Just a brief posting about the new St Mary’s Rose, the Labour leaflet, which I read whilst out leafleting in the ward today (this is about the third one they’ve done - there must be an election coming up!).

Having turned their vitriol-fuelled fire up to “furnace” with the last issue, this time they plunge new depths with an outright and massive lie, putting on paper for the first time what they’ve almost said in the past - that Lib Dems in Bury shouldn’t complain to the Council when things go wrong because the Lib Dems and the Tories “are the Council.”

That’s an absolute lie. The people who wrote it know it’s a lie. And if they had any decency they would publicly retract it and let the people of this ward decide the coming election on facts, not falsehoods. They are spreading lies for votes. That’s not what any of us should be doing. It brings the reputation of all of us down.

If this is what the St Mary’s Labour candidate was taught (and was teaching) at Labour campaign school, then there is a sickness at the heart of his party of which he should be utterly ashamed.

Just for the record, once again, the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives are not in any coalition, alliance, or anything else. The Conservatives control Bury Council. Lib Dems and Labour have one member of the Executive each, the Conservatives have all the rest. There’s no coalition, no joint policy making, no joint anything. Labour’s leaflet is lying. It’s lying because they want power in Bury, and they are so obsessed with holding on to their last seat in Prestwich that they are stooping to incredibly low depths to do it.

This isn’t political spin. It’s not their take on things as opposed to our take on things. It’s an actual lie. It’s like saying the sky is yellow or the Moon is made of cheese. It’s just not true. Don’t believe it.

I could take a bit of story-fiddling. I could live with them spinning things to suit them. It’s how politics works (although I wish it wasn’t). We all write leaflets promoting ourselves and our achievements, and we all go over the top sometimes. But what St Mary’s Labour are doing is just telling lies in the hope that it wins them votes. It isn’t right.

As it goes, I think the rest of their leaflet is twaddle as well, but that’s pretty much their side of a story against our’s. There are grains of fact in what they say, even if it is skewed virtually beyond recognition and the facts are consumed in rubbish. I can live with that. Let the people decide, fine. I’ll write a better one for us.

But the coalition thing is a downright lie. So don’t be fooled. I would like them to produce a single piece of evidence to back up their claim, and I will gladly speak to anyone who rings me up to speak to me about it, if you aren’t clear. Including St Mary’s Labour, who I know read this blog, and who I take no delight in telling, once again, that they should be ashamed of their continuing actions.

Rick

URBED, the urban regeneration specialists currently undertaking a study into the future of Prestwich, gave a presentation at last night’s Local Area Partnership (LAP).

It was great to see so many members of the public there, and the presentation went down very well. I think URBED and local people want much the same thing - a revitalised retail sector, some relief of the traffic problems, and an improved environment. It was great that URBED presented possible solutions to all of the problems that we face. None of them are insurmountable.

There are some concerns at this early stage, and rightly so. We need to learn lessons from the Radius fiasco - there can’t be another building that looks quite so out of place and dominates the landscape so much. There has to be enough thought given to parking.

But URBED showed last night that we can achieve what Prestwich needs, and if the right things are built in the right way, we can even make Radius look like part of a planned Prestwich, rather than sticking out like a sore thumb.

Prestwich has a huge amount going for it: Excellent transport links, proximity to the city and the countryside, a “village” feel and an affluent and vibrant community. It is spoiled at the moment by a lousy town centre, awful traffic, and a local street environment that is neglected. All of these can be solved, and now we all have the chance to have our say through the URBED study.

Exciting times for the area.

Rick

Last night’s meeting of Prestwich Local Area Partnership (LAP) was the final meeting of the municipal year, and contained some great news for local organisations to whom we were able to award thousands of pounds in grants.

The LAP controls a number of grant funds and can allocate them to local groups throughout the year. Already this year for instance, we have allocated £10,000 to the Rainsough community centre, with more to follow for Children’s Centre outreach both there and in Carr Clough.

Last night the following awards were made:

- Prestwich Carnival were awarded £2,125, which will ensure the continuation of this excellent community-wide event for the next two years. This money was awarded from the Kickstart Community Initiative fund, which is to benefit the entire community.

- The Prestwich Clough Centenary group also received £2,125 so that the Clough Day which has taken place for the last two years can continue for the next two as well. This too is a wonderful Prestwich event, and we are proud to provide the money to keep it going. This money also came from the Kickstart Community Initiative fund.

- £1,500 was given for the provision of a sensory garden for disabled children at Butterstile. This money came from the Kickstart fund, which is for small projects.

- Heaton Park School applied for money for fencing around the school, which will be an asset to the local community and which we were happy to provide £5,000 towards. This grant was made from the Cleaner, Greener, Safer capital fund, which is for capital schemes benefitting the local environment.

- The Cleaner, Greener, Safer capital fund was also the source of money for the Downham Tenants and Residents Association, for whom the LAP has given £500 towards the cost of creating a “wildlife corner” for communal use on land that is currently an eyesore.

- And the Cleaner, Greener, Safer capital fund has been made available for refurbishment of the Parksway ginnel in Sedgley ward, where £1,000 will be used for essential security work.

- A ball zone will be created at Parrenthorn school, with £5,000 coming from the Community Development fund for projects in the community.

- In addition, a further £5,000 has been made available from this fund for a new under 5’s play area in Polefield.

Altogether last night there was over £22,000 of money invested by the LAP into much needed community projects. This is a massive investment, and we have secured major projects like the carnival and much-needed play facilities, as well as smaller things like the Downham wildlife corner.

St Mary’s in particular will benefit from the Clough day which takes place in the ward, and the Butterstile sensory garden, on top of Rainsough money which has already come this year.

All in all a very good night for Prestwich.

Rick

Tonight is the final meeting of Prestwich Local Area Partnership (LAP) of the municipal year. It’s an open meeting, so come along and ask your Councillors some questions!

The meeting takes place at Sedgley Park Primary School, which is on Kings Road / Bishops Road. Incidentally, this was the school my Mum went to, and my grandparents lived right opposite it for 50 years.

None of which is at all relevant to the meeting itself, which starts at 18.30 with the “business” part of the meeting. We’ll hear reports from the LAP Manager on outcomes since last time, including an update on the Prestwich Community Plan. We will also receive reports on current work from the Youth Service Manager, the two LAP sub-groups (on the town centre regeneration and on developing communities), and from our partners in the police and NHS.

Part two of the meeting is the open forum, which begins at 19.30. Members of the public are welcome to raise issues of concern with members of the LAP in an open session. If you have any issues you want to raise about the Council, local NHS, police, fire etc, then come down and ask us. You don’t have to sit through the rest of the meeting if you don’t want, and if you are uncomfortable asking your question out loud then we can arrange for it to be read out on your behalf as well.

After the open forum there will be a presentation from URBED, the consultants appointed to come up with a regeneration strategy for Prestwich centre. They will let us know their key findings to date.

After the end of formal business there will be the chance for you to talk one-to-one with any of us about issues as well.

So do come along and say hello, or tell us about anything we might be able to help you with. It’s what we’re here for after all.

Rick

After five years of Labour inaction, and three months of Lib Dem pressure aimed at the action-free Tory Council, the promised “Deep Clean” of Prestwich Village finally began on Sunday night. It is due to finish in the next day or two.

Quite what they’ll unearth beneath the grime is a mystery to me. The Lost City of Atlantis may well be found under The Retreat. Rumours that Lord Lucan was spotted dusting himself down and heading into Hampson’s for a pie were unfounded. They thought they’d discovered an ancient Roman mosaic, but it was in fact the splintered remains of a dustpan and brush bought in 1976 from the fancy goods store next to Cunningham’s.

I just hope to God they don’t find where I stashed those 4,000 election leaflets I said I’d delivered last May…

But the important thing is that it’s done. We got it done. Labour had five years and did nothing, and were almost smug in their happiness that it took a while for us to make the Tories do it. The Tories themselves were one step away from needing a cattle prod to make them do anything. But that fate was avoided, and all it took was three questions to Council and a front page news story. Another Lib Dem success story, looking after Prestwich.

It’s done.

Rick

The word “elections” seems to be cropping up more and more in my conversations these days, which is worrying. It only seems like five minutes ago that it was last time, and now it’s next time already.

But, somehow, the world does not grind to a halt as the spectre of Bury’s local election’s begins to loom. And safe in that knowledge, I have once more been chasing up some casework today.

I have been in contact with the Council’s Environmental Services Department once more, stressing the importance of the St Ann’s Road junction improvements that have been promised by the end of the financial year. This is now barely more than a month away, so it is vital that we ensure that we keep the pressure on the Council to live up to their promise and get on with the removal of the dangerous second set of lights.

In addition, the continuing saga of the dirty streets in Church Drive carries on apace. We had some success last week when the troublesome trees were cut back. Now there is some confusion over whether it is the responsibility of the constructors at nearby Tulle Court, or the responsibility of the Council, to keep the streets clean. My argument is that both should be doing it, but neither seem to want to. So once again I posed the question today and await a proper response.

With any luck it will be as positive as the trees response last week.

Rick

Last night Bury Council was stunned by a grossly irresponsible proposal from Bury Labour to cut funding for children, vulnerable adults, and vital reserves, to achieve the headline-grabbing and cheap stunt of a nil-increase Council Tax.

Their tactics must be seen in their true light – dangerous and short-sighted populism designed to do nothing more than win votes.

Labour will claim that their budget is sustainable. They will claim that it is the sensible answer to our problems. But it isn’t. It is a cheap political stunt designed to lure people’s trust. It is, in typical New Labour style, utter spin with no substance at all.

It is a lie to say that we can save services without raising Council Tax. We just can’t. And the reason is that the Labour government settlement for Bury is woefully inadequate. In Bolton and Oldham (coincidentally, two Labour-run Councils), government settlement per-head is so high that they can legitimately afford a 0% rise. Here in Bury, the settlement is so low that taxes go up and services come down each and ever year.

Last night it took Lib Dem action to secure funding for children and environmental services. The Labour government and the Conservative Group were happy to see them fall by the way side. We were not.

Labour’s response was to rob the people of Bury of their reserves. It was to rob vulnerable children of the funding for their youth and social workers. It was to rob disabled adults of the funding they need. And it was to cynically “earmark” money for electorally competitive areas which simply can’t be spent, just to lie about it in leaflets.

It was a disgrace, and I am glad it was defeated.

Of course I’d like a 0% rise in Council Tax. Then I’d like to see it cut, and then the Lib Dems are the only party who’d like to see it abolished because it is unfair and utterly regressive. Labour and the Tories support this tax.

But we can’t have a 0% rise, because there’s not enough money to fund the vital services if we do. It isn’t about efficiency, it’s about an awful government settlement from a Labour party who’ve let down Bury again.

Lib Dems were sensible last night, targeting money where people need it and people want it the most. Labour spun a web of deceit designed to win votes and headlines. They may well have done that, but they will lose respect along the way.

The Lib Dems are the only credible opposition to the Tory Council. Our amendment was the only one adopted, and voting Lib Dem is the only way to influence the ruling group. Labour’s plans are preposterous and were treated with bemusement and shock, rather than seriousness.

The last desperate attempts at credibility from this fading political force have fallen woefully short.

Rick

Bury Liberal Democrats broke new ground last night, ensuring the largest investment in the Council’s budget from any third party in the history of the Council.

In a budget amendment proposed by Group Leader Cllr Tim Pickstone, the Lib Dems ensured that £350,000 would be invested in services for the most vulnerable in our society, and to protect the environment and keep our Borough clean, safe and green.

We earmarked a quarter of a million pounds to reverse dangerous Conservative cuts to Children’s Services which would have drastically cut back the numbers of youth workers, social workers and those supporting disabled children. In doing so, we protected the neediest by providing the services that they desperately need.

The Lib Dems achieved this whilst calling for no greater increase in Council Tax than that proposed by the Conservatives. The 3.4% increase agreed by Council last night is lower than the inflation rate, and yet still achieves Lib Dem values.

Last year the Lib Dems ensured that the budget contained provision for every house in the Borough to have a blue recycling bin. This year, the Lib Dem commitment to Bury’s environment was shown even more clearly, with an amendment ensuring greater street cleaning and enforcement powers.

We have ensured that Saturday street cleaning occurs in commercial centres in the Borough such as in Prestwich Village, helping to alleviate the scourge of litter.

We have ensured that support is given to all of our parks, building on the successes of St Mary’s Park and helping the Council to achieve its vision of having 12 “Green Flag” parks across the Borough.

And we have ensured that enforcement of dog waste, littering and fly-tipping is boosted so that our environment is protected.

A third of a million pounds worth of additional investment is something I am personally proud of. We stood up for our values and made good our promises last night, in a sustainable and sensible way. It wasn’t the budget that a Lib Dem Council would have passed, but it instilled the Lib Dem ideals of a fairer, greener Bury, and made sure that the Conservatives listened to the views of those who elected us to make Bury a better place.

Rick

Last night, prior to the Budget Council meeting, I spoke to the Council’s Director of Environmental Services. He said that he was confident of a start to the promised (and much delayed) deep clean of Prestwich Village on Sunday evening, and if not then, very shortly afterwards.

We live in hope…

Rick

Last night’s Sherbourne Court and Warwick Street TRA was a success, I think. A lot of tenants and residents are frustrated at the lack of Six Town Housing response to their maintenance issues, and are considering the possibility of a formal complaint.

I must say that I have a lot of admiration for the residents who put up with what seems to be quite a shoddy service at times from Six Town Housing. But they are not helped by some of the residents who share the block, who seem to be committing crimes and engaging in anti-social behaviour which is driving local people mad – doors smashed in, noise and general misbehaviour which is making the lives of local people all the more difficult.

The Police have been engaged and are working with the community but I often get very frustrated that their action is often too little, too late. Even the local police officers themselves are hugely frustrated with the lack of action they can take over offenders they know all too well. I think it is a case of continuing the hard work and waiting until it pays off. Unfortunately, in the meantime a lot of local people are suffering, and I appeal to local people to pull together and remember that the flats are shared by everyone.

On the plus side, there are plans for another walk about and potentially another clean up day. The last one was a great success, so hopefully this one will be as well. I will let you know when a date has been arranged.

And also, plans have been taken forward for some hanging baskets and extra flowers and greenery for the area, which is another piece of positive news. I have seen these schemes work very well in the past, and hopefully this one will work well here too when it happens.