Levelling up let-downs

ANOTHER blow for Eston/residents of the Greater Eston Area (which incidently consists of Eston, Lazenby, Lackenby, Normanby, Teesville, Grangetown, South Bank, Ormesby) losing out yet again on the Government’s levelling up.

I speak as I find regardless, and residents here are represented by 16 ward councillors and deserve to be properly represented by their elected officials, who should haven been pulling together (regardless of their political colours) to develop a strategy that placed Eston on a higher profile in council.

Fighting not only for development of the precinct, but also for our swimming pool.

Three of our local councillors, Cllr R Clarke, Cllr S Smith and Cllr C Gallagher, sit on Mary Lanigan’s ruling adminstration.

In fact, Cllr Gallagher has the important cabinet porfolio for economic development, supported by Cllr V Smith, who chairs this committee.

But the silence and fight for our area has been deafening here over the last four years.

Sadly, our MP Jacob Young neglected to do any in-depth research and talk to the people, not just the politicians, to understand our community’s fight for over 25 years. They would have given him a much better understanding of the area’s battle for regeneration, for he would have known more and that the blame has to lie with many politicians from as far back as 1995/96, local and national, of all colours red, yellow and blue, and now sadly over the last four years some sitting independents.

Throughout the years they turned there backs on our existing communities and created new ones and shopping centres against the wishes of the majority of the people which, as predicted, brought devastation to local businesses and closure of our town and local centres.

What a price Eston has paid in the name of their so-called progress.

So we will now have to watch the political fallout and shameful scrapping of politicians with local elections on the horizon.

Pity they didn’t put all their energy into fighting for our area in the committee rooms and council chamber.

For once elected with many, party politics and/or positions of power always comes before the people.

Ann Higgins, Chair of Eston Residents Association for nearly 25 years, Eston Independent Councillor 2003-2011,

2015-2019 --------------------THE recent levelling up funding announcement brings with it delight and disappointment in equal measure.

To those who have been successful in gaining levelling up funding, I wish their projects every success.

For the disappointed, I urge you to take a step back and examine why the bid for your area was not successful.

In the case of the Eston town centre and Eston baths bid, the absence of a political will may well be a contributing factor.

Apart from Cllr Sue Jeffrey, the voice of our Greater Eston councillors on the regeneration of Eston, along with the swimming baths, has been all but silent.

In my opinion, Eston and Teesville residents in particular, have, in this instance, been sadly let down by their elected representatives, who have simply sat back and allowed the levelling up bid process to mask their inactivity.

Thankfully, Cllr Sue Jeffrey has continued to hold the Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council coalition to account, and we have the assurance that a newbuild Eston swimming baths will go ahead.

The current plans for the Eston baths do not have provision for a learner pool, the absence of which will be a huge detriment to our local children and those who are intimidated by the expanse of a large pool.

The absence of a learner pool, coupled with the recent loss of a soft play facility at Eston Leisure Centre, effectively takes away significant health and fitness opportunities for our young people.

I urge the council to think again.

I anticipate that on the May 4, following local elections, the political landscape of Greater Eston will change.

Hopefully for the better!