In touch with the normal people?

This is a very interesting contribution to this forum. I am aware of at least some of the problems originally in Strood South from my own sources, particularly the Darnley Road area. A Dispersal Area was tried around the shops, but (as so often happens with this less-than-ideal approach) it didn't really work and was abandoned after the trial period.

I suggest that Gary and/or Jane have at least one of the Strood South councillors (Richard Andrews, John Avey and Sue Haydock) join this discussion, as their input would be valuable. Perhaps something good could emerge from such a joining of minds. I do hope so: all of Strood deserves to be better than as described above!

Hi - please don't apologise for getting in touch this way. This is exactly why I commissioned the forum. It’s interesting to note, that you moved down here for the same reasons I did over thirty years ago – I also moved to Strood South!

As a Strood North Councillor, and Conservative I decided that in order to reach as many people outside of the election period this forum was an opportunity for colleagues and myself to have some sort of dialogue with people in and around Strood. They and I obviously can’t be everywhere or know everything that’s going on, but we always try to respond speedily to those who have a Council or community related problem. You will see that this site has only been up and running a short while so, I hope that you will find it an increasingly helpful site as time goes on, and that more people will join in, once they realise its existence.

I can understand your frustration with the situations that you are experiencing. You have actually referred to several issues so to give them their due consideration. I shall take one issue at a time and would welcome hearing other people experiences?

I am concerned that you don’t feel that the police are responding as they might; I know they are under extreme pressure, but we need to remember in the criticism they are not the enemy, they feel as frustrated as the rest of us who have been affected by crime! As for comparing Strood unfavourably with London, it would be interesting to know the resources that policing in London commands to that of Kent/Medway? Of course it is fair to say that some of the ‘erberts that you are referring to probably also originate from London!

I actually introduced a motion to Council about three years ago for the government to get its priorities straight and give us more police officers. My Labour colleagues said I should be pleased to have PCSO’s instead. Don’t get me wrong, they work to the best of their abilities and powers afforded to them, but they are not police officers with the same power of arrest or, indeed, training. That said a lot of work has been undertaken by the Council to help tackle the behaviour that you are referring to with our outreach youth team.

John Ward is right it is important that your own councillors are aware of what is happening to you, although I know that they have made an impressive start to raising standards in Strood South. Can I suggest that you contact me direct, either through the site email (top left hand of the screen) or my council email address jane.etheridge@medway.gov.uk ; it is important that we ensure that the police properly address these incidents, and our safety team made aware of the problems that you are experiencing, especially if it is continuing.

It may be difficult for you to believe, but we, as Medway residents, are getting very good value from our Council Services, borne out by the Independent Auditors. Medway Council has one of the lowest council taxes in the country. We have always tried to make living in Medway affordable, giving people in Medway the opportunity to choose where and how they wanted to spend their money, according to their own priorities. However, the Brown/Blair governments have made it increasingly difficult for all councils to choose to do things in a less bureaucratic way or even to decide not to do it at all. Dictate after dictate continually passes down from the government but with little or no money to implement or keep these projects going.

It might be interesting for you to know that the government give varying amounts to councils across the country to run their services. The funding for Local Authorities is made up from local taxation and government settlement grants; the government’s formulae for determining grants to councils favours higher spending authorities which we think is crazy; Consequently the council is having to find ways of raising funding to supplement its income.

I am glad to see that you are pleased with the education that your children are receiving; that’s good to hear. Overall, schools determine for themselves policy around the issues you describe, but they too are affected by funding. Having raised three children myself, I appreciate what you are saying. Children are expensive! Have you spoken to the school about these extra costs? I would be interested to hear the outcome… feel free to message me privately about this if you’d prefer. This is a wide subject… perhaps there are some other parents in the area that would like to share their thoughts too.

Overall, I think the most interesting thing about your post is that it reaffirms that people in Strood care about their community; so many of us are unified by our efforts to improve things for our family and it is this that will ultimately improve things for all of us. I look forward to hearing from you in the future; please feel free to comment on any of the issues raised here.

Without trying to sound too negative I do not feel encouraged about what is being done. I have heard and do understand some of the issues you face but have not read anything about what you or your colleagues are doing to address these issues. Being told that you understand my concerns, my frustrations and that I raise some interesting points goes no way to alleviate my concerns.

I am fully aware that the police are not the enemy, when my daughter was run over by a hit & run driver the two police women who came to see her in hospital were as nice as you could ask for but to be told "We will have a drive around but we don't usual find these people" left me somewhat discouraged. I received a letter four days later to tell me case was closed.

I understand that the dispersal area was not successful but I also commend the attempt at looking for a resolution and the action involved. What is being done by the Outreach team you mention? Nearly all activity was stopped but it was down to me that it was stopped.

Again I understand how council tax works and government settlement grants are distributed. You are right that in comparison to many local councils Medway has a fairly reasonable rate. However when I visit other more 'expensive' areas such as my parents, cousins or friends they seem to be provide with a fantastic service. For example all their recycling bins are provided for them (without cost) and the roads are not in a state of disrepair (I just had to spend £350 on our car because of suspension issues caused by the roads in the area, living on beans\ cheese on toast for three days whilst I'm waiting to get paid is an overrated exercise!). I would be interested in seeing the independent audit report to see what is considered value for money. Unfortunately my personal experience is seeing money wasted such as the trees that were planted in the middle of some green land that the kids play football on... having a tree in the middle of your pitch doesn't help the game, needless to say they didn't last very long. I live directly on one of the greens in question and a simple letter or courtesy call would have explained this to them. Also the speed bumps on Darnley Road that were moved from one side of the Maple Road junction to other, only to be moved back again a few months later had me wondering how much cost was involved.

The extra costs from school are normally made up of 'voluntary contributions'. How can I not pay these when both myself and my wife work and the school is so short of funds. I see it as a responsibility to my children to contribute but that still won't stop me questioning why, when I pay so much tax that one of the few services from the government(s) I use still needs more of my money. The issues surrounding their school jumpers and lunch boxes I did send in a letter about this and was told it was to make the children feel equal, a point which I have to take on board but I feel that another reason is to help with more funds for the school.

Strood care about their community but in all honest what community doesn't?

The examples I have given above are to give you an idea of what I see happening in the area. The tree planting and speed bumps made me laugh more than got me angry, an unfortunate response if you really think about it.

There is all sorts of good and interesting material in this post, and I leave it to the local members in Strood to respond to them in detail ;-)

However, I was intrigued by this chunk from Col M: "Again I understand how council tax works and government settlement grants are distributed. You are right that in comparison to many local councils Medway has a fairly reasonable rate. However when I visit other more 'expensive' areas such as my parents, cousins or friends they seem to be provide with a fantastic service. For example all their recycling bins are provided for them (without cost) and the roads are not in a state of disrepair..."

Well, yes -- Medway does provide a very high standard of service, yet charges an extremely low rate of Council Tax (relative to other Authorities -- all Council Tax has been hiked during the past ten years because of the former Chancellor's manipulations).

We also provide black sacks (for refuse), blue boxes and sacks (for general recyclables, which can be mixed as we sort them for you) and brown "wheelie bins" (for garden waste) free of charge, with the alternative of two heavy-duty reusable sacks instead of the brown bins if preferred.

As far as roads are concerned, I recall that when we took over running the council some seven years ago, the roads were in a terrible state, and we have done a huge amount to correct that ever since. It has been a personal achievement of mine to devise and implement a sensible and manageable programme of repairs that has been running since our first budget came into effect in April 2001: within two months all the potholes on my Estate (virtually half my then ward of Horsted) had been fixed, for a start.

Most recently, the excellent new surface (and foundation-level work) on City Way and the long-neglected Snodhurst Avenue was done (with minimal disruption to traffic, by the way!) once these roads had come into my enlarged ward, now called Rochester South and Horsted. We here have been working on a programme of bringing our newly-acquired "chunks" up to the standards now enjoyed in the traditional Horsted area. In that regard, take a look around the Wilson Avenue area sometime: we spent nearly a million pounds (but not from the Council Tax!) in thoroughly "doing-up" that entire area -- and it shows.

Therefore, do be aware that much is going on, despite the huge underfunding of Medway Council from your national taxes, realtive to other Authorities. We have spent ever-increasing amounts on road repairs over the last several years, though this has been curtailed to a (thankfully!) limited extent in the present (Government-caused) budget crisis situation.

The problem does not lie here, and is not caused by our low Council Tax (though a severely-flawed but oh-so-convenient to this gov't funding formula penalises prudent, low-spending councils) but by deliberate gerrymandering of funding to favour the overspending and wasteful Labour councils that proliferate in the north. Publicly-visible documentation shows this clearly, despite attempts to camouflage much of it.

Thus low Council Tax is a good thing, and I and my Conservative colleagues on the Council wouldn't want it any other way. As with so many things in life, it is important not to be fooled by symptoms of a problem, but to be aware of the true underlying illness that causes those symptoms. That illness is what we all need to tackle, first and foremost..

Well I'm jumping off the forum now. I've heard a lot of blame being placed on others, finger pointing and whats worked well in other areas but more importantly no concerns of mine really being addressed. At least you had the decency to reply which is more than the Labour councilors did to my emails .

I never understood why people didn't vote, the last two weeks have shown me why. All the best for the future.

In the words of "Immortal Technique".... "We talk about change and working within the system to achieve that. The problem with always being a conformist is that when you try to change the system from within, it's not you who changes the system; it's the system that will eventually change you"

Yours The Willow Road Resident!

Oh well, that appears to be the end of this discussion. Pity, really: I had suggested getting one of the Strood South councillors to sign-up, which has now happened (welcome to Cllr John Avey!), so that the specific issues raised could be addressed directly.

Meanwhile, we others had been as helpful as we could, in setting out the background to where we are, which I for one thought was better than leaving a gap in the discussion pending that arrival.

Perhaps Cllr Avey might like to see from the Electoral Register which of the Willow Road residents this is likely to be, and make direct contact off-forum. I have checked the map, and can see from how far that is from Strood North that it wasn't really feasible for Jane E to try to deal with the specific issues raised in the adjacent ward.

Quite it is a shame, although I had offered to address some of these issues with my neighbouring colleagues had I been emailed, I gave my contact details in my reply. People have the right not to be terrorised in their own homes, and I was very concerned that this was happening. John Avey is a very astute and experienced councillor and will I am sure follow this up anyhow.

The guy is right, who in Strood can say they have not been effected by anti social behavior or crime. Six months ago I had a rock thrown through my bedroom window followed by kids running off laughing. Police: "We will have a look around".... heard nothing since!

We are moving away soon anyway so it will be good bye dump!

Virtually everywhere in the country has suffered from this nation-wide scourge: it is not peculiar to Strood or even just places like Strood. Even Tunbridge Wells has had its problems. Indeed, as so much of this behaviour is fuelled by drugs and dbooze, it naturally tends to be easier where there is more money around to pay for these indulgences.

As I have written elsewhere on this website, I have a bit of an advantage in having come into the Medway area only ten years or so ago and found out a lot of the background to various localities' situations, past and present.

Urban Strood has clearly been making an effort to lift itself above where it had been, during recent years, but is still on a long road from where it was to where it wishes to be. Most of the community there are decent folk, though I am aware (from my own, independent sources) not only what the problems are, but some of the individuals involved in the dodgier side of Strood.

Sure it'll take time to deal effectively with those who can be taken out of the picture, and discourage those who can't so that they'll go elsewhere (not that I like to merely shift a problem, but if that's all there is...) but eventually Strood will be a place of which to be truly proud. The new developments (including on the Civic Centre site) will push this "cultural shift" along significantly, just as they are planned to do elsewhere in Medway, and have already done in other parts of the country.

From what you have written, you won't be here to see this, but it might be worth visiting the old area in, say eight to ten years from now. I suspect (and hope!) that you will be truly amazed at the transformation!

Absolutely John, but how awful is it for folk to feel this way. I am in no doubt that Jo is not the only person to feel so let down, but you are right this feeling is endemic across the country. It is my belief that the police feel powerless too; it appears to me that our police are having their independence eroded every day that passes that this government is in power. Several months ago I took James Brokenshire MP and a Shadow Minister at the Home Office, to see just some of the areas in Strood that had a speight of ASB and crime. The picture, shows him outside the corner shop that had its window spashed for the umpteenth time. I worked with the police and Council Safety team to reduce this behaviour with some success.
This government in worrying about the spin and numbers and the bureaucracy that the police are caught up in, means that our law enforcers can be seen taking the easy option rather than criminals fearing their hand on their collar – and who can blame them, I understand an arrest can take them away from the streets for 8hrs or more!

Few of us are saints, but respect and morality has gone out of the window for so many people nowadays. It is time for parents to be supported and understand that it is their responsibility to ensure their children are where they should be and not creating mayhem for others in the community. It is time for children to understand the difference between right and wrong and know the boundaries that we all have to be part and it is time for authorities like ours to be properly resourced by this government, not penalised as is happening here in Medway! I am so angry for people like Joe.

The Council is of course trying to improve people’s lives for people in Medway and places like Strood, and to give them their due the government on occasions stumps up money for ‘projects’ but if we were resourced at the same level as other places in the country, then just think what we could do for people like Joe and the guy that started this discussion off!

Joe, do email me on jane.etheridge@medway.gov.uk with your address and contact details and I will forward to an appropriate person who will look into your complaints or if I can do so, deal with issue myself.

Thank you for your comments.

First, apologies for replying to this particular message; but your preceding message (to which I am really replying) does not allow replies(!) A flag set incorrectly, I suspect... Anyway:

You are completely correct in what you write -- perceptive as ever, I see! -- and as you say, it is essentially up to you and the other Strood councillors to make the difference. I know that you are good "on the ground" and James Brokenshire thought so too, when we were speaking while out delivering in your ward last April.

We both saw at least some of the less-salubrious parts of Strood on that day, and while there I was immediately reminded of Neil Innes' words to his song "Shangri-la":

It's a strange world we live in
But surely we're forgiven
If we don't know where to turn.

With paradise for hire
On the back streets of desire
We all live and learn.

It felt like that right there, and I knew you had a real challenge in front of you. My message was not intended to belittle any of that, but to try to give hope to those who are affected by the negative side of life in that area. They are not alone!

Indeed, when the ward boundaries in Medway changed a few years ago, my ward suddenly doubled in size by having all sorts of communities and bits of communities "bolted on" in all directions. Now, I believe the new boundaries in my part of Medway to be severely flawed, as they cut through (and thus divide politically) individual communities. For example, Warren Wood is now split between no fewer than three wards, which is ridiculous!

This doesn't help when we are trying so hard to knit these areas back together, and it has become clear that a few of these add-on chunks don't sit very well in my ward. Some folk can be quite touchy about having me as their elected member (I can't answer for my two ward colleagues on this!) but it isn't their fault.

I feel the whole structure needs a radical re-think and wholesale overhaul, as I have written both here and in other places. I am strong believer in all governance being community-driven wherever possible, and very, very little done by a national governmental organisation (which need not necessarily be parliamentary!) I'd want all taxes to come locally, and all non-local matters to be in effect sub-contracted by the various communities who will be affected by what that outfit does.

Under my scheme, there would be no foreign intervention in our laws or other governmental functions whatsoever -- guaranteed for the first time in a written constitution.

All of this might seem a bit remote from the issues raised in this discussion; but if local people are ever going to take back their communities, something this drastic will be necessary. That is the way today's world now operates, and nothing less will give us the sheer muscle to tackle head-on the underlying causes of the issues that ordinary folk encounter on the ground. Nothing remote can ever deal effectively with that, so real power and resourcing must -- MUST -- be "out here".

There is no alternative if we are not to fail our good people.