Since I started as Labour’s representative in Monkseaton South Ward I have campaigned on lots of issues raised by you, the residents, in order to try to improve the area. We have had many successes, and I’m grateful to all the people who have said ‘thank you’ for what has been done. It keeps me going during bad periods. But one issue is proving to be an appalling nut to crack. It was the very first issue that I took up -- the parking problems in and around Coronation Crescent in Monkseaton Village. Not only does it show how tough some problems can be, but it is also a showcase of what can be wrong with local councils, including our very own council, North Tyneside.

There is no way of saying it nicely: I have come to the conclusion that some officers have to be dragged kicking and screaming just to do their jobs properly. They appear not to be ‘fit for purpose’. The Mayor is doing a good job, but he cannot do everybody else’s job as well.

I hate to think of the number of hours I have had to spend sorting out the Coronation Crescent parking problems. Of course, my not being on the Council makes it more difficult - but I’m hoping that there will be a solution to that, which I return to later in this letter.

After months of investigation and lobbying, I found out that some council officer arranged to have the wrong yellow lines painted on the road, so that they did not conform to the traffic control order. This made them useless. They must have known about it, but did nothing until I started work. Eventually, sometime towards the end of last year, the Evening Chronicle ran a story highlighting this ineptitude. A council official was quoted as saying that the problem would be put right in a week or two. Was it? New lines were painted, but the signs were not corrected. Useless.

The police made it clear that they cannot enforce the parking regulations until the signs are correct. Despite the fact that the police, our MP Alan Campbell and myself have been telling the Council about this for months, they have only just put up new signs. I am writing immediately to the senior police officer in the area to make sure that they can now start enforcement.

Can you believe it? Yes, you can. The Council risked becoming a laughing stock over this issue. It needs shaking up. I’d like to know what the senior officers in charge have been doing about it. And what about local councillors. Why didn’t they get on top of it years ago?

This isn’t just a case of making sure rules are kept. This road is extremely dangerous for pedestrians, and I frequently hear stories about narrow escapes. It is a safety issue. Now the next task is to get the Council to sort out the car park itself.

I know I have spent a lot time dealing with just this one issue, but, as you can tell, I am furious about it. I can understand the frustration of local residents with very real problems who feel like they are talking to the wall when they try to get those problems solved. Of course, the Council is blessed with many officers who work extremely well and hard, but they must also feel let down by some of the others.

All of this is one reason why I am pleased that the local Labour Party has asked me to be its candidate in the next elections in May. If I win I am determined that we should not have to put up with this nonsense. I want to work hard with the Mayor and other pro-active Councillors to put things right. We cannot go on like this.