Councillor Adrian Knapper.

Concessionary fares 

Under Labour the introduction of free bus transport for the elderly and disabled has maximise citizen mobility to use public transport. 

Due to the scrutiny of Labour Councillors to stop plans by the Conservative/Independent Lib Dem cuts within its budget plan to reduce Bus Service Council Subsidy and use of free travel prior to 9am, people with Concessionary Bus Passes have retained the rights to use this service. 

Whilst Labour Councillors have protected the existing scheme for pensioners and disabled people, Councillor Adrian Knapper would welcome the extension of this scheme for all young people in full-time education or training up to the age of 18, as well as for all jobseekers. 

The current Conservative/Independent Lib Dem Administration is now planning to review all Council Services via a Root & Branch review that will result in Stoke-on-Trent City Council making policy changes on the way in which services are delivered. 

 If the City is serious about ensuring that we meet the challenge of climate change, the City Council must work to ensure that the Potteries has a reliable Transport Network that is accessible to all and that the cost is reduced to a reasonable level to encourage more people to use the service.  

Free Travel extended to young people will allow the next generation the rights to access education and leisure facilities that will allow them to explore their full potential across the North Staffordshire Region.

Fairtrade - Produces Tasting.

Berryhill & Hanley East Ward City Councillor Adrian Knapper will be volunteering free to run a Fairtrade produces sample tasting session at the Co-operative Food Store Leek Road, Joiners Square on Thursday 25th February 2010 from 10am until Noon.

Members of the public can pop down to the shop to meet this popular Councillor and sample Fairtrade Chocolate, Biscuits and Cakes.

The in-store tasting session is part of the Fairtrade fortnight that aims to encourage members of the public to consider buying ethical goods.

Adrian Knapper said “It’s important to realise that the living standards of people living in developing countries can be improved by what you purchase in your shopping basket.”

“Fairtrade Goods is about buying goods with the understanding that value is returned to the producers to enhance the quality of their lives.”

Many farmers and workers in developing countries struggle to provide for their families. Poor market access and unfair trade rules often mean that the price they get for their crop does not cover the cost of production. Global challenges and climate change has an uncertain affect on their lives.

Under Fairtrade, people in developing countries get an agreed sustainable price for their goods and an extra premium to invest in their community for local needs such as education or health needs.

Councillor Knapper points out “Fairtrade is needed now more than ever and we all have the power to create a positive change to the lives of farmers, workers and their families in poorer parts of the World by eating, drinking or wearing products with the FAIRTRADE Mark.”

"The Co-operative was the first retailer to recognise the importance of ethical trade."
 
The Fairtrade Mark can be found on many products from coffee to fresh fruit and cotton products, as a guarantee of a better deal for people and the planet.

More information about Fairtrade can be found at www.fairtrade.net

Better Local Governance with Power to the People

Recommendations to reduce the number of Councillors upon Stoke-on-Trent City Council to 45 members will result in increased demands on time. The role of an elected member is to balance the role within the community and role of work at the Civic Centre.

The fourteen recommendations from the governance report include the need for devolved governance and more local engagement.

Since the City Council became a Unitary Authority, there as been a lack of understanding that the role of being an elected member at this level of local government is about giving clear strategic direction.

It’s my belief that this is down to the fact that Stoke-on-Trent has the missing link of Parish/Town Councils that with devolved (ward) budgets and local neighbourhood management teams can address the needs of local communities. There is a need for a lower tier of governance arrangements that address local issues and problems, at present local concerns are addressed via AIT/DDG but its clear that their is a need to review these arrangements with some element of an elected role/position to neighbourhood boards.

Parish/Town/Neighbourhood Councillors (unpaid) working in partnership with other agencies and neighbourhood management teams could then deal with local issues such as fly tipping, cleansing of community streets, maintaining public space and other local devolved solutions.

This will then allow elected City Councillors to be more engage in moving forward such issues as Regeneration, Education and more strategic issues needed to progress the City forward.

The problem is that last City Council meeting demonstrated the breakdown of politics and that more work needs to be done to rebuild confidence that in future years an improved system of governance arrangements are in place for Stoke-on-Trent.

My own private view is that this can only be achieved by the development of two tier governance arrangements of Community Neighbourhood Boards and a Strategic City Council.

Let’s debate does Stoke-on-Trent need Parish/Town Councils (local neighbourhood boards)

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March to build a new school in Bucknall 

Deputy Leader of the Labour Group, Councillor Adrian Knapper will be waving off a protest march on Sunday 12^th July 2009 that is being organised by residents of Bucknall, Bentilee, Berryhill, Townsend and Eaton Park who aim to highlight their concerns over the City councils plans to build a new School to replace Mitchell High outside of the local community at the outer edge of the area at Parkhall or at Springfield's off Anchor Road that is even further away.

Councillor Knapper said "Residents want a new secondary school to be located within the community at Bucknall."

"During my time on the EMB, I have always been on record that the Parkhall was the wrong site and I am still concerned that revised plans been presented to the public by SERCO, will result in no community secondary school to be located that serves the neighbourhoods  around Bucknall and the regeneration area of City Waterside."

"The plans will result in a doughnut effect of children within the central part of Stoke-on-Trent having to travel outwards to remote areas to gain an education and their will be no provision of outer school activities within the local area."

The march will start at 1pm from the Parkhall Golf Course, Hulme Lane and will progress down Dividy Road and end outside the Mitchell School, it will be joined by many concerned residents of the area and its hope that Mark Fisher MP will be able in attendance.

The aim of the march is to highlight that local residents want a new community school to replace Berryhill High and Mitchell High upon the Mitchell Site that is within the heart of the community.

Now that Trentham High has won its right to remain open, the executive of the City Council needs to get on and build new schools especially at James Brindley. But action needs to take place to ensure investment is given to Trentham and that a solution is brought forward around Ensor/Blurton and Mitchell/Berryhill to delivery new community schools.