The week that ended......1 February '15

Can you believe that we are already in February, January has flown by and Christmas is a distance past and many will be looking forward to Spring, Easter breaks and warmer weather.

I think it is fair to say that currently Ashfield Public Inquiry has taken over a lot of my time now. If you follow the Save Ashfield Facebook page, you will know how much time and effect it is taking. I would like to take this time to thank everyone who is helping. I was speaking to one of the helpers, who has kindly offered to deliver leaflets, and she didn't think she was doing that much but it is and every little helps us. So a big thank you to all the helpers.

In terms of the update for Ashfield I will be address what we are currently doing at tomorrow nights meeting at the Unity Club, so please come along and hear what we are doing, what you can do, if you so wish, and how things will work at the public inquiry. The meeting is at the unity Club at 7.30pm.

Business As Usual (BAU)

However, whilst Ashfield takes a lot of time up there is the usual business as usual to carry out. Tuesday saw all three Wards Councillors spring into action when we were told with little notice that Preston Rd was being closed for 10 days, due to a burst water main. We held a number of emergency calls with the Council and discussions with Unity Utilities to discuss getting a diversion in place ASAP and making sure there was not much confusion with the closure and it seemed to work. Once a water drain burst there is little one can do but fix it but things in place is always needed.

Thursday we had a bit of snow and I am pleased that the Council got round and gritted the roads in Standish including the estates with steeps hills and re filled the grit bins whilst on their rounds, after they were emptied after the last cold spell. See I can speak positively some times about the Council :-).

Later in the week I attended the Audit Committee and there was some good presentations on some work that is being carried out and how some controls are going to be put in place but I have serious concerns that the risk controls are not there for basic risk and therefore how can we have confidence in the big risk controls? For example a few years ago we had a Labour Cllr, Cllr Jeanette Prescott, claiming for  mileage allowance, when she didn't have a car she shared a journey into the Town Hall with her husband - who was also claiming the same mileage. She paid the money back, which is great, and we were told checks would be carried out. But then we have just had ex Labour Cllr Emma McGurrin who claimed for child minding expenses. Now one of the checks the Council should carry out before they pay the claim is check who ever is the child minder is register with the Council. In Labour's Cllr McGurrin now one in the Council checked the register. Had someone done that very simple check they would have discovered it was a false claim. Unless the Council set her up? Food for thought! The checks need to be tight and then once in place for all the risk to the Council they should be carried out. There is no point putting a control in place but then never doing it.

The other side of the Coin!

It was good to hear that a independent Councillor for Hindley Green was on Wish FM discussing the other side of the coin on the goings on in the Council Chamber at the Full Council. Whilst Labour get their puppets in the Town Hall to push out their propaganda that opposition Cllrs are all bad and they don't behave it is refreshing that the other side comes, and that is Labour simply have had it all their own way and now that they are being challenged, pushed and must importantly made to open up and get things to be more transparent they simply don't like it. The Labour Leader has been there too long and for decades there was always just Labour cllrs there and now there are opposition Cllrs he doesn't like it and can't control them. A good example is I saw the Labour Leader and proposed that we have a meeting to try and see if we can improve things a little. I wouldn't disillusion myself thinking we can completed iron things out I would hope we can get some things better. But he simply refused a meeting and said you won't do as you are told. What a dictator!!!

Finishing on a positive note, I am not sure if anyone has been carrying out the #dryjanuary but now we are just passed the ended I wonder how many people who started it stuck to it. I am pleased with myself that I did it and get through it. I have had one message that was funny. People in Wigan need to drink because of all the socialist that run this town. Good humorous banter. Anyway, anyone that did it well done.