Produced for a private meeting, 3rd November, 1993.
Alexandra Court.
Residents in Alexandra Court are finding too many former patients from Mapperley Hospital are now resident in Alex. Court, without sufficient support from the Health Authority.
Maggie Clark and I attended a meeting with residents to hear them present their complaints to Health Authority reps.
Special Schools.
Cllr. Fred Riddell was forced to announce two of the special schools proposed for closure early because of leaks.
They include Ewing School which provides for deaf primary school children.
Although there are surplus places in special schools, the main reason for proposing to close Ewing is educational.
A new Individual Needs Centre would be established in the William Sharp family of schools to provide a high-quality provision with access to mainstream support.
Pit Closures.
None of the pits that Heseltine's plan was supposed to save will survive. Indeed, there may be further pit closures.
Park by-election.
The result was very satisfying, matching the opinion polls in what was plainly a difficult election for Labour
County Council - Oct. 21st.
Cllr. Glenn Hill.
He wrote a letter to the Evening Post which distorted the Equal Opportunities of the work to the extent that he suggested ethnic minorities get 600 times more than women.
I challenged him 3 times in writing to explain the conclusions to be drawn from the letter and his motive for writing it.
He declined so in questions we accused him of coded racism. His blundering response suggested he had intended to sit and smirk throughout the questions.
Local Government Commission.
Astonishingly, the Government have changed the guidelines again.
The Review is a mess that could only be salvaged in Notts be either a unitary Notts or a unitary conurbation on the basis of a properly defined boundary.
Pit Closures.
Government has announced new review! Things look grim for Notts.
Racism.
A timely motion moved by M.P.Aslam ˇ. He showed one of the stickers found on lampposts in Mansfield inciting people to murder mixed couples.
Calls for racial violence to be made a specific criminal offence were made by Labour but opposed by the Tories.
Put in perspective by Howard's numerous reforms for tackling crime elsewhere.
My speech.
I spoke highlighting figures collated by Joan Ruddock showing existing law is not being used effectively and is in part being blocked by the Gov't.
I mentioned Football supporters and the failure of our Government in Holland. The group arrests followed by deportation catches both guilty and innocent; this lets the guilty escape and prejudices the innocent against the Police.
Fascist groups are trying to organise. We must not overstate their strength. They are getting derisory results. e.g. Burnley, a month before Millwall; 43, 32 and 9!
Millwall was unfortunate; an example of what happens when major parties try to play the racist card, either explicitly in literature such as the Liberal Focus; or with a nudge and a wink on the doorstep.
BNP are focusing on Mansfield tarnishing the reputation of the town and this county.
Thanks to Ross Bradshaw for his help with my speech.
Extending VAT.
The debate was not exceptional, but the vote wasI U[see County Research's reportUˇ]Iˇ. Only 3 of the Tories voted against the motion; including only 1 of the 7 Tory County Councillors for Kenneth Clarke's Rushcliffe constituency.
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Police Reforms
I attended a one-day conference where all 5 East Midlands Counties expressed opposition to the proposals.
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Councillor's Role.
I gave a speech to my union branch about the major issues facing the County and my role as a Councillor. Copy available.
New discussion documents are being published which seek to enhance the role of Councillors.
A453.
The Dept. of Transport is seeking opinions on a proposal to build a dual three lane carriageway along the existing A453 through Clifton.
Although the Labour Group probably prefers another route around Clifton, we have only been invited to express our views on this "red route" and we have resolved to oppose it.
Police Sports Ground.
Despite an alarmist report in the Evening Post by Bill Bradbury, the ground will be retained for sports use.
I expect to report news soon.
Springwood Day Centre.
The County Council is to propose the closure of Belvoir Vale Day Centre, in Bingham. Springwood Day Centre is safe.
The centre has the lowest occupancy, the oldest building and the largest number of people travelling large distances to use it.
Demand for the centre has been reduced by the opening of a smaller unit at Newark.
New Sainsbury's.
Cllr. Brian Parbutt and I are concerned about the impact a proposed Sainsbury's on the seven acre site at the City Hospital would have on the shops of Sherwood Shopping Centre and intend to conduct a survey.
Street Stall.
I understand there is to be a street stall against VAT on Saturday 27th November at the Sherwood Centre
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