NHS Bury Clinical Commissioning Group (NHS Bury CCG) has launched a four week engagement phase to gather views on conditions for which over the counter items should not routinely be prescribed. New Greater Manchester guidance, following a national consultation, has been issued to CCGs in relation to reducing prescribing of over the counter medicines for […]

The formal public consultation on the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework ends a month from now on 18 March 2019. This is your opportunity to have your say on these important plans which will have a massive impact on our local area for generations to come. You can take part in the consultation online, or in […]

A huge thank you to everyone who responded to the Prestwich Crime Survey towards the end of last year and the start of 2019. We had a great response, both the post and online. What we were looking to find out is local people’s views on policing in the area, to help us best represent […]

Just before Christmas Liberal Democrat Group Leader Councillor Tim Pickstone caught up with Bury’s recently appointed Assistant Director of Education and Inclusion, Paul Delbridge-Smith, who took up post with Bury Council in August. One of Paul’s first priorities was to get an accurate picture how Bury’s schools are doing and how well they are performing […]

Just before Christmas I was able to meet with staff from both the Council and NHS Bury Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) for an update on mental health services for children and young people (historically referred to as CAMHS – Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services). This followed on from a written question at the last […]

This week the Government published a consultation on Waste Strategy, which has been criticised for its lack of ambition. The strategy aims to: – Introduce a tax on single use plastic with less than 30% recycled content. – Consider banning plastic packaging where there are alternatives. – Legislate to allow government to specify a core […]

Bury’s final ‘Full Council’ of the year took place at the end of November. This is the meeting, normally six times a year, where all 51 Bury Councillors meet to undertake some of the important functions of the authority. Gambling Policy Every few years local authorities have to publish a ‘Gambling Policy’, which was agreed […]

At the most recent full meeting of Bury Council, the Liberal Democrat group of councillors were successful in getting the whole Council to sign up to a principle of building future homes which are ‘fit for the future’. Recently the Government has announced a relaxation of the restrictions on Councils which will hopefully mean that […]

Last week was the meeting of Bury Council’s Cabinet, and earlier this week the meeting of the Council’s Audit Committee. Both meetings considered the mid-year financial report for the Council which raise some very concerning issues. Councillor Tim Pickstone was at the Cabinet, Councillor Steve Wright was at the Audit Committee: Both meetings heard that […]

A pilot Metrolink offer launched on Monday. These ‘Early Bird’ products are aiming to reduce congestion by encouraging travel at times where there is less overcrowding. The reduced prices are available every weekday until Christmas Eve but only on the ‘Get Me There’ smartphone app and must be purchased before 7am. There are two options: […]