** Press Release**

Conservative Council Group

Press Release



Council skating on thin ice over skate park.



Conservative Councillor Lee Dangerfield is again raising the issue of the safety of Harlow’s temporary Skateboard Park at Spurriers in the Town Park.



In summer 2007 Councillor Dangerfield prompted the sudden closure of the facility after he visited and found glaring safety hazards. After remedial work, the site was re-opened and he was given assurances that the site would receive regular inspection to ensure the safety of skateboarders, some of whom are as young as 10 years old.



However, records reveal that not one inspection has been carried out in the last 6 months.



He said, “After everything that’s gone on over the last few months, with the swimming pool the Playhouse and the crematorium, it seems our Labour/Liberal Democrat coalition has learnt nothing. Are we again putting Harlow’s children at risk?”



Why we are not doing these checks? It is sad that this, like the pool, the Playhouse and the Crematorium, falls under the jurisdiction of the Chairman of the Environment & Community Committee. All at a time when the Revenue Budget is suddenly found to be £1.8 million overspent, and now the Non-Housing Capital Budget, for maintenance and repairs, is £2.8 million overspent, so there is little or no prospect of any money appearing to put these facilities in order. So why has the Chairman not done the honourable thing and resigned?



It may be that fate is conspiring against this beleaguered Chairman, but that’s what you are up against when you take on the job and residents have a right to expect a higher standard of governance than we have been getting. Sorry, but she should go.



Contact:



Tony Hall

Tel : 01279 445897

e-mail : anthony.l.hall@tesco.net



Andrew Johnson

Tel : 07976 720469

e-mail : andrew_johnson@aol.com



Lee Dangerfield

Tel : 07846 784078

e-mail : leedangerfield@ntlworld.com

Lib Dem Spin

Watching the Liberals spin.



It seems that Liberal Democrats have learnt nothing from last year and are still trying to pull the wool over residents’ eyes. Here are some examples:



Spin one.



Liberal Democrats reported the problems with street lamps in the Briars to Harlow Council.



Fact



It took Staple Tye Conservatives, Harlow Council, Essex County Council and Cabra Residents Association to go out in the pouring rain and log every light that was not working. This is how the lights not only in the Briars but Copshall Close and Ayletts Field are now working. Even with the lights on, the Liberal Democrats were nowhere to be seen.



Spin Two



One of Staple Tye’s invisible Liberal Democrat Councillors, Lorna Spenceley, has been nominated to become a governor of a local school.



Fact



After Councillor Lee Dangerfield was nominated to become a governor at this school one of the Liberal Democrat’s partners-in-crime in Harlow, Labour County Councillor Tony Durcan, stepped in and put forward Councillor Spenceley to become the Local Education Authority nominated Governor.



We wonder why, after 16 years as a Councillor in Harlow, did Councillor Spenceley suddenly decide to become a school governor? Anything to do with the local elections in May, where Conservatives’ Dave Kirton is hot favourite to take another Liberal Democrat scalp?



However, Councillor Dangerfield was then nominated as the School’s Community Governor, so it looks as though their behind-the-scenes manipulating has backfired!



Keep an eye on the Liberals’ spinning machine!