Happy 2024 everyone,

Thank you to those who have signed since the last update.

A letter in the Goole Times of 11th January suggests that as inflation has eaten away at the Towns Fund Money, the £25 million will buy significantly less than when it was first announced, and some projects will have to be cut. The correspondent says that it would be good if announcements were made about what should be cut soon to save people the time and effort of campaigning against them and suggest dropping the VPG and library moving to leisure centre aspects. Sounds good to us!

In the same issue, an article announces that Goole Town Council has decided to raise the “precept” (the extra amount added on to East Riding Council’s council tax to fund GTC) by a whopping 20%. GTC claims that Goole has more amenities by a long way than any other town in the East Riding, and there is graph which supports the claim and gives the impression Goole has masses of parks and other amenities while Bridlington has almost none. That stretches credibility. As is usual with the Goole Times, there is no analysis or fact checking, just unquestioning repetition of what GTC has said, rather reinforcing the impression that the Goole Times is a propaganda sheet rather than a newspaper genuinely representing local people.

Meanwhile correspondents to this petition have been pressing Goole Town Council to publish council minutes more quickly. They have been looking at what has released. More on that in the next update.

Keep talking, keep sharing, keep signing. Every good wish for 2024!