Tuesday, March 27th, 2012
At tonight’s meeting of the full council former Mayor of Tamworth, Cllr Ron Cook, announced his retirement from front line politics in Tamworth 47 years after he was first elected to Tamworth Borough Council.
At the beginning of the last meeting of the full council before the local elections, Cllr Cook, who represents the Conservative Party in Spital ward, asked the current Mayor, Cllr Jeremy Oates, if he could make an announcement, the Mayor said yes and Cllr Cook then informed a packed chamber that he would not be seeking re-election at the upcoming local elections.
Cllr Ron Cook said he has contested many elections, and lost a few but won many more, since he was first elected in 1965. Ron also informed the chamber the first committee he sat on was the town’s sewerage works committee. He also said that, although, he is stepping down from the Borough Council he will still attend meetings, sitting in the public gallery, to make sure the councillors continue to do a good job.
Cllr Cook’s speech was greeted with a round of applause and a standing ovation from the whole of the chamber and then councillors from both sides of the political divide paid tribute to Ron’s long years of service to Tamworth.
Cllr Cook was first elected in 1965 as a member of the Labour Party and stayed a member until 1986 when, disillusioned with the party, he crossed the floor and joined the Conservative Party. After a few years off the council, Ron was re-elected in May 1999 for the Spital ward and was leader of the Conservative party opposition group until 2004 when the party retook control of the council and he was elected Leader of the council.
He was Mayor of Tamworth in 1977/78 and was made a Freeman of the Borough in 2007.
Monday, March 19th, 2012
The Olympic Torch is not only coming through Tamworth – it is also making a stop-off at the huge sporting event taking place in the Castle Grounds.
Take a look at Tamworths Olympic Torch website for more details. The full route can be seen here.
As the Torch makes it way across the country, it’s Tamworth’s turn for this once in a lifetime opportunity on Saturday June 30.
The Torch will come from Hopwas, with Tamworth’s leg of the relay starting at approximately 10am. The relay will pass through Tamworth as it journeys between Derby and Birmingham.
The iconic flame will then be carried by a number of Torch bearers down Lichfield Road, onto Lichfield Street, Silver Street and then into the Castle Grounds.
Some 10 runners will carry the Torch through Tamworth’s leg of the relay. A full list of Torch bearers running through Tamworth will be announced nearer to the event. Each bearer carries the Torch for 300 metres.
Residents are being encouraged to turn out and line the streets to celebrate this historic moment. There will be viewing points along the route, showing people where they can get the best view of the Torch.
The Castle Grounds is also hosting an Olympic Festival, including an opening ceremony with choirs and hundreds of school children taking part to welcome the Torch. There will be events throughout the day and a closing ceremony.
Cllr Robert Pritchard Said, “this will be a day to remember, Tamworth is very pleased to have the torch. Many other towns were not so lucky. So come and be a part of local history!”
Monday, March 19th, 2012
More than 100,000 people are expected to come to Tamworth to attend one or more of the spectacular outdoor events being staged this year.
The arts and events team has unveiled a packed programme for 2012, which includes the return of crowd-pulling favourites such as the St George’s Day celebrations, the Children’s Festival and Fireworks Night, alongside showpiece events to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the Olympic Festival.
In 2011, more than 100,000 visitors took part in or attended outdoor events in Tamworth, and spent almost
£2 million in the local economy. The highlights of last year’s calendar were:
- St George’s Day, which attracted 9,000 visitors and generated £67,700 for the Tamworth economy
- Saxon Festival – 17,000 visitors, £425,000 for local economy
- Stars and Stripes line dancing event – 4,000 participants, £83,600 for local economy
Fireworks – 25,000 visitors, £420,000 for local economy
- Christmas lights switch-on – 6,000 visitors, £146,000 for local economy
In addition, the Staffordshire Hoard exhibition drew 14,000 visitors from near and far in the three weeks it was on show at Tamworth Castle, and generated an estimated £358,000 for the economy of Tamworth.
Now the arts and events team are gearing up for an even bigger 2012 and are expecting even more visitors to flock to this year’s events.
The events programme for 2012, which is sponsored by Ankerside, includes:
- Sport Relief – Sunday March 25
- St George’s Day Event – Saturday April 21
- Queen’s Diamond Jubilee weekend – Saturday June 2 to Tuesday June 5
- Olympic Event – Saturday June 30
- Gate Gallop – Sunday July 1
- Children’s Festival – Wednesday July 25 to Sunday August 5
- Bandstand Concerts – Every weekend from July to September
- Tamworth Royal Pageant to select Tamworth’s Royal Family for 2012 – Saturday August 4
- Heritage Weekend Event, incorporating the Saxon Festival which was such a hit last year – Saturday
September 1 and Sunday September 2
- Stars & Stripes – Saturday September 15
- Fireworks – Saturday November 3
- Christmas Lights Switch-On – Saturday November 17
The Saxon Festival, which last year attracted more than 17,000 visitors, returns this year in a slightly different format, as part of the Heritage Weekend on September 1 and Visitors will be able to experience life in Saxon times through a host of events and displays, including the recreation of a Saxon village in the Castle Grounds, living history
displays, Saxon battle re-enactments and two replica Saxon boats. There will also be discounted admission to the Castle throughout the weekend.
The Diamond Jubilee weekend will feature a number of street parties and community events throughout Tamworth,
with the council giving support to communities to host their own events. A free street party information pack is available to groups, as well as support and information from the arts and events team.
Anyone interested in doing their bit to help celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee should contact the arts
and events team on 01827 709314 or email TAROutdoorevents@tamworth.gov.uk.
The team is also on hand to help and support groups and organisations which want to run any kind of event in the borough, but do not know how. The team can guide organisers through the process and support them to find funding.
Cllr Steve Claymore, Cabinet member for Economic Development and Enterprise, said, “Tamworth’s events programme is the envy of the Midlands, as it not only generates millions of pounds for the local economy but also attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors from Tamworth and further afield. This year’s programme is set to be even bigger and better and there is something for everyone to enjoy. Our arts and events team is also offering help and support to groups wanting to host their own events, which will a huge boost to community pride, especially
in this diamond jubilee year when all eyes will be on Tamworth as it welcomes the Olympic Torch.”
For more on Tamworth’s Year of Events, please see tamworthassemblyrooms.co.uk or join the Facebook group Castle Grounds.
Monday, March 19th, 2012
Nature lovers indulged their green fingers by taking part in a litter pick and tidy-up on Belgrave lakes last Saturday.
A group of residents and local Conservatives took part in a cleanup to improve the wildlife habitat and make it an even more attractive environment.
Organisers are also hoping that members of the public will take part in future events and people of all ages will volunteers and join in the clean-up, as well as getting involved in the planned “Friends of the Belgrave Group”.
Local Resident, Joy Goodall, one of the organisers of Saturdays tidy-up and litter pick said:
“We were hoping to get a lot of support on Saturday from members of the public and we were not disappointed. Belgrave lakes are lovely and we want to do all we can to support this much-loved area. “
Future resident led clean ups are planned and local Conservatives hope a “friends of” group can be formed to help carry out resident led improvements to the open spaces in Belgrave.
Thursday, March 15th, 2012
Following the news that a second exit could be in the pipeline at Ventura Park, we spoke to Councillor Rob Pritchard, the deputy leader of Tamworth Borough Council, about the plans. Cllr Pritchard led the single issue debate on Ventura last week.
Many people understandably think the borough council own the land, has responsibility for the roads and can control which companies come to the area. We are hoping to explode some of the myths surrounding Ventura and the council’s role, but also highlight what the local authority can – and can’t do. This is not about shifting the blame, but trying to answer questions we often get.
Cllr Pritchard also explains how the council turned down planning applications on the basis that they would create more traffic, but these were overturned by the national planning inspectorate.
Can you give us a bit of background to Ventura and who is responsible for what?
The roads are the responsibility of Staffordshire County Council. The rest of the site is owned by private companies. The borough council does not have responsibility for the road network, therefore there is little direct action we can take to address traffic issues but we do try and influence our county colleagues and make sure they are aware of the views of our residents.
Ventura was first established in 1990 and in the last twelve months alone has created more than 400 new jobs. It has brought big name stores to the area including John Lewis and Next at Home.
Why are there so many complaints about traffic and Ventura?
Ventura Park is in many ways a victim of its own success. It has brought big names to the area, provides a large number of jobs to local residents and attracts a lot of out of town visitors. However we know there are issues with the traffic and we are working with others to try to improve the situation.
When Ventura Park was first established in 1990, no one could have envisaged just what it would grow into. However we should not let the traffic problems cloud the fact the site is a huge asset to Tamworth.
What can Tamworth Borough Council do about it?
In many ways there is not a lot we as a borough council can do as we don’t own the site or any of the roads. Highways at the County Council and also the Highways Authority look after the roads. However we are working with our colleagues at the County Council to try to make Ventura Park a priority.
Tamworth’s county councillors have also made it their priority. This is not passing the buck or holding our hands up and saying ‘not our problem’, but we do have limitations. Also because we do not own the land, there are restrictions to what we can impose on the site.
We do have responsibility for assessing planning applications. In 2004 we turned down the last retail park expansion application (B&Q and John Lewis) because we believed the site could not cope with more traffic. However, we were overturned by the planning inspectorate and the stores were built anyway.
If the council can’t do anything, who can?
It is not we can’t do anything but a private company own the majority of the land, while Asda and Sainsbury’s own its store and car parks. As I said previously we lobby – and work with – the county council as much as we can. We currently have a project in conjunction with the county council to look at ways to improve access to Ventura and links with the town centre.
Why has Sainsbury’s taken the initiative and not the council over a second exit?
The land is owned by Sainsbury’s, therefore the County Council could only suggest that this could be an option. However Sainsbury’s has been brilliant in taking this forward and we are now very hopeful it will go ahead. Regardless of who is doing what, it could relieve some of the pressure on the network. However this is not a done deal and work is underway to see what pressure additional traffic could put elsewhere.
Why is the traffic so bad?
Both statistics and anecdotal evidence show there are certain peak times of the year when there are problems – there is no denying this and I realise this is little comfort if you have been stuck at the site. However we are also told by the Highways Department that the real problems with traffic begin when the car parks are full. Cars will still try to get onto the site but there is nowhere for them to go.
We are trying to work with the landowners at Ventura to encourage them to come up with a way to manage the car parks from across the entire site, the Sainsbury’s side, Asda and also the M&S and Boots area.
The traffic lights…..
While many people have been critical of the lights they have made a positive difference. There is a view that they should only operate at peak times but they are also there to control the speed which has been an issue in the past – especially late at night. The lights will also help the second exit become a reality as it will help control the extra traffic at the junctions. However the pedestrian access has been improved across the entire site, including a new pedestrian crossing at Riverdrive. By using these, hopefully people will find it easier to get around the site on foot.
All these measures must be costing the taxpayer a fortune…
Every time a planning application is approved, the developer has to pay a sum of money for the road network, so in this case the cost was met by the applicant, not the tax payer. Recent investments include: £1.4m junction improvements, lane widening and traffic management systems, £100,000 for a safe and prominent pedestrian crossing over River Drive and £500k investment in a new roundabout at Cardinal Point, Bonehill Road.
What are you doing about improving the town centre?
We are working with town centre businesses to help where we can, but times are difficult for new businesses to set up. We do what we can to encourage both big names and independent stores to come to Tamworth, try to put them in touch with various places they may be able to receive financial assistance, however we cannot offer cash incentives to traders but we can offer help with business set up and other initiatives.
Thursday, March 8th, 2012
Plans for a second exit which could help traffic congestion at Ventura Park was the topic discussed at a debate by Tamworth Councillors last night (Wednesday March 6).
The Full Council debate focused on Ventura Park – and the raft of benefits it has brought to Tamworth.
However Councillor Steve Claymore, Cabinet Member for Economic Development is set to reveal Sainsbury’s is working on a possible solution to provide a second exit near its store.
According to Cllr Claymore: “Sainsbury’s is in discussion with Staffordshire County Council – and is soon to meet the Highways Agency – to see if a second exit is a viable option, which would hopefully ease congestion around the store’s car park. To date, Sainsbury’s, who own the land, has been working with a consultant to look at traffic and speed data, to ascertain what affect their proposals would have. We believe this data will be discussed imminently with both the county council and the Highways Authority.”
However Cllr Claymore ‘urged caution’ on the news as it is still in the early stages. “While this looks to be a promising project, it is vital we do not raise expectations that any work will definitely go ahead. This is work in progress and negotiations are ongoing between everyone involved. We do not want to undermine any work Sainsbury has done by making announcements that this project is definitely going to happen. I would like to thank Sainsbury’s for all its hard work on this issue. The organisation has been working hard for a number of months to come up with a solution to traffic issues at Ventura Park, specifically around its store. While many local people perceive traffic at Ventura being a problem, we should not ignore the progress which has already been made such as the traffic lights, along with the economic benefits the site brings to Tamworth.”
A Sainsbury’s spokesperson confirmed: “A second exit from the car park should relieve congestion for the benefit of shoppers at the Jolly Sailor Retail Park, including our customers and colleagues. We are currently in the early stages of developing plans and discussing the idea with key parties”.
If the plans are viable, Sainsbury is hopeful the proposal would benefit shoppers at the retail park, but also said it could not guarantee wider benefits for the road network.
As well as the project to provide a second exit, councillors will also discuss work to improve links between the town centre and Ventura, an increased frequency bus service, along with the wider economic benefits the retail park has brought to Tamworth.
Ventura Park was established in 1990 and Sainsbury were one of the first stores to move to the retail park. The site has attracted major stores such as Asda, Next, TK Maxx and Argos. Marks and Spencer also came to the area following a long battle to get them here, as the store was initially reluctant to due a store in neighbouring Sutton Coldfield. In the last 12 months Ventura Park has attracted four major brand retailers creating more than 400 jobs and utilising over 111,000sqft of retail units
Recent major investments include:
- John Lewis – £7 million investment – 200 jobs – 42,000sqft
- B&Q – £6 million investment – 110 jobs – 45,000sqft
- Next – 14,641qft – 53 jobs
- Maplin – 10,000sqft – 40 jobs
Both the borough and county councils have been working with developers to ensure that section 106 agreement improvements to the road network and pedestrian measures. Section 106 (money paid by developers) improvements include:
- £1.4m junction improvements, lane widening and traffic management systems
- £100,000 for a safe and prominent pedestrian crossing over River Drive
- £500k investment in a new roundabout at Cardinal Point, Bonehill Road.
Tamworth’s Member of Parliament, Christopher Pincher, commented: “Many residents contacted me about the traffic problems around Ventura and I raised the matter with the County Council. They told me they hope a second exit from Sainsbury’s car park can be planned as quickly as possible. I am pleased Sainsbury’s, who own the land, and the County Council, who are responsible for highways, are now working closely with Tamworth Borough Council to end the gridlock.”
Deputy Leader of Tamworth Borough Council, Cllr Robert Pritchard, moved a number of motions at the meeting which were all supported by councillors. They were –
That the council –
- Endorse the Assembly Rooms regeneration proposals.
- Praise Staffordshire County Council on their efforts to tackle the traffic at Ventura, and reaffirms it’s drive for a second exit by Argos and right turn at Fazeley Road/River Drive Junction.
- Work with local letting agents to list, and help market, vacant town centre shops to a wider retail audience.
- Reaffirme our commitment to free town centre events.
- Reaffirm our commitment to the future Gungate development.
Monday, March 5th, 2012
The Government’s victory in passing the Welfare Reform Bill, ensuring that no family can get more in benefits than the average working family earns, has been welcomed by Christopher Pincher, MP for Tamworth.
Under the reforms, benefit payments to a household on out of work benefits will be capped at £26,000 per year so that work always pays. Under Labour, some households received up to a staggering £104,000 per year in Housing Benefit alone.
Labour opposed this fair cap on benefits, voting to maintain a “something for nothing” culture in which some families who do not work get thousands of pounds more in welfare handouts than the average working family income through hard work.
The Prime Minister, David Cameron, said, “Today marks an historic step in the biggest welfare revolution in over 60 years. This government has taken bold action to make work pay, while protecting the vulnerable.
“Past governments have talked about reform, while watching the benefits bill sky rocket and generations languish on the dole and dependency. This government is delivering it. Our new law will mark the end of the culture that said a life on benefits was an acceptable alternative to work.”
Tamworth’s local MP Christopher Pincher commented, “In Tamworth, the average person would need to pay tax for 28 years to fund one household to receiving £104,000 in benefits a year, which could happen if Labour had their way.”
“This benefit cap shows that Conservatives are the party of fairness, standing up for hard working taxpayers. In fact, I have received several messages from constituents saying the cap should be lower. By voting against it, Labour has once again shown they are the party of something for nothing.”
Tuesday, February 28th, 2012
Free swimming for all age groups will be available at Wilnecote Community Leisure Centre for another year.
Tonight, Conservative controlled Tamworth Borough Council voted for everyone, regardless of age, to continue take advantage of the free public sessions. Prior to April 2011, Tamworth Borough Council only supported free swimming at Wilnecote leisure centre for the under 16s and over 60s and adults were charge £2.70 for a swim.
Thanks to the Borough Council investing a further £15,000 for 2012/13, everyone can take advantage of the free-swimming sessions and people who swim twice a week will save £280 a year.
Wilnecote Community Leisure Centre is adapted for people with disabilities and around 5,000 people a year currently use the 20-metre pool and the centre has the capacity for many more swimmers.
Currently the sessions are as follows:
Monday – adult swim: 6pm – 7pm
Tuesday – adult swim: 6pm – 7pm
Wednesday – adult swim: 6pm – 7pm & 8pm – 9pm
Thursday – adult swim: 6pm – 7pm & family swim: 7pm – 8pm
Friday – adult swim: 6pm – 7pm
Saturday – family swim: 2pm – 3pm
Sunday – women’s swim: 10am – 11am; family swim: 11am – 12noon
Tuesday, February 28th, 2012
Conservative controlled Tamworth Borough Council has frozen council tax for further twelve months.
At tonight’s meeting of Tamworth Borough Council, the 2012/13 budget was voted through, despite the opposition councillors refusing support the proposals.
The Leader of Council, Cllr Danny Cook, opened the debate saying, “This budget will see a freeze in council tax for the coming year with no cuts in front line services in Tamworth.”
Cllr Robert Pritchard, Cabinet portfolio holder for Corporate Services & Assets announced the Borough Council would invest £40,000 on the Olympic Torch celebrations in June and would update the Borough Councils website.
Cllr Steve Claymore, Cabinet portfolio holder for Corporate Services & Assets said, “The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the Olympic Torch is great news for Tamworth, these will showcase Tamworth both nationally and internationally. Last Year there were 14,000 visitors to the Staffordshire Hoard, at Tamworth Castle, which brought a £360,000 secondary spend across the town.”
Cllr John Garner, Cabinet portfolio holder for Environment & Waste Management said the Borough Council will continue to support the town’s entrance in Britain in Bloom along with supporting events across the town to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond jubilee.
The new budget also includes free-swimming at Wilnecote sports centre for another twelve months and £15,000 for health projects across the town and £740,000 for Disabled Facility Grants.
Although, there will be no forced job cuts, no cuts in services and no rise in council tax every opposition councillor spoke against the budget but gave made no alternative proposals to counter what was being presented by the controlling group.
The budget for 2012/13 for voted through by a majority of councillors and the budget will be in force from 1 April 2012.
Wednesday, February 22nd, 2012
Marking National Apprenticeship Week, Christopher Pincher, has welcomed the 109% increase in the number of people starting an apprenticeship in Tamworth last year.
The Government is delivering unprecedented funding for new apprenticeships. In addition, the Prime Minister announced that from 7th February 2012:
- Businesses and training providers can bid for a share of £6 million from the Higher Apprenticeship Fund, which will support the development of thousands of new Higher Apprenticeships in sectors including aerospace, energy and renewable technologies
- Small and medium-sized businesses without any apprentices who hire one aged 16-24 are eligible for a £1,500 bonus, with up to 40,000 payments available
- Businesses can bid for a share of a £250 million fund to boost skills in their workplace giving employers rather than training providers direct access to funding for training
Mr. Pincher said, “National Apprenticeship Week is a great opportunity to congratulate apprentices across Tamworth on the fantastic work they are doing and to highlight the huge benefits apprenticeships bring.
“I was very pleased to visit Lovell’s training centre on Bonehill Road last week and speak to apprentices there. What struck me was their enthusiasm and commitment. We need to keep encouraging that.
“Apprenticeships allow people to earn and learn at the same time, while significantly increasing their potential future earnings. But the benefits go wider than that – every £1 spent on an apprenticeship returns an estimated benefit of £18 to the economy.
“That is why it is such great news that 500 more people in Tamworth started an apprenticeships last year thanks to the Coalition’s extra investment – a whopping 109% increase on the previous year! I urge people of all ages to consider becoming an apprentice and seize the opportunities that the government has opened up for them.”
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