Carpenters Approved

Welcome news (in my view anyway) from the development control committee this evening, with the news that the officer’s recommendation for Carpenters has been overturned and planning permission has been granted.

The application is for Carpenters to extend the site at Dinting Lodge by 12,160 square meters, which they advise will create an additional 50-70 jobs, bringing the total workforce at the Dinting Lodge site to over 200, with the majority of those extra post’s been employed from the local area according to documentation submitted with the application.

Now whilst I can understand the 12 objections to the application and the reasons behind the officer’s recommendation to reject the application, in the current financial climate any move which both secures additional jobs as well as safeguarding the long term future of the site must be (and has been tonight) given due consideration.

Pre Christmas Complaints Wanted !

Gamesley Councillors Anthony Mckeown and Dave Wilcox along with Hadfield South Councillor Bob Mckeown are inviting Gamesley residents to join them for a coffee and a festive mince pie this Saturday morning at their monthly surgery on Gamesley.

As well as looking for the usual complaints, grumbles and concerns the Gamesley trio are particularly interested in people’s view on the recent planning application submitted by Carpenters which will be decided by the council in the New Year.

Councillor Anthony Mckeown said “The recent application by carpenters will add over 10,000 feet of floor space to the existing site, along with providing an estimated 50 to 70 jobs, but will see some lost to existing landscape in the area and as such we want your views on if the application is right”

For local’s who can’t attend the monthly surgery on Saturday, there a whole range of other methods to get in touch and let us know your concerns from twitter to facebook, with full details been available on www.anthonymckeown.info

The surgery will run from 11.00am till 12.00pm and locals are welcome to call even if they don’t have a particular issue or concern to raise with the councillors, it takes place in the Gamesley Resident’s Association Office on Winster Mews on Gamesley

Glossop lack of vision ?

The Curly Cornet Cafe on Henry Street in Glossop, is currently closed due to on going problems with the works sanctioned by Glossop Vision and the Council to improve the apperance of the town centre.


Given that despite been raised several times in the past including at the recent area forum the lights on the nearby steps to the Co-op are still not fully working perhaps the statement on a lack of vision for Glossop is correct ?

What qualities do you look for? – High Peak Parliamentary Candidate Selection

Obviously given the recent announcement from our current MP, the local Labour Party will be going though the process to select a new parliamentary candidate to stand for the Labour Party in the High Peak at the next election.

The process which will involve all local party members along with the various groups that affiliate to the constituency will cover a variety of stages from the initial look at whether it should be an ‘all women selection’ or a ‘open process’, to the gradual sift through of candidates expressing an interest until we get to our new candidate.

My question in a sense is what do you look for in a new candidate, noting the in place Conservative candidate is a local person with an awareness of the issues more important, or do you look for a great campaigner even if they don’t have the local knowledge at start of the process?

I’m sure all the issues will be considered in great depth over the forthcoming weeks, but I would welcome any comments or questions you think whoever comes next should have a view on or a particular skill they should possess.

Tom Levitt MP – My thoughts

My initial thoughts on hearing the news that Tom would be standing down at the next election was in a sense one of surprise at the announcement.

I say surprise because in my view at least following a difficult summer when there was the start of the aftermath of MP’s expenses, which I think Tom dealt with as well as possible including holding a number of ‘difficult’ public meetings where he was strongly questioned by the various people over the issue, things seemed to have been moving on, and in particular great strides have been made in raising awareness of issues around the strategic alliance.

However all that said, what’s done is done, and  I would echo the comments of Constituency Chair Alan Barrow and other in thanking Tom for the work done so far, and more importantly for the work still to do.

Tom has and will remain to be until the next general election a very hardworking MP for the people of the High Peak, and if anything looking with a little element of devilment at the announcement. The lack of the pressure of seeking re-election may mean that some issues that would normally be too controversial to work on in the run up to an election may be able to be pushed to fore.

In terms of the future I join with other’s in wishing Tom and Teresa well for the future, but more importantly look forward to working with Tom on the variety of issues been worked on at current and that will arise in the period until the general election from individual casework issues to the wider issues such as the campaign to raise awareness over the dangers of Carbon Monoxide.

Football News

No news this week (21/11/09) for either Gamesley’s first team or reserves, as both their matches were postponed.

Next week (28/11/09) weather permitting should see Gamesley’s first team at home to Golborne Sports (kick off 2.15pm) with the reserves who will no doubt be wanting to bounce back from the 9 – 0 thrashing a fortnight ago away to Eagle Sports Reserves.
Gamesley Villa’s 12’s side (21/11/09) gave their opponents a visit to remember with a 4 – 0 away win at Medlock Ranger’s 12’s, no game for the 14’s side and a result for the 11’s match against top of the league Moston JFC is yet to be published.

Next week (29/11/09) see’s the 11’s side away to AFC Oldham 11’s, the 14’s away to Failsworth Town 14’s and the 12’s at home (28/11/09 – kick off 10.30pm) to South Manchester 12’s who are currently 2nd in the league.

Fighters and Believers

Tom Levitt MP

Tom Levitt MP has made the following statement this morning :

Tom Levitt last night sent the following statement by email to Labour Party members in the High Peak:

“Next year I will have completed 27 years in public life, 13 of which have been as the Member of Parliament for High Peak. On April 21, I will become High Peak’s longest serving MP since the Second World War. It has been a huge privilege to represent the constituency in the House of Commons and I have enjoyed every minute of it, but it is time for me to move on.

 

“I have informed the Labour Party that I shall not be a candidate at the next general election. After the current Parliament I would like to spend more time with my wife, our children and grandchildren. I would also like to do something different in the work environment. Between now and the election I will work as hard as ever, both to support my constituents and help secure a fourth term for Labour in government.

 

“The last six months have been torrid. Rightly, MPs have suffered collective as well as individual criticism for the scandalous mess of parliamentary allowances. Steps are now being taken to stop MPs deciding on our own expenses, pay and conditions ever again. This is the right thing to do. We need to demonstrate that a line has been drawn. New levels of transparency, compliance and enforcement can restore confidence in Parliament and the democratic system.

 

“I am proud to serve the people of High Peak in Parliament and I have done my best to be diligent on behalf of constituents. I have also been committed to legislation which, I believe, has improved life for ordinary people in High Peak and elsewhere. There is still much which needs to be done and I will continue to work for the people of High Peak until this Parliament is dissolved.

 

“I thank so many people in communities across High Peak for their support, indulgence and friendship over 20 years. This group extends beyond my natural political allies. My proudest memories will be the acquisition of the Devonshire Royal site for the University of Derby and the central role of High Peak in the pursuit of the historic right to roam.”

More details / comment later

Gamesley Community Centre

Just as a little bit of an update I have had a number of meetings over recent weeks looking into options for improving the future for the community centre.

Talks are still ongoing at current but I’m very hopeful that the suggestions on the table will be both work to improve the range of activities at the centre along with developing the amount of community involvement to ensure the future for the centre looks bright.

Tenant Services Authority Governance Standards

Last Thursday I had a trip to Birmingham to become better educated on the likely contents of the Tenant Services Authority’s new governance standard.

Now whilst this may sound both like a bit of a dry topic and a mouthful to say, it is in my view at least an important part in ensuring that the management of ‘housing bodies’ is done to the highest standard and to ensure the best level of services to local residents whether that is for the very large housing bodies such as some of the inner city housing bodies to those a bit smaller like our own High Peak Community Housing.

Essentially ‘governance’ is about how decisions are made within the company and the process to reach them and it will a strand within the areas that will be regulated and monitored by the new tenant services authority.

In terms of what it means locally, some of the issues are about refining some of the work done at current to give greater emphasis on the views of tenants and it will also amongst a range of other issues see the introduction of tenant inspectors, which will see specially trained tenants reviewing in far greater details than before issues like repairs.

In terms of the event today it was about increasing knowledge of what the standards will be and what changes housing bodies need to look at to meet and where possible exceed the new standards which will be released by the TSA in greater detail in the next few weeks.

Locally I know various aspects of this are been worked on and it will be interesting to see other the forthcoming weeks and months what issues we need to consider further to both meet and beat the requirements.