1871-2008 JCB

End of a production era for company

From The Express and Star
http://www.expressandstar.com/2008/12/09/end-of-a-production-era-for-company/

The curtain has fallen on almost 140 years of manufacturing history in Uttoxeter with the final machine made at JCB’s Heavy Products factory rolling off the production line.

The site on the edge of the town has been linked to manufacturing since 1871 when the agricultural machinery makers Bamfords Ltd opened for business.

Bamfords Ltd went into liquidation in 1980 and in 1989 JCB bought the site in Pinfold Street and began production of its famous machines.

Last week the last JCB machine to be made there – a 26 tonne JS260 tracked excavator – was produced. The manufacture of tracked and wheeled excavators is now being transferred to the new purpose-built £40 million JCB Heavy Products factory next to the A50 in Uttoxeter.

JCB chairman Sir Anthony Bamford said: “This is the end of an era because my family has been linked to this site since the 19th century when Bamfords Ltd started manufacturing agricultural machinery.

“But this is also the start of a new and exciting era not only for JCB’s excavator business but also for Uttoxeter because the relocation offers the opportunity to redevelop and enhance an important area of the town.”

Among those joining Sir Anthony and employees to mark the event were Colin Bond and his wife Delia , of Uttoxeter, who both worked for Bamfords Ltd.

Mrs Bond was an office clerk and Mr Bond a machinist. Both eventually left to work for JCB. Mrs Bond retired as company archivist three years ago but her husband still works for the company after 39 years.

Labour call to halt 'illegal' land deal - News - Burton Mail

More revelations in the Burton Mail -

Tory candidate Andrew Grithis has laid in with what appears to be ungentlemanly comments about two councillors who have resigned the tory whip over the debacle

Labour call to halt 'illegal' land deal - News - Burton Mail

Meanwhile over in Burton...Council is criticised over wind farm cash - News - Uttoxeter Advertiser

Council is criticised over wind farm cash - News - Uttoxeter Advertiser: "Council is criticised over wind farm cash
by KEITH BULL
COUNCIL bosses have defended using thousands of pounds of taxpayers' money to employ outside consultants to evaluate a planning application for a wind farm in the ward represented by the authority's leader.

East Staffordshire Borough Council has already set aside £5,000 as a 'contingency' against plans to build a wind farm at Bagots Park, near Abbots Bromley."

LAND ROW ROCKS TORIES - News - Burton Mail

From the Burton Mail today

Are the Tories on a collision greater than that taking place at the Large Hadron Collider


LAND ROW ROCKS TORIES - News - Burton Mail: "BURTON Town Hall's ruling Conservative group was today embroiled in a 'possibly illegal' land sale row.

News - Uttoxeter town hall Controversy erupted after a Government watchdog completed a probe into the sale of publicly owned land in Uttoxeter town centre.

The Audit Commission declared that an 'unofficial agreement' between Uttoxeter Town Council and developer Taylor Wimpey 'could be illegal'."

Town in Crisis - Fall Outs - Financial Mismangement or Reckless Bravado!iasco

Just as the town faces mass unemployment with the two biggest employers JCB and Fox's threatening hundreds, possibly thousands of job losses, the Tories are playing a very strange game. They are falling out with each other in an increasingly messy spat over incompetence, recklessness and financial mismangement.Never a happy bunch, it's getting increasingly dirty. The Burton Mail yesterday reports that Kathy Graham - former Mayor and Town Ward Councillor  has quit the ruling Tory group and will now represent as an independent. She has quit over the actions of Geoff Morrison, Howard Grigg, David Brookes and Malcolm Barrett. Councillor Graham says that this 'Gang of Four' had behaved 'disgracefully' "by failing to keep others informed of alternatives to a proposed £115,000 deal with a developer." The Gang have been accused of being less than open over the sale of the Town Hall.

The Town Hall is subject to an 'unofficial agreement' of sale to Taylor Wimpey.
But critiscisms have been levelled that the sale is grossly underpriced and that all is not what it seems with the sale. 

 

Councillor Graham feels she has been bullied and cajoled to support the Taylor Wimpey deal. Her colleagues have resorted to less than gentlemanly comments. 

As Ali Choudry writes in his blog the council appear to be either reckless or incompetent "This is a serious and systematic case of financial mismanagement." he writes

"A quarter of the town councillors - councillors Barrett, Geoff Morrison and David Brookes - are also borough councillors holding important portfolios, as they are part of the Tory controlling group. We are nervous, suspicious and uneasy that the Tories' shambolic and inept financial management at Uttoxeter Town Council might lead to a similar financial calamity at the borough council.

What is going on? 

Saving our heritage requires action, not just words | Art & architecture | guardian.co.uk

New Heritage at Risk Register launched next month - which buildings, features, landscapes would you list from Uttoxeter and the surrounding areas?

Saving our heritage requires action, not just words. The new Heritage at Risk register, to be launched next month by English Heritage, is one of the first visible signs of years of anguished government and private debate

Source: Saving our heritage requires action, not just words | Art & architecture | guardian.co.uk

A Downturn = record profits and job losses

Downturn = A negative change in the economy, such as from expansion to recession or
Downturn = record profits and job losses

BREAKING NEWS: JCB WARNS OF SQUEEZE DESPITE RECORD RESULTS
www.thisisthesentinel.co.uk - Stoke-on-Trent,England,UK
... the impact of the credit crunch and soaring commodity prices when it announced up to 90 jobs would go at its plants in Cheadle, Uttoxeter and Rugeley. ...
See all stories on this topic

JCB announces record profits for 2007
Materials Handling World Magazine - Leeds,England,UK
... with the construction of the £40 million JCB Heavy Products factory in Uttoxeter; the new £7 million JCB Attachments factory in Uttoxeter, a £36 million ...

Pugin - God's Architect and his first church

"IN THE SUMMER OF 1852 A 40-year-old man was in a secure room in Bethlem Hospital for the Insane; he recognised no one, not even his wife; his head had been shaved, and he had become what was described as “very dirty in his habits”. This was the man who, six months before, had designed the clock tower now known as Big Ben. His name was Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin."

In 1839 Pugin finished his first Church - St Marys- in Uttoxeter. Not a masterpiece and now very much altered, with the addition of aisles, a narthex and changes to the chancel in 1879. His stunning west rose window and the sedilia remain. It is not a patch on his 'gem'- St Giles in Cheadle - which he started just a year later.
By the time he was 21 Pugin had been widowed, bankrupted and shipwrecked. He had built 22 churches, 3 cathedrals, a monastery and half a dozen grand houses before the age of 30. Pugin wanted to create a fantastic medieval world of his imagination - in stark contrast to the industrial revolution which raged around him.
He died, aged 40, incarcerated in an asylum - a wild psychotic, driven mad by syphilis.

Clone Town Britain - a rebellion

Clone-town Britain faces a rebellion on the high street

The Work Foundation think-tank have discovered a growing backlash against uniform housing estates and unimaginative architecture which are destroying the unique features of our towns. In , "Distinctiveness and Cities – Beyond 'Find and Replace' Economic Development" the think tank reports that people are beginning to realise that local identity matters.

Towns which have embraced their idiosyncrasies (and Uttoxeter has some) have realised economic advantages. The report states that towns must innovate themselves using their own distinctive qualities.

"Distinctiveness becomes a conscious, explicit strategy of redevelopment."

Councillors/planners/developers - pay heed

Uttoxeter MAYFEST

Bank Holiday Monday - May 7th 2007

Celebrate at the Uttoxeter May Festival - meet the Green Man, see traditional maypole dancing, folk bands and a strett arts and crafts market, food stalls and more

For details ring 07999 807 067
or 01889 569867

Visit http://www.uttoxetermayfest.moonfruit.com/

Planning Disaster

Barking Mad - planning disaster

The Civic Trust has joined the RSPB, CPRE, Friends of the Earth,
Woodlands Trust, Ramblers Association, Wildlife Trust, Transport 2000
and the RTPI to form a coalition to campaign against the
recommendations of the Barker Review. A website http://www.planningdisaster.co.uk/

has been launched to allow the public to email their concern to Gordon Brown or their local MP.





January 2007 - The Barker Review of Land Use Planning was commissioned
by the Treasury as a review of the UK's planning system, primarily
focusing on the link between planning and economic growth. The Civic
Trust has greeted many of the recommendations with great concern, as
the majority of these focus on reforming the planning system for the
benefit of businesses and developers. This may have implications for
the protection of the built and natural environments and for local
communities. To read more about the Review and the Civic Trust's views,
please click here.

• Barker Review of Land Use Planning: Final Report - Recommendations
  
  
  
  • On
    5 December 2006 the Barker Review issued this final report. The
    Government is interested to hear your views. Comments should be sent no
    later than 5 March 2007.
  
  
  
  

UTTOXETER BEER FESTIVAL

Date: 2nd June 2007

tickets@uttoxeterbeerfestival.org.uk

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A lighter and brighter town -mixed pallet -greys,greens and mottled pink?

From the Advertiser

EXACTLY a year ago plans for the new-look Uttoxeter High Street were unveiled.

Today, the work has almost finished, the town has been transformed and now scheme bosses have thanked Uttoxeter shoppers and traders for their support during a year of disruption.

The £1.6 million revamp has been in the pipeline for two years. In autumn last year, residents had the chance to vote on the colour and quality of the street materials to be used. The final decision was to use a mixed pallet of greys, greens, yellows and mottled pink

The colour scheme was aimed at creating a lighter and brighter look to the town and funded by Staffordshire County Council, East Staffordshire Borough Council and Uttoxeter Plus.

Materials used include granite flagstones and kerbs, seats and paving. The plans aimed to achieve a harmonious mix of the traditional and modern, anchored firmly through quality design and carefully crafted features.

Worth noting that when ESBC councillors come a knocking at your door don't let them take all the credit for this coalition of councils
Now wouldn't it be nice if they could work together more..............

New Uttoxeter Housing as seen from the air

New Uttoxeter Housing as seen from the air - planners cleverly spell out to Burton just where the town actually is for the next Mayoral fly over

Johnson's Penance for only visiting the Town once..

Recruitment for Tesco expansion

Taylor Woodrow are advertising for a quantity surveyor for the new build on the Tesco store: complete with extra floors - TW has the contract for just about everything in town - new conservatory, garden sheds..

Senior Quantity Surveyor
Involved in the major expansion of Tesco stores (including the creation of
additional floors), you will enjoy involvement in a new project
approximately every nine months. If you prefer, the vast majority of
these projects can be close to home, giving you an excellent work/life
balance as well as considerable responsibility and challenge.
£32-47,500 + Car Allowance (Where will they park?)

Cattle market - Why are we waiting?

Still no start by Taylor Woodrow on Uttoxeter's supposed £20 million-plus town centre redevelopment schemes
No explanation from Taylor Woodrow -no explanation from any of the local councillors
Taylor Woodrow were named as the company to regenerate the town in 2004, building due to start October 2005..... As taxpayers we are investing a considerable amount who is accountable who will explain?

Save the Wellington Public House

We are very concerned about the state of the Wellington Public House and the recent fire on the premises.
The Borough Council may need to take action under s215 of the 1990 Planning Act to tidy up this public eyesore (in this case to make good any fire damage and make the building safe against trespass); or serve a S54 urgent works notice (giving the owner 7 days notice of the LPA's intent to carry out the urgent works to make the building safe and weathertight and to reclaim the costs from the owner); or a s48 Repairs Notice as a prelude to compulsory purchase.
We have been advised by English Heritage that they may be instructed to exercise these powers by the Secretary of State in default of action by the local authority.

ESBC is currently without a Conservation Officer - this is appalling.

The owner of the Wellington is currently the newly elected Town Ward Councillor for the Tories

Planning applications

Dont forget you can view and comment on Planning applications online from ESBC