Wednesday, June 13, 2007

Anger at Post Office planning decision

A DECISION by Gateshead Council’s Planning Committee to refuse an application for a cash machine to be installed in Sunniside Post Office has been attacked by the village’s Liberal Democrat Councillor.

With 2500 Post Offices set for closure by the Government, branches are needing to develop new business to stay open. Installing a cash machine at the branch in Sunniside would have helped secure the future of the Post Office and boost the village centre.

Dr Jonathan Wallace, Councillor for Sunniside, backed the plan and ran a petition in favour of the cash machine application. 240 residents signed it.

But Gateshead Council’s Highways Department objected to the cash machine as the Post Office is next to a pedestrian crossing.

And the planning committee split along party lines when it took the decision on Wednesday 13th June to throw out the application.

The plan was defeated 7 votes to 6. All those voting against the application being approved were Labour. Only one Labour Councillor, Malcolm Brain, voted for the proposal. The other 5 backing the plan were Liberal Democrats.

“This cash machine would have been a boost to Sunniside Post Office, helping to secure its future, at a time when one in five branches throughout the country is to be axed,” said Councillor Wallace.

“A free to use, 24 hour cash machine would also have been a boost for the village centre generally, and for residents.

“Sunniside is, by no stretch of the imagination, a wealthy area, and many people are dependent on the Post Office and local shops. Many don’t have cars to get to other shopping centres and the bus services in the village have been reduced in recent years.

“This application would have disproportionately benefited some of the poorest areas in my ward. I am therefore amazed and appalled that it has been rejected.

“It is a bizarre situation where a business on a front street can’t be developed because planners think it might attract people to use it and visit the area by car. Under that thinking, just about every front street in every community would have to be closed down.”

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well seeing as you forgot to give the reason why I stood down Johnathan. I will explain it for you . I stood down as BNP candidate, as I no longer live in the ward. And I do not feel I can represent the people of that ward, to the standard that they deserve. As I no longer live there, on a daily basis. I will no doubt lose touch with the local issues that affect the people’s lives in that ward. So as you can see I stood down for a very valid reason. I do still have a lot of family and good friends who live there, and they deserve better. So I have not thrown in the towel as you suggested. To correct you on another point I did not stand in the last 2 local elections. I stood in a by-election due to the sacking of a Labour councillor in September 2006 and this year’s elections. As for the Labour reject. A certain Mr Hayley.
I do believe that this is the very same Mr Hayley quoted in the Evening Chronicle's letter page, slagging off the people, fighting the closure of Tyne View School(leaflets already printed bud).
He also doesn't live in the ward along with all the other candidates. Only the BNP candidate remains a resident in the ward that she is fighting for. So I suggest you get your facts right and stop lying to the readers of this blog, as you do your electorate. Save the post offices my backside you knew you couldn't do anything. Anyway why is your party over the water in Newcastle doing the same thing with the schools over there that LIEBOUR have done in Gateshead?

Megan Elizabeth Davies said...

So, the rumours are true. A six times Labour Party cast off and reject from Whickham, dragged in to try and serve us.

What are our options ?

1) Vote Labour and CHANGE NOTHING ! Because nothing will change ! ! They have made such a good job of imitating the invisible man/woman in recent years, and that's WITH their party reps living in the area, with the exception of Mrs Dudden, who showed her face from "time to time".

2) Vote Conservative - laugh out loud ! I admit to voting for them and Labour in the past.

3) The most vile and dustbin excuse of a party whose name is not even worth mentioning ! Even though it's candidate is local !

4) The Liberal Democrats who have been coming second in council elections in this area for a long time now.

The Thank You Focus which was put through my letterbox on saturday was inviting and gratefully received. If this is what we can expect regularly, as well as proper representation (which my brother and sister receive at Bill Quay and High Spen), you may just get my vote.

PS - get knocking on doors in the area. It will do you good, as well as get my vote !

8:31 PM

Anonymous said...

Sarah Adams / Clasper Village

It seems as though a "nerve" has been touched with this headline story.

What an absolute load of garbage by the BNP(the Bullshit No-hoper Poowipers)and that's an insult to people who do that job = childminders, care workers etc !.

WHERE WERE THE BNP when the parents needed them most ? When the process of closure was going through the council and could have been challenged further via the process available to the public via the council consultation/challenge system and also via the options available to councillors, which our LABOUR representatives hid from and never came forward to advise us on.

The parents of children fighting the closure of Windmill Hills School followed this procedure, albeit, without success. But at least they tried and had the support and guidance of non elected political representatives(SUSAN CRAIG - LIBERAL DEMOCRAT) The result ? Very nearly a much needed change of representation in that area, which my friends in that area hope will happen next year.

May I suggest that the Bullshit No-Hoper Poowipers get their facts right before they attack anyone when they NEVER BOTHERED THEIR ARSES THEMSELVES.

Jonathan Wallace said...

Dear "Anonymous"

Don't you think it's a bit odd that you should call yourself anonymous and then say who you are in the comments! I also can't quite work out why you have decided to put up a reply to a posting on my personal blog here under an article about post offices on my news blog!

By the way Andy, my name is spelt "Jonathan" not "Johnathan". It's written clearly on my personal blog which you visit regularly.

I do recall Mr Haley's letter. He wrote many letters to local newspapers, many of them painting himself in such a glorious light that they bore no resemblance to reality. A bit like his absurd claims in his election leaflets in Whickham South in 2002 and 2003, in Whickham South and Sunniside in 2004, and in Dunston Hill and Whickham East in 2006 and 2007. Mr Haley's fantastic claims about himself and his opponents were not believed by the people he sought to represent. Hence his dire electoral record so far.

So Andy, you have moved. If, in the highly unlikely circumstances of your being elected in May for Dunston and Teams, would you have resigned forcing an immediate by-election on the grounds, to quote your words, you would "lose touch with the local issues that affect people's lives in that ward"?

Were you aware you were going to have to move away before you stood in May? If you were, why did you continue as candidate. If not, you should go to the Guinness Book of Records and claim the prize for the world's fastest house move!

Anonymous said...

Allison Dobson
Sunniside

Perhaps the author of the first comment, if indeed it is the previous candidate for Dunston from the BNP (Sarah Adams - an exceptional discription !), would like to explain why he used a Post Office Planning Story in Sunniside to make his comments ? After all, there is an appropriate story on Mr Wallaces' main blog to respond to. However, that does not allow anonymous comments.

What is he afraid of ?
Publishing Personal Details ?
That for me, is enough proof that he is not fit enough for debate, never mind public office.

Anonymous said...

Didn't the Tyne View school campaigners manage to get the decision to close the school independently reviewed? Nothing to do with the Lib Dem carpet baggers (like Hindle and the Lib Dem MEP) either!

Something the people from the Windmill Hills school didn't manage sadly, even with the 'help' of the councillor's wife from Whickham!

Anonymous said...

Had Swaddle been remotely serious - not to say genuine - about keeping the school open then he would have sent his own kids there. The fact that he didn't made him look like a hypocrite to local people. This, coupled with the bullying behaviour over the display of election posters made him deeply unpopular in Clasper Village. He really should re-examine how he talks to people.

The notion that he has been re-homed and therefore cannot give of his best for Clasper Village is a joke. The community is better off without him.

Interesting that he's the agent rather than Kevin Scott (Clasper Village Idiot) or McFarlane, Gateshead bnp organiser and noted buffoon.

Anonymous said...

"....remotely serious...."

Come off it Mr Mark Ellis (Britain Forward), I suppose forcing the council to submit to an independent review was pretty serious.

Dowling (of the SWP) and Brunskill (of Militant: your mate Ged's former(?)organisation) couldn't have managed it.

Local people did that.

But then you don't like that.

Local people making decisions for themselves.

Otherwise, how would you get to trouser the £25K which you ponced off the taxpayer for your job with TWAFA!

Anonymous said...

As a new visitor, having learned of this site via the recent thank you focus received by my friend at Kelin Gardens, Dunston, who is being most talkative about local activities in his area. I am confused to say the least at some of the comments on this site!

Labour and BNP are clearly fighting the Dunston election on this site. This, in my opinion, is a clear sign of where their priorities lie !

This morning (20 June 2007) I delivered a parcel to a property in Seymour Street, Dunston. As I drove away from the property, I noticed a neighbouring property's windows covered with "BNP VOTE SWADDLE posters"

Am I missing something ? ?
On one part of this site there are referals to the BNP candidate "THROWING IN THE TOWELL", yet on another part (on a story of the Post Office), there appears to be a comment from the BNP candidate as to why he/she has "done a runner !

So, if he/she has "thrown in the towel", why is this poster and it's party advertising/appealing/begging people to vote for him/her at 11 Seymour Street, Dunston ??? (SWADDLE) ??????

According to Gateshead Council's official website, the BNP's candidate for the election in July 2007 is of a total different name ? ! ?

Can these people really be taken seriously ? ? ?

Andrew Baker
Burnopfield

Anonymous said...

So good, Andrew had to say it twice!

Anonymous said...

Sorry to disappoint you genius !

This morning, I copied and pasted it from this story onto the "Michael as candidate" story where it is more appropriate - hope you didn't mind Andrew Baker, who hasn't said it twice. Check the times genius.

Anonymous said...

Why are you Lib Dems so rattled?

Waiting for the 'Christian Taxpayers Revolt' to burst your bubble perhaps!

Anonymous said...

I am ever so sorry to disappoint you again - pure genius, but I am no Lib Dem supporter. My partner (Andrew Baker) and I voted Independent in our village this year, in the county council elections in 2005, and Labour at the 2005 General Election.

It seems to me that the pure genius is also the pure assumption.

Helen Wilson
Burnopfield
NE16 6QF

The genius was quick to have a dig at Andrew for making his comment "twice" on this blog. However, if the so called genius was to read things thoroughly, especially on this news blog and Jonathan Wallace's personal blog, he would have discovered that Megan Elizabeth Davies made the same comment twice. And do you know what ? Without even a comment from the pure genius.

It certainly seems to me that people like the pure genius are so politically exasperated, that all they're capable of is bickering and backbiting on what is a well intended, genuine local news website clearly set up for the benefit of local residents.

I certainly think the Independent councillors and residents at Burnopfield would benefit from such a blog. I may just put it to them.

Anonymous said...

Is Burnopfield part of Gateshead?

Is Burnopfield part of Dunston & Teams?

I'm glad you don't support the Lib Dems.

With the pro-EU, pro-immigration agenda they have, who in their right mind would?

Anonymous said...

An interesting avoidance of answering my genuine points and comments by the pure genius, who, it would appear, can only dismiss me as an outsider.

Don't get me started on the EU! Why? Because all political parties are the same, including the so called U.K.I.P. !

On Question Time, Thursday, 21 June 2007, the Daily Mail Columnist, Peter Hitchins made the remark, "Boris (Johnson) will back me on this, 80% of leglislation Westminster passes comes from Brussels, which is rewritten as government policy on parliamentary paper".

Needless to say, Mr Johnson, nor any other member of the panel confirmed this claim. Nor have I seen any press cuttings from U.K.I.P. or the vile party that the so called genius "appears" to be a member of, dismissing Peter Hitchins as the greatest Eurosceptic journalist on record.

Anonymous said...

Hitchens is a safety valve for all the silly Dail Mail readers who take his musings seriously.

However, if all parties are the same, what are you doing on a Lib Dem-supporting blog?

Anonymous said...

Ah, the pure genius, you just don't get it do you ? This blog is clearly set up for the benefit of residents, clearly read by people of all political persuasions, including yourself.

As for the Clasper, it's a more important question for you to answer rather than the person you put that to.

Pure genius, Pure Assumption and Pure Folly ! What a combination.

Is it any wonder your politics get shown up for what they really are ?

Anonymous said...

But you are not a resident!

As for my politics: who's making the assumption (probably something you read in the Daily Mail!)?