Dear Constituent
This is the first newsletter of 2024. There was not a lot to report in January as things did not really get going until halfway through the month. I have continued to keep my casework up to date and have reported quite a lot of fly tipping, please keep this issue coming to me when you see them.
TUESDAY 30TH OF JANUARY I attended a coffee morning at Elim Church in Mosborough this was useful as I was able to meet with members of the community.
ON WEDNESDAY 31ST OF JANUARY I attended as a founder member of the Westfield Big Local partnership to our first meeting of 2024. The community centre at Westfield is the home of the big local and needs community support. We have a valuable asset here and the volunteers along with the manager are doing a sterling job in putting on events for the people of Westfield. Can I encourage you to pop in and see what is being offered. We need to keep this building used or we may lose it which would be unthinkable.
ON THURSDAY 1ST OF FEBRUARY I went along to St Marks Church in Mosborough for their coffee morning again to meet members of the community and listen to their concerns.
As a member of the communities’ parks and leisure policy committee I spent the morning of the 2nd of February with other members and officers of the committee looking at some of the City’s parks. We also have weekly briefings which I attend.
ON TUESDAY 6TH OF FEBRUARY I attended a meeting looking at youth provision across the City and all the hard work that is being done for our young people. It is vitally important that we involve our youngsters in our decision making on their behalf so that they feel included and not marginalised.
WEDNESDAY 7TH OF FEBRUARY was full council day and I was there to represent Mosborough Ward.
On Wednesday 14th of February I chaired a meeting at Shortbrook School about public transport in our area and across the region, attended by Clive Betts MP and the Mayor of South Yorkshire Oliver Coppard who came to speak to the people about his plans. Currently he is carrying out a review with regard to bringing in a franchising arrangement where the mayor and the transport authority will decide on the routes and the frequencies just as is started to be rolled out in Greater Manchester. That takes time to do because of the way the laws have been written and he of course must comply with those to show that franchising is the best way to run bus services and resist any challenge from the commercial operators. Certainly, I firmly believe that we have to get to a point where buses become a public service and therefore publicly elected representatives at local level decide on the bus services and how they should be operated.
On Friday the 23rd of February I attended the Mosborough Community Action Group meeting, where we met with partners and the Police to look at issues around housing, ASB and crime. These meeting take place every month where we as councillors have an opportunity to question Council Officers and the Police around issues that have been raised by members of the community.
On Saturday the 24th of February I was at Crystal Peaks Library at my regular 4th Saturday of the month Councillors surgery at 10am. This is to give people an opportunity to come and discuss issues that are concerning them face to face with me. I also hold a surgery on the 2nd Thursday of the Month at the Westfield community centre at 1.30pm.
On Tuesday 27th of February I met with the friends of Heathlands park and Council Officers where we were looking at siting new play equipment.
On Thursday the 29th of February I attended a public meeting of the Local Area Committee where I was joined by councillors from across the Southeast of the City at Birley Academy.
Councillor Tony Downing