ONE MORE TIME

A SOLUTION TO METRO PARKING CONGESTION IN EAST BOLDON

Your presence is required ONE MORE TIME at the

BOLDON CLEADON AND WHITBURN COMMUNITY AREA FORUM

21^ST JUNE 2007

5 P.M. BOLDON COMMUNITY CENTRE

Despite a massive public turn out at the March CAF meeting, the people of East Boldon have been ignored by the Council in their request for help in alleviating Metro parking congestion on our side streets, outside our homes and shops, and on our pavements.

Due to the adverse effect on trade with people being unable to access local shops, my business will close and relocate to a different area. There has been a “Longstaffs” on this block since 1934. Despite surviving for 73 years, it has taken the negligence of Nexus and the Council’s inactivity to close the business.

Junes CAF meeting will be the last chance for you as members of this community to force and demand a solution to this problem before the end of the year. If congestion issues are not solved by then, East Boldon will be faced with vastly reduced amenities, with trade and shops driven away by abandoned cars.

WE NEED YOU AT THIS MEETING

WE NEED YOU TO TURN UP AND DEMAND SOLUTIONS

THE POSITION COULD NOT BE MORE SIMPLE

IT IS ONLY THROUGH SHEER VOLUME OF NUMBERS THAT WILL ENABLE SOLUTIONS TO CONGESTION BEING ESTABLISHED THIS YEAR

RECLAIM YOUR STREETS

STOP YOUR VILLAGE BECOMING A COMMUTER TOWN

RETURN EAST BOLDON TO THE COMMUNITY

CONTACT PETER AT LONGSTAFFS FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

THE THREE WISE MONKEYS

THE THREE WISE CONSERVATIVES: SEE NO EVIL, CAN’T BE BOTHERED TO STAY AWAKE. CAN’T BE BOTHERED TO TURN UP!

It is no wonder that many people view local councillors with disdain, as the events at the Boldon, Cleadon and Whitburn CAF meeting on Thursday (17.04.07) would have had even the eternal optimist reaching for the sick bag. For myself and other residents of East Boldon the meeting was an opportunity to see what developments had emerged to ease Metro parking congestion in the area. You can imagine our disgust to find that the item wasn’t even on the Agenda as a matter for discussion. Despite the fact that we packed out the last CAF meeting with the largest turnout of public members ever experienced by these Wards, the councillors did not have the decency to give it any committee time. Surely then, our own three ward councillors would fight for us to have the matter tabled so that at least a discussion could be entered into. Wrong! Despite being warned before hand that we had been ignored, only one of them bothered to turn up. Donald Wood (Con), Cameron bless his soul, is always present and correct, but put it this way, if there was ever going to be a fight, Donald would be better employed holding the coats! David Potts (Con), a man more elusive than the Scarlet Pimpernel, could not be bothered to grace us with his presence. Without the press or a large audience to fetter his ego, Mr Potts would rather spend his time on other things (or indeed in other countries) instead of representing his own constituents. With only three appearances in the last 18 months, David could solve his problems and identity issues by sending a friend or a “look alike” because to be honest, nobody really knows what he looks like anyway. The issues of “numbers” was slightly eased when Jeff Milburn (Con) arrived, albeit 1 ½ hours to late. However, Jeff must have had a very busy day (like us all who are self employed or in full time employment) because he promptly fell asleep (that reminds me, I must have that camera phone picture transferred to PC for the local press. I can see the headline now; “Rip Van Milburn!”). So there you have it, the Ward was outnumbered by six Labour councillors to one Conservative, and as a result we were swept to one side. Life is difficult enough when you’re so heavily outnumbered but when one of your councillors can’t even be bothered to stay awake and the other makes fewer public appearances than Bin Laden, the odds for success are pretty poor!

As an effective opposition in this ward the Conservatives are a disgrace; how they got re elected is beyond reason! They never question anything, they let matters go through on the “nod” and not once have they defended or spoke up for their ward. So far, £9000 has been transferred to “good causes” in the CAF area but not a penny to their Ward! Why? Because these Councillors cannot be bothered to take to the streets and find a worthy cause! The only form of opposition in this Ward is coming from the public who have finally realized that they must stand up and speak for themselves. Regretfully, the three wise monkeys who cover this area are going to have to be sidelined when it comes to achieving improvements for this community. If anybody fancies a good night out in June, check the Council’s web site for the next CAF meeting date. With residents already drafting local newsletters and flyers, the turn out for this meeting should make for prime time entertainment! And do you know what, they dont need any help from their Councillors!