Forum for residents of St Georges Park and Long Leys Road Lincoln

[john shipton]

There will be a meeting of the Full Council next Tuesday, at The Guildhall, beginning 6.30pm.
All will be revealed about the budget cuts for the city of Lincoln which includes allotments to be sold, two community centres to go, and the two tourist Information centres sited in the city centre and in the Cathedral Quarter to be closed for tourists and visitors.
The Conservative ruling group wishes to allocate £100,000 of tax payers money to be put aside to pay for legal fees in changing The Lincoln Commons Act of 1985 which was passed in Parliament to protect the three remaining commons of Lincoln. They consider this to be out of date. The idea behind this is to change the use of the Grandstand ( now used as a community centre). But once they start tampering with this Act, what else will they be tampering with regarding the West Common and the other two? The buzz word is development!
The previous Labour ruling group tried to do a similar change to this Act of Parliament in the 1990s in taking away large chunks of the West Common for the infamous Park and Ride. The legal fees in using tax payers money would have been enormous. Lincoln City Council withdrew after a public outcry when the people of Lincoln found out what they were doing. Organisations were prepared and did take on the council's decision and stopped them.
Care to go and see what will be actioned?

[tonyandcarol]

John. is this open to public viewing

[john shipton]

Tony:
The answer to your question is YES.
People from the West End are going as with other residents from the city.
But will residents from the Long Leys Road area be going?
From the people I have asked so far, they have made excuses, one for example is...We have a dinner date with neighbours so we won't be coming. Another excuse we will miss our soaps on TV.
And yet, I have noticed that these folk have dogs and are taken on the common for their walks. So what is likely to happen to the West Common particurlarly with them is not that important. These people complain about the council but won't get off backsides to do anything. They expect other folk to do it for them.
Am I pretty fed up? We will see if anybody else turns up tomorrow evening from our area!

[tonyandcarol]

well the council meeting last night makes the meetings in parliment look tame! if you need a free night out for entertainment its a venue to see.Take a cushion after 3hrs the wooden seats start to cut in.

[john shipton]

This was taken from the comments made in response to letters published in the Echo yesterday.
It sums up what Tony has said. By the way the mayor called for a comfort break as the Full Council meeting went on for some time. This is where most in the gallery decided to leave.

People should have been at the Full Council meeting last night and they would have been entertained by Monty Pythons Flying Circus.
It was a pantomine with acts of self indulgence by the leader of the Labour group eating a cheese sandwich and yawning during the debate. Rick Metcalfe is his name.
Then the former Tory leader of City Council, Eddie Stringiel, laying down the gauntlet and challenging Neil Murray to fisticuffs outside.
These two indicents are not to be recorded on the minutes taken - oh what a shame and not a true record!
Then councillors were playing tennis at each other on both sides of the chamber with shots being self inflicted, going into touch, going to deuce, ending up with a tie break but with one winning the match.
It was much better than watching a soap opera or a repeat of Benny Hill.
The meeting began at 6.30pm and finished at 11.10pm like running a marathon.
It is most likely than the allotments will be sold off, community centres to close, the tourist information centres to go, hiring charges of 200% increase for using community centres, and legal fees laid aside of £100,000 to change the 1985 Lincoln Commons Act.
It was showtime at the Guildhall last night and the jokes were coming thick and fast from all sides of the house.
But to pay for seeing the next performance will cost the residents of Lincoln with budget cuts.
Not value for money!
Allotment holder, Lincoln
4th March 2009