Lib Dem General Election candidate for Bury South, Vic D’Albert has welcomed todays announcement by Vince Cable of an additional property levy on properties worth over £1m.

“This measure would inject a bit more fairness into a distorted Council Tax system which would enable the Government to redistribute tax revenues to the low paid and remove many from tax altogether.” 

The new charge of 0.5% would apply to the value of a property above £1m. So if a home was worth £1.5m the 0.5% tax would apply to £500,000 of it, meaning the owner will have to pay £2,500 a year. The extra tax on a £4m property would be £15,000 a year. The Lib Dems say about 250,000 property-owners would pay about £4,000 a year each on average mostly in the South-East of England.  

Vic D’Albert commented, “It’s important that we balance this additional tax levy with what we are trying to achieve and that is all about lifting four million people – workers and pensioners – out of taxation and cutting taxes for people at the bottom end in a fair way.”  

Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg said: “I think people, even at the top end, now accept we need to try and rebalance things a bit so that everyone moves together – the whole of society moves together, it’s about fairness and rebalancing one of the most unfair tax systems around.This is a small correction which I think will make a big difference for people who are really struggling to make ends meet,” he said.

The new tax would be a “temporary” measure until it was able to implement its plans for a local income tax. People on low incomes, who are currently receiving council tax benefit, would be exempt, although the party has stressed it does not believe there are many low income people living in million pound homes.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish friends, neighbours and residents celebrating the muslim festival of Eid and Jewish New Year.

Very best wishes for joyful celebrations and for a happy and peaceful year ahead.

Last nights EET meeting thankfully improved after the “coffee machine” disaster.

PARKING IN BURY

A annual report was presented about Parking services which outlined the number of penalty notices issued and other parking issues.

The report highlighted that the number of people parking in the town centre had reduced over the past year, that revenue from meters and notices will be less than budgeted and 6703 penalty notices were issued. My collegaue,Cllr Donal O’Hanlon raised a very interesting point that 24% or nearly 1 in 4 notices issued were eventually cancelled. In other words we (the Council) were paying people to cancel notices rather than being less heavy handed, reasonable or accurate in the first instance.

I requested that a wide ranging visitor survey be undertaken to focus on parking issues and identify any further issues. This was in response to a limited survey of 1000 motorists that appealed against notices.

STREET LIGHTING

Some avid readers of local current affairs will remember that the Conservative authority , first announced that they wanted to turn off street lights, then had an executive panic attack and decided to change their minds. This angered member of the Environment scrutiny commission who were aware of the need to improve street lighting both in terms of efficiency bu reducing CO2 emissions. Lighting accounts for 13% of the Borough total.

Last night we agreed to set up a working group to look at street lighting issues with a view to applying for a public finance initiative to improve our street lights.

HOUSING GRANTS

A paper was presented to the commission proposing changes to the grants available for residents to carry out housing improvements or adaptations. Much of these changes were non contentious – for instance amending the Minor repairs and Improvements Grants to take account of sustainability issues and decent homes standards.

However what bothered me intensely was changes to the Disabled Facilities Grants. Currently it is mandatory that the council finance up to £30,000 of adaptations, how they now propose that any further “top-ups” required will be only available in exceptional circumstances. Officers admitted that this was due to budgetary pressures – The council has a budget of around £1.2m which included £617,000 from the Government.

I am concerned that this is a start on squeezing local authority grants and support generally – and it greatly concerns me that this is once again financially driven – officers admitted that it is likely residents would have to wait longer or may be turned down for additional essential work.

I was tired at the start of tonights Council meeting at the town hall never mind the end. It has been a busy week – and it’s still only thursday. I had been up til 1am for the past 3 nights etc etc etc blah blah blah.

And so it was in that semi-zonked , semi distracted and very not concentrating mind that I approached a coffee machine in the meeting room.

So I picked up a saucer placed it on the required spot and pressed “cappuccino”.  I was startled by the sound of my colleage Cllr Donal O’Hanlon  sharing a joke with Conservative Cllr Ijaz Ahmed. ”I wonder what that cross party banter is all about” I wondered as the sound of coffee splashing into saucer suddenly reached my ears. That was bad enough but so paralysed by the shock of my actions, I didn’t rush a cup under the spout to catch the rest of the offering, no, I merely watched the saucer fill to the brim whilst wondering how I should deal with the inevitable spillage!

So dear reader thats what Council meetings does to your faithful representatives! And this one hadn’t even started!

It’s time for the weekend me thinks.

I attended an excellent meeting of Heaton Park Action Group last night. Members of the group have clearly been very busy contacting organisations, lobbying and pushing the word out.

The big news last night was that we learned that the Environmental Law Foundation that they are supporting our campaign and are providing legal advice and support. This is clearly a major boost to the campaign.

The other key point to emerge was that Manchester City Council seem to have conveniently misplaced the deeds to the park. In particular the deeds relating to the sale from the Ear of Wilton estate. The deeds will detail any covenants as to the use of or development of the park and so are a key aspect of the campaign.

This is either clumsy/ negligent or something more sinister. Clearly if Manchester City Council are adamant that the deeds do not prohibit a Goals Soccer centre in Heaton Park then all they have to do is show them – end of!

Watch this space for news of forthcoming campaign activity and don’t forget the campaign site www.saveheatonpark.org.uk and the Facebook site: Save Heaton Park

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

Application number: 51757         Type of application: Full         Date Registered: 15/09/2009

Applicant: Mr Naseem Dost
Location: 33 GLEBELANDS ROAD, PRESTWICH, M25 1WE
Proposal: RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT – 10 APARTMENTS WITH 12 CAR PARKING SPACES AND LANDSCAPING

Plans will be available to view on the Council’s website within 2 working days from today (see link on the left). Should you require further details please contact the case officer: Helen Longworth on: 0161 253 5322.

A similar application came up for this site some time ago which I opposed along with many other local people and organisations. Once the plans are available I will be scrutinising them once more and will comment more fully at that time.

Plans for Heaton Park School’s Childrens Centre have been approved by Bury Council’s Planning Committee.

At last nights meeting the committee unanimously approved the plans for the new centre on Cuckoo Lane.

This will prove a tremendous asset for both the school but especially the local community. The School will be undergoing refurbishment soon and the Childrens Centre work is expected to be wrapped up in that development/refurbishment work.

When completed it will almost be the finishing touch to the transformation of Heaton Park Primary school that in addition to a nursery , will also be getting a recently approved nursery play area.

These facilities are most welcome in this area and much needed by the local community and especially valuable to nearby Polefield estate that is recognised as a deprived area.

At last nights Planning Committee I asked (on behalf of residents) that careful consideration be given to drainage issues surrounding the new development as in the past developments have adversely affected drainage of surface water into neighbouring properties. The committee noted my concerns

The long awaited regeneration of Prestwich village moved a step closer tonight when Bury Councils Planning Control Committee approved an outline planning application.

The initial outline application basically designates areas for use and provides a general overview of the proposals. This application will now be followed in the coming months with detailed applications relating to specific site developments.

I am pleased that the application was unanimously approved. St.Mary’s Ward Councillor Mary D’Albert sought clarification on the size of the proposed supermarket and assurances that the Longfield Suite will be unaffected and the new libary will be at least as big as the existing one.

St.Mary’s Lib Dem Councillor Donal O’Hanlon could not vote because he has a vested interest in the development as Chair of the Town Centre Regeneration Working Group that has monitored and pressed forward these proposals on behalf of the Area Partnership. He did however suggest a number of conditions of which one regarding contractors and subcontractors parking was adopted.

So onwards and upwards. Developers will hopefully be working on key aspects/detailed applications now and there may well be detailed consultation with Town planners on the details.

It is also hoped that these detailed applications remain true to the Love Prestwich Strategy document which has been so well received and the the Area Partnership and Town Centre Regeneration Working Group remain an active consultee of the developers.

Watch this space – or to be more specific the Longfield Precinct space!

Last night was a case of one extreme to another. I started off in the Councils Economy and Environment Scrutiny sub group looking at the Local Development framework for Bury and ended up in a pub in Prestwich in a Tenants and Residents meeting.

LOCAL DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK

This important sub group is responsible for monitoring the progress of the production of the Local Development Framework and associated documents. The LDF looks at the allocation and use of all land throughout Bury and for instance identifies land for business use, housing and of course the green belt. Perhaps the most controversial aspects include the need to identify new sites for gypsy’s and travellers as well as identifying land for about 11500 new homes.

As if that wasn’t enough they have to deal with the impact of climate change which will dramatically affect areas prone to flooding which we were told will have an impact on Radcliffe and Ramsbottom proposals.

LDF documents are still work in progress at this stage and there is much consultation and examination before they become adopted as policy by the council, but clearly there will be significant challenges with wide ranging impact on most of Bury.

POLEFIELD TENANTS & RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION

Following the LDF meeting at the town hall I had to rush to a meeting of Polefield TRA at the Parkside Hotel in Prestwich.

The meeting included tenants, police, Six Town Housing officers and myself. We received reports that suggested that things were pretty quite on the estate – limited anti-social behaviour.

Plans are progressing for a Halloween night disco for under 11′s at Heaton Park School and a public meeting in November.

Tenants raised concerns about speeding on the estate, the use of (often illegal) bikes and quad bikes etc and potentially dangerous junction of Cuckoo Grove, Polefield Hall Rd and Polefield Circle. I promised to request the Council to investigate possible improvements to this junction along with the provision of some improved street lighting and road repairs.

It really does not achieve anything for Labour and the Tories to constantly try and twist each others words and statements on public spending in order that they then bleat “I told you so” to the media. With the Tories pledging to increase the costs of a ploughmans lunch in the House of commons and Labour trying to match the rhetoric with strong words but without saying much at all, we desperately need a grown up debate.

They talk of Public services as if they were something that is a luxury that can’t really be afforded in tough times – like eating out less or not replacing your ageing TV.

In all the talk of spending cuts and committments we need to remember that many public services are by definition quite vital and essential – relied on by many of the most vulnerable in our communities and by necessity not always affordable or providable through the private sector.

So in these difficult times whilst it is right to address Government spending, let’s also address Government income and Government waste, and lets have a sensible grown up discussion about services - the services that we can do without – ID cards etc and the services that need protecting – because of the impact of cuts.

The TUC were right to wade into the debate yesterday on the eve of their conference because we must not forget the implications of cuts invariably mean redundancies directly and indirectly.

Cuts will need to be made, but we need to ensure vital services are protected. It’s about services that matter, it’s about people lives as well as livelihoods.