Tomorrow Longton

This week has seen the start of the Tomorrow Longton art project, a scheme in partnership with Groundwork Stoke which was initiated by Longton North ward councillors and funded out of our ward budget. The scheme aims to brighten up the hoardings around the former burgess' bakery on the Strand, between Barclays Bank and RD Cresswell and say something about the exciting future of the town.

Burgess' shop was a derelict eyesore in the town centre for many years after it was essentially abandoned by its owner. Cllr Denver Tolley and Richard Creswell whose shop borders with the site campaigned and lobbied through a laborious process to get the building knocked down over many years, long before myself or Mark were elected. Eventually the after too many years and a lot of money spent the building was pulled down last year - to everyones relief. There are still outstanding legal issues which means the council cannot take possession of the land, which is why things have gone quiet on the site.

My fear is that this long, expensive and protracted process for the demolition of derelict buildings in private ownership, will have to be repeated time and time again in our town. We already have too many disintergrating buildings that drag the image of Longton down. But it doesn't need to take a long time - DCLG have brought in a raft of legislation to make it easier to clean up communities blighted by these sorts of problems. The council and NSRP have to invest the cash and act with the muscle they have to get it done and done quick - something we in the ward are pushing for.

However for the Burgess's Bakery site there is a bright future, even in the short term. As part of the project we have comissioned, the hoardings around the site will be painted with designs by children from nearby Gladstone Primary school. The designs will show the children's vision for the future of Longton and I think as well as being wonderfully aspirational they will really enhance the Strand - much better than plain boring chipboard. I for one can't wait to see the designs Gladstone come up with.

You can keep up with the project via their blog - www.tomorrowlongton.com

The difference between the parties

The clip below is Labour's Party political broadcast in the run up to the European Parliament elections next month. 

Over the past couple of years when I have spoken to BNP and Indy supporters on the the doorstep when canvassing many have told me that the reason they steer clear of the mainstream parties is because they cannot see a difference between them. I have always known that this was not the case because of the basic ethos of Labour- the reason I joined the party - is so different to that of the Tories and Liberals. We believe that by taking action government can make Britain a better place. The other two parties (and most members would be happy to tell you this) believe that people should be left to their own devices.

In the run up to the Euro elections, we can see the difference between the mainstream parties clearer than ever. A Tory Party that will leave you on your own (they have opposed almost every major government intervention during the economic crisis and advocated allowing market forces to run their course) or a Labour Party that is on your side, investing in industry and public services so that we can grow our way out of recession. 

Where now for BSF?

I wanted to make my latest blog on the recent developments in the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme; however I wanted to first let the dust settle on this week’s Executive and Member Board (EMB) meeting.

I am delighted that Trentham High School (THS) has been granted a reprieve from closure. I expressed my sympathy for Trentham Action Group’s well thought out arguments and a hope that Jim Knight would clarify whether 14 schools were possible at the last council meeting during the debate on Cllr Follows’ motion. I’m therefore delighted that the work of Rob Flello in badgering the Minister finally paid off, and that the action group’s tireless, long, and well fought campaign proved to be worth the hard work.

I’m also pleased that the EMB honoured Jim Knight’s wish to keep THS open. However I am also concerned by the specific course of action taken. The school has now been taken out entirely from the BSF scheme meaning it will have no access to funding for renovation and refurbishment. I feel it is seriously amiss to deprive children in any part of the city from this excellent government investment in education – including the attendees of a saved THS. The minister’s letter stated he would accommodate a 14 school BSF proposal with Trentham being the 14th – that is what should have been approved by the EMB. If there is a legal technicality concerning trust schools not being able to receive BSF investment, frankly it is nothing that couldn’t be sorted out by a dialogue with the Department for Children, Schools, and Families.

Further, I think that the knock-on effects of retaining THS for the South and East of the City needs to be fully considered. Pupil numbers for the other schools, as well as the areas they serve, will now all change. Arguably, rather than a quandary this presents an opportunity to perfect the plans to suit all area’s needs.

On the whole, the families that attended the Park Hall consultation (which I have previously blogged about) were broadly happy with academy plans – such as the sponsor etc. The main concern was travel to and from school to that particular gasometer cite. The dissatisfaction at Mitchell and Berryhill Schools should also be ignored at peril.

But as I said, the changes in the proposals are an opportunity. Blurton Acadamy will have capacity for more children from the south part of Longton, which in part addresses the concerns raised at the recent consultation by Dresden parents about the distance they would need to travel to Park Hall. There is also, I believe, scope to look at alternative sites for the Park Hall Academy. So what are the options?

1) The Gasometer Site is Serco’s stated preferred option. I, like many parents am concerned about the safety of access to the site and it could cost a lot to decommission the gasometer. It does have the benefit of being reasonably central to the Longton North and Bentilee communities.
2) Mitchell Site or Wilfield Site: Both sites are a problem for me because of the distance children from my ward would have to travel to school. Wilfield is my preferred of the two but kids would still have to cross Dividy Road by a busy bus depot.
3) My preferred option, and one that needs to be investigated and mooted further is for an Academy on the site of the old Mossfield Colliery. It has the benefit of being equidistant for the Longton North and Bentilee and Berry Hill areas, and has safer access from all sides than the gasometer site. Further the land is already clear and, as I understand, is in council ownership (although this needs to be clarified). The site has potential that should be investigated further.





There will doubtlessly be more twists in the tale of the secondary school reorganisation over the next couple of months. I have two hopes, that the City Council leadership will have a more vigorous dialogue with the Government and public going forward and that we will start to see construction workers as soon as possible.