Local resident’s submissions to the Borough Council electoral review.

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Gregory, Eleanor

From: anitacanderson Sent: 12 February 2013 22:46 To: Pascoe, Mark Subject: Marton West Boundary change proposals

Dear Mr. Pascoe

I understand that you're the right person to approach with my concerns about the proposal to make the council tax payers at the southern edge of Middlesbrough suffer in the current round of boundary changes. I was shocked to hear that the intention is to combine the disparate areas of , Marton & . Whilst you could say there are many similarities between Marton & Nunthorpe, there are major road boundaries between the areas, so it could be dangerous to try to encourage residents to create connections.

I'm not sure what your background is, nor whether you're aware of the strength of community feeling that exists in Marton West ward? Residents are hopeful that we may even benefit from cheaper energy prices if the community negotiates successfully.

How councillors are supposed to adequately represent such a vast and varied population/property bank, I really can't imagine! In my experience, local councillors are hard-working volunteers who are dedicated to their local area & have sufficient political awareness to ensure they can represent people within the halls of power. They receive very little in the way of expenses or payment for their services.

Of course, councillors vary in their dedication but my experience has been positive in this area. You only have to look at the success of the Northumbria in Bloom entries over recent years & the on-going fight to save the vital resource at Longridge Wood to see the power of community feeling & enterprise. As mentioned earlier, that enterprise may even make it more affordable to heat our homes, which is a very attractive thought!

Since moving back to this area we've been very fortunate in having excellent local councillors, I'm embarrassed to admit that I've forgotten the name of the councillor who died around 7 years ago, he worked with Chris Hobson, who now works with her husband. This current team, Chris & John Hobson are amazingly patient & caring in their approach to every concern you may express. For example, during the recent snow and ice, we were trapped in the bungalow & the council were unmoved by our circumstances. The Hobson's were concerned enough to arrive on our doorstep on 25th January, equipped to remove snow and ice from the pathway at the foot of our drive & apply sand to the road, spending well over an hour on a very cold day. This meant that we were soon able to leave the bungalow for the first time in over 2 weeks, which was a huge relief; although we were mortified that the Hobson's had to undertake such hard physical work on our behalf.

I do hope you and your colleagues will be willing to take the views of council tax payers into account when planning any boundary changes. If such changes are necessary, I feel sure there are areas of Middlesbrough which are better suited to be successfully combined.

With regards

Anita Anderson

1 Alfred Beaumont

Member of the public

12/02/2013 12:51

At present the Kader Ward is a thriving local community and the boundaries of the Kader Ward in my opinion should be left as at present and should not be absorbed into a new ward at present our ward reflects the interests and identities of the local communities and does not want to nbe part of a larger Ward Anthony Bennett

Member of the public

25/01/2013 17:12

"We were informed today, by Councillor Chris Hobson, that there is a proposal to change the Boundaries of Coulby Hewham, Nunthorpe and Marton West to reduce the number of Councillors by two. The Councillors concerned are John & Chris Hobson who represent the Conservative Party. To date we, as a community, have not received any information from the local council, or anybody else for that matter regarding the changes, therefore we are not in a position to make any comments. Surely the council is required to inform the electorate regarding any significant changes, such as this, otherwise we are denied our right to participate in a democratic manner. Very few people, we would imagine, routinely visit the council website to keep abreast of local developments such as this extremely important one. Would you kindly confirm where we can obtain the relevant information regarding the proposed new boundaries and how it will affect the way we are represented by our Councillors. If we were to be given a choice then we would prefer to be represented in Nunthorpe Ward rather than Coulby Newham as Nunthorpe is our main focal point e.g. doctors, post office, hairdressers etc. May we conclude by saying that in our experience Councillors John & Chris Hobson carry out their roles with a high degree of commitment and involvement in the community and deserve to remain as representatives of their local community.

Tony & Carole Bennett

Member of the public

25/01/2013 18:47

"We are very concerned about these boundry changes to our area. At the moment we are in the Marton West Ward which, we understand, is to be divided up into Nunthorpe, Marton and Coulby Newham wards. The area of Marton West in which we live is literally ""over the road"" from Nunthorpe. We attend St. Mary's Church in Nunthorpe, our doctors are in Nunthorpe as are our hair dresssers, post office etc. To my husband and I a transfer into Nunthorpe Ward would be much better than into any other ward. We never visit Marton shops nor do we shop very often at Coulby Newham, prefering the small shops at Stokesley and Asda in Stockton. Though it seems that we are too late to comment on the number of councillors needed for Middlesbrough we are sure that 46 will still be far too many for the area and the much lower figures suggested by some members of the public and councillors who are not linked to the Labour party would have been better. As they have commented the council is no longer responsible for housing, care homes, children's homes etc so why does Mayor Mallon still want so many lackys, just to jump to his bidding. He is the one who has ruined Middlesbrough. Regards

Tony & Carole Bennett" Pamela Braithwaite

Ayresome Community Council

Member of the public

28/01/2013 22:55

We have lived in the area for over 35 years and my family has been involved with the Ayresome Community Council for a long time we would no longer feel part of this community these proposed unneccessary changes will spread our long estabilished community in all directions, in some cases miles from where we live and away from the very few facilities we have.It seems these proposals have been made without any consideration for the residents involved. Our local councillor will now have to choose from three separate wards to represent should these changes go ahead. At present all parts of Ayresome Ward can be accessed without having to cross any main roads the new proposals will as stated earlier take us far away from our present base. Gregory, Eleanor

From: Ray Brown Sent: 29 January 2013 22:48 To: Pascoe, Mark Subject: Local Government Boundary Review: Ward Boundaries

Dear Mr Pascoe I have viewed suggestions being made by the Middlesbrough Council, as it affects the current Marton West Ward (part TS7 & part TS8) and I wish to lodge a strong objection to the proposal. Currently the Marton West Ward covers a quite distinct geographical area, which essentially is the whole of the western side of Marton! The Ward has definition and is contained within an area bounded by the A174 in the north, the A172 in the east, Brass Castle Lane to the south and Marton West Beck/Longridge Wood/ Fairy Dell, to the west. However, the Council is, I believe, proposing a change which will result in my particular part of Marton (Astbury and other developments to the west of Turnberry Way) being annexed to the Coulby Farm Ward! Please note that the community of Coulby Newham is a completely different area and is geographically separate from Marton. I fear that we will become unrepresented and ignored by whoever the Coulby Farm Councillor happens to be! It makes no sense to extend the Coulby Farm Ward across the open area which is adjacent to Marton West Beck. In addition, it is proposed that the new ward extends to the east of Stokesley Road (A172). Whilst this main commuter artery into Middlesbrough is hardly the M1, it nevertheless is a very busy road and would effectively cut the proposed new Ward in two! Marton West is a community in itself, with its own Community Council and has historic and ongoing initiatives which bind the residents together. For many years, successful participation in Northumbria in Bloom has been a popular feature and the decade long fight to try to save Longridge Wood has brought the community together, for one common purpose. The development of the play area in Bonneygrove Park also came about, principally because of the community drive which carried the project along when it appeared to be floundering. Marton West is not broken, please don't try to fix it!!

R.L. Brown

1 Gregory, Eleanor

From: james cooper Sent: 16 February 2013 14:49 To: Reviews@ Subject: RE: Boundary changes Middlesbrough (Crescent ward)

Hello

I was recently given details of the proposed changes of boundaries in the area where i live and asked to give my comments

Firstly there are a couple of inaccuracies in the details of the area. It is stated there is one footbridge joining the two halves of there are in fact two footbridges Secondly there is no Meath Street Community Centre this was demolished approx 6 years ago by the West Middlesbrough Neighbourhood Trust and the resulting build on the site is owned by the West Middlesbrough Neighbourhood Trust which is now a charity in its own rights and the building is called the WMNT Resource Centre. I feel that the people that have proposed the boundary changes as they are now do not really know about the area involved we have a strong community spirit in the area where i live. You seem to be joining areas haphazardly e.g. you are joining communities from Newport (Gresham), West lane(Ayresome) Museum (Park ward) and others also these areas are very short of BME residents. These areas have in recent years fought each other to get council grants to keep their own services now you think that they will put this all aside to work together. I cannot see how the Crescent Ward will be beneficial to the residents of any of these areas. I am sorry these notes are a little basic i would have liked to have longer to digest the information but i am time restricted due to the closing consultation date.

Yours

1 Monica G Donnelly

Senior Citizens

Member of the public

07/12/2012 12:43

"As a resident of Middlesbrough for the last 81 years I have seen many changes in my town which have not improved our proud heritage. In the past few years we have seen many of our beautiful buildings torn down and the space used for car parking. It was bad enough when the town's buildings were bombed during the war, which I can remember quite vividly and will never forget. Now we are suffering from our nearsighted Government bringing in these crippling cuts to the country's people who do not deserve to struggle in this way. The Members of Parliament do not use Community and Disabled Centres etc and do not realise how these facilities help those who really need them. There is a well known saying 'Charity begins at home', and by 'home' I mean the people of this country who are, or at least were, proud to be called British.

As for our Council there are too many Councillors and the amount of money spent by them is outrageous. There are too many Councillors allocated in Middlesbrough because there are too many wards. Why should one area be split in two which means the two wards have four councillors, as in my ward of Marton. Also, I do not agree with a husband and wife covering the same ward, especially when they both work full-time, think of the amount of money going into that household. To be working full-time on top of the money they receive for Council work is disgraceful, especially considering the number of unemployed in the town.

Unfortunately Middlesbrough was labelled a 'deprived area' before the Council was asked to cut its budget some months ago and now another £11 million has to be cut from the town's services. The only people suffering from these cuts are those who need the Community Centres, libraries and Care facilities etc., another being Ayresome Industries where the disabled are able to work. Why should the town's citizens suffer with such devastating cuts when the Councillors do not offer anything in return, namely cut their own salaries etc. Councillors do not even have to pay for cups of tea and coffee when attending meetings, but the Senior Citizens do when they use the Town Hall facilities.

The Senior Citizens Group do all they can for the elderly in the town having had quite a few projects accepted, eg seating in the town's Cleveland Centre and better access in the bus station because of the doors being too heavy to open.

It is a desperate state of affairs when the country's citizens suffer in this way. During the war everyone pulled together and suffered with rationing etc., but we WON and now we are suffering again because our Government thinks up such hair brain schemes to save money (but give it away to the undeserving) and because the British people are unable to do anything about it. Well for once WE CAN do something about the Council cuts, namely reduce the number of WARDS AND COUNCILLORS, saving a few thousand at least. We were recently told that Councillors had agreed to give the Chief Executive a pay rise of £24,000 a year bringing her salary up to £138,000. No one deserves such a wage increase, this is another nail in the coffin of our Councillors who seem to enjoy spending OUR money.

I hope someone will read these comments and help Middlesbrough to raise 'from the ashes' again from the utter irresponsible people at the top.

" At a time when money is tight , savings have to be made and jobs are being lost I fail to see the need to spend time, effort and taxpayers' hard -earned money on such a radical shake up of Wards that is proposed by the leaders of Middlesbrough Council.

Ten years ago the present wards were set and that was as a result, once again of Council, but not public, initial consultations. Residents have now become accustomed to the new community groupings and accept that format. What is now proposed is to smash those communities, which cannot be in the interests of the residents. It was The Council's own insistence, for instance, that Kirby Ward was done away with in 2002 ( where there were a manageable 4500 residents and two Councillors) and amalgamate that ward with , whilst tacking other parts onto Acklam and the newly named Clairville Ward. Now there seems to be a reversal to that but naming the ward Green Lane, which will take in part of Acklam but sandwiched in between that and the rest of Acklam will be the existing community, known as , a separate enclave, that has its own identity that some Councillors asked to be a ward in its own right. That makes no sense whatsoever.

That buildings galore were imposed from 2004 onwards on the "new" Linthorpe ward, when it was Newport, Gresham and Middlehaven that were supposed to be built up, has caused the over capacity of an extra 3000 voters in Linthorpe. So, again it was Council policy that dictated that.They never seem to think anything through properly or carry out their own plans in areas that , according to them , need purging and demolishing. They have created nothing but misery for many hundreds of residents in the areas mentioned, moved communities around so that they no longer have an identitiy, deprived many of their only possession at a resounding loss and for what? So they can now start all over again splitting up the newly created communities as well?

Where is the money for all this upheaval to come from and does the Council still have sufficient staff to carry out all the paper work and advertising that would be necessary if this unfortunately comes to fruition? We need the costs, not only financially but to people's lives and their ability to have a choice of candidate in the new wards that would be created. It seems to me that resident's choice would be severely restricted and therefore one has to ask what is the real motive for all this curfuffle?

Is it perhaps political supremacy of the ruling party to such an extent that no opposition whatsoever is envisaged? I think the motivation behind these proposals requires close scrutiny and hard questions need asking to which truthful answers must be forthcoming. I sincerely hope that The Commissioner heeds these worries before anything is written in pillars of stone and I would humbly submit that a general, public inquiry is held before any such proposals are even considered. The public has the right to know what is being proposed and so far they are completely in the dark about it, as usual. Nobody would benefit from an anti - democratic, totalitarian Council, which these proposals allegedly would produce. Democracy must be protected at all costs because it is the cornerstone of our society and something these people appear to think is simply a one - party status quo. Bottoms on seats with fewer than 400 votes in Labour strongholds, where other parties presently have to get over 1000 to win and will now have even that ward taken away from them, to allow for pockets of non - ruling party, opposition voters to be moved out and amalgamated with a labour stronghold, thus have their votes nullified in the process, is certainly not in the interests of residents' representation of their views.

I note too that only two Councillors overall are to be reduced, where a much more radical shake up there would have produced a better solution to resident' representation and Council coffers, since not all Councillors can be said equally to work to earn their fees, as The Mayor himself has frequently pointed out in public, though it seems he is suffering from a strange optical deficiency which prevents him from seeing the culprits in his own ruling, symbiotic partnership.

In short these propsals would be a disaster for both Middlesbrough residents and democracy alike.

Jackie Elder.

Middlesbrough Ward Boundary Review

Dear Sir/Madam,

In relation to the South area of Middlesbrough it would appear that the prime objective of the proposals being submitted by Middlesbrough Council is to turn Marton West and Marton from two 2-Councillor Wards into a single 3 Councillor Ward simply to justify the reverse process in Coulby Newham (i.e. make Coulby Newham two 2-Councillor Wards instead of a 3 Councillor Ward).

I fully support the response from the Marton West Community Council Executive (MWCCE).

There is no obvious reason why we need to enlarge Coulby Newham so that it can justify 4 Councillors at the expense of shrinking Marton/Marton West to a 3 Councillor Ward. This smacks of ‘gerrymandering’.

The Middlesbrough Council proposals do not utilise major roads and becks as boundaries. Moving part of Marton West into Coulby Newham using Tollesby Lane as the boundary is plain daft given the location of Marton West beck!

The proposal from the MWCCE is a plea for retaining the current boundaries with a few minor changes to equalise the number of electors per Councillor – surely what was intended by the review! The old adage should apply: ‘If it ain’t faulty, then don’t try to fix it!’

I understand that one of the Boundary Commission’s aims is for the ward to “reflect the interests and identities of the community”. I support the comments made in this respect by the MWCCE.

In my view there is no reason for any change to the boundaries of Marton West ward.

Annette Ellis

Resident of Marton West Middlesbrough Ward Boundary Review

Dear Sir/Madam,

You will have received, or will shortly receive, a response to the proposed boundary changes from the Marton West Community Council Executive. As chair of that Community Council, I fully support that response.

Community Councils are required to be non-political – a requirement that we as residents jealously guard. On a very few occasions I have had to remind the meeting of that requirement. My family have never been and have no intention of being Ward Councillors. We have never been involved with any political organisation nor have we been members of any Council.

In relation to the submission from Middlesbrough Council, I understand that Ward Councillors were given little effective opportunity to present alternative proposals to the ‘Labour Plan’ or to debate the plan in any detail. It was pushed through by the Labour majority to become the Middlesbrough Council proposal.

As a resident of South Middlesbrough for the last 43 years I can only comment in detail on the proposed changes as they affect the South area.

One has to ask why go to all the trouble of altering virtually every Ward boundary just to reduce the number of Councillors by 2 and to more equally spread the number of residents/Councillor?

On the face of it, in the South area, the objective of the ‘Labour Plan’ appears to be to simply increase the number of Councillors in Coulby Newham by reducing the number in Marton/Marton West. There is no change to the total number of Councillors in the South area (i.e. 12)

What is the purpose behind this change? Currently Coulby Newham has 2 Labour and one independent Councillors whilst Marton/Marton West has 2 Conservative and 2 Independent Councillors. The new Coulby Newham (North) takes in part of which is Labour.

My reaction and that of many of the local residents is that this new arrangement is designed purely to increase the number of Labour Councillors.

I believe that the plan submitted by Middlesbrough Council constitutes ‘gerrymandering’ – the Oxford Dictionary defines this as: ‘to manipulate the boundaries of (an electoral constituency) so as to favour one party or class’. This is certainly the conclusion many people are drawing in the South area – whether it applies in the other areas as well, I cannot comment – but I have my suspicions!

Mike Ellis

Resident of Marton West Peter Elsdon

Marton west community council

Member of the public

10/02/2013 17:22

Keep the status quo. This is a tightly-knit community in a very well-defined area. our existing councillors are treasures in this community. John Harrison

Member of the public

06/02/2013 14:58

"I am a resident of Marton West Ward. This is currently a well defined area. In particular the western boundary i.e. Marton West Beck is both a geographical and community boundary. Whatever changes are proposed (I don't have the relevant population numbers to make them myself) I feel that this boundary should remain for ward purposes.

As for the ward's other boundaries these are major roads and so emphasise the ward as a community.

On this basis, if possible, the ward should be left as it is.

On a separate point I do not think there should any 3 member wards within Middlesbrough."

Pauline Hawthorne

Ayresome Community Council

Member of the public

14/02/2013 19:49

"The existing boundaries of Ayresome Ward are ideal for this long established community with solid boundaries familiar to all residents, on seeing the figures produced from the existing boundaries it appears that the number of residents living within these boundaries represented by two councilors, one Labour and one Independent provides an ideal balance within the desired recommendations as set out by the Boundary Commission, At the moment and for the first time in many years the present situation has given residents an alternative choice to what has in the past been dominated by the local Labour group, and as a result residents are getting a much better service.

I have now seen the proposed changes for this area which beggars belief the present existing community will be cut into three parts and pushed into unfamiliar area's not to their liking,

In the interests of all existing residents please leave well alone, ""It isn't broken why try to fix it""

" Gregory, Eleanor

From: Sent: 17 February 2013 12:14 To: Reviews@ Subject: Boundary Commission Electoral Review: Middesbrough

The Review Officer: Middlesbrough Dear Sir Ref: Boundary Commission Electoral Review: Marton West Ward

As a resident of Marton West Ward, Middlesbrough, I write to express my opposition to the proposed abolition of the Ward. I am totally in agreement with the arguments set out in the letter from Marton West Community Council (1February 2013).

There is no doubt that Marton West is an entity, both geographically, with its well defined boundaries, and also in its community spirit. It is very well served by its two councillors, who work tirelessly on behalf of the residents, and have done much to foster the feeling of unity.

Politically, the ward returns councillors who do not belong to the ruling party. It seems unfair, even undemocratic, not only to deprive the ward of its chosen voices, but also, at the same time, to reduce the already small opposition on the Council by 10%. Whatever is the final decision, nothing can threaten the position of the dominant party in the town , but the minority are entitled to fair representation. Surely an active opposition is an acceptable and desirable part of democratic government?

M Henderson,

1 Gregory, Eleanor

From: Paul Ivison Sent: 01 February 2013 01:18 To: Pascoe, Mark Subject: Proposed Boundary Changes Attachments: Improved Boundary Change.JPG

Hi Mark I’ve just seen the boundary changes map and can’t believe that you are proposing to divide up Marton West. We are a strong community who believe in trying to create a better environment for the residents. Dividing the area up will serve absolutely no useful purpose what so ever. I fear the close knit community will lose its spirit if we’re bundled in with other larger areas.

I cant help feel that this is a punishment for been a thorn in the side of the Labour council by standing up for ourselves and fighting for what we believe to be the right thing to do. Something we know that the present council leaders don’t want the people of Middlesbrough to do.

The fight by local residence for Longridge wood which was lead by the Conservative councillors brought a lot of bad publicity and embarrassment to the Labour council and its leaders, so I’m guessing this is personal and so now they’ve decided its pay back time by destroying the community!

One thing that does stand out with the proposal is why on earth would you split up the estate around Turnberry Way? Surely any trained individual would see that a more obvious boundary would be Marton West Beck as I have highlighted on the attached map which continues the boundary already drawn on the map from Marton.

If you have any valid reasons as to why the boundaries have been drawn as shown on your map I am only too eager to hear them. Please email me or ring me to put forward your thinking.

Kindest Regards Paul Ivison

1 Gregory, Eleanor

From: Hinds, Alex Sent: 04 February 2013 13:50 To: Pascoe, Mark Subject: FW: Boundary Review - University Ward Middlesbrough

Alex Hinds Review Assistant Local Government Boundary Commission for 76-86 Turnmill Street London EC1M 5LG Tel: 020 7664 8534 | Fax: 020 7296 6227 Email: [email protected] Web: www.lgbce.org.uk

 Think of the environment...please don't print this e-mail unless you really need to

From: khalil Sent: 04 February 2013 10:55 To: Reviews@ Subject: Boundary Review - University Ward Middlesbrough

4th February 2013

The Review Officer (Middlesbrough)

Local Government Boundary Commission for England Layden House 76-86 Turnmill Street London EC1M 5LG

Dear Sir/ Madame,

RE: Boundary Review - University Ward Middlesbrough - Proposal Objections

I wish to express my concern and opposition to the changes to being proposed to the University ward. I feel strongly against the proposal to add a very integral part of the University ward into .

I oppose the proposal on the following grounds;

The proposed addition of University ward to North Ormesby does not serve the needs to the residents.

It does not address the very specific and individual needs of these wards as they have distinct and unique requirements.

1 The demographic makeup and profile is completely opposite.

There is a natural barrier between the two areas (A66 link road, Railway Track, The beck and the green belt)

There are two distinct and unique communities in the two areas which are different; amalgamating the two wards will not address this effectively.

North Ormesby wards has its own unique community, unique history and heritage and this should be kept separate adding the ward to University will over time diminish this treasured history.

The makeup and profile of the University is predominantly made up of ethnic minorities and town centre communities, adding it to North Ormesby take away its distinct town centre focus as North Ormesby is nowhere near the town centre.

It makes more sense to leave North Ormesby as it currently is.

If the change needs to occur then it is more natural and logical if University and Middlehaven wards are amalgamated as the profiles and boundaries are more complementary and closer in every aspect.

The boundary proposals have been made to meet Party Political Electoral aspirations and not he needs of the community/ areas.

There has been very little consultation with the public

The change will break up the shape of the diverse communities, and tearing existing communities’ part.

The idea of 2000 residents per councillor is completely bonkers as some areas may have diverse mix of properties with higher / lower residents and high densities of populations for very small areas therefore the needs of residents are not wholly met by 2000 residents per councillor idea by ripping apart ward boundaries.

The changes to ward boundaries actually conflict with the Boundary Commissions ethos of enhancing communities not destroying communities by creating barriers and new identities to areas for political motives.

Please re-think the new boundaries.

Yours Faithfully, M Khalil Majid

2 Gregory, Eleanor

From: Dennis Lane Sent: 16 January 2013 23:58 To: Pascoe, Mark Subject: Re: Boundary Changes

On 16 January 2013 23:55, Dennis Lane wrote: Dear Mark,

I feel I must draw to your attention that the Middlesbrough labour Councillors held a meeting on Tuesday the 15thJanuary 2013 to discuss the Boundary changes. I was informed by a labour councillor that the sole intention of the meeting was to slice the wards up to the benefit of the Labour Party.I must point out to you I am not a member of any political party. Councillor Jan Brunton is Vice Chair of the Labour Group also Chair of the Scrutiny and Overview Board, She made many proposals to the labour group which she inteds for them to be passed at the Scrutiny Board meeting which will then be forwarded to you on the 17thJanuary 2013 .Cllr Brunton is a Cllr in the Coulby NewhamWard, one of her intentions is to remove a section from a safe Labour Ward Hemlington to Coulby Newham to make her situation more secure and remove an Independent.Another of her intentions is to amalgamate the Beckham Ward with Park End, two Independents in each Ward which would cause the four Independents to be standing for the same Ward at the next Local Elections.The Scrutiny Board is supposed be Independent although it has a predominance of Labour Cllrs, I am sure you will find the recommendations from the Scrutiny Board very interesting.I was told by my informant that the Labour Party intentions are actually the work of the Mayor Ray Mallon and Chris Davies the Mayors advisor.

Yours Sincerely Dennis Lane

1 Gregory, Eleanor

From: Dennis Lane. Sent: 21 December 2012 00:07 To: Reviews@ Subject: Middlesbrough

Dears, I have taken an interest in the discussion on the Ward Boundaries and have come to the conclusion that an important matter as not been taken into consideration, Councillors seem only to be motivated by political interests. The Middlesbrough Scrutiny Panel discussed the matter, it was top heavy with Labour Councillors,and their self interest was evident. My concern is that one problem effects all political parties, that is no one seems to have taken on board the nature of the Wards, a leafy/green ward such as Coulby Newham is far harder to care for than a central town ward,the reason homes in Coulby Newham have drives, a councillor visiting a Coulby house could possibly visit half a dozen in the town centre In the same time. I agree there must be cuts, to only reduce by 2 Councillors seems a wasted exercise. The political parties were expecting a cut of about 10 Councillors. Yours Sincerely Dennis Lane (no party member)

1 Gregory, Eleanor

From: LEEN THOMAS Sent: 01 February 2013 15:52 To: Pascoe, Mark Subject: ward boundry ghange

As a resident of Marton west ward I am strongly against changing the boundary, we have a close knit community that works very well for this ward. with very good representation from our councillor's. why change something that is already a strong community with a strong neighbourhood watch and works very well.

Mr Thomas Leen.

1

18th February 2013

The Review Officer (Middlesbrough) Local Government Boundary Commission for England Layden House 75-86 Turnmill Street LONDON EC1M 5LG

Dear Mr Pascoe

Marton West Ward

I write as a resident in support of the Community Council’s objections to the deeply flawed submission from the (new) Labour Group of Middlesbrough Council, which appears to be a very complicated, divisive and expensive scheme to diminish or exclude all non-Labour Councillors from fair and democratic representation of their constituents’ interests.

I do not presume to understand the details of other wards, but the case for preserving the integrity of Marton West Ward is incontrovertible, as it is community-led with distinct boundaries. It functions well, so if it ain’t broke, why fix it?

I am a floating voter without strong party allegiance, as I prefer candidates who look after their constituents and the good of the nation, before those of their party, and I can readily think of regional and national examples, both alive and recently deceased.

To me, Socialism is about distributing the wealth of a nation more fairly, whilst Capitalism is about wealth creation which means incentive and reward. Strong unions must behave responsibly. Likewise, Free Enterprise Capitalism should generate wealth with a social responsibility to the consumer and sustainability for the environment.

It is the job of both local, regional and national Government to maintain a fair balance between systems which ought to be complementary, rather than antagonistic.

When the charismatic Tony Blair invented New Labour, he and his followers betrayed the principles of a once great party. Power politics, manipulation and lying became an art form called ‘spin’ and he deceived Parliament as well as the British public, so that whitewash public inquiries became a matter of routine.

Now we are all paying for the Blair, Brown, Mandelson, Balls et al extravaganza, to be continued if they can get away with it.

Locally, this relatively new Victorian town was founded by a German immigrant, Henry Bolckow, and a Welshman John Vaughan, who, together in partnership, founded the iron industry. They exploited the conjunction of cheap coal from Co. Durham and ironstone from East Cleveland. They created immense wealth, sucking in workers from all parts of the British Isles, and we have inherited a rich tradition of creativity, diversity and talent which has survived hard times as well as periods of prosperity.

As a proud unitary authority, Middlesbrough’s motto is moving forward, with aspirations to become a city, but I fear that it will slowly cease to move forward, and never become a city if narrow-minded party political interests are allowed to prevail. Heavy industry has gone, to be succeeded by light industry, and a rich diversity of creativity, diversity and talent has survived, particularly in music, arts and creative writing, together with a new and developing university. I fear that this diverse creativity will slowly stagnate and wither on the branch if New Labour are allowed to create a permanent majority, although I dare say that the same manipulation occurs in the Tory heartlands of the Home County shires, but in this case we are considering the case of Middlesbrough alone.

My wife and I have been on vacation to the USA many times, but never to Florida. Two years ago we toured the Eastern United States, together with a few Canadians, while most were from the Western USA. Together we visited War of Independence and Civil War sites, and we learned so much about the conjoined history of Britain and the original 13 colonies which together fought for freedom from obsessive government and taxation. ‘No taxation without representation’ was the rallying cry of the Boston Tea Party. Together we visited Arlington National Cemetery, the Kennedy Grave, the Eternal Flame and the site of the First World War Memorial and, much later in our return to Washington, we viewed the Second World War Memorial which hailed the fallen of both the Atlantic and Pacific wars. Slowly we came to realise that twice in the course of the 20th Century free America had given of its finest boys and girls, men and women, in defence of European freedom from dictatorship.

On that instructive and entertaining tour, we visited George Washington’s Mount Vernon, Thomas Jefferson’s Monte Bello, and the State Capitol of Richmond, Virginia, and later the mind-blowing site of the Battle of Gettysburg, recently recalled by our visit to the cinema to see ‘Lincoln’!

In dedicating that field of battle to the fallen of both sides, the foremost official orator spoke for over two hours before reaching his final point of a ‘new union between north and south’. It was 19th November and 15,000 people were getting bored, cold and fed-up, and were beginning to drift away.

Then President Lincoln mounted on a horse which was too small for him, made a few dedicatory remarks, speaking 270 words for about three minutes.

“Four score and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in Liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war ...”

and more brief remarks follow: “... that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain – THAT THIS NATION, UNDER GOD, SHALL HAVE A NEW BIRTH OF FREEDOM – AND THAT GOVERNMENT OF THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE, SHALL NOT PERISH FROM THE EARTH.”

Sadly, it seems that in recent decades, in many developed nations, and particularly in the European Union, democracy has become corrupted to become government of the people, by the party bureaucrats, and for the Fat Cats of the public and private sectors alike.

Yours sincerely

NORMAN W LESLIE BA, MVB, MRCVS

GM Lewis

Member of the public

10/02/2013 16:19

"The reorganisation of the Ward Boundaries for Middlesbrough as suggested by Labour Councillors present a number of problems. The ward boundaries for Marton West Ward are clearly defined by 3 roads and a beck i.e. The Parkway A174, Stokesley Road A172, Brass Castle Lane and Marton West Beck and woodland. Moving us into another Ward for instance Marton Ward would mean we were divided by a very busy main road A172. Moving us into Coulby Newham Ward/s we are divided by the Marton West Beck and woodland, which is a formidable barrier. To move us in with Nunthorpe there is no connection at all. We have two very good councillors for Marton West Ward who are very helpful and attend all the Marton West Community Council Meetings and are very easy to contact between the meetings and are willing to answer any questions and solve any problems. I think it is quite unnecessary to alter so many Wards in Middlesbrough to reduce the number of Councillors by two, from 48 to 46. A large number of houses have been demolished in Central Middlesbrough and whether the houses will ever by replaced, we can only guess, so many promises have been made over the years, but it would appear that there are no plans to reduce the number of Councillors in those Wards."

Gregory, Eleanor

From: Madden janet Sent: 13 February 2013 20:32 To: Pascoe, Mark Subject: Boundary changes

Dear Sir

I'm writing to protest about the planned boundary changes which will impact directly on me and my family. Our ward, Marton West, is proactive and incredibly supportive with our community spirit being very much alive.

I wonder therefore why there is a need to redefine our boundary? Is it because we have fought so incredibly hard (and continue to do so) to keep our nature areas like Longridge Wood, is it because our councillors are supportive to their community, working hard to ensure the best outcomes for the ward and its people, or is it because we are represented by councillors who belong to the Conservative Party?

To remove wards where there is political opposition to the labour lead of the council is an interesting tactic, albeit somewhat underhand.

Our ward is strongly supportive, where people work together to find the best outcomes for the community that reside here and we object strongly about proposals to remove and fragment the ward and its people.

We suggest that the council reconsiders its boundary changes and considers carefully the political statement that is making by these suggestions. Yours faithfully

Janet Madden

1

Colin Mortlock

Member of the public

15/02/2013 20:30

Having had sight of the boundary changes proposed by Middlesbrough Council I fail to appreciate why Marton West together with its councillors are to be removed. The boundaries of the present ward are quite distict and logical and the ratio of councillors to electors is within the norm required by government. Marton West has an active Community Council and is regularly addressed by local police and those with an active roll in the community. Local issues are addressed and priorities established for action.In addition forum has now been estalished in which local members debate the way the ward should be developed and proposals are now well underway for summission to the relavant authority within the council. This I believe is the first of its kind in Middlesbrough. I feel that these issues have not been properly considered for this ward before the labour councillors came to their conclusion. Gregory, Eleanor

From: Naylor Sent: 03 February 2013 11:53 To: Pascoe, Mark Cc: chris hobson Subject: Marton West ward

I am amazed and disappointed to hear of the proposed change in boundaries which will do away with marton west ward and combine it with nunthorpe,coulby newham and Marton. A few points for you to consider 1. Marton West is a community,please allow us to continue and prove it 2. The ward has worked hard to promote Northumbria in bloom, with considerable success, particularly with local school children participating. 3. The whole ward is involved in neighbourhood watch plan. 4. The present boundaries of stokesley road, the A174, Brass Castle lane and Marton west beck are excellent,why change a winning formulae 5. As a ward we have continued to fight for the preservation of local woodland for the past 8 years 6.Lets keep party politics out of this and let common sense prevail. look forward to hearing your comments

Mike Naylor

1

Gregory, Eleanor

From: james parker Sent: 12 February 2013 19:24 To: Pascoe, Mark

Dear sir

It as come to my knowledge that the Ward and boundaries in which i live in is to be changed. This is without prior information or any communication via yourselves or any other governing bodies. I really want to object to this happening because,

A I am quite happy to be in a community that cares about the people who live here.

B There is no good positive reason as to why this area specifically needs to change

C If the review tells me anything different i would like to be informed.

D How can we live in austere times when this review can only cost monies that should be spent in a more postive way, the council has just spent 36 thousand pounds on a consultant. monies which we can ill afford to spend.

I will be making my protest felt by mailing this to my MP, Local Councillors the Media all with the intention of making my voice and vote heard, i would like a relpy via the person who understands the depth of feeling and not just a reply that says we will look at your letter and then throw it into the bin.

Yours faithfully

Mrs Patrica Parker

1

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2

Gregory, Eleanor

From: John Temple Sent: 13 February 2013 09:40 To: Pascoe, Mark Subject: Proposed ward boundary changes For Middlesbrough

Middlesbrough – Labour group plan for re-organising the ward boundaries to take effect in 2018

Dear Sir

We live in the Marton West Ward and it is proposed that the ward should cease to exist and be split up among adjacent wards.We object strongly to this feature of the Labour group proposals.Our objections to this proposal are as follows and we would like you to give them some consideration.

New council wards are expected to reflect, as far as possible,the interests and identities of communities across the district.Marton West Ward represents exactly these features the Boundary Commission suggests.At present,in Marton West, the following characteristics can be clearly identified. 1.It is the community who lead the Community Council meetings,not the councillors,as applies in most other wards. Our meetings have one of,if not the highest average attendance in Midlesbrough –which speaks for itself. 2. It is one of the few wards that has six news letters per year, delivered to each property, to ensure that the local information reaches everyone. 3. The Marton West Community has its own website where planning applications,local news,newsletters etc are displayed. 4. The Marton West Community has its own Facebook page 5.the Marton West Neighbourhood Plan is currently being submitted.Those involved,from across the ward, have chosen to take the whole ward as their”neighbourhood” because of the very strong links which make us a community. 6.The Marton West Ward enters for “Northumbria in Bloom”.Awards were won for each section of the ward – up to five areas have been successful. 7.There has been a 8 year fight to save a woodland in the ward with people from all parts participating. There is something called community spirit in our ward and this would be destroyed by the proposed plan.

There would seem to no case for the destruction of Marton West Ward. The proposals submitted by the Labour group seem to have,among others, the removal of two councillors as the Boundary Commission has already agreed.However, why Marton West? One suspects that their proposals have a hidden agenda which is to remove 2 councillors from the main party opposed to the Labour group in the council and this would seem to be the case. In fact this is nothing more than gerrymandering i.e. manipulation of ward boundaries to secure a disproportionate influence in ward elections for he Labour group. Why do they need to do this? The Labour group have secure control over Middlesbrough, they always have had and they will have.In any democratic organisation it is reasonable that the views of the minority should be adequately represented but their proposal is designed to remove 2 Conservative councillors from the council. This is some what unjust.

We hope you will view our objections to this aspect of the Labour Plan sympathetically.

Yours fathfully

John Temple(Mr) Jo Temple(Mrs)

1 Gregory, Eleanor

From: Malcolm Tonkiss Sent: 13 February 2013 11:57 To: Pascoe, Mark Subject: Middlesbrough ward boundries

Sir,

Regarding the proposed changes to Ward Boundaries in Middlesbrough I wish to register our objections. Why the council feel it necessary to reshuffle the boundaries across the whole district in order to reduce the number of councillors by 2 defies all logic. When looking at the map it is obvious that it is also in breach of the commissions guidelines "that wards should reflect the interests and identities of communities".

I write in particular with regard to my home ward of Marton West, at present it is contained within well defined limits of parkland, urban motorway and town edge. This area is populated by a broadly similar type of housing and community who have over the years formed a very cohesive and active area support which is reflected in meeting attendances, local improvement and preservation campaigns, community speedwatch and the voluntary production and distribution of newsletters to all residents on alternate months in addition to having its own website displaying planning applications and news.

Another look at the map will show the arbitrary (dare I say wilful?) snipping off of areas to the East and South and adding them to unrelated communities, then joining the rump to another ward beggars belief, even a cursory look at the map by someone who does not know the area reveals the contorted lines!

Why destroy one of the most successful wards in the district with such disregard for the residents and no apparent gain?

Please review the proposals and retain our community.

Yours Sincerely

Malcolm & Anita Tonkiss

1 Emma Williams

Marton West Ward

Member of the public

01/02/2013 12:15

I would like to make the point that there is no need in my mind to change the boundaries. The 'community' that we live in is a very well connected and supportive environment. We have small children and feel that Marton West provides the correct 'community' feel that we desire. Our councillors work very hard on keeping our community informed of changes/news issues etc in the area and are always readily available to speak to. I do not understand why change is required when there is not a problem in the first instance.