Application number: 54555 Type of application: Demolition Determination Date Registered: 14/11/2011

Applicant: Vale Park Demolition Services Ltd
Location: 131 & 133 Heys Road, Prestwich, Manchester, M25 1QJ
Proposal: Prior notification of proposed demolition of pair semi-detached dwellings

Plans will be available to view on the Council’s website within 2 working days. Should you require further details please contact the case officer: Mark Kilby on: 0161 253 7639 or contact either myself or Councillor Tim Pickstone if you would like advice about commenting on applications etc.

These meetings are a new Police innitiative to develop local community policing priorities by directly engaging local residents.
Although it would be fair to say last nights first meeting was dissapointing, it did nevertheless start the ball rolling and did highlight a couple of issues that local Police officers and community support officers will now pursue.

In particular residents raised concerns about drug dealing in parts of Prestwich and officers confirmed that this is an issue in the area. Another resident raised concerns about the level of car break-ins. These two issues will now become local priorities and Officers will have to report back to the next meeting of the Holyrood PACT which will probably be some time in September – date/venue to be confirmed.
All in all an excellent innitiative and I look forward to it developing with increased public attendance as a forum and true pact with the people to tackle local crime.

The Summer Cycle Camp in Philips Park, organised by The Nationwide Cycling Academy, is designed for children between the ages of 6 to 16 years and is all about getting youngsters of all abilities involved in a wide variety of cycling. They can try out MTB with the North West Downhill Champion, learn cycle maintenance, road safety, mountain biking, cycle speedway and BMXing.

The Nationwide Cycling Academy teaches core skills to thousands of school children each year so they know how to cover the basics, cycling is at the heart of everything NCA does, and here basic skills are fused with cleverly designed games, skills and activities then mixed with picnics and treasure hunts so that the emphasis is on fun.

The camp is set in the beautiful surroundings of Philips Park, which itself is located in countryside adjacent to SUSTRANS cycle route 6. Cycle Training Instructors are fully qualified in all cycling disciplines, CRB checked with first aid accreditation.Early & late pick ups available for working parents.

Based in Philips Park, Whitefield M45 7QJ  with easy site access via Junction 17 M60 and Bury New Road. The park offers free car parking. For more information go to the NCA website www.ncagb.co.uk or email jools@ncagb.co.uk or telephone 0161 773 9566 

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

Application number: 53963         Type of application: Outline Planning Permission         Date Registered: 06/05/2011

Applicant: Mr & Mrs Hall
Location: Land off Poppythorn Lane, Prestwich
Proposal: Demolition of existing buildings and erection of 9 no. dwellings and associated access and car parking

Plans will be available to view on the Council’s website within 2 working days from today. Should you require further details please contact the case officer: Helen Longworth on: 0161 253 5322 or reply by email.

For further advice on how to comment on this application or if you have any concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact me or my ward colleague Cllr Tim Pickstone.

Application number: 53840         Type of application: Full         Date Registered: 27/04/2011

Applicant: Mr Tierney
Location: Land adjacent to 9 Warwick Avenue, Whitefield, M45 6TU
Proposal: Erection of a two storey detached dwelling

Plans are now available to view on the Council’s website. Should you require further details please contact the case officer: Jennie Townsend on: 0161 253-5320 or for advice on how to comment on this application or to request our representation on your behalf please contact either myself of my ward colleague Cllr Tim Pickstone.

There may be some eager eyed people in the blogosphere that have noticed that my blog postings dried up some time ago well without offering excuses I can now offer some explanation, thoughI suppose none is necessary.

This current traumatic period in my life started on March 6th when my mother died. She had been ill and increasingly frail for many years, but of course that knowledge doesn’t prepare you adequately for the shock of the news when the end comes. Nor does the fact that I have been estranged from my mother for many years (it’s too complicated/personal and innapropriate to go into detail here). Somehow the fact that we were estranged added a completely different dimension to her passing – unfinished business. unresolved issues etc. In any case I have been spending a considerable time with my brother etc both supporting him and sorting out the inevitable family affairs. Such are the affairs of life and death.

At roughly the same time as my mother passed away I was embroiled in setting up my own accountancy business in Bury. As anyone who has started a business will tell you, starting a business are three little words that appear simple and straightforward, but in reality actually translate as turning your life upside down while you focus 24/7 on the minutae and endless details, plans and spreadsheets necessary to get off the ground. When you add the need to obtain funding then life gets really interesting.

And then there was the local elections. (I am tempted to stop at this point).

Everyone, everywhere now knows that the Lib Dems got hammered, in fact it was akin to a boxing match where the referee seeing the bloodied state of one of the contestants decided to let the fight continue, just to see how much damage could be done.

In fact the reality of the situation was that great and good Lib Dem candidates got into the ring last thursday with at least one arm tied behind their backs.

The past year has saw Lib Dems in coalition break a key election pledge – to scrap tuition fees, and sign up to the largest programme of cuts for many years. The fact we had to make cuts wasn’t the problem generally speaking – most people and even the Labour party realise and accept that cuts have to be made, it’s the fact that we didn’t go far enough to minimise the pain, to minimise the cuts, to communicate, explain and offer  support and hope to those most affected. Good government isn’t just about taking tough decisions  it’s also about  showing support and compassion, recognising the impact of those decisions on your citizens – especially the weak and vulnerable – and offering help and support.

So now after losing over 700 councillors – many of whom have served their communities with distinction for many years, we now have a Lib Dem leadership that says its going to listen to the people and work harder to show the Lib Dem impact on Government policies.  Good, late, but good. But we shall see. We need good government that will take those decisions in the future, but will also be responsive to those they serve and compassionate to those that could suffer. Anything less will be unforgiveable. Tough times means we need to care more.

Of course it would be remiss of me not to pay tribute to the 3 Lib Dem council colleagues I have lost as of thursday May 6th.

Cllrs Wilf Davison my ward colleague, and Cllrs Richard Baum and Steve Wright were staunch community champions that devoted much time and energy to making sure Prestwich was not ignored by Bury Council, that it’s communities were listened too and that Prestwich generally got a fair deal. Personally, I am honoured to have worked with them and to count them as friends and I shall miss their comraderie, humour, support and experience.

Prestwich’s five remaining Lib Dem councillors will continue to carry the torch for Prestwich of course – life goes on. It’s such a pity that good local community champions should have suffered as a result of a desire by the public to punish our national leaders.

There is much still to do locally and I can assure our Prestwich constituents that we will stand up to Bury Labour whenever they threaten our services and our communities – as we have previously. Life goes on, times change, but Prestwich Lib Dem councillors remain totally committed to those they serve.

I can tell you that in the course of my football watching lifetime that has often been the case – leaving me wondering whether I was in fact at the same match as the journalist.

However I am now wondering (not for the first time) whether I was actually at the full meeting of Bury Council recently.

At that meeting the Lib Dem budget amendment was passed by Council and that amendment called for the reinstatement of 3 Area Partnership managers. I for one was delighted that the saving of 3 posts at least on the back of a previous council amendment to keep Local Area Partnerships, at least gave us a fighting chance to keep LAP’s and start to take them forward.

Now we find that the Council don’t intend to keep the Area Partnerships – although nothing has been said publicly and the 3 posts saved will become some sort of community development workers.

What I cannot comprehend is that Bury Councils full meeting of all 51 councillors has made some key decisions of council committing the council and yet someone, somewhere is then deciding how best to ignore the democratic process , ignore the moral authority of council, as they seek to wriggle out of the less favourable bits.

Sadly this mishandling of council and the lip service to councillors will only serve to destroy trust and respect between councillors and further erode the support of the community and any residual appreciation of local Government in Bury.

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

Application number: 53720         Type of application: Full         Date Registered: 04/03/2011

Applicant: Turning Point Building Futures Limited
Location: Leigh Bank 4 Glebelands Road, Prestwich, Manchester, M25 1NE
Proposal: Variation of condition no. 2 of planning permission 52762 – Approved drawings to allow alterations to single storey extensions at rear

Plans will be available to view on the Council’s website within 2 working days. Should you require further details please contact the case officer: Tom Beirne on: 0161 253 5361 or for advice on commenting further on this application please don’t hesitate to contact either myself or Cllr Tim Pickstone.

I think it was fair to say that there were concerns voiced by a number of us about what this could ultimately mean for  some of our services, even if we accept that there does need to be imaginative, radical solutions to the future provision of council services as the nation battles Labour’s deficit legacy.

Then last night I watched the regional news in amazement as it appeared that the leader of the Council, Cllr Bob Bibby, announced to the world that Bury would stop providing council services and in fact that decision will be taken in 3 weeks!

Now I don’t know whether Cllr Bibby is unaware that councillors are being fed a different story, or whether Cllr Bibby himself knows the full story, or whether local media perhaps working with Labour decided to bend the truth or just be plain mischievous. Who knows.

However, what I do know is that it makes a mockery of the democratic process, further undermines trust between council groups, officers etc and causes yet more anxiety and distress to already worried sick council employees and council service users.

It’s no way to go about reviewing services, no way to treat the public, councillors or staff and no way to run a council still trying to come to terms with massive cuts.

Between 24th and 27th February there were 4 burglaries where a man broke into homes via ground floor kitchen windows and searched the houses for car keys in an attempt to take the homeowner’s vehicle. One car was stolen along with laptops and purses.

The criminal fled when residents realised there was someone in the house and went to investigate – in one case the victim found the offender in their bedroom.

The incidents have taken place within the Jewish community between 2am and 3.30am in the morning. The Police are appealing to anyone who maybe awake at that time getting ready for work to report anyone looking suspicious on their street.

The Police are patrolling the area and doing all they can to catch the culprits. Residents are being asked to do their bit to keep their properties safe and secure:

• Make sure you have adequate locks on your doors and windows and they are all kept shut.
• If you have a burglar alarm, make sure you set it before you go to bed to act as a deterrent if anyone tries to break in.
• If you see anyone suspicious or hear someone breaking into yours or anyone else’s house, call 999 immediately.