Liberal Democrats in Bury have welcomed proposals made by the party’s Shadow Home Secretary Chris Huhne MP to tackle youth crime.The plans aim to deter crime and get young people involved in positive activities that benefit local communities. They include: 

• The creation of a Youth Volunteer Force, to engage with young people, involve them in community projects and give them skills to benefit them in later life;
• Establish Community Justice Panels across the country, where offenders admit their guilt to the community and agree on a Positive Behaviour Order as a course of action;
• Create a dedicated PCSO youth officer within every Safer Neighbourhood Team to identify and work with teenagers most at risk of offending;
• 10,000 more police on the streets by scrapping the ID cards scheme;
• Intelligence-led stop and search and ‘hot spot policing’ targeted at gun and knife crime;
• Restorative justice programs to be run in every community, specifically targeted at early intervention with widespread use in schools and care homes.

Vic D’Albert, Lib Dem parliamentary spokesperson for Bury South said, “These proposals could potentially go a long way to reduce youth crime. By having more police and by focusing on crime hotspots, we will be able to deter crime more effectively from happening. 

“But we also need to give young people positive alternatives to do. Too often they get into trouble because there is nothing for them to do. The Youth Volunteer Force will be a great way to get young people involved in activities that benefit themselves and the area where they live.  “I am also keen to ensure that those who do break the law or cause disturbances or vandalism have to pay back the community they have wronged.  “That is why restorative justice is important. It will mean that those convicted of offences will have to work on cleaning up vandalism or on projects that benefit communities as part of their punishment. Even now in this area we are seeing the benefits of this approach as some of those responsible for recent graffiti have agreed to clean up the mess and face the consequences of their actions.

“Residents of Radcliffe, Whitefield and Prestwich often tell me of their worries about youth crime. I believe that the proposals the Liberal Democrats have put forward will go a long way to addressing those concerns.”

Last night I attended the “licensing” of a new associate priest for St.Gabriels Church on Bishops Road, Prestwich.

This was the second time I have attended a licensing ceremony, the first being last year for the Revd Debbie Plummer at St.Margarets, Prestwich. I must confess I find them quite moving occasions. The service saw the new associate priest of St.Gabriels, the Revd Margaret Trivasse, re-affirming her faith and duty to the community before peers, friends, relatives and local residents it was both uplifting and moving.

On this occasion the even was even more satisfying and emotional due to the presence of representatives of the Muslim and Jewish Faiths who publicy offered their best wishes and support for the new Priest. In addition David Arnold, for the Jewish community also extended grateful thanks to the Revd Steven Williams for all the inter-faith work he has undertaken to bring the Jewish and Christian communities closer together.

A lovely evening highlighted by moments of racial harmony of the like that sadly rarely ever get reported!

Best wishes Margaret, for a happy, healthy and rewarding time amongst the Prestwich Community.

Lib Dems are demanding assurances over hospital cleanliness after it emerged that Pennine Accute NHS Hospitals were visited 855 times by pest control officers in just over 2 years to deal with insect and pest infestations.

Pennine Acute NHS Trust covers both Fairfield Hospital and North Manchester as well as hospitals in Oldham and Rochdale.

Pennite Acute came 4th highest on a national list of 89 hospital trusts that had received more than 50 visits between January 2006 and March 2008.

Vic D’Albert, Lib Dem, Parliamentary spokesperson for Bury South said, “This is absolutely appalling. Patients and their families need to have the utmost confidence that treatment and operations are being undertaken in a clean, pest free environment. This once again raises questions about the privatisation of ancillary and cleaning services in the NHS and whether the stringent budget controls imposed by Labour are affecting hygiene and cleanliness.  “These statistics amount to 30 pest control visits per month or 360 per year. It’s a good job they don’t run restaurants – they’d be closed down!“

“I will be calling on Pennine Acute to make public details of these pest control visits and to explain what actions they are taking to deal with the problem. They need to offer assurances that this issue is both under control and being dealt with.

Last nights meeting of Bury Lib Dems saw a lively debate on the merits or otherwise of congestion charging and the proposed Greater Manchester transport “TIF” bid.

One of the most facinating aspect of the whole congestion charging debate is that it crosses into other areas. For instance the issue of Central Government interference in regional/local Government, The green agenda and how far we should go to tackle pollution and then there is the impact on poverty that charges may have. Just three areas where the issue is complicated by other agendas – localism, the environment and poverty.

Of course one of the key arguments being used by those in favour is that failure to address congestion will greatly damage business as it is argued that traffic will grind to a halt across Greater Manchester at some point in the next decade.

My concern throughout has been the twin issues of environment and poverty. I am worried that these proposals will leave many in a transport poverty gap. Unable to afford to drive too their place of work and unable to pay increasing public transport costs.

Why does the bid not address the issue of public transport fares?

Yes, we need safe, efficient, clean  and reliable transport but I can see no greater incentive to get people off the road than it being cheap, very cheap. Could you imagine the impact on the takeup of public transport during the morning commute if for the same period as congestion charging operated you could travel on the buses for free? And that would also help the low paid. If you want to offer discounts. Instead of discounting the CCharge why not the bus or tram?

Yes we have got to tackle congestion as a genuine environmental (as well as economic) concern, but it helps if you can afford to be green! 

To find out more about the proposals for improving Greater Manchester Transport visit the special web site that has been created to highlight all the issues and detail all the plans and proposals including those for Bury area at www.gmfuturetransport.co.uk

It has been brouIt is extremely worrying that Bury Council unlike some other authorities, does not keep records of knife or offensive weapon possession in our schools.It amounts to a “head-in-the-sand” policy over knives. If Bury Council is to play its part in dealing with knife crime it is critical that we know the scale of the problem. That starts with our own school and youth facilities.

If knife crime is to be dealt with we need a concerted effort across the board – I hope Bury will review this policy as a matter of urgency and develop a proper strategy working with Police and other partners to ensure safe neighbourhoods across Bury.

BAAS Construction Ltd are commencing work soon on re-roofing many of the houses on the Polefield Estate. Re-roofing works to include new soffits, fascias, rainwater pipes, guttering, renewal of slate tiles and roof insulation.

Here are the details:
Commencement Date/Site Set-up – 25th August 2008
Completion date – 13 week contract
Site Foreman – Andy Jordan
Tenant Liaison Officer – BAAS – Helen Cooper
Capital Project Officer – Joanne McCabe
Emergency telephone number – Bradley Fold 0161 253 6606
BAAS Emergency Out Of Hours 0800 294 4770
Site Compound – corner of Polefield Hall Road/Polefield Circle
Site Office – 12 Polefield Grange

First the good news. I understand the Police have caught someone responsible for a significant number of “tags” in the Heaton Park/Heywood rd area. I further understand that they have agreed to clean up the sites they are responsible for.

Sadly the bad news is it looks like it could get worse before it gets better – The Phoenix centre was attacked last night and badly graffitied with various obscenities and garages between the Heywood Road shops and Penrhyn Drive have also been attacked this week.

At least with the Phoenix centre the culprits were caught on the park CCTV and may be able to be identified.