The Wyre Forest Agenda

Hooty's

14 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

I read in the Shuttle that Hooty's are coming to Kidderminster. "Hooty�s, based in Willenhall, � is taking over the former Littlewoods store in Kidderminster town centre." Who are Hooty's, I have never heard of them.

Arh, on their website under 'about us' it states, "With over 20,000 stocked products available for delivery from our 100,000 sq. ft. superstore in the West Midlands, customers from around the UK can now enjoy the same great savings as our store customers.".

Long Acre Street, Walsall [Google Maps]

Ok that's Littlewoods sorted, now for Woolworths.

We need Tar

13 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

I'm trying to persuade Mrs. P to allow me to buy a German pothole _ it isn't working. The town council of Niederzimmern are selling their potholes for €50 each. For your €50 you get a named coin (badge) which is placed in the pothole when it is filled up.

It's a neat idea, could we do it here in Wyre Forest or Worcestershire?

The Horsefair Public Art Project

12 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Come and have your say... [WFDC]

Like I promised in the 'SAY NO TO THE ~~EDAM~~ EMMENTHAL HORSE IN THE HORSEFAIR' Facebook Group I sent a Freedom of Information [FOI] request to Wyre Forest District Council [WFDC] to get some answers to the myriad of questions that arise when authorities fail to liaise and connect with the community. Here is my response.

[Q1] How much funding has been allocated to the project and where has the funding come from?
[A1] �12,000 was allocated to the project from a section 106 agreement from Cox Homes relating to the Horsefair development (WF897/00). An additional �1,000 was used from WFDC to pay 2 artists for concept designs to be worked up.

I pieced together this information anyway, and Fran Oborski confirms that is was 106 money here on the 'agenda¹. The planning application number WF897/00 means it was a planning application made in 2000. Unfortunately only planning applications after 2004 are available on-line. I'm slightly confused that �1,000 was paid by the council when in a separate FOI request I asked details of any public art projects funded either partly or fully by Wyre Forest District Council over the past 12 months. In that separate FOI request the answer was �100 for the KTC3 Hoardings Project (separate blog, to come).

[Q2] What is the timescale of the project?
[A2] The process was commenced in June 2009 when an advert was placed on the ArtsHub UK website requesting expressions of interest from artists. There is no current timescale for this project, no order has been placed and a contract has not been issued to the preferred artist.

What surprises me here is that the project started in June 2009, 5 months later discussions were going on in the Shuttle which fuelled interest, then 2 months later (see question #5) ward councillors were involved, then not until the end of January 2010 did the public get 'told what they are getting' (effectively). I can accept that the early stages of a project aren't that interesting to the majority, but to not liaise with the public and councillors while a public debate is going on is just crazy. It just creates a 'them and us' feeling rather than a 'we are all working together' feeling which is what should happen.

Also this answer states, "there is no current timescale for this project..., yet the brief, under section 'Timescales', it states, "The wider works program will be completed by the end of February 2010...". Odd?

[Q3] Please supply a copy of the brief.
[A3] See the enclosed.

Here is a PDF copy (also see sources). Note the brief consists of page 6, 7, 8 and 9 (appendix)!?

I was looking forward to seeing the brief. I'll let you pick at it if you so wish, however what caught my eye was section 'Population and consultation' where the council is asking the would-be artist: "Consultation with stakeholders must be completed and reported on in depth before the design process is completed, this element will be conducted by Wyre Forest District Council. The artist must demonstrate they have responded to public comment where possible." Umm, that didn't happen did it? Well I actually spoke to the artist that won the tender, Finn Stone, who said to me that usually he goes into the local schools and asked the students to design the art work. The artist then works from that. Note he said usually, I guess he was never given the chance to do it properly.

[Q4] Which artists applied?
[A4] There were 67 expression of interest. A shortlist of 6 was drawn up. From this, 2 artists were then selected to draw up concept designs. Following this, 1 was selected. All personal details of non-contracted individuals are exempt from disclosure under section 40 of the Freedom of Information Act. The two artists selected to draw up concept designs were:

a) Finn Stone: www.finnstone.com
(Various different concept designs provided).

b) Andy Hazell: www.andyhazell.co.uk
(Different concept designs with a 'Fair' theme).

I'm grateful to the Information and E-Government Officer for collating this information together. What I wanted was a list of all artists that applied for the tender so I could sort through the data to determine if any local artist had applied and so been considered. I accept that 'personal details' exempt but I would have been OK with just a website address which I would not consider 'personal details'. I should have been more explicit and asked for a list of artist that applied and their location. Oh well.

[Q5] What criterion was used and what judgements were made in deciding on the winning offer?
[A5] The criteria were set by the project coordinator in her capacity as the Council's Arts Development Officer and in accordance with Council policies and the brief.

The criteria were:

Does the artist have the capacity to complete the work?

Has the artist responded directly to the requirements of the brief?

Will the artwork come in on budget?

Can the artist demonstrate that the work will be as proposed in their response to the brief? This is judged on their portfolio of past work and references where applicable.

Can the artist provide all the technical requirements needed to install and maintain the artwork?

Is the work proposed fir for purpose? i.e. does it comply with health and safety requirements, is the material robust enough for the environment?

Can the artist deliver the work by the deadline?

Will the artist comply with data protection laws and agree to copyright requirements?

Does the artist have a recognised profile (this may mean that the artwork will increase in value in time and represent a true investment)

Are all the stakeholders happy with the artist's proposal?

I'm actually impressed with the professionalism and scrutiny the criteria portray. They seem to have covered all the bases. It is these policies/procedures that should be iterated at a public consultation at the beginning of the project. This shows the council in a good light and installs confidence.

[Q6] When were the Ward Councillors consulted?
[A6] Ward Councillors received a project update by letter dated 19 January 2010.

This is really the billion dollar question. This 'letter' must have been the shock letter Cllr. Martin Howard [Broadwaters, ICHC] mentioned in the Shuttle article 'Yea, or neigh to statue' [Anon. (2010)b]. It's a bit late therefore for a 'project update' to Ward Councillors a couple of weeks before, "�the wider works program [is to]be completed by the end of February 2010...". Oh but, Marcus Hart, said, "The plan has always been to ask for views once the concept was chosen"². Right!

[Q7] Which other organisations/key stakeholders were contacted?
[A7] Stakeholders were Community Housing Group; Horsefair, Broadwaters and Greenhill Partnership Co-ordinator, Cllr. Marcus Hart as the Cabinet Member and 3 employees from WFDC. Contact was by email and by verbal means on a number of different dates.

The weakest link in this chain seems to have been the Horsefair, Broadwaters and Greenhill Partnership, as Fran Oborski said on here on the 'agenda, "Apparently the Council contacted the Admin. Officer for the HGBP who for some AMAZING reason felt that HE was competent to get involved WITHOUT the courtesy of bothering to inform the HGBP Board who technically "employ" him!"². However, it should have been up to Marcus Hart, as unelected Community & Partnership Services Commissioner, to have realised that the policy of public consultation and Ward Councillor communication was not being followed. In effect the whole process is a mess. However, a public consultation has been planned for 18 March 2010 @ The Salvation Army, Jerusalem Walk. So the council (and Marcus) get a second chance.

Footnotes:
^{1 Fran said, "You are right about it being from a Section 106 Agreement." [Pitt (2010a)]}
^{2 Badsey (2010)}
^{3 Pitt (2010c)}
^{3 I have marked out the council officer's name and signature, my home address and the email addresses of the two shortlist artists.}

A456 Light-greyspot!

11 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Although there was no official announcement (or public consultation :-( [Angry]) I had a feeling this would happen. The A456 Birmingham Road between Blakedown and Kidderminster (Land Oak) was recently been 'de-trunked' which means the responsibility of the road was handed over from the Highways Agency to Worcestershire County Council. Worcestershire County Council have then "listened to one or two residents"¹ and without warning or consultation decided that, "sections of the dual-carriageway will be funnelled down to a single-lane", all in the name of safety.

There have been some serious accidents on this stretch of road which have in some cases resulted in fatalities. I think, (because I don�t know) that these accidents have been where a vehicle has veered of the road into a hedge/ditch/tree. Since there have been no vehicle-to-vehicle collisions I guess all these accidents have happened because drivers were driving to fast to compensate for a change in conditions (curve in road for first-time users, slow moving vehicle in road, etc.) and/or driving without due care and attention (changing radio stations; on cellphone, etc.). Of course the usual practice would be for the County Council to hold a public consultation, that way we would be able to know the true facts, but we don�t so I (and others) have to speculate and this is how rumours are spread.

Some years ago I had the opportunity to speak to an officer from Worcestershire County Council about the single-lane funnelling they made on the A449 Hartlebury to Ombersley. I asked her if the changes made to this road had saved lives. She said with great assertion, 'they had'. Note there have been some fatalities since she made this statement.

I have travelled along this road tens of thousands of times and to my knowledge I have not been seriously injured or killed. I know the present road system is safe for me. The issue I have therefore is if the road system is changed how can I be assured that the changes will keep me safe for the next tens of thousands of journeys along this stretch of road? The council have been hardly fair and consulted me or any other of the thousands of people who drive along this route. They haven't presented me with any facts, plans and assurances. Also from past experience I know that 'single-lane funnelling' has disastrous effects not on the single-funnelled road by the adjoining roads. As a case in point is the A491 Lydiate Ash � Hagley, which has caused stationary traffic to pile up on the M5 northbound motorway, merging 'incidents' at Lydiate Ash, and speeding fines along the Stourbridge Road (A491). In fact the queues that regularly form on the M5 motorway have been deemed so dangerous that I know drivers avoid the Lydiate Ash junction M5 J4 like the plague. Instead they take the minor roads, you know pass schools, pedestrians, pelican crossing, school buses, ice cream vans... I also know drivers avoid speed fines at travel through Belbroughton, you know pass schools, pedestrians, pelican crossing...

Another concern is that when, a few days ago, only a thin layer of sleet fell on this road I was in a traffic jam for 2 hours! Will this single-lane funnelling mean that a drop of sleet will bring me to a standstill for four hours? Gee, I may as well not go to work!

On the whole then since the accidents have all been due to a few drivers travelling too fast and without due care and attention then I can see that, although we are penalising the majority of drivers to compensate for the few, if it's going to save one of those drivers its worth it. The only problem I have now is I don�t trust that the county council have thought this through and these changes will force drivers to take other routes, you know pass schools, pedestrians, pelican crossing...

Update:
I asked the Association of British Drivers [ABD] for their comment on the ~~proposals~~ work to be done. I provided a link to the Shuttle article. Wow, I got an immediate response. I'm impressed and only wish local authorities and public paid services would respond as quick as voluntary public services seem to do. This is what Paul Briggs states...

Paul Biggs
Spokesman
Association of British Drivers
8 March 2010
The Association of British Drivers

The proposed measures sound sensible. If the measures are directly related to the causes/contributory factors as identified by expert accident investigation work, then safety should be improved. At least they haven't lowered the speed limit, put up a speed camera and proclaimed 'job done' as we have seen all too often in the past.

The statement "speed has been a factor" by the councillor needs clarifying and supporting by good evidence. Driving 'too fast' can certainly cause or contribute to accidents, but 'too fast' is often not related to 'a number on a stick' - 'too fast' should mean driving at a speed that isn't consistent with the road layout and/or the prevailing road conditions.

We're on Google!

11 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

St. Marys Ringway [Google Maps StreetView]

Ohhh, I'm so excited!

Hieroglyphics

10 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Here is the 31st What & Where quiz...

What & Where are these hieroglyphics

What is this and where is this, extra points if you can decipher the hieroglyphics.

Door

9 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Yippee! I'm quite excited about my next quiz, and I think this is a little bit harder than the last two. So what and where is this door?

I know it is a door, but to get the 'what' you need to tell me the building you think this door is [almost] attached to.

Happy guessing...

Guesses:

Graham Ballinger
5 March 2010
Wyre Forest Liberals

Draklow Tunnels, Wolverley?

Tav
5 March 2010
The Wyre Forest Agenda

It does have that door to a tunnel type of appearance, but sorry you are wrong. However, keep on guessing.

I honestly cannot think of a clue as I don't know much about the building, I'll have to do a bit more research into it.

Julian Phillips
5 March 2008
Wyre Forest Conservatives

One of the smaller buildings in the grounds of Harvington Hall?

Tav
5 March 2010
The Wyre Forest Agenda

How did you get that?! No seriously how did you do it?

I honestly thought this quiz would last at least eight or nine guesses with clues mixed in. I was going to go over there tomorrow (Saturday) to get some information about the building.

So we have a winner. Congratulations to Julian Phillips who gets a prize 'a teddy bear'.

Thanks to Matthew Walters for permission to use this image. The title of the photo is 'Malt Kiln Door', so the building must have been a malt kiln _ whatever one of those is. It is according to the map on Panoramio one of the buildings at the back of Harvington Hall like Julian has stated.

Titton Mill

8 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Titton Mill [TavMan]

The remains of Titton MIll, a fulling mill on Titton Brook. These mills were important to the cloth trade of the City of Worcester for centuries, certainly as far back as 1302. A boat, known as the Cloth-house Boat, regularly took cloth from the City looms to the fulling mills of Titton.

The importance of these mills was so generally recognised that, as 1644, the height of the Great Civil War, army commanders were forbidden to plunder the Titton fulling mills.

Philip Lench
Philip Lench

Hi, I'm an admin for a group called Stourport, and we'd love to have this added to the group!

Can't believe how bad this building has become in recent years. Like the mill at Island Pool, Cookley, it's being left to rot on purpose.

TavMan
TavMan

added to the group...

It is a shame, I did a little research and found a photo of the mill taken in March 2009, back then it had a gable end on the entrance side of the building. It seems that since then this has collapsed.

John Scratch
John Scratch

Hi, would be interested in who owns the mill and whats going to happen to it, if anybody Knows; email me john.scratch@btinternet.com.

TavMan
TavMan

@John Scratch: The mill is clearly on private land with a house next to it (to the right of the photo). I know someone who would like to buy it and renovate it into a home, so I also would like to know if anything is going to happen to it.

When I took this photo I tried to ask for permission to photograph it at a closer distance. However, the residents were not in. This photo from taken from the public road.

If I am down that way again, I'll call in to the house opposite and ask.

The Straight Choice

7 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The Straight Choice

Here is a project that would welcome your help 'agenda blurfers. 'The Straight Choice' (http://www.TheStraightChoice.org/) project an real-time election leaflet project. Electioneering is a high-stakes game, and political parties have support from millionaire tax dodgers. The Straight Choice, believe that it�s time for that game to become a spectator sport.

The ambition is to create a live visualisation of the flood of party political leaflets as they are delivered across the country during an election campaign. If you have recently received any election leaflets through your door you can help by photographing or scanning them and uploading the images to their server.

Please dig out of the bin any election leaflets you've recently received. Or ask friends or neighbours, or wait a few days until you get one through the door. I know there are some political leaders who read the 'agenda, so why not add your own leaflets to the site or even your opponents.

I'll do the same and also cross-post them here on the 'agenda.

Why am I being asked to do this?
Leaflets normally get thrown away and the authorities do not have an official process for monitoring dodgy election leaflets, so it's down to us to make sure there is no funny business going on where we live!

The Straight Choice is creating a live online archive of election leaflets throughout the campaign. There are 3 reasons why this is a helpful thing to be doing:

(1) Promises that candidates make in their leaflets can be compared to what they promise to do elsewhere, for example in responses to the local issues you helped collect over the last few weeks. In the future we can also compare the voting record of MPs with what they promised on the campaign trail.

(2) It helps catch parties or candidates who are breaking electoral law - 2 parties have been reported to the authorities based on leaflets uploaded to The Straight Choice in the past couple of weeks.

(3) A complete electioneering map of the country can be created, to see how inconsistent or otherwise the polticial parties are campaigning.

Rat Book

6 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

With all the awful news stories coming up in the news lately, it can't be that bad around here? Can it?

Worcestershire [The Rat Book]

Town Hall Rich List

5 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

On 22 October 2009 Wyre Forest District Council appointed a new Chief Executive, Ian Miller. Ian was previously Chief Executive of Denbighshire County Council. John Campion [unelected Leader of the Council, Conservative] stated, "We are extremely pleased to welcome someone of Ian's calibre to Wyre Forest District Council. Ian's wide experience means we have recruited a first class individual with a public sector background who can build on the work we've been doing on the major projects and tackle the challenges ahead..

Although I see nothing wrong with this I would like to note that Ian Miller has been listed in the Town Hall Rich List 2008, and 2009. The Town Hall Rich List is produced via FOI request by the pressure group, The Taxpayer's Alliance. They ask each local authority for the total remuneration of senior staff earning over �100,000 per year.

I suppose the Ian's 'calibre' and 'wide experience' comes at a cost:

Town Hall Rich List 2009:

Town Hall Rich List 2009 [The Taxpayer's Alliance]

Comparison (provided by The Taxpayer's Alliance): Police constable �29,493; Community Nurse �23,345; Soldier (Private) �20,573

Town Hall Rich List 2008:

Town Hall Rich List 2008 [The Taxpayer's Alliance]

Comparison (provided by The Taxpayer's Alliance): Nurse �21,985; Police Officer �20,000; Soldier �15,359

Stourport on Severn Life

4 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Brain McHale said, "In a previous post I mentioned that a second (of 3) petrol stations had closed. In fact it has now re-opened, but I still wonder if it will be here after Tesco�s open their new store?"

Hey, he's blogging about Stourport!

Photographer, Kidderminster

3 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

This is a photograph of a photographer taking a photograph of St. Mary's Church in Kidderminster.

Photographer, Kidderminster [TavMan]

rubared

Didn't realise Kidderminster was so popular.... I used to live there.

Keith Slater

Good capture..hope he got the same.

Tav
The Wyre Forest Agenda

I would tag him on this photo if I knew who he is.

The White Lady of the Seven Stars

2 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

On Saturday I purchased the book 'Haunted Worcestershire' by Anthony Poulton-Smith. In it are accounts of ghost and spirit sightings in Worcestershire organised by city, town and village. One of the Kidderminster entries was a woman in white appearing in Ye Olde Seven Stars public house on Coventry Street.

The first sighting was in the 1914 of a woman in a white apron in late nineteenth century clothing. The next sightings were in 1974 where on one occasion two customers saw a woman in a white dress (not apron) sitting in a bar. She appeared for about half a minute and then faded away. Also in another occasion in 1974 six customers saw the same middle-aged woman figure appear and then vanish before their eyes.

Spooky, ay?

Flycapture

1 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

It has now been six years of the Flycapture database. 'Flycapture' is a record of flytipping across local authorities, collated by Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs defra. So let's see how Wyre Forest and its neighbours are doing:

Rank	Local Authority	Total Incidents	Successful Prosecutions
#1	Wychavon	4,554	9
#2	Bromsgrove	4,191	1
#3	Wyre Forest	3,481	0
#4	South Staffordshire	2,470	11
#5	Malvern Hills	1,633	0
#6	Bridgnorth	1,504	0
#7	South Shropshire	496	0

Great, we are third worse in terms of the number of flytipping cases and yet after 3,481 flytipping incidences there are no (zero) successful prosecutions!

Elvis Lives!

28 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

It's amazing, Elvis has been spotted in Wyre Forest, and I took his photo. What and, more importantly, where is this?

Elvis Lives! What & Where?

Good luck gusessing. The prize is a candy cane.

This train will not stop at the Glades

27 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Welcome to another new series, which I'll try a few times to see how it goes. At Full Council meetings the public and the 'members' of the council have the opportunity to ask questions to the administration. Its called 'Question Time' funnily enough. This is my favourite part of full council meetings as they are always full of variety either some bad press, some grass-roots or hyper-local issues, or some admittance of a fiasco. The questions and answers are all recorded in the minutes of the meeting and available from the council website (sources given of course). So I thought I would reproduce them here along with follow-up research and links for more information. Here is the first one I picked...

Full Council Meeting 2 December 2009:

Cllr. Dixon Sheppard
Lickhill
Community Concern

Is the Council satisfied with the recent management of the Glades Leisure Centre?

Marcus Hart
Unelected Leisure Service Commissioner
Conservative

I can confirm that the Glades is managed by DC Leisure and yes I am satisfied regarding the management of the leisure centre.

Cllr. Dixon Sheppard
Lickhill
Community Concern

How is it that two longstanding bookers of the arena received phone calls recently from the Glades to advise that they were double booked and that they must move their booking date? Wyre Forest Model Railway Club had no alternative venue and could not change the date as too many people were involved and therefore this was cancelled. I am aware that Kidderminster Town Hall had received several enquiries from other organisations that had been turned away from the Glades for the same reason.

Marcus Hart
Unelected Leisure Service Commissioner
Conservative

I am sorry about the exhibition however I will take this away and liaise with the Director of Community and Partnership Services and will investigate and ascertain the facts from DC Leisure.

This is a classic 'the-key-is-in-the-supplementary' type of question. The questioner asks for their position and then tries to undermine that position with their supplementary question.

That's the politics, what about the issue? Every year in March the Wyre Forest Model Railway Club [WFMRC] hold an exhibition at the Wyre Forest Glades leisure centre on Bromsgrove Street (locally known a Nipple City). The exhibition is, "known for its high quality and standard of exhibits from across the country." I took my son there one year and we really enjoyed it (well I think I enjoyed it more than my son). Nipple City (Wyre Forest Glades) is owned by us, the council and management of the centre has been outsourced by DC Leisure Management Limited [DC Leisure].

So according to Cllr. Sheppard DC Leisure telephoned the Wyre Forest Model Railway Club and said, "...they [WFMRC] were double booked and � they must move their booking date." So we have to presume that they originally booked the arena beforehand otherwise DC Leisure wouldn't have been calling them to change. The WFMRC had to cancel the exhibition and they made a notice on their website. Note Cllr. Sheppard also states that another booker received a dreaded cancellation telephone call.

Cancellation Notice [Wyre Forest Model Railway Club]

The cancellation notice dishes gives us more information in a less diplomatic nature than Cllr. Sheppard gave us, "Due to an administration error by [DC Leisure] our booking has been lost and an alternative event booked for the weekend of our Exhibition. Despite our protests they have refused to honour our original agreement." So our presumption was correct, WFMRC booked the arena and DC Leisure messed it up and booked someone else in on the same weekend. Who was that? Arh, the Chinese State Circus.

Ok, mistakes happen, and when they do we all need apologies, openness, and transparency so we can move forward. Mark these words, Cllr. Hart's response to this mistake was "I am sorry�". So that's the apology sorted out, how about 'openness'? Well Cllr. Hart goes on to say, "I will take this away and liaise with the Director of Community and Partnership Services and will investigate and ascertain the facts from DC Leisure". That's openness, what about transparency? Well Cllr. Hart must have liaised with the director and DC Leisure by now, this was in December last year. However, we don't seem to have anymore information (I have searched). Without transparency the next process of speculation and questions starts. For instance would an administration error have occurred twice to double-book two bookers? What was the administration error? Who booked first the WFMRC and other or the Chinese State Circus? Were the Chinese State Circus treated differently? That is as far as I'm going with this as I try my best no to fall into speculation and conjecture.

Parking Ticket Data

26 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

I'm introducing a series (feature) I have wanted to do for some time but never got around to it. The occasionally Friday (perhaps every Friday) I'm going to blog on Freedom of Information [FOI] requests that are relevant to the Wyre Forest district. These may have been FOI requests I have sent out or FOI request others have sent out. With the help of WhatDoTheyKnow.co.uk I think I'll have enough 'agenda fodder to work with.

So let's start with this one, a FOI request from ####. ### is asking for a spreadsheet of parking charges (see sources). This is absolutely fantastic data, but I haven't been able to really sink my teeth into it. I would have liked to have created a mash-up with other data and also some geo-mapping but alas I haven't enough time to do so. However, feel free to do this yourself. If you achieve anything comment me back with your results.

Here is some analysis I have done:

Parking Fines by Day of Week

Day of Week	Parking Fines
Sunday	2,265
Monday	1,807
Tuesday	1,969
Wednesday	1,966
Thursday	2,198
Friday	2,117
Saturday	2,544

Top Ten Paking Fine Revenue per Location

Rank	Location	Parking Fines
#1	Weavers Wharf Car Park	2,056
#2	Bromsgrove Street Car Park	892
#3	Market Street Car Park	836
#4	Church Street	772
#5	Load Street Car Park	607
#6	Dog Lane Car Park	587
#7	Pike Mills Car Park	496
#8	Bull Ring	452
#9	Coventry Street	441
#10	New Road	434

There were only two faulty machines ('Cancelled - PD Machine Faulty'), one at Aldi Car Park and another at Gardners Meadow Car Park.

Parking Fines (Monthly)

Long live indepdendence (when we get it)

25 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Long live indepdendence (when we get it)

Long live indepdendence

Dave's 2.5%

24 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

After a family meeting was called off until tomorrow I seized the opportunity to get down the Stourport Civic Centre tonight and witness the Full Council meeting. I was late and missed my favourite part of the 'show': Question Time. The public gallery was full and I soon figured out it was full of council employees interested in agenda items 14 'Revised Redundancy Policy' and the shared regulatory services (part of the budget agenda item #15).

The council have to debate and vote upon whether to stop discretionary lump sum payments and payment in lieu of notice in cases of termination of employment. In the previous year 30 employees were made redundant and they had these payments. The debate was fairly heated but best summed up by Cllr. Ken Stokes [Broadwaters, ICHC], 'moving the goalposts half way through the game'. The vote was carried.

The main debates of the whole meeting were on the budget. Although I must confess my favourite meeting is the Full Council Meeting, but when it's the budget it gets too procedural and predictable.

The public gallery call out some huffs, puffs and cheers (and a couple of round of quiet applause) when the shared services point was raised. This is the proposal to share regulatory services (Licensing, Environmental Health and Trading Standards, etc.) among seven councils. Firstly I was shocked and disappointed when Cllr. Howard Martin [Broadwaters, ICHC] ask to remove paragraphs and parts of the Health Concern budget amendments. However, as he spoke in the chamber he received some 'here-here's from the public gallery. The sound bite for this was used by most and credited to Fran Oborski, as 'the only show in town' . The thinking behind this is there were no alternatives offered and there is a strong need make savings, so we should take it. Must to the disapproval of the public gallery the Tory budget to share services was voted for and the Labour and last-minute Health Concern amendments to no share services was voted out.

Even though I was late there were plenty of 'agenda fodder and I have 6 A4 pages of notes. The one part that intrigued me was something mentioned by Cllr. John Campion [unelected Leader of the Council, Conservative] who said that the 'single site' was 'about replacing what we have with something more efficient'. Couple this with agenda item #11 (which I missed) which wants to change the name of the 'Centralised Office and Transformational Change Board' to 'The Transformation Board', and I begin to feel that perhaps the Tories are shoehorning of a change of policy in the hope that nobody notices. The single site is morphing from a 'single office site to be build by 2009' to a 'transforming to something more efficient'. I can see it now in a few years time the Tories will be saying that they spent single site money (�400,000 at the moment) on some short-term efficiency programme instead of a single site building because, well, the single site has always been about efficiency and not just a building.

Councillor of the Council:
I have to award someone but who could it be. I heard Cllr. Julian Phillips [Bewdley & Arley, Conservative] speak for the first time, but he went off on his hobby horse: free nationwide bus travel. An interesting point of view which I have read on the Wyre Forest Conservative Future website many months ago but it wasn't relevant to the agenda and yet the chairman said nothing. Cllr. Stephen Clee [Bewdley & Arley, Conservative] made a joke in the chamber and said, "Hello Tavis" at the end of the meeting. Cllr. Christopher Nicholls [Cookley, Labour] was in usual form but I felt Cllr. James (was Jamie) Shaw [Areley Kings, Labour] was not. Cllr. Graham Ballinger [Greenhill, Liberal] mentioned the secret single site report.

Umm, a very difficult one... Ok the award goes to Cllr. Christopher Nicholls because he introduced a new buzz phrase that might catch on, 'Dave's 2.5%'. Originally mentioned by Cllr. Martin, there is a pattern among Conservative-lead local authorities to keep council tax at 2.5% as if dictated from head office (i.e. David Cameron i.e. Dave). I wonder if that is actually the case? Cllr. Martin's proposed 2.9% would account to roughly a bag of sugar extra per council taxpayer. So congratulations Cllr. Nicholls.

Empty shops

23 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

I have a lot of things on at the moment so this is a quite blog. When I was researching my 'Shop Canvass' idea I sort to find some statistics to back up my idea. I came across a recent study by the Local Data Company on empty shops. It ranked Kidderminster as 11th worse shop vacancy rates (I'll link the report to this blog when I can) in the West Mdlands. I then read in the Shuttle that the Bwitish Property Federation did a similar study. Obviously the Shuttle doesn't provide a link to the report, but I got to thinking what about Stourport, Bewdley, Wolverley, Cookley, etc..

Perhaps we need a localised study.

My wife and I

22 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Tav
18 February 2010
Fleurbl

Found on a lamppost in Kidderminster near the Wharf. Someone please explain...

Wtf? [Fleurbl]

KIDDERMINSTER in stone

tavis.pitt@wfa.org.uk (Tavis Pitt) — 21 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

I�ve decided to bring back my �What and Where� quiz. Here is KIDDERMINSTER carved in stone, but what and where is this?

What and where?

The prize is a horseshoe added alongside your comment gravatar.

Good luck, keep on guessing... (guess through comments)

I want to go home

tavis.pitt@wfa.org.uk (Tavis Pitt) — 20 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Beer bottles from Kidderminster...

beer bottles [TavMan]

Batman, help us!

tavis.pitt@wfa.org.uk (Tavis Pitt) — 19 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Batman and Robin [Batman Comic Generator]

Don said,

Don Barton
18 February 2009
svr_p_way's photos
Galahad's Homepage
Slow Food

Tav, Whatever has happened to the automated bits of WFA? For example, this blog and the next 5 blogs are not automatically appearing on the "Most Recent Blogs" section on the right-hand side of the WFA site and the Recent Comments section appears to have given up altogether.

Actually Batman is wrong its not a technical hitch, more like a human error or lack of 'agenda time by the author (me). Sorry Don and 'agenda blurfers. Although it made appear automated, it is far from being automated. I now have 'rss' which means another process I need to do when crafting the 'agenda.

Graffiti Art Workshop

tavis.pitt@wfa.org.uk (Tavis Pitt) — 18 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

I have made a date: my camera and St. George's Park, Kidderminster. On Monday 15 February (and also on Friday 19 February) the Friend's of St. George's Park are holding a Graffiti Art Workshop with artist Marko Stankovich.

(before and after) [Spike Horsefair]

The first day seems to have brought some great results. I'll photograph them and add them to the 'Kidderminster,Stourport and Bewdley Graffiti and Street Art' group.

events [Spike Horsefair]

Shop Canvass

tavis.pitt@wfa.org.uk (Tavis Pitt) — 17 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

I did a merge of two issues a l� Edward do Bono style and came up with a great idea. With the blunder over the Horsefair public art project it's obvious that the council lack the foresight for public consultation even though the Wyre Forest Local Development Framework states that for public art we should be, "...involving communities within projects" (p.4). Another issue was highlighted by the 'Local Data Company' who came up with updated figures (I think) of the number of empty shops in the high street. So then lateral thinking snapped into gear and I came up with this proposal:

When a shop becomes empty the interior and fa�ade are cleaned and painted white. They are then used as a public consultation room, like a model of the proposed development, some proposal documents, posters, comment/vote box & slips, etc.. They would probably only need one member of staff. Alternatively the whitewash shop ('shop canvass') could become a mini art exhibition or a display of museum exhibits. The shop would still be on the market, but rather than derelict and boarded up it would be alive.

The newly canvassed shop would encourage footfall because it would keep the area busy, nothing deters potential shoppers in an area than boarded up shops. For the same reasons when selling a house, the whitewashed appearance of a shop would help potential developers visualise their idea for the shop. The council and landlords would agree to free (or peppercorn) rent/rates as long as the 'shop canvas' consultation/exhibition/museum does not charge entry or sell anything. The 'shop canvass' could quickly be converted into a new store when the developer moves in. If there are enough 'public consultations' going on it will become part-of-the-course to consult with the public, and another 'Horsefair horse' fiasco would probably never happen.

Obviously the downside would be the staffing and logistical cost, but if retail estate agents, landlords, local authorities and other community groups all 'chipped' it may be sustainable.

At this point I was quite chuffed with myself about this idea, until I stumped upon a Shuttle article entitled, 'Wyre Forest gets �52,000 empty shops grant'. It states, "Wyre Forest has been given �52,000 of Government cash to spend on getting empty shops back in use, it was revealed today. Ideas suggested include using the vacant units for art exhibitions or nativity scenes. ". Arh, bugger it's not an original idea! However, has the �52,000 been used yet, where are the 'shop canvasses' in Wyre Forest, anyone know?

The people win!

tavis.pitt@wfa.org.uk (Tavis Pitt) — 16 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Horray, the council have redeemed themselves and have apologised and promised a public meeting for the public art project in Horsefair. There is no place or time mentioned. Now I have fingers (and everything else) crossed that this meeting will be held on a weekend or after 8pm in the week. Please, please don't let us down.

Ummm, time for some more photo editing...

Alf Tabb (in colour)

tavis.pitt@wfa.org.uk (Tavis Pitt) — 15 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Another colour find! It's Alf TAbb...

Your browser does not support iframes.

Miniature Cycles [British Path�]

Mark Garnier's Priorities for Wyre Forest

tavis.pitt@wfa.org.uk (Tavis Pitt) — 14 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Asking yourself what Mark Garnier's prioirties for Wyre Forest are? Well see for yourself...

Mark Garnier's Priorities for Wyre Forest [MarkRTGarnier]

Kidderminster train station (in colour)

tavis.pitt@wfa.org.uk (Tavis Pitt) — 13 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Wow, what a find! While blurfing and surfing the Interweb I came across a colour photo of Kidderminster train station, yes a colour photo:

Kidderminster Station [Rob & Yvonne's website]

Save Stourport Delivery Office

tavis.pitt@wfa.org.uk (Tavis Pitt) — 12 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The 'Save Stourport Delivery Office' group held a petition signing event last week and gained between 400 and 500 signatures. If like me you missed the event, you can sign on-line on a 'Number 10' petition.

Save Stourport Delivery Office Petition Event [Save Stourport Delivery Office]

Your money, your choice (well no not really)

tavis.pitt@wfa.org.uk (Tavis Pitt) — 11 Feb 2010 23:16:01 GMT

It's been over two weeks since Wyre Forest District Council announced their 'Budget 2010-11' consultation. Yet, I have only just contributed. The deadline is this Friday 12 February 2010, so if you haven't contributed I suggest you do, either filling in a questionnaire from the whub or complete it online like I did (see sources for hyperlinks). However before you do you might want to read this...

The consultation is split into three distinct groups: tax; savings; spending; the council and demographics.

Council Tax
The council tax section is fairly pointless and you get just two questions, one yes/no the other higher/lower _ just like the old TV show, 'Play Yours Cards Right'. I swear you will immediately find yourself saying 'yes, but it depends...' or 'higher if this, lower if that...'. Here are the questions:

(1) Is it acceptable to increase the overall Council Tax by approximately 2.5%?
(2) Would you prefer the Council Tax increase to be higher, lower or around 2.5%?
This has the sound of John Campion or Tory mantra (they are the same thing) all over it. I think the '2.5% increase' is a red-herring; it means diddle-squat to me. Since we have to pay our tax or go to jail if we don't (a definition of extortion) the increase or decrease means nothing and I, like everyone else I presume, just off-set the tax from their income and try not to think about it. Answer these questions how you like but just remember depending upon the results, in March/April you'll get you unelected leader stating how 'everyone' in Wyre Forest find the 2.5% increase acceptable. By the way, you cannot pass on any question.

I answered (1) 'Yes' and (2) 'Higher' because for question #1 I was neither found the increase acceptable nor unacceptable but I could only answer 'Yes' or 'No'. For question #2 I'm in the fortunate position that I have deposable income at the end of every month which I would quite happily hand over (some) to the council if they were open, transparent and democratic.

Making savings on...
This is a clump of unexplained how strong to you agree/disagree type questions.

"The Council is looking to make savings of �4 million over the next three years ." First of all you have to realise this statement does not mean a empty room will be filled up, banknote by banknote, to find that in three years time there will be �4 million of 'savings' in there. It means how are we going to cutback �1,333,333 between March 2010 and March 2011. The '�4 million' is smoke and mirrors. Before you answer the questions read this line, "Each is being suggested as it can save money and the figure in brackets is the projected saving that could be made over the three years." (my bolding). The values in the brackets add up to �1,235,000!

What must go, or be cutback? Here are your options:

(3) Do you agree that the Council should introduce new working practices and review staff benefits to save �210,000.
What the consultation also does not tell you is exactly what 'new working practices' and 'review of staff benefits' means? At a guess I think this might have something to do with working-from-home. I don't know!

(4) Do you agree that the Council should join up with other authorities to deliver services to save �200,000.
What services, which authorities?

(5) Do you agree that the Council should stop its contribution to Destination Worcestershire Partnership to save �30,000.
Wait, you do get an explanation here, albeit one line (bracketed) bit still an explanation: "the Worcestershire group that promotes tourism in the County."

What I don�t like about Destination Worcestershire are the unelected members, but that is my usual mantra. I would prefer to spend �30,000 of our money other business promotion organisations (not just tourism) such on 'Business Worcestershire' (if an organisation exits), or better still 'Wyre Forest Business Development Trust', or better still 'Stourport Corridor Business Development Trust'.

(6) Do you agree that the Council should reduce spending on community based services (museum, arts, play activities, events and parks) to save �275,000.
Probably the only sane and interest question ever asked in the consultation. I would be very interested in seeing the results of this question, even more interested if an answer was given from every council taxpayer in the Wyre Forest District.

This is how this should work. When you pay your council tax bill you are given a series of tick boxes of where you want your money to go. A tick box for Bewdley Museum, one for all play area facilities, one for events etc� When the taxes a collected the results are tallied up, then each area of funded proportionally. Voila! You have clean, transparent and democratic method of tax funding, where everyone gets their voice heard.

(7) Do you agree that the Council should use its savings rather than borrow money to introduce new technology and save �630,000
There are a lot of factors here. The presumption is that new technology is needed and the Council are getting it. All they are asking us (the taxpayers) is whether we should pay now or buy 'on-the-tick'. The first question you should ask is 'how much does the new technology cost?' If it costs �500,000 then we are getting our money back and saving �130,000 at the end of the year. Again no information what is the new technology?

(8) Do you agree that the Council should introduce new technology into its fleet of vehicles to save �90,000
I have purposely omitted the part, "...to become a more efficient service and provide better information for customers." part of the question because they do not explain how 'new technology' achieves this, they don�t even tell us what this 'new technology' is and if this is the same 'new technology' in question #7. So let me guess. The new technology for fleet vechiles is a hover conversion (as in Back to the Future). This will mean no new tyres and suspension required for converted vehicles and they will be able to pick up refuse and recycling even with inches of snow.

(9) In what other areas would you choose to make savings?
Wow, an open question _ I'm so excited. The key here is to keep you open answer as bullet points; they will be picked up easily.

Spending more on...
It's at this point you being to see they lack of neutrality in the questioning. Take for instance, question #8 in the 'saving' section was do you agree to spend your money on new technology for vehicles, whereas in the 'spending' section you could disagree to give parish councils grants so saving money! Never mind though, we are grateful that we are given at least a bit of a chance for input.

Amazingly (not) there is no magical three year figure like the saving '�4 million', well let me oblige: �747,000 of spending over three years.

(10) Do you agree that the Council should spend �90,000 to the upkeep of the Council�s car parks
Obviously this would depend on the state of the car parks, the effectiveness of the traffic wardens, and the amount of vandalism of ticket machines etc.

(11) Do you agree that the Council should spend more money on cleaning the streets.
Note the question is worded as spending "an extra �100,000", so we how much do we currently spend on street cleaning?

(12) Do you agree that the Council should give �30,000 to the North Worcestershire Care and Repair Agency.
Well it would help to know what the North Worcestershire Care and Repair Agency is other than, "to ensure that the most vulnerable (the old and disabled) are able to continue to live independently.". I want to know the salaries of the management, how much the other authorities are paying into this organisation, how much activity is undertaken in each authority contributing to the organisation, etc...

(13) Do you agree that the Council should give �29,000 to Town and Parish Councils?
In principle yes, but how much have we given in the past?

Value for money
Without an introduction you find yourself sailed into the 'Value for Money' section otherwise know as 'the-usual-'about-us'-questionnaire-questions'. Here you are, four agree/disagree questions:

(14) The quality of Council services is good overall.
(15) The Council has enough money to meet all the demands on its services.
(16) The Council provides adequate communication to council tax payers about its spending.
(17) The Council takes reasonable steps to consult with council tax payers about its spending.

Then we get to the converse 'about-you' questions. Remember you cannot pass on any question, not even your age...

(18) Are you male or female?
(19) What was your age last birthday? (YOU MUST ENTER A NUMBER)
(20) How long have you been living in the Wyre Forest District?
(21) To which of these groups do you consider you belong? White; Mixed; Asian and Asian British; Black; Chinese/other ethnic background
(22) To allow us to analyse the results geographically by area, plese (sic) write you postcode in the [huge] box below.

At the end of this you get the promise, "The survey results will be published on our website www.wyreforestdc.gov.uk at the end of March." Great I'll blog about the results then.

Conclusion:
Overall this is a typical 'look-we-do-listen' consultation that has greater PR power than any democratic or 'view-of-the-people' results. It creates more questions that it answers, and the public are just answering blind because there is no back up information. Sure there is a 150+ page collection of reports, but come on, how are you expected to listen to the public when you ask them single line questions without any executive summary. I give the council 2 out of 10 for effort, but overall very poor and disappointing.

Postscript:
What is never mentioned in the 'consultation' is the 'single site' golden child that promised electoral sunshine to shine down on the Wyre Forest Conservatives (with the Liberal group getting the tail bits of sunlight beams). With great fanfare the Tories (and Liberals) trumpeted how they alone would save us �750,000 every year with a new single council office (and depot) site (nicknamed Tory Towers). They did everything in their powers, including secret meetings and secret reports, to get this thing built. They promised the Earth that it would be built, without any financial inconveniences, but all failed in an embarrassing whimper.

A pub in need is a pub indeed?

tavis.pitt@wfa.org.uk (Tavis Pitt) — 10 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

A pub in need is a pub indeed?

Wolves at Wolverley

tavis.pitt@wfa.org.uk (Tavis Pitt) — 9 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Wolves at Wolverley...

Wolverley [True Wolf]

Ghost Signs from Kidderminster, Stourport and Bewdley

tavis.pitt@wfa.org.uk (Tavis Pitt) — 8 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

I have created a new flickr group, ' Ghost Signs from Kidderminster, Stourport and Bewdley '.

Ghost Signs from Kidderminster, Stourport and Bewdley

"A ghost sign is a term for old hand painted advertising or signage that has been preserved on a building for an extended period of time, whether by actively keeping it or choosing not to destroy it. This group is intended to collect examples of ghost signs from around Kidderminster, Stourport, Bewdley and surrounding areas."

If anyone wants to be an administrator or moderator just ask.

Stencil Art

tavis.pitt@wfa.org.uk (Tavis Pitt) — 7 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

It has been almost 6 months since stencil artist, Dom Dunlea, visited Kidderminster, and like FlipC and many other people who would have been interested in seeing his art, I missed it because it was organised in the daytime!

Never mind as his website has some great Kidderminster art...

Subway [domdunlea]

Dom Dunlea @ KAF [domdunlea]

Openly local

tavis.pitt@wfa.org.uk (Tavis Pitt) — 6 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

When it comes to making local government more transparent, who you goin' call?

Hyperlocal Sites around Wyre Forest [Openly Local]

Should he stay or should he go?

tavis.pitt@wfa.org.uk (Tavis Pitt) — 5 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

If this the end of the world, or the end of people power? The 'Edam Horse' saga has taken a political twist. Cllr. Howard Martin [leader, ICHC] has called for the resignation of Marcus Hart [Conservative] as unelected Community Partnership Chief. There is still no apology or a hold on the whole project.

An over-reaction? Well may be, but what are our alternatives? A call for resignation from the opposition is the only minuscule spec of democracy we have left. Marcus Hart, the person responsible for this mess, was not elected. We can't elect someone else, we can't vote him out, he doesn't have to apologise if he doesn't want to, he can hang on to his position and take allowances if he wants, he can even switch parties or become independent. We have no power. It is up to the decency of Marcus Hart, does he apologise and leave or just apologise?

More hidden bits of information are being drip fed to the public (as usual), the 'key stakeholders' Marcus was talking about earlier are apparently the 'Horsefair, Greenhill and Broadwaters Partnership [HGBP]'. Now we have a confusion and possible contradiction (as usual). Fran Oborski [Liberal] has mentioned that the HGBP could have easily arranged a public consultation. So am I lead to presume that Marcus Hart contacted the HGBP and not ward councillors (never mind the public)? Then the HGBP kept the information under their hats (even from Fran)?

Democracy Club

tavis.pitt@wfa.org.uk (Tavis Pitt) — 4 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

'I recently joined Democracy Club, a non-partisan website for helping you volunteer to improve democratic accountability in your local area.

They're trying to recruit as many volunteers as possible, and I thought you'd be interested in joining.'

Dog Poo Sting Ops

tavis.pitt@wfa.org.uk (Tavis Pitt) — 3 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

I picked up on a 'I'm-a-councillor-get-me-in-the-paper' article in the Shuttle today. The article, entitled 'Council 'failing on dog fouling'' reports what I presume (because can't find it in the minutes) was a question raised by Cllr. Graham Ballinger [Greenhill, Liberal] in at the July Full Council meeting. The question was, " how many fines had been imposed on offenders...". The answer, "...in the previous 18 months [Jan-2008-July-2009], the council had issued two fixed penalty notices for dog fouling, 16 for littering and 18,271 tickets for parking offences." Obviously the conclusion is that the 12 'civil enforcement officers' are "...opting for the quiet life..." and "...generating income..."

The unelected overlord, Tracey Onslow [unelected Environmental Chief, Conservative], states it is... "...unfair to compare the number of fines for parking offences to those issued for litter and dog fouling [because] ... as catching offenders is about being in the right place at the right time.". She is absolutely right, but what is the solution? "We ask residents to take pride in their area and be vigilant about depositing litter and dog mess in the bins provided." What? So the solution is to be proud when we tread in dog shit? ...and watch out for offenders.

Let's be a bit more proactive and creative. First Cllr. Ballinger should have found out the ratios of fixed penalty notices of dog fouling against parking offences of other local authorities (factored in with population and car ownership levels) and judged where Wyre Forest District Council is within that league table. This sounds an easy and simple calculation that could be automated with a handheld computer, but getting at this information would be difficult and time-consuming even for a district councillor. However, this is the sort of analysis I would expect to be undertaken for my tax money.

Secondly, it is the persistent dog fouling offenders that cause the most grief and most worth for a fixed penalty notice. Since they are persistent, local residents would know when and where the dog fouling would take place. I'm sure every dog owner has a defined walking route and time. So residents just need to enter the details on fixmystreet.com or telephone the whub (if not online) with the time, frequency and location of the dog fouling offences. The 'civil enforcement officer' then just hides around the corner and nabs the offender. Now my question, 'Of the 2 fixed penalty notices for dog fouling, where they both opportunities (being at the right time and right place) or were they part of a sting operation?

'Edam Horse' update

tavis.pitt@wfa.org.uk (Tavis Pitt) — 2 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The 'Edam Horse', as its named, is now becoming infamous and so much is happening that I guess we won't be hearing the last of this. Cllr. Howard Martin [Broadwaters, ICHC] has put in a FOI request and I'm planning to do that too. Fran Oborski has blogged about it saying, "Local Councillors AND the local Community have been treated in a shabby and arrogant manner by the District Council.". Then a new Facebook campaign has been started (171 members and counting) entitled 'SAY NO TO THE EDAM HORSE IN THE HORSEFAIR'.

An alternative to the 'Edam Horse'? (Johnny the Cobler Statue)

No official rebuttal from the council, nor the unelected overlord in charge of this, Marcus Hart [unelected Community Partnership Chief, Conservative]. So one impetus is on what will be the excuse the council will come up with...

(1) 'There was not time'
However, Fran informs us that the �12,000 money was part of a official Section 106 Agreement for a piece of public art at the toilet block in the 'Horsefair triangle'. This agreement was made and publicly minuted 10 years ago!

(2) 'There weren't enough resources'
No way. Fran has made a valid point here: "Horsefair, Broadwaters and Greenhill Partnership which brings together: County and District Councillors for Broadwaters and Greenhill, Community Groups (including representatives of the Bangladeshi and Polish Communities), local Faith Groups, Police, Health, Housing, schools etc. This organisation could have organised a Public Consultation"

(3) 'This isn't public money'
This debate has been going on in on-line comments in the Shuttle. Technically it isn't public money, but if you change the word 'public' to an adjective you can see that the money hasn't been treated as money from the public.

(4) 'Its only �12,000'
The council would be very brave to come up with this excuse. Let's not go down that route.

(5) 'Too expensive for a public consultation'
Fran said, "When the Friends of St Georges Park wanted to consult residents around The Horsefair and Baxter Avenue area about plans for the park we held a drop-in session in the Radford Avenue Sure Start Centre and put up pictures of proposals and asked the public to write their comments and choices. That consultation cost about �5 and we got residents views."

(6) 'It was a matter of confidentiality'
Another brave excuse to try. Let's see what Howard's FOI request brings up.

Are you a geek?

tavis.pitt@wfa.org.uk (Tavis Pitt) — 1 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Just a tiny detour from the usual 'agenda fodder. Here is a test, if you find the following joke funny you are a geek:

There's no place like 127.0.0.1.

Well did you laugh? Are you a geek? Or is it all geek to you?

petrol stations, next sports clubs

tavis.pitt@wfa.org.uk (Tavis Pitt) — 31 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Yet another 'No' campaign, and they have some professional 'No' noticebills _ loads of them.

So what is all the fuss about? Well Wyre Forest Community Housing (you know the group with millions in the bank who avoided re-development of the historic Weavers Cottages) have applied for permission to knock down the Bowling Club and build 33 2/3 bedroom apartments.

Saying no to this development is a difficult one there have been similar developments along Chester Road and there ?I think? is a demand for 2/3 bedroom apartments. The concerns of the no-campaign are summed up nicely from Mr. Name Supplied back in September last year...

"(1) The density of the development greatly exceeds the density of the surrounding area."
Yes there is truth in this, perhaps lessened after the nearby Land Oak House development and the two fuel station re-developments on both sides of Chester Road North. However, so? What is their point?

"(2) The plans show three-storey properties fronting Chester Road North, which is totally out of keeping with the surrounding properties."
No it's not, the two fuel station re-developments are three storey. Again what's their point?

"(3) The provision of only 31 parking spaces for 33 properties will lead to parking and access problems. The volume of traffic on Chester Road North, which has double yellow lines along its entire length in this vicinity, is unbearable at the current time."
This is their strongest point, and I think this point alone it would be very foolhardy to grant permission for this development. It would only take a couple of residents to hold a dinner party, or Christmas dinner invites to spill parked cars on Chester Road North (which they can't) and the end of Linden Avenue, Linden Grove, and Lyndholm Road. The only thing is I have seen developments approved that have these silly parking-to-dwelling ratios.

"(4) The schools in the catchment area are full to capacity and over subscribed."
A donation to education via a Section 106 agreement will sort this out - apparently.

"(5) There are no play areas in close proximity to the development to cater for the influx of children."
Yes absolutely correct but unfortunately the developer's attitude is that�s its not up to them. However, if the developers say they cannot accommodate a play area the group should just mention nearby 'Tabbs Gardens'.

The other criticism from the group is the traffic problems this development will cause, particularly pulling onto Chester Road North. Yep, there will be traffic problems, but since when did traffic congestion and problems ever stop a development!

Photo Exhibition

tavis.pitt@wfa.org.uk (Tavis Pitt) — 30 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Amazingly I had some spare time on my own this Saturday so I seized the opportunity, loaded my camera and set out on the streets of Kidderminster. I went to the Photo Exhibition at Kidderminster Art Gallery (inside Kidderminster Library) held by the Kidderminster Camera Club.

Kidderminster Camera Club Photo Exhibition 2010

It was quiet and I was the only one there when I visited, but that it how I liked it. I enjoyed the exhibition and loved the photographs. There was a fair mix, a photo-edit, a few scenic, a few actions photos and a few micro-photography flowers and a bee.

Of course, I had to play my game _ judging the photos. In looking at all the photographs from multiple angles here are my favourite:

#1 To The Sea, Richard Rathbone
An extra wide landscape of a beach with small specks of families playing in the sand. It was my favourite because every time I approach a beach I always look at the whole beach. What I see when I do this with my eyes is what was in this photo, something I have never emulated after several attempts at photography.

#2 Eilean Doman Castle, Rob Hunt
My second favourite is the picturesque Eilean Donan photographed by Rob Hunt. OK, the subject is prime photo fodder, with the tranquil Loch Duich in the foreground reflecting the island of Donn�n and mountains as a backdrop. However, it shined out from a distance when other photos seemed to dim (does that make sense?)

#3 Out of a Sardinian Tunnel, Richard Rathbone
Another winner from Richard Rathbone, which I only discovered after I make my shortlist. This is an action shot of a steam train exiting a tunnel (a Sardinian Tunnel presumably). I liked it because the bellowing steam seemed to be caught in great detail.

For runners up I picked the unusual and the contemporary namely 'Clips by Eddie Humphries' and 'Severn Side South Bewdley by Eddie Humphries'.

I recommend a visit, why not pick your three favourite photos and see if it matches mine.

Wilden Lane, Wilden Lane, Wilden Lane

tavis.pitt@wfa.org.uk (Tavis Pitt) — 21 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Thanks to Harriers9, Richard Maguire (on FixMyStreet) and Anonymous (on FixMyStreet) we are all aware that there are seriously deep potholes on Wilden Lane. Here you go...

Harriers9
16 Januaary 2010
Harriers-Online

Have to agree that the holes in Wilden Lane are terrible Tav.

There's a whole patch of them in one direction towards Stourport, just by the quarry entrance. The only way to avoid them is to slow right down and then steer completely into the Kidderminster bound lane.

I hit them this morning and waited for the sound of air leaving my tyres. Thankfully it didn't but I can guarantee the damage will show up when I go for new tyres and the fitter tells me to come and look at the crack in my alloys.

Harriers9
16 Januaary 2010
Harriers-Online

Some pictures of the holes on this important minor road that has wrecked the nearside tyre of my car.

Wilden Lane potholes [Harriers9]

Harriers9
16 Januaary 2010
Harriers-Online

I've informed the Highways Agency and no doubt they'll rush round in two weeks time to throw a bit of hardcore at it.

They could put some cones in place as a temporary measure though.

Richard Maguire
19 January 2010

There is a huge pothole here, the thud when hitting was massive. I have just had my wheels re-aligned because of the other potholes down Wilden Lane - I am going to have to do again. This is not good enough.

Richard Maguire
16 January 2010

The whole of Wilden Lane is pepperred with Potholes, the area marked has always been bad but is even worse now. The holes are so big it made a huge bang when I hit it and it through a drinks can from the cupholder. Please fix before they cause an accident / damage

Anon.
16 January 2010

The pot holes are terrible and have got worse since the cold spell.

Anon.
16 January 2010

Numerous potholes between Bigbury Lane junction and McDonalds roundabout (Worcester Rd Kidderminster) on both sides of road.

Anon.
16 January 2010

On northbound side of road around 50 yards from the Hartlebury Road junction.

Wyre Forest unemployment

tavis.pitt@wfa.org.uk (Tavis Pitt) — 25 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Although the hot potato for party politicos is the Stourport Postal Sorting Office (see here and here), the next PR subject seems to be unemployment. Since Nigel Knowles [Labour, PPC] as yet to answer my question (see below) I decided to try and answer it myself.

Firstly, Nigel Knowles blinds us with national statistics then relates it to Wyre Forest with one sentence, "In Wyre Forest the level is lower than the average". Umm, not giving much away are you? Never mind, I'll tell the people the way it is if you don't. He then turns the argument on the Tories, but only by using a national newspaper headline. Credit where credit is due he does mention the newspaper and date but fails to provide a link to it. Come on people, this is the Interweb, you know, a web of links!

Nigel says...

Nigel Knowles
20 January 2010
Nigel Knowles

Good news on the economic front � unemployment fell by 7,000 in November and now stands at 2.46 million. The number of people claiming Job Seekers Allowance has also fallen to 1.61 million. Unemployment nationally is 7.8%, down from 7.9%. In Wyre Forest the level is lower than the average. The Labour Government has intervened into the British economy, protecting jobs, families and public services. What do the Tories offer? According to the Tory House Magazine “The Daily Telegraph� (15th January 2010) the headline read “We�ll slash spending on day one, say Tories�. There is a real choice for the electors in Wyre Forest. Vote Labour for jobs, public services, and to protect our living standards, or vote Tory to “slash spending� and therefore slash investment in jobs and services. Perhaps the ballot paper should actually spell this out, rather than just listing the candidates?

...and my comment (still to be answered)...

Tav
21 January 2010
The Wyre Forest Agenda

You haven�t mentioned that since the recession (end of 2007) unemployment in Wyre Forest has consistently risen, doubled in fact. If elected as MP how are you going to reverse this trend?

Let's get this into the numbers: There are roughly 64,000 people in Wyre Forest of workable age, this will also include those people too rich to need to work (maybe?) and those not wanting to work (housekeepers, full-time careers, etc...). Now there are roughly 2,500 people in Wyre Forest searching for work (taking Job Seekers Allowance) and this figure has risen from late 2007 (the start of the recession). Now I work that out at 3.9%.

To be fair though Mark Garnier also shows the figures, well actually he quotes the figures. However is does provide a good indicator by mixing the number of job seekers and the jobs worth seeking (but only in the Job Centre): "...4.5% of Wyre Forest (including Kidderminster) residents are now claiming unemployment benefit. But in the Jobcentre Plus, there are just 205 vacancies meaning that there are 13 claimants for every vacancy". Umm, let me try that, 'for every 1 person claiming unemployment benefit there are 25 working'.

Ok, numbers are boring but at least I show them (and my sources). Let's get down to the grass roots. Back in August last year Mark Garnier found political leverage with the closure of the Stourport Job Centre on Bridge Street.

So that has happened, what about the future? Here Mark Garnier plays his club card with the 'Stourport Road Corridor', according to Mark Garnier we need him to act as 'Wyre Forest�s ambassador' (i.e. MP) to make 'Stourport Road Corridor' an attractive area for businesses to locate. I find this interesting, when at the 'Say No to the [Hartlebury] Incinerator' Peter Luff MP [Conservative, Mid Worcestershire] said there isn't much he can do. Now wouldn't it be great if the 'Say Yes to the Stourport Road Corridor' campaign group held their inaugural meeting and had as many people turn up in support as the 'Say No to the [Hartlebury] Incinerator' campaign. Then their next meeting they elect a leader, spokesman, committee members, etc. and they get all the volunteers together to clean the place up; write to businesses and billionaires; liaison with government and funding opportunities; etc.. Surely if the 'Stop Kidderminster Incinerator' and 'Drakelow Development Trust' can stop unfavourable developments the 'Say Yes to the Stourport Road Corridor' can start a favourable one!

PS. On another note, if you want the unemployment rate to lower in Wyre Forest, just get more 'unsociable' (expensive or canal side) housing development built. The job seekers count won't fall but the working commuters count will increase.

Angle

tavis.pitt@wfa.org.uk (Tavis Pitt) — 24 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

I saw this artistic photo on flickr...

Angle [Mark H. Roberts]

The photographer, Mark Roberts, also has a two photos in the Kidderminster Camera Club exhibition at Kidderminster Library.

Poo!

tavis.pitt@wfa.org.uk (Tavis Pitt) — 23 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

I saw this on my travels...

Dog poo sign

I fully agree that dog shit is disgusting and irresponsible dog owners who allow their dog to defecate on public rights of way are despicable. However their solution is to, “PUT IN BIN AT END OF ROAD“. What bin? Oh, that bin...

Dog poo bin?

uh!

Great Photo

tavis.pitt@wfa.org.uk (Tavis Pitt) — 22 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Wow, I found a great photo on Facebook. Which part of Kidderminster is this though?

untitled [Aitch Edwards]

X-Men, The Fantastic Four and The Jury Team

tavis.pitt@wfa.org.uk (Tavis Pitt) — 19 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Wow, I get my letter published in the Shuttle...

Attacking the people

Then an exact opposite letter from the 'Tory Toastmaster' himself, 'Howard Jones'...

Hoping for change of colour

I'm tempted to comment on these letters, but walkerno5 and FlipC have made some excellent points.

With all the 'local vs. national politics' combined with the 'independent (singularity) vs. political party' debates going on I'm starting to wonder if this is the beginning of the end of the party system. Our 'independent' MP has been independent for nine years and counting. We elected him, not a party nor leader, and in return he represents the people and not a political party. I dismissed my wondering, since this must be a localised 'Wyre Forest' phenomenon.

Now I'm wondering if we in Wyre Forest are not alone, so I do a bit of research to see if the 'independent (singularity) vs. political party' debate is being discussed or even actioned elsewhere. Then I only have to travel down the A449 and see that Paul Judge [President, Mid-Worcestershire Conservatives] has been instrumental in starting the 'Jury Team', an umbrella organisation set up to help independent candidates stand in elections. Ummm, perhaps this really is the beginning of the end of the party system.

Umm, I think I will add a comment...

Tav
19 January 2010
The Wyre Forest Agenda

If the 'credible option' is the Conservative party, why has Sir. Paul Judge, President of Mid-Worcestershire Conservatives started the 'Jury Team', an umbrella organisation set up to help independent candidates stand in elections?

IE8 - Suggested Sites

tavis.pitt@wfa.org.uk (Tavis Pitt) — 18 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Like the German and French governments, at work we have been given orders to use Firefix, Giggle Foam or upgrade to Internet Exploder 8. I upgraded to IE8 and this is the suggested sites for the 'agenda...

WFA Suggested Sites

RIP James Williams

tavis.pitt@wfa.org.uk (Tavis Pitt) — 17 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

RIP James Williams, industrial chemist, antiquarian, and a Stourportian. (Is that right, 'Stourportian'?)

Sim-Kiddy 2000

tavis.pitt@wfa.org.uk (Tavis Pitt) — 16 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

This could be the start of something big...

The city of Kiddy [Facebook]

speaking of Wilden Lane...

tavis.pitt@wfa.org.uk (Tavis Pitt) — 15 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Wow, talk about gritting on Wilden Lane. What a fantastic endorcement of my scenario, I wonder if the person who wrote this thinks, 'stuff the County Councillor'?

"The pot holes are terrible and have got worse since the cold spell."

Trouble is Tavis...

tavis.pitt@wfa.org.uk (Tavis Pitt) — 15 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

I got carried away with my reply to Neville's comment on the 'Who ya' goin' a' call?' blog that I thought I would repeat it here as a blog in itself...

Neville Farmer
11 January 2010
Neville Farmer
Wyre Forest Liberal Democrats

Trouble is Tavis, there has to be a line drawn somewhere on electing people. Too many elections and nobody does anything except chase votes. I'd much rather spend my time getting on with the job but I've chosen this route. The best transport chiefs are not necessarily the best political campaigners.

The US elects its sheriffs but would you want that kind of system, where justice is doled out on the say-so of the people who shout loudest? It's no surprise that minority groups get arrested more, get longer sentences, get the death penalty.

As for transport - if there were limited numbers of votes in Wilden Lane and more influential votes on Chester Road South, where would you send the gritters?

I am totally in favour of elected members of the public overseeing education, policing, health but the officers themselves need to be experts at doing the job, not campaigning to be elected to do it.

Tav
15 January 2010
The Wyre Forest Agenda

Ok sorry for the delay in my response. '...too many elections...' We only have three different types of elections every 4 or 5 years, how you can you comprehend 'too many elections' that yet alone make an assumption that 'nobody does anything'?

The campaigning, especially at a local level like Transport Commissioners, is not as important as the campaigning we have at the moment for councillor elections. A retired VOSA inspector is just going to be more appealing to voters more than a young chap with a few years experience at the young Conservatives. Although we are talking annual elections so the campaign could be 'stick with experience' or 'try the young guys new ideas'.

Re. US Sheriffs: If this was endemic (or continually happening in small pockets) in the USA we would have heard about it or if it happens it is being dealt with quickly. However, let's give a better scenario from the UK. While Margaret Thatcher was Prime Minister the trade unions were, quite frankly, taking liberties. On occasions when the shop floor were on strike employers would employ people to take their place. They would turn up on their first day at work and promptly join the strike. Legislation was brought about to make it a condition that a ballot was taken before industrial action (along with other legislation). Since then there have been strikes that have been prevented from lack of votes, other times the ballot was found to be illegal and it effectively became a cooling-down period. Before this legislation a union leader would raise his hand and say something like '3000 members say yes to that motion' from talking to those members who shout loudest. Sounds familiar? It should do because this is what elected councillors do everyday throughout the country.

I can't see how your 'gritters' on Wilden Lane scenario helps your argument. Let's look at this scenario now under the current regime. You live in a country lane and you are annoyed that the main routes are being gitted and your lane is not. Other residents in other lanes also feel left out. So independently you all think, 'stuff the County Councillor' I'm not re-electing him. If after two years you haven't forgot about it a planning application for an incinerator has been put forward up your lane. The same County Councillor you wanted to oust for lack of gritting is fighting with you against the incinerator. When election time comes around how can I make my vote heard to say I don't like your management of gritting, but I like it that you were enthusiastic against the incinerator? Added to this you are not asked these questions, only 'who do you want as a councillor for the next 4 or 5 years (and you can't change your mind later)'.

The system (annual elections on all specific heads) lends itself to sorting out the doers from the think-they-can doers. I'm sure the residents of Broadwaters would love the chance to vote for or against Cllr. Ahmed again!

The Incinerator #3

tavis.pitt@wfa.org.uk (Tavis Pitt) — 14 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

I made my first public appointment for 2010. I attended the Public Meeting regarding the proposed Hartlebury Incinerator. The turnout was massive, and by 7pm (start time) there was still a queue of people wanting to enter.

'Say No to the Incinerator' meeting

The chair was Cllr. Jenny Jones [Chairman, Hartlebury Parish Council] and along the table there were representatives from the Environmental Agency; Friends of the Earth; Clare Cassidy from SKI (Stop the Kidderminster Incinerator); the liaison group; 'Say No to the Incinerator' group; a representative from the County Council, and Peter Luff MP. Wychavon district councillor, Cllr. Mathews [Hartlebury, Conservative] sent her apologies but it was reported that she is against an incinerator.

The basic gist of the meeting was an initial 'lets-get-started' type of affair. Cllr. Jones said she was overwhelmed by the turnout. She stated that Elmley Lovett and Hartlebury parish councils were against. The county councillor (sorry I didn't get his name) gave us some facts and figures from the County briefing session. The 'Say No' campaign stated that 85% of the proposed for incineration is recyclable, and then mentioned 'Anaerobic Digestion' which I had never heard of. The liaison group came up next and reinforce some more anti-incinerator arguments (they were the first to bring up toxins). Peter Luff MP then took the stage and stated that if the two parish councils are against the incinerator so he will be. 'Enough-is-enough' argument was mentioned before and also reinforced by Peter Luff MP. One thing he did say was that waste management of many micro sites would be a better alternative that one big central location (logistically not geographically!) for both Herefordshire and Worcestershire.

Then Friends of the Earth came up next and mentioned fair arbitration and also the UK Without Incinerator Network. He then introduces Clare Cassidy from SKI Stop the Kidderminster Incinerator who was having a d�j� vu experience, she was purporting 'you are not alone'.

There were questions raised from the public and a few key players made themselves known, the solicitor for the Drakelow Preservation Trust; a Green Party candidate calling to make this an election issue; and, someone from another campaign group who discovered that the County Council had suddenly found some objection letters after the group did some investigation. (!)

After a suggestion from the public to have a collection box, someone produced two huge buckets outside the exits for a collection.

For an initial meeting the turnout was extremely good, remember the application has not even be drawn up yet. Cllr. Jones admitted she was worried about the meeting but was relieved with the considerate manner everyone held in listening and asking questions. I can't imagine what she thought it was going to be.

Overall I'm glad I went.

With every visit (usually council committee meetings) I award someone with an award for public speaking, so this should be no different. The award, 'Man of the Meeting' has to go to the 'Friends of the Earth' representative (I didn't get his name). His speech wasn't what I had expected to be honest, but it delivered a sense of hope and comradely that I could feel among the audience. Also he had a little anecdote which helps. Well done.

Wow, it's Wednesday

tavis.pitt@wfa.org.uk (Tavis Pitt) — 13 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Wow, it's Wednesday already. I have had a jam-packed family weekend and Monday & Tuesday was chock-a-block with personal chores and blurfing on the Shuttle defending an attack on our democratically elected MP. Right so 'agenda time now and it's catch up. If I make it before my 'agenda time runs out I post something more substantial otherwise you have just got this.

Doctor doctor #1

tavis.pitt@wfa.org.uk (Tavis Pitt) — 7 Jan 2010 17:40:12 GMT

Well election fever is certainly starting to spread in the blogs and letters of the Shuttle newspaper. I hesitate to use the term election year, because, quite frankly that would be a lie, it's an election quad-year because we only get to play democracy once every four years (or twice a decade).

One letter that had my interest and also got me puzzled was from Cllr. Jannette Adams [Conservative, Bewdley East] entitled, ''Them and us' stance costs vital NHS funds'. The interest was a politically motivated letter from a Tory councillor (Bewdley Town Council) who only states her past medical and patient liaison credentials. The puzzlement comes from her un-sourced reference (grrrr!) to a 'negative statement' from Dr. Richard Taylor [Health Concern, Wyre Forest].

So in researching this blog I sent her an email (see my burfings (rss) for the complete text) asking for sources. This is something a good newspaper (hint, hint The Shuttle) should have done. In the mean time Fran [Cllr. Fran Oborski (Liberal, unelected Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee Representative)] jumps on the bandwagon and, as usual, misses out the background information, you know the stuff that she will keep from you until you ask.

I'm still confused and I don't want to add my opinion until I have all the information. Then Cllr. Howard Martin [Health Concern, Leader of ICHC) let's the cat out of the hat, “Also the attack on Richard Taylor is clearly politically motivated and unworthy. After all isn't Jan Adams also a Tory Bewdley Town Councillor?".

Then an amazing event happens I get not one by two replies from a Tory! Yes, imagine that, a Tory replying to your message! She explains that the 'negative statement' was in the MP's Viewpoint column in the Shuttle before Christmas. OK let's have a look...

MP's Viewpoint - 17-Dec-2009 - nothing

MP's Viewpoint - 10-Dec-2009 - a bit about the NHS IT system and the Equality Bill (so nothing)

MP's Viewpoint - 3-Dec-2009 - conference in Kidderminster on mental illness (nothing)

MP's Viewpoint - 26-Nov-2009 - school visit - nothing

MP's Viewpoint - 19-Nov-2009 - Motoveight, RoadPeace and school visit - nothing

MP's Viewpoint - 12-Nov-2009 - nothing

MP's Viewpoint - 5-Nov-2009 - nothing

MP's Viewpoint - 29-Oct-2009 - (this is still 'before Christmas', right?) - Baxter College (I covered this) - so nothing

MP's Viewpoint - 22-Oct-2009 - the Associate Parliamentary Health Group and bit about our lack of democracy is mentioned but nothing on KTC.

MP's Viewpoint - 15-Oct-2009 - oh is this it? No it's the NHS Constitution

MP's Viewpoint - 8-Oct-2009 - now I'm in the archives and at this point the Shuttle have closed (and deleted) old comments (grrrrr!). - no nothing!

MP's Viewpoint - 1-Oct-2009 - nothing

Surely September isn't classed as 'Before Christmas'. Perhaps I have missed it?

So I'll trawl through the articles again and also reply to Cllr. Adams for some more clarity. Looks like this will turn into one of those #1, #2, #3, etc... type of blogs.

Bewdley Station

tavis.pitt@wfa.org.uk (Tavis Pitt) — 8 Jan 2010 07:32:05 GMT

Bewdley Railway Station, in all its glory:

Bewdley Station Building [Matthew Black]

Snow!

tavis.pitt@wfa.org.uk (Tavis Pitt) — 5 Jan 2010 13:46:52 GMT

Just in case you forgot the last time is snowed and stuck, here is Waterside Grange, Kidderminster in August 2009:

Waterside Grange Winter 2009 [Facebook Member]

Feed me!

tavis.pitt@wfa.org.uk (Tavis Pitt) — 5 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

After a comment on The Mad Ranter, FlipC has prompted me to move with the times. So I have thrown away my CD player and my fax machine and I'm saying hello to RSS. I have decided to create two RSS feeds, one for the 'agenda (as requested by FlipC) and the other a track of my burfing of the blogosphere. This is more for my benefit than anything else, especially since I have recently discovered that the Shuttle removes comments after a certain period of time. Obviously they do not value their readers' opinions! Anyway the 'Blurfings of Tavis Pitt' will track any comments, profile, blurfings, or joining something that has a potential for 'agenda fodder.

I have also published the feeds on the various sites, so let's see what becomes of this!

The Wyre Forest Agenda
The Blurfings of Tavis Pitt

School's nostalgic exhibition

tavis.pitt@wfa.org.uk (Tavis Pitt) — 4 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

From Stourport News and Kidderminster Times, Friday 3 June 1977...

School's nostalgic exhibition [Stourport News & Kidderminster Times]

???WFDC?

tavis.pitt@wfa.org.uk (Tavis Pitt) — 3 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Now I thought all the commotion of date and computers was 2000, apparently it 2010...

[WFDC]

The council have gone Chinese!

NHS KTC is A-OK

tavis.pitt@wfa.org.uk (Tavis Pitt) — 2 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Hey, Kidderminster Treatment Centre gets good reviews.

Happy New 2010

tavis.pitt@wfa.org.uk (Tavis Pitt) — 1 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Happy New Year

2009 Photos

tavis.pitt@wfa.org.uk (Tavis Pitt) — 31 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

As a end-of-year-treat I thought I would display all the photos and images from 2009:

New Years Day, Thursday 1 January 2009: Happy New 2009!

Foam party [BBC]

Saturday 3 January 2009: Postensplain

Postensplain [running (slowly) in forests (mainly)]

Wednesday 14 January 2009: Sunflower, sunflower, where are you from?

Sunflower mystery....! [Wyre Forest Liberals]

Friday 16 January 2009: Come back Lassie

HAMSTER THEFT [BBC]

Saturday 17 January 2009: Infamy again!

Outtake TV, 17/01/2009 [BBC]

Sunday 18 January 2009: Birds eye view of Bewdley

untitled [Jules Philips]

Sunday 25 January 2009: Illusions of grandeur?

KTC 3 Coming Soon [Wyre Forest Conservatives]

Sunday 8 February 2009: Spenalls?

SPENALLS SUK DIK

Sunday 15 February 2009: On the buses...

Kidderminster: The exhibits arrive [Christopher Leech]

Wednesday 18 February 2009: Stourport & Kidderminster Convalescent Home

Stourport & Kidderminster Convalescent Home [yorkshirebidding]

Thursday 19 February 2009: Locked in

locked in [Lisa B]

Tuesday 10 March 2009: Move Wyre Forest

The Wyre Forest Visitor Centre

Tuesday 17 March 2009: The Making of Snuff

The Making of Snuff [Bewdley Museum]

Thursday 19 March 2009: Is this bridge by �Capability� Brown?

Is this bridge by �Capability� Brown? [Jo Bloom]

Monday 27 April 2009: Julian Tank

julian tank (comberton hill) april 14th 1918 [Mandy Harmon Was Arnold]

Friday 24 July 2009: Kangaroos found fighting in Kidderminster

Kangaroo Boxing Suits Hire [Cosmic Castles]

Tuesday 11 August 2009: Bewdley is lovely in the sunshine

Sarah and Simon in Bewdley

Friday 14 August 2009: Stourport is lovely in the sunshine

Stourport from the riverside path

Wednesday 26 August 2009: Flashing in Kidderminster

Flashing in Kidderminster � A Hairy Moment [Frank Anthony]

Thursday 15 October 2009: Kidderminster tonight!

untitled [Stagecoachuk]

Friday 4 December 2009: Read the weblog, got the t-shirt

WFA T-Shirt [Magic Widgets]

Sunday 7 December 2009: TP Toys - Urban exploration?

TP Toys Stourport [TinyFizzyPop]

Thursday 10 December 2009: Kidderminster Tourist Board

untitled [Kidderminster Tourist Board]

Friday 18 December 2009: Argyfyngau

untitled [sell73out]

Sunday 20 December 2009: Hyde Lock

Rebuilding the towpath at Hyde Lock [George Wood Collection]

Chirstmas Eve, Thursday 24 December 2009: Sign of the times unfortunately

Have you seen this sign? [Bewdley Labour]

Tuesday 29 December 2009: Kidderminster Art(ist)

A Postcard From Kidderminster (detail) [James Howorth]

...surprisingly there are more than I thought.

The Incinerator #2

tavis.pitt@wfa.org.uk (Tavis Pitt) — 30 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Hot off the press from the 'Say No To The Incinerator' campaign...

This is how you will be affected [Say No to the Incinerator]

Kidderminster Art(ist)

tavis.pitt@wfa.org.uk (Tavis Pitt) — 29 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Hey, Kidderminster art by a Kidderminster artist!

Kidderminster Through Time

tavis.pitt@wfa.org.uk (Tavis Pitt) — 28 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Hey a new local history book. I'll get it with my Christmas money...

The Wyre Forest Agenda Facebook Application

tavis.pitt@wfa.org.uk (Tavis Pitt) — 27 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

I'm just messing around with my new comment functionality and I tried to link it to facebook. Now there is a Wyre Forest Agenda Facebook application! Like the icon?

Christmas Day UFO

tavis.pitt@wfa.org.uk (Tavis Pitt) — 26 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Apart from one of our family members taking a serious accident Christmas has been on the whole an enjoyable one. I got a photo of my wife and I with Father Christmas as he visited our house and in the evening as we returned home (walking) we saw two orange lights in the night sky. Great opportunity... 'Kids, look in the sky there is Farther Christmas returning to Lapland'.

Quarries of Wyre Forest

tavis.pitt@wfa.org.uk (Tavis Pitt) — 23 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

From my reckoning from the 'Quarries Old and New: The Severn north of Worcester and the Teme Valley' article there were ten quarries in the Wyre Forest district...

Wolverley

Puxton

Hoo Road

Zenith

Highfield

Hoo Farm

Stourhill

Bonemill

Brant Farm

Lickhill