Please don’t forget to vote in the important local elections on Thursday 1 May 2008. These elections will decide who will represent you at the Council for the next four years.

Vic D’Albert, our hard working local councillor for the last 17 years is the Liberal Democrat Focus Team candidate on Thursday.

Important Information
- Polling Stations are open from 7.00am - 10.00pm
- You don’t need your polling card to vote
- If you have a postal ballot, but have not yet sent it in, you can complete it as normal and take the completed envelope to your local polling station on the day.

Polling Stations in Holyrood
Baguley Crescent and Bow Lea - Mobile Van at Baguley Crescent
Simister - Lady Wilton Hall
Polefield, Parenthorn and St Margarets areas - St Margarets CE Centre on St Margarets Road
Heaton Park Area - Heaton Park Social Club, Bury Old Road
Northern area - Nursery Road, Glebelands Road, Langley etc - Prestwich Arts College, Heys Road
“Kirkhams” area (M45 postcodes) - Heaton Park School on Cuckoo Lane

If you need any more information, or need a lift to the polling station call our helpline on 0161 798 0117

Thank you!

Last night I attended a special meeting of Bury Council. The meeting was to agree the “question” to be put to voters in the Mayoral Referendum on 3 July 2008.

Unlike normal meetings of the full Council, which tend to go on till 10pm, the meeting was very short with only one agenda item. Councillors took note tf the responses from members of the public on what things would be like if we had an elected mayor in Bury.

We agreed:
- that the Mayor should work with a “cabinet” of Councillors, including councillors from opposition parties
- that the Council’s “scrutiny” procedures should be improved
- that the Elected Mayor would be the “first citizen” of the Borough, and that the person who Chairs meetings of the Council (currently the “Mayor”) should be known as the “Chair of the Council”.

So now the people of Bury get to decide whether to have an Elected Mayor or not, in a referendum on 3 July 2008. Lib Dems are opposed, and we’ll be campaigning hard to stop this undemocratic waste of money.

tim

Prestwich, April 2008

Dear Neighbour

It’s been my honour to be one of your local councillors for the last 17 years.

Over the years I’ve had the chance to meet and work with many local people on issues that concern you, and working to make this area a better place to live.

Mary and I have chosen to bring up our family in this area and, like you, I care passionately about the future of our community.

Please join me in my campaign to make the Holyrood Ward a thriving and sustainable place for us all.

Cllr Vic D’Albert

PS - Please remember your vote won’t count until its in the ballot box! Polling stations are open on Thursday 1 st May 2008 7am-10pm. If you have a postal vote this must be sent in before 1 May, or handed in at a polling station on 1 st May.
Contact Vic: email: vic@burylibdems.net - phone 0161 773 9905

Five Great Reasons for Voting for Vic D’Albert
1 - Local Candidate
Vic has lived in Prestwich for 25 years and our local councillor for 17 years - he’s the local choice for Holyrood Ward.

2 - Hard Working 
Vic works hard all year round and keeps in touch all year round with “FOCUS” - not just at election time like the others.

3 - Prestwich First
21 years of neglect when Labour ran Bury - local Lib Dems are now delivering more facilities, safer roads and more money for street cleaning.

4 - Environment
Local Lib Dems delivered on Blue Bins for every house last year, and have now secured more money for parks and litter enforcement.

5 - Lib Dems Listen!
Your local Lib Dems listen to local people and take your views seriously. We’ve secured money for a top level public consultation on the future of Prestwich Village.

Election statement to readers of the Bury Times:

Liberal Democrats across Bury have had a brilliant response from local residents. People are telling us that they are fed up of Labour closing post offices, taxing poorer people and watching the economy slide. People are uncertain what the Conservatives stand for, and haven’t noticed any improvement since they took over last year.

Liberal Democrats in Bury have three clear priorities:

We want safe, thriving communities across Bury. People must feel safe in their own streets and communities. This isn’t just about tackling crime, it’s about stronger, united communities. That’s why we’re opposing Post Office closures and why we secured massively increased funding for children in the Council budget. It’s also why we have always opposed the unfair and divisive congestion charge.

We want Bury to be the greenest Metropolitan Borough in Britain. Last year Lib Dems secured blue recycling bins for every house, and this year more money for parks and cleaning. We cherish Bury’s beautiful environment. We will work hard to protect it.

We believe in giving power to local people, not keeping it at the Town Hall. This means that decisions should be made locally in the six towns that make up Bury. It means local people making decisions at the most local level about the services that effect communities.

On May 1st we have a choice - A return to the 21 years of neglect under Labour’s rule in Bury, uncertainty under the Tories, or a clear vision for a better Bury from your local Liberal Democrats.

Vic D’Albert - Liberal Democrat Focus Team
A record of ACTION
Vic stands up for our local area all year round at the Town Hall. Vic and the team succesfully campaigned to save our local High School, and are now campainging to save our post offices.

Putting our area FIRST

Local Lib Dems are working hard to turn back years of Labour neglect of Prestwich - new play facilities, new children’s centres, traffic calming measures and more.
Vic and local Lib Dems have secured money for a top-level review of Prestwich “Village Centre” giving local people the chance to have our say on its future.

Safe and GREEN 
Lib Dems secured Blue Bins for every household and have now secured more money for parks and clearing litter. We’ve succesfully stopped cuts in youth service provision.

Gordon Brown’s Labour Candidate
Going Going GONE

Labour tried to close our local School Prestwich Arts College. Labour are now pushing ahead with plans to close 2,500 post offices - that’s NINE in Bury - but they won’t tell us which ones till after the election!

Crunch and SQUEEZE
Labour have abolished the 10p income tax rate and from this month poorer local people will be WORSE off than before. Homeowners and families are worried about how Gordon Brown is running the economy and the ‘credit crunch’.

£5 a DAY 
Labour councillors across Greater Manchester seem intent to press ahead with the Congestion Charge scheme which will mean we have to pay to drive over the Motorway, It’s the only place outside London where Labour want to charge!

Your Vote Counts

 • Polling stations are open 7.00am to 10.00pm

• You don’t need your polling card to vote

• If you have a POSTAL VOTE, but haven’t sent it in yet, you can still take your envelope down to your local polling station on the day.

• If you need a lift to the polling station, if you want to help Vic win, or need any other information - call Vic on 0161 773 9905 - email vic@burylibdems.net

Two Horse Race!

Remember the Conservatives came a poor third in Holyrood ward last time. The Conservatives have NO COUNCILLORS anywhere in Prestwich. A vote for the Conservatives only risks letting Labour back in by the back door.

It’s been a busy year for your three Lib Dem FOCUS Team Councillors:

Save our Post Offices
The Labour Government is proposing to close 2,500 post offices - that means NINE in Bury alone. Disgracefully, they’ve put off telling us which ones will close until after the local elections!. Your local councillors are campaigning to save our much needed local post offices like the post office at St Margarets.

Play Facilities
After years of campaigning, new children’s play facilities have been installed at Bailey Street after a design competition in a local school. Funding has been secured and plans are now in their final stages to improve security at Heaton Park school, and build a new Under 5’s play area.  Funding is also secured for “ball zone” for older children near Parrenthorn school.

Budget Success
In the recent Council Budget discussions the Lib Dem team of Councillors from Prestwich successfully secured a boost areas like Prestwich with more money for parks, more money for street cleaning and litter enforcement and stopped “cuts” to youth services  and services for vulnerable children. We refused to support a disgraceful Labour proposal that would have meant cutting £1 million off  much needed help for vulnerable adults with disabilities and children in need.

Bury in the Balance
After the elections last year - no one Party has  “control” of Bury Council. Your local Lib Dem Councillors refused to enter into a coalition with either of the other parties - we vote on  a case by case basis in the best interests of the people we represent.  Proud of Prestwich
After 21 years of neglect while the Labour Party ran Bury,  your local Lib Dems have secured investment to plan for the future of our Prestwich “Village Centre”. We want to see a village that we can all be proud of and are asking local people to “have their say”.

Keeping in Touch
We’ve kept in touch with local people ALL YEAR ROUND with our popular “FOCUS” newsletters - delivered free of charge to every house in Holyrood. You can new keep up with our work “online” as each of your local councillors has a regularly updated councillor’s website.

No Charge
Your local Councillors have consistently opposed the proposal to introduce a “Congestion Charge” proposed by the Labour led Greater Manchester authorities. We support the need to tackle climate change - but to charge local people for driving between Whitefield and Prestwich is the wrong answer.  People are rightly concerned what this would do to our area.

Local Champions
Your local Lib Dem Councillors have stood up for our local area all year round:
• supported local people opposing planning applications on Sandgate Road and the Polefield Shops
• Worked with the Police to tackle youth nuisance and crime
• Worked with local community groups such as the Simister Village Community Association and Polefiel’s TRA.

 Liberal Democrats have selected popular local Councillor Vic D’Albert to fight Holyrood Ward in the local elections on 1 May 2008. 

Well known local man Vic D’Albert has represented the Holyrood Ward on Bury Council for the last 17 years.  During that time Vic has worked tirelessly for our local area, campaigning for safer streets, better services and a greener community.

Commenting on his selection, Vic said: “It’s always been an honour to represent this area. Together with my wife Mary, I’ve lived in Prestwich now for 25 years and I know how important this area is.”

“Over the years I’ve had the opportunity to work with many local residents, and to help many people with local issues and concerns.”

“Thank you for all your continuing support.”

 Local Election FACT FILE

• “Holyrood Ward” is one of three election wards in the Prestwich area. It includes the northern parts of Prestwich, together with the “Kirkhams” area of Whitefield south of the Motorway, together with the distinct communities of Simister, and Rhodes and Bowlee on the Rochdale border.

• You have three Liberal Democrat councillors - Vic D’Albert, Wilf Davison and Tim Pickstone.

• Local Elections take place across Bury on Thursday 1 May 2008. If you have a postal vote, this will be sent to you about 10 days before.

• Vic D’Albert has been a hardworking local councillor for this area for the last 17 years.

• Vic is the local candidate - he has lived in the area with his family for 25 years.

• Vic is the successful Chair of the Prestwich Local Area Partnership, leading improvements in the local area such as the Village Centre and new play areas.

• Elections in Prestwich are always a close run contest between the local Lib Dems and the Bury Labour Party. The Conservatives have no Councillors in Prestwich and cannot win here.

Published by Andrew Garner in Promotion of Vic D’Albert - both at 82 Glebelands Road M25

Liberal Democrats have announced a full team of candidates to contest the elections for Bury Council on Thursday 1 May 2008. One third of the seats on the Council are up for election, with one councillor to be elected in each of the 17 wards.

Two Councillors are seeking re-election - Vic D’Albert in Holyrood and Ann Garner in Sedgley.

Liberal Democrat candidates are:
Ramsbottom, Tottington and North Manor
Ramsbottom - Janet Turner
Tottington - David Foss
North Manor - Ewan Arthur
Bury West
Elton - Robert Sloss
Church - Tamsin Thomson
Bury East
Moorside - Nissa Finney
East - Emma Davison
Redvales - Paul Jenkins
Radcliffe
Radcliffe North - Lynne Molloy
Radcliffe West - Joanne O’Hanlon
Radcliffe East - Mike Halsall
Whitefield and Unsworth
Unsworth - Theo Tzymcyca
Besses - Julie Baum
Pilkington Park - Wayne Burrows
Prestwich
Holyrood - Vic D’Albert
St Mary’s - Mary D’Albert
Sedgley - Ann Garner

Last night was a meeting of Bury Council’s Joint Consultative Committee with its staff trades unions. This is an important meeting that brings together representatives of the various Trade Unions which Bury’s employees are members of, with elected Councillors.

There were a number of issues to report.
Equality and Diversity
The Council is doing well having achieved Level 3 of the National Equality Standard as an employer of staff. Work is being done to ensure that this high standard is maintained and perhaps improved on (you can go to level 4).
Alternative Service Models
It was reported to the meeting that moving forward on these issues, about changing the way the Council provides some of its “back office” functions, has been delayed to the new municipal year (after May).
Pay
It was reported that staff and employers were discussing at a national level on local government pay - at present there was a proposal of 2.45% rise for 2008-2009 (with £100 more a year for the lowest paid) - but I suspect there will be more discussions to be had!
Equal Pay
The most keenly discussed issue was the process around dealing with the Local Pay Grading Review - often referred to as the “equal pay” issue. Staff are understanably concerned about reviews like this, and the Trades Unions were very keen that we understood that they wished this uncertainty to end.

tim

The Lib Dems have claimed to be the “practical” party of local government at the launch of their campaign for council elections in England and Wales. Leader Nick Clegg said the party’s record was a “success story - quality services, and value for money”.

Speaking at the campaign launch in Sheffield, he accused Labour of failing on crime and the Tories of having “no stomach” for addressing green issues.

The party currently controls 29 local authorities across Britain, and is defending 700 Council seats on May 1st. We also hope to make other gains in Bury, including of course in St Mary’s.

Today, Nick Clegg said the party had come up with local solutions to problems including housing, crime and the environment.

“The Liberal Democrat record in local government is a success story - quality services, and value for money. And we are ready to apply the lessons that we have learned to councils throughout this country. “ He said: “We don’t promise to fix or solve every problem, but we do promise to give people a say, to give them the opportunity to fix things for themselves.”

With the local elections on 1 May 2008 only a month away, an increasing amount of my time is being spent “on the campaign trail” helping Liberal Democrats standing for election for the Council. Council meetings are now almost over until the next municipal year, which gives even more time for campaigning!

In Holyrood Ward, Vic D’Albert, who’s been our councillor for an increadable 17 years is standing for re-election, and there will be a full-slate of Liberal Democrat candidates across Bury.

As the Lib Dem’s Group Leader in Bury I’ll be helping wherever I can and last night was an 0pportunity to join Mary D’Albert who is campaigning hard to become our third councillor in the next door St Mary’s Ward. Mary has lived locally in Prestwich for 25 years and will make a first class councillor. In joined Mary and her team canvassing in St Mary’s ward, and it was excellent to receive such a brilliant resposnse from local people on the doorstep. More information on Liberal Democrat canididates across Bury will be available on the Bury Lib Dem’s website after nominations have closed on Friday.

Tim