Thursday 29 November 2012
Norma Redfern Labours Candidate for North Tyneside Mayor
that was granted for the Pitch and Putt Golf Complex on the Links at
Whitley Bay. The situation has been confused by others associated
with the council and has caused unrest and even some anger
amongst local residents about the proposals that recently went in
front of the Planning Committee.
The Planning Committee has to operate with open minds and is not a committee that is allowed to be politically controlled. It has to make a decision based on planning criteria and planning legislation. So when you as residents receive messages that the planning committee acted Politically when making decisions then it is suggesting that councillors of all persuasions are acting unlawfully.
I can inform you that the Labour Group of Councillors do not make pre decisions and certainly do not use the political whipping system on planning or other quasi judicial committees. I hope that you can accept my assurance that this is a serious matter and those that attempt to mislead you on these matters are doing so to distract from the real facts.
The Labour Group have tabled the following motion for discussion at the Council Meeting on Thursday 29th November 2012 -
“This Council seeks clarification of the lease arrangements for the pitch and putt golf facility on the Links in St Mary’s Ward. In particular, the Clauses contained within the lease which require landlord approval to change and/or alter or extend the building. Council would like a full explanation on who has the responsibility for agreeing the lease and which Cabinet Member was involved in agreeing the lease.”
We are seeking information to ensure public scrutiny of the decisions taken or not taken with the golf facilities. We believe the responsibility for granting permission to any alterations, reconfigurations is the Executive of the Council—namely the Cabinet members. So even with Planning permission being granted it is the conditions contained within the lease which actually controls what is allowed to happen with the facilities, and the Council have to provide written permission before it can be carried out.
Our Group wanted to bring this to your attention as two of your Ward Councillors are Cabinet Members and do have an opportunity to raise the issue in their role as Executive Members. We believe that attempting to pass responsibility on to the Planning Committee is a total smokescreen and actually does not tell you the residents the full facts in an open and honest manner.
We are determined to work with Residents and support them as much as we can, please feel free to make contact on this or any other matter you have a concern about.
Yours faithfully
Norma Redfearn
Firstly, Mr Ogle may want to reflect on who makes the decisions in North Tyneside Council. Labour may have the majority in the council but the Conservative Mayor makes the decisions. For instance, I didn’t make the decision to withdraw funding from Priory and I’m not responsible for the actions of the Local Education Authority.
Dear Editor,
Firstly, Mr Ogle may want to reflect on who makes the decisions in North Tyneside Council. Labour may have the majority in the council but the Conservative Mayor makes the decisions. For instance, I didn’t make the decision to withdraw funding from Priory and I’m not responsible for the actions of the Local Education Authority. So in future, if he wants to accuse ‘the authority of being petty’ he needs to be clear about who is directing his ire at.
Secondly, instead of conducting his discussions through the letter’s pages, why doesn’t he just answer the reasonable questions posed by all political parties in the council? I’m sure the public who have been contacting their elected members in a steady stream would welcome his answers. The issues do not just revolve around these two schools, it is much bigger and deals with education across the Borough.
Thirdly, Mr Ogle goes into great detail about the finance of his school and compares against what other schools receive. Again the facts are in front of him – The current conservative Government introduced the Pupil Premium in April 2011, and is paid to local authorities by means of a specific grant based on January 2011 school census figures for pupils registered as eligible for Free School Meals in reception to Year 11.
Clearly Mr Ogle indicates that he is dissatisfied with the funding for his school but the proposal that he is supporting will not change the Pupil Formula funding as laid down by Government, he does not make a case for going forward and what benefits there will be for the children of North Tyneside. He attempts to compare a school in my ward as though it was doing something wrong, when in fact all schools in North Tyneside are aware of how the funding formulas operate and collaborate with each other for a common set of goals.
Frankly, we now just need the answers to the questions raised over the past 6 weeks which currently remain hidden from the public gaze. Hopefully everyone will be able to see who has been involved and how the decisions have been considered and also if the decisions were made free from any declarable individual interests.
Yours faithfully
Jim Allan
Wednesday 28 November 2012
Press Release From Norma Redfern Labours Candidate for North Tyneside Mayor
NORTH TYNESIDE LABOUR PLEDGE TO SCRAP EXTRA REFUSE CHARGE
Councillor Norma Redfearn, Labour’s candidate for elected Mayor in North Tyneside, has pledged to scrap additional charges being introduced to collect garden waste from homes across the borough.
North Tyneside residents are receiving letters from the Council demanding £20 for every garden refuse bin for households to continue having their garden waste collected. Residents have been given until the end of the November to indicate whether they are prepared to pay the additional annual charge for collections. The scheme is due to be implemented in March 2013.
Pledging to abolish this additional charge if she is elected Mayor next year, Norma Redfearn said, “I and many fellow councillors have been getting some angry feedback from residents about the Council's intention to introduce a £20 charge to collect garden refuse. Their negative reaction is hardly surprising. People take the view that the collection of refuse from households should be considered a basic local authority service that people pay their council tax for. It’s no use the Tory Mayor boasting about not raising the council tax but then introducing this type of local stealth tax through the back door. I don't think that's being straight with North Tyneside residents. It also penalises those households who take pride in the upkeep of their gardens and risks increasing incidences of fly tipping. This is an unfair and ineffective way of making savings in the Council’s budget and if elected I shall simply scrap it.”
Norma added, “I have heard that the supposed justification for not charging for this service through council tax is because not everyone wants a garden refuse collection. If this is the case, frankly, I think that’s an absurd argument. People may or may not avail themselves directly of many services but you have to take a view on the overall benefit to the borough and set a charge in a transparent way accordingly. For example, just because a person has no children of their own doesn’t exempt them from contributing to the cost of education in the borough. Basic services aren’t some form of buffet from which one can pick and choose what you want and have your council tax calculated that way. That’s simply ridiculous and unworkable.”
NOTES FOR EDITORS:
1. Whilst North Tyneside Council has a Tory Mayor elected in 2009, the political composition of the Council is now: Labour 44; Conservative 12; LibDem 4. (In 2009 it was: Labour 21; Conservative 31; LibDem 8.)
2. Councillor Norma Redfearn is the Labour Party candidate for Mayor of North Tyneside in the 2013 election. You can follow Norma’s campaign on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/normaformayor .
CONTACT FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
For further information on this press release please contact:
Councillor Norma Redfearn
Mobile Telephone: 07759 699 707
eMail: norma4mayor@gmail.com
or
Tony Stephenson
North Tyneside Labour Group Media Unit
Mobile telephone: 07759 660 121
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