• Home
  • History
  • News
  • Business
    • Business News
    • Business Mag
  • Sport
    • Football
    • NAFC
    • Cricket
    • Durham Wildcats
    • American Football
    • Baseball
    • Rugby
    • Youth Football
  • Features
    • Blog
    • Picture Galleries
  • Community
    • A.T People
    • Services Directory
  • Video
  • Contact
  • Advertise
Aycliffe Today
Aycliffe Today
  • Home
  • History
  • News
  • Business
    • Business News
      Getting To Know You – Carol Gaskarth

      Getting To Know You – Carol Gaskarth

      You’re Hiyed! The CIC that’s breaking down job barriers

      You’re Hiyed! The CIC that’s breaking down job barriers

      Getting Human Resources back to basics – with HR2day’s free audit offer

      Getting Human Resources back to basics – with HR2day’s free audit offer

      Aycliffe Business: Issue 73

      Aycliffe Business: Issue 73

    • Business Mag
      Aycliffe Business: Issue 73

      Aycliffe Business: Issue 73

      Aycliffe Business: Issue 72

      Aycliffe Business: Issue 72

      Aycliffe Business: Issue 71

      Aycliffe Business: Issue 71

      Aycliffe Business: Issue 70

      Aycliffe Business: Issue 70

  • Sport
    • Football
      Aycliffe Youthy round-up

      Aycliffe Youthy round-up

      Aycliffe stay third with 4-0 away win

      Aycliffe stay third with 4-0 away win

      Aycliffe go top with four wins from first four games

      Aycliffe go top with four wins from first four games

      Unbeaten start for Sports Club

      Unbeaten start for Sports Club

    • NAFC
      League campaign returns for Aycliffe after summer changes

      League campaign returns for Aycliffe after summer changes

      More new signings as Aycliffe prepare to welcome Darlington in friendly

      More new signings as Aycliffe prepare to welcome Darlington in friendly

      New arrivals as Newton Aycliffe FC prepare for 2025-26

      New arrivals as Newton Aycliffe FC prepare for 2025-26

      Aycliffe FC celebrate record season with club awards night

      Aycliffe FC celebrate record season with club awards night

    • Cricket
      Aycliffe Cricket round-up

      Aycliffe Cricket round-up

      Aycliffe Cricket round-up

      Aycliffe Cricket round-up

      Aycliffe Cricket round-up

      Aycliffe Cricket round-up

      Aycliffe Cricket round-up

      Aycliffe Cricket round-up

    • Durham Wildcats
      WILDCATS FIGHTBACK TO SECURE CUP WIN

      WILDCATS FIGHTBACK TO SECURE CUP WIN

      WOLVES EDGE IT AGAINST WILDCATS

      WOLVES EDGE IT AGAINST WILDCATS

      DURHAM WILDCATS 73, GLASGOW ROCKS 99

      DURHAM WILDCATS 73, GLASGOW ROCKS 99

      WILDCATS SLAY LIONS AGAIN

      WILDCATS SLAY LIONS AGAIN

    • American Football
      WARRIORS BEAT AMERICAN HIGH SCHOOL

      WARRIORS BEAT AMERICAN HIGH SCHOOL

      WARRIORS START SEASON IN STYLE!

      WARRIORS START SEASON IN STYLE!

      WOODHAM WARRIORS VICTORIOUS

      WOODHAM WARRIORS VICTORIOUS

      WARRIORS COACH TO TRAIN GB SQUAD

      WARRIORS COACH TO TRAIN GB SQUAD

    • Baseball
      Aycliffe Cricket round-up

      Aycliffe Cricket round-up

      COUNCILLORS 'PITCH' FOR LOCAL SPORTS CLUB!

      COUNCILLORS 'PITCH' FOR LOCAL SPORTS CLUB!

      SPARTANS UP FOR TOP AWARD

      SPARTANS UP FOR TOP AWARD

      NEWTON AYCLIFFE SPARTANS AT WOODHAM

      NEWTON AYCLIFFE SPARTANS AT WOODHAM

    • Rugby
      Aycliffe fall to heavy defeat against league leaders

      Aycliffe fall to heavy defeat against league leaders

      Aycliffe notch up another loss in local derby

      Aycliffe notch up another loss in local derby

      Rugby: Aycliffe in bottom two after Whitley Bay defeat

      Rugby: Aycliffe in bottom two after Whitley Bay defeat

      Aycliffe return to winning ways with hard-fought victory over Bishop

      Aycliffe return to winning ways with hard-fought victory over Bishop

    • Youth Football
      Aycliffe Juniors round-up

      Aycliffe Juniors round-up

      Aycliffe Juniors round-up

      Aycliffe Juniors round-up

      Newton Aycliffe Juniors round-up

      Newton Aycliffe Juniors round-up

      Aycliffe Juniors round-up

      Aycliffe Juniors round-up

  • Features
    • Blog
      Covid-19 crisis update from your MP

      Covid-19 crisis update from your MP

      ‘Now we must move forward’ says MP

      ‘Now we must move forward’ says MP

      Business Advice: Cash Flow

      Business Advice: Cash Flow

      The Aycliffe Blue Blog

      The Aycliffe Blue Blog

    • Picture Galleries
      Picture Gallery: Duke of Kent visits Ebac

      Picture Gallery: Duke of Kent visits Ebac

      PICTURES: Hitachi Opening Ceremony

      PICTURES: Hitachi Opening Ceremony

      PICTURES: ROF 59 in progress

      PICTURES: ROF 59 in progress

      PICTURES: Ayclife dancers in national finals

      PICTURES: Ayclife dancers in national finals

  • Community
    • A.T People
      Spring 2015

      Spring 2015

      December 2014

      December 2014

      Aug - Sept 2014

      Aug - Sept 2014

    • Services Directory
  • Video
  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Follow
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Youtube
‘Meeting of the minds’ Aycliffe Show plea falls on deaf ears
Home
News

‘Meeting of the minds’ Aycliffe Show plea falls on deaf ears

February 1st, 2018 Martin Walker News 0 comments 2046

top banner

Aycliffe independent councillor Arun Chandran’s passionate plea to reconsider the decision to reject Russ Gibson’s Aycliffe Show application was narrowly defeated during Wednesday night’s council meeting.

Cllr Chandran asked his independent and Labour colleagues to at least reconsider the application – insisting they had “nothing to lose – but everything to gain”.

And although his amendment to send the application back to the recreation committee won the support of six independent and three Labour councillors, 13 other Labour councillors rubber-stamped town clerk Andrew Bailey’s recommendation to end any hopes of a 2018 revival.

Aycliffe Show application was ‘not competent’ – council

“We believe the recreation committee should meet with the show organisers to discuss in public any questions, doubts, reservations or concerns it has with their proposals,” said Cllr Chandran on Wednesday night.

“It is right that the recreation committee should afford them a further opportunity to them to answer all or any questions that the officers and councillors have.

“In an open, face-to-face meeting, officers and councillors would be able to ask questions on all and every aspect that might be of concern, in a free, friendly and frank discussion.

“Thus it would become clear then, and only then, if the proposal was workable and had merit, or that it was not viable with every doubt or question answered or not; a meeting of minds, to try to overcome obstacles to achieve something of use to our community.

“Without such a meeting, there will always be the perception in the public’s mind, as to why they were not allowed to put their case, to explain and detail any concern the council has, in a formal but friendly meeting.

“The council has nothing to lose by doing this – indeed, it has everything to gain – and by doing so, the whole council will then be seen to have acted fairly and transparently with the organisers, having given them every opportunity to present their case, to persuade the council to support them.

“The press and public would see this to be the case, and there’d be no justifiable recriminations.

“We can jointly, as councillors and officers, try to work with the organisers to surmount any obstacles that may exist. Everything is possible if we just keep thinking. Nothing worthwhile is easy.

“A wise man, or woman, could not reject a person’s suggestions simply because they don’t like the person making them. There should be no party political issue on this – it wasn’t in any manifesto or election leaflet and there was no mandate. Indeed, our own Member of Parliament (Phil Wilson) is also requesting that you support this reconsideration.

“We’re not committing anyone to anything. But we are keeping an open mind, and we’d be seen to have examined every possibility of the return of the Great Aycliffe Show, with or without the council giving any form of assistance.

“We should not close our minds to the possibilities, and we owe it to the residents of our town to try to make things happen, especially if it serves the public interest and if there’s no or a low cost to the council, so we can enrich the community in which we serve.

“From the town council’s point of view, the question should be ‘what can we do to help?’.

“I don’t believe in a no-win situation. I hope and invite our colleagues on the Labour benches to join us tonight and make this unanimous.”

Councillors Chandran, Ken Robson, Paul Symons, Sally Symons, Irene Hewitson, Dorothy Bowman (independents) and Cllrs Eddy Adam, John Clare and Barbara Clare (Labour) voted to reconsider.

But councillors Martyn Ashcroft, Jim Atkinson, Kathy Beetham, John Clark, Mary Dalton, Bob Fleming, Ian Gray, Brian Hall, Dave Hardaker, Jed Hillary, Wendy Hillary, Malcolm Iveson, Sarah Iveson and Val Raw all toed the Labour Party line. Councillor Sandra Haigh abstained from the vote.

‘We’re disappointed – but this isn’t the end’ insists Aycliffe Show organiser

 

top banner

Share it!

Facebook Twitter Google+ LinkedIn Pinterest
Next article AT Business: January-February 2017
Previous article Aycliffe Show application was ‘not competent’ – council

Related News

Young people encouraged to share views on crime News
July 24th, 2025

Young people encouraged to share views on crime

Measures to control HMOs to be considered News
July 22nd, 2025

Measures to control HMOs to be considered

£1m funding to target local crime hotspots News
July 7th, 2025

£1m funding to target local crime hotspots

LATEST VIDEO

This week on A.T

Aug 5th 3:23 PM
Sport

League campaign returns for Aycliffe after summer changes

Aug 5th 9:16 AM
Community

Aycliffe charity leaf-ing a lasting impact on the environment

Aug 4th 1:53 PM
Sport

Aycliffe Cricket round-up

Aug 4th 9:22 AM
Business

Getting To Know You – Carol Gaskarth

Jul 24th 2:06 PM
News

Young people encouraged to share views on crime

Jul 23rd 8:25 AM
Business

You’re Hiyed! The CIC that’s breaking down job barriers

Jul 22nd 1:32 PM
News

Measures to control HMOs to be considered

Jul 22nd 12:58 PM
Sport

More new signings as Aycliffe prepare to welcome Darlington in friendly

Jul 21st 4:25 PM
Business

Getting Human Resources back to basics – with HR2day’s free audit offer

Jul 14th 6:06 PM
Sport

Aycliffe Cricket round-up

Recommend
Follow @AycliffeToday
  • Home
  • History
  • News
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Features
  • Community
  • Video
  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Back to top
© Aycliffe Today 2019. All rights reserved.
Developed by Thrive

Get our latest news direct to your inbox every Friday - subscribe to our free e-newsletter today.

Subscribe Now