Archive for the 'Little Hulton' Category

Save Burgess Farm

Published by Iain on April 12, 2010 in Little Hulton and Walkden. 0 Comments

I was delighted to accept invitations to two meetings last week about the future of Burgess Farm, which is threatened by Labour’s bulldozer.

It was great to see almost 150 local residents turn up to Walkden Gateway to discuss the future of the land. Burgess Farm is green field land but has been allocated by the Labour-run Council for housing in their draft Core Strategy, despite the objections of hundreds of local people. In the meantime, Peel Holdings have submitted a planning application for 350 homes. The planning application is 10/58745/OUTEIA and you can submit your objections now:

  • by e-mail: planning.contact@salford.gov.uk
  • in writing: Salford City Council Planning, Urban Vision Partnership Limited, Emerson House, Albert Street, Eccles, Salford, M30 0TE

I’ve also met with planning officers and local residents and made it clear that along with my fellow Conservative ward Councillors we object strongly to these proposals. It is really important that as many local residents as possible write in to object.

Of course, the development of this site is directly related to the Labour Government’s regional spatial strategy, which demands over 30000 new homes in Salford over the next two decades – meaning the destruction of our green sites and thousands of new unwanted apartments.

A Conservative Government would return the planning powers to local residents. It would be up to local people in Walkden to decide what the level of development should be – not bureaucrats and Labour Ministers in Whitehall. The only way to protect our local green belt and green field sites is to vote Conservative on May 6.

Supporting Our Excellent SureStart Centres

Published by Iain on April 2, 2010 in Eccles, Irlam and Cadishead, Little Hulton, National Comment and Walkden. 0 Comments

I know our local Sure Start staff and management work hard day in day out, doing all that they can to support families in our community. I’ve been a regular visitor to Little Hulton Children’s Centre, in particular, for meetings, and I’m very grateful for the warm and friendly welcome that I always receive.

Sure Start Children’s Centres will play a critical role in the Conservative vision of making Britain the most family-friendly country in Europe. As David Cameron said recently, we are absolutely committed to keeping Sure Start and helping it do more for families, not less.

It is a pity that Labour are concentrating on spreading scare stories about Conservative plans to cut Sure Start, rather than working to improve the service themselves. Ministers have claimed that our plans to refocus Sure Start spending are a ‘cut’ – but the small print of the Budget revealed that Labour are themselves planning to make up to £150m of ‘efficiencies’ in the Sure Start budget.  False rumours about our plans have caused real anxiety and concern amongst parents, and risked distracting attention from the important task of improving Sure Start.

Let me make it quite clear: the Conservatives have no plans to close any Children’s Centres.

Now the Centres have been created, Labour thinks the job is done – Sure Start staff know the job is really only just starting. The National Audit Office, the Audit Commission and OFSTED have all criticised this Government’s failure to help develop Sure Start, and in particular to support the poorest and most vulnerable families in our communities better. Our plans and vision for Sure Start will change that.

We will strengthen Sure Start by recruiting thousands of new Sure Start Health Visitors and introducing a universal Sure Start Health Visitor service – improving the support Sure Start is able to provide to every family. Currently, fewer than one in five Sure Start Children’s Centres has a formal agreement with their local Primary Care trust to join together to provide the services families need. Our plans will change that, and put health back at the heart of Sure Start as it was when the programme was originally launched. Sure Start Health Visitors, working with outreach and other workers, will also help improve the effectiveness of support given to the most vulnerable families.

This will cost £200 million per year and will be paid for using money the Government has set aside for more Sure Start outreach workers and from the Department of Health, the budget of which the Conservative Party has promised to increase in real terms every year.

We want Britain to be the most family friendly country in Europe. A stronger Sure Start is at the heart of delivering on that vision. I look forward to working with our excellent local Sure Start staff to make this change happen.

Harrop Fold Pupils Quiz David Cameron

Published by Iain on March 18, 2010 in Little Hulton, National Comment and Walkden. 0 Comments

I’m delighted that two young people from Harrop Fold School were able to take advantage of the opportunity to put questions to David Cameron down in Westminster. I’m sure that Molly and Shaun were terrific ambassadors not only for their school but for the communities of Walkden and Little Hulton as a whole. Well done!

Fairhurst Drive, Hulton Avenue and Eastham Way

Published by Iain on March 7, 2010 in Little Hulton. 0 Comments

City West Housing Trust was set up in autumn 2008 and took over the Council’s housing stock in the west of the City of Salford. Previously it had been managed by the arms-length New Prospect Housing which had taken on the role after years of Labour neglect.

By and large City West have had a positive impact on the City. They haven’t got everything right – their advertising billboards were a colossal waste of money – but whilst getting out and about talking to local residents across the local area it’s clear that the improvement works they are putting into place are making the local estates much brighter and more pleasant places to live.

Unfortunately, many of the problem sites that they’ve inherited are still causing problems. Three in particular in Little Hulton have been pointed out to me by local residents – the boarded-up houses on Fairhurst Drive (pictures), the Hulton Avenue flats and the Eastham Way flats. Each have been derelict for the best part of a decade, if not longer.

Leaving such properties in a derelict state is simply not acceptable any longer. They are attracting anti-social behaviour and it only takes one derelict property to ruin the atmosphere of an entire street or estate. In the case of Eastham Way and Hulton Avenue, it also has a damaging effect on the local businesses that are trying to trade literally underneath abandoned flats.

We have a huge housing waiting list and yet some of these properties have been empty for a decade or more. These problems need sorting out – fast. I have asked City West to explain to me their plans for the future of these sites and will take things from there.

Labour Vote To Bulldoze Cutacre

Published by Iain on December 10, 2009 in Little Hulton. 0 Comments

I’m extremely disappointed to note that yesterday evening, Labour and Liberal Democrat Councillors on Bolton Council combined to ram through proposals to bulldoze a huge swathe of green belt land at Cutacre to create an industrial park, despite huge opposition from local residents in both Over Hulton and Little Hulton.

I’m very grateful to my Conservative colleagues in Bolton, who have fought tirelessly with residents to oppose these plans, and I’m appalled that local Labour and Liberal Democrats can be so dismissive of our green belt land and the benefits that it brings to local communities.

This development will destroy the green belt between Little Hulton and Over Hulton and it will divert large numbers of heavy vehicles along the A6. With Salford’s Labour Council proposing similar destruction at Burgess Farm and at Barton Moss, we are seeing clearly time and time again that Labour cannot be trusted to protect our green field and green belt.

Have Your Say On Burgess Farm Plans – Public Meeting On Monday

Published by Iain on November 28, 2009 in Little Hulton and Walkden. 1 Comment

The next meeting of the Walkden and Little Hulton Community Committee takes places this coming Monday, 30th November. It is being held at James Brindley Primary School on Parr Fold Avenue in Walkden, and the fun and games start at 6pm.

There’s a presentation and discussion on the draft Core Strategy, including the Council’s proposals to build 1000 homes on green field land at Burgess Farm off Hilton Lane, and all local residents are welcome to attend and take part in the discussion. Hope to see you there!

A Welcome Decision On St George’s

Published by Iain on November 6, 2009 in Little Hulton, Salford and Walkden. 0 Comments

I am delighted with the decision of the Schools Adjudicator to keep St George’s open. As a local Councillor I have consistently argued that it is a successful and excellent school at the heart of the local community, and there is no reasonable justification for closing the school down.

This is a great victory for all the parents, pupils (past and present), staff and local community members who have worked so tirelessly and for so long to keep their school open. They have shown true commitment to the local community and I am thrilled that there efforts have been rewarded.

Questions must now be asked about the judgement of our Labour Councillors, and particularly the lead member Cllr Warmisham and leader Cllr Merry. They have been told consistently that this was a wrong and unreasonable decision, but instead of being big enough to hold their hands up, say sorry and change their minds, they have pressed ahead regardless. They have caused three years of unnecessary heartache and hassle for the St George’s school community only to end up back where they started.

I could not wish to meet a more committed and community-focused group of people than the school community at St George’s, and I am immensely proud as a local Councillor that they are part of our community in Walkden and in Little Hulton.

St George’s Is Staying Open!

Published by Iain on November 6, 2009 in Little Hulton, Salford and Walkden. 5 Comments

I’ve just spoken to Mr Harte at St George’s, who has given me the wonderful news that the Schools Adjudicator has ruled in favour of the school – St George’s is staying open!

This is fantastic, fabulous, amazing news. I’m so thrilled for all the parents, pupils (past and present), staff and community members who have worked so hard for this. More information as soon as I get it.

Times Article On Little Hulton

Published by Iain on October 19, 2009 in Little Hulton. 1 Comment

My attention is drawn to this Times article about Little Hulton - to say that it is unhelpful and deplorable journalism is probably being too kind on the author.

I doubt that anyone will pretend that Little Hulton is a town without it’s fair share of problems, and doubtless some of the incidents referred to in the article have actually happened, but to portray the area as some sort of no-go zone is simply an unfair and unrealistic portrayal.

Worse than that, it is simply the journalistic equivalent of a “cheap shot” – where is the analysis of the problems that Little Hulton does face? What are we going to do about them?

The overwhelming majority of local residents in Little Hulton are good people trying to get on. There’s nothing wrong with being honest about the problems that towns like Little Hulton face – persistent anti-social behaviour, poor access to employment and public transport amongst them – but let’s do it in a constructive way which can help to sort out those problems rather than for the cheap sneers contained in the article.

Walkden & Little Hulton Community Committee Tonight

Published by Iain on September 28, 2009 in Little Hulton and Walkden. 0 Comments

The Walkden and Little Hulton Community Committee is being held tonight (Monday 28th September) at the Walkden Gateway. The meeting starts at 6pm and all local residents in Walkden and Little Hulton are welcome to attend. Hope to see some of you there!

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