There is a proposal that the council is going to give Henry Boot developers a get out with regard to building a new cinema and bowling alley. Such a decision will be a betrayal of the people of Worksop. The case for a move of Tesco from Gateford Road to the Clinton Maltkins has only ever been argued on the basis that it will give the town a much needed cinema.

Any get out clause is dishonest. Indeed the suggestion that this is a ‘new shopping facility’ is wrong. It is a new store, but it is a replacement, not additional shopping that is planned.

To build a new Tesco and not a cinema is the ultimate insult to the people of Worksop.  To coin a phrase, we have decent hard working council staff; good people serving us all; lions led by donkeys.

Several pubs have closed locally, both in Worksop and in the villages. Trying to get any answers for the big PubCo's who own 24,000 British pubs is seemingly impossible. However the Fair Pint campaign has come up with some answers.

These tied pubs have to buy their beer and supplies from the PubCo, inflating prices and forcing tenant landlords to sell at a loss. Hence you see all these signs for pub to lease, such as at the Frog and Nightgown.

People are clearly reigning in their spending a little- most of us have had credit cards bills that are too high for some years and are now reducing them. And some say that the smoking ban has had an impact, but pubs with gardens are seemingly equally at risk. I think the smoking ban is overstated as a reason for pub problems, whereas in the working men’s clubs it has clearly had an impact.

There is one other reason though. The new pubs that have been built in recent years are often heaving and people have shifted their business to those pubs that do food and have plenty of space for children. I said some years ago that Worksop could never sustain the number of town centre pubs and so it is proving. 

At least one pub should be re-opened as an under 18 's  venue for live music but without alcohol   - I believe this would be very successful and there would be government assistance to set up such a venture.

•  Public Meeting Called Over Council Backtracking on Leisure Facilities