Last night at the Phoenix centre in St.Mary’s Park I joined other local councillors for a meeting with the new Prestwich & Whitefield Police Inspector, Mark Kenny.

The meeting was called by Inspector Kenny to discuss local issues and outline his plans and approach to policing in the area and of course to introduce himself.

It’s fair to say we were delighted with the innitiatives he outlined - of which you will here more later - and impressed with his enthusiasm and clear committment to dealing expediently with local crime hot spots and incidents.

As councillors we raised the issues of tackling the fear of crime, communications (from councillors, including updates), and we requested a meeting at the earliest convenience to look at cracking down on graffitti over the summer months.

In the meantime we wish Inspector Kenny every success in his new post, as indeed we wish outgoing Inspector, Dave Ryecroft, ever success in his new position.

He has the undoubted pleasure of being responsible for neighbourhood policing in a great part of Bury, with a great community spirit. A diverse and parochial community with apparent affluence on the surface but some significant pockets of severe deprivation.

Nick Clegg: “It is a very exciting opportunity for everyone in Britain who wants fairness and real change, who wants something different.

“This isn’t the old politics of a two-horse race between Labour and the Conservative Party. The real choice is between the old politics of Labour and Conservatives and something different, something new and that is what we offer.”

“This is a huge, huge election. It is certainly the beginning of the end for Brown, that’s for sure.

Vic D’Albert, Lib Dem Candidate for Bury South added, “As equal citizens in a modern society isn’t it right that we should all expect a fair deal from the state as a fundamental expectation in return for our duties and responsibilities to that state and our communities?

“As I started knocking on doors last night time and again residents told me that they were sick of the way things are, sick of the tired old politics, sick of post code lotteries, sick of the unfairness that now infects all aspects of our society and Government.

“I told them only the Liberal Democrats are putting fairness at the heart of our manifesto committments, fairness that means fundamental change.”

Our manifesto has four key themes:

Fair Taxes for all

A Fair Start for Children

Fair, transparent & local politics

A fair and sustainable economy

The last Prestwich Area Partnership of the municipal year was held at the recently refurbished Church Lane Community Centre in Prestwich last night.

It was a packed and generally upbeat meeting full of developments from around Prestwich.

MINUTES SILENCE

The meeting started with a minutes silence for Barry Simpson, Vice Chair of Downham Gardens Tenants & Residents Association who sadly passed away recently.

ST.MARY’S PARK AND PLAY AREAS

Neil Long from Bury Council Parks and Leisure Services gave a presentation updating the partnership about improvements to local parks and play areas. The highlight is St.Mary’s Flower park which is currently having £30,000 spent on it to restore it too something akin to its former glory.

PRESTWICH CLOUGH DAY

Our Partner spot saw David Stanley from Prestwich Clough Centenary Committee outlining the aim of the organisation and plans for this years Clough Day on May 16th . This annual event now marks the start of Prestwich Festival. You can find out more about this great family event here.

ANTI- WASTE CAMPAIGN  

We also had a great presentation from the Waste Disposal Authority encouraging people not to waste so much food and offering some handy hints and free goodies too.

POLICE

Sergeant Ian Campbell presented an update on Crime and policing. In particular highlighting the success of their clampdown on anti-social behaviour.

MONEY FOR GOOD CAUSES

And finally the Area Partnership approved hundreds of pounds of grants to local good causes including the Church Lane Community Centre, Rainsough TRA and Simister Village Community Association.

THANK YOU

As it was the last meeting of the municipal year, as Chair, I thanked officers for all the hard work and support and the members of the LAP for their input and of course the great Prestwich public for their attendance and input. 

NEXT MEETING MAY 20th, from 6.15pm - LONGFIELD SUITE

Last nights meeting of Bury MBC’s Environment, Economy and Transport Scrutiny Committee received a long awaited presentation about the state of council owned garage colonies.

For some years now there has been growing concern about the state of many of these garages. Many have been badly vandalised or are a focal point for anti-social behaviour as more and more remain empty.

Last nights presentation did seem to bear this out as it was confirmed that half the councils 77 garage sites were a “drain on resources” to varying extents.

As part of the review to be undertaken the Council now plans to consult widely on how best to deal with the worst condition sites.

It has been suggested that there could be alternative uses such as:

• Housing
• Allotments
• Play Areas
• other communal/garden areas etc

In addition it may be appropriate for some to be renovated.

I strongly supported the idea that ward councillors be involved in the consultation and that the local area partnerships should have a say as they have a specific remit to represent the views of residents in the area.

It was agreed that a report and presentation be brought to a future area partnership meeting.

The LovePrestwich Big Clean will officially end next week – but the campaign to clean up the town still goes on.

The Community Payback team will hit the town centre on November 3 and 4 for a final go, then head to the Holyrood Road/Heys Road/Bury Old Road Area to tackle graffiti on shops, businesses, backs of shops, and the side of houses.

Vic D’Albert, chair of Prestwich Local Area Partnership, said: “If this Community Payback team were playing in the Premiership or Champions League, they’d be champions. Their team work is fantastic, their commitment without doubt and the difference they have made to Prestwich is phenomenal.

“The work doesn’t stop here - we hope to continue to work with Community Payback, subject to funding, for three days a month to clean off graffiti and much more.

“We certainly want to expand the idea, and arrange community clean-up weekends of action whereby, if people volunteer, we will provide skips and litter picks to tidy the streets. This team is a winning team and I hope it is here to stay.”

Graffiti and No Graffiti outside M&S earlier this month.

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

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.

At long last it finally seems the Council are set to approve a policy for gating back alleys. A mere three years after I first pressed for a policy to be adopted.

It has been a frustrating three years to, with many schemes unable to proceed despite residents pleas, police support and councillors support - but because Bury Council didn’t have a policy we were stuffed!

The fact is it has been proven elsewhere that closing back alleys cuts crime and anti-social behaviour dramatically and as such I will be pressing for a number of alleys to be closed as soon as possible.  In some ways it’s a shame but if it cuts crime and improves the lot of affected residents then it has to be a good thing.

That’s the story of last nights busy Prestwich Area Partnership meeting at Sedgley Park School.

PRESTWICH FESTIVAL

The meeting was opened with a rolling slide show of photos from the 55 events held throughout Prestwich Festival. I took the opportunity to highlight how the festival came about and to thank all those that played a part in ensuring its success. I also requested feedback from residents who attended any of the events also with suggestions about to improve the festival next time.

OASIS CONCERTS

Graham Atkinson, Bury’s Director of Leisure services, reported back on the issues faced by Bury Council and the cross council  coordination of the Oasis concerts. He highlighted all aspects of the operation and identified areas to improved on next time. Which included aspects of parking and toilet provision, crowd dispersal at the end of concerts. Public transport issues  and nuisance/anti-social behaviour. A report is currently being compiled.

HIGHWAYS

We received a report with the delegated budget for local unclassified road repairs for the year. Prestwich is being offered just over £62,000 to spend. the report highlighted that the 13 worst streets in Prestwich needed repairs totaling £700,000. Its fair to say the Area Partnership was not amused. A resolution was passed highlihting our dissatisfaction and calling on the Council to review the situation as a matter of urgency and to get to grips with this issue that is now approaching crisis point.

HEATON PARK GAME ZONE

Residents from St.Margarets area attended open forum to raise the issue about Manchester’s plans for a private game zone in Heaton Park. In response the Area Partnership passed a resolution in support of residents and to inform Bury and Manchester Planning of our deep concerns about their proposals.

NEXT MEETING

October 1st, Butterstile Primary School arrive from 6.15 for 6.30 start.

Local Lib Dem Councillors have praised clean-up staff following recent Oasis concerts in Heaton Park, but voiced concerns that not enough was done to protect local people during the recent events.

The concerts, which saw 210,000 people enjoy music in the park over three nights, generated controversy over noise, but passed largely without major trouble.

Commenting on the concerts, Cllr Vic D’Albert, Liberal Democrat member for Holyrood and Parliamentary candidate for Bury South said “What’s clear is that over 200,000 people came to Prestwich and had a great time. But there were lots of problems for the people that live here, and we need to get the balance right. Before Manchester City Council think about having more concerts here, they need to think about Prestwich residents.”

Residents complained about excessive noise, particularly on the first night when a power failure caused a delay to the end of the concert. Cllr D’Albert said “Of course there was going to be noise, but I think continuing until 11.25 was too late, and I will be demanding that this never happens again. I want to know why the stage was set up facing the houses of Prestwich rather than the open space of the park, and why revellers weren’t moved on quicker at the end. This was particularly unpleasant for older residents and people with young children.”

Parking arrangements were only partially successful. Vic D’Albert said “We were given assurances that public transport would work and parking wouldn’t be a problem. Whilst streets in St Margaret’s and Sheepfoot Lane were well protected, those in Sedgley and Rhodes were not, and this wasn’t good enough. Buses and taxis were dropping off people in the wrong place, and queues for trams were very long. We need improvements to help residents.”

Cllr D’Albert did praise some aspects of the organisation. “I thought the street cleaning service was excellent, and lots of local people enjoyed a concert, either as paying spectators or for free in their gardens. A lot of local people enjoyed themselves, and local businesses received a welcome boost in trade. The gigs have raised the profile of Prestwich, and that’s great. In addition, some of the profits will be spent improving local parks, so people will see long term benefits as a result of short term disruption.”

“Prestwich Local Area Partnership will receive a report into all aspects of the concerts, and make this available to local people so that we can represent their views. I look forward to working with everyone - local people, and Bury and Manchester Councils - to make sure that if these things are to happen again, we in Bury make Manchester City Council learn from what happened.

There’s certainly room for improvement, but perhaps not for 200,000 people across three nights in quick succession. We need to deal with the noise better, reduce the numbers and restrict activity to sensible times and durations. We need to strike a balance between Prestwich people and money for Manchester.”

I find it rather sad and pathetic that when I post a blog voicing concerns for the people I am elected to represent that I then start receiving vile emails from Oasis fans that attended. I am sure it’s only a small minority but they don’t help their cause.

All combined for a typically broad ranging Prestwich Area Partnership meeting at Heaton Park School last night.

FESTIVAL

Area Partnership manager Carran O’Grady and Festival Organiser David Curtis gave a joint presentation on arrangements for the 1st Prestwich Festival which kicks off on sunday with the Clough Day in St.Mary’s Flower Park. From an initial hope that we may have about 10 events this inaugural festival has grown to a whopping 50 events. Much credit must go to the efforts of David and Carran amongst others.

OASIS

The Area partnership had requested an update on arrangements for the June Oasis concerts in Heaton Park.  Questioners asked about toilet provision, parking arrangements and security. There were also concerns raised about access to homes and polling stations. A 700 car parking facility will be available at Bowlee ticket holders are being advised that there is no local parking available. In addition there will be a massive security operation, including wheel clamping and monitoring of public drinking etc.

YOUNG PEOPLE

The partnership received a presentation from a representative of the Youth Inclusion Support Panel (YISP). YISP tries to intervene to help young people avoid the slippery slope to crime by intervening through referalls when young people get involved in anti-social behaviour. They help and support young people in meeting acceptable standards, adhering to ascceptable behaviour contracts etc and advising and offering help on youth issues.

HEALTHY EATING 

As opposed to tackling the the obese the NHS has instead launched a massive £75m campaign to encourage healthy eating. I’m sure most will have seen the nationwide TV advertising campaign. Basically it places greater emphasis on encouraging better, healthier eating habits and more exercise. It encourages parents to review what food they provide, portion control etc and develop more exercising for their children and themselves.

POLICE REPORT

PC Andy Ferguson gave a brief report at the end of the meeting informing the partnership that following a sustained campaign on Polefield the gang of young people that had caused much nuisance had been broken up and the estate is now much quieter.

There is to be a further campaign against the illegal use of quad bikes and scooters shortly. The campaign over last bank holiday weekend was a big success with several bikes confiscated. 

I attended the associations latest meeting last night, along with representatives of Six Town Housing and the Police.

It was very assuring to hear from the Police of a number of positive improvements taking place on the estate, especially following a crack down on anti-social behaviour.

In addition the TRA is pushing ahead with its own plans. Starting with a joint Councillors surgery on Saturday May 16th from 2pm to 4pm at Heaton Park School. Ostensibly this is being run as a sort of tea and cakes afternoon and will also have a raffle. Councillors, TRA reps, Police and Six Town Housing will all be on hand to offer advice or at least a cup of tea! All welcome.

Meanwhile a suggestion and problem box has been installed at the school for residents to let us know anonymously abut issues or make suggestions for the TRA to pick up on.

In addition a number of activities are now being planned for the summer hols, so watch this space!

Despite recent assurances, notably at the recent Prestwich Area Partnership, I am growing increasingly concerned about aspects of preparation for the Oasis concerts in June.

I understand that despite initial suggestions to the contrary it is now expected that half the numbers attending these gigs will be travelling from out of the area by car or coach etc - that’s an influx of 35,000 using private transport on our local roads.

In addition I am concerned that the provision of portable toilets is likely to be wholly inadequate.

It also surely makes sense that we introduce some form of Residents permit for key blocks of residential areas adjacent to the park. If these events are to be a success then that means local residents won’t suffer unecessarily as well.

I will be seeking assurances over the coming week that these aspects will be re-examined. We need a committment from the organisers that the safety of local people and the Prestwich environment will be protected.

Last nights Area Partnership meeting at Sedgley Park School was billed as “the one not to miss”, and I think it lived up to expectations.

The meeting was well attended - although most members of the public were there to here further about proposals for the development of Prestwich Village or arrangements for the Oasis concerts in Heaton Park. Key highlights included:

Prestwich Festival

Panel and residents received an update on progress for this years inaugural Prestwich Festival which will run from May 17th to June 21st.

David Curtis who leads the carnival organising committee and is coordinating the Festival on behalf of the AP gave an update and confirmed that at present there are 25 events scheduled to take place. Starting with the Clough day on May 17th and climaxing with the Carnival on June 21st.

More events are being finalised and added all the time so its a case of wait and see. The Prestwich Festival programme will be printed in the next month and will schedule out all the events.  

Oasis concerts

3 concerts are too take place in Heaton Park on 4th, 6th and 7th June with Oasis headlining. Many residents have expressed concern at these proposed concerts. Especially with regard to home security, traffic, anti-social behaviour  etc.

The event promoters attended alongside the Manchester City Council project manager and a representative of the Event traffic and & transport management company. They addressed concerns raised and informed residents that a information leaflet is to be delivered shortly and a hotline number is to be established. Inspector Ryecroft confirmed that there will be a massive police operation to maintain security. In addition a private security firm are to be deployed.

Its fair to say that concerns still remain about traffic and parking issues and the impact across Prestwich, although they will be directing traffic through Middleton Road. and from Bowker vale Tram station.

Prestwich Centre Regeneration

Representatives of Hollins Murray Group the owners of the precinct - gave a presentation on their plans for the precinct following the proposals formulated by Urbed and subject to extensive consultation. Plans were also made available to view. Essentially at present they are not significantly dissimilar from the Urbed love-prestwich vision plans and that can only be good. Obviously it is relatively early in the process still and HMG informed the meeting that an Outline Planning Application would be submitted shortly. It would be fair to say that the presentation and proposals were well received from those that asked questions or made comment.

Police Report

Inspector Ryecroft reported on the last crime and security situation. he outlined that there has been a spate of burglaries across the area  and a drop in anti-social behaviour generally - although Holyrood ward remains the worst affected.

Graffiti was raised by a number of residents and Inspector Ryecroft was delighted to report that a main culprit has been caught who has confessed to 65 graffiti offences.

Next meeting: May 14th, Heaton Park School, Cuckoo Lane. 

Last nights meeting of Polefield TRA was hopefully a turning point in the fortunes of the organisation and the estate.

Local police were in attendance with Anti-social behaviour officers. They are currently organising a clamp down on anti-social behaviour and crime etc on the estate as part of a concerted effort to restore the fortunes of the estate and improve community spirit and confidence.

As part of this coordinated efforta number of initiatives are planned for residents - young and old. It’s too early to go into detail yet, but I hope this is at long last the much needed breakthrough this estate and the decent long suffering residents have been waiting for. Watch this space!

A letter is shortly to be delivered to residents bordering Heaton Park advising of two surgeries which will take place to enable residents to get advice and raise concerns about the Oasis concerts planned in June. The proposed advice surgeries are as follows:

Tuesday, 5th May from15:00-19:00hrs at Heaton Park Bowls Complex (St Margaret’s Rd entrance)

Wednesday, 6th May from 15:00-19:00hrs at Parkside Training Centre (Sheepfoot Lane)

For further information or to register comments and concerns you may also wish to contact the Park General manager, Graham Wightman on 0161 773 1085 X209 or Email: g.wightman@manchester.gov.uk

Residents are urged to attend the next meeting of Prestwich Local Area Partnership when three massive issues will be on the agenda.

Prestwich Festival, the summer’s Oasis concerts, and the latest plans to regenerate the town centre will be discussed.

The LAP meeting is on Thursday March 26 at Sedgley Park Primary School in Prestwich, starting at 6.30pm.  There is a chance to meet and great local councillors, the police, housing officers from 6.15pm onwards.

• Love Prestwich co-ordinator David Curtis will outline plans for the five-week festival, which runs from May 17 to June 21, and how local people can take part and help out.

• Rock legends Oasis are playing Heaton Park on June 4, 6 and 7. Concert officials and promoters will be at the LAP to detail arrangements for the shows and plans to minimise disruption to residents. 
• Topping the bill are developers Hollins Murray Group, who will unveil their proposals to redevelop the Longfield shopping centre. These have been drawn up in direct response to residents’ comments on their original vision. The plans will be on display in Prestwich Library on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday (March 24 to 26).

Councillor Vic D’Albert, chair of Prestwich Local Area Partnership, said: “What can I say – these are three massive issues for Prestwich residents.“Prestwich Festival is about bringing our community together and celebrating the best we have to offer, so please come along and listen to what’s planned. 

“The Oasis concert is a massive operation and this is a great opportunity for residents to seek reassurances about safety, security and traffic.

“Finally, the Longfield redevelopment plans are long-awaited and much needed and I hope that local residents feel that their views are listened to and have been responded to. All I can say is, be at this meeting!”

LOVEPRESTWICH FESTIVAL

Starts at Prestwich Clough Sunday 17 May till Sunday 21 June at Prestwich Carnival. To Keep up to date with LOVEPRESTWICH visit www.iloveprestwich.com 

Bury Liberal Democrats are calling for a commitment from Bury Council to clamp down on graffiti across the borough. 

The Lib Dems have launched a “6 to fix graffiti” campaign and are challenging the Conservative-run Council to take a zero-tolerance approach to the problem. 

Vic D’Albert, Lib Dem Parliamentary candidate for Bury South commented, “Bury Council has failed to tackle the problem of graffiti. We have to show our support for local people who are the victims of this crime, and our commitment to our community which shouldn’t have to put up with vandalism like this.” 

“Despite graffiti being an issue for several months now, all the Tories at the Town Hall have done so far is issue Area Partnerships a few graffiti cleaning kits. While that’s a start it’s a wholly inadequate response to the problem. They are telling us we should clean the mess ourselves, but it’s the Council that should be tackling the problem. The Conservatives running Bury Council talk about writing a policy, but it’s taking months and it’s not getting rid of any graffiti.”  

“It’s time Bury Conservatives showed some leadership on this issue and worked alongside local police, residents groups and others to tackle the problem head on. It’s spoiling our town”

Local Lib Dems have identified 6 points they would like to see developed to fix the problem of graffiti.

1. Local people – encouraged to challenge graffiti, report graffiti 
2. Bury Council – to commit  to clean up graffiti quickly
3. Local Businesses – pledge to clean up graffiti on their property 
4. Police – to catch the offenders and punish them including getting them to clean their own mess up
5. Schools & Youth Service– to educate and challenge pupil perceptions and opinions
6. Utitility Companies – to work with Bury Council and commit to cleaning sites swiftly. 

“We believe we have been patient with Bury Council, but now we need action not more warm words from Bury Conservatives. Let’s see some commitment to our communities, A coordinated effort and zero tolerance.” 

Local people are rightly growing in frustration over the lack of action from Bury Council on the problem of graffitti.

Last year the current spate of graffiti flared up and was met with the incredible sight of local residents , some elderly and retired, being threatened with court action and fines if they (the victims) didn’t clear up the mess.

Since then the Police have done tremendous work trying to catch culprits and through restorative justice have managed to get some of the perpetrators to clean up the mess.

As for the Area Partnership, due to a lack of resources, we have only been able to offer the gesture of free clean up kits for those that want. Nevertheless people have been community minded to take up the offer.

What we are crying out for now is a) A council policy for dealing with this issue, b) People within the authority with the responsibility to clean up the mess and c) Action.

The council have been supposedly working on a policy for months, meanwhile seemingly every day there is another example of graffiti to put up with.

Bury Conservatives have got to get their act together and respond faster to local problems.

Its taken nearly 2 years for an alley-gating policy (and we’re still waiting), We’re approaching the 1st anniversary of the graffiti policy ( and still waiting). It’s hardly surprising Radcliffe Riverside school has taken so long to get built!

Its just not good enough.

Local Councillors have reacted with anger after another spate of graffiti in Prestwich, and are calling on the Council to take immediate action to clean up the mess.

Cllr Vic D’Albert, Liberal Democrat Councillor for Holyrood ward and Chair of Prestwich Local Area Partnership said “I am disgusted that vandals continue to bring misery to local people by daubing our streets with graffiti. And I am equally angry with the Council’s woefully inadequate response. This has been going on for too long now, and it’s about time action was taken. The Local Area Partnership and the Police are already using very tight resources to try to manage this problem, but the Council need to take action now to help us and clean up the streets”

Liberal Democrats at Bury Town Hall have been campaigning for action for months. At a Council meeting in February they staged a demonstration displaying photographs of graffiti which has blighted Prestwich for months. The Council have offered graffiti kits for residents and businesses, but have so far directed no extra resource to clear up a problem which is getting worse.

Lib Dem spokesperson for Environmental Service Cllr Ann Garner said “The graffiti is on everything from streets signs to walls, and from utility buildings to business property. Graffiti kits are not a suitable solution except in limited circumstances. The Council have the power to insist that utility companies clean up graffiti on their property, and need to direct real efforts into cleaning it from their own property. I am proud of what Prestwich has to offer, and it is being ruined by graffiti which goes uncleaned for months.”

Cllr D’Albert concluded “We need to work together on this. Prestwich Councillors are doing their bit by leading the community fight. The Police did their bit by catching offenders, and we are supporting them to try to catch the latest offenders. But the Council are letting us down. They need to take action to clean up Prestwich now. “

Ends

Notes to Editor
Cllr Vic D’Albert is the Chair of Prestwich Area Partnership and is a Councillor for Holyrood Ward in Prestwich
Cllr Ann Garner is the Lib Dem Spokesperson on the Environment and is a Councillor for Sedgley Ward in Prestwich

There is growing concern from local residents and shopkeepers about increased anti-social and criminal behaviour at the rear of these shops and around the ginnel to Penryhn Drive.

There has now been two break-ins to the garages at the rear of shops and a number of other smaller incidents. Residents have approached me to raise concerns at the police response and I have subsequently raised the issue with the local Inspector.

However further issues have now been raised and so I will be organising a meeting with the local PC and PCSO’s shortly to allow residents to air their concerns and try and improve communication and responses from local Police.

Overnight there has been a further outbreak of Graffiti from Prestwich Tram station down to the cenotaph at PADOS house.

I am pleased to say the Police are already on the case and are believed to be seeking to identify and speak to 4 youths.

While clearly it is difficult to eradicate this vandalism we remain committed to a policy of zero tolerance towards these acts and will continue to press for more resources to aid the clean up. Meanwhile we will work with, support and encourage the Police in their efforts to trace the individuals and in getting them to clear up their mess.

Residents and shopkeepers alike are sick to the back teeth with problems at the rear of shops on Heywood Road and Penryhn Drive.

There have been a spate of anti-social behaviour incidents in recent weeks and well publicised graffitti  incidents. Last thursday was the final straw for some residents however when garages at the rear of the shops were broken into.

“I will be working closely with the local Police to ensure this hotspot gets plenty of attention over the coming weeks. It is appalling that residents and shop keepers are living in fear of gangs of youths and intruders breaking into property. It is wholly unacceptable and I will be doing all I can to ensure this problem is dealt with.” 

I don’t like to be overtly critical of people - other than those that set themselves up for it or of course are answerable to the great British /Bury public. In addition I have a great respect for journalists and the job and duty they have to get to the truth and cover the stories of the day for their readership, often in the face of political/organisational attempts to deceive, manipulate or on occasion just lie.

I realise my admiration of the efforts of journalists is sadly not always shared with the wider public, so therefore it dismays and dissapoints me more than perhaps most people when I read stories like the one in the Jewish Telegraph today about graffitti in Prestwich.

At first reading I for a moment thought the “black hole” experiment in France must have gone wrong and i’m now living in a parallel universe, such was the distortion of facts surrounding the issue of graffiti in Prestwich and attempts to deal with it by the Area Partnership and Lib Dem councillors.

Not only did they fail to acknowledge that the individual concerned (A tory activist) was doing his community bit with a graffiti cleaning kit provided free by Prestwich Area Partnership - Lib Dem led and requested by us from the Tory council. And that it was the Tory council of which Cllr Michelle Wiseman is lead member) that was issuing the threatening letters. But it was then suggested that the Council and the Area Partnerhsip have done nothing for months, which I regret to say is a lie.

This is also an insult to the efforts of local police officers who working in partnership with the Area Patnership and Bury Safe/the Council have put in a sterling effort to deal with this problem. In fact one of the only accurate points made in the JT article was regarding those offenders caught, that are now cleaning this up.

It is sad when such distortions are expressed in a respected newspaper because ultimately it undermines the reputation and credibility of their reporting. But we don’t want to let the facts get in the way of a good story do we ?

Liberal Democrats in Bury have welcomed proposals made by the party’s Shadow Home Secretary Chris Huhne MP to tackle youth crime.The plans aim to deter crime and get young people involved in positive activities that benefit local communities. They include: 

• The creation of a Youth Volunteer Force, to engage with young people, involve them in community projects and give them skills to benefit them in later life;
• Establish Community Justice Panels across the country, where offenders admit their guilt to the community and agree on a Positive Behaviour Order as a course of action;
• Create a dedicated PCSO youth officer within every Safer Neighbourhood Team to identify and work with teenagers most at risk of offending;
• 10,000 more police on the streets by scrapping the ID cards scheme;
• Intelligence-led stop and search and ‘hot spot policing’ targeted at gun and knife crime;
• Restorative justice programs to be run in every community, specifically targeted at early intervention with widespread use in schools and care homes.

Vic D’Albert, Lib Dem parliamentary spokesperson for Bury South said, “These proposals could potentially go a long way to reduce youth crime. By having more police and by focusing on crime hotspots, we will be able to deter crime more effectively from happening. 

“But we also need to give young people positive alternatives to do. Too often they get into trouble because there is nothing for them to do. The Youth Volunteer Force will be a great way to get young people involved in activities that benefit themselves and the area where they live.  “I am also keen to ensure that those who do break the law or cause disturbances or vandalism have to pay back the community they have wronged.  “That is why restorative justice is important. It will mean that those convicted of offences will have to work on cleaning up vandalism or on projects that benefit communities as part of their punishment. Even now in this area we are seeing the benefits of this approach as some of those responsible for recent graffiti have agreed to clean up the mess and face the consequences of their actions.

“Residents of Radcliffe, Whitefield and Prestwich often tell me of their worries about youth crime. I believe that the proposals the Liberal Democrats have put forward will go a long way to addressing those concerns.”

First the good news. I understand the Police have caught someone responsible for a significant number of “tags” in the Heaton Park/Heywood rd area. I further understand that they have agreed to clean up the sites they are responsible for.

Sadly the bad news is it looks like it could get worse before it gets better - The Phoenix centre was attacked last night and badly graffitied with various obscenities and garages between the Heywood Road shops and Penrhyn Drive have also been attacked this week.

At least with the Phoenix centre the culprits were caught on the park CCTV and may be able to be identified.

Last night was the regular meeting of Prestwich Local Area Partnership, this brings together your nine local Liberal Democrat Councillors together with representatives of partner agencies like the Police and NHS, and community group representatives.

The main issues that came up were:

Area Manager’s Report
Included in the report of the Area Manager was news of Prestwich’s bid to the £1 million that Bury has been awarded for play facilities. These are:
- Ballzone at St Josephs Playing Field
- Improvements to the Kersal Road playside
- Natural play area behind the existing childrens play area on Kings Road.

My colleague, Cllr Tim Pickstone asked about promised consultation on closing the cash office at Prestwich Library - apparently this will be coming back to a meeting in the Autumn.
There we also numerous mentions of graffitti in the area and I voiced my concern about an appalling letter council officers are sending out that threatens the victims with court action unless they clean up the mess! (see earlier story). It was requested that the numbers that people can ring are widely published, but that we monitor the effectiveness of some of these agencies in clearing up graffiti.

Youth Manager Update
We received an update from James Perkins - Prestwich’s Youth Manager on some of the excellent activities that are planned over the summer months for young people in Prestwich. The local Youth Action Group has also got off the ground again and I asked James to help make sure that there was a good “two-way” communication between young people and the area partnership.
We also heard about an excellent “Health Kick” scheme (part funded by the Area Partnership to raise health issues in the Rainsough Area. Its targetted at 16-25 and over 50 men, and involves football sessions leading into health awareness and promotion sessions.

Funding Bids
The Partnership agreed a number of funding bids for local projects -see seperate article.
Prestwich Heritage Society asked for some money to help with the heritage exhibition at Prestwich Library, we said we would consider in detail before the end of August.

Open Forum
Open Forum is the part of the agenda (45 minutes) set aside to hear issues and concerns from local residents in Prestwich. These included:
- concerns on fencing on Ludlow Avenue
- concerns about youth nuisance on Ogden Street
- concerns about the closing time noise of a local pub
- good news about the recently funded Simister Wetland site
- discussion about the opening times of Prestwich Police Station

Prestwich Community Plan
Richard Baum, who chairs the Developing Communities Group, presented the proposed Prestwich Community Plan for 2008-2011. The plan was agreed,(see seperate article).

The next meeting of the Area Partnership is on Thursday 4 September 2008. This will be a special meeting to discuss the URBED proposals for Prestiwich Village Centre. 6.30pm at the Longfield Centre and will be preceded by an exhibition of the proposals in August and a summary leaflet identifying key proposals to be circulated throughout Prestwich.

Any questions just drop me a line!

I have been contacted by a distressed local resident who has been sent a letter from the Council threatening her with legal action unless she removes graffiti from a wall bordering her property.

The letter from a Council Risk Management Coordinator at the Council’s Planning, Engineering and Transportation Services Division says:

“The external appearance of your property is a source of concern due to this graffiti. The Council is writing to you as the owner/occupier, its purpose being a request that works are completed to remove the graffiti.

Its goes on…

“I advise that if prompt action is not made in remedying the removal of the graffiti…..the council has the option to take enforcement action under section 215 of the Town and country Planning Act 1990.”

“I do ask that the graffiti is removed within 21 days from the date of this letter.”

Isn’t it time we stopped targeting the innocent victims of petty crimes and anti-social behaviour?

Isn’t it time we supported local people who are the innocent victims of such behaviour?

The resident in question is a woman pensioner living on her own - she was extremely distressed in case she should be fined or somehow forced to clean the mess up herself at great cost to herself.

Its no way to treat people, especially our senior citizens.

I have written to the council asking that the letter be withdrawn and that the council put more effort into finding ways of supporting local people who are victims rather than threatening to punish them further!

Lib Dem councillors are currently working hard to tackle Graffiti and push for more resources to deal with this problem. Instances such as this hardly encourage the support of local people!!!

Last night I attended a meeting of local residents,Police and Council reps to discuss the possibility of setting up a Homewatch for this area.
The issue of petty crime, nuisance and anti social behaviour in the area came to the fore at the recent meeting to consult on proposals for play areas at Heaton Park School. As a result the Area Partnership working with local councillors and local police/community support decided it would be an opportunity to explore the possibility of establishing a Homewatch in the area.
I am pleased to report about a dozen local residents turned up and expressed varied levels of support and committment to the proposal. As a result further publicity and local contact will be made and a date for an inaugural meeting is being looked at. So Watch this space.

If you would be interested in joining or becoming involved in Homewatch in any capacity please get in touch.

At the request of residents of Taunton Grove I visited this area yesterday and was taken on a tour of the rear of shops between Ludlow Avenue and kenilworth Avenue. Taunton Grove is currently being blighted by inconsiderate parking from customers of nearby restaurants, fitness centre and hairdressers. In addition the appearance of the area is suffering from rubbish being dumped at the rear of shops and some inconsiderate use of the rear of shops by shop keepers and patrons.

Residents provided me with numerous issues and problems needing to be addressed. I have promised that (along with my fellow ward councillors) I will investigate how best to tackle these problems over the coming weeks. So watch this space!

I have to say many of the problems currently being raised are now of a common theme -many caused by people who basically don’t give a damn and worsened by council services seemingly not able to tackle the problems raised. Result an increasingly dirty, messy, shoddy area. I think the time’s come to say enough is enough - and take no more. The council have to start putting sufficient resources into dealing with dirty streets, litter strewn, fly tipping, graffitti and vandalism. 

Prestwich Area Tasking Team meets 6 weekly to deal with tackling Anti-Social problems throughout Prestwich. If your community or business is affected by anti-social problems then you may wish to report the problem/s to your local councillors or Carran O’Grady (Area Partnership Manager - Tel:0161 253 7245 c.o’grady@bury.gov.uk).

In most cases complainants are asked to complete diary sheets of incidents to build up a picture and pattern of events.  Following on from that the ATT will contact you and either invite you to an ATT to go through the issues, in more detail and/or sign post the issue to the right agency.Please feel free to contact me, fellow councillors or Carran O’Grady if you wish to draw our attention to any relevant issues.  

PRESTWICH ATT MEETINGS

DATE    TIME    GROUP   VENUE  
12 December 2007        2.00pm  Prestwich ATT   Prestwich Library      
23 January 2008             2.00pm  Prestwich ATT   Prestwich Library      
5 March 2008                  2.00pm  Prestwich ATT   Prestwich Library      

I have received complaints of nuisance behaviour from local residents. I have reported the matter to Council officers who are investigating further.