Richard Baum

This year has been one of great success and, I hope you’ll agree, tireless action from Liberal Democrats for the people of this ward. I have become a Councillor during the year, and your local Focus team have worked on many issues and tried our best to work with the community to make this ward a better place. I have decided to take a look back over some of the issues the community has been involved with over the past twelve months. And I’ll start, as is customary, with January.

January saw the start of a number of issues which would stay with us throughout the year. The first weeks of 2007 saw news of a potential “rat-run” being built through the new Tulle Court development, linking Church Lanewith Church Drive. I attended residents’ meetings to find out local opinion, and sent out a street letter to local people saying that we would join them in fighting this proposal. And we won. In the end, the rat-run plan was shelved.

This was also the month when news began to filter through that the Metrolink line would be closed throughout the Summer for renovations. I wrote to the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive and asked that they communicate with local people as soon as possible to ensure that alternative plans could be made to get to work. The communications campaign was brought forward, and the renovations have, I think, exceeded people’s expectations in terms of improvements and the management of the project.

We all had a power cut overnight on January 8th. I was impacted as much as everyone else, and got a bit too well acquainted with some work colleagues using the showers there after mine wouldn’t work at home! I contacted United Utilities and tried to keep local people informed as power was restored.

Nationally, the Lib Dems launched our “Five Steps to a Safer Britain” campaign. It was led by Nick Clegg, then our Home Affairs spokesman. I had a good year but I think his has been better!

And there were preliminary discussions about another couple of projects which would be in the news locally for much of the year. At Butterstile School, where I’m a governor, there was a special meeting to talk about the planned Children’s Centre. And I was called by a local lady concerned about the Scholes Lane / Hilton Lane junction. This issue is one we worked on throughout the year, and continue to put pressure on the Council on even now.

Rick