Tim Pickstone

Here’s the press release from Bury Liberal Democrats:

“Longfield Suite safe at last” say jubilant Lib Dems

Liberal Democrats in Prestwich expressed their delight after a campaign spearheaded by residents and Councillors saved the Longfield Suite from the threat of closure.

A Best Value review of civic halls in Bury, undertaken by the Conservative Council, outlined several options for the future of the Longfield Suite, including the “reconfiguration” of the community hall which is popular with local people and the best used of all civic venues in Bury. Now, after a consultation process which saw thousands of local people sign petitions and protest to save the Lingfield Suite, the Council has backed down. The Longfield Suite will be retained in its current format, with a plan for better marketing, awareness, usage and income.

The consultation process on the future of the Suite drew a 7000 signature petition, 1,300 responses by survey, two large public meetings and a number of public protests including an “arms around the Longfield” event where hundreds of local people formed a human chain around the suite.

Liberal Democrat Councillor Donal O’Hanlon, Chair of the “Save our Suite” campaign group, said “I am overjoyed that our campaign has been a success. The Conservative threat to close the Longfield Suite was a disgrace, but now after a huge number of Prestwich people told them how wrong they were, the Conservatives have backed down. I am delighted to have been at the forefront of this campaign to stand up for Prestwich. “I must congratulate the 1000’s of people that signed the petition and returned the Council surveys, and all those local people and Longfield centre users that fought so hard to keep the facilities as they are. A great example of local people power in action and proof that people can make a difference. But the underlying message to Bury Conservatives has to be: Don’t mess with Prestwich!”

Cllr Vic D’Alerbt, Liberal Democrat Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Bury South and Chair of Prestwich Local Area Partnership, said ” This is great news for Prestwich and sends a strong signal to Bury Conservatives that people are proud of their local community facilities. The strength of feeling for the Longfield Suite was clear for all to see from the start, all except Bury’s Conservative administration who once again thought they new best.

I now urge Bury Council to work with Prestwich councillors, Prestwich Area Partnership and local people to find a long term solution and put together a sustainable business plan for the centre. Furthermore I would make a plea to this Conservative administration to stop trying to sidestep the democratic process and dialogue with Councillors. Months of campaigning and wasted officer time and resources could have been saved. I have to question the judgement of the leader of the Council. Back in November he was brave enough to attend a public meeting I had arranged. At that meeting 300 local people told him to stop this nonsense, if only he was brave enough to listen to local people and admit their mistake then. This end result shows what the community can achieve when it pulls together. We have seen off the Tory threat to the Longfield Suite. Now we need to support the facility and make sure that a strong civic hall is at the heart of a regenerated Prestwich.”

I’ve been away for a week, hence the absence of posts on this site!

Lots to catch up on.

tim

Last night was the regular meeting of the Governors of Prestwich Arts College. This is one of the two local schools in the ward that I serve as a school governor.

We started the meeting with a tour of some of the new facilities that have been built as a result of the recent capital investment. Last night was the turn of the new dining room which has been built in a former “quad” (outdoor area). Previously PAC had been the only high school in Bury without a dedicated dining room, so the new facility is much appreciated. At the next meeting Governors will have a tour of the new arts auditorium.

Much of the meeting focussed on the report of the Headteacher, where a number of issues came up:
- the school is using a “reflection room” to deal with students who need to be removed form their normal classes. The room aims to do “what it says” as a place for reflection before returning to normal learning at the earliest opportunity.
- that there has been an extension of the highly successful “assertive mentoring’ programme to Year 10, who are now having a half termly meeting with mentors .

We also considered staffing issues in some details, particularly around the major reviews of non-teaching staff that are being undertaken at the present time as a result of “equal pay” legislation and appeals.
In the next financial year schools are receiving a 2.1% increase in “per-pupil funding”, though funding after a General Election remains very uncertain.

Any questions, please ask!
Tim

… is how everyone involved in the Campaign feels after Manchester Council’s Planning Committee has today voted , about 9 votes to 5 votes to APPROVE the Commercial Soccer Centre in Heaton Park.

An impressive crowd of protestors made it to Manchester Town Hall on a Thursday afternoon and the public areas were packed with protestors.

Councillors first voted on a request made by local Prestwich Councillor Tim Pickstone for a site visit (so that the Councillors would consider this at their next meeting after visiting the area) but this was voted down about 9 votes to 5.

Then the campaign got a make its case when local resident Paul Toner spoke against the plans, together with statements from local Councillors Tim Pickstone, Wilf Davison and spokesperson for Ivan Lewis MP. A spokesperson for Goals Soccer Centres spoke in favour of the proposals.

There was controversy when it came to light that a response from the Garden Historical Society AGAINST the plans had not been included in the paperwork for the meeting. The GHS are a statutory consultee on this issue and they raised serious concerns about the impact of the centre on the historical character of the park, and on how it would impact on the entrance way.

A proposal to defer the decision to allow more time to consider this late objection was defeated 9 votes to 5. (Getting a pattern here?)

There was some debate by Councillors, but most remained silent.

Finally the proposal was approved by 9 votes to 5. Planning is a non-Party Political issue, but by chance……, all the Labour Councillors voted in favour, all the Liberal Democrat councillors voted against.

So, after all the hard work of the Campaign the proposal has been accepted. Everyone involved is gutted and devastated by the decision.

On Thursday, 11 February 2010, the Planning Committee of Manchester City Council, will consider the planning application from Goals Soocer Centres UK for a commercial 5-a-side soccer centre at the At Margaret’s side of Heaton Park.

Remember that these revised plans include a massive 2.4m perimeter fence around the site, as well as further fenced off car-park, going up towards the reservoir. You can view all the plans at Manchester Council’s Website.

This could well be our LAST CHANCE to save Heaton Park - this is the third time that Goals have submitted their plan, but the first that its actually made it to the agenda for a committee meeting. The recommendation from the Planning Officers is to “Approve” the report.

We’ve had a terrific response to the campaign so far: hundreds of people have sent in objection letters and emails; signed the petitions and written to the press. Thank you for everything that people have done so far.

We still need help to stop this application:

If you are available on THURSDAY afternoon, join us outside Manchester Town Hall (Albert Square side) at 1.30pm. We’ll be going into the Committee meeting (this starts at 2.00pm) together where we’ll be allowed one person to speak on our behalf. Its important that as many people as possible come along and show the strength of feeling against the proposal.

Its not too late to apply pressure to your elected representatives - MPs and Councillors. If you live in Manchester please email your councillor telling them how strongly you oppose the application and ask them to represent you. You can automatically email all your councillors by entering your postcode at this website.

If you live in either Bury South or Manchester Blakeley Parliamenary constituencies why not email your MP telling them how strongly you feel?

Bury South - Ivan Lewis MP (Labour): ivanlewis@burysouth.fsnet.co.uk

Manchester Blakely - Graham Stringer MP (Labour): Link to email

Carry on keeping up the pressure:
- tell your friends
- if you’re on facebook copy this message to your friends
- if you use twitter - tweet about this!
- use any opportunity in the press, or in internet discussion sites to object to the proposals.

Follow these links to the Planning Committee agenda and the actual report.

Agendaf

Report

Keep up the campaign!

At Bury’s Full Council meeting, we get to ask questions to the Council’s Executive Committee. Since the Conservatives changed the rules a couple of year ago, hardly any actually get answered nowardays, but we do get written answers (ie a written copy of what was to have been said) after the meeting if they’re not answered.

I’ve not posted all of them this time, as it would take too long (perhaps a role for the Council’s website, rather than a Councillor’s blog!), but given that this doesn’t happen, here are some of the more interesting questions asked by the Lib Dem team.

tim

Councillor Baum

Q Can the Leader explain what additional and/or emergency provision will be provided for the repairs to the roads of this Borough, following the damage caused by two consecutive snow-bound winters?

A. To date we have received no additional/emergency financial provision to repair damage to the Councils highways after the recent adverse weather. As we identify the extent of the problem from a financial perspective, consideration may have to be given to reprioritising areas of spend to address the matter.

Read the rest of this entry.

At Full Council we get the opportunity to ask questions to “Joint Authorities” in Greater Manchester. Here are quesions asked by me and my Lib Dem colleagues Richard Baum and Donal O’Hanlon.

Fire Authority:

Cllr Tim Pickstone
Would the Council’s representative to the GMFRS join me in congratulating all GMFRS staff who have been involved in work in Haiti following the recent terrible earthquake there.

A. Following the terrible earthquake in Haiti on the 12 January 2010, 9 of our colleagues travelled down to Gatwick Airport as part of the UK Fire Service International Search and Rescue Team, preparing to fly out and assist rescuers from other Fire and Rescue Services around the country with the rescue efforts.

The team members were;

Read the rest of this entry.

The campaign to save Heaton Park from a commercial soccer centre made it to the BBC Manchester website today:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/manchester/8492770.stm

Heaton Park residents oppose sports centre plans

People living around one of Europe’s largest municipal parks are opposing plans to create a new sports centre.
Goals Soccer Centres wants to build 13 five-a-side pitches, changing rooms, and tennis and netball courts in the north-west corner of Heaton Park.
But opponents said the security fencing would create a “caged stockade”, out of keeping with the green space.
Manchester City Council, which owns the park, said the plans were compatible with the ethos of the park.

Wilf Davison, who represents Prestwich residents for neighbouring Bury Council, said: “What they are proposing is a caged stockade.”
“We believe it is going to create major parking problems, major congestion in the entrance area which is St Margaret’s Road.

“We think the visual appearance is awful… it will be visually intrusive for the local community. Their outlook - for the people who live opposite - will be appalling.”

The 640-acre park in north Manchester, about four miles from the city centre, provides about a quarter of the city’s green space.
Councillor Mike Amesbury, executive member for culture and leisure at Manchester City Council, said the facility would improve the park.
Despite some opposition, he said many Manchester residents had been campaigning for the facilities since the mid-1990s.
“There are going to be differences of opinion but this is going to be great for park users,” he told BBC Radio Manchester.
Goals Soccer Centres has submitted two previous applications for football facilities at the site, which were withdrawn.

The latest will be considered by the city council’s planning committee on 11 February.

Apparently Cllr Amesbury said:
“There are going to be differences of opinion but this is going to be great for park users”

Get a grip - a large piece of open parkland is going to be turned into caged football pitches, which will cost around £45 an hour to hire. Explain to me how that’s “great for park users”???

Today at a speech to Barnado’s Nick Clegg announced one of our four key policies for the General Election campaign ahead - A Fair Start for Every Child.

Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg today pledged to give every child a fair start in life by investing an extra £2.5bn in schools which could be used to cut class sizes, offer one-on-one tuition and provide catch-up classes.

In a speech to Barnardo’s this morning, Nick Clegg set out the Liberal Democrat manifesto pledge to introduce a Pupil Premium which would raise the poorest children’s school funding to private school levels.

Commenting, Nick Clegg said:

“One of the biggest challenges we face as a country is breaking this link between financial deprivation at home and educational under-achievement in the classroom.

“Despite all the money that has been spent by Labour, schools taking disadvantaged children aren’t getting the money they need to break this link by cutting class sizes and providing them with extra support.

“As we work our way out of this recession and rebuild a country which is fairer, we must ensure our school system gives every child a chance to fulfil their potential irrespective of their background and where they live.”

View a full copy of the speech here.

Read the rest of this entry.

Details of a traffic calming scheme for the southern part of Heywood Road (from Heys Road down to Scholes Lane) have been announced.

The proposals include a 20mph zone as the road nears the area of Park View Primary School (Rectory Lane roundabout to Scholes Lane, including Park View Road itself.

The full details of the scheme can be downloaded here.