How much does your local councillor get? Medway Councillors allowances and expenses 2009-2010

http://www.medway.gov.uk/membersallowances2009-10.pdf

Medway Council's Medway Matters pamphlet - what's it all about Rodney

Having just received my obligitory copy of Medway Matters, I was struck by the number of times the word "Medway" appears in it (128 until I fell asleep - excluding email addresses adverts etc). Why am I sent this - all the info is readily available in local press or online? Who pays for this mag - is it me with my council tax ( it can't be funded by adverts because there are only a handful)? I have emailed Medway Council to ask how this mag is funded but have received no reply yet (will keep you posted). There are several articles that ask for the readers' feedback or comments - is this Medway Council's excuse for consultation? Can they then say that they have consulted thousands of people and have met their obligations? 
What are your views on Medway Matters please let me know - and by the way what has happened to the "Letters" page - perhaps they don't get any letters other than complaints?

Medway Council are just too arrogant to listen to sound and informed advice.

I quote from The City of Rochester Society Annual Report  2009/2010 :- "Discussions with the Council on the question of city status continued throughout the year. Considerable attention is now focused on major events planned for 2012, with the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, the hosting of the Olympics, and the 200th Anniversary of Charles Dicken's birth which all give cause for celebration. We understand that the Council is entering into competition with other towns to make a further bid for city status. The simplest way forward would be for the Council to agree to a change of name to 'Rochester upon Medway' when the application for city status is renewed. It is felt by the society that this would have a far greater chance of success. Medway Council can still continue to promote the area as 'Medway'. The city of Kingston upon Hull, which is usually referred to as Hull is a good example. This has been explained to the Council in a succinct document, prepared by the society. In the absence of our Press Officer, our Secretary was called upon to make an appearance recently on BBC Breakfast TV to give the Society's views on city status."

The council are obviously too ignorant and incompetent to take this sound advice - another wheelbarrow-full of our money will be wasted on their stupid and futile bid to have a river named a city! Idiots.

When will Medway Council close Globe Lane to all traffic except buses and taxis?

The unbelievable must soon happen and they will actually close this any day now! Another nail in the coffin of Chatham. I think this will finally kill it off! R.I.P Chatham as a retail destination - God help the businesses trying to exist there!

Extract from The Local Government Ombudsman's Annual review for Medway Council - March 2009

This year our Advice Team dealt with 94 enquiries and complaints about your Council. Of these,
19 related to complaints which were deemed to be premature and so were referred back to the
Council for investigation. The categories that generated the most significant number of enquiries
and complaints were Education (28), Planning & Building Control (17) and Transport & Highways
(11). These categories also accounted for the majority of the 60 complaints forwarded to the
investigative team.

MORE new Additions to the list! - Medway Council - Top 100 (or more!) unpopular/incompetent decisions by successive Tory dominated councils.

Please add to my list (in no particular order):
1. Loss of City Status
2. Closure of Rochester Market to provide income generating car parking
3. CCTV Car(s)
4. Destruction of Aveling and Porter building to provide income generating car parking
5. Destruction of riverside wharves to provide thusfar non-existant development
6. Vandalism (tree felling etc) of The Paddock for "Dynamic" Bus Station
7. Vandalism of Riverside Gardens (tree felling etc) for "Dynamic" Bus Station
8. Vandalism of Great Lines (tree felling, destruction of wildlife habitat)
9. Changes to Black Lion Sports Centre (including renaming as Medway Park!)
10. Closure of college to sell off land opposite Rochester Airport for development
11. Relocation of Age Concern/Help the Aged from central Chatham to Hopewell Drive Business Estate, Luton
12. Failure to ensure the refurbishment of Pentagon toilets
13. Selling off parts of Watts Meadow for development
14. Selling off Copperfield Green Space for development
15. Failing to provide public parking at Gun Wharf Council offices
16. Publishing and distributing "Medway Matters" (a blatant piece of propaganda) using our money
17. Failing to consult effectively and/or failing to listen to consultation on almost every issue
18. The "Elephant in The Room" preventing any regeneration of Chatham is THE PENTAGON - demolish it!
19. Merger of Chatham South School & Medway Community College to form the vast Chatham Academy (added by Tracy)
20. Proposed closure of St John's C of E Infants (thanks to Tracy for this addition)
21. Proposed closure of Ridge Meadow Primary school (thanks again Tracy)

22.Axing of jobs - loss of park wardens at Maidstone Rd Sports Ground

the only sports ground in Chatham Central! (from Tracy)

23. Loss of loos at Maidstone Rd Sports Ground - Council voted to demolish [ & have demolished them ] & will not be re-instating. The nearest & only public loo in Chatham is actually the coin operated [20p portaloo] which is located far away down in the Town Centre behind Debenhams.

Unfortunately it is not accessible for the disabled & has no baby changing facilities either,

but it is available 24hrs !! (from Tracy) 

24. Queen St/Slicketts Hill car parks which are to be sold off & potentially developed into blocks of flats [ I think the Council refers to these blocks of flats as Podiums ] Wont they have a nice outlook ? - Iceland's car park / Tesco's / burst sofas in gardens, the graffiti behind them.'Rennaisance' loves the idea.... it'll  all be so terribly modern ? And right alongside the 'new Brook Boulevard' .. HA!!

But with limited parking / access / all those lifts etc... just think how hard it is going to

be trying to even move your furniture in.. let alone living there ?

Can you imagine the cost of the service charges ?

And they're not likely to be cheap..... I wonder just who can afford / will be attracted to live there ? (from Tracy.
25, Failure years ago to back the campaigners to save the Theatre Royal in Chatham. (thank you Bash Street Kid)

The Paddock Protest against Medway Council bus station, Great Lines etc

Have a look at this film! http://www.davewise.biz/Regeneration%20films.html