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20 Most Recent News Stories
Mike Barker welcomes Cabinet Climbdown
Tue 9th Feb 2010
Last week, Mike Barker visited the Darlington Storysacks and Toy Library from which the Labour Cabinet's budget proposals would have withdrawn financial support. Mike was delighted to learn from the Echo this morning, therefore, that the Council has announced it will in fact continue to support the excellent work carried out by the charity.
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Read "Mike Barker welcomes Cabinet Climbdown" in full (236 words).
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Mike Barker Supports Darlington Storysack
Fri 5th Feb 2010
Yesterday, Mike Barker visited the Darlington Storysack and Toy Resources charity, based at Corporation Road School. It is faced with possible closure, and certainly a massive reduction in the service it can offer, thanks to the Labour Cabinet's proposed budget cuts.
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Read "Mike Barker Supports Darlington Storysack" in full (475 words).
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Durham Police Biggest Losers
Wed 3rd Feb 2010
Mike Barker has revealed that Durham Constabulary has lost more officers, as a percentage of its total, than any other police force in the country. Between March 2005 and September 2009 Durham Constabulary slashed its number of police officers by 193, that's a whopping 11.1% of its 2005 total (1738 down to 1545).
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Read "Durham Police Biggest Losers" in full (251 words).
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Lib Dems Support Early Years Inclusion Service
Tue 2nd Feb 2010
The Darlington Early Years Inclusion Service has been the subject of two special Budget consultation sessions over the past couple of days. Lib Dem Councillors have been to both, to try and find out what the real issues are here.
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Read "Lib Dems Support Early Years Inclusion Service" in full (450 words).
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Mike Barker accuses Labour candidate of thoughtless scare-mongering
Tue 19th Jan 2010
In his blog today, Mike Barker writes on the latest twist in the debate about the provision of acute stroke services in Darlington. The Council's Health and Well-being Scrutiny Committee met this morning and heard from the local Health Trust's Chief Executive that there was no short-term threat to the provision of these services in Darlington.
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Read "Mike Barker accuses Labour candidate of thoughtless scare-mongering" in full (114 words).
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Mike Barker slams Council's failure to fill front-line position
Thu 14th Jan 2010
Darlington Council employs a Welfare Rights Manager whose job it is to help vulnerable people in the community access benefits to which they are entitled. Figures released recently show that, against a target of £600,000 in the six months to September 30th, 2009, the Council recovered just £516,000 for residents. The elderly, single parents and others on low incomes have lost out on crucial payments.
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Read "Mike Barker slams Council's failure to fill front-line position" in full (365 words).
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Mike opposes proposal to close Stroke Unit after high level leak to Labour Councillor
Wed 13th Jan 2010
In a statement to a Special Darlington Council Cabinet Meeting on Tuesday evening, the Chief Executive of the Council said she had been informed late last week, by the Chief Executive of the County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust, that consideration was being given to the possible closure of the Stroke Unit at Darlington Memorial Hospital. This information was shared with Labour Councillors and leaked to the Labour Party's Parliamentary candidate. She took it to the Echo, which blazoned her across its front page. The Echo chose not to approach opposition parties for their views.
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Read "Mike opposes proposal to close Stroke Unit after high level leak to Labour Councillor" in full (308 words).
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Council Tax Freeze "Pre-election gimmick" says Mike Barker
Tue 12th Jan 2010
Since Darlington became a Unitary Authority in 1997, Council Tax in Darlington has risen by 132%, one of the largest increases in the whole country and well above the national average figure for Unitary Authorities of 87%, This year, which just happens to be General Election year, the Labour Council are proposing to make almost 80 Council employees redundant and make significant cuts in Council services, in order to impose a one year freeze on Council Tax.
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Read "Council Tax Freeze "Pre-election gimmick" says Mike Barker" in full (126 words).
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Haughton West Lib Dems report on Green Lane Survey
Sun 10th Jan 2010
Darlington Council has made proposals for improving the Green Lane bridleway. These include spending £100,000 on tarmacing, installing new drainage to prevent flooding and cutting back the undergrowth. They also plan to erect bollards at a central point to restrict motor vehicle access. This would require the construction of a turning area for vehicles.
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Read "Haughton West Lib Dems report on Green Lane Survey" in full (249 words).
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Solution to Leyburn Road Traffic Problems: Mini Roundabout to go?
Mon 4th Jan 2010
When the Highways Department introduced major changes to the Thompson Street/Fitzwilliam Drive area some years ago, they thought that the mini-roundabout at the Leyburn Road/Fitzwilliam Drive junction would help with traffic flow. In fact, what it did was to cause Leyburn Road to become a rat-run and to be blocked with traffic every rush hour. Local residents were often stuck in their drives
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Read "Solution to Leyburn Road Traffic Problems: Mini Roundabout to go?" in full (158 words).
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Solution to Harrowgate Hill Primary School Back Lane problems?
Mon 28th Dec 2009
After several years of campaigning by Lib Dem Councillors in North Road ward, we are near to finding a solution to the problems of congestion and danger to children in the back road serving Harrowgate Hill Primary School. A new parking area and a school-access gate will be built in North Park behind Longfield Road flats, though the exact location has yet to be decided.
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Read "Solution to Harrowgate Hill Primary School Back Lane problems?" in full (135 words).
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 News Story Feed(v1.0).
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