Last night I chaired the Council’s Local Development Framework Sub group (of the Economy, Environment and Transport Scrutiny Commission). Believe me it’s more interesting than it sounds!

Ostensibly the group has been set up to oversee the progress of the Council’s production of a Local Development Framework (LDF) and to scrutinise the consultation process and ensure all bases are covered etc.

The LDF is a votal planning document that will inform future development and conservation across the whole of Bury for the period up to 2026. For instance it will highlight where development will be permitted, whether that development can be for employment purposes or housing for instance. It will identify green belt and green “facilities”.

So all in all its a crucial piece of work that will have a far reaching affect on he future of Bury. Last night was only our second meeting so some way to go yet. But good progress is being made.

The meetings are open to the public – next meeting September 14th, 6pm Bury Town Hall.

With many young people receiving GSCE results shortly and many failing to make it to University – due to a shortage of places and dissapointing grades, a major headache is about to hit the unemployment statistics in September and October.

When you add the end of seasonal summer working in many places there could be a major problem brewing.

The Government needs to act now to ensure young people unable to find employment or full times education receive proper support. Its difficult enough finding work when experienced. When you are fresh to the jobs market its pretty daunting. When the job market is as poor as it currently is then that can be soul destroying.

It’s easy for young people to lose heart and even direction with early dissapointments. And this can lead to future problems, self esteem/confidence, health etc. At such time real support is needed. They have every reason to expect proper programmes of support, advice etc in place to help them find suitable employment or training etc and offer the encouragement to persist.

A new planning application has been received which is within Holyrood Ward of Prestwich as detailed below:-

Application number: 51601         Type of application: Full         Date Registered: 12/08/2009

Applicant: Mr Churchill
Location: LAND TO THE REAR OF 58 – 62 BURY OLD ROAD, WHITEFIELD, M45 6TL
Proposal: SINGLE STOREY EXTENSION TO FORM 4NO STORAGE UNITS, FIRST FLOOR EXTENSION TO FORM ADDITIONAL STORAGE TO UNITS 8,10,12 & 14 & ASSOCIATED DEVELOPMENT

Plans will be available to view on the Council’s website within 2 working days from the date of this email. Should you require further details please contact the case officer: Tom Beirne on: 0161 253 5361 or contact either myself, Cllr Pickstone or Cllr Davison for advice about commenting on this application.

Last night I was at two meetings.

The first was a Standards Hearing to hear a complaint made against a fellow councillor. I won’t go into the nitty gritty here, suffice to say you’ll read all about it soon enough in the press. However I would just say its one of the most unpleasant meetings I ever have to attend. Inevitably there are often some sympathies with the plight of the accused councillor but thankfully I was but one of a three man Hearing panel, I just hope ultimately the decision taken can be seen as fair. But these things are never easy.

SAVE HEATON PARK

Thankfully my second meeting was far more pleasant as it was meeting with the local residents opposed to the development of a games zone in Heaton Park. Its getting quite exciting now and the evidence being accumulated by the group is both substantial and damning of Manchester City Council and their approach to the great green parkland legacy that is Heaton Park and local residents.

This one will go all the way to the wire, and there is much more to come on this , but again you’ll read more in the press no doubt.

The right wing opponents to Obama’s public health care proposals in the US are now going into hysterical hyperdrive with allegations about the NHS that are totally wrong and a total fiction.

I for one would not be here today if we didn’t have the NHS - OR if I lived in the US – the NHS saved my life and I find it both distateful and upsetting to read the slanderous, insulting comments that are being misrepresented in the US media.

For instance: 

A Republican National Committee ad said that in the U.K. “individuals lose their right to make their own health care choices.”

Another ad launched earlier this month by the anti-tax group Club for Growth claimed that government bureaucrats in Britain had calculated six months of life to be worth $22,750. “Under their socialized system, if your treatment costs more, you’re out of luck,” the ad says, as footage of an elderly man weeping at a woman’s bedside alternate with clips of the Union Jack and Big Ben.

One Republican Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa told a local radio station last week that “countries that have government-run health care” would not have given Sen. Edward Kennedy, who suffers from a brain tumor, the same standard of care as in the U.S. because he is too old. Another Republican, Congressman Paul Broun of Georgia, said that the U.K. and Canada “don’t have the appreciation of life as we do in our society, evidently.”

I am pleased to hear that the Department of Health has now launched a campaign to correct the lies being reported, I believe the Government should also make the strongest representations possible.

What is happening is insulting to all those that have relied on the NHS  and to all those dedicated and highly committed health practitioners that work in the NHS. These right wing comments are nothing short of a disgrace and an insult to the UK.

We love our NHS  – Hands off!

Last night I was delighted to be able to attend the leaving party of Prestwich Area Youth Manager, James Perkin.

James became Prestwich Youth service manager 2 years ago and along with the rest of the Prestwich team has done tremendous work in the area, developing youth projects, reinvigorating the Phoenix centre and engaging young people on the issues that matter to them.

At last night leaving party, the greatest testament to his work over the past two years was the tributes paid by the young people themselves, especially the members of the band formed from the live music project that has been created at the Phoenix centre. They performed a number of songs, some well known, some self penned – including a special composition “James’s Song” , written in his honour.

It was a great night, I said a few words, but the best words came from the young people themselves.

What struck me though, and I said this to those there, was how vulnerable our front line services are. Over reliant on 1 or 2 people in an area each day to effectively try and deliver a service. People if asked might think there were 100′s of youth workers, 100′s of police officers. Yet the reality is that we are reliant on a small handful of highly committed, dedicated public servants.

As such it brought home to me again last night how fragile and vulnerable the youth service currently is, with the Tory threats of “outsourcing” or privatising the service hanging over it.

What the Conservative administration failed to realise (or perhaps they planned it that way), was by announcing their proposals they have threatened the very existence of the youth service – before they can even outsource it.

George Osborne claims the Conservatives are the progressive party in British politics. I can only assume he is only comparing the Tories with Labour.

With the radical sweep of policies and proposals the Lib Dems have at present and will have come the General Election I defy anyone even in these difficult times to suggest the Lib Dems are not progressive and indeed others like the Greens could also be classed so.

I’m afraid when it comes to being progressive they are really struggling. The problem is that they are constantly trying to throw off the shackles of their Thatcherite past and somehow re-invent the Conservative party as a liberal progressive party – which sadly for Cameron, Osborne and co. we already have. This is all in a desperate attempt to create a shiny new image with smily faces that we can trust again.

Labour resorted to prefixing “new” to the party name in a rather less subtle but extremely effective strategy. The Conservatives are trying to be cleverer about it but it amounts to the same thing, and two things they are not is liberal and progressive. 

With the announcement that Bury Council is to contest the recent equal pay ruling against the Council would suggest the Tories are playing a dangerous game indeed both with Council services and finances.

I understand all the other Greater Manchester Councils have accepted the decision, yet Bury Council seems to think that they somehow have a special case.

Having already incurred costs of over £600,000 they are now committing to spend a whole lot more on legal expenses to fight a claim that will cost millions if lost. To that end I appreciate the Chief Executives judgement that as protector of the public purse they must do all they can to safeguard public funds and as such the maths says it all, sadly however form on this issue isn’t good.

What is deeply worrying is that having seen what has gone before on this issue leaves me with precious little faith in the Council strategy especially with regard to any involvement from the ruling Conservative administration.

It must be remembered that not so long ago councillors were being told that we had to go through the painful pay and regrading review because if we didn’t we faced hundreds of legal actions against the Council.

So having demoralised half the staff, with many leaving, surpise surprise we end up with legal actions culminating in the recent decision that exposes Bury to claims running into millions.

Of course that was also helpfully followed by Bury’s Chief Executive warning of redundancies with dire consequences for council services.

Now the Council is advised that we once again have a great case. I wish I was that confident and in any case the moral arguments would seem in many cases to outweigh any legal technicalities. Then there is the sleeping partner in all this – the Labour Government that has stood back, washed its hands and refused to offer any crumbs of comfort to beleagured councils around the country- the silence is deafening.

Bury Council is proposing to introduce some safety improvements for this junction primarily consisting of the introduction of push button pedestrian facilities and some minor road widening.

Attached below is a copy of the letter and plans highlighting what measures are proposed for the junction and which will be delivered to the residential properties/businesses near to the proposed scheme later on this week.

If you have any queries or wish to raise any concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact either myself, Cllr Pickstone or Cllr Davison.

bor-hroad-plan.pdf      bor-hroad-letter.pdf

Amid the recent reports that 19000 high street shops are likely to close this year and reposessions likely to rise to 75,000 this year why is this Labour Government appears utterly inept and paralysed.

This Government is seemingly unprepared to tackle the banks over the lack of help for small business and indicisive to the point of neglect in bringing to the table useful, properly funded initiative to provide support and re-training for the unemployed and incentives and further support for struggling businesses.

Personally I am sick of hearing a Government spokesperson standing in front of a camera exclaiming about all the great things they are doing , then seeing another local business go bust.

The problem with such devastation to small business is the knock on effect to other small businesses and the decimation to small towns suburbs. Small businesses usually have precious few reserves of any kind to tap into and find it harder to make cuts and offer the same services.

If Iraq was Blairs legacy, I fear Browns may well be Economic dithering and too little too late.