Fantastic news, following a meeting last week i have some plans for the new £160k playground funded by the developers of Norton Heights. This has been a frustration for many residents but i look forward to getting this scheme underway and finally providing a play area for the children in our ward.

Dennis Vickers from Norton Utd (our wards top footballing side who are on for winning all sorts of things this year) has been kind enough to send me this snippet from Danny Bakers show at the weekend that mentions Norton’s crazy end of season run in. Norton have to play something like 11 games in 16 days! Check it out at about 12 minutes in!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/b01gh8d2?rpSt=Danny+Baker&rpSrp=1.0

News hit the papers today of the closure of the iconic and unique “Hole in the wall” oatcake shop, a place i spent many sunday mornings pre football getting my weekly couple when i lived on one of the new estates in Hanley. while this is sad to see the area of Hanley is half way through a major phase of regeneration that is once again starting to pick up pace with more houses earmarked for sites held up during the credit crunch.

Personally it would have been great of the shop keeper would have been able to relocate his unique premises but unfortunetly this does’nt seem to have happened. Good luck to them and a happy retirement!

For more please see the news link below.

http://www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk/Hole-Wall-oatcake-shop-close-month/story-15317592-detail/story.html

Recently myself and a group of councillors from the City Renewal overview and scrutiny committee did a task and finish group on theatre provision in the city. If you woudl like to read more about this please follow the link below.

http://www.cfps.org.uk/library?item=7029&filter=theatres&offset=0

I had a really good time doing my first task and finish group and am really pleased with the final results.

Below is a copy of a letter i produced as an update for Newford Residents Association’s AGM.

Dear Residents,

Firstly I would like to thank the local community for voting me back in as your councillor after serving you when we were formally part of East Valley. I learnt a lot about the role in my first 12 months and have tried to do even more as I start my second term where I will be your councillor for the next 4 years up until 2015.

There are many issues in the ward that residents have brought to my attention and I will try to update you on the main points in this report.

• Anti Social behaviour Stella Street. Having worked with the local police and Neil Hawkins on addressing this issue we have finally got approval and funding of nearly £10,000 to gates on the alleyway that is being used by teenagers that are drinking and causing anti social behaviour. This is a huge relief to all residents who feel intimidated and scared by the problem that has escalated over the past 12 months. This gate will be installed in the next couple of months.

• Playground. As part of the Norton Heights development there was a requirement to build a playground that could be used by the local community worth over £100,000. I was disappointed that nothing had moved forward on this and am working with the officers now to push things forward quicker for the children and families from Smallthorne and Norton Heights. I am expecting this to be complete before the end of the year.

• Norton Cricket Club Trees and Anti Social Behaviour. The large trees at Norton Cricket Club have caused concern because of their size and history of falling down. I have identified £2000 of funding to address this issue and ensure surrounding properties will be safe. We have also worked with the local police to again address anti social behaviour by teenagers at the weekends and evenings.

• Problem tenants. I am often called by residents upset by the issues caused by problem families moving into pleasant streets and causing upset for residents. This is an ongoing battle but we have had some success and are working towards addressing new problems as they arise. Please make sure you contact myself, The residents association or Safer City Partnership if you experience problems in your street.

I am also available twice a month in person at your residents association surgeries at Salem Methodist for Smallthorne Village and the community centre for Newford. If you need to contact me you can do so either here in person or at any time by phone on 07810825600.

Im getting very excited for the creation of the new shopping area in Stoke, today will see some big news released about key anchor tenants…

in the meantime check out http://www.citysentral.co.uk/ to find out more!

I went along to the first lecture presented by The Sentinel from our ex mayor Mike Wolfe at the Mitchell Arts Centre last week to see what he had to say. Being an ex mayor and all i thought i might learn something from his address or get an insight into another view point from someone whose name certainly carries some weight….I must say i was pretty disappointed.

A few key points stood out for me…

• Flatten an area of the city centre and cover it in tarmac to create a unique open space for public events.

This is so low aspirational it risks making our city a laughing stock, as we are on the verge of starting phase one of our city centre public realm scheme, Mike Wolfe would be happy with a large tarmacced open space. Im sorry but when a festival/concert/something not happening this space would be pretty drab and dull…Tarmac is hardly fun. Another question is why would we need an area so large when he already proclaims we need another 50k residents to hit our critical mass.

• The putting down of the 6 towns and disrespect given to them by calling them “Things”.

I myself might not be a massive supporter of holding onto the past and advocate embracing the future of the city centre but i woudl not disrespect the more senior members of the community by calling these towns “Things” in jest or not. To many the 6 towns represent heritage and uniqueness and while they may not last in their present form for the next 50 years i would have used more tact.

• The disbelief that the East West shopping centre will ever happen.

It is happening and i cant wait to see it! It will let us make our city feel like a city, attract more spending in our local economy, help to recycle money through local jobs and the removal of the need for trendy 25-40 year olds jetting off to the trafford centre every weekend to grab a pizza express and shop in Allsaints. In fact i think there will be a very important announcement this week…..

• The disbelief that the bus station will become what is planned.

The building has started and i cannot wait to see it amount the ring road improvements, the new signage celebrating the ceramics industry and fire station and tesco ect ect ect….

• The offer of his help to the Chief Executive of the council to help get the city sorted.

Surely the leader of the council and his experienced cabinet can help, why would we need a man who talked with such low aspirations and negativity? Negativity does not breed positivity and that is what the city needs right now.

To be fair i did find one thing he said interesting about giving the derelict housing to local people and builders to regenerate. Not a bad idea but i could imagine it quickly turning into a nightmare and isnt the idea to move with the times and concentrate on working with housebuilders through gap funding and support to raise the quality of housing stock?

Anyway who am i to question Mike Wolfe and his ideas? I wish that they had been more positive….

I hope he comes back to do another in 4 years time after the next election perhaps and we will see who was right, hopefully we can do it in the same place at the mitchell arts centre. I might even grab some food and catch a movie afterwards at the East West….lol

Dear Residents,

I am in the process together with local people and residents associations of investigating the chemical smells we are having in the Smallthorne area that seem to be coming from the Sneyd Hill industrial estate. Please call me if you too experience these smells as we are trying to build up evidence to present to the environment agency about where we believe they are coming from.

Please contact me 07810825600 or email matt.wilcox@stoke.gov.uk

Please follow the link below for more info on the story.

Lets hope justice can be done for this terrible crime.

http://www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk/Man-appear-court-accused-killing-swans-Ford-Green/story-13246583-detail/story.html

After the disappointment of missing out on an LEP in the area i came across another thing we have been overlooked for this morning,

http://www.cypnow.co.uk/Social_Care/article/1087515/councils-share-6m-intensive-support-fund/?DCMP=EMC-CONInCare

Are we being left out of many Government schemes that would no doubt help our disadvantaged communities and address our local social problems? Is this political? Why despite being one of the most deprived areas of the UK are we being overlooked or having schemes cut and withdrawn? Has anyone else spotted anything else that we have missed out on?