Monday 7th November

Labour Group Meeting – Anti Social Behaviour Report
Then quite a long meeting preparing for the budget.

Tuesday 8th November

Listened to Kwame Anthony Appiah’s lecture on Radio 4, or to be really honest, the radio was on in the background, while I did some work; that’s how it started anyway. Every now again, magic happens on Radio 4 and it casts a spell on you. (Listen Again – Very Recommended)
Popped over for a visit to a number of Gorgeous Gorse Hill sites with officers and Ruth from the group. The progress this group’ has made in opening up neglected patches is nothing short of phenomenal. Today’s meeting was primarily to make sure litter bins were installed and upkeep regimes were sensitive to work the community were doing – no more inappropriate use of herbicides.

Then over to the town hall for three meetings:
the first with Helen Jones Corporate Director for Economic Growth Environment and Infrastructure and her deputy Richard Roe. These are two genuine stars of Trafford’s corporate team, but too often and it’s the same across the board, these shadow meetings are more a test of our questioning than a directorate briefing. The primary question I want answering each month is the directorate challenges keeping them awake at night?

A handful of Tory councillors defecting and it would be a totally different game, but instead we have to chip away at the issues we know about. In my judgement it’s always more important to be informed about the issues we don’t know about. It’s clearly not the best preparation for any incoming governing party, but it seems to be the way we do things in councils, all councils. We’re not unique, I know that.

Second meeting was with Iain Minto from the Mall. Amongst the issues discussed was the forthcoming business rates reduction. It’s infuriating that the Government is giving so much transitional protection to the South East and making the rest of the country pay, They are ignoring the disparity that has already caused overheating in the capital whilst suffocating the North. The current Mall owners have been a breath of fresh air compared to previous owners but it would be good to see Government working on the side of those making investment and taking risks.

Yes, there’ll still be a reduction in May in the business rates for the Mall, but it won’t be as big a reduction as even the Government admits it should be.

When there’s actually a moral case for a punitive rate increase in the City of London in order to provide reparations for the damage it’s done to the rest of us, instead we see the opposite. We were promised a rebalancing, yet businesses in the Mall will still be subsidising the business rates of Harrods. If that’s rebalancing, it’s Tory rebalancing and it stinks.

Third Meeting was a scrutiny session on the One Trafford – Amey contract.
Really good scrutiny is rare in Local Government. In my experience the best scrutiny is in topic areas where either there’s an acknowledged issue to resolve, or just an area where there’s little political capital to protect. The One Trafford – Amey contract is not such an area.

There is too much of a divide on the One Trafford Contract for it to be effectively scrutinised by a cross party committee.

I’ve spoken to Conservative Councillors who admit they wanted to outsource from the moment they took control of the council in 2004. They simply believe that in everything the pursuit of profit is a more efficient model of working than an ethic of public service. I disagree, but it doesn’t matter how much tangible proof you present counter to their belief. They are zealots, it’s an article of faith. We may as well be speaking in tongues.

Leaving the political dogma aside, it remains transparently clear that the Cabinet Member with responsibility for environmental operations is either not willing or not capable of holding the service to account. It’s a default position of denial and impatience with any suggestion that things need to improve, that we want them to improve, that we want to help them improve. A reputation for closed eyes and ears was not improved by this session.

The bottom line is that every £ we spend on cleaning up litter and fly-tipping or paying unnecessary landfill costs on recyclable waste is money that we can’t spend on surestart, youth clubs or parks. Regardless of whether it’s outsourced or an in-house service, it’s clear that unless we engage better with the public and give the impression we want to work with them and listen to their concerns, we’re not going to improve things. That listening has to start at the top.

Home – to watch the Presidential election.
I’d begun to trust the polls were right. Usually a bad idea.
It was always clear that there was very little enthusiasm for elite insider politics that Hilary Clinton was offering.
However, it seems in the immeditate aftermath everyone is able to extract something from the entrails of this election that provides an inarguable case for their preferred path to power, whether it be Corbyn, Boris, Farage etc. The only thing certain is that they won’t all get what they want.

Wednesday 9th November

Another scrutiny meeting – this time it’s a task group on the Educational Health & Care Plans (EHCP). These had been in disarray during the summer – in a really bad state; and they’re vital for a child with special needs’ transition to a new school. We’ll pursue this task further but, whilst it’s not an issue I’ve been leading on, I came away from the meeting feeling that the new officer they’d recruited after the debacle, was someone that would make a real difference.

Thursday 10th November

Library volunteering.
No meetings so I stop smoking – seems a nice symmetry to it. Only started again in the aftermath of brexit, so if I stop because of Trump….it seems right. I don’t know what this all means, but if I can convince myself it was the right time to stop, it helps.

Friday 11th November

Transport for Greater Manchester Committee in the morning. The big issue was choice of new routes for when the Deansgate route begins. I suppose the plum route for areas is whether their tram goes to Piccadilly Station or not. It was easier when Bury and Altrincham were the only two ends of the lines. But Metrolink is a network, it’s not designed so that the tram you begin your journey on is the tram that you stay on for the whole journey. So the meeting was more fractious than usual. Our Metrolink will continue to link with Bury and Piccadilly Stn, so we’re considered to be winners in this.

In the afternoon I draft a council motion on lobbying government not to outllaw new publicly owned bus companies. I hope it’s a motion that gets submitted by the Labour Group. It’s competing with other worthy motions so we’ll see. Then drafted another leaflet/letter and had it printed. This one on the Station Road planning application. Really believe the loss of this green strip in a densely built environment would be probably more damaging than many places that receive full protection of countryside acts etc.

Saturday 12th November

I spend lunchtime delivering the leaflets and talking to residents, then finally get some time on the allotment

Sunday 13th November

Remembrance Sunday. Still thinking about the poor lad who fainted. I was prone to similar episodes in my teens. Luckily I tended to crumple, but that lad went down with such a thud.

Main Photograph courtesy of Amey PLC (photobombed by me)
Other Photos my own.

Monday 31st October

Escalated Casework on the Dane Road lift. It’s not helped that Metrolink is down again. I’ve moved the enquiry up a level. Hopefully I’ll get somewhere with this.

Checked the planning application for Station Road. The consultation period closes 14/11/2016. I think what I need to do is read the planning inspector’s judgement on the last appeal.

Escalated Thursday evening’s casework of my constituent effectively trapped in hospital whilst a care package is procured.

Cllr Harding and I agree to talk to Corporate Director this evening.

Prepared for Executive by reading 900 pages on the rewriting of the conservation areas planning guidance.

The actual Executive meeting was in the evening. Despite the aforementioned 900 pages the meeting was not a particularly long one.

Not at all convinced that the Tory presenting the report had read it despite his claims to the contrary.

The issues I raised included protection of our existing conservation areas.

I suppose the area most local to us is the Empress estate on Chester Road/City Road. The Essence Factory is in a poor state and developments are unfinished.

It says something that the site of the former Northumberland Pub has been removed from the conservation area – since the pub has been raised to the ground and is just flattened rubble.

Tuesday 1st November – Thursday 3rd November

Largely taken up with preparation for Friday’s Constituency Labour Party AGM. Difficult few days as competition for places heated up. Receiving applications for positions, organising the meeting itself, trying to be fair, distributing the applications to our 1400 members.

Friday 4th November

Similar on the Friday but also attended by monthly advice surgery

And finally the AGM….

150 people in the room, the chair, Joanne Harding and I on stage

I was dying for a drink of water by the end of it, but have to say it went well. Not everyone I voted for got elected, but I was reasonably pleased with the outcome. I was particularly pleased that Steve Adshead was continuing as Treasurer. The treasurer is one of those behind the scenes roles that people don’t notice and don’t always appreciate. Having been Kate Green’s agent in the last two elections, I know how vital it is that the Treasurer keeps his focus and diligently gets the cheques paid.

Saturday 5th November – Sunday 6th November

Just because I’m finally free as Secretary, I still have get the minutes drafted and arrange the handover. Talking with other Secretaries, it seems fairly typical that it’s been taking 15 to 20 hours each week or at least during the past year with leadership elections etc. It’s probably been 50 hours this past week but it’s done now.

Oh and I get to watch City v Barcelona. 3-1 wonderful game.

Edit

Looking back at this period from 2025. I can’t believe how hard I tried to keep a balanced and objective position throughout 2016. It was a year the Labour Party took leave of its senses on both sides. Oh, the whingeing and complaining from all sides. There was racism, there was deification and there was constant denial.

A lot of clowns from both sides have left the party since 2025 but it still permeates and we’re left with a party who’s members are always so certain about everything. I’m never certain and creates a constant tension.

Monday 24th October

Progressed a couple of pieces of Casework on the lift at Dane Road, it’s still not working and I’ve reported it; and the cycleway at the bottom of Moss Road – schedule for a visit by the sweeper this week.

A colleague relayed the circumstances of one of their constituents. It’s absolutely appalling, how can we force on vulnerable people such a burden to find a solution or make up the shortfall?

She receives 42 hours of care using personal assistants under the direct payment scheme
The hourly payments take in to account the hours and days when care is provided:
Week day- £7.20
Week evening-£8.97
Weekend day £10.25
Weekend evening £13.24
From the 8th of December a flat rate of £8 is being enforced by the council. She has been advised to get legal advice and that she has to give notice to her carers a period of eight weeks.

At the same time a Tory councillor tweets that he wants the taxpayer to fund a new Royal Yacht for Her Majesty!

I pay a visit to Architectural Students temporarily stationed for the day in Stretford Arndale consulting for a project as part of their studies. Absolutely delightful and provocative. After the disappointing bias towards private cars contained in Trafford’s own masterplan, it’ll be great to see what these young students come up with.

Gorse Hill Labour branch meeting in the evening. Great to get together, not an ideal main topic nominations for Constituency Labour Party positions.

The Labour party has been through a difficult period and it’s now time to build a competitive party that can take on the Tories. Key to this is getting a party that works to our strengths and it’s in Labour’s DNA that we’re a party that begins with our presence in communities. We’ve over a 170 members in Gorse Hill and we’re ambitious for more. We can only do that if members and supporters feel their being listened to; and are being included, and are part of the decision making.

The feedback to the meeting over the next few days was really positive. There’s a huge amount of energy and ambition.

Tuesday 25th October

No meetings planned, so after the positive response to the previous week’s diary, I think it’s time to sort out the blog. It’s become messy and it doesn’t render well on a mobile phone. It also goes wrong every time wordpress or bootstrap upgrade their frameworks. If none of this is comprehensible, essentially it’s like a car held together with sellotape and pins. I go to bed fighting the lines of code still in my head. I think I’m entering the Matrix.

I do progress with the problems at the Moss Road Spar crossing (posted earlier this year). There’s agreement to remove the parking space markings. But that isn’t going totally solve the problem. I’ve called on Traffic Management to urgently commission a secondary set of railings similar to those installed at Chester Road.

Wednesday 26th October

Went to the Lostock Park planting day. Really impressive from them – less so from me, they’d already finished planting before I got there. Managed to help a little with packing the gazebos. Had chance to discuss with Maureen a few issues. Particularly the subway at Humphrey Park Station.

Meeting with Jill Colbert and others over the Orchards school. Not much I can report. At least I feel we’ve been brought up to date with how the plans have or haven’t been progressing.

Visited the alleyway behind the takeaways on Chester Road. There’s an issue with the commercial waste bins there. I want to work with the takeaways to improve this. I’ll be visiting again over the weekend.

Derby Day

Half and half scarves in abundance tonight. What's that about? It's a derby not a 'Friends Meeting'! And a united fan asked me the way!

— Mike Cordingley (@MikeCordingley) October 26, 2016

Match is a damp squib. Didn’t feel like either side really wanted to win.

Thursday 27th October

Disappointed that a replacement bin promised the previous week for a constituent still hasn’t been delivered. I chase up.
1200 emails sent out with the agenda for next weeks AGM. Always prompts a lot of replies and this one is no exception. Very quiet couple of hours in my voluntary session at Lostock Library. It’s half term and we look shut with the carpark gate locked, so there’s only a couple of customers.

Annoyingly, I learn that Station Road is subject to yet another planning application. This will be the third time the owner has tried to get the small piece of scrub land right up against the railway embankment built upon. Will have to look into this one and probably lodge an objection.

Friday 28th October

Receive an alarming email from a constituent hospitalised outside the borough. She and her consultants want her discharged home; Trafford are struggling to procure a care package for her.

So, she’s forced to bedblock and she’s desperate to get home. It’s appalling and it just shows the extent to which these ideologically driven cuts from the Tories are affecting peoples’ lives. I get assurances from council that her care package will be prioritised and brief our lead councillor to pursue next week.

Drive to Bolton. I get lost. I always do in Bolton. Motorway is gridlocked on the way back (last day of half term + Trafford Centre)

Friday night shots of whiskey (only two, not driving, I’m allowed)

Saturday 29th October

A bit of a day off, watch the West Brom v City match in a pub. Last time I went to the Hawthorns it was city beaten 4-0. Still can’t believe we sold Peter Barnes and Gary Owen.
It was still nice to see City win today though.

Sunday 30th October

Hate the hour going back. The day seems darker right from getting up. Long been a supporter of ‘Lighter Later’ the campaign run by 10:10 and supported by Rospa and Brake campaign groups for safety. There’s a Green argument too. We’re wasting millions on lighting up homes instead of using all the hours of daylight, the day provides. It’s a total nonsense that we put the hours back in winter for farmers.

Emails go mad in the afternoon. Planning for the AGM is a busy time. I’ve had over 80 emails to answer since 2 o’clock.

So bit of a stressed day all round with one thing or another. I was hoping to go over to the fireworks at Barton Airport where Pinked Floyd were playing as background but all these emails!

Photo by Jan Kahánek on Unsplash

Monday 17th

• Received written reply on the unfinished houses at the Marina: Repossessed by Mortgagee. Hoping for sale in near future which will enable completion.
• Chasing up agreements on leases for community tenants of two Trafford owned community assets in Lostock, the lack of which is undermining the ability to pursue grant funding.
• Pursuing updates on new special school proposed at Barton Clough
• Pursuing attention to clean-up arrangements and dealing with neglect at Partridge St / Sir Matt Busby Way alleys
• Sending out notice for Gorse Hill Labour Party Branch meeting next week
• Two items of casework resolved – stolen grey bin replaced fee waived, unfinished replacement light column now tarmac-ed in.
• Reviewed this week’s planning list. No applications this week in Gorse Hill. On the face of it, nothing controversial across Trafford. Plans for 8 new houses on Manchester Road, Carrington might have greenbelt implications. Moss Park School has submitted plans for an outdoor stage canopy.
• Reply received regarding maintenance of the cycle path at the bottom of Moss Road – Scheduled for Amey to attend to it this week

Meeting of the Member Development sub committee in the evening.

Essentially it’s the training and education committee for councillors. Sounds boring but actually the calendar of events we have are well put together.

We’re currently putting together something that looks at the business of local government, how will local government cope when the gap between public expectation of services and the reality becomes stretched to breaking point?

Devolution and localism is pulling one way, but is it just about doing the best we can do, when we know it’s not nearly enough?

What are the lessons from the business community about meeting consumer expectations with a fading product and turning it around. How do they approach transformation?

My gut feeling is that the simple answer is the business goes bust. But if local services go bust, doesn’t that lead to a breakdown of society?

Discuss

Tuesday 18th October

• Looked at the newly announced business rate valuations for 2017/18. Looks as though Stretford is set for reductions in the town centre. Place North West have written a good summary here
• Pursued the Cromford Road / Barton Road passageway. Originally reported in July, still not done.
• Asked for an update from Metrolink on the weekend incident “Man fighting for life after being attacked by Metrolink security staff in city centre“
• Cycled up to Oxford Road to help man the volunteer stall for Lostock College Community library on the University’s volunteer recruitment day.
• Agreed to meet along with Gorgeous Gorse Hill and Trafford Council/Amey officers. The new pocket garden is looking great on Longford bridge and we just need a maintenance plan for litter bins. Plus a plea to stop weedkilling our community plants.
• Commented on a debate about Trafford Cycle Forum’s terms of reference. Delirious over seeing my previous comments described as tokenistic. I ignore. Cycling is too vital in terms of health and environmental sustainability. We have a wonderful opportunity to take it forward with the success of the Manchester based success of cycling in the Olympics.
• Great to see in the Messenger that Kate Green is asking children about air quality and the effects on their lives. At the same time I’m struck that so few streets are places where children feel safe to play because of cars. So cars are not just poisoning them, they’re forcing them inside. There maybe something counter-intuitive going on. Within the ward, it seems that the streets where children are most at liberty to play, for example my own Raglan Road and Thirlmere Road are also roads where car parking routinely takes place on the pavement because the roads are so narrow.
• Enquired into the current status of Trafford’s Transport Strategy. I don’t remember it being reviewed although the intention in the original document was for three-yearly reviews.
• Pursued information on adopted/unadopted alleyways in the ward. Seems a lot of conflicting information on this.
• Supported a Labour Party branch in restarting their branch meetings.

Wednesday 19th October

• Received reply on the adopted highways of Gorse Hill ward. It’s a large file but I’ve made it available here. The majority of alleyways are adopted for maintenance by the council but there are a number which are not. For most of the time, this won’t have much effect, but on occasions it can have consequences.
• Also received a response to the status of the Transport Strategy for Trafford. Apparently it’s been abandoned and we rely on TfGM’s. Don’t agree with this at all. The TfGM strategy is much more high level. It really explains why transport is never built into the council’s strategic thinking. Salford has its own transport strategy. Salford meets regularly with its bus companies,
  We’re moving rapidly towards bus refranchising. Other authorities are geared up to making the case for their areas. Trafford will just accept what it gets. Trafford has contracted out its traffic management unit to Amey. They would normally play a big role in making sure that public transport interests are prioritised. It’s an appalling state of affairs.
• Welcome news that plans for a proposed large advertisement hoarding at the community garden on the corner of Avondale Road has been withdrawn following our objections.
• The Circle Court Development at Lostock has also been withdrawn. This included social housing so it’s with mixed feelings that it’s withdrawn. However, I know there were some who were worried about over developing the site.
• Wrote a sensitive report for the constituency labour party executive. They are always the most difficult to write.
• Chased up the crossing versus parking issue at the Spar on Davyhulme Road with planning enforcement.

Thursday 23rd October

I’m guilty as charged in staying up all night to watch the last Trump v Clinton debate. It’s surreal, there’s no metric to make Trump a suitable president. It’s like Dr Strangelove made real.

Received a positive response to reporting Lake Road near the ecology park for lack of clean-up. The council is often too quick to cut corners in Trafford Park, when clean streets are just as vital to business as they are to residents.

Liaised with Paula of ‘Love Gorse Hill’ one of our brilliant residents.

Did my voluntary stint at Lostock library. For the 45mins, rhyme time and it must be my most enjoyable time of each week, shelving books whilst the kids do “If you’re happy and you know it”. Like the college staff, I can never resist secretly joining in. 

Rhyme Time at Lostock Library takes place Thursdays 2pm (term time only)

In the evening I face a perfect storm

Metrolink problems at Cornbrook that I’m told have lead to suspension of services over the weekend. I’m due to attend the Metrolink sub committee in the morning. I’ll learn more there.

The release of the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework. This is likely to be a huge issue over the coming weeks. It’s 500+ pages in total but the allocation of land near Flixton House for development is a shock.

Friday 21st October 2016

• Attended Transport for Greater Manchester Metrolink and Rail sub committee. It’s been a difficult week for transport. Items discussed included Victoria Station, Cornbrook Points Failures, Friends of Station
• I was pleased to see this news item on Sat Nav data whilst I caught up with the ‘Daily Politics’. At first glance it seems of only minor interest, but HGVs trying to get to Trafford Park and the Euro Terminal are a regular disruption in both Gorse Hill and Lostock. So this might prevent garden walls and bollards being knocked down and wing mirrors being smashed. It’s really been a significant problem.
• I posted details of the spatial framework on Urmston Net and it’s already proving controversial
• Spent the late afternoon at the allotment digging over a new but completely overgrown plot. I’m knackered.
• Got back to a complaint regarding rats. The difficulty was that the resident had no idea where the rats were, their cat was bringing them back to the owner as ‘presents’. Whilst in some ways it could be said that the cat was dealing effectively with the problem, it seems to be an increasing issue.
• Trying to establish responsibility for an overgrown passageway on Gorse Ave/Gorse Crescent. Left a message with Trafford Housing Trust.
• Wrote up and collated reports for a really big agenda to be discussed on Sunday at the Executive of the CLP. As it’s my last one as CLP Secretary, I was sorely tempted to put ‘Auld Lang Syne’ as the last item.

Saturday 22nd October

• A couple of pieces of casework, both regarding transport. Fed back to a resident an update on the Metrolink weekend closure and opened a dialogue on the performance of the lift at Dane Road Station.
  

  The second piece of work was in response to lobbying from bus users on clause 21 of the Bus Services Bill. This is the Bill that allows Elected Mayors to refranchise bus services in their City Region. So it’s definitely a move in the right direction but clause 21 prevents local transport authorities from setting up their own bus companies. I believe Clause 21 is totally counter productive. It allows the already incredibly powerful privately owned bus companies to hold Councils to ransom, knowing the council is prevented by law from running the service themselves, even if that’s better for the passenger and better for the rate-payer. It’s ideologically driven nonsense from the Conservatives. We should always allow Councils to run their own bus services where this is the best option. I’ve signed the petition.

  
  
• Then it’s off to Urmston to knock on doors in Urmston as part of a Labour campaign to hold Amey and the Council to account for the appalling deterioration in street cleaning, parks and general environmental operations. Not surprisingly, the response on the doorstep is best described as being in despair at how far things have deteriorated.

Sunday October 23rd

• Began the day printing off reports and agenda for a meeting of the CLP executive. This is effectively the board of management for the local labour party. We’re preparing for our AGM and there’s lots of other stuff too. It’s a long but productive meeting.
• Then it’s back home to prepare the minutes and to start actioning the action points.

Rugby League has a long standing reputation as a family orientated spectator sport. The experiences that Gorse Hill residents have relayed to me following last week’s Grand Final between Wigan and Warrington at Old Trafford suggest that things have slipped.

Football fans, we’re used to. It’s never an easy relationship with the club and those who seek to exploit the fans whether through legal means or illegal. We know where the lines are drawn, and we generally cope. Rugby League fans seem to show no recognition of any limit to alcohol intake.

It didn’t stop at being boorish

• Urinating in alleys
• Assaulting women in a fashion that only Donald Trump would think acceptible
• Almost universal drunkeness and boorish behaviour
• Incapable of eating a tray of food without losing most of their meal and then dropping the litter into the nearest garden.

I spoke to a steward who was on duty in the ground on the day. He was suprised at my surprise and said

Rugby League Fans are the worst we have to deal with!

Gorse Hill should not have to put up with it. Rugby League needs to get its house in order. We’ll be making this clear to to the authorities before they return.

And if you’ve had experiences you’d like to relay, please use the comments section below. I really want to hear from you.

Why would anyone think that placing a parking space that can only be accessed via the dropped kerb of a pedestrian crossing is a good idea?

Imagine school children at the crossing and a car is reversing back into the road from behind. It’s ridiculous. I’m pushing council officers to intervene.

Location Moss Road/Davyhulme Road East junction