Cllr Mark A Kirk

There is still time to have your say on a new entertainment venue for North Lincolnshire.

The council is taking its first steps towards turning Scunthorpe's Baths Hall into a new entertainment venue fit for the 21st century and we are seeking the views of local people to help shape the design process.  The council will consider funding for the new entertainment venue in February 2008, as part of its budget setting process.

We want to involve as many people as possible in the consultation process and want to know what you think about our plans for this new and exciting project.  We have already given a commitment to keep the original frontage of the building and have some ideas of what could be possible, but until we get everyone's responses, we will not make a decision. So please spare a few minutes of your time and have your say by filling in the survey at http://www.northlincs.gov.uk/newentertainmentvenue

This weekend I participated in the latest protest organised by Humber Action Against Tolls (HAAT) who are campaigning to get a reduction in the cost of the bridge tolls.  We have worked hard to campaign for a reduction in the toll since we came to power last May and many different groups are now working together to protest against the toll charges.  The council has agreed to put in £15,000 to fund a study to look at the business case on the economic impact of the charges and the three other councils in the region have agreed to do the same. We hope this will provide us with the evidence we need to make the case for a reduction.

 I was joined on Sunday at the bridge protest by the region's three MPs who have all supported our stance. Elliot Morley, Ian Cawsey and Shona McIsaac all attended to support the protest and they were joined by people from both banks of the Humber. Some even carried placards to get the message across.

On Monday the Government issued another statement on the petition which had been signed by more than 8,000 people. However, their response was not encouraging and we will have to continue to work hard to push for the evidence to support the business case.

A Happy New Year to all residents of North Lincolnshire.

2007 was a very good year for the Labour group in North Lincolnshire. We regained control of the council and the Tories lost ground, losing vital seats and experienced councillors in the process. We now have to look forward to 2008.

We have already started work on the transformation of the Baths Hall into an entertainment venue. The Tories wanted to sell the landmark venue off to housing developers but we made it a manifesto commitment to ensure the region has a venue to be proud of. I want to see the Baths Hall rejuvenated into an iconic modern-day entertainment venue which will be able to compete with similar attractions in the region. But I also want the Baths Hall remembered. It has a place in many people's hearts and one thing I will make certain is we keep the original frontage. We have already started demolition work on the youth centre and laundry. And now we have launched a consultation event to find out what people want from the new venue. Once we have people's views it will help us decide on the size and type of entertainment venue which is needed. The council will be discussing options over what the Baths could look like at the cabinet meeting at 6pm, on January 9, at Pittwood House. The council's budget meeting on February 20 will determine how much money is available for the new project. Those wishing to take part in the survey should log on to http://www.northlincs.gov.uk/newentertainmentvenue

Work is also ongoing to lobby against the cost of crossing the Humber Bridge. 7,500 people have signed the council's petition protesting against the price of the crossing. The Humber Bridge tolls directly affect many of North Lincolnshire's residents, whether it be for economic, social or health reasons. North Lincolnshire Council has taken the lead in the campaign to try and reduce the tolls. We have met with the region's three MPs, met with Government minister Stephen Timms and spoken with senior officials at the other three Humber region councils in a bid to gain support. We are working with our neighbouring authorities to market the Humber area as a single entity but to do so we need to see the amount of money local people have to pay to cross the Humber Bridge scrapped or reduced to a fairer level. Fairer tolls must be introduced to enable the area to prosper. We hope the Government takes note of the 7,500 people who have signed this petition. It is a great achievement and really shows the strength of feeling over the tolls.