News from Blakenall

I got news by asking the question that this Council spends £867K on communications unit.up £300K in 3 years  .. now i know we have to present a good image of Walsall to  the world but this does sound a lot of money! Certainly if labour took over in May we would wish to look very carefully at this cost and prioritise any spend on promotion of walsall Borough to attract new businesses especially to save our Town centres that look dire at the moment with closed shops.. I would accuse the current tory administration of failing miserably in the regeneration department in comparison to what should have been achieved even in a very difficult economic climate.
I was also questioning that areas such as thames road in Bloxwich east had been given a lot of cash via a number of sources to do up not only the rented WHG properties but also the many private houses .. Up to £15K on these private houses with no contribution by the owners.. now I have areas such as Goscote close , Dolphin close and Goscote lane where WHG are doing up their properties but the privately owned hones are not getting any support.. unfair is a printable comment..
There is the launch of a proposal for 700 to 800 homes for the now empty areas in Poets and Goscote after the demolition some 5 years ago. Economics has got in the way of what by now would have been a new community built and up and running. Now it is much more difficult.. so the suggestion is that we swop the current green belt of the top field past the canal above swannies field for the open space now in Goscote and build on this field and only build around  70 houses on the former Gosctoe site. Consultants who are supposed to know what they are talking about say that this will attract the serious builders who will commit to finally rebuilding this community. The number of 'affordable' houses on offer will be cut to 15% and the new build will be mostly private houses for sale. I am currently asking all residents to repsond either in person to the open meeting Thursday 19th January 3.30 to 8pm at the Blakenall village centre ( Thames rd) so that i can represent you all about your real concerns for this set of proposals which will come out as a planning application in February and go to planning committee in April. If passed wail go for European tender and if ( and although attractive there is no guarantee of success) we could be looking at a build start by this time next year.
Many conditions need sot be placed here. A serious commitment by WHG to keep area clean and maintained. a commitment by the police to drive out the drug dealers, those running scrap dealing etc from their home address, those who are badly anti social in their behaviour , a supply of security cameras, big pruning of hedges and other places where these folk hide, landscaping commitments to both Goscote site and swannies field with a decent bridge across the canal, fishing points on canal side etc and of course restoration of a proper bus service down Goscote lane.
We shall learn with interest what other comments are received before the planning application goes in
regards
Cllr Ian Robertson