Tim Pickstone

Just to wish everyone a very happy Christmas and best wishes for 2010.

Bury Council has a good list of Christmas opening times and service changes here.

Emergency Services
Links to useful emergency contacts can be found on the BurySafe / Policing and public safety web pages.

Emergency Duty Team
Social Services Emergency Duty Team provides a social work service during the periods when daytime social work offices are closed. This usually means during the evenings, overnight, weekends, and Bank and other Public holidays.

Security
The Council has a security force which monitors buildings and grounds, responds to alarm calls. If you wish to report a security problem or suspicious circumstances on or around Council premises or land telephone (0161) 253 6606.

A Christmas poem, presumably sent to all Councillors, from the people at the Save our Suite campaign.

Merry Christmas Dear Councillors and a happy New Year too.

You all went to the Mayors Ball and enjoyed the Longfield Suite didn’t you.

This wasn’t a one off, you must appreciate, next year you will be wanting to go again about the same date.

So lets end the suspense and pointless chatter come on committee decide on the matter.

For all to benefit both young and old the pleasures of the Longfield Suite just have to be told.

We don’t want it to become a memory, so listen to the Longfielders and hear their testimony.

I work in Hebden Bridge, which is part of Calderdale Council.

This was the scene arriving at work on 23 December 2009, you’ll notice I work on a steep hill, but you’ll also notice the refuse collection lorry collecting recyclables.

This is was the scene back at home - this is the view near Heaton Park Congregational Street on Bailey Street. (Actually a day later, but the weather hadn’t changed.)

The following statement has been issued by Bury Council today (Tuesday 22 December 2009).

Due to the atrocious weather conditions, the waste and recycling collections have had to be suspended for the remainder of today (Tuesday). A decision on collections for Wednesday and Thursday will be made on the morning.

Reluctantly, we have been forced to take this decision to protect the health and welfare of our collection teams, who are finding it impossible to navigate through some of the borough’s streets.

We understand any frustration that residents may have, but the weather has left us with no choice. We will endeavour to clear the backlog as soon as the conditions allow.

Our gritting teams, however, will continue to grit the roads.

In the meantime residents are asked to reduce and recycle their waste as much as they possibly can. Plastic bottles, metal cans, glass bottles and jars can all go in the blue recycling bin. Paper, cardboard boxes and packaging can be recycled in the green recycling bag. If cardboard won’t fit in the green bag, it should be flattened and left in a neat pile under the green bag. Plastic carrier bags can be used instead of the green bag. For details of household waste recycling centres and local recycling centres go to www.bury.gov.uk/recyclingcentres

Also, again due to the worsening weather conditions, Bury Council has decided to close adminstrative buildings with effect from 1pm today (Tuesday Dec 22). This includes Bury town hall, council offices, leisure centres, and libraries, which will re-open on Tuesday, December 29.

Staff affected have been asked to take work home this afternoon and tomorrow.

Staff supplying emergency services will be working as normal.

Following public consultation, the traffic safety scheme outside of Prestwich Arts College is to go ahead.

The scheme provides for a short stretch of 20mph ourside the school, including a “raised table”.

More information here

A surprisingly quiet M62 looking back towards Simister at 7.15 this morning.

Please take extreme care travelling this morning - last night there was still snow on minor roads, and also many ‘distributary’ roads (e.g. Heywood Road, Whittaker Lane) - this looks to have frozen solid, so TAKE CARE.

Many people have contacted me over the weekend about gritting with the situation being bad everywhere, but particularly acute in the north of the Borough (north of Bury town centre).

We did receive an informal update yesterday explaining that the teams had been out almost permanently gritting around the Borough, but clearly people have still has significant problems. I have already asked for one this morning which I will post here when I get it.

Bin collections that people would normally have had on Tuesday which are meant to be happening today may well be affected. I have put my bin out as normal, but as soon as I have more information I will let people know.

Bury College have cancelled all interviews for new students today, saying:
“For pupils attending for interview on Monday 21st December 2009. Due to the poor weather and road conditions, all interviews for year 11 pupils are cancelled on Monday 21st December 2009. Please be reassured you will be contacted early in the New Year to arrange an alternative appointment for you.”

UPDATE AT 12.30 pm - MONDAY

Update from Bury Council:

Gritters were out all weekend and 535 tonnes of salt were spread on Sat and Sun alone.
Today all Street Cleaning staff are employed on gritting duties including in town centres and refilling of grit bins.
All 5 gritting vehicles are also out at the moment.

Refuse/recycling collections were severely disrupted on Friday in the Ramsbottom/Tottington area due to snow and ice. We have vehicles in the area today mopping up missed grey bins as best they can, but if anything conditions will be worse than they were on Friday.Brown bin collections are effectively suspended today with contents of bins frozen solid in any case.

This morning it was debatable as to whether the service should have been suspended or not on grounds of H&S. A decision was taken not to suspend the service, however all collection crews went out late and combined with the road conditions it will inevitably mean that not all of today’s work will be completed.

The message to all callers is that we are doing our very best to get all collections made before Christmas in very difficult circumstances.

A huge thank you to everyone who made it out for our final leafleting session for 2009 yesterday - leafleting in heavy show on Holyood Road yesterday.

The OFSTED Report for Prestwich Arts College has been made available by the school.

The school was granted the score ‘GOOD: GOOD” by OFSTED, which is excellent!

Read the report here:
http://www.prestwich.bury.sch.uk/OFSTED/OFSTEDREPORT2009.pdf

Update sent to Councillors from Bury Council:

“All gritters were called out last night at 8.45pm and they did a full grit of the borough.

It was snowing fitfully throughout the night and a decision was taken to do another grit in the north of the borough, which was completed in the early hours of this morning.

5 gritters are out and about at the moment across the borough, but they are particularly focusing on the north where conditions are worst.

All Street Cleaning teams are spreading grit by hand in town centres and other areas with a high footfall. Grit bins are being replenished too.

In total 108 tonnes of grit have been taken out by the gritters last night and today.”

Bury Council have received an application for a Premise Licence for - Tesco Stores Ltd, 456/462 Bury Old Road, Prestwich, M25 1NL

They have applied for the following:
Sale of alcohol off the premise Monday to Sunday from 6.30am until 23.00pm

The objection period ends on 14th January 2010

Please don’t hesitate to get in touch should you need to know more or have any comments.