The St. Chad's Councillors have been busy during the summer months dealing with local issues in the ward. Alan Wright has been responding to the issue of the closure of the A19/A690 slip road, due to be widened by the Highways Agency to accommodate increased traffic to Rainton Meadows.

Robert Oliver has been promoting youth activities in Farringdon both by sitting on a steering group for the summer activities programme and by helping with allocating funds. Michael Dixon has been busy with many housing enquiries from local residents throughout the ward but especially as a result of a very successful Farringdon ward surgery.

Election night on Thursday 1st May turned out to be memorable for St Chad's Conservatives, as their candidate, Alan Wright, became the third Conservative Councillor to represent the Ward. Alan's majority was a healthy 454 votes, which was a great result bearing in mind it was the Labour Party who were defending the seat.

The election campaign had proved to be enjoyable, with residents throughout the ward giving Alan, Robert Oliver and Michael Dixon a warm welcome, while even those with a different political persuasion were friendly and appreciative of the regular newsletters and contact provided. Alan took to canvassing very early and has made a great start to his time as Councillor by having already met hundreds of residents.

This result gives the ward three Conservative Councillors on the City Council, a complete turnaround since 2004 when, up to then, it was the Labour Party who had three St Chad's Councillors. This has involved continuous hard work on behalf of all the residents of the ward.

Commenting on the result Robert Oliver said

"We were thrilled with Alan's majority and thank all those people who voted for him. Alan was first-class during the campaign when meeting people, while it soon became apparent that the three of us all enjoyed each other's company. I am convinced we will make a good, united team of hard-working Councillors ready to do our best for all ward residents in the years ahead."

Michael

The first month of the New Year has been very busy, with newsletters delivered in Farringdon and Herrington. Both Robert and myself have had a further meeting with the Council Officers dealing with the parking problems from Doxford International. There is much frustration from the many who have their daily lives affected by this massive inconvenience, while other residents, not covered by the proposals, are concerned about the future parking trends once implementation takes place. We are Councillors from the main Opposition Party on Sunderland Council and as such not law-makers. We do, however, have a strong voice locally and see our role as representatives of all views, as we encourage the Council to try and expedite the issue. 

Robert has been dealing with an application to convert the former Chiropodist's Surgery on Cairnside into a Betting Shop. I am unable to enter into proceeedings as I sit on the relevant planning committee but I do know that he has had a big response from residents.  We regularly attend the Lakeside Resident's Forum which meets on the first Tuesday of each month and recently had some success in helping to obtain further seating around the Towers On an almost daily basis we receive some communication from residents about issues affecting them and this is part of the Councillor's role that I enjoy most, especially if it is possible to help solve an issue. However there was much drama at the recent full Council meeting, when after a vote was won by Labour Councillors to ask the press and public to leave the Chamber so that discussion could take place on what they considered was a sensitive issue, the Conservative and Independent Councillors walked out. In addition the Police had to be called to remove members of the public who refused to leave the gallery.

A very dramatic evening and I must say throughout the proceedings, from start to finish, the Labour Leader, Councillor Symonds, whom I quite like personally, was irritable in debate and seemed very downcast. I might be wrong but that was the impression I got, remembering that he only just managed to stave off a challenge to his leadership last May, by a handful of votes.

Michael

To write a few lines of reflection about a year which saw me elected as the second Conservative St Chad's Ward Councillor on the Sunderland City Council is certainly no hardship and I would like to thank all those people in the ward whom I have met or got to know in the past eight months for their kind reaction to me. Year-round hard and continuous work is something that Robert Oliver, who has been so very diligent on your behalf since 2004 and myself, believe is necessary for us to satisfactorily fulfill our duties as your Councillors. Not all problems or issues can be solved, but every effort will be made, whatever the outcome, in the months and years ahead, as it has been in the past.
 
Without doubt a major hope for 2008 is that there will be progress made on the vexed issue of parking in Herrington by employees from Doxford International. At the time of writing we are awaiting contact from the Council Officers for another meeting which we have requested and they have promised to get in touch after certain procedures have been met. Both Robert and myself have received much contact from understandably concerned residents and we sincerely hope a positive outcome can be achieved.
 
On the political front, in the very near future, we should be in a position to announce the name of our Conservative candidate who will be contesting the ward in the May 2008 council elections. The seat is being defended by Labour and we anticipate a very interesting battle ahead. When our candidate's name is known we will post it on our website.

Michael

We are always on the lookout for opportunities for young people in St. Chad's Ward. Last week we were made aware of a Midnight Football scheme run by the A690 group which is having a positive impact in the area. It takes place at Silksworth Sports Complex and has been attracting young people from throughout the area. These young people may, otherwise, have had little to do to but hang around and potentially get into trouble. With some funds left in the ward's Community Chest budget we are hopeful that we can make a significant contribution to keep this excellent scheme going.
 
Robert

In addition to the year-round ward work, there are duties that takes place in the Civic Centre and both Councillor Oliver and Dixon have been allocated positions on important committees by their party. Councillor Oliver sits on Children's Services and Councillor Dixon is on Regeneration and Community. These are ideal committees for both councillors, as Robert can use his expertise as a teacher as well as his interest in education. The same applies for Michael as a Chartered Surveyor by profession. 
 
Both Robert and Michael sit on the South Sunderland Area Committee, along with Councillors from the nearby wards of Silksworth and Doxford. Not long ago this committee was completely dominated by Labour Councillors, but this is no longer true (although to be fair the business is conducted whereby everyone can have a say). There are other committees of which we are members.
 
We both take these committees very seriously and ask the appropriate questions of Officers when they make their reports. By doing this we attempt to ensure that the proper scrutiny process takes place to the best of our ability. If used properly they can be the source of much information and knowledge.

Robert and Michael recently attended yet another meeting with the Council Officers regarding the ongoing parking problems, specifically in Broadmeadows and Park Lea. The Council have extended their original proposals to both areas and we were very keen to discuss this. The Council informed us that they were intending to contact all residents within a few days outlining all relevant details and requesting comments.
 
We are fully aware that there is much disquiet as to where the vehicles will park once the proposals are fully implemented and we raised this very issue with the Officers. At this stage the Council did not consider any extension to the latest proposals was necessary or desirable. Our own view is that the proposals, to date, have merit, but we will continue to keep an open mind as to whether they should be extended.

Children in Sunderland who get free school meals have less chance of doing well in their GCSEs than their peers, according to Government figuresDocuments obtained from the Department for Education and Skills show only one in 10 Wearside pupils on free school meals got five GCSEs A*-C, including English and maths, in 2005. This compares to a success rate of one-in-four for pupils who pay for their meals. There is also a gap in success in further education success between those who pay for their meals and those who don't. Teacher and Tory councillor Robert Oliver, the Sunderland Conservatives' spokesman on education, said the figures showed the education system wasn't doing enough for children from disadvantaged backgrounds. He said: "Children with homes with books and an educational environment in them are going to do better, and there's the thing that children of teachers do best of all."

Read more at the Sunderland Echo

Children should be locked in school at lunchtime to boost the uptake of school meals and stop them eating unhealthy food, say Sunderland Tories.At some secondary schools, fewer than one in 10 pupils now pay to eat in their school canteen, despite efforts to improve the food on offer. City leaders want to see junk-food exclusion zones set up around schools to stop youngsters buying greasy lunches from burger vans instead of healthy school meals.Robert Oliver, a teacher and Sunderland Conservatives' spokesman on education, thinks the best approach is to introduce lunchtime lock-ins. Many secondary schools on Wearside now keep at least 11-to-13-year-old pupils in school, some preventing all but sixth formers from leaving the school gates at lunchtime – and Coun Oliver wants to see all schools adopt that policy. "My opinion is that, realistically, only lock-ins are going to make any difference," he said. If you look at the table of top-performing schools, they are all keeping pupils in all the time. Obviously I don't think that's the reason they're doing well – there are probably other reasons as well – but there's definitely a link."

Read more at the Sunderland Echo

Local Conservatives had a fantastic result in the Washington East by-election on Thursday 28th September, caused by the resignation of the previous Labour Councillor, gaining the seat with a majority of 202 votes. The winning candidate was Angela Cuthbert who joins her husband Ian as the second Conservative Councillor for this Ward on Sunderland City Council. They will be a great team as Ian has already shown himself to be a very active Councillor since his election last May

Full credit must go an excellent campaign organised to the last detail by Angela and Ian, along with the many Councillors and members who spent countless hours either canvassing or delivering leaflets over many weeks. It was a real team effort and there was a great deal of satisfaction for a job well done.

There is no doubt that the Labour Party fully expected to hold this seat and you could sense the acute disappointment when the result was announced. The Liberal vote was halved from the May 2007 election.

So the Conservative Party have had three Councillors elected in Washington in the space of around 5 months, after being without a single one for 30 years. That is real progress and gives active members and supporters alike much hope for the future.

The new website for St Chad's Conservatives has been launched today. Sporting a new design and new functionality, it is even easier to find out about your councillors and issues in your local area. To find out about who the councillors are, visit this page to read their biographies. If you have something that concerns you and would like to get in touch with either of the councillors, then use the contact form to send them your questions.

Angry councillors want the city council to take action on fly-posters, rather than letting people off for first offences – just weeks after a get-tough policy was introduced. At least eight posters advertising the Cool for Cats disco at the Independent on Holmeside have been posted on council and BT property across Herrington, Doxford Park and Barnes. Council officials say the perpetrators will not be prosecuted as it is a first offence, but Conservative members Robert Oliver and Michael Dixon are calling for a clear message to be sent out to all flyposters who are messing up Wearside's streets.

Read more at the Sunderland Echo

A council mix-up has left neighbours seeing red after a phone mast was sited next to their homes. Sunderland City Council has found itself embroiled in a battle with phone giant O2 to see the mast pulled down. But the company is sticking to its guns and has vowed it is there to stay. O2 lodged plans with the council to erect the 15-metre mast opposite the Dolphin Pub at Ashdown Road, Farringdon, in February last year. The council opposed the bid over the design and siting of the mast, and nearby residents launched a petition on the grounds that it would affect property values and their health.

Read more at the Sunderland Echo

They say measures must be put in place to control the "dangerous" A690/ A19 roundabout, which links to Doxford International Business Park. Now residents and councillors are urging Sunderland City Council and the Highways Agency to switch the rush hour-controlled traffic lights on at all times to stop dangerous drivers from racing across the roundabout. One resident, who did not want to be named, said: "I watched the traffic going round there and sometimes it was just horrendous, especially when people are getting to work and they just put their foot down to get there. "I've got common sense when I'm driving, but it's survival of the fittest around there. "There's already been quite a few accidents, but one day there will be a serious one. "I've spoken to a number of people round here and they all seem to think the same." Couns Robert Oliver and Michael Dixon, Tories for St Chad's ward, have been approached by several residents who have expressed fears over the busy roundabout. And the two councillors have spoken to the council to see if the traffic lights can be turned on at all times, after dubbing the roundabout an accident blackspot.

Read more at the Sunderland Echo

Tory councillors Peter Wood and Robert Oliver put forward a motion to get support to extend the Metro to Doxford International, Washington and other parts of the city. At a full meeting of Sunderland Council, Coun Wood said: “Good public transport is essential, especially in urban areas. It is needed to facilitate the movement of people, both work and pleasure-related. “With increasing road traffic congestion, it is becoming more important to provide a realistic alternative.”Coun Oliver said the move was essential to meet the demands of the increasing number of businesses at Doxford International and Rainton Meadow.

Read more at Sunderland Echo