Many thanks to all the local residents in Boothstown and the surrounding area who have signed our petition to clean up the Standfield Centre shops.
The shops are in a poor state and are declining, vacancy rates are high and there is an increasing problem of anti-social behaviour.
We’re asking the Council to take enforcement action against the centre owners to make immediate environmental improvements, and then encourage the owners to work with the local community to create a Standfield Centre that is rejuvenated and benefits the area.
Over 600 local residents signed our petition in just a few days, and I handed it in to the Council today. You can still sign the petition online and show your support.
Like most local residents, I’m appalled by the latest schemes put forward by Peel Holdings – they would lead to a wholesale destruction of the local environment in Worsley, Eccles, Irlam and Cadishead, to the severe detriment of our local communities. I hope that the Council treat the plans with the disdain that they deserve at the next stage of the Core Strategy process.
However, let’s not forget that Peel are merely doing the bidding of the Labour Government on this issue. The Government’s regional planning guidance, imposed on the people of Salford, demands that we make space for over 30000 new homes as well as heavy industry on our green land. The Council’s own plans, although less dramatic, would still wipe out huge swathes of Green Belt land on Barton Moss and green field land at Burgess Farm.
A Conservative Government would scrap the dangerous regional planning guidance and return powers to local people – allowing our precious green land to be protected.
Yesterday I was out in Boothstown with our excellent local campaigner Jillian Collinson and Cllr Robin Garrido who is one of the three ward Councillors for Boothstown & Ellenbrook.
It was disappointing to see that the Standfield Centre was so empty and uninviting on what should have been a busy Saturday morning, and the local ward Councillors and residents have my full support in their efforts to rejuvenate the local shops in Boothstown.
It is exceptionally important for our local communities that local shops are supported, especially in the current economic climate. I know the Advertiser has been doing an excellent job in recent weeks of highlighting good local shops and I will certainly be doing my best to shop local this Christmas.
I was delighted to have the opportunity to attend a number of community events in Worsley, Boothstown and Ellenbrook over the weekend, all of which I greatly enjoyed.
On Saturday lunchtime I headed down to the Christmas Fair held in St Mark’s Church in Worsley, which was thoroughly enjoyable. Unfortunately my educated guess for how far the parish toy spiders had travelled on their holidays (stall pictured) wasn’t quite enough to bag the prize!
On Saturday evening, I went along to the switch-on of the Christmas lights in Ellenbrook, ably organised by the Ellenbrook Village Association. Despite the inclement weather, there was a good crowd for the switch-on and for the carols led kindly by Revd. Kathryn Carmyllie from St Mary, and the mulled wine and mince pie in the Red Lion afterwards was much appreciated!
I also want to extend my thanks to the Boothstown Residents Association and the Boothstown churches for their hard work in organising their carol service on Sunday night, and the gathering afterwards in the Community Centre.
This evening Jillian Collinson was selected as the Conservative candidate for Boothstown & Ellenbrook ward for the 2010 local elections.
Cllr Christine Gray, who has been a fantastic representative both for her ward and for the City as a whole, has decided not to seek re-election, and I’m delighted that we have been able to select such an excellent candidate (from a high-quality shortlist) to stand in her place.
I know that if the electorate place their trust in Jillian that she will continue the hard work and dedication that Christine has shown since her election in 2004.
There’s some excellent news for bus passengers in Boothstown from next week.
Local bus companySouth Lancs Travel are increasing the frequency of their 132 service – which runs from Wigan to the Trafford Centre via Hindley, Atherton, Tyldesley, Boothstown and Worsley Brow – from hourly to half-hourly from 1st September. They’re also introduced a new half-hourly Saturday service.
The changes mean that the number of daytime bus services along Leigh Road from Boothstown to Worsley Brow will increase by a quarter on weekdays and double on Saturdays.
Boothstown residents have suffered badly from bus service cuts in recent years, and my Conservative colleagues who represent Boothstown & Ellenbrook ward have fought hard for improvements to the service.
I’m delighted that things have now taken a step for the better – I hope now that the usage levels from Boothstown residents will demonstrate that further services in Boothstown and the surrounding area are worthwhile.
Click here to view the new timetable.
United Utilities are holding an exhibition with information about the West-East Link Pipeline – many local residents will already have noticed the excavations nearly the East Lancs Road!
The exhibition is being held at Worsley Courthouse on Tuesday 30th June and will be open from 2pm until 7pm.
The continuing scandal over MP expenses has reached a little closer to home today, with the disclosure in the Manchester Evening News that Paul Goggins MP allowed taxpayers to pay for a £3000 suite and a new garden shed for his home in Boothstown.
Obviously I’m pleased that Mr Goggins likes the local area so much that he chooses to live here rather than in his Wythenshawe and Sale East constituency (his constituents may be rather less amused) but at a time when many local residents in Boothstown and across Salford are struggling with their bills they will be appalled that the MP amongst their number has claimed for luxury items at the expense of the taxpayer.
Depressing news from the AGMA meeting – the white elephant Leigh Misguided Busway stays on the list of priority improvements, despite being of absolutely no use to anyone.
I am completely opposed to the busway which will cause a huge increase in congestion on the A580 East Lancashire Road without actually providing any improvements in our bus services, which will speed down the East Lancs bypassing the communities it is supposed to serve.
What a bonkers idea – and now we are being told that we’ll have to fork out extra Council Tax for it as well.
I’ve been asked to draw readers attention to the website of the Worsley and Boothstown Transportation Task Group – WBTTG. I’m happy to do so – it’s a mine of information on transport not just in Worsley and Boothstown but for the surrounding areas as well.
Of particular current interest is their information on the M60 widening proposals – well worth a look.
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