Canal27ways

Author: Mike Cordingley

  • Hotels coming and going, excitement over Old Trafford and Stretford moving forward.

    Hotels coming and going, excitement over Old Trafford and Stretford moving forward.

    A busy time for planning applications, both new applications and older ones being resolved:

    Trafford Park Hotel

    This is a new application for the Hotel which is oldest heritage asset in Trafford Park. It’s been allowed to deteriorate for some time though in recent years attempts have been made by what has been a procession of new owners to come up with a plan to provide new purpose to the pub.

    We had an attempt to have it built into a boutique hotel development that included a new block adjacent to the pub. That was rejected out of hand by planners as the new block was considered too big.

    We now have new owners and their vision is for apartments. Again there is a new block albeit somewhat smaller than that proposed earlier.

    In terms of architecture, I’m supportive of the new application. It retains and repurposes the pub building and whilst the adjacent block is not blowing anyone away, this is what it might to take to preserve the pub building.

    My problem is that it’s for apartments in a very much depopulated part of Trafford Park. It does have the tram and good bus connections. Trafford Park village actually has lovely shops but they are geared to a 5 day a week operation and there’s nothing there at all at weekends. We’ve very much reserved this whole area for industry and commercial activity since the last houses were demolished.

    I think there’s a very good chance that planning officers will take a dim view of it being for residential use. This application might well go the way of the last application with summary dismissal.

    Sadly, I think hotel use was a much better proposal but that application never even got to planning committee. I’m not making the same mistake twice. For that reason, I’ve ‘called’ the application in. At the very least it will allow councillors to have consideration of the remaining options for preserving this much loved listed building. I won’t be a councillor when the application is ready for determination but I’ve consulted with my fellow councillors and Dave and Laurence and both agree we need proper consideration of the proposal.

    Manchester United Stadium

    The future of Old Trafford has been the subject of much press speculation. It seems certain that significant proposals are being drawn up to either almost rebuild the current stadium, or to build a new stadium on nearby land.

    I think it’s fair to say that as the main concerns will be traffic and community impact, local councillors will be sharpening their elbows to work their way to the front to be heard.

    We know how these sorts of regionally significant projects have a tendency to pan out. There’s lots of ‘glad-handing’ of regional ministers, Metro-Mayors, not to mention leaders of Salford and Trafford, but little say from the communities most affected. Those local elbows will have to be razor sharp and in my view, it will be to the benefit of Manchester United if they are.

    A Manchester United Stadium that meets the collected needs of the fans, the club and the people who live and work alongside has to be better than one that sets itself apart.

    Greatstone Hotel

    This was a planning application to build apartments on the site of the Greatstone Hotel adjacent to the Gorse Hill Park gates. The council refused planning permission but the applicants appealed to the Planning Inspectorate. The inspector Louise Crosby ruled in support of the refusal:

    I have found that the proposal would have a significant harmful effect on the
    character and appearance of the surrounding area, great weight must also be
    given to the harm I have identified to designated heritage assets which is not
    outweighed by the public benefits. I have also found that the proposal would
    not provide adequate outdoor private amenity space for future residents of the
    apartments.

    Louise Crosby

    I’m sure they’ll come again with a new proposal or someone else will.

    701 Chester Road – 169 bed hotel on corner with Warwick Road

    This was the second time this site had come to planning. The first time, planning committee refused permission and to a certain extent, this was confirmed in an appeal against the decision.

    The applicants tried to address the reasons for refusal endorsed by the planning inspector. So, this application had reduced maximum height and more car parking, particularly disabled car parking.

    However, planning committee still didn’t approve the application for reasons of:

    • The design having a detrimental impact on the character and visual appearance of the street scene and the surrounding area.
    • The scale would give rise to an unduly overbearing and over-dominant impact and result in harmful overlooking to the detriment of the amenity that the adjoining occupants could reasonably expect to enjoy.
    • The proposed development would generate an additional demand for car parking which cannot be accommodated on this site in a satisfactory manner.

    Interestingly to me as an observer, the Director of Growth and Regulatory Services was sufficiently disturbed by the overly theatrical performances of some members of the planning committee in their considerations, that he felt bound to chastise them over their lack of focus in what he rightfully reminded them was a quasi-judicial function.*

    (*This is a nice way of saying that he gave them a bollocking and it’s unprecedented as far as I’m aware to do it in public unless one counts Jackie Weaver.)

    School Streets – What are School Streets?

    A School Street is a road outside a school with a temporary restriction on motorised traffic at school drop-off and pick-up times. The restriction applies to school traffic and through traffic. The result is a safer, healthier and pleasant environment for everyone.

    School Street schemes offer a proactive solution for school communities to tackle air pollution, poor health and road danger reduction. A School Street scheme will encourage a healthier lifestyle and active travel to school for families and lead to a better environment for everyone.

    Trafford is hoping to finally get one installed imminently. It’s taken too long but we’re there with our first pilot. Given we’re almost there, I’ve made a plea for data to be collated quickly in terms of how the school performs now. I want us to be able to show the difference that school streets make.

    All things transport

    Just to emphasise how important it was for Andy Burnham to have his franchising of Greater Manchester’s buses ruled as legal and legitimate, we can already see the benefit the decision to cap all bus fares to £2 for a single journey. The bus fares in Manchester over recent decades have almost forced people into cars. At last we’re allowed to bring some common sense to the issue.

    Vernon Everitt has been appointed as Andy Burnham’s new Transport Commissioner to replace Chris Boardman who’s taken on a national role at Active Travel England.

    Dame Sarah Storey takes over Chris Boardman’s other role for Active Travel in Greater Manchester.

    If I’m honest, I’m not overly thrilled that the two disciplines are separated again. We really need everyone singing from the same hymn-sheet and I’m still concerned that those in TfGM responsible for traffic are resisting change. There are too many unresponsive crossings in GM and we’re nowhere near giving priority to pedestrian travel. I’d go as far as to say major sections of TfGM are not fit for purpose.

    Covid-19

    Bad news, I’m afraid. Trafford back as having highest rates in Greater Manchester and trends are all upwards. Hospital rates are rising. The only positive indicator is that use of ventilators are down.

    Stretford Town Centre

    Let’s finish on a positive note. Stretford took a another jump forward with planning permission granted to proceed to the next stage. This includes quite a substantial demolition to focus on the King Street area as well as underneath and around the multi-storey car park.

    Now we’re moving beyond outline planning, I think we can lose the rather too cartoony CGI images of people dangling their feet in the canal. This is quite a radical change for Stretford but we did need to lose a lot of the Mall. The challenge is to make sure we have a Stretford that’s big enough to be the town centre we want, and that presents an attractive face to those coming through. I think we can deliver that.

    Designated for demolition (hatched areas)

  • New Site

    With my imminent departure as councillor, I had to decide what to do with the website. It was really a choice of wipe it, or save it under a name that didn’t get in the way of the new team after the election.

    As I’ve put a lot of work into the website over the past 15 years, I’m just not ready to wipe it. At a micro level, it does give something of a record of this brilliant place.

    So I’m keeping it for now. I’ve named the site ‘From the Canal to Sevenways’. It pretty much describes the geometry on the map in each direction.

    I wrote the blog because I felt duty-bound to report back to those who elected me. However, I’ve always enjoyed the writing of it. If anybody finds it informative now, or interesting, that’s a bonus.

    Regards, Mike

  • Stretford Library move gets approval from Trafford’s leadership

    In what seems to have been a very rushed process, the council’s Executive voted tonight for Stretford Library to vacate its home for the past 80 years to allow Trafford Music Service to take over the building. It’s just over a week since the report was first published to almost no fanfare.

    Whilst the speed of the decision has taken the breath away, it has to be acknowledged that there has been a lot of public support expressed into a succession of Stretford Town Centre consultations for the library to form part of the eventual town centre revival. I think a lot of us saw the transfer as being into a bespoke hub, rather than a unit in the mall. However, importantly, and I think this accounts for much of the haste, the addition of the Music Service to the town centre has to be welcomed.

    It’s the space allocated in the Mall that is most troubling. The units 37-38 that used to house Bonmarché just don’t provide sufficient space to provide the popular internet service, book shelves and children’s play area that make up a modern library, not to mention the Access Trafford service that’s so important in these difficult times. I raised this at the Executive meeting. I think the choice of Bonmarché has been simplified as the old Tesco’s units are too big, therefore it has to be a Bonmarché sized unit and that seems to have become the settled position.

    My problem with this choice is that being in the Mall is likely to improve footfall – a good thing, but the computers will (hopefully) be more popular than the unit can cope with, and the library as a place to read will be overwhelmed. I argued that it may be necessary to separate functions over more than shop unit.

    I’m certainly not won over by the argument that this is a temporary solution. The current time-frame is 2-5 years and I don’t believe children should lose out on Rhyme Time (edit I’ve been assured that Rhyme time will continue) and that vital nurtured skill of choosing books. We’re going to need more space. I hope the Executive were listening to me. We’ll see.

    Further edit: Response from the Executive Member, Liz Patel

    Can’t pretend I’m happy to leave this at this point but not likely to get any further in my remaining 6 weeks as councillor.

  • Putting Children back to first priority

    I am really pleased that Andy Western – leader of Trafford Council has made the comments I’m sharing below.

    It’s something I’ve been uncomfortable with since the outset of the first lockdown. I was never happy that schools were shut down. With hindsight, I can see we needed a pause to get on top of the virus. However, I was very supportive of Kate Green’s stance that children needed to be back at school at the earliest date. She took flack for that position.

    It’s never been the loss of examinations that’s been my prime concern. With the right provision of lifelong learning, this can be addressed; and maybe even improved upon, as we’ve never been good at it. Now it’s imperative, perhaps at last we can dream of the universal provision we dreamt about when Labour created the ‘Open University’.

    I agree with Andy that it’s the loss of socialisation skills and friendship forming that’s the real worry. We’re seeing an increased prevalence of mental health problems and worsening anti-social behaviour. I sense there’s a stronger element of pure anger contained within the motivations for that behaviour than I have seen before. I get that anger. I get angry at those who pontificate at parents for the reaction their children are demonstrating.

    It’s something that we’re going to have to address and there’s an urgent need for the conversation to really get started. That conversation has primarily to be driven by the young people and we need to find new ways of getting the voice of those most at risk from problems we’ve created. The catchup plan needs to be owned by those children and it needs to continue to be owned by them as they move through their life. We owe it to them.

  • Happy New Year to you all

    Happy New Year to you all

    A few predictions for this time of year seems to be the tradition. I’m optimistic.

    Covid

    I think we’re going to have a difficult few weeks with covid but spring is going to look so much better for those who keep up their vaccination. It will never go away but we’ll find it far more manageable with minimal impact on daily lives. Just to reiterate though, January/February will be horrible.

    Healthcare

    As covid normalises, trade unions will take a hard look at the equality of health provision. In 2023 it will not be defensible for the lowest rates of vaccination to be amongst ethnic minorities and manual trades.

    (Trade Unions generally will be playing a bigger direct role in 2023 – and we’ll all be better for it)

    Big wish – That we see a new health facility in the Gorse Hill/Firswood Area

    Stretford

    I suspect the focus will shift to the Canalside area. We’ve only had one or two artist impressions of people relaxing on the side of the canal. We need to see how this area can be brought to life and importantly, how it relates to and complements the work on the Mall.

    Manchester United

    Man U will be putting some meat on the bones of their plans to modernise and enlarge the stadium. I really hope Trafford’s leadership is not bought off with promises of ‘jam tomorrow’. Residents around the stadium have seen it all before. There needs to be a paradigm shift in how Man U connects with its neighbours both here and greater Old Trafford; and Salford too. There’s a real opportunity to place residents to the front of negotiations before officers agree to the bulk of Man U’s demands.

    Big wish: That Manchester United places itself hand in hand in collaboration with residents and local businesses to develop a masterplan that puts Man U as a catalyst for a neighbourhood enhanced by them rather than impaired.

    Education

    I’m biased, but I believe that it was a huge error removing Kate Green from Labour’s education portfolio. Strategic thinking on how we address the twin challenges of Brexit and Covid is vital; and far more important than parliamentary bluster. Personally, I think this is an area that Andy Burnham needs to seize. We vitally need a skilled up work force that can compete internationally. Covid has been hugely damaging to a generation and yet it’s the aspect of levelling up that gets the least attention. The impact on children in Lostock and Gorse Hill has been far greater than Hale and Timperley and it needs addressing.

    Big Wish 1- that we start publicising 11+ pass rates of schools. We’ve always been too polite and discreet about this but it allows certain schools to push the boundary of coaching. You will only see progress if you expose how inherently unfair it is to certain schools and their pupils.

    Big Wish 2 – that we make an irresistible demand for a huge investment in Further Education. It’s never been more important to make lifelong learning routinely available to all.

    Transport

    Active Travel is going to continue to be controversial but it’s also going to edge forwards. We can’t have Stretford’s motorway restored to how it was; and a bus lane doesn’t help Stretford, or buses particularly there. We’ve got to make crossing our roads much easier and less stressful.

    Nevertheless we are expecting work to start this year on the Greatstone Road/Talbot Road junction. Much needed as it’s been far too grim for pedestrians trying to cross Greatstone Road without a phase for them to cross safely.

    I have quite a few on my wish list in this area but it’s worth pointing out that they’re all predominately for pedestrians. We really should have prioritised walking before cycling and I say that as a cyclist. No one cycles before they can walk and we’ve made it so difficult to get around on foot, it’s no wonder we use cars for ridiculously short journeys.

    Big wish 1: That Trafford takes a strategic decision to make all crossings provide improved priority to pedestrians. Too many force the pedestrian to stand at the kerb, getting sprayed by cars for too long.

    Big wish 2: A Chester Road crossing close to Gorse Hill Park. It’s awful having to cross there without any infrastructure but parents and children have to do it daily. Long overdue.

    Big wish 3: Pedestrian phase for Park Road / Derbyshire Lane – I think it’s now on the list but needs pressure from Trafford to maintain its place.

    Big wish 4: Safe pedestrian crossing for Raglan Road to Davyhulme Road at Fiveways. Clearly, I live on Raglan Road so I haven’t prioritised this one. However, since I’m going and daily have to chance my life against traffic from all directions, I’m going to include it in this my last wish list as councillor.

    Big wish 5: Humphrey Park Station Tunnel : Complicated ownership/responsibility but this is such a valuable and well used pedestrian route between Lostock and Humphrey Lane and yet it’s in disgraceful nick. It doesn’t have disabled access, it collects rain and muck and it’s poorly lit. It can’t be beyond the wit of Trafford and Northern Rail/Network Rail to come together and sort it.

    Big wish 6: A Melville Crossing beg button that works when there’s moving traffic. Not much point in having a controlled crossing if it waits until there’s no traffic before working.

    Big wish 7: And this one really irritates. I wish we could lock Highways Agency, Trafford Council and TfGM in a room with a PC operating Street View to check every route from Junction 7 on the M60 for road signage to enable HGVs to find a sensible route to Trafford Park. I am sick to the back teeth of 30 ton HGVs getting lost in residential streets because there’s no signs once they’re off main route from junction 9 Parkway. I wouldn’t let them out of the room until they’d sorted it.

    Gorse Hill Park, Fiveways, Humphrey Park, Melville

    Amey

    I think I dealt with this in my previous blog post. I don’t think we’re going to get from the seven year review the community engagement that we really need and was promised at outset. I do think it’s the only meaningful way we’ll achieve the focused service we need. There has been some improvement on occasions. I like the way that Stretford Litter Pickers has been able to work with Amey. I think that’s largely because Stretford Litter Pickers are more determined than most and all credit to them.

    Parks

    Too many parks have lost their swings. It’s vital we get investment. I worry so much about what covid has done to a generation of kids. At least give them park equipment to play on. We’ve locked them up for too long.

    Liar Johnson is leaving the building

    He’s going isn’t he? No one can survive their reputation being shredded the way that his has been over parties, expenses and his own arbitrary rules that he doesn’t pretend to stand by. The local elections will see him off and Labour will be cock-a-hoop.

    Labour needs to be careful though. Johnson is the main reason Labour’s polling has improved. I am not sure Starmer’s inner circle are taking the right messages from this improvement in polling. I’m not sure it’s helpful to know what type of car they think Starmer is.

    Lastly (and I mean it)

    It’s always useful to list priorities. You’ve always come back at me to add a few more. I’ve always enjoyed that.

    The fact that some of these priorities would have been listed when I first became a councillor I think says more about the way Council operates in its own bubble. Unless you have access to officers, you’re rarely going to make headway and that access has never been more at a premium than it is now.

    However, I’ve only got about 10 more weeks as a councillor. So these will be someone else to pick up or not and that’s right. Generally, I am optimistic.

    One of the things I think has really improved is community strength and identity. In Gorse Hill we’ve had the lantern parade and it was great. Stretford has been doing its advent windows for a few years now. I saw this week that Wigan had an annual fancy dress on Boxing Day. These locally based quirks are great and are a real hope that we can have neighbourhoods that are different and flourishing.

  • Amey and Trafford’s relationship is up for Review

    Amey and Trafford’s relationship is up for Review

    The Amey One Trafford Partnership has been a feature of life in Trafford for the last six and a half years and we’re coming up to the 7 year review.

    So whether you’re itching to get Amey out of your life, or happy to move forward together, councillor scrutiny of the contract has commenced.

    7 year Review

    The agreement was signed 7th May 2015 and the partnership is due to end on the 30th June 2030 for everything but the street lighting contract, which gets an extra 5 years until 2035.

    There is a provision for the council to ask for an 8 year extension to 2038 if it so chooses, but to all intents and purposes the bulk of the contract is a 15 year agreement and we’re coming up to that half way point.

    What gets to be reviewed?

    The terms of the review are specified under clause 12 of the agreement. The terms have their roots in the original aims of the ‘Reshaping Trafford’ project set out at the onset of the tender in March 2015:

    • To deliver a minimum of 20% savings against the net budget from contract commencement.
    • To deliver further, future efficiency savings through continuous improvement and innovation in service provision through the contract life.
    • To have flexibility, recognising the challenging financial climate facing local authorities at the moment.
    • Protect jobs and maintain service standards in so far as practicable.

    So this time last year under clause 12, the council must have begun the process to assess Amey’s performance against:

    • Achieving value for money in its services on behalf of the council
    • Preparing Service Plans
    • Satisfying the users of services
    • Satisfying the council
    • Providing a competitive service

    And the council will have engaged in a dialogue in order to determine whether it wished to exercise rights to request a Seven year options proposal very much focused within the agreement on cost reduction, so that those options will consider in order of precedence:

    • Efficiency improvement
    • Income generation
    • Reconfiguration of service delivery
    • Adjustment of targets and performance
    • Adjustment to scope

    At the end of the review

    As you can see the Tory contract always envisaged service degradation at this point in the agreement. It has to be said that the Tories also envisaged that Amey might not wish to comply, or they may wish to make counter proposals that the council the council would find unacceptable. Both these outcomes are provided for in the agreement along with a protocol designed to bring both parties together but with the possibility of agreement termination as the ultimate recourse.

    Conclusion

    This process must be coming to its latter stages now and the call has been made for a cross party group to come together to look at the review. I don’t have any insight into where we’re at but probably wouldn’t be able to tell you if I did have.

    Politically, whatever changes are made will be Labour changes.

    It’s worth pointing out then that I’m convinced the ‘Reshaping Trafford’ project, more than anything, led to the demise of the Conservatives in Trafford. A 20% reduction in funding for the only services that we all use was the most comprehensive suicide note that any council has written ever. Whatever happens at this seven year review, it’ll still be a Conservative project but increasingly we in Labour will be held to be responsible for its day to day running. It’s in our interest to make the partnership more accountable to its users and that’s something actually enshrined in the agreement.

    Clause 12:13 talks about whether or not “the Service Provider has to a material extent failed to satisfy the users of the Services in relation to the Service Provider‘s performance under this Agreement.”

    Facebook photo of OT revolting Protest 2017 (Year 2 of Contract)

    I think it’s fairly clear that ‘Love Old Trafford’ had their patience stretched by Amey and the council. Once the 7 year review is over, I don’t believe the distinction between Amey and the council will wash. It’ll be council services and we’ll to a much greater extent have to satisfy the users of the services.

    That said, there’s real chance for Amey and senior councillors be more joined up and responsive to the public and their representatives. The prospect of another seven years of staying together just because they have to is too depressing to contemplate. This isn’t a marriage. The seven year review provides a chance to bring partnership back to the fore. I hope it goes well.