Middlesbrough Council meetings suspended until JANUARY

Second Mate said:
As an outside observer I would say a truly great town mis-managed by an absolutely awful council. just looking at the buildings they have destroyed against what has been built in recent times (not to mention the stadium area) they should hang their heads in shame.
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Well I don't agree, I think on the whole the council are good, Middlesbrough is still one of the few councils that empty bins every week, the recycling system is excellent compared to many councils, they don't charge any extra for green waste unlike all others locally.
As for old buildings, I kinda understand people's feeling on this, but old buildings are not wanted by anyone, especially business, they are expensive to maintain and run, much better to have modern buildings, our council has been under attack since its formation in 1997 money has been tight, the council sadly didn't have the cash to buy or even keep old buildings, people complain about that but never ever buy them themselves, just demand the council do it, sadly that just not possible.
 
You haven't really convinced me Lodger, household waste is only a very small part of what a local council should be doing. If they can't organise a meeting under these circumstances then it's a poor show.
Businesses and organisations have had to adapt and change how they work. Meetings over the internet, Zoom, Skype, Teams etc .Have smaller meetings if broadband is an issue and split into different groups, conference calls etc. are all possible. If my mother in her 70's can sort out a Zoom call then I'm sure a local counsellor can !!!
 
Nobby_Barnes said:
You haven't really convinced me Lodger, household waste is only a very small part of what a local council should be doing. If they can't organise a meeting under these circumstances then it's a poor show.
Businesses and organisations have had to adapt and change how they work. Meetings over the internet, Zoom, Skype, Teams etc .Have smaller meetings if broadband is an issue and split into different groups, conference calls etc. are all possible. If my mother in her 70's can sort out a Zoom call then I'm sure a local counsellor can !!!
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Oh, I agree with you about meetings, not having scrutinee meetings will suit the current dictator mayor right down to the ground.
 
TheLodger said:
Well I don't agree, I think on the whole the council are good, Middlesbrough is still one of the few councils that empty bins every week, the recycling system is excellent compared to many councils, they don't charge any extra for green waste unlike all others locally.
As for old buildings, I kinda understand people's feeling on this, but old buildings are not wanted by anyone, especially business, they are expensive to maintain and run, much better to have modern buildings, our council has been under attack since its formation in 1997 money has been tight, the council sadly didn't have the cash to buy or even keep old buildings, people complain about that but never ever buy them themselves, just demand the council do it, sadly that just not possible.
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How much does it cost to have buildings listed? Also how much does it cost to demolish buildings? All these building have carried a value both financially and culturally. I'm pretty sure the top 20 buildings could easily be rivaled with building which have been destroyed. The transfer of Teesside airport certainly raises questions as well as the huge amount of housing stock that was devalued with overblown asbestos surveys. It reads very much like money was not actually exchanged for the properties either. Figures moved from balance sheet to balance sheet manipulated figures shown only as a debt. No real plan since Franklin Medhurst's 'Teesplan' just very poor choices and seemingly very murky dealings.
 
Making a building listed doesn’t help it go back into use, it just stops it getting knocked down and enforces design choices, often making people without deep pockets look elsewhere. Iook at the crown bingo middlesbrough site, people wanted that listing. It’s been in development hell for years now.

Look at the cost of restoring stockton concert hall - it’s literally a lose lose scenario. You either spend a bomb restoring it, which people will pan about snouts in the trough, or you modernise and build anew, which people will main about brown paper envelopes and destroying heritage
 
It isnt easy to get buildings listed. You can set up conservation zones but it can be far harder than you think to stop someone knocking down a building. About ten years ago now English Heritage the national body in charge of listing protected buildings were unable to prevent their headquarters in London from being demolished.
 
I remember the scientific building and the old Odeon Cinema on Corporation Road, which were owned by Mandale properties at the time. Lots of people blamed labour, regardless of the fact the Mayor (Mallon) was much like the current one, Independent, difference I guess is Labour did work with Mallon- for the good of the town, where Preston is a Tory and has Tory Policies and ideas, which makes it very difficult for the local labour party to work with- Anyway Mandale simply moved in heavy equipment during the night and starting bulldosing at 7:30am well before anyone at the council could do anything to stop them. Nothing to do with Labour or even Mallon, who did everything he could to stop them. Still won't stop people blaming labour though.
 
As mentioned, listed building status doesn’t really prevent the owner from being able to demolish the building. What it actually does is make any refurbishment harder/more expensive by requiring planning approval for all building materials, in order to ensure they are sympathetic with the original design.

The old British Railways Board was one of the biggest owners of listed buildings in the UK. They used to just let them go to rack and ruin so they could then demolish as being unsafe.
 
TheLodger said:
I remember the scientific building and the old Odeon Cinema on Corporation Road, which were owned by Mandale properties at the time. Lots of people blamed labour, regardless of the fact the Mayor (Mallon) was much like the current one, Independent, difference I guess is Labour did work with Mallon- for the good of the town, where Preston is a Tory and has Tory Policies and ideas, which makes it very difficult for the local labour party to work with- Anyway Mandale simply moved in heavy equipment during the night and starting bulldosing at 7:30am well before anyone at the council could do anything to stop them. Nothing to do with Labour or even Mallon, who did everything he could to stop them. Still won't stop people blaming labour though.
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were those buildings listed? if not, why not? it's not about blaming Labour.. it's about blaming the council whoever it is made up of. who worked with Mallon to transfer the housing stock out of public hands into private ownership?
 
It can be hard to protect buildings especially if there is not a general will to do so. The Royal Exchange had been derelict for many years as had most of the surrounding area. It would have taken a big effort and perhaps that should have happened but the way I remember it there wasn't a big public campaign to save it. I was one of a small party invited to look inside before demolition - I took photos and felt truly saddened. But perhaps there wasn't the groundswell of people as proud of our heritage as there are now. That has to be the biggest weapon doesn't it making the environment and the buildings of a town important to its people.
Acklam Hall is a building surrounded in controversy - yet it is still there, conserved and in constant use. Contrast to the old Town Hall or the Royal Exchange.
But aren't we getting away from the point here - why is the council not holding meetings?
 
newyddion said:
were those buildings listed? if not, why not? it's not about blaming Labour.. it's about blaming the council whoever it is made up of. who worked with Mallon to transfer the housing stock out of public hands into private ownership?
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The housing stock was transferred to a housing association after a referendum, one where the local council supported the stock to remain with the council, sadly the housing tenants decided to transfer to the new association created for that purpose. The council was defeated, the people won, but at a guess the same vote today would go the other way.
 
newyddion said:
were those buildings listed? if not, why not? it's not about blaming Labour.. it's about blaming the council whoever it is made up of. who worked with Mallon to transfer the housing stock out of public hands into private ownership?
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Councils don’t list buildings, it’s a national designation. English Heritage is responsible for the listing of buildings.
 
Billy Horner said:
Councils don’t list buildings, it’s a national designation. English Heritage is responsible for the listing of buildings.
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So English Heritage just never gave a hoot about boro?

Does anyone know who actually voted to stop council meeting until 2021?
 
newyddion said:
So English Heritage just never gave a hoot about boro?

Does anyone know who actually voted to stop council meeting until 2021?
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3 Independent/Tory voted not to hold meetings, 3 labour voted to have meetings, the Independent Chair used his casting vote not to have meetings.
 
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