council. At a time when people are choosing between eating or heating, is it right that we spend this much money on a parish council with very limited powers?

There are many other issues that are important in that ward right now, and whoever the Labour Party candidates may be will fight this election with real passion about doing things differently and injecting fresh, young blood into local politics.

It would be helpful to know if the cctv is up and running as should be
the Pavilion is dead and buried
Final closure as to the cracks in Victoria Park
I was not aware of a problem with the speed of the buses
Reduction of staff at railway station is First Great Western/Network rail not NTC
Security and policing is a TVP /PC thing again not NTC
Traffic light phasing is a problem though out the town centre area not just the Robin Hood Sainsbury area
Lack of improvements not just Parkway and a bridge for buses and taxis only, but also the banning of lorries in Mill Lane

[Andy Capp]

why not - more fun that way.

User23 often says more people should get involved on local politics, but when they do, he quickly resorts to tactics that he himself would object to.

[Cognosco]

User23 often says more people should get involved on local politics, but when they do, he quickly resorts to tactics that he himself would object to.

Yes but who takes any notice of what User says anyhow? He only posts to break the boredom of nothing better to do at WBC! He is classed as the WBC stand up comedian apparently but been told not to give up his lucrative day non-job.