Paul Gittins - Job Done

Paul Gittins Labour Spokesperson for Bewdley Town

I am pleased to report that after years of campaigning the high step at the end of the pedestrian underpass on the Wribbenhall side of Bewdley bridge has been improved by adding 2 smaller steps in front of it. Although the land in this area is owned by the county council and maintained by the District Council none will take resposibility for the high step nor would the Highways Department. It was also claimed that there was no right of way although there are signs at each end of the footpath one which says pedestrian underpass. However following several falls, one quite serious 2 more steps have been constructed in front of the original high step.

Paul Gittins
Mayor of Bewdley

Beales Corner Underpass Blog Post May 2010

Beales Corner Underpass Blog Post August 2008

IN his letter our MP, Mark Garnier, trots out his party’s line that the ConDem cuts are driven by necessity not ideology.

He puts the blame for the global banking meltdown on the previous government’s poor financial regulation. He conveniently forgets that, when this legislation was introduced, his party voted against it.

Mr Garnier is right about one thing, there have to be cuts over time to balance the budget. They do not have to be made as quickly or as deeply as the ConDems tell us.

Don’t take my word for it. David Blanchflower, a respected commentator and economics professor at Dartmouth College, New Hampshire and University of Stirling, says: “They [deep and immediate cuts] are not essential and there is a significant chance that this is the wrong path.”

But it is the sheer audacity of Mr Garnier’s main contention that the cuts are not ideological that beggar’s belief. If this is the case why is it more important to cut benefits than tax avoidance loopholes?

Why cut the Building for Schools programme and not the charitable status of public schools? Why cut Education Maintenance Allowance rather than impose a tax on bankers’ bonuses? And why introduce an increase in VAT when every extra penny taken by the government means so much more to someone on a middle or low income than it does millionaires?

Tory ideology means ‘small government’ and fewer frontline services and those of us on middle and lower incomes suffer most.

If Mr Garnier was really ‘fighting our corner’ he wouldn’t be writing letters full of mealy-mouthed platitudes; he would be openly criticising this government.

ROBERT IRELAND Secretary, Bewdley Branch Labour Party Northwood Lane Bewdley

Kidderminster Shuttle Letters Fight our corner by being critical

Tories will always be Tories but they can’t cut without the support of the Lib Dems

At a recent Bewdley PACT meeting it was again suggested that a 20 MPH zone be created through the town centre as they already have in Cleobury Mortimer. The zone could include Stourport road and Wyre Hill where there are schools and High Street. please let me know what you think. tel 01299 404113.

Paul Gittins
Mayor of Bewdley

Lest we Forget

Mayor of Bewdley, Paul Gittins pictured laying a wreath at Bewdley town centre war memorial. It was the largest parade I had seen for many years with 220 people representing  most of the towns organisations. St Anne’s church was full. Following the march past at which the Mayor took the salute all the parade were invited to the town hall for refreshments hosted by the Mayor and Mayoress.
in the afternoon a wreath laying ceremony and church service was held at All Saints Church, Wribbenhall which was conducted by Canon Hazel Hughes. photo shows RBL Standard bearers and Mace bearers with the Mayor prior to the service.
Paul Gittins

Paul and Carol Gittins

Paul Gittins Labour Spokesperson for Bewdley Town

The speech made by the Mayor of Bewdley Councillor Paul Gittins on the Mayor making evening on 4th June. At Bewdley Town Hall. Followed by a reception for 100 people at the Wharton Park Golf Club

Thank you all for coming here tonight to be part of the Mayor making ceremony. Of course I am very honoured to be elected as the Mayor of Bewdley and I would like to thank those who supported me and hope that we can all work together for the good of Bewdley. I would like to say a special thank you to Carol for her support in everything I do. She justly deserves the title of Mayoress.

For those of you who are new to our town,

Bewdley is a Georgian Town. It was once an inland port, and in 1867 the birthplace of Stanley Baldwin, 3 times Prime Minister.

Our silver maces which were presented to the town by Queen Anne are this year 300 years old.

We have an award winning museum and behind it is our award winning Jubilee Gardens.

One mile away is the award winning West Midlands Safari Park.

We even have an award winning fish and chip shop.

We are the home of the Severn Valley railway and on our doorstep is the Wyre Forest with its excellent visitors centre.

But what I think helps make Bewdley such a nice place to live is its varied organisations that is why many of you have been invited here tonight. THANK YOU.

However, like other towns we do have our problems.

Anti Social Behaviour and the drug problem being 2 of them.

We must find other interests for our young people. Longer opening times for the youth club and youth café may help. Encourage them to join the scouts and Guides or sporting clubs. The Bewdley Football Club and Rowing Club are leading the way.

Many of these organisations need more leaders and funding. Can you help?

We must deal with our traffic problems, deterring unnecessary large vehicles from using High Street and Welch Gate which has a severe traffic pollution problem.

Ample parking provision is required for our visitors and residents and we must continue with our flood defence programme.

My Mayors Charities are:

Bewdley Scouts and Guides. For our children and youth

CAB. For those in need of advice

Royal British Legion. A thank you from the people of Bewdley for those suffering from past and present wars and conflicts.

Carol and I hope to carry out fund raising events for these charities. Your ideas and help would be appreciated. I would like to challenge all clubs and organisations to hold one fund raising event for my charities during the next year. Carol will be holding a Mayors Charity Coffee Morning each Saturday in the Mayors Parlour when she is able to do so. We would also be pleased to support your favourite charities.

Bewdley War Memorial

Paul Gittins Labour Spokesperson for Bewdley Town

Another campaign I am working on, is the illumination of the town centre War Memorial. There is an electric socket on the church wall above the memorial which is used to connect the Christmas tree lights. Unfortunately the church authorities will not allow us to extend this socket down to the war memorial so the only alternative for a power supply is to lay a new cable under the road and to make a connection with a mains cable under the pavement. This will be very expensive and although at one time I had secured a grant of £1,000 towards its cost, the time limit has expired and we have lost it. However when Severn Trent were digging up Load Street recently we asked if they would lay a pipe under the road so that at a later date we could pass an electric cable though it without having to dig the road up again. Which they very kindly did. When finances allow we will make the connection under the pavement to the Memorial with lights on the memorial side of the railings.

Paul Gittins

The Conservatives are putting up 6 District Councillors for Bewdley Town Council. My fear is, if elected will they support what is best for Bewdley or the Conservative contolled District council! I would hope that they would put Bewdley first, however, how did our present District Concillors vote when it was decided to grass over most of our flower beds? Will they be able to attend all the council meetings which often clash with their ‘other interests’. They would have to do better than their present member who attended only 2 out of 12 monthly meetings!! We want councillors who are 100% for Bewdley not those wearing 2 or even 3 hats!

Paul Gittins

Paul Gittins Labour Spokesperson for Bewdley Town

With regards to the parking of vehicles and motor cycles on the Civic Space in Bewdley this can easilly be prevented by joining up the yellow lines across the Circle as requested by myself and the Town Council to the Highways Department and our County Councillor. The continuation of these lines through the circle would mean that anyone parking on the other side of them would be committing an offence, as they would be along Severnside North. There is a dedicated parking area for motor cycles in Dog Lane car park next to the river but it is seldom used although we have requested that its location be sign posted.

Cllr Paul Gittins
Bewdley Town Councillor

Dear friends I am very pleased to have been selected by the Bewdley Branch of the Labour Party to be a candidate for the East Ward of Bewdley. The Ward I have lived in for 40 years.

I am married to Paul and we have 2 children both educated in Bewdley. I work at the Mulberry Restaurant in Bewdley as a sweet chef. I had the honour of being your councillor for 8 years and the privilege of being the Mayor of Bewdley during 2001/02. Like Paul I too care passionately about our town and support him in everything he does to promote and support Bewdley. I am the Secretary of the Bewdley Branch of the Royal British Legion and the Chairman of its Welfare Section. I am also an executive member of the Civic Society, a member of the Environment Group of Bewdley Development Trust, the Carnival Committee, Fair Trade, Bewdley in Bloom and a friend of Bewdley Museum. I also hold Prize Bingo sessions for various charities including Age Concern of which I am a committee member.

I am again looking forward to represent you and to help you in any way I can if you require assistance. Bewdley is a beautiful place to live and work with its riverside walks, award winning Jubilee Gardens and museum, the Severn Valley Railway and the forest on our door step. What could be better than visiting these places and ending the evening with a fish and chip supper outside one of our many pubs. Or of course if you prefer, an excellent meal in the Mulberry with its large choice of sweets! Take your own wine if you wish.

Of course in order to be a councillor I need you to vote for me on Thursday 27th May. Your polling station is at St Georges Hall and is open from 7am -10pm. If you require a lift at anytime during that day please call me on 404113.
Your vote counts. Please do not leave it to others.

I am looking forward to serving you and our town. If you have any questions of me, please do not hesitate to give me a call.

Carol Gittins

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Labour -building stronger communities
Published and promoted by Carol Gittins
on behalf of Carol Gittins at Paddington House, New Road, Kidderminster DY10 1AL

The old Town Clerks office and Rent Office in Load Street is owned by the the District Council as is the Town Hall. When the District Council decided to turn the offices into the Hub we were told that we could turn the committee room on the first floor at the rear of the Town Hall into the Town Cleks Office. Although against this we had no choice as both are owned by WFDC. A committee was formed to oversee the move and we were, as I saw it, led to believe that a lift would be installed to allow disabled people to gain access to the Town Clerk and to Council meetings. I recently asked some of the other councillors who were on the committee with me if they too believed this and all said we were told that one would be installed! We have now been told that a lift would be too expensive to install.
Already some people have been unable to attend our meetings because they are unable to climb the stairs!