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Letter issued 15th July 2010 to John Lamb (Director of Environment) Trafford Borough Council from Councillor Mike Cordingley

John,

Firstly I need to declare an interest in that I live on Raglan Road.

I’m writing in anticipation of an escalation of complaints from neighbours over the state of the Raglan Road surface. I’ve been getting regular comments as it is.

This has been going on for at least two years and each year I’ve submitted Raglan Road for consideration of its inclusion onto the work programme. It’s surface is the worst that I’m aware of in Trafford in terms of deterioration of the tarmac surface over the concrete base. It has been subjected to more patches than a hippy’s jeans.

Today it appears that we’re going to be subjected to another patching exercise judging by the markings that have been made to the road. Unfortunately it doesn’t even look as though it’s a comprehensive marking and many spots needing attention have been left unmarked. In any event we know from experience that the patching won’t last as essentially the road surface is breaking up.

I’ve attached a link to some quick photographs I’ve just taken in a small segment of the road:

http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/101320367095207211267/RaglanRoadPotholes?feat=directlink

I’d really appreciate it if you could provide a justification for Raglan Road’s non inclusion in the resurfacing schedule. I don’t really want to get into pointing at roads who have received attention for less; but Hilrose Avenue in Urmston was nowhere near as bad as Raglan Road is aesthetically and it does seem to be a lottery at times as to which roads are included.

Since there’s an obvious personal interest, it does place me in a difficult position. Therefore in the interests of transparency I’m posting this email to the blog on the Gorse Hill Labour website and similarly intend to post any replies I receive to the website.

Regards

Mike Cordingley
Councillor for Gorse Hill

0161 865 9228

www.gorsehill-labour.co.uk

Dear Councillor / Colleague –

Please note that Councillor Shaw, as Chairman of Overview & Scrutiny Core Committee, has agreed to a request that the Executive’s recent decision relating to Lostock College / Stretford High School / Proposed Academy should be called in for Scrutiny, by the Overview & Scrutiny Core Committee.

As is usual in these cases, with arrangements needing to be made at short notice, the times available for a meeting are exceedingly constrained; in the event, the only time that certain key parties are available is next Monday evening, 19/7/10. The meeting will therefore take place on Monday evening, commencing at 7.00 p.m., in Rooms 2&3 at Trafford Town Hall. I would be very grateful if you could note these arrangements in your diaries; it would also be very helpful if you could indicate if you are intending to attend.

The Chairman has indicated that Members of the O&S Education Sub-Committee are also welcome to attend this meeting of the O&S Core Committee, should they wish to do so. At the discretion of the Chairman, they may also be able to ask questions and give their views.

A formal agenda and papers for the meeting will be issued tomorrow. In the interim, I am attaching for your information the completed call-in proforma.

Thanks & regards –

Trafford Council
Room 125, Trafford Town Hall, Talbot Road, Stretford M32 0TH
Call in Document

The case for universal free school meals is pretty much proven and well made by Kate Green and others in this Westminster Hall debate.

A special meeting of Trafford Council’s executive is meet on Monday 5th July to take the decision to close Lostock College and Stretford High School to enable the opening of an Academy at Stretford High (subject to the funding remaining in place)

The report CLICK Here for full report

Details of the meeting:

Time: 6:00pm (members of the public are advised to arrive in good time as there’s a possibility that places will be limited)

Date: Monday 5th July

Place: Trafford Town Hall (notice indicates council chamber) – Public Access is from the entrance on the Warwick Road Side of the town hall

The opportunity to speak at Executive meetings is carefully controlled by the ruling Conservatives and they apply a rule that only one speaker is allowed from each political (non Conservative) party. It’s likely they will apply a similar ruling to members of the public and restrict speakers.

This is a very important decision and will shape educational access in the Stretford area for years to come. It’s clear that in totality they will have diminished the school buildings and facilities across the two sites in favour of modern but cramped accommodation at the Stretford High site.

The argument is that within these modern but cramped conditions a better quality of education can be provided. Many parents at both schools are sceptical of this; both schools are already delivering quality according to Ofsted.

At the same time that the Stretford High site is expanding its capacity, it is having to shed school fields to Tesco. This aspect taints the whole plan and undermines any claim by the council that improving provision is at the heart of the decision. The enlarged Academy should inherit its full complement of land and facilities from the smaller Stretford High School that precedes it.

The eventual loss of the Lostock site to the greater Academy is another kick to improved provision. The performing arts studios and facilities at Lostock are the envy of most schools and the consequence of much needed investment.

So Monday’s decision will be a bitter pill to swallow and we will want to continue to fight to ensure the best possible outcomes and facilities for our area’s children.

What is about industry that the Tories hate so much? Having laid to waste huge swathes of our manufacturing inheritance during their rule in the 1980s, they’re at it again. The Tories have pulled the plug on an £80m loan to Sheffield Forgemasters. Economically, this decision is stupid. It puts at risk our participation in one of the growth industries that would pull us out of recession. This is ideologically driven vindictiveness and the Tories no longer pretend otherwise.  David Willetts the Tory minister for Universities was quite blatant on the BBC’s Politics show yesterday:

“Now I realise it’s tough for individuals businesses, but I do think that Sheffield Forgemasters’  role is a very important one in Sheffield manufacturing, but its role should not be determined by borrowing money from government.”

David Willetts BBC Politics Show 21st June 2010

We are on the brink of an economic depression and Willetts believes that the Government should be adopting a laissez faire approach; let the market look after things. Quite clearly the man is a pillock!

But he is a comfortably-off pillock….

We spent a really productive morning in Urmston Town Centre petitioning for the retention of the senior parks staff. Got to speak to loads of residents from the Lostock area/Gorse Hill area, all of whom were supportive of the petition.

We, the undersigned local residents, wish to place on record our appreciation of the tremendous work of Trafford Council’s gardening staff in improving and maintaining our parks and green spaces. We believe that the Council’s proposal to replace permanent on-site staff with a mobile team fails to recognise the dedication of their staff and will lead to a deterioration of standards and more vandalism in the parks. We therefore call on the Council to withdraw these proposals and to maintain the present staffing arrangements in the parks.

You can sign an online version of the petition here: Save our Parks