I’m very grateful to all those local residents who have contacted me about the Labour proposals to bulldoze the green belt at Barton Moss.
Many local residents in Peel Green and Brookhouse have signed our petition against the proposals, and concerned local residents in Irlam and Cadishead are producing their own petition for the local community there to complete (I wouldn’t dream of duplicating!).
If you’ve not signed either petition yet, and you want to show your opposition to the Labour plans, you can now sign my petition online.
Don’t forget also that you have until 15th January to submit your own comments and objections to the Core Strategy – visit www.itsyoursalford.info to find out how to respond.
This afternoon I’ve been along to the Greater Manchester Integrated Transport Authority meeting – out of which came some fantastic news for local rail passengers.
After a gap of a full generation, Sunday services will return to Walkden station from May next year, thanks to the GMITA decision today to support a restored service.
This is great news for local people who want to use public transport, not just in Walkden but also the surrounding area – Worsley, Boothstown, Ellenbrook, Little Hulton and also Astley and Tyldesley all rely on Walkden as their local station. The new services will also serve Swinton and Moorside stations within the Salford area, and Atherton, Hag Fold and Daisy Hill (Westhoughton) stations in Bolton and Wigan.
The service has initially been agreed for a one-year trial, so local people need to use the service from May – or it will vanish as quickly as it appeared!
I’d like to thank the Friends of Walkden Station who have campaigned tirelessly for the reintroduction of Sunday services. They are a fantastic group, a pleasure to work with, and this decision today would certainly never have happened without their persistence.
I understand that this afternoon, GMITA wil be discussing a paper on Sunday service rail provision, including a proposal to reintroduce Sunday services on the Walkden line from next May.
I sincerely hope that they approve this proposal which will be a huge boost for local residents in Walkden, Swinton and the surrounding areas. I firmly believe that there will be a demand for this service and I hope that, at the very least, GMITA take a “suck it and see” approach and give the go-ahead for a limited period.
Fingers crossed…
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