Report from I.W. Councillor John Nicholson

Posted by Admin on 25 January 2020, 1:27 pm

COUNCILLOR JOHN NICHOLSON

Ward Member for Northwood & Cowes South
Chairman of Policy & Scrutiny Committee for Adult Social Care & Health

SUNNYSIDE

PALLANCE LANE

NORTHWOOD

PO31 8LT
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Tel: 07918 757843

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Email: cllr.john.nicholson@btconnect.com

See the I.W. Councillor’s section

WARD REPORT – JANUARY 2020

The Report appearing in the February 2020 edition of Northwood News:

A New Year, A New Way – Time for Reflection
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If New Year resolutions are about making a new start and Christmas is about birth or rebirth of a salvatorial entity, then surely it is a time for reflection.
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One thought is to think on thought itself. We are, after all, products of our thoughts. That is not to say that we are what we think we are, that can be patently untrue. We all know someone who thinks they are great at something when they are not – tone deaf, but think they are great at singing, etc!
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What I am talking about by saying that we are what we think, is that our thoughts determine our emotions, beliefs and reactions. So, if you are angry on something and that anger dominates, then your emotions and behaviours will reflect that, as will what you believe about whatever it is that you are angry about. The same goes for being happy, but no one complains about that.
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Have you ever wondered how some people react completely differently to similar situations? How some people tend to look for and see something negative in any situation and others always tend to see something positive in the same or similar situation.
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The fact is that if you focus (by thinking) on negative, that is what you tend to see and get bogged down in a self-perpetuating outlook. The same goes for seeing the sunny side, too, of course. It’s all down to what you think. Top athletes realise this – that whether they think they can or they can’t, they are right! So, they spend an awful lot of time and energy in training their thoughts to promote their performance and chances. Why don’t they teach us this in school?
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It is not strange that people with a happy approach tend to get more done and find people more cooperative. Positivity (happiness) naturally attracts people. If everyone realised this, then I am sure they would work hard at it? By the way, it tends to be healthier too!
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Northwood and Cowes Area Place Plan
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Those who visit Newport town centre may have seen the large screen in St James Square, towards the end of last year, informing people of Newport & Carisbrooke’s Place Plan, and all the interesting and beneficial things it was delivering for the Parish, not least a portion of a significant Heritage Grant (with Ryde, also doing a Place Plan) of £2.36m (https://www.iow.gov.uk/news/Newport-and-Ryde-to-get-2.36M-funding1).
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Cowes and Northwood have a unique heritage and culture, they also have world-class businesses, some would say, whose true significance and potential have not been given due regard in recent years. The Cowes area, too, has unique amenities and attractions that, many say, have been overlooked and underappreciated in recent years. A Place Plan will give opportunity for the stakeholders in that area to redress this issue and take some control of their destiny by assuming a level of joint responsibility for determining the Place Plan.
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Not only this, but I have also been discussing the prospect with our Health Services, and they too are very keen to be involved, as they see a Place Plan as potential means to develop greater links with local communities, both to give out and receive information that will improve their services.
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Pallance Road Safety Update
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I am updated that the small steps requested to improve safety for people walking and using mobility scooters, etc, up and down Pallance Road are in process. These are all minor measures, and should all be low cost as well, but each one will deliver some tangible benefit, in that we will be better off with them than without them. It would be fantastic to get a proper pavement and many other things that I know many would like to see, but in the current financial climate, I think we will have done well to get the ‘shadow’ pavement, ‘pedestrian in road’ signs, the water spread contained and obstructive parking controlled by the pinch-point and top corner. Hopefully, as the year progresses, I will be able to confirm implementation of these measures.
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Contacting Me
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It has been brought to my attention that some people may be trying to contact me via social media channels that I just don’t use. Although registered, I am afraid that I have never really used Facebook, Twitter and I am not even sure if I am registered for anything else. Good old-fashioned email is best (cllr.john.nicholson@btconnect.com) or my mobile (07918 757843). Sorry if this is a disappointment to other avid users, but I have never got into social media, but I am happy to speak to people face to face as well.

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John Nicholson
Ward Member for Northwood & Cowes South.

See the I.W. Councillor’s section