Bad weather and dark clouds. It must be Spring Bank  Holiday again, still it is good for those students revising for their exams.

I was honoured to present awards to hundreds of Valley school leavers on their final day of school before their exams. A packed hall in a brand new school was some sight, as was the attitude of the students. Well done!

One thing these students cannot say is how glad they are to leave ‘that dump’ because the old dump has just been demolished .

One outstanding issue is for the builders, Balfour Beattie to pay compensation to those houses nearby where their compacting of concrete led to ground movement and cracks in walls. Put it right please.

The new Valley  School has one particularly important design  - wide corridors with no bullying corners. A simple remedy to an age old problem, but one of major importance. Better designed schools equals less bullying. Less bullying equal less bad behaviour and drug taking. This in turn leads to less crime. I favour these common sense approaches.

An issue I have raised several times is back again  -  rats. Ever since the council started charging for baiting rats they have spread throughout the district. It is time for this decision to be reversed  - will any  Councillor be prepared to vote through such commonsense? After all no one ever claims to own the rats, they just appear and the culprits are often the least likely to do anything about it. Lets have free rat baiting and pest control again please.

Langold wants a new school and quite right too. I have regularly demanded that Ryton Park and Langold be put top of the list for new buildings. Ryton Park is at last in the pipeline and the top priority for a new school has to be Langold. How about a wildlife centre being built into a new school, maximising its location next to Langold  Woods and Country Park?

The  Council has told me it is paying council tax rebates for those flooded out last year   - let me have your details if you have received nothing back on your council tax.  Builders fixing flooded properties are getting car parking tickets whilst working. Where else are workmen supposed to park   - can you believe it?