The Conservatives have announced their plans for reform of financial regulations and the regulatory system in the wake of the global financial meltdown.

The headline suggestion is that by scrapping the Financial Services authority and passing those powers to he Bank of England would somehow improve the system.

Sadly the Tories once again fail to address the front line problem and that is the power of big financial institutions and the greed mentality that led to over exposure and excess risk taking in an unstainable financial market place.

They do not address the fact that once banks start doing well again they will start acquiring other businesses and growing their financial portfolios once more.

That is why we need to address this empire buildingand limit the expansion of banks developing across all financial sectors, but essentially risking financial stability by moving into high risk areas. And that is why Vince Cable and the Lib Dems are right when they say we should be taking a lead amoving to break up the nationalised banks into appropriate small units that can focus solely on specific banking sectors ie retail (high st) banking seperate from merchant banking, investments etc.

What stopping the Tories from supporting this practical sensible approach? Perhaps they are too close to these institutions, too reliant on them for financial support. Perhaps too many vested interests. 

Last night I was delighted to attend a reception to officially open Prestwich’s latest community facility.

A legacy to St.Mary’s Church, the former Pensioners Club on Church Lane has been refurbished and decorated and was last night re-opened as Church Lane Community Centre.

Following a lovely buffet and refreshments ,the Rev. Bryan Hackett was master of ceremonies and made a presentation to a former member of the Pensioners club before introducing the Bishop of Bolton who blessed the new facility.

I was then invited along with the other Cllr D’Albert to officially open the building by presenting the keys to a management committee member.

I was pleased to be able to congratulate all those involved in refurbishing the building, and said it would prove a tremendous asset to the Prestwich community for many years to come.

Throughout the reception members of the Halle Orchestra string section played a number of well known classics.  

As an update from my previous post, a council officer has now come back to me and apparently Environmental Health will pay a visit and try and find evidence to prosecute someone. Progress at last!

The answer so far is 25 days and counting.

Baguley Crescent, Rhodes , Middleton – One block of flats has a mountain of household refuse including rotting foods and dumped mattress at the rear with over flowing drains covered in grease. I reported it to the Council initially about 6 weeks ago – no response. I re-reported it on June 22nd! I’ve just re-re-reported it an hour ago. I was told the supervisor is looking into it and will come back to me.

On another part of the same estate there is a stack opf asbestos roofing leaning against a wall. I reported that also on June 22nd – it is still there.

It really isn’t good enough that residents complaints – especially on an evironmental health issue (rats have been seen), should be so appallingly handled.

Lets see what happens next.

Bury Council have developed a Highways safety scheme to cut speed and improve pedestrian safety in the vicinity of Prestwich Arts College.

The initiative follows an accident about a year ago and pressure from local residents and local Councillors for action.

There will now be a short period of consultation with residents and interested parties about these proposals followed by a report to the Prestwich Area Partnership meeting of October 1st.

Please contact either myself or Cllrs Tim Pickstone or Wilf Davison if you require further information, meanwhile I attach proposal details and consultation form here heys-road-safety-scheme.pdf

Last nights meeting of Bury Councils’ Economy, Environment and Transport Scrutiny commission was most notable for one of the worst examples of a council trying to do a policy u-turn and save face that I have ever witnessed.

It all came about because in this years council budget the Conservatives decided that in oirder to save £250,000 they would switch off perhaps a third of street lights for a period each night.

Was this policy proposed as a grand environmental initiative – NO, Was this planned after extensive consultation – NO, Was this done as a blatant attempt to cut costs irrespective of the consequences – YES.

This was further ratified at a recent meeting of the Councils Executive that then requested the EET to scrutinise the issue.

Fast forward to last night and out of the blue the Conservative Chair, proposes a motion to go to Executive telling them to forget about it as it’s a bad idea.

Ok, even if we can put aside the fact that the Council Executive asked us to scrutinise the issue and we would be effectively be saying NO! And we could leave aside the potential environmental merits of reviewing the streetlights CO2 and power costs and requirements etc. At least we could if it was done for the right reason.

What was clear last night was that the Conservative Group, desperate to get out of a mess on this issue, with Council officers opposed, residents opposed and Police opposed, were desperate to be bailed out by the EET scrutiny commission. So now they can say they were prepared to go ahead but have bowed to pressure from the scrutiny commission.

I told the meeting that I didn’t think it was the job of this commission to find a way for the Executive to save face and get them out of this mess.

In the end due to something of an impasse (this item lasted nearly 40 minutes) and the opposition at least were opposed the switch off anyway, we agreed to tell the Executive to forget about turning off the street lamps (for now), so long as we can examine a long term strategy for reducing the environmental and financial impact of the boroughs streetlamps.

Phew, but what a joke!

Listening to Prime Ministers Question Time if one thing stands out its the huge chasm that appears to exist between Labour pronouncements on Afghanistan and the reality on the ground for the ordinary serviceman.

Like many other last night I was profoundly moved by the incredible public reception by residents in Wootton Bassett to return home of the eight servicement recently killed.

At the same time we here persistent reports from soldiers about inadequate equipment, comments from former senior militarymen and advisors about lack of helicopters and other equipment.

The complete incompetence and dithering this Government is showing is now politicising virtually every aspect of Government, even areas such as defence which once carried a convention of Government support. But clearly in the wake of such dithering and incompetence MP’s and opposition can not (and should not) stand by and allow the Government to waffle through the concerns raised while week in week out we bring back more and more of our dead servicemen.

The Government has to get a grip of the situation. We are in NATO, if we haven’t got any more suitable helicopters (to use that example of a pressing need), then lets borrow them off other NATO countries. What’s NATO for, for goodness sake!  If we haven’t got to hand whats need lets get it.

A matter of life and death if ever there was one.

Labour have announced today a review of elderly care funding to end what they rightly call a care lottery.

The trouble is that firstly they have said they want to make things fairer for the elderly requiring care but haven’t exactly said how. Only suggesting a few options that could be considered. Secondly you can’t go round inventing policies that affect one aspect of one sector of the community (albeit a major one).

Yesterday they announced a review of official retirement age, also fine, but shouldn’t it be considered as one of a range of measures that improve the quality of life of Britains people through their passage from working life to retirement life to elerly care and dependency?

Council officers endlessly talk about creating provision and support for those wanting to remain at home, then there are those with disabilities. Travel and leisure requirements and extra pressures on the NHS, not to mention actual pension levels  and other state entitlements.

It’s one thing Labour saying something needs to be done (It’s shameful by the way, that it’s taken 12 years for them to realise that!), but we need joined up thinking, cross agency/service working and genuine consultation with the elderly and the wider public.

Let’s face it we all hope to get there one day.

I attended the “Stand up for Radcliffe” march on sunday afternoon organised by Churches Together and the local MP, however I am concerned that what was ostensibly a successful event with over 100 taking part, may have been marred by public comments by the local MP suggesting the Chief Executive of Bury Council had lied and had been dishonest regarding assurances given that all necessary contract had been (or would be) signed prior to Labour losing control of the council.

The allegations followed speakers including myself. First of all a representative of Radcliffe Churches Together was followed by a parent and a former head girl.

I then addressed the assembled marchers in Bury Council’s Town Hall car park. I thanked the organisers for providing this opportunity for concerned residents, parents and pupils to make their voices heard and made it clear that I was concerned that Bury Council was not listening to the concerns being raised about proposals for Radcliffe Riverside and The Derby High Schools. I said that Governments start failing the people when they stop listening to those that elected them. That leads to mistakes and in this case the mistakes they are about to make could disrupt and damage the education of many Radcliffe young people. Parents have a fundamental right to expect that their children will receive the best possible education from the local council.

Radcliffe deserves a first rate high school like every other town in Bury. Bury’s decision not only jeopardises the future of the new school to be built but will also have a damaging impact on Riverside pupils.

My comments were followed by Ivan Lewis’s allegations. Allegations that centre around apparent pledges made just prior to Labour losing control of the Council. According to Ivan Lewis the Chief Executive gave assurances that all necessary contracts re: the land for the new Riverside School were or would be signed before polling day. Subsequently this turned out to not be the case.

These allegations are extremely serious and will need to be investigated and responded to that is clear. However I am concerned that over and above these allegations the key issues are hear and now, not something that happened or didn’t happen two years ago.

We need to address real concerns faced by parents and pupils around the possible disruption of education, transport issues, disabled access and more.Sadly Ivan’s comments distract from those very real concerns and it is now likely that an almight row will now blow up about who said what and when, at a time when we should be addressing the concerns of the school community.

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