Eaglescliffe Focus Team wish you all a very happy and peacefulChristmas.

Do be careful with the extra lights at Christmas - why not have a Home Fire Safety Check carried outby the Fire Service? Phone 01429 874063 to arrange or visit

http://www.clevelandfire.gov.uk/community-safety/home-fire-safety-visits.If you would like your Christmas Tree collecting in January please ring 391959 or e-mail

careforyourarea@stockton.gov.uk and they will give you a collection date.Wheeled bin collections will be 2 days later than usual in Christmas week and 1 day later in New Year

week

BUTTS LANE TRIANGLEWe have just heard that our campaign to have the land between theChurch gate and the Cemetery adopted so that it can be improved hassucceeded. Maureen took the problem to the Director of Neighbour-hood Services to cut through the red tape.

LIGHTER NIGHTS AHEAD

People who walk between Birchfield Close and Finchfield Close will find it a morepleasant experience soon. Two new street lights are being erected by the pathas part of the ward Small Environmental Improvements. The two 26 Wattlanterns will use less power than one standard lantern so it’s good news all round.

DOG WASTE BINSNew bins are being provided on Urlay Nook Rd near to Hunters Green and near the junction ofSwinburne Rd and Dunottar Ave. The Teesdale Way from Dinsdale Drive is being looked at.

BEWARE IMITATIONS!Liberal Democrat Focus has been delivered to your homes in Eaglescliffe for 21

years, keeping you in touch all the year round, not just at election times.Remember, we were the first to tell you about:

"garden grabbing" under national Planning policy (Focus 130 and eversince!)the extra you pay for ringing the Hospital (in the last Focus)plans for Preston Park, first mentioned in June 2003 (John, Alan andMaureen attend regular meetings with Council officers. They are con-sulted on plans and major events.)

www.stocktonlibdems.org.uk No 143

EaglescliffeEditors:Cllr Alan Lewis 784910Cllr John Fletcher 787652Cllr Maureen Rigg 785689

Printed by SLDPS, 4 Broomfield Ave, Eaglescliffe. Published and Promoted by M. Rigg on behalf of A. Lewis, J.A. Fletcher & M. Rigg (Liberal Democrats) all at 4 Monmouth Drive, Eaglescliffe,TS16 9HU

ANYONE CAN JOIN -Help us to help YOU

Did you know that the Liberal Democratsrely on ordinary members for their

funding? Ordinary people like you, joiningthe Liberal Democrats, making a difference.

If you want to know more ring or e-mail Alan or Maureenor John.

WE KEEP IN TOUCHAlan, John & Maureen will see anyone who calls on

7 Dec. Trinity Methodist Church, Witham Ave 6.30-7.3018 Dec. Egglescliffe Parish Hall, Butts La. 6-74 Jan. Trinity Methodist Church, Witham Ave. 6.30-7.3015 Jan. Egglescliffe Community Centre, Durham La.6.30-7.301 Feb. Trinity Methodist Church, Witham Ave 6.30 - 7.30

Contact us any time at:

John Fletcher, 3 Hoylake Way, Eaglescliffe.Tel 787652. john.fletcher@stockton.gov.uk

Maureen Rigg, 4 Monmouth Dr. EaglescliffeTel 785689 maureen.rigg@stockton.gov.uk

Alan Lewis, 4 Broomfield Ave, EaglescliffeTel 784910 alan.lewis@stockton.gov.uk

Thank Youto all our deliverers.Without you Focuswouldn’t reach every

home in the wardyear in, year out.

If you’d like to join theteam contact Alan,

John or Maureen

Don’t forget your MEP:Fiona Hall can be contacted at 55A Old Elvet, Durham,

DH1 3HN,0191 383 0119, e-mail fiona@fionahallmep.co.uk

Focus - The Original and The Best

AMBULANCE SERVICE UNDERTHREAT?The North East AmbulanceService is proposing toclose its call centre atMiddlesbrough andconcentrate 999 calls on 2centres in Tyneside. Thisis in the name of efficiency

and “improving the resilience of A & Eambulance contact centres in the even of anatural disaster, technical failure or terroristattack”. Liberal Democrats supported a motionat Stockton council condemning the proposaland calling for a centre to be maintained in theTees Valley. John Fletcher said “If terroristsdropped a nuclear bomb on Tyneside there’d beno-one to direct ambulances anywhere”.

DEMOLITION OF THE GRANGECouncil Tax Payers won't have to pay thedevelopers' costs over The Grange, Urlay NookRoad - contrary to what you may have read in aFocus imitation! John says “I’ve been assuredby Stockton Council’s Cabinet that no costs wereawarded. If other parties checked the factsbefore publication residents wouldn’t have beenworried unnecessarily about next year’s CouncilTax bill.There are enough problems related to planningwithout inventing more.”Also, Northumbrian Water have told him that thenew flats' foul sewerage cannot be connected tothe existing sewer in Coatham Vale. Furthernews on what this will mean when we have it.

SKIPSThurs, 13 Dec, Egglescliffe Village Green(9.30 - 3.30)Thurs, 10 Jan, Durham Lane nr shopsTues, 12 Feb, Leven Close

MORE POLICE ON THE STREETS?Although the Government claims to be putting more Police on the street,the only reason Eaglescliffe gets a Police Community Support Officer(PCSO) is that Stockton Council is paying £250000 towards havingextra officers on the beat. What is more, that budget is only for a limitedtime so just as we get used to them, we may lose them.Next Year Cleveland Police will introduce a community volunteerinitiative to do tasks like manning Yarm Police Station. The idea is tofree police and PCSOs to do the work for which they are trained.

Liberal Democrats are angry that important work is dependent on volunteers but until thegovernment gives more money to policing we agree this is necessary.All volunteers will have to be vetted (CRB checked) and this costs approximately £30. We are askingwho will have to pay, the police, the government or the volunteers?If you need to contact the police to speak to our community ‘bobby’ PC Burke, or our PCSO Rob

Hall, then telephone them on 302930. This is a dedicated line to the Community Police department.The operator can make an appointment or tell you when it would be the best time to get hold of them.

The Emergency Number is still 999

SNIPPETSWhen the new junction at Longnewton is open, StocktonCouncil engineers propose a weight limit of 7.5 tonnes onUrlay Nook Road between the Tesco & Hunter’s Greenroundabouts. This will be possible because there is analternative, safe and suitableroute via the new junction.Stockton Council engineers planto surface Teesdale Way fromYarm Bridge to Aislaby RoadPumping Station. It is hoped toestablish canoe access near toYarm Bridge, including disabledaccess, next year.

PLANNING

Stockton Council have approved:82-bed care home at 654 Yarm Roadextra dwelling at 131 Burnmoor Drivemortar-mixing plant at Eaglescliffe Block Works, Durham Lanereplacement “portable” classroom, Teesside High School, The Avenue(retrospectively) lighting poles, Ryehills Equestrian Centre, Newshamconversion of Copsewood Mews, The Avenue, to dwellings.changes to plans for S Side of Airport9 flats in River Lounge, 661 Yarm Roadbig top in Preston Park April to June 2008 for weekly gospel meetings

The Council have turned down:7 flats at 1 South View14 flats at 690 Yarm Roadindustrial estate at Urlay Nookstable block, 1 Aislaby Grange Bungalows, off A67

At the time of going to press applications were pending for:replacement of Eaglescliffe Health Centre in Sunningdale Drive & theconstruction of a temporary one nearby (Focus 142)adverts on Orchard Mews at Tesco roundaboutkennels at Highfield View, Aislabysoft play facilities inside Allen’s Westhouse to replace Meadowcroft, Aislaby11 Station Road to change from beauty salon to hairdresser’s

As always, more details are available from our councillors.

FEEDBACK - LIBRARYCHARGESAlan has been told that Stockton Libraryservice would like to buy most booksasked for but the book fund continuesto be cut because of the Labourgovernment’s budget settlements. Theythought that staged increases in thecost of an ‘Interloan’ from 35p to £5would need so many small increasesthat it would seem never ending. Sothey bit the bullet and made one swiftincrease, meaning we suffer all the painin one go.

NORTHERN ROCKFiona Hall MEP has written to theChancellor asking whether he is going tomake use of European Central Bankfunding to help Northern Rock.Following problems at the beleagueredNewcastle-based Bank, Fiona Hall hasasked why the avenue of funding throughthe European Central Bank was notexplored many months ago and whether it isbeing considered now.The European Central Bank makes loanfacilities available to any bank with brancheswithin the Eurozone. This would apply toNorthern Rock as it has a branch in Dublin.

Fiona Hall said: "I have written to theChancellor to ask whether he islooking into loan options for theNorthern Rock through the EuropeanCentral Bank."A loan from the ECB would alsoavoid any question of the UKGovernment falling foul of EU stateaid rules which do not allowgovernments to prop up or unfairly

advantage private firms."I believe a loan from the ECB could ease theburden currently being shouldered by UKtaxpayers and at the same time help securethousands of jobs plus the wider economicbenefits that Northern Rock has brought to theNorth East."

FOCUS, now in its 22nd year Working with you all the year round

ON-LINE COUNCILLORSDo you want to know more about whatyour councillors do day by day? Log ontohttp://www.readmyday.co.uk/johnfletcheror http://eaglescliffe.blogspot.com/

Alan was also told that you can ask the council to purchase abook. If they think others may be interested in it they may buy it.Alternatively SBC can also give you an ‘Inspire’ passport whichallows you to use other academic or specialist libraries for free.In many cases this would give you access to the materials yourequire.

VOTE Connect2John, Alan and Maureenhave supportedStockton Councilworking with Sustrans todevelop a Connect2scheme linkingEaglescliffe, InglebyBarwick, Thornaby and Yarm via walking andcycling routes. These will include new bridgesover the Tees and the Leven.

Eaglescliffe people will be able to get toIngleby Barwick to work or to the NewRomano Park on foot or by cycle.From 7th - 10th December ITV1 will showthe schemes competing for £50 million.Connect2 has 79 “mini-schemes” in it,including Stockton’s. If successful Stocktonwill get £600 000 to kick-start the scheme.Phone voting will open on 7th Dec.

Meanwhile you can vote online atwww.thepeoples50million.org.uk.Please vote for Connect2 and help us to get thecycle and footpath network we need.