Concerns raised with Tesco

May 1, 2012 AnthonyMck Glossopdale, Hadfield, Padfield No Comments

High Street Giant Tesco have agreed to meet local traders in Hadfield, following an intervention from Padfield and Hadfield Borough Councillor Ellie Wilcox.

Concerned councillor Ellie Wilcox, along with senior council officers, today had a head-to-head meeting with Tesco bosses about the controversial new Express store on Station Road in the former premises of the Masons Arms.

‘I tried to urge Tesco to agree to meet with the local action group in order to listen to their concerns,’ said Ellie. ‘I’ve been contacted by lots of traders and residents since the proposal was first touted, and the worry about the potentially damaging impact upon the other businesses has been immense. This sentiment has been by expressed by both traders and residents, who are keen for the high street to thrive.

‘Tesco have agreed to meet with the local traders, though I’m disappointed that they have refused to meet with the action group’.

‘As councillors, our hands have been tied in terms of planning, because the development was framed in such a way that objection would have been impossible. However, we’ve been angered by the way in which Tesco have gone about obtaining permissions – using a third party was sneaky and has created mistrust amongst local people’.

‘In addition to this, it seems that Tesco have also failed to consider the parking difficulties that are already apparent on Station Road and the surrounding streets. If delivery vans are unloading close to the corner of Station Road and Kiln Lane, visibility on that junction will be impaired.

Tesco have suggested that some of the local businesses may benefit from the development, but Ellie remained unconvinced. ‘It’s true that businesses such as barber shops or cafes may see a greater footfall, however, other businesses could be crippled by the price cuts Tesco are able to offer when they first open. It’s the same issue with job creation, for every person Tesco employs, another person could potentially lose their job’.

Ellie anticipates that the development will go ahead, as there are no legal grounds to stop it. ‘I’ve also been approached by supporters of a Tesco store in both Hadfield and Padfield. Though Tesco’s presence could damage the local identity of the high street, presently, the need for cheap food has never been greater. Many people have identified Tesco as an immediate source of cheaper food and we have to recognise that many hard pressed families and elderly people on low incomes may welcome the development’. Ellie added.

April Shopper’s Surgery

Apr 24, 2012 AnthonyMck Surgeries No Comments

This coming Saturday (28th April) will see the latest Glossopdale Labour Councillors Shopper’s Surgery.

Taking place from 10.00am until 11.30am in the Glossop Market Arcade, the shopper’s surgery will feature Councillors Colin Waude and Godfrey Claff who represent Howard Town, Graham Oakley from Whitfield, Garry Parvin from Old Glossop, Bob Mckeown from Hadfield South and Anthony Mckeown from Gamesley.

Taking place after a number of recent council meetings where Glossopdale issues in particular have been discussed, the councillor’s will be happy to answer any questions or comments that locals have on these issues, along with being happy to address any other concerns or issues that locals have, and rather than holding the surgery where you have to come to then, the central location mean the councillors are where you may well be passing whilst out on Saturday.

Cllr Anthony Mckeown commented “Over the last two weeks, we’ve had the first Glossopdale Community Voice meeting, along with a number of council report, which have featured Glossopdale issues including the latest Glossop Halls report, and if locals ave any views on these issues we want to hear them and a great way of lettings us know is by calling at our shoppers surgery on Saturday”.

Padfield Youngsters Display Creative Side

Mar 30, 2012 AnthonyMck Uncategorized No Comments

Children at Padfield Community School are delighted to see that their designs have been made into signs for the new Temple Street play area. In collaboration with High Peak Borough Council and the Padfield Residents’ Society, the school held a competition where each child designed a poster, welcoming people to the park, but also gently reminding people to look after the area and keep it tidy. Finley Kelly, Libby Haslin, Talia Taylor and Olivia Cavanagh were presented with certificates of thanks from their local councillor, Ellie Wilcox, on Monday.

Headteacher, Anne Harper, said: ‘The school always enjoys being involved in activities that are at the heart of the community. Even the park design and equipment included some of the ideas from the children. When it came to the competition, it was very difficult to choose the four winning designs, as all the children worked so hard to create their posters.’

Local Councillor, Ellie Wilcox, agreed: ‘The quality of the posters was exceptional, but after much deliberation we chose these four, as they were so vibrant and inviting, fitting in perfectly with the themes we wanted to communicate. The quality of design for the play equipment is high and we want generations of children to enjoy playing here. I’m so pleased that it has been completed ahead of the school holidays and hope that children have lots of fun playing on it over the easter break.’

On a more serious note, Ellie added, ‘Several people have contacted me since being elected about the state of litter and dog fouling in the park. The initiative behind the children designing the signs stemmed from people wanting to give the children more ownership of their play area. The children designing the signs gives a strong message that this is their area, so think twice about dropping litter or letting your dog foul.’

March Shopper’s Surgery

Mar 28, 2012 AnthonyMck Surgeries No Comments

This coming Saturday (31st March) will see the latest Glossopdale Labour Councillors Shopper’s Surgery.

The councillor’s will be happy to answer any questions, comments and concerns that locals have, and rather than holding the surgery where you have to come to then, the central location mean the councillors are where you may well be passing whilst out on Saturday.

Enthusiastic start for food bank proposal

Mar 12, 2012 AnthonyMck Uncategorized No Comments

Fifteen volunteers from all parts of Glossop arrived at Gamesley Geoffrey Allen centre last Thursday to help start a second food bank for Glossopdale. And a string of apologies that also came in made organisers confident that they could make things happen, sooner rather than later.

County Councillor Dave Wilcox says he was enthused and humbled by the response and regretted that the project couldn’t immediately begin. He reported that he’d managed to secure £500 from the County Council to assist in setting up the scheme.

“Some of the participants came to distribute parcels rather than talk about it,” he said, “whilst others were volunteering to show people how to cheaply prepare nutritious meals and yet others were offering tips on growing your own fresh foods.”

“People were anxious to cut the talking and begin the action, but it was recognised that whatever was proposed was going to have to last and was going to start small before it spreads more widely across Glossopdale.”

As well as people employed in health improvement, the voluntary sector and a High Peak borough Councillor, there was a neighbourhood watch coordinator, a former teacher, an internet and web designer, a trained chef, a football coach and a rep from incredible edible. Glossop volunteer centre was also represented and said it was positioned to offer help to Community Organiser, Pat Javanaud, in the trawl for volunteers.

“We’ve a lot to learn from other schemes,” said Padfield and Hadfield Borough Councillor Ellie Wilcox. As a former Whitfield Councillor she said that she was anxious that any new scheme should work in co-ordination with the existing Waterfall Project based around St. James’s.

The group resolved to fire off a series of letters to local and National businesses in Glossopdale and to follow up with phone calls and face-to-face meetings. They also discussed dropping off places, general fund raising, storage, distribution, eligibility to be a recipient of parcels and making sure the scheme was not a flash in the pan.

The next meeting was fixed for Tuesday 20^th March, 10.00am. at the Geoffrey Allen Centre where more volunteers and those able to offer skills will be welcomed.

Derbyshire Adult Community Organiser, Pat Javanaud, said that at this meeting, people who might benefit from obtaining an accredited certificate in volunteering may also wish to attend. Further information and details on all elements of the proposed scheme are available from Pat on Glossop 858035.

February Shopper’s Surgery

Feb 21, 2012 AnthonyMck Surgeries No Comments

This coming Saturday (25th February) will see the latest Glossopdale Labour Councillors Shopper’s Surgery.

Cllr Anthony Mckeown commented ”We’ve had a wide range of issues raised at our previous Saturday surgeries, but don’t forget if you have an issue you want to raise, but can’t attend on Saturday – please get in touch councillors aren’t just available at surgeries”

You can see contact details for Labour Councillors by clicking here or alternatively (for all borough councillors) on the borough council’s website at http://www.highpeak.gov.uk/

Keep our NHS public

Feb 13, 2012 AnthonyMck Health, Uncategorized No Comments

Cllr Anthony Mckeown at the stall

Members of the Glossopdale Labour Party hit the streets once again on Saturday morning with their latest campaign raising concerns over the current NHS bill, and keeping the NHS in public hands.

Gamesley Councillor Anthony Mckeown said:

“Health professionals from across the NHS are opposed or deeply critical of the NHS bill, and when the British Medical Association, British Dental Association, the Royal College of Midwives and the Royal College of GP’s are saying something is wrong the Health Secretary should listen and drop the current NHS bill”.

The leaflet party members gave out on Saturday (and available for download below) also contained five steps locals can take to help stop the passage of the bill.

The steps are :

1. Lobby parliament by writing to your MP. Visit: findyourmp.parliament.uk
2. Write to your local newspaper.
3. Join Keep Our NHS Public. Visit www.keepournhspublic.com
4. Spread the word so that more people begin to challenge the Bill and really understand what is being done to the NHS.
5. Ask your GPs, hospital consultants, nurses and NHS managers to fight for our NHS.
Locals were also urged to sign the Government online petition started by the Chairman of the Tameside branch of the BMA (British Medical Association) Dr Kailash Chand OBE at epetitions.direct.gov.uk.

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Food Bank extension planned

Feb 13, 2012 AnthonyMck County council No Comments

Dave Wilcox holds a food bag for distribution as demand appears to be increasing.

Hadfield and Gamesley residents are looking to establish a local “food bank” to assist people who are increasingly going hungry as a consequence of delays in obtaining benefits.

“There’s already the Waterfall food bank in Glossopdale to which people can turn in cases of emergency,” explains local County Councillor Dave Wilcox, “but we are starting to need wider provision.”

“It’s clear that we need to localise the offer, initially in Gamesley, but subsequently in other parts of Hadfield and Glossopdale. People are genuinely going hungry and don’t have two brass farthings to rub together to pay for food, never mind turning on the gas and the lights.”

Six volunteers have initially stepped forward to help in a move which is likely to see a network develop across High Peak and link with other food banks in the rest of Derbyshire.

“The main difficulty people face relates to delays in receiving benefits to which they are entitled when circumstances change.” explained Councillor Wilcox.

“Food banks depend on people making voluntary donations in kind and in cash. We hope that we can bring local shops, businesses and supermarkets on board and ultimately extend the scheme throughout the valley.

A grant of around £500 is likely to facilitate the start up of the scheme and a meeting has been called for Thursday 8th March at 10.30a.m. in the Geoffrey Allen Centre in the middle of Gamesley to identify people from all over the valley who might wish to volunteer.

Those who participate in voluntary activity will be able to obtain a level 1 National Council of Further Education qualification in volunteering from the Derbyshire Adult education service which could potentially boost their job application CVs.

Extending the scheme with the help of local High Peak Borough Councillors is also on the cards. Partners so far involved include Tameside and Glossopdale PCT, Citizens Advice Sheffield and Advice Derbyshire. Further information on the start-up is available on Glossop 858035 from Monday 28th February.

January Shopper’s Surgery

Jan 24, 2012 AnthonyMck Council Services, Glossopdale, Surgeries No Comments

This coming Saturday (28th January) sees the latest Glossopdale’s Labour Councillors Shopper’s Surgery.

The councillors will once again be available to answer any questions, comments and concerns that locals have whilst there are out and about in the centre of Glossop. As with the previous ‘shoppers surgery’ the venue is the Glossop Market Arcade and it will feature Councillors Colin Waude and Godfrey Claff who represent Howard Town, Graham Oakley from Whitfield, Garry Parvin from Old Glossop, Bob Mckeown from Hadfield South and Anthony Mckeown from Gamesley.

The surgery will run from 10.00am till 11.30am

Cllr Bob Mckeown commented ”Whilst our past surgeries have been busy, if you can’t get there on Saturday morning, but have an issue to raise – please get in touch councillors aren’t just available at surgeries”

You can see contact details for Labour Councillors on our website at http://www.glossopdale.labourhighpeak.info/ or alternatively (for all borough councillors) on the borough council’s website at http://www.highpeak.gov.uk/

Bus routes re-instated

Jan 23, 2012 AnthonyMck Bus, County council, Glossopdale No Comments

County Council transport chiefs have been congratulated by County Councillor Dave Wilcox and High Peak Borough Councillors Anthony and Bob Mckeown for sustaining most local bus routes in Glossopdale following the collapse of Speedwell buses.

The cry for help went out from the local councillors, when rumours started appearing on Facebook and anxious constituents from Simmondley, Gamesley and other outlying area started reporting no buses arriving and reported drivers claimed they were travelling on their last few gallons of fuel before the buses stopped running.

“By early Wednesday last week it was clear that there needed to be replacement buses found quickly.” said Councillor Mckeown. “The transport unit at County Hall were alive to the issues and moved quickly to minimise the impact of Speedwell going out of business.”

“No-one was surprised that the company had problems sustaining local routes,” said Councillor Wilcox. “Indeed, when we were fighting to save the 397 route through Tintwistle, I’m on record as saying that the removal of bus subsidies could put some local operators at commercial risk.”

“But I think everyone was taken aback by the suddenness of the collapse. It meant that a number of buses and drivers had to be found pronto, and the Transport Unit came up with the goods.”

“This is obviously a temporary situation,” said Councillor Anthony Mckeown, “and in due course there may be further changes as permanent new contracts are let on these subsidised services, and as with these changes full details will be made available by a variety of means including my website (www.anthonymckeown.info) as and when we have them”

Cllr Anthony Mckeown also said “As the companies operating our local services are now different some, options around weekly tickets and so on are also different and some details on available alternatives can be found on my blog, along with details of our bus watch scheme to collect any bus services problems”

Cllr Bob Mckeown said “The most important thing to bus passengers is that other than a blip in service, school runs and other routes are generally back running to time. Fast action from the County Council staff to approach and enlist the help of Stotts, Bowers and Stagecoach made all this possible. It’s unfortunately yet another example of the public sector having to intervene when a private sector firm goes bump.”

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