Planning Applications for Holyrood Ward received in January 2009. For more information on each case please click here. Don’t hesitate to contact us if you require any further information.

Application Number: 50903
Registration Date: 23/01/2009
Ward Name: Prestwich - Holyrood
Location: 2 THORNLEY ROAD, PRESTWICH, M25 2SN
Proposal: TWO STOREY SIDE EXTENSION (RESUBMISSION)
Case Officer: Amanda Uhunmwagho
Decision: Approve with Conditions
Appeal Received Date: This case has no appeals against it

Application Number: 50884
Registration Date: 22/01/2009
Ward Name: Prestwich - Holyrood
Location: 6 WILLOW ROAD, PRESTWICH, M25 3DZ
Proposal: SINGLE STOREY EXTENSION AT FRONT; SINGLE AND TWO STOREY EXTENSIONS AT SIDE AND REAR; CONSERVATORY AT REAR
Case Officer: Amanda Uhunmwagho
Decision: Approve with Conditions
Appeal Received Date: This case has no appeals against it

Application Number: 50859
Registration Date: 13/01/2009
Ward Name: Prestwich - Holyrood
Location: 86 WARWICK AVENUE, WHITEFIELD, M45 6TT
Proposal: TWO STOREY/SINGLE STOREY EXTENSION AT SIDE
Case Officer: Jennie Townsend
Decision: Approve with Conditions
Appeal Received Date: This case has no appeals against it

Application Number: 50856
Registration Date: 12/01/2009
Ward Name: Prestwich - Holyrood
Location: 309 HEYWOOD ROAD, PRESTWICH, M25 2RF
Proposal: SINGLE STOREY SIDE AND REAR EXTENSION
Case Officer: Tom Beirne
Decision: Approve with Conditions
Appeal Received Date: This case has no appeals against it

Application Number: 50814
Registration Date: 08/01/2009
Ward Name: Prestwich - Holyrood
Location: ST MARGARETS C OF E PRIMARY SCHOOL, HEYWOOD ROAD, PRESTWICH, M25 2BW
Proposal: ERECTION OF 2.4M HIGH PALADIN FENCING AND GATES
Case Officer: Helen Longworth
Decision: Approve with Conditions
Appeal Received Date: This case has no appeals against it

Application Number: 50836
Registration Date: 07/01/2009
Ward Name: Prestwich - Holyrood
Location: 15 PINE GROVE, PRESTWICH, M25 3DR
Proposal: DETACHED GARAGE
Case Officer: Jennie Townsend
Decision: Approve with Conditions
Appeal Received Date: This case has no appeals against it
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Local people have been concerned about rumours of the future of bus services that serve Simister Village. All of these services are subsidised by GMPTE as they provide a vital public service. I’ve had discussions with bothy PTE and the current operator BuVal and can report the following good news:

795 - No changes - this is the school service that goes to Parenthorn School and will continue to be operated by BuVal.

96 - No changes - this Simister - Manchester service has been extended again to January 2010 (again operated by BuVal.

495 - Simister - Tescos - this service will stop being operated by BuVal from April 2009, however a new operator (not yet disclosed) has been agreed by the PTE and will continue as normal after April there will be no timetable changes to the service.

Hope this clarifies the situation.

Tim

Information about a “Celebrate Fairtrade” event at Bury Parish Church on Saturday February 21st 2009, 10.30am - 1.00pm - well worth our support.

The Diocese of Manchester is in the forefront of the promotion locally of Fair Trade as an honourable social justice movement and proven method of helping marginalised farmers and producers in the developing world move from vulnerability towards security and economic self-sufficiency.

In 2007, Fair trade certified sales amounted to approximately £2.3 billion worldwide, almost half as much again as in 2006! In June 2008, it was estimated that over 7.5 million disadvantaged producers and their families were benefiting from fair trade funded infrastructure, technical assistance and community development projects.*

To celebrate these achievements and to create additional local impetus, prior to the commencement of ‘Fairtrade Fortnight’ 2009 an event that is taking place in Bury Parish Church on Saturday 21st February, between 10.30am and 1.00pm. This ‘Celebration of Fairtrade’ will include a range of presentations, demonstrations and displays; tastings of Fairtrade products, (including Oromia Coffee from Ethiopia), Fairtrade refreshments and a short thanksgiving.

Last night was the regular meeting of the Council’s Executive Committee. This is the regular meeting which brings together the nine Executive Members from the ruling Conservative Group of the Council; myself and the Leader of the Labour Group are observer members of the Committee (with no vote).

Last night’s meeting was dominated by two major issues that are facing the Council at the present time; the proposed “amalgamation” of Radcliffe Riverside and Derby High Schools, and the future of residential care for elderly people. Public question time was dominated by the former issue, with a large number of parents and local people from nearby the schools at the meeting.

Local Economic Benefit
The Executive Committee considered a paper which agreed to develop a strategy about how best we secure local economic benefit from the money and the contracts that the Council spends - a fuller report is going to follow in the future.

Review of Secondary Education
The Executive Committee received a report on the consultation on the future of Secondary Education. What this proposes is that there is an amalgamation of the Derby High School and the Radcliffe Riverside School, in real terms this means that the Derby will be “taking over” the Riverside school, but there are certain guarantees in place to ensure continuity for Governors and staff. What is planned is that eventually, the new merged school will move a brand new purpose built school in Radcliffe, on the site of the former East Lancashire Paper Mill. When this happens, both the existing sites of the Derby, and the remaining site of Radcliffe Riverside (the former Coney Green School site) will be closed.

There are a number of complex issues:
- there will be a entry into the Radcliffe Riverside this autumn IF enough children want this (one of the problems of Radcliffe Riverside has been the falling number of children wanting to go to the school).
- the money for the new school has not yet been confirmed - its from a Government fund called “Building Schools for the Future” (”BSF”) which Bury won’t be told about until February.

The position of the Liberal Democrat Group has always been that there must be a high school in Radcliffe, and one that Radcliffe parents and children will want to attend and be proud of. The consultation has raised concerns about the children and families who currently attend the Derby High, and their future. As I said last night, we only get “one shot” at secondary education - from 11-16 - in Prestwich we know what a terrible impact the uncertainty the proposed closure of Prestwich Arts College had then and I don’t want this to happen to children at Riverside and Derby.

Domestic Violence Scrutiny Report
The Committee received a report on the working group of the “Safe and Strong Communities Scrutiny Commission” which had been looking in further detail at the council’s domestic violence policies.

Consultation on Residential Care and Living Accommodation for Eldery People
The Committee received a report on the options for the future of residential options for elderly people. This is an enormous issue which covers a number of areas of the Council’s work.

The recommended option, which will now go forward for further consultation would mean that:
· More community based services (including support at home, day services, leisure, etc) to help people live in their own homes for longer. At the current rate, demand projections estimate an extra 1150 domiciliary care packages will be required by 2020
· An estimated 500 more extra care units offering an alternative to residential care for the growing number of older people – including the development of health and well being centres (or ‘care’ villages) across the Borough together with enhanced sheltered housing
· Intermediate care centres at Killilea and Elmhurst
· Improved dementia care with 100 extra care / residential care units in approved settings by 2020· Better regulation, quality assurance and incentives to raise care standards in the public and private sectors
· More information for service users to help them make informed choices and take greater control of their care

What is less clear from these headlines, is how this will be paid for. What the detail of the report points to is that the Council will cease to run its existing generic elderly persons homes (e.g. over time they will close or be used for other things.

My colleague Vic D’Albert presented a report on the special Scrutiny Commission on this issue which asked the Executive Committee to defer consideration of the report until a number of important points had been clarified. Despite the fact that the decision of the Scrutiny Commission had had the support of all three Parties - including the Conservative Chair of the Scrutiny Commission! - the Conservatives on the Executive Committee decided to ignore this and proceed with the report as it stood.

Site Allocations Policy
The Executive Committee received a report and agreed to consult on the proposed Site Allocations Development Plan Document. This will seek to specifically identify sufficient land to meet development requirements over the same period the period of the local development framework, which is currently being developed.

The papers for the meeting are available here. Any questions or comments please get in touch!

Tim

Bury’s Conservative-run Council has published its first set of suggested “savings” and cuts from Council Services from next financial year (from 1 April 2009). These are available here.

The proposed savings include:

- reduction in the Libary Book funding
- reduction in Swimming Pool Opening Times
- reduction in street highway repair ‘gangs’
- reduced Educational Welfare Service
- reduce PE advice to schools

The most significant saving is £300,000 from the Youth Service, through “externalising the Youth Service”.

The savings fall over £1.3 million short of the “targets” that departments have been set, so look out for another list of “savings” and cuts to follow.

You can play the Bury Council Budget “game” here - have a go! I got the extra services I wanted with a tiny Council Tax Rise!

Last night I had the honour of playing a very small part in Bury’s Holocaust Memorial Service. The service took place on Holocaust Memorial Day, the anniversary of the date of the liberation of Nazi death camp Auschwitz-Birkenau. Representatives of the three political parties on Bury Council each signed a commitment on the Day, as we have done for each of the nine years that Bury has organised a service on the day.

As always, school students from a number of different schools across Bury had worked together to put on a very memorable and moving service. My biggest memory from this year’s service will be story, retold by local school students of a survivor of the Holocaust in Poland, who was with us last night in Bury. We also had musical accompaniment from members of the Bury Music Service Wind Quintet and Bury’s Young Voices.

The students also looked at some of the hatred in todays society, linking to this year’s theme for Holocaust Memorial Day - “Stand up to Hatred”.

“Stand up to hatred means not allowing others to intimidate me
Stand up to hatred means making the society we live in a better place
Stand up to hatred means to tell a teacher if I am bullied
Stand up to hatred means having the courage to stand up for what is right

Stand up to hatred means helping people if you see someone excluded
Stand up to hatred means stopping friends saying hateful comments about others
Stand up to hatred means getting to know people before judging them
Stand up to hatred means believing that this evil emotion shouldn’t exist

Stand up to hatred means allowing other people to join the community
Stand up to hatred means doing the right thing even if it involves personal sacrifice
Stand up to hatred means protecting human rights
Stand up to hatred means standing up even if you are standing alone”

More information on Holocaust Memorial Day can be found here, where you can light an online candle.

The BBC and Sky refused to show the DEC Gaza appeal, Nick Clegg today made the decision to show the video on www.NickClegg.com, his Facebook profile and the Liberal Democrats are also showing the video on the party site www.LibDems.org.uk.

Bury Children & Young People’s Information Service (ChYPIS), have put together a free February half term information pack, which contains lots of ideas and information about what local groups and organisations have got planned for the school holidays.

The pack contains details of Childcare options and things to do & places to go during the holiday period. Parents and carers can also add their details to the ChYPIS Holiday Mailing List, so that they automatically receive a FREE Information pack for each school holiday.

ChYPIS also provide information about Parent and Toddler Groups, Nurseries, Playgroups, Childminders, Before and After Schools Clubs, family support information and leisure information.

To receive your free half term information pack, or any other information mentioned above, please phone 0800 731 4611.

The Disaster Appeals Committee, which brings together 13 of the UKs biggest international aid charities, is calling for donations to support its work with the victims of the war in Gaza. This is the appeal which the BBC is refusing to broadcast. Personally I will always condemn violence, but people who have lost their homes and loved ones as a result of violence need our help and support.

Donate online to the DEC’s Gaza Crisis now
Thousands of people are struggling to survive with many having lost their homes and most down to their last supplies of food and only limited amounts of fresh drinking water.
Electricity - supplies to Gaza are erratic at best with 75% of the area cut off completely. There is a significant public health risk arising out of the almost collapse of Gaza’s water and sewage system, the running of which is dependent on electricity.
Water - Around 500,000 people are without running water with 37% of Gaza’s water wells not working effectively and fuel reserves depleted due to restrictions on access and damage to pipes.
At least 412 Children have been killed and 1,855 injured, 60% of the population is living in poverty
1.1 million people are dependent upon aid to survive.

The Evening News/Advertiser are reporting the story that Transport Secretary Geoff Hoon is proposing to spend some of the proposed £6 Billion of transport infrastructure projects on the northern part of the M60. This includes one short stretch of a 4th lane (in one direction near Worsley), but more controversially, Hard Shoulder Running for the whole stretch as it runs past Prestwich (from Simister island through to the M62 turnoff near Worsley.

Liberal Democrats locally have been raising concerns about air pollution from the M60 for many years - by some measures we have the worst air pollution in the North West (at Junction 17). We’ve been interested in the scheme on the M40 in the West Midlands, which also uses Hard Shoulder Running, as it has been shown to REDUCE air pollution (basically because the traffic keeps moving, even if it is at a slower speed).

We need to find out more about the Government’s proposals - what would the impact of Hard Shoulder Running be on our local communities? What is the physical impact of the scheme on our local junctions (J17 and Simister Island)?

I’ll post more when I find out more - comments and thoughts much appreciated. This is the MEN news story.

Tim

During February half term Bury Council Sports Development Team have organised a number of sports camps which will encourage youngsters to improve their skills and try out a variety of different sports from cricket to basketball.

The camps are aimed at 8 to 11 year olds and take place at Holy Cross College.

The first three day cricket themed camp takes place between 16 and 18 February. The camp takes place between 10am and 4pm and provides three full days of activities. The cost for this sports camp is £35.

On 19 and 20 February a multi sports cam will allow youngsters to try out a wide variety of sports including basketball, rounders, cricket and football. The two day camp takes place between 10am and 4pm on both days and costs £25 per child.

For active children and young people who wish to take part in both camps – they can book a place at both sessions for just £50.

Equipment for the sports activities is provided but participants are required to bring their own lunch with them.

To book a place on the course please contact Pritesh Patel on 0161 253 7076.

Following a request from the new Sandwich Shop at 361 Bury Old Road, the Council is to introduce two “30 minutes only” parking bays on the south side of Heys Road just next to Bury Old Road.

Local residents have been consulted and no objections have been received. Traffic Officers have looked at the site and consider that there is enough space and capacity to have these limited waiting spaces here.

Please get in touch for more information.

Tim

Last night was the regular meeting of the Executive Committee of Bury Council. This brings together the nine Executive members from the ruling Conservative Group - myself and the Leader of the Labour Group are there with no vote.

I’m pretty sure that this was the shortest Council Meeting I’ve ever been to - which is nothing to be proud of - over and done with in 16 minutes. I did ask a question on most of the agenda items, but otherwise everything went through at record speed!

The main issues discussed were:

Three Year Financial Strategy
This was the regular report which is received at this time each year which sets out the framework for the Council’s budget for next year. As always, the more interesting (and sometimes difficult) issues are to follow as we get more into the budget.

Planning Guidance for new Homes
We finally adopted the revised planning guidance for the construction of new dwellings in Bury. For the last couple of years there has been a limit on the construction of new dwellings to Town Centre sites only (with a few special exceptions). We will now be returning to the normal rules that existed before this restriction.
What remains in place, and I did ask to check to this, is that unless there are very exceptional reasons why, Bury will be limited to its Government “limit” on new dwellings - just over 500 a year. Obviously at the present economic time, we’d be lucky to get this amount.

MIDAS Ownsership
The Executive agreed to the proposed transfer of Manchester Investment Development Agency Services Limited (“MIDAS”) from Manchester Enterprises, to the ten local authorities of Greater Manchester.

Grants to Voluntary Organisations
The Executive Committee agreed grants to voluntary sector organisations in Bury. As the item is confidential I can’t report on the detail of it yet. I did raise a couple of issues about funding for charities in Bury. This is the end of a three year funding plan for the voluntary sector in the Borough, and I did ask that work started soon on any future funding package so that organisations, and the people who work for them and people who rely on them, don’t enter a period of uncertainty and worry as the next financial year draws to a close. I was assured that this would be the case, and the reported next year would be received significantly earlier than this year.

Decisions of the AGMA Executive
These items are for information only - but there are some really interesting issues here. I will follow this up, but it seems that Greater Manchester’s taxpayers spent £21 Million on that Congestion Charge referendum saga.

All the papers can be downloaded from http://burydem.bury.gov.uk/aksbury/users/public/admin/kab14.pl?operation=SUBMIT&meet=105&cmte=CAB&grpid=public&arc=71. Any questions please ask!
Tim

Tuesday night was the regular meeting of the Prestwich Local Area Partnership. This is the regular meeting that brings together your nine local Liberal Democrat Councillors in Prestwich and local partners such as the police, NHS and community groups and representatives.

We tend to move around Prestwich, and this month we were down at Butterstille Primary School. The only disadvantage of this is the size of the chairs which are more aimed at 7 year olds than 40 year olds!

The main issues covered at the meeting were:

Prestwich Town Centre
My colleauge from St Mary’s Ward Donal O’Hanlon updated us on the work of the Town Centre Working Group. The main issue here has been the research and consultation on the future of Prestwich Town (Village) Centre that’s been going on over the last year. All of us were asked for our views on the proposals towards the end of last year and the people of Prestwich gave the plans a resounding “thumbs up”!

However the Area Partnership expressed its concern and disappointment about the delays in the plans which seem to have been caused by Tescos. The plans were to have been considered by the Council’s Executive Committee on Wednesday (14 Jan), however the proposals were taken off the Agenda at the last minute. I understand that this is because Tescos have some concerns that it was felt to best to consider. Like many of us I’m a regular customer at our local Tescos and its a great facility for Prestwich. I just wish they’ed spoken sooner during the consultation.

Grants to Community Groups
The Local Grants Panel reported a grant to Prestwich Tennis, Cricket and Bowling Club (off Hey’s Road) of £1,500 to help develop better facilities for disabled users at the Club.

Updates from Service Providers
There were a lot of updates from service providers at the meeting. This included the Extended Children’s Services team who are now up and running at two Children’s Centres at Sedgley and Butterstille; the PCT who are nearing completion of their new health “commissioning” plans for Bury; and the local Police who particularly wanted to stress worries about household burglaries at the present time.

More information is available here

The next Prestwich Local Area Partnership meeting will take place on Tuesday 13 January at 6.30pm at Butterstile Primary School, School Grove, Prestwich.

Items under the spotlight at this meeting are the final regeneration plans for Prestwich, changes to local NHS services and an update on St Mary’s Conservation Area.

One of the key issues highlighted through responses to the consultation was the importance of keeping the Railway and Naturalist pub in the centre of Prestwich. The LAP meeting will announce the final proposals for this aspect of the regeneration plans. Attendees will have the chance to discuss the regeneration plans, before they are considered by the Council Executive.

In total, nearly 500 people responded to the consultation and results indicate that the majority of people supported the proposed ideas put forward. There were so important issues highlighted and these have been considered and shaped the final version of Love Prestwich Regeneration Strategy.

Councillor Vic D’ Albert, Chair of Prestwich Local Area Partnership, said “This meeting marks the end of a twelve month period of finding out what people like and don’t like about Prestwich and how we can make our town centre thrive again. I am delighted that the number of responses to the consultation have been one of the highest I’ve seen in my time as a Councillor in Bury, which clearly indicates how important our village town centre is to us all”.

“The feedback raised some very important issues such as retaining the Railway & Naturalist Pub as well as divided opinions around traffic. The final report reflects these points and I hope its cheers all round. We can’t please everyone all the time with the plans, but we support the plans that reflect the views of the majority of residents and businesses to ensure that we get back a thriving town centre”.

Butterstile Children’s Centre will also be staying open so that anyone attending the meeting can have a look round this new community facility at 6pm. Staff from the Children’s Centre will also be on hand to answer any questions or queries.

To find out more about the meeting please contact Carran O’Grady, Prestwich Local Area Partnership Manager on 0161 253 7245.

A special “Awarm” Training Session will be held at 5.30 on Tue 13 January 2009 at Butterstile Primary School - Children’s Centre.

As the eyes and ears of Prestwich community you may have access to vulnerable people living in cold, damp unhealthy homes? If so this training is for you!

The new Energy Support Officer for Bury Council and part of my remit is to implement the Affordable Warmth Strategy action plan which aims to reduce fuel poverty, this is where a household needs to spend more than 10% of its income on fuel & power. In 2005 it was estimated that over 10255 households in Bury were in fuel poverty. Due to recent price rises this figure is likely to have dramatically increased.

AWARM (Affordable Warmth Access Referral Mechanism) training can give you the expertise to recognise potential fuel poverty within households that you visit & enable you to make a simple referral to provide help to improve the health, living conditions & quality of life of the householder. The following services may be available for the householder from this referral:

- Grant for central heating, loft Insulation and cavity wall insulation
- Benefit entitlement checks
- Debt advice
- Home fire safety check including free smoke alarms

Improved home insulation & heating can reduce the incidence of associated health problems that are exacerbated by living in cold conditions, such as asthma, arthritis & cardiovascular problems & will help to eliminate excess winter deaths. In Bury, in the winter of 2002-2003, there were 80 excess winter deaths!

We do not want residents living in Prestwich to suffer from not being able to afford heating so if you can attend this session it would be useful. More information from Carran O’Grady