Alisdair Gibbs-Barton

You cannot fail to have heard of Blyth Spartans success in the FA Cup this year.

The latest win was a 1-0 win over the League 2 side (4th division in old money) AFC Bournemouth.  This has led to an FA Cup 3rd round tie against Blackburn Rovers , to be held on 5th January.

I have followed “Spartans” since I moved to Blyth, and have regularly watched them at Croft Park, and sometimes away, over the last 25 years. I have never known anything like this!!

I have suggested that to mark the successful cup run, and the long history of the club, they should be offered the Freedom of the Borough. If you agree, then e-mail me and I’ll forward it to Blyth Valley Borough Council

As part of the closure of Blyth Valley Council, the Liberal Democrat group are hoping to arrange an evening out to mark the passing of BVBC. It will probably be a meal, but may be a “House Party”

So if you are a former Liberal, SDP, or Liberal Democrat councillor who served on Blyth Valley between 1974 and the present, please contact me on Alisdair@Gibbs-Barton.co.uk

Similarly, if you know anyone who qualifies, please tell them.

At last night’s meeting of Blyth Valley Council there were changes to the memberships of various committees , mainly due to Councillor Isles joining the Lib Dem group.

I was appointed to the council’s cabinet, and therefore had to come off the Sustainable Communities Review Commission.  I very much doubt that I, as an opposition councillor, will be given a portfolio in the cabinet. The 6 portfolios will have to be shared between the 5 Labour councillors.

The meeting was a disgrace in that the whole meeting was spent attacking the ruling Lib Dem group on the County, and future Unitary authority. 

A lot of Lib Dem councillors on the District Council are not on the County Council, so are not in a position to argue or defend the actions of the council. But as one Labour councillor admitted in the heat of debate, “I can’t have this argument at County Council, because I’m not on the County Council”  so gave a tirade of abuse on the County Council and its ruling group!

The real trouble is that Labour lost the election, and don’t like the prospect of being in opposition. Secretly I think some of them are glad that they don’t have to make the decisions on next years budget as there have to be some very difficult ones to make.

However the truth is that the Labour led County Council put in a bid for Unitary status (against the wishes of all groups at District level), they were supported by the Labour Government, and when the election came they lost it. And the new LIb Dem administration have to pick up the pieces!

Traffic lights. The work on the redesigned junction between Fulmar Drive and South Newsham Road seems completed.  But there’s no sign of the promised traffic lights!  I have checked, and there will be lights installed , but no-one at the County Council can give me a definite date.

Blyth Market.  This is turning into a farce. The market is open for the Christmas period, but is surrounded by the ongoing work and all the mess, noise and hazards that that entails.    And to crown it all , when there’s anything more than a moderate breeze the new market stalls prove to be unstable, and so the traders have to provide their own.