Meanwhile all the news that's fit to print has, er, been printed in today's Isle of Thanet Gazunder. The air show at RAF London Kent Manston Margate Tracey Emin Maggie Thatcher Schipol International Airport was a shambles apparently, with vehicles backed up all the way to the M62. I'm indebted to one of my readers for sending me this pic of the catering van exploding due to the sheer number of four stone Shergar burgers being fried to feed the hordes of hungry Thanetians that attended.
Meanwhile Ferrygate rumbles on. One of my spies reports: 'I had the pleasure of talking to a council officer today. I mentioned TransEuropa Ferries and he said that all the staff had been instructed not to discuss this issue with the public.' Makes sense, I suppose. If I'd dropped a £3.4m bollock, I wouldn't want people talking about it either.
And finally, some good news here in the Millionaires' Playground, where our waterworks seem to have been rejuvenated! Not only is our lovely, Niagara-style Madeira Walk waterfall working again for the first time in living memory, but so is the Festival of Britain fountain up by the Granville Theatre and Cinem! There's even a rumour that the Winterstoke fountain might be in the process of being restored! Hurrah!!
PS: If you want a glimpse of what the inside of Pfizer's canteen looks like, I'd heartily recommend a trip to the flicks to catch World War Z, starring our very own Brad Pitt (who, as we all know, was born in Cliftonville, as was the lovely Tom Hanks). If, however, you're hoping to see zombies rampaging through the streets of Thanet, as reported in today's Gazunder, you'll be sadly disappointed since most of the film was shot in Glasgow and Malta, with just the 'exciting' denouement featuring the Pfizer site. That said, I'm sure if you take a walk down Boredstares high street on a Saturday night, you'll get a feel for what might have been.
14 comments:
Excellent how McGonigal manages to drop the Cabinet members in it by pushing the blame for secrecy onto them in the Gazette. Who were they though?
Give her a payrise and payoff for effort! We'll miss her when she's gone?
Ideas for replacements? Seed? Harvey?
A small ball of fluff?
A bag of piss? Harvey?
The Council’s accounts are subject to external audit by Andy Mack, Engagement Lead (Director), Grant Thornton UK LLP, Grant Thornton House, Melton Street, London, NW1 2EP. Members of the public and local government electors have certain rights in the audit process:
From 15 July 2013 to 9 August 2013 between 9.00 am and 4.30 pm each weekday any person may inspect the accounts of the Council for the year ended 31 March 2013 and certain related documents (comprising books, deeds, contracts, bills, vouchers and receipts) at the address given below. They may also make copies of the accounts and documents.
From 10am on 5 August 2013 until the conclusion of the audit process, a local government elector for the area of the Council, or his/her representative, may ask the auditor questions about the accounts. Please contact the auditor at the address given above to make arra
Is that the fountain in which Tim Garbled foams ?
No it's Andy Mack formerly of the Audit Commission and responsible for TDC's accounts now at Grant Thornton the accountants and responsible for TDC's accounts. More FOI and less secrecy undoubtedly.
If you read the letters pages in the Gazette you can see just how besotted people are with the airport. They are raving about the airshow and the attitude towards people who spent 7 hours in a traffic jam is "get over it." You have to wonder just how bad the problems would need to get before they conceded that it was unsatisfactory.
It's interesting to read that the organisers have taken down their web-site and removed contact numbers. So, initially they refused to give refunds. Following a stream of negative publicity they agreed that they would give refunds, but almost immediately removed their contact details from the web. Cock-up or conspiracy?
The locals whinge and do nothing.
Take the water supply as an example.
A DFL (the temerity) coined a phrase, "Westwood Triangle". A triangle of contamination. Thor, Sericol and Westwood Cross.
And the locals whinged and cried "Conspiracy theory, scaremongering".
Some detailed FOIs later by the DFL (the temerity to fight when true Thanetians do nothing but whinge) and the truth was told.
Sericol had contaminated the ground water for 30 years before the massive leakage was discovered. Labour cllrs querying this in 1993, when it was discovered, were lied to that a short term leak had been promptly detected before it reached aquifer.
Rumfields water abstraction was turned off immediately in 1993. The contamination of ground water will be a problem for the foreseeable future.
What about licences to still direct abstract water for agriculture and laundry purposes. A cause that Cllr Driver avoids.
What about trying to establish reasons for Thanet's way above average rates of polycystic ovary and ectopic pregnancy. A former QEQM doctor said "We always suspected there must be something in the water".
Even the Zulus (Cato Ridge) took Thor to Court and won. But Thanet? No just whinge and occasionally shoot at the messenger.
If you go back to 1836 it was the same when UFDs (Up from Devons) rose (On behalf of the do nothing whining Thanetians) against council corruption (Directing public funds to their own hotel businesses the Cyrils and Sandys of their day)
During WW2 Ramsgate did OK. Their Mayor A B C Kempe, who blazed the way, was of course not a Thanetian.
Thanetians still sit around whinging and self pitying. With apparently no idea that no one in their right mind would want to employ them.
Latest foreperson whingers are favouring the initial "JH". More sure of everything than a rational person would be of anything.
Thanet lovely place crap people.
Give Ms Oldfield (DFY) a couple of years and she will learn.
A very good summary 9:13. Add in the MOD training fires/chemicals and you have to laugh really. Work for cancer nurses though.
I think you're being a little disingenuous. I know of several local people who have devoted large amounts of time and effort to getting to the bottom of the water pollution scandal. The whole story is out there, although you won't have read about it in Thanet's useless local press.
My view is that the establishment has closed ranks on this issue. The body that is supposed to deal with pollution on our behalf(The Environment Agency) has done diddly squat. I would love to know why but there are no answers. Have commercial interests again trumped the public interest?
The problem for local people (as I see it) is that the political system (democracy) has failed them. It doesn't matter who we vote for, we end up with an establishment which takes the view that the little people should be treated like mushrooms (kept in the dark and fed sh*t). Driver is trying to break the mould but he is being obstructed by the establishment.
People are fed up with it and there are many people who will be putting themselves forward for election next time around. However, we desperately need a more pro-active press who can start doing what they are supposed to do and hold authority to account. It comes to something when you read about the scandal in Private Eye before it appears in the local rag.
Good points on the failure of the press 5:26 but lots of local people haven't raised the problems at Thor etc.
They just haven't.
I'd agree Driver has raised Pleasurama but only within the last 6-12 months. Now a few of the other Independents doing the same in the Gazette.
And you're right the various public authorities and especially Environment Agency are getting away with it. And indeed have done so for years. And no doubt it will continue.
Joining this discussion a bit late but seeing all the talk about Sericol's impact on the water supply and how the environment agency is responsible for monitoring that, am I alone in wondering who monitors Sericol/Fuji's chemical emissions into the atmosphere? IE what is being emitted, how much of it is emitted (often at night) and what the health implications are? Any ideas?
TDC would be responsible so have a guess(!). Sericol/Fuji manufacture ink/chemicals? Not even sure if the old site at Poorhole Lane is still being monitored or cleaned by Environment Agency.
They and TDC still allow Infratil not to monitor air pollution and allow overflights.
How long does it take for chemical leaks/surface dressing to pass through to the water course. Howson Algrophy? and farming additives came to mind.
Post a Comment