Morning folks.....Wednesday was the last day of 2014 and as we all woke up to a brand new year, it was hard to believe that it was a mere 12 months since I was writing about the disastrous financial catastrophe incurred by John Taylor’s insistence on investing £69,500 of taxpayer’s money into building 30 log cabins, whilst trying to create a pseudo Christmas Market.
However, that figure albeit large, paled into insignificance when
compared to the £75,252.50 employing a PR/Events company to run the show! – So before
we get the final figures in from this year’s dreadful event, it’s worth
reminding ourselves that this cash strapped council speculated well over
£144,752,50 of taxpayers’ money on Ashton’s first Christmas Market!
As per usual when things don't go quite right, after last year’s event, it was followed by the inevitable ‘consultation’
as to how the 2014 Christmas Market could be improved, but in typical Tameside
Council fashion, the result was once again to put the entire nonevent back
in the totally unqualified sycophantic career councillors hands, when what was
really needed was strong local democratic oversight by experts.
Roll back a year to, February 25th 2013 you may recall being told
that the Stalybridge eyesore that had once housed CASABLANCA’S Health
Club was set for demolition and were promised a ‘speedy’ redevelopment by New Charter Housing, who’d
bought the site the previous October 2012.
Once again, that intrepid poster-boy for all that’s wrong
with local council democracy; ‘Cllr John Taylor, deputy leader of Tameside
Council chipped in and said: "These are great times for Stalybridge. We
are finally going to see the end of a building that has spoiled the town centre
of for almost eight years."
He finished his piece by donning a newly opened Day-Glo
Jacket...and posed for the obligatory photo-shoot after sending the actual
demolition gang ‘off camera’ for an early lunch!
However, council promises are just like Holland’s ‘pie-crusts’
and are easily broken, so you’ll not be too surprised to know that 2 years
later; at the start of 2015, the demolition site is still just as it was; leaving Stalybridge town
centre with just as big an eyesore as it had before!
Perhaps to take the focus off the on-going Stalybridge ‘redevelopment
in waiting’ fiasco, we were told, again by Cllr John Taylor that ASHTON MARKET HALL had been voted ‘Best of British’ whilst in
actual fact; ASHTON MARKET HALL was
not voted ‘Best’ of anything - In fact it had won absolutely nothing!
However, never one to let the facts spoil a good politically advantageous story, it
transpired that it was actually ASHTON
MARKET who’d won an award, however it only won in one of the twelve
award categories on offer and that was in the minor classification of: BRITAIN’S FAVOURITE MARKET.
By the way, to be eligible
to be considered for an award in this National Market of the Year Competition, the council
must pay an annual subscription of just under £1000, - an expense that the
council has seen fit to continue -so don't be surprised if in 2015 we get another piece of engraved glass for the council's trophy cupboard!
By the end of February
I had occasion to visit yet another of Tameside council’s catastrophic marketing decisions.
It was Saturday
lunchtime, about 12.20, when I happened across the £1.3 million Hyde Civic
Square/Market ground where there were two stalls occupied and a children’s round-a-bout
operating! One stall was selling rolls of carpet the other dog beds!
For the moment I’ve forgotten the
name of the councillor who promised that this investment would transform Hyde into a bustling market town once again! So a collective “Well done” to Tameside council for their consistency in winning 'first prize' in the local government 'waste of money' awards.
As the year rolled
on, we were 'enthralled' by the Council Leaders address, which despite the usual
blame-game and excuses as to why they were finding life in the Town Hall
challenging, we were told ‘That total
saving on councillors allowances for this year alone was over £113,000 which
along with savings arising from ‘reductions in administration’ this represented a saving of 10% to the overall costs.
However, when one
looked closer at the published financial statements it revealed that councillors
in Tameside received more that £1.2 million in allowances, with the highest
amount being paid to the Council Leader Kieran Quinn himself!
In total, the
allowances bill for Tameside councillors in 2012/2013 came to £1.204,972.
Compared to £1.200,094 in 2011/2012 which was yet another
increase on 2010/2011, which was £1.186,473.
So, instead of keeping
his promise of saving £120,498 from his councillors
allowances; despite all the platitudes of hardship, government cuts; food
banks; closures and sell-off's;- not forgetting cutting the number of lollipop
ladies; reducing the number of pensioners' luncheon clubs; community centres
and cutting the budget for road repairs, this caring bunch of
self-serving, bottom feeders still managed to jack-up the council tax bill by
3.5% and increased their collective allowances by another £5000!
In March, we heard
of Tameside Council's Deputy Leader, John Taylor describing his party’s venture
into the Wythenshawe Ward; where they’ circled their political wagons - in
order to get their candidate Michael Kane elected.
Taylor a self confessed film buff, said they had ‘ridden
in’ as a posse who had ventured into unknown territory, with himself leading
the hastily sworn in mob, as their Sherriff! He was obviously suffering from a John Ford moment.
Then, as election fever
gripped the inner chamber we had the usual promises and warnings followed by
the by-election farce proper. That’s where nobody votes and the councillors
stay the same!
It was at this point
that Cllr Kieran Quinn, like most sensible politicians whose party is again seeking
election, took the popular high-ground- by telling us of his keen interest in
local history, particularly the history of Droylsden, - the town he represents.
In his blog he told
us, “I’m sure many Droylsden residents will have fond memories of the
mill and working there before it was finally demolished in 1991.”
He then went on to
tell us, “…This is why when the building was being demolished, along
with residents and my fellow councillors, I organised for the Mill’s entrance
stone to be saved and, initially, displayed at Littlemoss School!”
So by implication,
and taking his words at face value, we, the residents of Tameside, were led to
believe that those philanthropic councillors of yore,led by non-other than Cllr Kieran Quinn claimed that he had the foresight to save a rich historical piece of our industrial
heritage for us to admire.
However, that being
the case, perhaps the councillor could explain how he and his fellow councillors managed to rescue the mill’s entrance stone from the demolisher's in 1991, when, according to his council profile, he did
not become a member of the council until 1994?
The rest of the year
went on in much the same way, with nonsense, drivel, and broken promises
delivered by the usual protagonists who are still so prone to politically embroidered exaggeration;
I am led to understand that many of the more rational councillors have also suspended belief
in their colleagues excessive use of hyperbole and rhetoric and have recently distanced themselves from many of their more fanciful remarks.
In the coming year, if the people
of Tameside don’t wake-up and vote in numbers for people who are qualified to
set and attain realistic targets for all the towns in our borough, then I suspect 2015 will bring us more of the
same abject misery.
That being said, ....it's traditionally time to think about New Year Resolutions.
I wonder what our councillors will choose to change?
That’s if they
intending making any.
Me? I don't think I'll bother! ........ I’ll just
say a little prayer.....
“Grant me the serenity to accept the things
I cannot change
The courage to change the things I can and
the wisdom to know the difference!”
Just had a walk across ashton market ground and into market hall, shocking is an understatement. Lots of empty stalls outside and lot of closed stalls inside, market hall floor filthy, obviously not been cleaned since Saturday, typical council run premises.
ReplyDeleteWill this be the year we see the beginning of the end for Labour in Tameside, I F***ing hope so...
ReplyDeleteLike the general election it's in the people's hands.
ReplyDeleteThe mountain of evidence that the three main parties WILL destroy Britain if not stopped means anyone voting for them is doing so out of: Fear; selfishness; treachery; hatred of Britain; or 'community' self interest.
HI there again, phil fitzpatrick sits on both peak valley homes and the council that pushed it through just thought I`d let you know .
ReplyDeleteps have you checked out save hyde town centre facebook page, open group have your say