Opening of the year at Goole College.

In my role as Chair of the Goole and Howdenshire Local Action Team (LAT) I was invited, along with Andrew Percy MP and Goole Town Councillor John Frost, to attend the opening of the year at Goole College. It was great to see all the students, many on their first day. Andrew gave a short speech saying how he remembered vividly his first day at college some 16 years ago, as he said this I was casting my own mind back even further, some 32 years, to my first day at Harrogate College.

Pictured with Elaine McMahon, Andrew Percy MP and David Caldicott)

Andrew also related to a previous visit to the College and volunteering (?) for a haircut, well as you can see from the photograph it was perhaps me that should be volunteering this time.

Elaine McMahon the Chief Executive and College Principal gave the students a very warm welcome and spoke passionately about the College, and how proud she was of it's excellent OFSTED rating. After a chat to some of the students we were invited to sit down with Elaine and Centre Manager David Caldicott for coffee, croissants and plum jam made from the fruit of the tree outside her office window.

The conversation was very frank and wide-ranging, including student funding, Adult Learning Grants, building on the links with local businesses, immigration, and Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPS).

I promised to revisit the College in the near future to work with Elaine, David and other staff to explore ways of how the Local Action Team can help the College in building partnerships, not just with business, but also the Police, Fire Service, NHS and Voluntary Sector.

Andrew Percy MP said he would also look at how he could help with other issues raised.

It is not surprising that under the leadership of Elaine McMahon and David Caldicott, and the commitment of the staff, Goole College is rated so highly by OFSTED.

(Photograph courtesy of Sean Stewart)

Andrew Percy MP wins debate on closure of Goole Magistrates Court

Newly elected Brigg and Goole MP Andrew Percy has won a parliamentary debate on the closure of the Magistrates Court in Goole. Having raised the issue during questions in the House of Commons last week, Andrew applied to the Speaker for a debate. The debate has been scheduled for Westminster Hall on Wednesday July 7th.

The Ministry of Justice last week announced the start of a consultation on the proposed closure of 103 courts across England and Wales. Goole and nearby Selby Magistrates are on the proposed list.

Andrew Percy MP says, “I am delighted to have been selected for my first debate in Westminster Hall. I will now have the opportunity to put some of the issues surrounding this closure directly to a Government Minister.

The Minister is obviously going to be bound by fact that we have an on-going consultation. However, I shall be seeking assurances about the nature of this consultation and I want a specific pledge that, if a strong case can be made to keep a particular court open, the Ministry will spare them.

My concern about the closure of Goole and nearby Selby is that it will leave a justice black-hole in the local area. The work of Goole Magistrates will be sent to Beverley which, apart from being about 25 miles away, is neither cheap nor convenient to get to. This could result in witnesses choosing not to bother.

The last government underinvested in our courts, actually cutting their budgets by 7.5% per year for the last three years. It is a real shame that the new Government has been left having to deal with this underinvestment.”

Fantastic victory for Conservative Andrew Percy in Brigg and Goole

Yesterday’s election produced increasing majorities for sitting East Yorkshire Tory MPs Greg Knight, Graham Stuart and of course David Davis. But the night belongs to Andrew Percy for his crushing victory in Brigg and Goole for the Conservatives.

It was an absolute privilege to have been part of Andrew's team of friends, helpers, volunteers and a dedicated group of East Riding of Yorkshire and North Lincs Councillors, who had spent a lot of time working with Andrew over the past 3 years, working as part of positive campaign, a local campaign and a winning campaign, all pulled together by Cllr Rob Waltham.

Despite issues around the downsizing of the fire protection offered by Goole Fire Station, car parking charges, senior ERYC officers pay and pensions and the Conservative leader of the East Riding of Yorkshire Council unintentionally appearing on Labour election material, Andrew was able to win the argument and come through with a very good majority of 5,147 meaning a massive 9.8% swing to the Conservatives, and proving the cynics and critics wrong.

On winning Andrew said: "I want to say a massive thank you to the electors of Brigg and Goole for giving me the privilege of representing them in Parliament. "I will do as I promised to work as a representative for them as a strong, independent MP for the area."…..

I think he will do exactly what he says!

Moving forward to understand Snaith’s anti-social behaviour issues

Anti-Social Behaviour was again the subject of an impromptu meeting in Snaith this week. As Chair of the Goole and Howdenshire Local Action Team I met with ERYC Councillors Caroline Fox and Gordon Megson, prospective MP for Brigg and Goole Andrew Percy, Snaith Town Councillors Graeme Hulme and John Barrett , the local Police Sergeant Janet Anderson, and ERYC Safer Communities Officer Catherine Barrett, in order to try to find ways of addressing the issue.

We all felt that more information was required to determine the extent of the problem in the town. It was agreed to hold an informal drop-in session for Snaith residents on 9th September 2009 at the Sports Hall between 5pm and 7pm. This will allow residents to tell us about their experiences with anti-social behaviour, and share ideas on how we can all move forward to address people's concerns.