The myth is that the marketplace alterations
in the town of Blyth cost Blyth Valley Council and therefore Blyth Valley
residents £3m. Rubbish!
This item was debated at a group our small team attend from time to time and some research has been undertaken by students interested in local politics, what they found was interesting.
They found that the market place project was
overseen and financially managed by ONE with European funds. The project was
offered to Blyth Valley as it was heading towards closure and its
responsibilities handed over to a new County unitary Council as a Durham
Council ONE expected to take the project didn’t have any plans in place, Blyth
Valley did.
At a difficult time for local government
accountants, the final half year accounts of Blyth Valley did show the
expenditure but when the students looked at the archived accounts, an interim
authority was formed which shows the cash being paid in to cover off the costs
with European funding.
So the brilliant public space in the centre
of Northumberland’s largest town did not cost Blyth Valley residents a single
penny.
Currently Blyth Town have a highly
intelligent campaigning Labour Mayor, Warren Taylor, who is extremely proud of
the market place and the whole town. He has entered the public arena following
a series of very nice Civic Mayors and has shown he means business. His council
is slightly in shock that their mayor is extremely willing to promote his town
and use his time not only to attend civic functions but to challenge his
residents to think about their town and grasp the opportunities that are just
around the corner.
Research has shown larger East Coast towns
like Blyth have suffered and have run down quicker than their smaller
neighbours primarily due to the offshoring of work and the loss of traditional
industry such as mining and shipbuilding throughout the 1980’s and haven’t yet
recovered from the last decades financial crisis through the lack of quality
jobs and the high numbers of families relying on minimum wage employment.
Warren and his Council who get no real help
from their Tory County Council are tackling the issues of town centre
improvements through working with partners to improve the local environment
with the Town Council paying for grass cutting and cleansing along with their
standard functions with the County Council responsible for the failed weeding
of your streets.
Mr Taylor, your a refreshing change from what
we are used too and we’re sure you will succeed and defy the detractors who
want to run down your town and your politics.
