A referendum on the issue of an elected Mayor took place on July 3rd, when local people were asked whether they wished to change the way the Council is run. The option to replace the current system with an elected Mayor was defeated.

Commenting on the result, leader of Bury Liberal Democrats, Cllr Tim Pickstone said, “The Lib Dems in Bury campaigned hard for a “No” vote in the referendum, and I am glad that the idea of an elected Mayor has been rejected by local people.”

The “Yes” campaign suggested that the voting for a Mayor would help defeat plans for a congestion charge. Cllr Pickstone rejected this view,: “The idea that a Mayor could stop the congestion charge was always false, and I always thought that local people wouldn’t believe it. Bury Lib Dems continue to oppose the congestion charge, and the Council is now free to carry on working hard to get improved public transport for Bury without this additional tax.”

Cllr Pickstone added, “The issue of the Mayor was always about more than the congestion charge. A Mayor would have meant a less democratic system for local people, and would have cost a small fortune every year. Liberal Democrats believe that decisions should be taken in local communities, not by one person at the Town Hall. We also believe that tax payers money should be spent on better services and lower taxes, not on a big car and a big office for an elected Mayor. The rejection of the Mayor gives us the best chance to continue fighting for real power for local people, and better local services for everyone.”

Today polling stations are open in the referendum to decide whether Bury should have an elected Mayor.
People should vote at their normal polling stations (that we used for the elections in May). The polling stations are open from 7.00am - 10.00pm. You do not need your polling card to vote.
If you have a postal vote which hasn’t yet been returned, you can fill this in in the normal way and take it round to your local polling station.

The local Liberal Democrats are urging everyone to vote NO in the election because we believe this to be an undemocratic waste of public money. Lots of people have questions about this important issue, the local Lib Dems have produced this factsheet
to answer some of your questions.

On July 3rd, the people of Bury will be asked to vote in a referendum. You should have already received your polling cards and people who have a postal vote should have received their ballot papers in the last few days. Everyone will have their chance to say whether or not you want the way the Council is run to change, so that it is led by an elected Mayor.

Lots of people have questions about this important issue, the local Lib Dems have produced this factsheet
to answer some of your questions.

PLEASE SUPPORT YOUR POST OFFICES - SAY NO TO CLOSURE

Under proposals submitted by The Post Office and supported by the Labour Government, a further 5 Post Offices are being proposed for closure in the Bury area.

They are at Limefield on Walmersley Road, Ainsworth Road, Radcliffe, Elton, Greenmount and Rochdale Road.

We believe these are much valued community facilities that are depended upon by many in our communities, especially the elderly.The Post Office is now consulting on their proposals. Please sign and encourage friends to sign. The more support we can get the more likely we can make The Post Office listen to local people.

Sign the petition here

In the wake of the announcement that dozens of post offices in and around Greater Manchester, including 5 in Bury and 11 across the Stockport Borough, are scheduled for closure, Liberal Democrats from across the area have launched a petition to ‘Save our Post Offices’.

Hazel Grove Constituency MP Andrew Stunell, Cheadle Constituency MP Mark Hunter, Manchester Withington MP John Leech and Rochdale MP Paul Rowen, along with Lib Dem Councillors and activists launched the petition today in central Manchester by holding a demonstration to oppose the plans and asking local residents to sign up in support of the protest.

Speaking after the launch Mr Hunter said: “It’s not too late for action on this issue. I hope local people will speak out and sign our petition to save their local post office. Many are under threat now and many more will surely follow if the Government gets is way.

“Post Offices are a vital part of the community; they often help to keep local other shops afloat and are relied on by a very wide variety of people particularly the elderly and young mums. It seems to me that Labour is fast becoming a Government that knows the price of everything and the value of nothing. The Liberal Democrats are committed to the future of the Post Office and we will keep up our campaign to show the Government that local people want to keep their Post Offices open.”

Mr Stunell added: “We lost a lot of Post Offices in this area when the Conservatives were last in Government, and now we are faced with a Labour Government that does not understand how strongly people feel about their local Post Office.

In fact the situation could soon get even worse - the Post Office Card Account that many pensioners rely on for drawing their pensions and benefits is being reviewed and if that work is lost by Royal Mail than even more Post Offices will surely be closed in the future.

The Liberal Democrats have a viable plan to prevent further closures and help to sustain the network; a plan that wouldn’t cost the earth that would invest in our local Post Office network not chop it up. Post Offices should be local and should be supporting our communities and we will continue to fight with our local community to save them.”

Manchester based regeneration experts ‘URBED’ are seeking the views of local people on their initial options for a regeneration strategy that is looking to reshape the face, and the fortunes of Prestwich. Having conducted an appraisal of the area, the masterplanning options are now available to view in Prestwich Library and at the Longfield Centre for a three week period between 19th May and 6th June 2008. The library is open from 9am to 7.30 Mondays and Thursdays, 9am to 5pm Tuesdays and Fridays , 9am to 1pm Wednesdays and Saturdays and 10am to 2pm on Sundays. For those unable to attend the consultation, the documents are available to view online by visiting Urbed’s website on http://www.urbed.coop/ . There are three documents available online which (links below) including the “Options Report” which looks at a number of options for areas in Prestwich for development, including; The Longfield Centre, The Health Centre, Metrolink Station, Tesco’s, a Techno Park and Prestwich Hospital among others. URBED will use feedback from the options to help produce a final masterplan and development strategy for further consultation later on in the year that addresses the concerns of the community and local business community, as well as the development aspirations of developers.

Prestwich Option 1 - using an expanded Tescos to anchor the centre

Prestwich Option 2 - Anchoring the centre in the south

Prestwich Baseline Report Draft Baseline Report May 2008 Prestwich Consultation Report Report of proceedings of the Prestwich Roundtable Workshop in the Longfield Suite 13th March 2008 Prestwich Options Report Options Report for Prestwich May 2008 Prestwich Masterplanning Options

Liberal Democrats at Bury’s election count last night:

Here’s our new team of Councillors in St Mary’s Ward - Donal O’Hanlon, Mary D’Albert and Richard Baum…… Labour MP Ivan Lewis sneaks past behind.

Lib Dem Councillors elected last night Mary D’Albert, Vic D’Albert and Ann Garner with some of their group colleagues Steve Wright, Wilf Davison and Donal O’Hanlon.

More pictures here

Liberal Democrats have continued to move forward on Bury Council making another gain from Labour and holding off a challenges from the Conservatives. This is the fifth election in a row in Bury where we have made gains.

Full results to follow, but in our key wards in Prestwich the results were as follows:

Holyrood
Vic D’Albert (Lib Dem) 1632
Labour 669
Conservative 852

St Mary’s
Mary D’Albert (Lib Dem) 1308
Labour 1013
Conservatives 692

Sedgley
Ann Garner (Lib Dem) 1488
Labour 906
Conservatives 1238

Across Prestwich the share of the vote was:
Liberal Democrats - 45%
Labour 26%
Conservatives 28%

The Liberal Democrats now have ALL NINE councillors in Prestwich. We’ll be doing our best all year round to stand up for the local community.

Across the motorway Lib Dem candidate Julie Baum put in a stunning performance to move into second place with a 50% increase in the Lib Dem vote.
Besses
Julie Baum (Lib Dem) 614
Labour 1084
Conservatives 584
Others 354

Well done to all our candidates, but particularly to re-elected Councillors Vic D’Albert and Ann Garner, and to new Councillor Mary D’Albert.
A huge thank you to the whole Lib Dem campaign team for a stunning result. Full results to follow.

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.

Ann Garner, our hard working local councillor for the last 5 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 Sedgley
Downham Crescent/Meade Hill Road areas - Mobile Van on Meade Hill Road
Park Road and Brooklands Road areas - Mobile Van on Castle Hill Road
Kings Road, Bishops Road, Sedgley Park Road areas - Sedgley Park Primary School, Bishops Road
George Street, Bland Road areas - Mobile Van on Portugal Road
Whittaker Lane and Bent Hill areas - St Hilda’s Primary on Whittaker Lane
Recory Lane, Park View and Deyne Avenue areas - Park View Primary

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

Thank you!

Apologies for the Video Hight - we need to upgrade our software!

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.

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

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.”

People in Bury are being given the chance to raise public transport issues face-to-face with the managers responsible for running their services next week.

Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority (GMPTA) is hosting a Transport Operator Surgery at Bury Travel Shop on Saturday 29 March between 11am and 1pm.

Representatives from First Manchester and Stagecoach Metrolink will be attending, along with officers from GMPTA and GMPTE.
The event is the first of four to be held in Bury this year.

Councillor Andrew Garner, GMPTA spokesperson for Bury, said: “We want to hear more about people’s public transport experiences and any suggestions for improvements. “When we held more formal meetings in Bury we had low attendance, but I’m sure these new surgeries will give us the chance to speak to a much broader range of passengers. “I’d encourage anyone with something to say about local public transport issues to come along on Saturday – and let us know how we can improve the services they use.”

Four surgeries a year will be held at bus stations, key transport interchanges, and other suitable locations in each of the ten Greater Manchester districts.

GMPTA also holds regular Greater Manchester-wide transport seminars. Its website – www.gmpta.gov.uk – is also being developed to allow online consultations and a dedicated ‘tell us about your local transport issues’ section.

Liberal  Democrats in Bury have accused Ivan Lewis MP and David Chaytor MP of failing to support local services after they voted to support the Government’s massive post office closure programme.

The Government has ordered that one in five branches be closed. Opposition MPs tried to stop the closure programme on 19th March when a motion was proposed in the House of Commons demanding the Government halt their plans to make 2500 branches shut up shop.

But enough Labour MPs rallied around the Government’s closure plans to reject the motion and ensure the closure programme can continue unhindered. Two of those voting to close post offices were Bury’s MP.

Disappointed local Liberal Democrat campaigners are calling on Ivan Lewis and David Chaytor to explain why s/he voted to close post offices.
“Our MPs have let down people in Bury by voting to allow the closures to continue,” said Lib Dem Parliamentary Spokesperson Vic D’Albert. “In May the announcement will be made as to which branches here will be put forward for closure. This was an opportunity for Ivan Lewis and David Chayor to make a stand on behalf of residents. I am disappointed they have backed the Government rather than local people.

“The loss of post offices will hit communities hard in Bury. They are vital assets for many local people and closing them will cause many difficulties for older people and others with mobility problems, in particular.
“Despite the decision of our MPs to help the Government press ahead with closure, Liberal Democrats are continuing to fight the demolition of the post office network.”

A new door-to-door transport service for people with access and mobility difficulties is off to a flying start in Bury. Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority (GMPTA) extended the popular Ring & Ride service at the end of January when it added nine new minibuses to provide extra trips across the conurbation.

In the first few months, 246 passengers journeys have been made from Bury on the new ‘cross boundary’ service into neighbouring districts. And 2,355 journeys have been made across the conurbation.

Councillor Andrew Garner, Bury spokesperson for GMPTA, said: “Ring & Ride makes a real difference to people who find it difficult to use ordinary public transport to get out and about. “It has always been a very popular service for making trips in Bury but we’re always listening to users’ suggestions for improving it. “We surveyed passengers and they said they would be prefer to keep on paying a fare rather than travelling for free - so long as we invested in this new cross boundary service. “So I am delighted to see so many people finding it useful. It is clearly giving Ring & Ride users in Bury a lot more choice about where they can travel.”

Ring & Ride is run by Greater Manchester Accessible Transport Limited. Managing Director, Bernard Rowen, said: “I’m really pleased to see the new cross boundary services get off to such a good start. “Previously we could only offer local district based services but the new minibuses are allowing us to take people that bit farther afield into neighbouring areas. “The investment has clearly been worthwhile and I’m glad to be able to offer such an improved service. I’d encourage anyone who might want to give Ring and Ride a go to call us and register to use the service.” Passengers must register their details before they travel by calling the Bury depot on 0161 764 1999.

The service currently runs from 9.30am to 4.30pm, Monday to Friday. Journeys can be booked from seven days in advance up to one hour before travelling.

To book a journey on the cross boundary service call 0845 688 3989 (lines open between 8am and 4pm, Monday to Friday). Fares are set at £2 for a single journey, and £1 for a single journey for GMPTE concessionary permit holders. For more information on Ring & Ride visit www.ringandride.info

Children in Bury will be able to save £1 a week on the cost of school travel from next month.

Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority is introducing a new £6 weekly ticket for three of the school bus services it provides in the borough. It currently costs 70p for a single child ticket.

The School Saver ticket will be valid on the 799 service to Derby High and the 797 and 798 to St Monica’s RC High.

Councillor Andrew Garner, Bury’s spokesperson on the Passenger Transport Authority, said: “The new School Saver ticket could save families in the borough nearly £40 a year on school travel costs.

“I’m pleased we’ve been able to provide the ticket on three of the school bus services we provide in Bury. Unfortunately, we’re not able to extend the offer to commercial services.

“However, we will continue to keep child fares relatively low on all bus services in Greater Manchester by paying the bus operators for part of the cost of journeys.

“The System One Bus Saver 7 ticket is also good value for money and will carry on being available across Greater Manchester. It costs £7 and allows children to travel on bus services anywhere in the county for one week, including at weekends.”

The new School Saver ticket will be on sale from Monday 31 March in newsagents, supermarkets and garages across Bury with the Pay Point sign, as well as from the GMPTE Travelshop in Bury Interchange. The System One Bus Saver 7 is also available in the same locations. A list of the shops with the Pay Point system is available online at www.paypoint.co.uk/locator.

Pupils will be able to buy the School Saver ticket up to three days in advance of its start date and will need a GMPTE Under 16 membership card. The card is free and application forms can be picked up from Travelshops or downloaded from www.gmpte.com/under16.

Last night the Council’s consultants for the Regeneration of Prestwich hosted a workshop to engage residents views on the issues regarding the development of Prestwich.

The event at the Longfield Suite was well attended with about 100 people - residents, Council officers , Councillors, local businesses and school representative present.

Amongst other things we were asked to highlight the best and worse features of the Town Centre, highlight towns that we would like to see at least attributes of introduced into plans for Prestwich and what we would like to see Prestwich be like in 15 years time.

We finished by highlighting areas that we would like to see developed across the town centre - with the reasons why.

All in all a very successful event that certainly got me thinking and focussed on the future of Prestwich - a Prestwich I hope we can all be proud of when the plans eventually come to fruition.

Well done Urbed - it’s over to you!

Last night’s meeting of Prestwich Local Area Partnership (LAP) was the final meeting of the municipal year, and contained some great news for local organisations to whom we were able to award thousands of pounds in grants.

The LAP controls a number of grant funds and can allocate them to local groups throughout the year. Already this year for instance, we have allocated £10,000 to the Rainsough community centre, with more to follow for Children’s Centre outreach both there and in Carr Clough.

Last night the following awards were made:

- Prestwich Carnival were awarded £2,125, which will ensure the continuation of this excellent community-wide event for the next two years. This money was awarded from the Kickstart Community Initiative fund, which is to benefit the entire community.

- The Prestwich Clough Centenary group also received £2,125 so that the Clough Day which has taken place for the last two years can continue for the next two as well. This too is a wonderful Prestwich event, and we are proud to provide the money to keep it going. This money also came from the Kickstart Community Initiative fund.

- £1,500 was given for the provision of a sensory garden for disabled children at Butterstile. This money came from the Kickstart fund, which is for small projects.

- Heaton Park School applied for money for fencing around the school, which will be an asset to the local community and which we were happy to provide £5,000 towards. This grant was made from the Cleaner, Greener, Safer capital fund, which is for capital schemes benefitting the local environment.

- The Cleaner, Greener, Safer capital fund was also the source of money for the Downham Tenants and Residents Association, for whom the LAP has given £500 towards the cost of creating a “wildlife corner” for communal use on land that is currently an eyesore.

- And the Cleaner, Greener, Safer capital fund has been made available for refurbishment of the Parksway ginnel in Sedgley ward, where £1,000 will be used for essential security work.

- A ball zone will be created at Parrenthorn school, with £5,000 coming from the Community Development fund for projects in the community.

- In addition, a further £5,000 has been made available from this fund for a new under 5’s play area in Polefield.

Altogether last night there was over £22,000 of money invested by the LAP into much needed community projects. This is a massive investment, and we have secured major projects like the carnival and much-needed play facilities, as well as smaller things like the Downham wildlife corner.

Yellow School Buses are proving so popular that they were used for nearly 20,000 school trips in Greater Manchester last year.
Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority already pays for the buses to take pupils to and from Bury Church High School. But schools across the borough are also hiring them for trips to museums, sports centres and theatres.

Councillor Andrew Garner, Bury’s spokesperson on the Passenger Transport Authority, said: “I’m pleased that schools are hiring the buses for trips as it means they’re being put to good use and not standing empty during the day.
“The Yellow School Buses are all fitted with CCTV, seatbelts and a lift for wheelchairs so it makes sense for schools to use them for trips out. All of the drivers have also had criminal records checks and have been specially trained to look after children.
“The buses have helped to cut antisocial behaviour on journeys to and from schools by 75% since they were introduced, and teachers have also praised them for improving attendance levels. I’m sure local schools will continue to benefit from them in the future.”

There are now 36 Yellow School Buses in Greater Manchester, which take more than 2,000 pupils to and from 22 schools. Children who travel on the buses sit in the same seats every day, have regular drivers, and have to sign up to a code of conduct.
The Yellow School Bus drivers have taken part in a special training programme, which includes customer care, first aid, disability awareness, health and safety, and conflict avoidance.

Another 120 Yellow School Buses could be introduced at schools across Greater Manchester over the next few years if the bid to the government’s Transport Innovation Fund is successful.

More information about the Yellow School Buses, including a full list of services, is available at www.yellowschoolbus.info.

Lib Dem’s Secure More Money for Children and Young People, and more money for Parks and Cleaner Streets 

Liberal Democrat Councillors saved services for young people and vulnerable children and secured extra expenditure on much needed environmental services such as parks, cleaner streets and environmental enforcement in Bury Council’s budget for next year.

The Lib Dem proposals, which were agreed and have become part of the budget:

- saved advice services for children and money for youth services across Bury

- saved services for disabled children, the “young carers” service and provision for children who are at risk

- secured new money for our parks and environmental services

- secured new money for a cleaner environment such as street cleaning and enforcement such as dog fouling and fly-tipping

 Cllr Tim Pickstone, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group said:

 “This is a difficult budget again for Bury. We all need to be clear on why these difficult savings once again have to be made. The blame is quite clearly with the Labour Government who, despite many years of pressure, continue to effectively give Bury a “poor deal”.

“Services to young people are already stretched  -  A vibrant youth support service is essential to ensure educational staying on rates and engagement in training or employment, with the subsequent positive impact on reducing anti-social behaviour”

“We are not prepared to put up with an unsafe reduction in support for vulnerable children, and to not see advances in supporting the environment in this borough.”

Cllr Richard Baum, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson on Resources said

“The people of this Borough want cleaner streets, green space and safe places for their families. And the Liberal Democrat group will ensure that as much as possible is done to give them what they want. Our proposals tonight are to invest in parks in this Borough to ensure that every community has a well-managed place of peace and greenery to enjoy.

Attacking the Labour Party Proposal to cut vital services for a zero Council Tax rise Cllr Pickstone said:

“This proposal is madness. We would all like to have a zero council tax rise, but the Labour Party are proposing to scrap £700,000 on much needed services for disabled people, are proposing to scrap services for young people and vulnerable children, and proposing to run Bury Council into the ground by running reserves down to a dangerous level. This is a disgrace - I am shocked that that Labour Party will stoop so low in a pathetic attempt to gain votes.

“There are two opposition parties in Bury. One, the Lib Dems, have achieved over £1/3 million of expenditure on young people, children and the environment, while Labour have achieved nothing but a cheap gimmick at the expense of vulnerable people.” 

National Grid plan to run cables through a disused rail tunnel that crosses the Peak District National Park. If they go ahead, the tunnel could no longer be used as a railway, despite there having been several proposals in the last 10 years to do just that (Central Railways, Arriva, and Translink–all rejected by the Government!) That would be a big mistake.

MPs and local people are trying to persuade the government to intervene, to protect the route so that it could, in future, be re-opened and provide much-needed passenger and rail-freight services connecting the east and west sides of the Pennines.

See recent article in the Guardian Please act quickly as the National Grid work is scheduled to start in January 2008.

We need MPs across the country to sign Early Day Motion (EDM) 459 calling on the Government to intervene and help safeguard the Woodhead Tunnel for future rail use. Campaign for Better Transport have set up an easy e-action form on their website.

Click here to write/send an e-mail to your MP asking them to sign EDM 459:

Plus there’s a petition online calling for the railway to be reopened: Visit the Save Woodhead Tunnel website.

Wishing you all a happy and prosperous 2008.

A quartet of carol singers are helping to give Metrolink a festive feel this week by singing on board the trams. Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive (GMPTE) arranged for the quartet, from the University of Manchester Chorus, to accompany passengers travelling on Metrolink from Monday 17 to Wednesday 19 December.

Michael Renshaw, GMPTE’s Interim Service Delivery Director, said: “We hope the carol singers have helped to bring Christmas cheer to passengers and have encouraged people to use Metrolink over the festive season. “Some people are put off using public transport when they’re doing their Christmas shopping as they’ve got lots of bags to carry. But travelling on Metrolink can actually be an easier way of getting about. “Metrolink passengers don’t get stuck in traffic jams or have to worry about finding somewhere to park. All of the tram stops also have ramps or lifts so you avoid having to walk up and down steps.”

Greater Manchester’s Yellow School Bus services are reducing congestion, improving pupil behaviour and boosting school attendance, according to the latest report heard by transport bosses. Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority (GMPTA) now funds the services to 22 schools, providing safe and reliable journeys for more than 2000 pupils. Councillors heard that the Yellow School Buses have made a major impact on the school run, taking more than 265,000 car-miles off the road this school year. And antisocial behaviour on school buses has reduced by 75% at schools that have the yellow buses. Schools have also praised the services for improving attendance records.

One Yellow School Bus currently runs to Bury Church school and the scheme has proved a hit with pupils and parents. Bury spokesperson for GMPTA, Councillor Andrew Garner, said: “Yellow School Buses are a safe and reliable way of getting pupils to and from school. “We already know from anecdotal evidence that they are popular, but this report really highlights the benefits of the service. “The services are really helping to tackle local congestion caused by the school run, as well as offering a safe travelling environment for pupils. I’m sure other road users appreciate the services too as they take so many cars off the road each morning and afternoon. “We have bid for government funding to buy more Yellow School Buses and reports like this really illustrate what a strong case there is for expanding the service.” Pupils using Yellow School Bus services have to sign up to a code of conduct, use the same seatbelt-equipped seats every day and have regular drivers to help build a good working relationship. All Yellow School Bus drivers have undergone an extensive training programme run by GMPTE, which includes training in customer care, first aid, disability awareness, health and safety issues and conflict avoidance. A major expansion of Yellow School Bus services could be introduced at schools across Greater Manchester over the next four years if the bid to the government’s Transport Innovation Fund is successful. Two more vehicles are due to be introduced at schools in Wigan early in the new year, taking the number of Yellow School Buses in Greater Manchester to 36, running to 22 schools. To find out more about Yellow School Buses and for a full list of services visit www.yellowschoolbus.info

A Liberal Democrat amendment at last nights Council meeting finally exposed Bury Labour’s position on Congestion Charging when they failed to oppose the proposed Congestion Charging scheme.

A Liberal Democrat amendment called for the bid to the Governments Transport Innovation Fund to be supported but made it clear that Bury was opposed to the proposed Congestion Charging scheme, and called for a consultative referendum on the issue.

My colleague Cllr Richard Baum told the Council, “We need to send a message to the government that we will not stand for their bullying.  That we have been elected to stand up for what people want – a quality public transport system paid for through the taxes we have already paid, sustained through more users and leading to improvements all round. 

You can read the full text of the Lib Dem amendment here.

Upgrades to Metrolink carried out over the summer are being praised for making it easier for disabled people to travel around the region.

Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority is investing over £100 million on improvements to the Metrolink network, including new track, trams and ticket machines.

Nearly 4,000 tactile paving stones were laid at 22 platforms on the Bury and Altrincham lines as part of the track upgrades. New boarding points have also been created for people with wheelchairs or prams so that they know where to get on the trams.

Councillor Andrew Garner, Bury’s spokesperson on the Passenger Transport Authority, met members of the Baddac Access and Eye-openers groups at Radcliffe Metrolink stop on Thursday to see what impact the upgrades have had. He said: “We wanted to carry out as much work as possible while sections of the Metrolink network were closed to replace worn-out track. We’ve always tried to make Metrolink as accessible as possible for disabled people. I’m pleased we were able to improve the stops to make it easier for people to use the service.

“We upgraded nearly twenty miles of track during the summer and we will continue to make improvements to Metrolink in the future. We’ll soon be installing new ticket machines, and we’ll be adding eight new trams to the network in 2009 to relieve overcrowding at busy times.”

Michelle Chadwick from Baddac Access said: “I’m visually impaired so the Metrolink improvements have made it much easier for me to travel on the network. The new tactile paving stones and boarding points have helped to reassure me that I’m standing in the right place while I wait for a tram.

”I tend to travel on Metrolink every couple of days and have really noticed the difference the new track has made. My guide dog didn’t used to like riding on the trams but its now much smoother. I’m sure I’ll use Metrolink more often in the future.”

Engineers used nearly 40 miles of rail, 60,000 tonnes of stone and 40,000 sleepers to upgrade the Metrolink track during the summer. They also re-waterproofed the Metrolink bridge over the M60 at Besses o’ th’ Barn, and replaced a road bridge over the Metrolink line in Radcliffe.

The Metrolink network has been designed to be accessible for everyone. All of the stops have a ramp or lift, and the trams have special sections for people with wheelchairs or prams. The new tactile paving stones make it easier for blind and partially-sighted people to find the edge of platforms.

Further information about public transport services in Greater Manchester is available at www.gmpte.com, or by calling Traveline on 0871 200 22 33 (calls cost 10p per minute from landlines). Lines are open from 7am to 8pm, Monday to Friday, and from 8am to 8pm at weekends.

Sorry for the lack of activity on this site in the last couple of months.  I started a new job at the begining of October and my feet haven’t touched the ground since!  I now work for Andrew Stunell MP who is the Liberal Democrat Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.  My new role compliments my work as your local councillor and gives me far more insight into the role of Local Government and how it affects our community.

I was priviliged to be among the passengers trying out the new Metrolink track on Thursday morning when the Bury line reopened.

Two local MP’s joined myself and Councillor Roger Jones, Chair of Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority, on a tram ride from Bury to Manchester. They promised this summer’s track upgrades would be just the start of a multi-million pound investment in Metrolink.

Millions of pounds will be invested in Metrolink over the next few years and I am delighted this first stage of improvements has been completed. Improvements to stops and ticket machines will follow in the near future, and adding eight extra trams to the network in 2009.

I was amazed how much smoother and quieter a tram journey now is, it is a vast improvement on the old track. Some of the Metrolink track on the Bury and Altrincham lines was more than 50 years old as it was used by trains before Metrolink opened in 1992. Nearly 20 miles of track has been replaced during the summer, and the platform surfaces have been upgraded to make it easier to get on and off the trams.

Further information about public transport services in Greater Manchester is available at www.gmpte.com, or by calling Traveline on 0871 200 22 33 (calls cost 10p per minute from landlines). Lines are open from 7am to 8pm, Monday to Friday, and from 8am to 8pm at weekends.

A Bury charity is to receive £20,000 to keep on helping people with learning disabilities build the skills and confidence they need to use public transport.

Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority (GMPTA) today agreed to continue funding a ‘travel training’ initiative run by Bury People First.

The innovative ‘Out and About Scheme’ began last year after getting a start-up grant from GMPTA. Since then the training has helped 14 people across the borough gain more independence.

Some needed short-term help to familiarise them with how public transport works in their area and to give them the confidence to use it alone. Others have benefited from a one-to-one personalised training programme over several months.

The funding, which will help the scheme continue for another year, was agreed at the GMPTA Policy Committee earlier today.

Bury spokesperson for GMPTA, Councillor Andrew Garner said: “Bury People First is one of the first charities in Greater Manchester to run this type of travel training scheme and I am delighted it has been such a success. I look forward to seeing them give even more people the skills and confidence to travel on public transport in the coming year.”

More than 100 people across Greater Manchester have now benefited from travel training after three ‘pilot projects’ were launched last year in Bury, Salford and Stockport with funding from GMPTA.

Further information about the grants available to voluntary organisations to set up travel training schemes can be found in the Accessible Transport section of the GMPTE website (www.gmpte.com) or by calling GMPTE on 0161 244 1259.

In March 2007 the Liberal Democrat team on Bury Council successfully proposed a budgetary amendment which extended the “Blue Bin” recycling scheme to every house in the Borough.

The success of the scheme was confirmed in a response to a question our colleague Cllr Tim Pickstone raised at the Full Council meeting last night. 1,020 Tonnes of recyclables were collected in July 2007 - the first month after the Blue-Bin roll-out up from 767 Tonnes in July 2006 - a massive 33% increase!

Its excellent to see such a great response from the public to the recycling initiative. The Lib Dem’s are already asking when the scheme can be made fortnightly for everyone. My colleague Cllr Richard Baum also asked for a report on the small number of households who’ve not yet received their bins (mostly farms, but a few areas with restricted lorry access). I’ll let you know this information when its received.

LIBERAL Democrats in Bury have welcomed plans that will make Britain a zero carbon country by the middle of the century.

The plans will be debated by Liberal Democrats at the party’s conference in Brighton on 17th September. Members from Bury will be going to the conference to back the proposals.

“Liberal Democrats have long argued that we have to tackle the problem of pollution and damage to the planet. The proposals put forward by Sir Menzies Campbell that we will debate at conference will mean that by the middle of this century, Britain will be a zero carbon country.

“That will mean that we will be producing overall no extra carbon dioxide, the main polluting gas that is leading to global climate change. Increasing amounts of carbon dioxide we are currently producing are almost certainly the cause of the extreme weather conditions we have suffered over the summer.

“Liberal Democrats have made the environment the main feature of our conference later this month. Going green means changing for the better many of our activities. And it means the Government changing policies as well. Under Labour for example, Gordon Brown has cut the tax burden on pollution, whilst putting up the tax burden on people.

“That means under Gordon Brown it has become cheaper to pollute. I strongly believe that people in Bury will benefit from the Lib Dems’ green tax switch. At our conference we will debate plans to switch the tax burden from people to pollution.

Engineers lifted a new 50 tonne road bridge into place over the Bury Metrolink line on Wednesday as part of a £100 million project to improve the network.

Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive (GMPTE) replaced the bridge, on Withins Lane in Radcliffe, during this summer’s work to upgrade nearly 20 miles of track on the Bury and Altrincham lines.

The Metrolink bridge which goes over the M60 at Besses o’ th’ Barn has also been renovated, and the platform surfaces have been upgraded to make it easier to get on and off the trams.

Paul Griffiths, GMPTE’s Projects Director, said: “I’m pleased we’ve been able to replace the Withins Lane bridge while the Bury and Altrincham lines have been closed. The work to upgrade the Metrolink network is running to schedule and the Bury line is due to reopen in mid September.

“This is just the start of a multi-million pound investment in Metrolink. We have ordered eight new trams to tackle overcrowding, and we will be upgrading the ticket machines in the near future.”

The Bury Metrolink line is currently closed between Bury and Manchester Victoria, and the Altrincham line is closed between Altrincham and Cornbrook. The Bury line is due to reopen on Thursday 13 September and the Altrincham line is due to reopen on Tuesday 28 August.

Liberal Democrat Councillor and Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority spokesperson Cllr Andrew Garner said “This is great news for Metrolink users and I am looking forward to travelling on the new line when it re-opens next month”

A company that ignored Bury Council’s warning to stop excavating near
protected trees has been ordered to pay £19,000 for wilfully damaging them.

At a hearing at Bury Magistrates court earlier this month Thomas Barnes PLC
pleaded guilty to two offences contravening the town and country planning
act while working on the site of the former Thorndyke House, Bury New Road,
Preswich.

Magistrates heard that in October 2002 a tree preservation order was issued
by Bury Council in respect of nine trees at the site in Prestwich.

Nearly two years later in April 2004 landscaping plans were submitted as
part of a development of 10 flats on the grounds.

Bury council’s landscape architect Michael Dowd was concerned that a
proposed wall and pathway could damage some of the protected tress’ roots
and he contacted the developers. They then submitted revised planes, which
were approved by the council.

The officers took evidential photographs and warned the site manager
regarding the condition of the trees, that the area must not be excavated
any further and that areas should be re-instated rapidly and adequate tree
protection measures put in place immediately.

Examination found that the damage caused rendered both trees beyond saving
as living specimens and the weight of the structure could not be supported
by what remained of the roots and could collapse with serious health and
safety consequences. Following correspondence between the council and
representatives of the company, proceedings were started.

The magistrates decided that the most serious aspect of the case was that
the company continued with excavation work despite the council’s warning in
October 2005 that it was causing damage to the trees, and told to reinstate
the ground.

They took into account the previous good record of the company and fined the
company £8000 on each offence giving a total fine of £16, 000 with legal and
investigation costs of £3000. The grand total was £19 000 to be paid within
28 days. The company have the option of appealing against this decision
within 21 days.

Bury Council continue to pursue the company to arrange for replacement trees
to be put in place.

Councillor Ann Garner said “It is imperative that the company replace these trees as soon as possible, the protection of our environment is more important than developers profits”

Liberal Democrat Councillor and Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority spokesperson Cllr Andrew Garner is calling on local bus operators to use their common sense when dealing with free bus travel for the elderly on cross-boundary routes. At present, buses such as the X43 from Manchester to Burnley are only free as far as Rawtenstall. Bus operators then have the power to demand that elderly travellers disembark and wait for the next bus to arrive, before paying to continue their journey.

Cllr Garner said “It is absolute madness that these elderley people are forced to get off the bus and wait by themselves for up to half an hour for the next service. Many of them are vulnerable and alone, and are being left at a bus stop whilst a perfectly suitable bus drives off in the direction they are travelling! For a lot of our elderly people, bus travel is the only way to visit family and friends. We should make services as welcoming as possible, and this does just the opposite.”

At present, individual bus drivers can use their discretion, and let their elderly travellers back onto the same bus, if they get off at the boundary and join the back of the queue. But many passengers are not so lucky, and are told that it is against the rules for them to carry on their journey on the same bus. GMPTE have said that no policy changes will be made because all travel for the elderly becomes free in April 2008, regardless of distance. But Bury’s Liberal Democrat GMPTA representatives are concerned that this is still eight months away.

Cllr Garner continued “I am not asking for the whole of the journey to be free. Passengers are more than happy to pay for the journey from the boundary of Bury onto Burnley. What I want is common sense from bus operators, to instruct their drivers never to force an elderley person off the bus simply because they are no longer in Bury. With Winter just a few months away, we should not be making frail passengers get off a bus and wait in the cold for the next one.”

Residents who live alongside the Metrolink line need to be aware that the contractors currently working on renewing the track have informed the Council that some limited work may be needed during the night. Your local councillors have protested against this proposal, and we have received assurances that no heavy cutting or noisy work will take place. 

Residents should only have to endure some noise for one night in the majority of cases, but on occasion there will be areas which are inconvenienced for two nights. Please contact one of your councillors if work is disturbing you during the night and we will report this immediately to the relevant authorities.

The proposed areas and dates for night working are given below:

Thursday 16^th August – Prestwich to Heaton Park

Friday 17th August  –  Heaton Park to Bowker Vale

Saturday 18^th August – Bowker Vale

Thursday 23rd August  –  Prestwich to Heaton Park  

Friday 24^th August – Heaton Park to Bowker Vale

Saturday 25^th August – Bowker Vale to Queens Road

Wednesday 29^th August – Bowker Vale to Crumpsall

The work will take place in the above mentioned locations between the hours of 10pm and 10am each night and every effort will be made to keep un-necessary noise down to a minimum.  For more details about the track upgrades programme, please phone 0161 228 7811 or visit www.gmpte.com.  Alternatively call Carillion Control on 01788 866 080.

Bury Council met this week in its first “Emergency Full Council” meeting for many years.  The Council was called by the Labour group on the basis of ideas floated by the Conservative Administration on Bury Council to reduce the capacity of the soon to be built Radcliffe Riverside School from 900 children to 600.

Liberal Democrats believe that full consultation with parents and the community must take place before any decision is made. Whist we weren’t able to support the Labour Party in suggesting that a decision for a 900 capacity school had to be made there and then we did propose an amendment on behalf of the Lib Dem Group guaranteeing that Radcliffe Riverside does get built, and that work starts straight away for the planned 2009 opening. Thankfully the Lib Dem proposal received support from all parties.

In Prestwich many of us have painful memories of the discussions when one of our local schools was threatened with closure a year ago (Prestwich Arts College on Heys Road). We said then that there should be a place in a Prestwich high school for every Prestwich child that wanted one, the same must be said for Radcliffe.