Letter: ‘I help when and where I am asked’

Firstly from Mr Morton of Wagon Road whose letter I can only say is truly existential, there may be some being out there who understands what he is on about, but I don’t!

There is then a question of morality, let me say that is the last thing on my mind, but since you raise it perhaps you should address such a topic with the Labour councillors in this ward who have simply abandoned long term residents and their problems. This is true moral dilemma of Eastwood. One has even given up to the point of standing in another ward in the election in May, but why Cllr Wallis believes that the good people of Rawmarsh would elect such failure simply beggars belief.

Next is the accusation that I am merely trying to garner votes for UKIP? Mr Morton, such action is preposterous in a ward such as Eastwood where the block vote is key. It should be discouraged, but what Labour politician would condemn a practice that delivers the vote? The younger generation who form a substantial part of the emerging professional class are vibrant, ambitious and possess a desire to create a positive vibrant cohesive society deserve better. The whole community needs to understand the values of freedom, equality, fairness and justice and more importantly that all people should be treated as equals.

I have simply been helping where I can, because I was invited to do so, by one of the residents to help if possible, and I should add that I would help people in any other ward if asked, but only if asked.

Previously I did invite Mr Morton to join us at a drop-in session or if he prefers on a walk around the area to observe for himself the problems and to hear first-hand from residents what day-to-day life is like. Of course Mr Morton has thus far declined. So perhaps he might like to consider his own moral character.

Finally I can say that we are at last making some progress, though the outcome remains unpredictable at this time. RMBC are allocating senior resource to take ownership for preparing a plan to tackle Eastwood problems and I am meeting with this new resource, Monday April 25.

Next is the letter from Mr Taylor — Leaflet fails to deliver plan — who by the way fails to provide any contact details though he states he is keen to know more about local candidates! We, that is Cllr Turner and I, put out around the ward an earlier leaflet on which we provided our contact details along with surgery times and locations, so just how keen is Mr Taylor to know more about local candidates?

The leaflet to which he refers is one we want people to look at and read, and not a verbose and detailed story of issues we have dealt with that people will not bother to read and throw in the bin. The points listed are simply examples of issues that ward residents have brought to us and which we have been pleased to help achieve a satisfactory outcome.

Mr Taylor then raises the issue of the run-down children’s playground on Cow Rakes Lane. Perhaps if he had made the time to contact either Julie Turner or I, we could have informed him that this problem is in fact a Whiston Parish Council problem, and not a borough council problem. And that it has been under discussion and is being dealt with. We know this because we attend the parish council meetings, which he is also free to do should he wish. We attend these meetings for the purpose of acting as a link between the bodies and to take problems to the borough council that the parish council wishes us to raise at this level. And finally he raises a litter issue, this is a longstanding problem that is receiving attention borough wide because it is of such concern to us all.

Perhaps Mr Taylor might like to come along to a surgery or to make contact to arrange a suitably convenient meeting time and place where either Cllr Julie Turner or I would be more than happy to discuss any points or concerns he wishes to raise. And thus he would have his opportunity to learn more about some local candidates.

Allen Cowles, Sitwell Ward

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