jubilee news december 2016
Jubilee Ward News December 2016
A review of 2016 by Councillor Rob Fail Return Of Tram Concessionary Fares
February brought the Town some really positive news with the re-introduction of concessionary fares for those of pensionable age. Sadly, my warning in the last newsletter that the Government needs to tackle its inconsistent approach across public transport has not been heeded. With the Government turning the screw on funding, the news that Blackpool Council might introduce a £1 charge for tram concessions whilst bus concessions remain free, although disappointing, is not exactly unexpected. This anomaly of not providing Councils with funding for tram concessions needs fixing immediately. Now if only we had an MP with influence at The Department of Transport, oh hang on...
Libraries and Children Centres In June I met with the Deputy Leader Of Lancashire County Council to discuss the scale of the funding problems and to investigate the potential for retaining both the buildings and the services. As an active member of Wyre Council’s Libraries Task Group it was frustrating that suggestions raised by myself and the Labour Group to lessen the impact of the Government cuts were ignored by the ruling Conservative Group. With both Cleveleys and Thornton Libraries now having closed it’s been a big blow to the area. Ultimately the solution is for the Government to provide County Councils with sufficient funding to be able to deliver the services we all expect them to, but in the meantime I shall continue to fight for the provision of a local library and a local children centre.
A Cleaner Beach, A Cleaner Environment Taking part in my first beach clean this year was a real eye opener. I had seen reports of there being more than 5 trillion pieces of plastic floating in the world’s seas, and another claiming that by 2050 there will be more plastic in the sea than fish. It’s a moot point whether or not those statistics are accurate but from the beach cleans I have taken part in they appear to be highly plausible.It is of course a problem of our own making, one caused by our ‘shrug of the shoulders’ throwaway society, and one that just cannot be ignored in the hope it will go away. With 80% of the plastic that is discarded on land ending up in the oceans we each have a personal responsibility to correctly dispose of our waste, but industry also needs
to clean up its act with regard to packaging and recycling. In the meantime, the two beach clean teams in Cleveleys, Rossall Beach Buddies, and Cleveleys Beach Care have been doing a tremendous job to clean up our beach and
promenade. Both have had their last beach clean of 2016 but why not check out their Facebook pages and perhaps make it your New Year resolution to join the regular events. I can assure you it is very therapeutic but possibly a little addictive.It’s not just about treating the symptoms though, with both groups providing important education about what we should and shouldn’t flush down the toilet. I’ve lost count of how many wet wipes and plastic cotton bud sticks I have picked up off the beach but had I not done the beach cleans I would have gone on believing that our sewage systems filtered these things out. So education is vital if we are to turn the tide against environmental pollution.
Promoted by Rob Fail on behalf of Thornton Cleveleys Labour Party, both at 5 Ocean Way, Cleveleys, FY5 1FE. Printed by Pilgrim Marketing, 48 Calder Avenue, Thornton-Cleveleys, FY5 2TR
Jubilee Gardens: A Path To Rejuvenation Since the Friends of Jubilee Gardens group was formed in late February, we have made steps forward. It may not be particularly noticeable yet to those outside the group, but rest assured we are progressing slowly but surely, with a view to not repeating the mistakes of the past. In The Beginning I’m pretty confident that those visionaries of the mid 1930s, who created Jubilee Gardens, did so with the intention of creating a legacy for future generations. In my opinion they should be congratulated for doing just that, but sadly that legacy was squandered away by years of neglect right before our very eyes. The Destruction We probably all agree that by the early 2000s the Park was in need of some investment, but the Park that emerged in 2006 is clearly far from what was required in the eyes of many. The Council’s 2005 decision to demolish the old Park and provide what we now have, that is, one that is not fit for purpose, could have been avoided had they consulted properly and obtained a consensus of opinion from the people. It was a case of more haste, less speed. Interestingly Google’s definition of that phrase is “Acting too quickly and without due diligence, focus, and attention to detail will result in avoidable mistakes and thus require even more time to complete the task satisfactorily.” Now I don’t know about you, but I think this perfectly sums up how we ended up with the Park of 2006. The Future So instead of risking taking a backward step, the Group needs to be certain that any plans actually take the Park forward. To do that we need informed decision
Ringing In The New
making, with consensus of opinion at the heart of that decision making. This of course takes time so please bear with us. To use an Aristotle saying “Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet”. The Friends Group The Group’s survey has helped with the Group’s assessment of the current facilities and has also provided suggestions on how the Park could be improved. We are currently in discussion with Council Officers with a view to agreeing some suggested Guiding Principles and Next Steps. Hopefully I can provide an update in the next newsletter but we are also hoping to place more information on our ‘Friends of Jubilee Gardens – Cleveleys’ Facebook Page. So please visit it and although it’s in its infancy please ‘Like’ the page. It will help promote the Group and all that we are trying to achieve. Even better, why not join the group and help us try to create a Park we can all be proud of.
In May 2017 we have the County Council Elections and following boundary changes, most of Jubilee Ward will be in the new Fleetwood West and Cleveleys West Division. Those living east of the tram tracks but north of (and including) West Drive will be in the new Cleveleys East Division. I am delighted to inform you that I have been selected to be the Labour Candidate in Cleveleys East. Those living in that division will hear more from me in due course but for other Jubilee residents I really wanted to introduce Ruth Duffy, who I am pleased to say, has been selected to be the Cleveleys West Candidate. Ruth has been a local Wyre Councillor for 13 years and Leader of the Labour Group of Councillors since May 2015. Having worked alongside Ruth over the last 19 months I have been particularly impressed with her dedication and leadership and I’m in absolutely no doubt that Cleveleys West has an excellent Labour Candidate with the necessary skills, knowledge, and experience to be a very effective County Councillor. As your local Councillor I look forward to working alongside Ruth for the benefit of all Jubilee residents.
Wishing you a Merry Christmas, and a very Happy and Peaceful New Year
A review of 2016 by Councillor Rob Fail Return Of Tram Concessionary Fares
February brought the Town some really positive news with the re-introduction of concessionary fares for those of pensionable age. Sadly, my warning in the last newsletter that the Government needs to tackle its inconsistent approach across public transport has not been heeded. With the Government turning the screw on funding, the news that Blackpool Council might introduce a £1 charge for tram concessions whilst bus concessions remain free, although disappointing, is not exactly unexpected. This anomaly of not providing Councils with funding for tram concessions needs fixing immediately. Now if only we had an MP with influence at The Department of Transport, oh hang on...
Libraries and Children Centres In June I met with the Deputy Leader Of Lancashire County Council to discuss the scale of the funding problems and to investigate the potential for retaining both the buildings and the services. As an active member of Wyre Council’s Libraries Task Group it was frustrating that suggestions raised by myself and the Labour Group to lessen the impact of the Government cuts were ignored by the ruling Conservative Group. With both Cleveleys and Thornton Libraries now having closed it’s been a big blow to the area. Ultimately the solution is for the Government to provide County Councils with sufficient funding to be able to deliver the services we all expect them to, but in the meantime I shall continue to fight for the provision of a local library and a local children centre.
A Cleaner Beach, A Cleaner Environment Taking part in my first beach clean this year was a real eye opener. I had seen reports of there being more than 5 trillion pieces of plastic floating in the world’s seas, and another claiming that by 2050 there will be more plastic in the sea than fish. It’s a moot point whether or not those statistics are accurate but from the beach cleans I have taken part in they appear to be highly plausible.It is of course a problem of our own making, one caused by our ‘shrug of the shoulders’ throwaway society, and one that just cannot be ignored in the hope it will go away. With 80% of the plastic that is discarded on land ending up in the oceans we each have a personal responsibility to correctly dispose of our waste, but industry also needs
to clean up its act with regard to packaging and recycling. In the meantime, the two beach clean teams in Cleveleys, Rossall Beach Buddies, and Cleveleys Beach Care have been doing a tremendous job to clean up our beach and
promenade. Both have had their last beach clean of 2016 but why not check out their Facebook pages and perhaps make it your New Year resolution to join the regular events. I can assure you it is very therapeutic but possibly a little addictive.It’s not just about treating the symptoms though, with both groups providing important education about what we should and shouldn’t flush down the toilet. I’ve lost count of how many wet wipes and plastic cotton bud sticks I have picked up off the beach but had I not done the beach cleans I would have gone on believing that our sewage systems filtered these things out. So education is vital if we are to turn the tide against environmental pollution.
Promoted by Rob Fail on behalf of Thornton Cleveleys Labour Party, both at 5 Ocean Way, Cleveleys, FY5 1FE. Printed by Pilgrim Marketing, 48 Calder Avenue, Thornton-Cleveleys, FY5 2TR
Jubilee Gardens: A Path To Rejuvenation Since the Friends of Jubilee Gardens group was formed in late February, we have made steps forward. It may not be particularly noticeable yet to those outside the group, but rest assured we are progressing slowly but surely, with a view to not repeating the mistakes of the past. In The Beginning I’m pretty confident that those visionaries of the mid 1930s, who created Jubilee Gardens, did so with the intention of creating a legacy for future generations. In my opinion they should be congratulated for doing just that, but sadly that legacy was squandered away by years of neglect right before our very eyes. The Destruction We probably all agree that by the early 2000s the Park was in need of some investment, but the Park that emerged in 2006 is clearly far from what was required in the eyes of many. The Council’s 2005 decision to demolish the old Park and provide what we now have, that is, one that is not fit for purpose, could have been avoided had they consulted properly and obtained a consensus of opinion from the people. It was a case of more haste, less speed. Interestingly Google’s definition of that phrase is “Acting too quickly and without due diligence, focus, and attention to detail will result in avoidable mistakes and thus require even more time to complete the task satisfactorily.” Now I don’t know about you, but I think this perfectly sums up how we ended up with the Park of 2006. The Future So instead of risking taking a backward step, the Group needs to be certain that any plans actually take the Park forward. To do that we need informed decision
Ringing In The New
making, with consensus of opinion at the heart of that decision making. This of course takes time so please bear with us. To use an Aristotle saying “Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet”. The Friends Group The Group’s survey has helped with the Group’s assessment of the current facilities and has also provided suggestions on how the Park could be improved. We are currently in discussion with Council Officers with a view to agreeing some suggested Guiding Principles and Next Steps. Hopefully I can provide an update in the next newsletter but we are also hoping to place more information on our ‘Friends of Jubilee Gardens – Cleveleys’ Facebook Page. So please visit it and although it’s in its infancy please ‘Like’ the page. It will help promote the Group and all that we are trying to achieve. Even better, why not join the group and help us try to create a Park we can all be proud of.
In May 2017 we have the County Council Elections and following boundary changes, most of Jubilee Ward will be in the new Fleetwood West and Cleveleys West Division. Those living east of the tram tracks but north of (and including) West Drive will be in the new Cleveleys East Division. I am delighted to inform you that I have been selected to be the Labour Candidate in Cleveleys East. Those living in that division will hear more from me in due course but for other Jubilee residents I really wanted to introduce Ruth Duffy, who I am pleased to say, has been selected to be the Cleveleys West Candidate. Ruth has been a local Wyre Councillor for 13 years and Leader of the Labour Group of Councillors since May 2015. Having worked alongside Ruth over the last 19 months I have been particularly impressed with her dedication and leadership and I’m in absolutely no doubt that Cleveleys West has an excellent Labour Candidate with the necessary skills, knowledge, and experience to be a very effective County Councillor. As your local Councillor I look forward to working alongside Ruth for the benefit of all Jubilee residents.
Wishing you a Merry Christmas, and a very Happy and Peaceful New Year
