Bury Council are in the process of introducing bus lane enforcement across the Borough. In itself that is a surprise as I had assumed that as we had bus lanes, they would be enforced somehow!

In any case that is the plan, however as part of that process they plan to amend the hours of operation of the bus lanes so that they all operate at the same times. This means that all 8 bus lanes across the authority will operate from 7am - 10am and 4pm to 7pm monday to saturday.

I must confess that I do not see the logic of operating bus lanes on saturdays, and certainly for the hours proposed. At least 3 buys lanes operate in the Whitefield and Prestwich area. As a Prestwich resident I am pretty familiar with local traffic issues and generally on saturdays traffic is very light from 7 to 10am and builds through the day as people go out and about per their weekend plans, it then seems to tail off a bit at tea time before the evening build up for those going out. This would make a nonsense of the extending the operating hours to saturdays.

I hope that the authority has carried out traffic surveys disproving my observations, but in the meantime if you would like to comment on the proposals you should contact:

Tina Glover, Principal Engineer, Traffic Management and Road Safety Services, PO Box 545, 3 Knowsley Place, Duke Street, Bury BL8 9H, or telephone 0161 253 5855 or email c.i.glover@bury.gov.uk

……And don’t forget to let your local councillors know what you think also!

THE LIBERAL DEMOCRAT MANIFESTO

This is a manifesto you can trust. We have stripped our priorities back to the essential, fundamental changes that Britain needs to make it fair:

• Fair taxes that put money back in your pocket
• A fair chance for every child
• A fair future, creating jobs by making Britain greener
• And a fair deal by cleaning up politics

These are deliverable, practical plans to make your life better, and they are right there on the front cover of our manifesto.  Instead of rhetoric and razzmatazz, we are saying what we will do and how we will pay for it.

Elections should be a competition of ideas, not marketing budgets. They may have the bigger budgets but we have the bigger ideas.And you can trust us to deliver because unlike the other parties, we have spelt out, line by line in the manifesto how every single policy is paid for, and how we will reduce the deficit.

We have set out £15bn of details spending cuts and just £5bn a year of new spending, meaning £10bn for the deficit every year. We are the first party to put detailed spending plans into a manifesto.

Four key pledges

1. Fair taxes: We will ensure no-one pays income tax on the first £10,000 they earn. Most taxpayers will get a tax cut of £700 a year.  We’ll pay for it by closing loopholes that unfairly benefit the rich, a new tax on mansions worth over £2m, a crack down on tax avoidance and higher aviation duty.
2. A fair start for all our children: We will get every child the individual attention they need by cutting class sizes.  We will spend an extra £2.5bn on schools, targeted at children who need the most help. The average primary school could cut class sizes to 20. An average secondary school could see classes of just 16.
3. A fair future: a rebalanced, green economy: We will break up the banks and rebalance the economy away from unsustainable financial speculation. We will be honest about where savings must be made in government spending to balance the books and protect our children’s future. And we will create new jobs with a £3.1bn green stimulus and job creation plan in our first year in office, fully funded by cut backs elsewhere.
4. A fair deal from politicians: We will introduce a fair voting system. We will ensure corrupt MPs can be sacked by their constituents and stop non-doms from donating to parties or sitting in Parliament. We will take power from Westminster and give it to communities, with local power over police and the NHS, and introduce a freedom bill to protect and restore civil liberties.

We also have the following commitments:

• Protect front line NHS services. We will help the NHS work better with the money it has and protect front line services by re-investing the savings we find back into healthcare
• Recruit 3,000 more police officers to keep our streets safe and scrapping ID cards
• Scrap student tuition fees to reduce the burden of student debt immediately and eliminate fee debt altogether over 6 years
• A pay rise for our brave service men and women together with cut backs of bureaucrats and top brass officers in the Ministry of Defence
• Uprate the basic state pension in line with earnings immediately so that pensioners do not fall further behind when the economy starts to grow again

YOU CAN READ NICK CLEGGS MANIFESTO LAUNCH SPEECH HERE

YOU CAN READ OR DOWNLOAD A COPY OF OUR MANIFESTO HERE: libdem_manifesto_2010.pdf

ALTERNATIVELY YOU CAN VIEW OUR MANIFESTO IN FULL OR SECTIONS ON OUR WEBSITE HERE 

Last night I attended Bury’s Environment, Economy & Transport Scrutiny Commission. Unsurprisingly the recent weather and Bury’s handling of the gritting of our roads (or not) dominated much of the meeting.

I raised concerns that the Council appeared to have difficulties trying to cope with bad weather when it was affecting the whole Borough simultaneously and that their gritting strategy seemed to reflect this, this was denied by officers.

I mentioned that we had been informed that due to the weather being so bad in Ramsbottom and surounding area that extra attention had to be given to that area in order to maintain main roads open. I suggested that this seemed to lead to less gritting in certain areas of Prestwich and Whitefield which received unusually large snowfalls. 

I also asked why the Longfield Precinct hadn’t been properly gritted, and officers appeared puzzled and said that it should have been, I have asked for this to be investigated.

Finally following another councillors concerns about keeping schools open, I suggested that Schools in difficult (non-gritting) locations should perhaps be supplied with their own gritting bin to help them keep their areas and frontage clear and safe. This seemed to be taken on board by officers.

With Government instructions to reduce gritting by 40% to conserve salt stocks , we better hope we don’t have any more bad weather for a while - preferably next winter!

Meanwhile Bury Council have recently produced a Gritting policy which explains the hows and why’s of where Bury Grits where it does. It’s currently a draft policy only as it is being consulted on, so if you have any comments to make please let the Council know asap.

You can read the draft policy here: burymbc-draft-gritting-policy.pdf

If you have Prestwich specific issues you want to raise, by all means let your local councillors know, or attend next weeks Prestwich Area Partnership meeting at Sedgley Park School at 6.30pm - the item will be on the agenda. 

As a thank you for putting up with major disruption caused by replacing city centre tracks, upgrading of two of the busiest city centre stops and installation of the first sets of new ticket machines Metrolink passengers are to get two days free travel. 

The free days planned are this coming Saturday and Thursday 19th November.The city centre section was closed in April and services returned on 2 November. 

Vic D’Albert commented, “This is an excellent way of repaying commuters loyalty and recognising the disruption they have faced since April. I hope residents will now flock back to the service and make the most of the free travel by leaving the car at home and taking the tram and perhaps kick starting their festive shopping!”

Major overhauls of the St Peter’s Square and Piccadilly Gardens stops – two of the most heavily used on the network – have been completed.The St Peter’s Square stop has been widened and the platform heights modified to allow level boarding for all passengers.The Piccadilly Gardens stop has also been widened and new canopies have been installed to provide better shelter for even more people. 

New state-of-the-art ticket machines that take bank notes and credit and debit card payments, have also been installed on the two revamped stops. They will be rolled out across the Metrolink network by spring next year.

Passengers who have a season ticket which covers the days valid for free travel can claim a refund by writing to Customer Service Secretary, GMPTE, Freepost MR7 116,Manchester, M1 9QL, by 7 January 2010 with their name, address and telephone number. They will also need to provide a photocopy of their Metrolink Travel Club membership card as well as a photocopy of their season ticket if it is still valid, or the original ticket if it has expired. 

Overnight work is due on Bury Metrolink line. Residents are being advised of overnight work taking place on the Metrolink line running to Bury next week.

Work is expected to take place overnight at a number of stops along the line between Sunday 1 November and Friday 6 November while the trams are not running. Work is anticipated on the following dates:

Crumpsall – 1 November
Bowker Vale – 2 November
Heaton Park – 2 and 3 November
Prestwich – 3 November
Besses o’ th’ Barn – 4 November
Whitefield – 4 November
Radcliffe – 5 November
Bury – 5 and 6 November
Woodlands Road – 6 November

Metrolink aims to keep any disturbance caused by the work down to a minimum.

Anyone with any queries can contact the Metrolink team on 0161 244 1555 during office hours or email future.metrolink@gmpte.gov.uk. Anyone who wishes to report issues or incidents relating to the work should call 0161 205 2000.

I have attached the Councils proposed highways refurbishment programme for Prestwich the schedule lists the worst streets in Prestwich - in need of repair and you will see that the worst is Fairway with estimated repair costs of £165,000.

The trouble is Prestwich Area Partnership has been allocated £63,000 to carry out all necessary repairs.

The gap between budget and repairs needed is growing and growing and as reported last week the number of claims meanwhile is growing as well with £2,000,000 paid out between May 07 and June 09.

This Highways budget is set to be presented to Prestwich Area Partnerships meeting on thursday July 9th at Sedgley Park School. It has become an almost apologetic item on the agenda that only serves to cause irritation. Bury Conservatives have to take action to deal with our crumbling roads, or the claims will carry on growing.

The schedule and estimated costs can be found here: prestwich-with-footway-costs-split.pdf

A leading member of the ruling Conservative Group conceded that our roads are a disgrace at the recent full meeting of Bury Council.

The admission from Cllr Gunther was in response to a question from Lib Dem councillor, Mary D’Albert (St.Mary’s ward).

But most astonishing was the reply that for the period May 07 to June 09 Bury Council has paid out on 333 highways claims with the total amounting to a shocking £2.1 Million. The average claim was just under £6500.

This is further evidence if needed that Bury’s roads are in a terrible state and in need of massive investment. At he full council meeting we called on the Council to consider drastic action, if need be obtaining one off loans to bring inject much needed funds into the highways maintenance programme.

The Conservative leader of the council conceded that the amount needed to bring our roads up to speed is more likely to be in the region of £40 million.

One thing is sure we need action now, because our roads are getting worse, claims are going through the roof and accidents are likely to happen.

Information from the Highways Agency (North West). 
The Highways Agency is advising drivers using the M60 between junctions 19 at Middleton and 23 at Ashton-under-Lyne in Greater Manchester to allow extra time to complete their journeys over the next six weekends.

Starting Friday (June 19), work is being carried out along this 6-mile section each weekend until August, weather permitting. A full carriageway closure will be in place with a contraflow on the opposite side of the motorway while the work is being carried out. Various entry and exit slip roads will also need to be closed.

The work is taking place over weekends when traffic volumes are lighter and disruption to drivers can be kept to a minimum – however some delays can be expected. Work will start each Friday at 9pm and the motorway will be fully reopened by 5am each Monday.

To ensure the ongoing safety of road-users, a 40mph speed limit will be in place throughout the roadworks – which are planned to be completed by 5am, July 27.

Overhead message signs will be used to advise drivers of the closures so they can choose an alternative route.  
The exploratory works are taking place to assess the condition of the carriageway on this section of the M60.
The Highways Agency’s North West Traffic Officer Service will deploy extra crews for the duration of the work with a dedicated patrol to cover the roadworks area and react quickly to any breakdowns or accidents to help keep drivers on the move.

The Highways Agency Regional Control Centre will be monitoring incidents and traffic conditions from motorway cameras as well as using electronic signs to provide drivers with up-to-the-minute information.

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.”

This was the week that…

·         Parliament was rocked by revelations about the misuse of MPs expenses [more]

·         One of David Cameron’s closest aides was forced to quit over his ‘unacceptable’ expenses claims [more]

·         Labour suspended a former minister from the parliamentary party [more] and accepted the resignation of the Justice Minister over the expenses scandal [more]

·         Two Labour peers faced suspension from the House of Lords after being found guilty of intending to accept money to amend legislation [more]

·         An opinion poll showed that Labour support has fallen to a record low [more]

·         A poll of Euro-election voting intentions showed a three-way tie for second place, with Labour, the Liberal Democrats and UKIP all on 19% [more]

·         European leaders criticised Cameron’s decision to move his party to the fringes of European politics [more]

·         Nick Clegg’s public approval rating continued to rise [more]

·         An expert on crime reduction said Labour had failed in its pledge to be ‘tough on the causes of crime’ [more]

·         On Burnley Council, Labour and Tory councillors teamed up with 4 BNP councillors to try to unseat the Lib Dem council leader [more]

Over the last week we learnt that…

·         The number of unemployed jumped 244,000 in the first three months of the year [more]

·         BT announced that it is to cut 15,000 jobs, mostly in the UK [more]

·         100 primary schools are closing every year as demand for places looks set to grow [more]

·         Alistair Darling’s economic forecasts are over-optimistic, according to the Bank of England [more]

·         Teenage crime has soared 60% under New Labour [more]

·         The government has cut funding by 25% for five key environmental initiatives [more]

·         Only 13% of terrorism arrests lead to convictions [more]

·         Gordon Brown is “brutal” and has “anything but” a moral compass according to a former aide [more]

Over the last week the Liberal Democrats…

·         Launched their European Election campaign under the slogan ‘Stronger Together Poorer Apart’ [more]

·         Wrote to party leaders urging them to fully accept the recommendations of the investigation into MPs’ expenses [more]

·         Called for intercept evidence to be made admissible in court in terrorism cases [more]

·         Welcomed proposals for a mandatory code on alcohol sales [more]

·         Revealed the environmental impact of the government’s major road schemes [more]

·         Uncovered the fact that over 15,000 farmers earn less than the minimum wage [more]

·         Argued for a shift in focus in crime policy - from punishment to crime prevention [more]

·         Pushed for an investigation into allegations against the police at the G20 protests [more]

This was the week that…

·         The World Health Organisation warned of the threat of a pandemic as swine flu spread across the world [more]

·         Gordon Brown was forced to make concessions in his plans to reform MPs expenses [more]

·         Labour MPs, including two former Home Secretaries, queued up to criticise Gordon Brown and his government [more]; [more]; [more]

·         The government made a u-turn on their communications database plans [more]

·         And the government also cancelled plans for Titan prisons following Lib Dem opposition to the scheme [more]

·         The Home Secretary who launched ID cards called for the scheme to be scrapped [more]

·         Gordon Brown was snubbed by the Pakistani President on a visit to the region [more]

·         The van maker LDV went into administration [more]

Over the last week we learnt that…

·         A record number of people were declared bankrupt in the first quarter of the year [more]

·         Government departments are set to miss their own carbon-cutting targets [more]

·         Labour has lost half its voters from the 2005 election [more]

·         A Labour Minister bet against Labour winning the next election [more]

·         The recession can be “constructive” – according to one Labour Minister [more]

·         Tory parliamentary candidates are more socially conservative and less green than the leadership line [more]

·         The Tories tried to recruit a BNP member to stand as a councillor, saying the parties “sing from the same hymn sheet” [more]

·         David Cameron took an all expenses paid trip to apartheid South Africa as a young party worker [more]

Over the last week the Liberal Democrats…

·         Defeated the government over Gurkha rights – the first time since the 1970s that a government has been defeated on an opposition day motion [more]

·         Revealed that the government’s mortgage rescue scheme has only helped one household [more]

·         Nick Clegg wrote to other party leaders to try to find a solution to the issues of MPs pay and expenses [more]

·         Welcomed government climbdowns on databases [more] and Titan prisons [more]

·         Criticised the policy that has led to a huge increase in imprisonment of mentally ill offenders [more]

·         Demanded tougher building regulations to prevent an “environmental catastrophe” [more]

·         Uncorked the statistic that the government has a wine cellar worth nearly £800,000 [more]

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.

This was the week that…

·         World leaders met in London and agreed to pump $1 trillion into the world economy [more]

·         A report showed that only 0.6% of the Government’s fiscal stimulus will be spent on green measures [more]

·         At least 4,000 jobs were lost in the UK across a range of sectors [more]

·         The UN named and shamed the UK over its response to the Somali refugee crisis [more]

·         The Home Secretary was criticised for charging the taxpayer for her husband’s adult films [more]

·         An inquiry began into a millionaire’s donations to the Tory party [more]

·         21 NHS trusts failed to meet new hygiene standards [more]

·         Lord Myners came under pressure to resign after he was accused of misleading Parliament [more]

·         A Select Committee called for the National Curriculum to be slimmed down – a Lib Dem policy [more]

·         The scandal into MPs expenses showed no sign of disappearing [more]; [more]

Over the last week we learnt that…

·         Unemployment will hit 3 million within two years [more]

·         The national DNA database has grown 40% in two years and now has more than 5 million people on it [more]

·         There are 10% fewer hospital beds today than there were three years ago [more]

·         The Government’s adult literacy drive is failing and wasting billions according to a government adviser [more]

·         According to most measures, house prices continued to fall in March [more]; [more]

·         Boris Johnson proposes to cut his environmental team in half [more]

·         160,000 kids left primary school without basic English and Maths competency [more]

·         Older people do not have fair access to mental health services in most mental health trusts [more]

·         The Europe Minister hasn’t read the Lisbon Treaty [more]

·         Conservative run Bournemouth Council are employing a transport manager who lives in Edinburgh – and paying £200,000 a year for his travel expenses [more]

Over the last week the Liberal Democrats…

·         Challenged Gordon Brown to turn the G20 agreement into real help for British people [more]

·         Led a debate challenging the Government in the House of Lords over tax havens [more]

·         Unveiled research showing that 80% of hospitals do not pass on knife crime information to the police [more]

·         Led a debate calling for a step up in nuclear non-proliferation action in the House of Lords [more]

·         Proposed a bill to end discrimination in the line of succession to the throne [more]

·         Highlighted shocking figures showing that prison assaults took place every half an hour in 2008 [more]

·         Called for the same guarantees of access for mental health care as for other health services [more]

This was the week that…

·         HSBC became the latest company to make cuts – 1,200 jobs are to go [more]

·         Business leaders queued up to warn that Britain cannot afford another fiscal stimulus [more]; [more]

·         The government confirmed there will be an Iraq War inquiry, but suggested it will be held in private [more]

·         A UK bond auction failed to find enough buyers for the first time since 2002 [more]

·         The split between the Prime Minister and the Treasury began to widen [more]

·         The Parliamentary Standards Commissioner launched an inquiry into a minister’s expenses [more]

·         A Sunday newspaper revealed the affair of a Labour MP and close friend of Gordon Brown [more]

·         The Conservative Party Chairman came unstuck justifying his expense claims [more]

·         Ken Clarke admitted he wasn’t sure if controversial Conservative tax reforms could be afforded [more]

·         Vince Cable was the only politician named in a ‘fantasy boardroom’ [more] 

Over the last week we learnt that…

·         GDP suffered its biggest quarterly fall since 1980 in the last quarter of 2008 [more]

·         The government will borrow £351bn in the next two years – more than in the 306 years up to Labour’s election victory in 1997 [more]

·         Retail sales almost stalled in February, coming in well below expectations [more]

·         15% of shops will be vacant by the end of 2009 [more]

·         Poor leadership at the Foreign Office has created a culture where “mediocrity flourishes” [more]

·         £3bn of overpaid tax credits have been written off as unrecoverable [more]

·         As many as one quarter of government databases may be illegal [more]

·         The Department of Transport misled environmental groups over Heathrow expansion [more]

·         Unemployment is good for your health – according to one government minister [more]

Over the last week the Liberal Democrats…

·         Launched their G20 development plan [more]

·         Successfully amended the Coroners and Justice Bill after forcing a government u-turn [more]

·         Tabled an Early Day Motion calling for the second home allowance to be abolished for London MPs [more]

·         Called on the Government to replace the VAT cut with investment into public transport and home insulation to create new jobs [more]

·         Revealed that anti-terror legislation is routinely used by local councils against minor offenders [more]

·         Wrote to the Chancellor over Sir Fred Goodwin’s pension payments [more]

·         Highlighted shocking statistics about Britain’s knife crime culture [more]

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. 

THIS WAS THE WEEK THAT…

·         House sales fell to their lowest level in at least 31 years [more]

·         The recession in the UK continued to gather pace [more]

·         A United Nations report declared that the UK had breached human rights [more]

·         Government divisions over the need to apologise for the economic crisis continued to grow [more]

·         A former cabinet minister publicly attacked Gordon Brown on Labour’s lack of ‘narrative’ [more]

·         Labour MPs rounded on the PM at Prime Minister’s Questions [more]

·         A business leader said that the government was focusing on ‘red herrings’ [more]

·         Government ministers failed to comprehensively reveal their financial interests [more]

·         A Tory MEP described climate change as a ‘media driven frenzy’ [more]

·         A Labour mayor resigned after his arrest over corruption charges [more]

OVER THE LAST WEEK WE LEARNT THAT….

·         Continued systematic failings in the social services are leaving vulnerable children at risk [more]

·         Almost one playing field a day was sold in 2008 despite government commitments to reverse this trend [more]

·         Many elderly people are looked after by untrained staff in unclean care homes [more]

·         One in six children did not get into their first choice secondary school [more]

·         New Royal Navy destroyers will be delivered £1.5bn over budget and two years late [more]

·         The private sector pension deficit is at a record £219bn – and is still growing [more]

·         One in four of the world’s CCTV cameras are in Britain [more]

·         Gordon Brown is the country’s most boring public speaker! [more]

OVER THE LAST WEEK THE LIBERAL DEMOCRATS…

·         Revealed that over 1000 serving police officers have criminal convictions [more]

·         Said government economic proposals were “shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted” [more]

·         Visited Google to discuss internet privacy issues [more]

·         Called for dirty care homes to be closed down [more]

·         Demanded a public inquiry following revelations of heavy-handed policing at a protest last year [more]

·         Called for a tougher government response to reduce knife crime [more]

·         Exposed a huge decrease in the amount of domestically produced food consumed in the UK [more]

·         Attacked the government’s insubstantial approach to tackling domestic violence [more]

·         Accused the Home Office of being “illegal, immoral, and ineffective” for keeping the DNA of a baby on record [more]

The Met Office has provided a detailed weather forecast for the area as follows:

Rest of today

Further snow showers are likeley, some heavy at first, especially over Cheshire and Greater Manchester. Showers could result in an additional 1 to 3cm of snow cover at lower levels and up to 5cm towards the higher lying Pennine areas. Max temps 0 to 1C.

This evening and overnight

Further snow showers at times with the likelihood that the snow will become more persistent overnight, especially towards the Pennines where appreciable falls may develop. Further west the snow should be less heavy and more intermittent. Allow for additional accumulations of 1 to 5cm,but as much as 10-15cm in the higher-lying areas near the Pennines. Snow should clear away to the north later tonight. Min temps 0 to -2C with widespread ice likely, especially where snow has partially thawed during the day.

Tuesday

Much drier across the region with bright/sunny intervals. Chance of one or two sleet/snow showers later in the south of the region. Staying cold, max temp 2-3C.

Disruption Risk

The main threat to transport comes this evening and overnight with the more persistent snowfall. Trans-Pennine routes likely to be badly affected with major disruption predicted across Yorkshire and NE England where 30cm or more of snow may fall in the east and north Pennines. Widespread ice likely to be a problem by tomorrow morning due to either re-freezing of slushy snow or compaction of lying snow.

Local Schools                                                                 
It is anticipated that schools within Bury will be largely unaffected tomorrow but for staff members whose children attend schools in other areas eg Rochdale, Oldham and Tameside, some disruption may be experienced.

Please take extra care if you have to travel and if using public transport obtain travel information in advance of your journey.

Local people have been concerned about rumours of the future of bus services that serve Simister Village.

All of these services are subsidised by GMPTE as they provide a vital public service.My colleague Cllr Tim Pickstone has been having discussions with both the PTE and the current operator BuVal and reports the following good news:

795 - No changes - this is the school service that goes to Parenthorn School and will continue to be operated by BuVal.

96 - No changes - this Simister - Manchester service has been extended again to January 2010 (again operated by BuVal.

495 - Simister - Tescos - this service will stop being operated by BuVal from April 2009, however a new operator (not yet disclosed) has been agreed by the PTE and will continue as normal after April there will be no timetable changes to the service. If we here further news or updates I will post them to this site.

Liberal Democrats in Bury have given their backing to plans for investment in green schemes that will make homes warmer, cut energy bills and improve public transport.

The plans, called Green Road out of Recession, were announced on 18th December by Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg MP. 

The plans will cost £12.5bn, which would be paid for by scrapping the recent VAT cut. The vast majority of that money will be spent immediately, making a real impact on the economy and people’s lives right away. 

• A five-year programme to insulate every school and hospital, with 20% completed in the first year

• Funding insulation and energy efficiency for a million homes, with a £1,000 subsidy for a million more

• Building 40,000 extra zero-carbon social houses

• Buying 700 new train carriages

• Installing energy and money saving smart meters in every home within five years

“The plans proposed by Nick Clegg and the Liberal Democrats will give an immediate boost to the economy here in Bury,” said Vic D’Albert, Lib Dem Parliamentary Spokesperson for Bury South“. And by insulating people’s homes, it will help thousands of residents whose heating bills have gone through the roof in the past year.

 “I would particularly welcome the widespread introduction of smart meters in homes which would prove a massive boost to the increasing numbers of residents suffering from fuel poverty across the area.” 

Richard Baum, Parliamentary spokesperson for Bury North also welcomed the proposals adding, “Whilst Labour and the Conservatives are quietly dropping serious interest in tackling climate change and damage to the environment, Liberal Democrats believe that moving forward with green action on homes and transport will create jobs, cut energy bills, put money back into people’s pockets and protect the environment. It’s right for Britain and it’s right for Bury”.

In a resounding thumbs down vote against Congestion Charging ALL 10 Greater Manchester Authorities voters have rejected proposals to introduce Congestion Charging as part of a massive Transport investment package.

The vote was a damning verdict on congestion charging in the proposed format to secure investment with nearly 80% of over a million voters voting NO to the scheme and only 20% in favour (only 218,860 of vote cast).

This is what you get when an out of touch government bullies local councils into a scheme without being prepared to listen to local concerns. Millions of pounds of public money has been wasted in holding a referendum on a fatally flawed ill-thought out scheme and millions more wasted on publicity to promote it. Its a disaster for the area that is still in need of massive public transport investment.

I hope the Government will now go back to the drawing board, listen to what local councils and local people are saying and develop a sustainable scheme with finance proposals that can be supported by local people.

And, I for one sincerely hope that any new scheme takes account of the currently very expensive cost of using public transport in this area. If we can make the transport system more affordable that will cut congestion at a stroke!

Local residents packed into Lady Wilton Hall in Simister last night for the monthly meeting of Simister Village Community Association.

The main item on the agenda was an update on the congestion charging zones and how it would affect Simister. originally the proposals were to site a charging “gate” on Simister Lane, on the motorway bridge. This would have meant that anyone leaving Simister in the rush hour would be charged - even if they were only visiting Prestwich or the nearby Parrenthorn and St.Margarets Schools.

They have now learned that the Passenger Transport Authority instead plan to site a charging gate at the junction of Blue Ball Lane and Simister Lane. This seemed to have the support of those present.

Other issues raised included parking on Farm lane near the junction with Simister lane and Razor wire fencing near Egypt lane. The Police highlighted the recent spate of burglaries across Prestwich and urged vigilance in the run up to Christmas. 

public-meeting-poster.pdf

I have organised a Public Meeting to provide an opportunity for local people to find out a bit more about what the Transport investment bid will mean to Bury and why Congestion charging is being proposed.

The meeting will feature a presentation from a representative of Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive  and will be followed by a question and answer session.

It will a great opportunity to ask those burning questions and get any issues you have off your chest, and hopefully get some answers and some straight facts.

The meeting will be held at Elms Methodist Church, Elms Street, Whitefield (opp.Cafe Roma, off Bury New Rd) on monday September 1st from 7.00pm.

For a poster of the event click the link at the top of this page.

I look forward to seeing you there.  

Last nights meeting of Bury Lib Dems saw a lively debate on the merits or otherwise of congestion charging and the proposed Greater Manchester transport “TIF” bid.

One of the most facinating aspect of the whole congestion charging debate is that it crosses into other areas. For instance the issue of Central Government interference in regional/local Government, The green agenda and how far we should go to tackle pollution and then there is the impact on poverty that charges may have. Just three areas where the issue is complicated by other agendas - localism, the environment and poverty.

Of course one of the key arguments being used by those in favour is that failure to address congestion will greatly damage business as it is argued that traffic will grind to a halt across Greater Manchester at some point in the next decade.

My concern throughout has been the twin issues of environment and poverty. I am worried that these proposals will leave many in a transport poverty gap. Unable to afford to drive too their place of work and unable to pay increasing public transport costs.

Why does the bid not address the issue of public transport fares?

Yes, we need safe, efficient, clean  and reliable transport but I can see no greater incentive to get people off the road than it being cheap, very cheap. Could you imagine the impact on the takeup of public transport during the morning commute if for the same period as congestion charging operated you could travel on the buses for free? And that would also help the low paid. If you want to offer discounts. Instead of discounting the CCharge why not the bus or tram?

Yes we have got to tackle congestion as a genuine environmental (as well as economic) concern, but it helps if you can afford to be green! 

To find out more about the proposals for improving Greater Manchester Transport visit the special web site that has been created to highlight all the issues and detail all the plans and proposals including those for Bury area at www.gmfuturetransport.co.uk

Liberal Democrats in Bury have welcomed the launch of the Liberal Democrats’ vision for Britain by Party Leader Nick Clegg MP. Called ‘Make it Happen’, the paper will be debated at the party’s conference in Bournemouth in September. In ‘Make it Happen’ the Liberal Democrats say: 

       ·         They will cut taxes for ordinary families

• If your local hospital can’t see you on time, they will pay for treatment elsewhere

• They will switch taxes from people to pollution - so it pays to go green

• To improve standards in education, they will fund extra help for those who need it most

• They will put Britain at the heart of Europe to make us a force for good in the world

• They will stop ID cards so we can keep control of our privacy

• They will change the voting system so everyone’s voice counts

• They will bring communities together with local people in charge

       ·         They will give communities a say in how offenders pay for their crimes 

Vic D’Albert, Bury South Parliamentary spokesperson said, “I am delighted to be able to back ‘Make it Happen’. It sets out how the Liberal Democrats will run Britain. “No resident of Bury has escaped the rising cost of food and fuel. The credit crunch is biting hard and local people are feeling the pinch. “Nick Clegg has set out how we can help ordinary people through cutting taxes on those on low and middle incomes. Thousands of people in Bury will benefit from this.  “We are taking the plans in ‘Make it Happen’ to the people of Bury during the summer to get their response.  And in September, we will be heading to the Liberal Democrats’ conference where we are looking forward to taking part in the debate.

” ‘Make it Happen’ is available at: http://www.libdems.org.uk/media/documents/policies/Make%20it%20Happen.pdf 

Prestwich Local Area Partnership, which brings together your nine Liberal Democrat Councillors, together with representatives of partner bodies and community groups, have agreed a “Prestwich Community Plan” for 2008-2011. The plan sets out what the Partnership aims to achieve over the next three years to make Prestwich a better place to live and work.

There are three overall themes, and within this ten priority areas:

GREEN PRESTWICH
1 - Improve Parks and Leisure Facilities (play areas, parks, green spaces - including the Phillips Park development)
2 - Achieve a reduction in car useage in Prestwich (walk to school, community bus routes, cycle routes etc)
3 - Reduce air pollution in Prestwich (particularly addressing the M60)
4 - Improve the Prestwich environment by reducing litter and graffiti

THRIVING PRESTWICH
5 - Vision for the Redevelopment of Prestwich Village Centre (the URBED study)
6 - Support local Prestwich businesses
7 - Create better facilities for the most deprived areas of Prestwich

STRONG PRESTWICH
8 - Make Prestwich Healthier (working with the local PCT and others)
9 - Make Prestwich Safe (working with the Police and others to reduce crime and the fear of crime)
10 - Create a Prestwich for people of all ages (focus on young people and older people, and a sense of community pride).

The plan sets out an exciting vision for how we want Prestwich to develop over the coming years, people’s views and ideas are much appreciated.

You can download the full plan here: Prestwich Community Plan 2008-2011

The recent announcement that there is to be a referendum to have an elected Mayor of Bury is nothing but bad news for Bury and Bury Council Tax payers

This is all thanks to the narrow minded one sided views of a small group of campaigners who are prepared to interfere with our democracy in order to get there own way on congestion charging.

I and my fellow Lib Dem councillors on Bury Council have opposed the proposed congestion charging scheme because we feel it is wrong for Bury people. Its an extra tax to pay for transport we are already paying taxes for! In addition the charging proposals would divide communities and penalise some and benefit others.

As a result Bury Lib Dems have been instrumental in forcing Bury Council to oppose the current schemes charging proposals - not the transport investment proposals - the charging aspects. That is now Council policy.

That however isn’t good enough for those that have raised the petition for an elected Mayor. They see an elected mayor being installed to oppose the congestion scheme.  They want to impose an extra tier of local government in Bury - an elected mayor as well as 51 councillors. An elected Mayor being on a salary perhaps as much as £100,000 plus additional costs of his office and administrative support.

And what for ? To oppose a charge that is already council policy to oppose. To oppose this unpopular charge they plan to sweep away the current system of Government in Bury and replace it with one individual who will decide what currently 51 councillors representing all corners and all communities in Bury do week in week out.

It’s bad , it’s a waste of money and it should be stopped. 

A Liberal Democrat amendment at last nights Council meeting finally exposed Bury Labour’s position on congestion Charging when they failed to oppose the proposed congestion charging scheme.

The Lib Dem amendment called for the bid to the Governments Transport Investment Fund (TIF) to be supported but made it clear that Bury was opposed to congestion Charging – in particular the scheme proposed, and called for the people of Greater Manchester to be consulted through a referendum vote on the issue.

It is true that we need massive investment in our public transport to encourage people out of their cars – but why are we being asked to pay extra taxes to pay for our Labour  Governments neglect of out transport  systems? On top of that the charging proposals are seriously flawed, over expensive and would divide communities.

Bury Lib Dems have been clear from the start that we need transport investment and improvements up front. We can then better assess the impact improvements will have on congestion and can properly consider what further incentives would be required.

Bury Labour are clearly being leaned on by neighbouring Labour Councils and possibly Labour MP’s – for much of the debate last night they resembled Humpty Dumpty trying to sit on the wall – but fell to earth with a crash at the end when the Lib Dem amendment was supported by the Conservative Group and became Bury Council policy.

Humpty Dumpty had a great fall…