Hi I am Ex Tynedale Councillor John Watson

 

I have built this web site to give you a voice you are welcome to submit things for inclusion on this site

(FOR OR AGAINST)

I have been a councillor Eight years I enjoyed the first four years when it was a hung council but the last four I have slowly  got very disenchanted with all the time wasted, constant bickering between parties endless meetings going nowhere Councillors wanting reports from Officers about this that and the other, when do they and their staff get any real work done.

The poor Officers what home life do they have with all these meetings at night  if they  have young children they only see them at breakfast older children will say to their mother when father comes home at night (mother here's the lodger) Its time some sense was brought into this situation.

 

Some of my  thoughts

 

WIND FARMS

I don’t mind wind turbines in fact I like them to me wind turbines are graceful I would rather have them than pylons but you can’t have one without the other how many of you have been up close to one my grandson calls them whispering giants he will go miles to see them and believe me there is no noise just a whisper. But good sites are crucial why do they want them in what appears to be open country side, why not put them in out of the way places such as beyond Butterburn Gilsland in the forest no tourists go up there they will never find it.

 

You have to consider the alternative, as I see it what we do now will affect our children's children we all know coal and gas will run out so its green energy or nuclear

 

Think about this

Say in 20 years coal and gas starts to run out  so power cuts job losses hyperinflation slowly gets worse till eventually no electricity  no jobs civil unrest back to the stone age try lighting a fire by rubbing  two sticks together but that will never happen

Nuclear power will take over and save the day because there is no other answer at the moment we have to try wind power and water power could we not dam the rivers and fit water turbines but were, it would need a lot of thought just say at Haltwhistle between Bellister bank and sheep hills and create a small lake which could also be used for Leisure as well, what about water mains to big towns  is there a big enough  water pressure and flow to drive water turbines

 

RECYCLING

the Government sets targets that councils have to meet if thy don't they get heavily  fined Thousand of pounds

All that Carry on in the countryside in Tynedale about recycling  and putting your wheelie bins at the end of your drive there is an alterative Tynedale could put their fine on your rates  but lets be serious, we all have to pull together and I can see more separate recycling in the future cans, bottles, newspapers only, plastic, card  and garden rubbish etc

I say start now before the Government forces us, spend some of that 30 million on new equipment and jobs because I think at the moment Tynedale is over stretched and not helped by people who absent mindedly leave their cars in an awkward place and the bin wagon cannot get through and has to come back next day  waste of  time and your money so be considerate I am sure as responsible people we all want to do our bit, and as for the bin men I haven't seen a harder working bunch of lads they  never stop.

 

That's all for now from me ITS YOUR TURN NOW

 

Email me in confidence with any comments you would like added to this web site