Richard Baum

Christmas is nearly upon us, and resultantly every minute spent in work as opposed to gallivanting around town wearing Santa hats seems to take fifteen times as long as normal.

Still, there’s time for casework, and there have been a few successes and a frustration with ward work in the last couple of days:

The Prestwich Pensioner’s Club approached me with a query about their Council Tax liability the other day. They will have a more peaceful Christmas after I liaised with the Council’s finance staff to ensure that they were granted the necessary exemptions that they are entitled to as a charitable organisation. The Club is a very important social activity for our older people, and as numbers dwindle and the membership gets older, it is important that we are there to help with any issues that they have. I am glad to have been able to help.

On Sunday I was delivering on Hollyedge Drive when I was approached by a resident concerned at the state of the ginnel between that road and Beckley Avenue. I contacted the Council on Monday morning asking for it to be cleaned, and it now has been. So hopefully residents can see the difference. These ginnels can sometimes be a magnet for litter and anti-social behaviour. We can tackle them both, but the easier one is to deal with the litter and show everyone that we care about these pathways.

Unfortunately, my efforts to get one of the streetlights on Clifton Road fixed have stalled for the moment. The light was damaged in a road accident a few days back. United Utilities are working with the Council to fix it, but whereas I originally thought it would be a simple job, it turns out that cabling has been badly damaged. Resultantly United Utilities will be unable to do the work until the new year. I have asked that the work be given priority, because of several vulnerable residents in the area, and the Council assure me that as soon as the cables are mended, the bulb will be replaced and we’ll be back up and running.

Better news for residents of Church Drive who have brought overhanging trees to my attention. There was originally some confusion over the location, and the council pruned back another set of trees (thanks anyway!)! But now we have pinpointed the problem – the trees themselves are on private land occupied by a business, so the Council can’t prune them immediately. Instead, at my asking the Council have written to the business asking them to prune them back within 28 days or else face the prospect of enforcement action. So hopefully that will illicit a positive response!

So, even as Christmas nears, your local Lib Dem Focus team are working hard in the ward for you. If you have an issue you’d like us to deal with, please get in touch. My contact details are at the top right of the page.

Rick