Flooding - at the Coro this Wednesday 7 - 9pm

I'm sure that you will be all aware of this meeting.

I've asked my County Council Representative, James Airey to be there to express the concerns of those that are lucky to have avoided this trauma. He has replied to say that both he and Peter Hornby will be at the meeting.

"Peter and myself have already toured the affected area with the new area engineer, he will be joining the both of us again on Thursday to look at other issues in Ulverston."

James Airey has the makings of an impressive County Councillor. Can he provide the leadership this town needs?

Mark Wilson the District Councillor is also doing excellent work. Mark is another "doer" . Can the two of them put aside party politics, cut out the waffle and instead achieve a result?

Could these two be an example to the motley crew of the "We like sitting in glory" Councillors that we are "blest" with.

I don't believe that the people of South Ulverston have so far received an honest answer from officials, Glaxo and politicians. They face a complex problem. Money needs to be spent on a detailed analysis of how the problem arises together with alternatives on how to deal with it.

The County and District Council need to accept that they have a responsibility in spending millions of our money in the long term to come up with a fair solution.

There's a tendency for those who live on higher ground to ignore the problems of those lower down. Much of the problem in the future will come from the effects of Global warming which leads to more rain laden clouds coming our way. The wider population have a responsibility to deal with this problem even though it may prove to be expensive.

It was not of these people's making but ours.

Stories of incompetence in South Lakes Housing

The more I talk to those who live in houses administered by Simon Hughes, both Sheltered and regular Council Housing, the more I come across frustration at not being able to get work done.

Some witness neighbours from hell, with nothing done about it. Action is promised but nothing happens. Others have severe insulation problems with repeated requests for work and the putting in place of free government aided schemes yet nothing is done and the tenants foot the inflated fuel bill.

Simon Hughes appears to hide behind a 'complaints procedure'. He does not wish to get involved with giving answers. Yet I cannot believe that there are any good reasons for inaction.

Situations are never black and white. Having talked directly to Mr Hughes , he comes across as a person under siege who is reluctant to be open and straightforward. He is ready to give answers if pressed but is not going to volunteer them. Yet there must be severe constraints of money being available. Surely no organisation can be completely incompetent . . . Can it?

Fortunately if you are in East Ward, you have a Labour District Councillor - Mark Wilson - who is ready to take up issues on your behalf and try to get answers. I urge you to use him - mark.wilson@southlakeland.gov.uk

If you are outside Mark Wilson's area please let me know and we can work together to at least find concrete answers or else expose incompetence if it exists. So far I wait to be impressed by any of the five conservative councillors for the town though Jamie Samson certainly makes some encouraging noises though he doesn't overstretch himself with Council appearances - when compared with Cllr Wilson.

July 1 2008 - Aha!

I had been talking of organising a meeting to provide information and discussing Affordable Housing Action since November 2007.

My first approach was to do this through the Neighbourhood Forum but they blocked this approach which had two results:

It nudged me towards becoming a County Councillor

To organise a meeting in the Old Friends on July 1st which was advertised around town by posters.