February 2010

The Archives

• Being Labour, Cotterill on the Council, The world beyond West Lancashire

  Tory privatisation plans – we need answers and we need them now

  02.28.10 | Permalink | Comment?

  On 13 January I broke this news about the Tories secret plans to privatise massive parts of council service both at county and borough levels across Lancashire, culminating in the release of a contract notice, worth £1.9 billion over ten years, through the Official Journal of the European Union. 
  No councillors were told.  No unions were told.  It only [...]

• Cotterill on the Council

  Mayoral miscreance

  02.28.10 | Permalink | Comment?

  To date, I’ve been pretty phlegmatic about the conduct of the current mayor when he chairs full council meetings.
  Yes, he’s supposed to remain impartial, but he’s a Tory so it’s inevitable enough that he’ll be drawn towards favour for his own side every now and then.  I’ve no big problem with that. 
  Nor have I a [...]

• Being Labour, Breaking News, Cotterill on the Council

  Elevenses

  02.28.10 | Permalink | Comment?

  I did this post on top ten Tory nonsenses spouted at the budget setting council meeting on Wednesday in response to the Labour budget speech. 
  But I forgot one.
  11) Labour is proposing to double the budget expenditure on refuse collection.
  Nope, they weren’t listening.  This is what I said:
  We’re putting in a reasonable sum to the Street Scene [...]

• Being Labour, Breaking News, Cotterill on the Council

  Rebutting 10 Tory budget nonsenses

  02.26.10 | Permalink | Comment?

  Right then, I know people are waiting with baited breath for my point by point rebuttal of the nonsenses the Tories came out with in response to Labour’s budget speech. 
  Sorry, it’s a bit slow coming, I had other deadlines to meet post-Full Council, but if you’re sitting comfortably……
  Dodgy process
  I’ll comment on the really quite inappropriate, [...]

• Being Labour, Breaking News, Cotterill on the Council

  Labour’s budget speech in full

  02.26.10 | Permalink | Comment?

  As a bit of a hobby, I act as Glorious and Wise Leader of the Labour Opposition on West Lancashire Borough Council.
  In this position, I made a speech last night setting out Labour’s alternative budget proposals for 2010-2011. 
  In many ways the difference between the two sets of proposals reflects the wider debate between Labour and the Tories about [...]

• Cotterill on the Council, Planning applications

  Tox story: how the Tories don’t do waste

  02.22.10 | Permalink | Comment?

  Below you’ll find West Lancashire Labour group’s response to the Lancashire County Council’s snazzily titled ‘Consultation on Site Allocations and Development Management Policies Development Plan Documents.’
  Basically, it’s a consultation on where the tips and other waste management site (including hazardous waste).
  Alert (or obsessive) readers will be aware that this matter was raised for Tory cabinet members to consider on 19 [...]

• Cotterill on the Council, Leisure and culture

  A bit of self-defence

  02.19.10 | Permalink | Comment?

  I was asked by a local journalist whether I wanted to defend myself  from a really quite personal attack on my character by the Chairman of West Lancashire Community Leisure Trust, in the light of the story about theft from Burscough Leisure Centre, which the press had decided to cover in January (I don’t think I even [...]

• Bickerstaffe Thoughts

  A577 safety scheme campaign update

  02.16.10 | Permalink | Comment?

  Here’s the text of my latest missive to residents at the accident-strewn Dickets Lane/Wigan Road junction, about which the county council are proposing to do not enough after years of campaigning to get this far.  I’m cross.
  Dear resident
  A577 road safety scheme campaign update
  I am writing with a brief update on the A577 road safety scheme [...]

• Bickerstaffe Thoughts

  Defend the 319

  02.16.10 | Permalink | Comment?

  Further to this post, below is the text of my letter to residents in Barrow Nook, Church Road, Stockley Crescent, Heyescroft and Liverpool Road (and the opportunity taken for a quick update on speed limits).  The template letter for ‘cutting and pasting’ is at the bottom.
  16 February 2010
  Dear resident
  Stagecoach review of 319 service via Barrow [...]

• Being Labour, Bickerstaffe Thoughts, Breaking News

  Is a Skem train station feasible?

  02.15.10 | Permalink | Comment?

  Regular readers will remember that the Conservative administration of West Lancashire Borough Council took incompetence to a new height in late 2008 when they simply forgot to make provision for a railway station in the masterplan for the Skelmersdale Town Centre.  I reported on it here.  This is how the press reported it.
  Fortunately, Labour was [...]

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