If you ever needed proof that Cameron’s Conservatives remained out of touch with the realities of British Society then their recent pronouncement on teen pregnancies is the perfect example.

In their “Two Nations” document published at the weekend they claimed 54% of girls in the worst deprived areas get pregnant before they are 18.

A startling fact, in fact a startlingly incorrect fact. The real figure is 5.4%, Ok so they got the decimal place wrong, but the fact that they accepted the figure as correct just shows how out of touch with reality they really are.

Clearly they have been watching too much TV. This may come as a shock to Cameron’s Tories but most of our estates are not like an episode of Shameless. Then again this is the party of the garden moat and duck islands. Should we be surprised?  

I think perhaps they should get out more and visit some deprived estates, in fact any estates, and talk to real people about their problems, hopes and fears. Then perhaps they could draw up policies that not only add up but address the problems of real Britain.

Manchester City Council’s Planning Committee has today voted , by 9 votes to 5 votes to APPROVE the Commercial Soccer Centre in Heaton Park.

An impressive crowd of protestors made it to Manchester Town Hall on Thursday afternoon and the public areas were packed with protestors.

Councillors first voted on a request made by local Prestwich Councillor Tim Pickstone for a site visit (so that the Councillors would consider this at their next meeting after visiting the area) but this was voted down about 9 votes to 5.

Then the campaign got to make its case when local resident Paul Toner spoke against the plans, together with statements from local Councillors Tim Pickstone, Wilf Davison and spokesperson for Ivan Lewis MP. A spokesperson for Goals Soccer Centres spoke in favour of the proposals.

However controversy continues to haunt the proposals as it came to light that a response from the Garden Historical Society AGAINST the plans had not been included in the paperwork for the meeting. The GHS are a statutory consultee on this issue and they raised serious concerns about the impact of the centre on the historical character of the park, and on how it would impact on the entrance way.

A proposal to defer the decision to allow more time to consider this late objection was also defeated 9 votes to 5.  There was some debate by Councillors, but most remained silent.

Finally the proposal was approved by 9 votes to 5. Planning is a non-Party Political issue, but by chance……, all the Labour Councillors voted in favour, all the Liberal Democrat councillors voted against.

So, after all the hard work of the Campaign the proposal has been accepted. Everyone involved is understandably gutted and devastated by the decision.

Despite the result I congratulate all those involved in the campaign, you fought a first rate campaign on the right issues for a good cause, preservation of open parkland.

I will be in touch with Bury Council to now ask that they give careful consideration to mitigation measures in the area to deal with increased traffic and even worse, agravated parking issues that this development will bring. I will also be insisting that the 10pm curfew set for the devlopment is monitored closely as should the promise of free off peak community use.

A sad day for Heaton Park and all who love our green open spaces.

Last night it was Bury Councils awards night for Looked after children – children in care etc.

This years event was switched from the Elizabethan Suite to Bury FC’s Social Club on Gigg Lane. I was delighted to be able to attend along with colleagues, Cllr Wilf Davison and Cllr Mary D’Albert who is a member of the Councils Corporate Parenting Panel and other councillors, notably the Mayor and Mayoress of Bury.

Ostensibly it is an opportunity to celebrate and reward those children in the authority’s care who have achieved notable successes whether in academic fields or non-academic areas such as sport and the arts.

It was a very enjoyable occasion and it is clearly designed to bring everyopne together to celebrate their achievements. In true Holywood style nominations were read out, certificates of achievement handed out and winners in a number of categories were announced.

All in all a very enjoyable occasion and good to see so many happy faces! 

Watching the debate on the Constitutional Reform Bill last night (I know, it doesn’t get sadder than that), what became ever more obvious as I listened to the speeches was that electoral reform was caught like an innocent bystander on the streets of Pamplona just after the bulls are released.

By the end of the debate it lay trampled beyond recognition under the hoofs of party politics stampeding towards the next election.

With the Tories determined not to relinquish any clutches on future power, Labour seemingly desperate to shore up their prospects of holding on and the Lib Dems spotting the opportunity of a generation to introduce fairer voting, I felt the whole debate and argument got lost amidst the screams of deals, vote rigging and hunger for power.

Of course it all looked a bit dodgy to start with. When a Government that has been in power for 13 years and is behind in the polls starts proposing an electoral system that arguably makes it easier to hang onto power only weeks from a General Election, it doesn’t provide the best environment for a rational debate on the subject.

As its likely that due to the proximity of the election the bill will fail to make it to the statute books, I think it would be more appropriate if the whole thing could be brought back early in the next Parliament. Now that would be a test to the other parties committment to ER! 

Fair votes for a representative Government – it’s a big prize and a big subject. It needs rational reasoned debate in Parliament and ultimately across the country. It deserves to be treated with respect.

Bury South Lib Dem candidate, Vic D’Albert has called on Bury Primary Care Trust to reconsider their proposals for new health facilities.

It was recently confirmed by the PCT that following rejection of a previous planning application for the uplands health centre near Whitefield Town Hall, that they now plan to relocate most of their plans to premises in the Radcliffe area.

Vic D’Albert commented, “This is a dreadful decision by the PCT that will significantly disadvantage many people in the Whitefield area and will do nothing to help deprived communities in Whitefield. I would urge them to reconsider for the sake of all concerned.

“There has to be a middle way here that provides a planning application in this conservation area that is acceptable to the local authority and enables the PCT to bring first class modern medical and health support services to local residents.”

I have to say I find todays rantings by David Cameron regarding the 3 MP’s charged with theft over their expense claims more than a little distasteful.

He is so determined to make political capital out of anything and everything he is in danger of ignoring natural justice.

Perhaps someone should remind him that we still have trial by jury in this country and as I understand it you are also innocent until proved guilty.

However, do I appreciate much of todays furore is over the MP’s claim that they will seek Parliamentary privilege and claim immunity from prosecution. Clearly that would be a nonsense and if they themselves are so convinced that they are innocent of the charges then they should be prepared to submit to the scrutiny of trial rather than searching for a way of avoiding trial which will only serve to further discredit MP’s and reopen the wound that is MP’s expenses.

As for David Cameron when he acknowledges that there is more to this than MP’s behaving badly and that the whole system is discredited and rotten and that we need root and branch reform, then I’ll take his comments on this issue more seriously.

We get the Government we deserve, and much less than half the population voted for this Government using a system that does not fairly represent the consensus within constituencies  and renders the election in many of the constituences pointless.

Reform is the key word and it’s about a lot more than expense claims.

The latest Homewatch newsletter from Greater Manchester Police brings good news, highlighting a 15% fall in crime.

The bad news is the spate of shed and garage break-ins over the past fortnight. 4 Sheds and 2 garages in Prestwich alone. There has also been the usual spate of thefts from cars. So keep those shed/garages locked and secure and don’t leave items on display in your car. Remember thieves don’t know that the box on your back seat is empty until they have smashed your window to get at it!

The latest newsletter can be viewed and downloaded here: homewatchnewsletter20jan202010.pdf

Hot on the heals of their meddling with the Prestwich area partnership and threats to Prestwich’s Longfield Suite community Centre, Bury Conservatives are now planning to introduce parking charges at the Fairfax Road car park.

The proposal has been introduced into their proposed council budget for 2010/11 and is budgeted to provide income of £35,000.

But the proposal is yet another example of Bury riding rough shod over Prestwich the town and its residents, no proper consultation, no consideration of the local situation and not even the courtesy of a an email to local councillors.

What’s more it cements the growing opinion that Bury’s Conservative administration doesn’t give a jot about the opinion of local townships like Prestwich and will do what it wants irrespective of local opinion.

But even worse, this proposal is either utterly negligent of plain spiteful. With the recovery of Prestwich Town centre in the balance, with some new businesses, some still struggling businesses and regeneration/development of the precinct not even started the conservatives have either not thought about the damage that parking charges could do to a fragile local economy (negligent) or it is a determined strategy to undermine recovery of the Prestwich economy because of its Lib Dem led local Area Partnership.

Time will tell whether it’s negligence or spite. What is certain is that this proposal will damage local businesses and the prospect for local recovery. I can assure readers that Lib Dem councillors will fight it all the way

Liberal Democrats in Bury South today set out their General Election plans to put more police on the beat.

The extra officers for Bury will be funded by the savings from scrapping ID cards, and are part of the Liberal Democrats’ Safer Streets – More and Better Police manifesto commitment.

Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Bury South, Vic D’Albert said: “People in Bury South are often telling me how they feel unsafe. “Expensive ID cards aren’t going to change that, but an extra officer walking down Bury New Road or Dumers Lane or more police in Radcliffe on Friday night will.

“The Liberal Democrats are committed to more police, and this is the only way to create safer streets.”  

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg said: “The Liberal Democrats are the only party that wants to cut crime by putting more police on the street. “When only one in a hundred crimes ends up with a conviction in court, it is time for things to change.

“Labour and the Conservatives may talk tough but they are unwilling to make the crucial decisions to cut crime.”

You can download our Policing manifesto committment here: safer_streets_-_more_and_better_police.pdf

Last nights Full meeting of Bury Council which brings all 51 councillors together in the ritual mud slinging contest was mercifully low on mud hurling for once.

SUPPORTING FAIR FUNDING FOR GMP 

As mentioned previously the Lib Dem Group proposed a motion in support of Greater Manchester Police. We are concerned that financial pressures may lead to 100 or more front line Police officers being lost, with all the consequences for crime fighting that would have. We reiterated our support for GMP and called on the Government to provide greater financial support by releasing funds originally granted (by a funding formula) but not paid over to GMP.

Sadly both the Tories and Labour refused to support the motion, Labour put a “spoiling” amendment that basically wiped out our motion, however as it basically also provided support for the Police, albeit Bury rather than greater Manchester, and sadly lacked any figures, we nevertheless were able to support it.

COUNCIL PAY

Thas was followed by a Labour motion on Council pay. Basically the motion called for a renegotiation of the nationally agreed pay award for local Government employees. It has been agreed that due to the impact of the recession and ultimately the poor state of public finances that local authorities could not afford to offer a pay increase this year.

Shamefully Labour wanted to ignore the financial situation and commit the authority to paying an increase. It was estimated that the increase would cost the authority £2.8m , equivalent to a 4% council tax increase. Everyone wants to pay (and for that matter receive) pay rises, but in a climate where there are going to be cuts this year and probably even bigger cuts in the next few years a pay freeze this year is prudent. Labours motion was nothing short of irresponsible and blatant posturing to voters.

My Lib Dem colleague and Group leader, Cllr Tim Pickstone moved an amendment recognising the plight of lower paid staff and asking that the council consider doing what they can to help them, after all its the lowest paid that suffer most in a recession.

Sadly once again Labour and the Tories voted against our amendment.  Lib Dems and the Tories voted against Labours motion.

After those two motions you certainly got the feeling that battle lines are being drawn for the local elections and general election which will probably take place on May 6th

Read the rest of this entry.