Many thanks to all for taking the time to read my blog – during the year there has been a steady increase in visits month on month and 102% increase over the previous year. To have well over 3,000 people read my blog in one month is amazing and something I never thought or expected to happen.
2010 has been an interesting year with a great many ups and very few downs. I have enjoyed my role as a Councillor and also as a Conservative over the year, with the obvious highlight being the General Election result in May - especially seeing Andrew Percy returned as the MP after gaining Brigg and Goole from Labour, and David Davis increasing his majority in Haltemprice and Howden.
I have continued to pursue a number of issues and causes close to my heart: The Gilberdyke Flood Prevention Scheme, Agricultural Composting and its associated foul smells in parts of Howdenshire, anti-social behaviour and reoffending, the renewable energy agenda which certainly included windfarms and how the planning system can be improved to see greater distances between turbines and residences, Broadband speeds and the Wallingfen Way Project.
I have very much focused on issues around young people and how their voices can be heard in the decision making processes, including the Question Time Events at the Secondary Schools, and talking to gangs of young people on the streets of Goole and villages and towns across the East Riding. I continue as a Governor at Gilberdyke Primary School and look forward to the challenges ahead as a newly appointed Governor at Howden Secondary School and Technology College
One highlight was certainly being invited to speak to the Hull and Humber Chamber of Commerce lunch – I can’t ever remember feeling as free in what I said or made to feel as welcome.
Over the year I have been privileged to work with some great fellow Councillors, MPs and Council Officers and Officers from Partner Organisations and business people, Parish Councils and or course the most important people - Gilberdyke, Howdenshire and East Riding Residents who provide me with plenty of casework!
As we move into 2011 there is much to do and some hard work ahead. As a Council we have some tough decisions to make as we cope with reduced funding, but this will hopefully be tempered by the increased powers devolved to the local level though the Localism Bill.
Of course we have the Council Elections in May which will no doubt be an interesting time for us all.
I am not going to make any predictions for the coming year – mainly because I only got 3 ½ out of 10 right for last year - so I don’t want to tempt fate!
Happy New Year to you all!
4 comments:
Happy new year to you too Paul. Thank you for all the effort you have put in on behalf of the local comunities. You have been prepared to put your head above the parapet on many occasions (even when attacked by people who should rightly be in a maximum security home for the terminally bewildered)
We look forward to a future without further turbine spread in our vicinity. Also no more council tax money being poured into unjustifiable pension top ups, improvement of the policing of our area with effective punishment for offenders, and the completion of the flood risk reduction works for Blacktoft and Gilberdyke.
Keep on fighting the good fight!
I see your fan Mr Whitley continues to snipe at you in the East Riding Mail Paul. The difference between you and him is that you work for the good of the community while he simply criticises from a position of ignorance. Quite frankly his petty outpourings have become boring.
I read his latest letter in the East Riding Mail today - and to be honest with you I've no idea what he's wittering on about .... but you are right - he has become boring!
I too read your friends letter to the Mail but with bafflement. What exactly is he trying to say? He leads with a title "sick of all the infighting" but he is the one who is keeping the flames fanned. He mentions the local conservatives selecting the most popular candidate for the job (correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't that you Paul?) and then goes on about a witch hunt of hard working councillors. It seems to me that the witchunter general is Mr Whitley himself conducting a personal vendetta against you. As I see it you must be in the top five of hardworking councillors rather than the vast number who keep their heads down and slavishly follow the party line.
Finally I have read and re-read the comment that you and Charlie Bayram are bided but it just doesn't make sense to me. The free online dictionary gives bided as a past tense of the verb to bide - bided To await; wait for - how this makes any sensible or meaningful English is beyond my level of comprehension
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