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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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!
Just a quick note to say that local people who support St George’s still have the opportunity to get in touch with the Schools Adjudicator to express their views.
The adjudicator is Canon Richard Lindley and you can write to him c/o Mr David Atkinson, Office of the Schools Adjudicator, Mowden Hall, Staindrop Rd. Darlington, DL3 9BG or email david.atkinson@osa.gsi.gov.uk.
The deadline for comments and representations is this coming Friday, September 18th.
Yesterday evening I attended the two public meetings at St George’s High school, organised by the Schools Adjudicator Canon Richard Lindley who has the task of deciding whether to uphold the school’s appeal against Labour’s ludicrous decision to close the school.
My colleagues Councillors Les and Nicky Turner were also able to attend, but our Labour colleagues were noticeable only by their absence, and unsurprisingly neither Councillor Warmisham nor Councillor Merry had the courage to come along and defend their decision.
Several people have asked me today whether the meetings went well. Canon Lindley has an impressive poker face and gave little away, but I hope he has been persuaded by both the arguments and the passion shown by parents, pupils, staff and parents at St George’s.
The school has now had the axe hanging over it since 2007, and the commitment shown by those associated with the school since then has been truly remarkable. Many would have given in by now, but the two full school halls worth of local people showed how much St George’s is valued by the local community.
St George’s continues to have my full support. I hope that Canon Lindley comes to the right decision and votes in favour of the school – however should he uphold the Council’s line, there is one last line of defence. Local residents have the opportunity to kick their hopeless Labour Council out of office in May 2010, and should they choose to do so, any incoming Conservative-led Council would revoke the closure notice and keep St George’s open.
Bolton Council are holding a special meeting on Wednesday to discuss the controversial proposals to turn hundreds of acres of Green Belt land at Cutacre on the border with Little Hulton into a giant industrial park.
The meeting to discuss the plans will be held in Bolton Town Hall’s Festival Hall on Wednesday, September 9, at 7pm.
Residents are still able to comment on the proposals, and should send their views by email to ldfconsultation@bolton.gov.uk or by post to Spatial Planning Team, 5th Floor, Bolton Town Hall, Bolton, BL1 1RU.
Recent Comments