FREE WHITBY FORUM

2 MORE PARISHES TAKE ACTION

2009-06-07T23:58:00.000+01:00

I can confirm that Parish Assemblies have been officially called in Eskdaleside-Ugglebarnby (ie Sleights), and in Egton, on Sunday evening. More are confidently expected during the course of tomorrow (Monday 8th June '09) and the coming days.

Other Parishes of the Esk Valley may wish to contact the Whitby Gazette to announce calls for Parsh Assemblies, and are expected to do so.

Any chairman of any Parish Council may call a Parish Assembly on his/her own authority. So, too, may any two Councillors of any Parish Council, or any six Electors of any Parish. Such are the provisions of the Local Government Act 1972.

Parish Assemblies may, if requested by any ten Electors present, or one thitd of the assembly, whichever is the less, call a Parish Poll on any Question arising at that Parish Assembly.

Parish Assemblies may wish to Poll their Parishes on the Question of independence from SBC, for example, or on whether they may wish to join Whitby & Esk Valley Community Council.

Parish Polls are not legally binding. They are merely an expression of the will of the people, and thus constitute the basis of our democracy.

Use them or lose them.

WHY WE NEED A POLL – A REFERENDUM

2009-06-05T19:15:00.004+01:00

What can we gain by voting on the question “Would the people of Whitby like to be part of a local authority independent of Scarborough Borough Council?”, when we know that neither Whitby Town Council nor SBC intend to take the slightest notice of the result?

WTC & SBC have made it clear, in print, that they do not intend to take any notice of us.

But by whose authority can they say that? The only authority they have is that which our votes have conferred upon them. We elected them; they are answerable to us. After all, this is a democracy, isn’t it?

This IS a democracy. The fundamental principle of democracy is this; “government of the people, by the people, for the people”.

I believe that the voice of the people has to be heard. It says this: that after 35 years of consistent negligence, we want our piers restored now, please. We want our harbour walls and our swing-bridge in good working order, please. We want our drains and sewers and our beaches and our drinking water safe and hygienic, please.

SBC are ignoring the will of the people, and WTC, lacking the moral substance, are utterly powerless to influence SBC. How can that be?

It is because amongst our present 17 Councillors, 7 were co-opted (appointed by the Council), and 3 stood for election unopposed, and were therefore declared to have won without a ballot being held or a vote being cast.

So a clear majority, 10 out of 17, have no mandate whatsoever to speak on our behalf. That is not democracy, and WTC is not expressing the voice of Whitby people.

So this is why we have the second question: “Do you think co-opted councillors should resign to allow elections to take place to ensure all councillors are democratically elected?”

Yes. Of course we do. We want to choose our representatives and we want to be able to trust that they will truly represent our views - the exact opposite of how things are now.

So what, exactly, can we hope to achieve by holding this Parish Poll, which we know is not legally binding?

All of the major political parties, without exception, are committed to the return of responsibility back into local communities. An opportunity is presenting itself now for radical change. Local Authorities are going to be smaller and communities more autonomous.

Centralisation of government has led to the growth of huge bureaucracies that are out of touch with living conditions in the towns and villages they administer. Such is the case here. Many of our Town Councillors with whom I have spoken admit they are powerless to influence decisions taken over in Scarborough.

What we need is a strong fully-elected Whitby & Esk Valley Community Council, men and women who live and work here, who know the issues relevant to Whitby and the villages of the Esk Valley, and are willing and able to take charge here – not SBC.

Now is the moment to state our intent. The question was asked, in 1974, Middlesbrough or Scarborough – no choice at all to a Yorkshireman? Now there is a third option. Whitby & Esk Valley Community Council. I am liaising with prominent and experienced people who are giving this strategy their full backing.

This Parish Poll marks the start of a new form of Local Government. If you would rather live in an independent Whitby – have your say now.

VOTE "YES!" to independence from SBC,

and "NO!" to unelected representation on WTC.

COME AND SEE 'ARTOPIA'

2009-05-27T17:43:00.003+01:00

FREE FREE FREE FRRE FREE FREE FREE FREE FREE FREE

Come and have a look at the ARTOPIA Presentation Movie and Q&A Sessions, every half hour starting at 7:30pm at the Whitby COLISEUM on Friday 29th May, '09.

This is your FREE opportunity to find out EXACTLY what we have planned for the ugly old cargo Shed on Endeavour Wharf.

Half an hour of your time will put you in a position to have an opinion about this community serving development which is a part of the initiative to take Whitby back into Whitby hands.

AND we will welcome your suggestions on how ARTOPIA can best fulfill its role as Whitby's community amenity, serving our artists, our youth, our residents and our visitors. Come and chuck in your ten penn'orth.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE COME AND SEE WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT!

POLL RESULTS

2009-05-25T22:20:00.001+01:00

Our recent Poll asking visitors to vote on the following topic:

"Do you think Whitby & the Esk Valley should have a fully-elected Community Council with equal status to Scarborough Borough Council?"

A resounding 91% of our sample are in favour.

The Whitby Gazette have been running a similar Poll on a related issue:

"Do you think there should be a vote on whether Whitby becomes independent from Scarborough Borough Council?"

An even more emphatic 94% are in favour.

What we need now, to move forward with the campaign for Whitby independence, is for people to take the trouble to go out and Vote in the PARISH POLL on 9th June and help us to deliver a strong message to SBC and to Westminster.

Now is the time for change.

YOUR VOTE will help bring Whitby back into Whitby hands. PLEASE don't forget to Vote on 9th June.

'ARTOPIA' INVITATION

2009-05-21T20:32:00.003+01:00

Hi Whitby, This is an OPEN INVITATION to everybody who is interested in getting the most out of great town.

I will be presenting a short film, followed by a Q&A session, at half-hourly intervals on Friday 29th May, starting at 7:30pm, at the COLISEUM.

Admission is FREE FREE FREE FREE FREE, and I would like as many as possible to see what I am proposing as a new development of the Endeavour Wharf Cargo Shed.

That much-hated monstrosity has been redesigned by BHD Partnership, a much acclaimed firm of local architects who have been working for me FREE of charge in my bid to have the Shed asset-transferred to Whitby for community use. The idea is that the profits from 'ARTOPIA' will be ploughed back into community projects in the town instead of being siphoned off to Scarborough. You can't knock it until you know what I'm talking about - so please come along and get yourselves fully informed before you decide whether you're FOR or AGAINST. And if you decide that you are FOR, then write to the Gazette and to the Town Council and help PEOPLE POWER make a difference. Thank you. Nigel Ward

OPEN LETTER to ROBERT GOODWILL MP

2009-05-19T22:23:00.001+01:00

Robert GOODWILL MP

Dear Robert,

News has reached me this evening (Tuesday 19th May '09) to the effect that SBC has booked the Green Lane Centre in Whitby for Tuesday 9th June in order to conduct the Parish Poll called at Whitby Town Assembly on Tuesday 12th May '09.

It is not clear, I must add, that the Parish Poll has been announced. I emailed Jim Dillon last Thursday 14th May, expressing my concerns regarding a matter of procedure.

As you are no doubt aware, the first Question of the Parish Poll is:

"Would the people of Whitby like to be part of a local authority independent of Scarborough Borough Council?"

It is my view that SBC are clearly not, on grounds of conflicted interest, a proper body to conduct a Parish Poll in which they appear as a named party. That SBC should hold the responsibility for counting votes both for and against SBC's credibility is certainly morally reprehensible and may indeed be unlawful.

I call upon you now to intercede immediately in the interests of a fair and unbiased Parish Poll of the Electors of Whitby.

Kind regards,

Nigel Ward

NEW POLL

2009-05-18T17:35:00.004+01:00

Hi there everyone!

Just to let you all know there is a poll running for the next week with the question:

"Do you think Whitby & the Esk Valley should have a fully-elected Community Council with equal status to Scarborough?"

Please feel free to vote in this all important issue. Remember there is only one week remaining until the poll closes!

OPEN-TABLE DEBATE

2009-05-18T00:52:00.003+01:00

Hi Bloggers!

After 35 years of crying in the wilderness, at last there is a voice for the people of Whitby and it's natural region, the Esk Valley.

So what do you think about that?

And what do you think about Whitby being the seat of a brand new Local Authority holding the same rank as Scarborough Borough Council - but totally independent from SBC?

And, if you live in the Esk Valley catchment area (roughly, in the triangle marked out by Boggle Hole/Robin Hood's Bay in the south, Commondale in the west, and Hinderwell in the north), how do you feel about joining up with Whitby?

Now is your chance to get your opinion out in the open.