Congratulations to Bury band Elbow for scooping the prestigious Mercury Music Prize last night for their album Seldom Seen Boy.

Well done – the 18 years of hard work and dedication has paid off. And you’re still speaking to each other!

It’s hard to think that I was elected to represent Holyrood just after they formed. It all seems a very distant world.

Well done. Bury should be proud of your achievement.

PLANS to free local police forces from the grip of central government bureaucracy and targets have been welcomed by Liberal Democrats in Bury.

The proposals have been launched by Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary Chris Huhne and will be debated at the party’s conference in Bournemouth in September.

Vic D’Albert, Lib Dem Parliamentary Spokesperson for Bury South said that police officers would be freed to spend more time policing communities rather than chasing government targets. 

“The police have to be free to police our local communities,” said Vic D’Albert, “Constant interference and targets from Whitehall do little to catch criminals and deter crime. Bury police are far better placed than a government minister in Whitehall to decide what the local priorities are. “

The proposals also call for police authorities to be elected by local people, rather than appointed by ministers. That will mean policing priorities are under the control of local people.

Other proposals to be debated by the Liberal Democrats include appointing 10,000 extra police officers, paid for by scrapping the expensive and bureaucratic National Identity Card scheme. 

The spokesman’s paper from Chris Huhne MP, Cutting Crime: Catching Criminals With Better Policing, is available on the Liberal Democrat website: http://www.libdems.org.uk/media/documents/policies/Cutting%20Crime%20by%20Catching%20Criminals.pdf

I am dismayed by the planning application for demolition of the Victorian building at 33 Glebelands Road (the old doctor’s house) to be replaced by 4 storey’s of apartments.

I have today registered my objection to this development. Mature trees would be lost, properties on Orford Road would have the privacy of their gardens and bedrooms invaded by a property that would be taller than the existing property and neighbouring Highfield Court AND the site is on a sharp bend. The increased traffic generated would add to the danger to pedestrians and motorists alike many of whom are elderly.
I have also requested a site visit by the Planning Committee – so that they can see first hand what the impact would be on the area.

This building should have been part of the local conservation area from the start, then it could have been protected, I requested this as did other local councillors, but officers insisted that this was not possible in this case. It looks like that decision will have proven to be the death knell for 33 Glebelands Road. A crying shame.

I am extremely worried and concerned about the proposed new tenancy agreement for Bury Council tenants. In particular I am extremely concerned about section 7/8 PARTc of the proposals from the Councils Arms Length Management company – Six Town Housing.

These sections deal with “applying to court to reposess your home”.

In section 7 they refer to if the tenant has died, you are not the tenants partner and they decide the house is too big, then they will apply to court.

Section 8 just refers to the house being too big.

In both cases there is no mention of the rights of the tenant/resident. No mention of any appeals procedure, no mention about guarantees regarding an alternative location, refusal rights etc. In fact no mention of any rights whatsoever!

I think Six Town Housing needs to review this proposed tenancy agreement and inject a bit more fairness and tenants rights into these two sections at least.

I have registered my objection.

10th Full Meeting of Bury Council, 7pm Bury Town Hall

13th-17th Lib Dem Autumn Conference, Bournemouth

23rd Pennine Acute Hospital Trust AGM – The education Centre, Fairfield Hospital from 5.45pm see invite trust-agm-invite.pdf

25th Healthier Communities Scrutiny Commission – 6pm Bury Town Hall

In addition we are waiting for a date (hopefully late September) for a special Area Partnership meeting for formal presentation and consultation on the proposals for regeneration of Prestwich Town Centre – Keep an eye on the local press.