STOP OTHERS USING YOUR NAME TO POST COMMENTS - GET A BLOGGER ACCOUNT

Here at Pitsnpots, we are well happy with the amount of comments being posted to all our articles. It's great to get debates going about almost everything topical, both locally and nationally. However, we have noticed of late that there are lots of people "hijacking" other people's names to post comments that are totally irrelevant, and sometimes downright nasty, which really don't add anything to the debate.

So we are urging anyone interested in debating and adding comments on this site, to register for a blogger account, details of how to do this are as follows:

Before posting a comment, see below the comment box where it says “choose an identity”.

Click on sign up here.

This takes you to another web page where you need to type in your email address (an existing one you use generally, such as hotmail, yahoo, tiscali account).

You then need to type this in again, for verification purposes.

The next box you need to choose a password, try using a combination of letters and numbers, or capitals and lower case letters. This will give a better password “strength”.

Then you need to type the same password in again. Remember this password – you will need it every time you sign in to blogger and want to post comments under your own name.

You are then asked “display name”. This is the name you would like your comments to be attributed to – mine is Alison, Tony is Tony, etc. Choose whatever you want. It doesn't have to be your actual name - we have "brooneyes", "sir findo gask" and many others (and I don't think for one minute these are their real names!)

Word verification – you then see a set of green letters which you have to type in to the word verification box. This is to ensure your PC/laptop compatibility.

You then need to click in the box to accept the terms, and click the continue button. This takes you back to the blog article you want to post on, and tells you who you are signed in as.

When you leave the blog, it is always a good idea to sign out at the top right hand side of the home page.

So if you follow these instructions, when you start posting comments, they show in blue and underlined (like mine and Tony's and Nita's), and everyone knows it's definitely your comment, and not someone else posing as you.

We urge every genuine poster to get a blogger account, because, whilst we don't wish to remove legitimate posts, we may have to start removing posts that are totally irrelevant to the topic under discussion, particularly when it isn't attributed to an actual blogger account.

We were hoping that we would not have to resort to this, but it's really not fair for people to make comments in another's name, whether that name is a councillor, a party member/candidate, or just your average Joe Bloggs like me (no pun intended - Blogg!!)

So, it's time for action if you want to stay blogging with us and ensure your posts stay on the site. Get yourself a blogger account using the instructions above, and happy blogging...

COUNCILLOR TOM REYNOLDS TALKS EXCLUSIVELY TO PITSNPOTS!

In the first of a long series of blog articles, Longton North Labour Councillor Tom Reynolds, tells pitsnpots his feelings in the wake of last weeks referendum.

I would like to personally thank Tom for his blog, he is a hardworking young councillor and in my opinion we need more of his calibre in this city, no, not because he is Labour, but because he is driven and enthusiastic!

"First things first, I’d like to thank Tony and the team for giving me the opportunity to contribute to the blog. Despite the fact that some of the posts on here have given me and my close colleagues a rough ride, the aim of the site in raising interest in Stoke politics is invaluable. The 19% turnout in last week’s referendum was a dire demonstration of the indifference to politics as a whole in this city and any efforts to reverse this state of affairs is laudable.
I cannot proceed without mentioning the referendum outcome. I campaigned on the No Vote side of the argument as I believed in a model of governance where every citizen of the city was enfranchised to pick the person that leads the City Council. After six weeks of hard campaigning by both sides, the people of Stoke have spoken. I and the Labour colleagues that fought to keep the Mayoral model will of course respect the people’s decision to the utmost.
Paradoxically, as a group of councillors we are now much more powerful. We are now charged with the task of picking the new executive Leader of the Council, a leader who will have to face some enormous issues: education reorganisation, city wide regeneration and transforming the standard of services that the Council provides. So the big question is which direction?
There will be a lot of posturing from some individuals within the council that see themselves in with a chance of leading the authority in May 2009. Cllr Rigby, from the City Independents and Alby Walker from the BNP have both already thrown their hat in the ring. In my view, if either of these contenders succeeds the City is in trouble.
What do the Independents actually stand for? We know what they are against but do they actually have any ideas for moving the City forward - if they do I have not heard them. If Cllr Rigby does lead the council I cannot see what his platform would be. He has after all, admitted on Question Time that he supports BNP councillors and has campaigned for the Tories. What does he actually stand for?
Conversely we know exactly what Cllr Walker and his party stand for, and that is equally worrying. I am not going to enter into a tirade about their repugnant far right ideology or where it could lead. Instead there is a far simpler argument – the BNP is bad for business. If Cllr Walker ends up as the leader of Stoke-on-Trent City Council we can all kiss goodbye to any inward investment.
The only people who can lead this authority, make services better and improve the city are the Labour Party (but that’s what you would expect from me). That is not to ignore the shift against Labour across the City. We must recognise that there is a widespread dissatisfaction about how things have been done in the past. What is absolutely crucial is that as a group of councillors, we demonstrate that Labour is the Group with the vision to improve our city."

TERRY & CRAIG CONTACT PITSNPOTS ABOUT CHURCHILL CHINA MONSTROSITY

As many of you will know, Terry Cope and Craig Pond both live at the North end of the city, whilst most of Pitsnpots bloggers live in the South.

We at Pitsnpots are keen to ensure we cover stories from all areas of the city, and, to this end, Terry and Craig have provided further information on a local news story which we were all aware of, but didn't quite know the full details. Terry Cope writes to Pitsnpots as follows:

"Why is it that the stench of hypocrisy hangs over the Churchill China factory in Sandyford? Mr Roper - he who complains of the noise coming from Alton Towers two miles from his home in Alton- builds a giant warehouse surrounding the residents of Birchall Avenue, not more than 100 yards away from the rear of their houses. Add to this the future constant comings and goings of 40 ton Heavy Goods Vehicles, the noise of forklifts loading and unloading, an internal tannoy system and radios, and you start to get the picture of what the residents of Birchall Avenue will have to put up with, not to mention the Health and Safety risks of carcinogenic diesel fumes wafting their way into the homes of residents, and their children’s lungs.

When this monstrosity is finally built, sunlight to their homes will be cut drastically, as it towers above all the houses on both sides. The risk of subsidence created by the HGV's has not been calculated into the risk to the adjoining properties. They have also seen their properties' value decrease substantially because of this problem.

Churchill’s have recently laid off personnel, but this monstrosity is still going ahead despite all the objections to it, with this City Council's blessing. Local Councillor Lee Wanger, it is alleged by some of the residents, is informing people that those residents of Birchall Avenue have been financially compensated, which they vehemently deny. There are disputes over the validity of planning permission, public footpaths, and the road subsidence in Holywall Lane , that was reported to the highways department by a local resident who is known to me. One other local resident, also known to me, has been fighting this case for thirty years but is constantly blocked by the City Council and Churchill China ’s insistence on getting their way come hell or high water.

This will not only affect the residents of Birchall Avenue , but those of Reginald Way due to the increase of traffic and noise. There is a proposal for a large Central Fire Station to be built adjoining the Churchill monstrosity, causing further traffic and noise.

Now don’t get me wrong I want more businesses to expand, but they must work with the local community, not bully them, as this case proves. The residents of Bichall Avenue feel as if they have been imprisoned by the surrounding buildings, and once where there was an open countryside view, there is only blue steel walls to look at. I and my party will fight to support the residents of the affected area, as we believe this is wrong. I will update you has to how I get on."

Craig has also provided photos, which are shown at the top of this blog post.

It certainly seems like a monstrosity, along similar lines to the Screwfix building in Trentham/Blurton.

Are you a local resident blighted by the Churchill China building? Tell us what you think - how has it affected your daily life and how will it affect you in the future? Are you happy with the way the council have dealt with this issue? Terry says the BNP are fighting this on behalf of the residents - are there other local councillors from other parties supporting this cause? Or do you think the Council were right to allow Churchill China to carry out this expansion project?

What do you think? Over to you...

THE LATEST ON THE BSF FIASCO

Today in the Sentinel there’s yet another article about the BSF fiasco. It seems Education leaders have denied reports that a shortlist of firms bidding to build the new schools has been scrapped. These same education leaders are accusing critics of being “hell-bent” on derailing the programme by claiming the bidding process has run into trouble. See the Sentinel link for the full article http://www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk/education/Schools-claims-rejected/article-397869-detail/article.html

Stoke-on-Trent City Council originally drew up a shortlist of potential contractors in 2006. But, the article says, since then, the plans have radically changed and they have become “mired in controversy”. Campaigners fighting to save schools or gain new buildings have lodged legal challenges, and schools and city MP’s even joined forces to draw up their own alternative proposals.

Now the city council has denied the building programme is in further trouble. It comes after reports in the trade press that firms will be forced to retender for the construction work. Contracts are expected to be announced next summer and building is due to start in 2010.

Roger Ibbs says in the article "It would appear that a minority of people seem hell-bent on attempting to halt or derail the BSF programme at all costs."
So what’s the truth behind this? Are there any councillors or council officials out there reading this blog who are prepared to tell us what’s REALLY happening with the BSF Programme?

The problem is, not many people living in Stoke on Trent who are affected by BSF feel that they’ve been properly consulted, listened to or treated with any respect. It’s no wonder that people worked with the MP’s to draw up alternative proposals, and why people like the Trentham Action Group was formed and goes from strength to strength.

We in the South of the City are still waiting for answers about where the Parkhall Academy will actually be sited, and how the children of secondary school age across this area of the city will be dispersed amongst the remaining schools in the area. We keep asking, but no answers are forthcoming.

When are we going to be told! I don’t know what your views are, but I think the council has definitely shot itself in the foot on this one. I know that Mayor Meredith thinks he is doing what is right, but in the face of so much challenge and opposition from the people of the city – how can anyone possibly think that is still the case? What do you think?