THE latest Tory cuts show exactly how short-term the penny-pinching Tory council is! It is scrapping the play areas in Ashcombe Park and on the Oldmixon

THE latest Tory cuts show exactly how short-term the penny-pinching Tory council is!It is scrapping the play areas in Ashcombe Park and on the Oldmixon estate whilst allowing the scheme for Tory-controlled Portishead to go ahead. Is that a coincidence one wonders!Politics aside, the scheme for the Oldmixon is a desperately needed facility designed to give our teenagers somewhere to meet, exercise and enhance their social skills. Something that Tory leader David Cameron has been advocating since taking over the Conservative Party.Furthermore the monies needed for these facilities was to have been raised from the interest on the £22m affordable housing budget which came about from the sale of council housing to North Somerset Housing. Yet another broken promise!When my constituents phone me one of their main concerns is the scourge of antisocial behaviour in South Ward. I am convinced that the scrapped Oldmixon scheme would have made inroads into these problems by encouraging our children and teenagers to adopt a more positive attitude and to develop meaningful associations with their peer group and the residents of South Ward.I opened my letter by saying that the Tories are short-term in their policy making.Tory councillors Elfan Ap-Rees - the executive member responsible for enacting these cuts - says that he will see if the Portishead facility is a success before making a final decision. Does he not understand that the success or not of these facilities could take years before an appreciable difference in petty crime and anti-social behaviour becomes evident?I'm afraid that this proviso on the part of Cllr Ap-Rees is merely a ploy to kick the Ashcombe Park and Oldmixon developments into the 'long grass' where they will be quietly forgotten by his Party.Be assured Cllr AP-Rees that I will not allow this matter to be forgotten and will campaign vigorously until my constituents get the facilities that they desperately need and deserve!Cllr Bob Bateman - Labour Party Councillor for Weston South Ward