Seventeen Windows

[alan@marple]

I would not be surprised, to see Seventeen Windows up for sale soon!

Just a thought

[admin]

....and it got worse when the councillor tried to imply I had withheld part of the email he had sent me !

As I said in my reply to your PM, I don't believe Cllr Bispham was implying that you withheld it, just that it wasn't posted.

It may not have arrived but it certainly looks to me like it was sent. Not just from the headers of the email he forwarded  to me but also did you notice how the email you did get started something like "further thoughts...." as if he was following up a previous message?

I believe the message was sent even if you didn't receive it (which happens all the time for various reasons).

[sooty2]

Pink Panther, I was only saying that your two posts before your last one were pointless. They have no content apart from, you wont say anything.

[Miss Marple]

Sooty 2   I have always known who Pink Panther is    and their reason for not having an opinion!  But it is also dangerous for me to have an opinion ! But do you know what I DON'T CARE and will have an opinion on local issues and be proactive where and when I can !!!!!      And I agree it stinks !!  and it got worse when the councillor tried to imply I had withheld part of the email he had sent me ! FOR WHAT REASON !!!!       THE PLOT THICKENS !

[Rachael]

I think ive said quite a bit on the topic of seventeen windows  Sooty,  if you look back, its a matter of opinion whether you think my contribution is worth while to the topic or not .   I dont agree with many things you have said,  it doesnt mean there is no point in YOU posting now does it ?

All I did say ( where its relevant to your post about me not saying or posting much ) is that   I wouldnt comment on was the costs of seventeen windows, and I did say I had my own reasons for them, which still remain private  ( you can work  out why  for yourself if you wish to, it doesnt take a genius  )

Is that an OK ?   or shall I keep stum on the whole subject and just let you talk to yourself, now THAT really would be pointless !!

 

[sooty2]

Just a thought, Why is it that seventeen windows a much photographed building with history assumed to be in Marple by a lot of people including myself, has not raised an eyebrow from any councillors ? Should they not be proud of the assets of their constituency or their neighbours?" Not in my backyard" its in offerton. Does it matter? its still a mess! Its like a paramedic refusing treatment to a heart attack victim 6.01am because his shift finished at 6.00am it would not happen. Why cant they work together? I think they have all had long enough to get an approx costing on the Seventeen windows massacre.If a member of the public has been told to write in for a costing, whats the councillors excuse? Yawn! Yawn! Yawn! as they used to say Ive seen "more work in a sick note" especially on this subject, Cant they do anything more than try to keep a few post offices open and fill a few holes in the road, and I mean a few , prove me wrong please?

[sooty2]

Not like you Miss Marple, I personally would be furious and need to get to the bottom of it.Like Victor M said something stinks!!!!!!. Pink Panther are you part of MI5? You cant or wont say much will you?seems pointless posting just to tell us that

[Miss Marple]

Well that's strange as I have only received the one email that was posted   I have never seen this other part of the email until now when I read it on this site   Strange how I am not copied into the second half of the email or how it failed to arrive with the first   NOW I COULD SAY SOMETHING BUT I WONT !!!!

[Rachael]

I could say something ..

But I wont 

[admin]

I have received the following email from Cllr Andrew Bispham as his reply to Miss Marple was in two parts but we only had the second part posted here:

Hi Mark,

I just thought I would forward the first part of my e mail to Paula to you which seems not to have been printed in the thread on 17 windows. A correction to this is that the money for this has come from the South East Manchester Multi Modal Strategy fund, not the Dan Bank project

In addition there is an agenda item on next Wednesday’s area committee meeting to discuss retaining walls and their funding. Out of interest the total bill to the taxpayer for this dedicated funding comes to a staggering £45 million spread across the four boroughs which have Pennine fringe landscapes. They are Oldham, Rochdale, Tameside and Stockport.

I have asked that a council officer attend the meeting to present this item and be prepared to answer questions on the Dan Bank and 17 windows scheme. I will allow limited question on the above as the other big item on the agenda will be the Compstall Mill planning application, and that will take some time.

Best Wishes, Andrew

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Cllr Andrew Bispham
Sent: 26 August 2009 08:00
To: paula
Cc: Cllr Craig Wright; Cllr Martin Candler
Subject: RE: Seventeen Windows Marple

Paula,

The money for all this has not come from the council. It is all part of the funding from central government to secure the road link from Marple to Stockport. This was in the form of a direct sum of £3.2 million pounds which is dedicated funding for the Dan Bank project and cannot be spent elsewhere. It is not ratepayers money, simply money which Stockport residents should rightly expect the government to spend on our crumbling road infrastructure network.

We also looked at purchasing a strip of land at the bottom of Dan Bank to widen the road and provide an extra lane for traffic turning towards Romiley but the farmer simply wanted too much.

As an engineer, I am quite happy that what has been done has been done to the best standards to ensure that the safety of pedestrians and road users is maintained at this very busy bottleneck into Marple.

For future reference, 17 windows is not in Marple, It is in Offerton and issues regarding Offerton should rightly be addressed to the councillors for that ward. It would be better if the Marple Website contained factual and accurate information on this project rather than just rumour. It is all available and in the public domain

Cllr Andrew Bispham
Chair, Marple Area Committee,
Area spokesperson for Traffic
Marple North & South

[Miss Marple]

I think we are missing the point, the stabilising work on Dan Bank needed doing, the only alternative to the way the work could have been was to fill in the culvert and let the stream run underground to the river. This would have made a right mess to the area. If it was left to the private sector this no doubt would have been the chosen method.
What we all really seem to be upset by is the money spent widening a pavement and the associated costs around seventeen windows. I more practical approach would have been to upgrade the adjacent public footpath (with lights) and use the new proposed pedestrian crossing (part of the Goyt valley cycle route) along Dooley Lane. That would have been considerably cheaper and safer. The effect of the proposed Green man phase on the lights will be horrendous at rush hour (8:00 am) as Marple Hall School starts the day at 8:20 am.

I didn't explain myself fully re the private sector Victor.  What I meant was a private construction company working within the restraints of an allotted amount of money not the bottomless pot that is afforded to local councils to undertake work by way of tendering.  I think Sooty 2 has a very interesting point.  I have also emailed the leader of the council and the Offerton elected members for their views and justification to the work undertaken at Seventeen windows at the cost to the tax payer IE fences drives and the like. To-date I have not received a reply but when I do I will post it

[Rachael]

Miss Marple,

I wont talk about the costs, and my thoughts on them,  and well spotted for noticing that I have not 

But I do have my reasons    and those reasons are private to me .

[sooty2]

There is no problem with Dan  Bank strenghtening. The cost of the Seventeen Windows  joke project and the over zealous pavement widenings come under the umbrella of Dan Bank improvements, probably to hide the true cost.

[Victor M]

I think we are missing the point, the stabilising work on Dan Bank needed doing, the only alternative to the way the work could have been was to fill in the culvert and let the stream run underground to the river. This would have made a right mess to the area. If it was left to the private sector this no doubt would have been the chosen method.
What we all really seem to be upset by is the money spent widening a pavement and the associated costs around seventeen windows. I more practical approach would have been to upgrade the adjacent public footpath (with lights) and use the new proposed pedestrian crossing (part of the Goyt valley cycle route) along Dooley Lane. That would have been considerably cheaper and safer. The effect of the proposed Green man phase on the lights will be horrendous at rush hour (8:00 am) as Marple Hall School starts the day at 8:20 am.

[Miss Marple]

So now, we are talking about fighting for peoples basic rights , well, if we all bought other issues into this, this topic could go on and on and on ...

As for agreeing that you are patronising ,  can you not agree , disagree , discuss with other people their thoughts and opinions without having to be patronising towards them to get your point across when you do not agree with what someone says ?

I have read your posts with interest, and although yes, there is a bit of ribbing at times towards eachother,  I  have agreed and disagreed with many comments you have made ( I shall keep what I agree with close to my chest    ) , but I'm finding that the more I read of your comments, the more you seem to "Jump" on someone if their opinion differs to yours .


As for other people to only comment on here  if they know and understand the "true" workings of the council, AND the government ,  what nonsense  !  isn't this supposed to be a notice board for our local community, for all to be a part of , whatever their level of understanding of any topic ?  Or shall we give you a sheriff badge ( to be in fitting with the wild west theme park you talk about , aka seventeen windows, ) and give you a horse ( make sure its better than sootys) ,  and call it the Miss Marple Forum and notice board   ( my way or the high way )

IN REPLY TO PINK PANTHER

Firstly I think you are getting me mistaken with Sooty 2 !  re the theme park (re read posts)  But putting that to one side I do agree that it would be intresting as you say to open this topic up into fighting for peoples basic rights especially when the use of tax payers money is concerned.  The amount of 3.3 million set aside for Dan Bank or whatever fills me with horror because if it was the private sector in control of the budjet you could bet your botton dollar that monies spent would have to be better accounted for.  You have been vocal towards me on this issue but have not shared your feelings on the use of such a large amount of money.  I agree that work needs to be done on Dan Bank but what I don't agree with is the councils justification that if the monies set aside are not spent they will just return to central government.  That attitude only sees money being squandered and not targated towards other front line services .  I sometimes wished I looked at the world through rose coloured spectacles but sadly I do not.  I am, as I have already stated on the front line trying to work within a TIGHT budjet to provided essential services to people in crisis so I find it hard to read justifications on such a waste of money.  I am intrested to hear your views or anyone else's but it always appears to be you who attacks people not me!  This assumption has been made on reading back through your posts to Sooty Two!  I look forward and will read with intrest your reply