From the Canal to Sevenways

Category: Blog

  • Weekly update -7th November 2015 –

    Weekly update -7th November 2015 –

    Saturday 7th November

    Attended target cafe in Gorse Hill to meet with Paul, Marge and Mary of Love Gorse Hill. We're working hard to make sure council's new contractor, Amey maintains a high standard match day operation. United were playing West Brom that day. One of the key actions on match day is to ensure the litter bins are emptied before the fans arrive, if the litter bins are full, we can't expect the fans to use them. We have problems where the fans alight from coaches coming in from the faraway places united fans live, they empty out the refuse from their journey onto our streets. We're not going to solve the problem without help from the council and its contractor so we have to keep them on their toes.

    lovegorsehill

     

    The Target Cafe is a great resource and at the same time I got to hear Debbie (Cllr Walsh's daughter) sing at the cafe. It made for a really nice lunchtime and lovely to spend a Saturday when I've not been delivering leaflets or knocking on doors for Labour.

    Sunday 8th November – Remembrance Day

    Rather than go to the civic ceremony at the Stretford Cenotaph, I attended the smaller ceremony at the All Saints Church on the Lostock/Stretford border. It was a chance to hear the new vicar Revd Luke Maguire. I'm a committed non-believer, but it's important.

    Monday 9th November

    Almost 11 hrs of interviewing for a new Family Support and Safeguarding Lead at Barton Clough.

    Tuesday 10th November

    Strong Communities Board received update from Jamie Whyte on latest deprivation statistics for Trafford. Most areas are doing 'relatively' well compared to the national average. This might mean we're becoming better off, but could equally mean we're simply not declining as badly as other areas. It's really a system of ranking – but all neighbourhoods in Gorse Hill have risen in that ranking.

    Also looked at revised partnership strategy. I've been hugely critical of the partnership in the past. It doesn't seem to have delivered very much and hasn't really been a partnership in any meaningful way. The new structure at least seems to be pointing in the right direction.

    On the way back from the town hall I got chance to pop in to Floors2go. A resident had mentioned they weren't entirely happy that Floors2Go had put a marketing banner in front of the Gorgeous Gorse Hill planters on Chester Road. Got to say Floors2Go were brilliant about it – took the banner down immediately and asked that they could put it back for weekend promotion. More than happy with the compromise. Well done Floors2go!

    Wednesday 11th November

    Meeting at town hall with Locality Partnership admin. Full Council meeting in the evening. You can watch the council meeting here

    The Conservatives were not answering questions and there's a concerted effort from them to stifle and obfuscate. I'm not a fan of full council meetings. Families affected by withdrawal of home to school transport for a significant proportion of older (post 16) young disabled people really didn't get a chance to hear any meaningful defence of those changes.

    Thursday 12th November

    Regular library volunteering in the afternoon.

    Planning meeting in the evening. Great news that the Station Road flats were rejected. Really pleased with that. This was probably my highlight of the week. That patch of ground alongside the railway might not mean much to councillors from Hale but it really is a pocket sized park. It may be brambles and scrub but it's blackberry picking in the summer and bird song in the spring. One notoriously right-wing Conservative took offence at the description of the patch as park, the idea that something 'owned' could be a park was anaethema to him. I disagree profoundly. 
    To be fair though – he still voted against the development.

    Also on the planning agenda was Pomona. I still don't believe these two blocks on the Manchester border are the best designs aesthetically but they're a darn sight better than those on the Manchester side. I did object to the original designs – I do believe we need homes though and I don't subscribe to the objections coming from those who believe we should not be building homes there.

    Friday 13th November

    Transport in the morning. I need to record that I voted against allowing dogs onto Trams. I know it was controversial to some but I was convinced the trial should not go ahead. The proposed trial was to allow dogs in carriers similar to the one shown at the top of this post. I didn't buy the argument that this was at all workable – what is the passenger to do with carrier(s) when they alight from the tram? Others wanted muzzled dogs. I just don't think the tram is an appropriate vehicle to take dogs. Most correspondence I received was against it and I am not going to hide from the fact that I am too.

    dogs_trams

    Meeting with Stella Creasy in the afternoon. I'm a big fan. I like that she sees activism as something other than hand-wringing.

  • Pomona Planning Application

    Pomona Planning Application

    I am objecting to the plans submitted in respect of application 85822/FUL/15 Pomona. The design lacks the visual quality appropriate to the first phase of this strategic location. I have been following the reporting of the application both in the press and on social media. The quality of design has almost universally been viewed negatively. Communities are recognising that the quality of building design is an essential element of the planning function and this does not meet the quality standard that Trafford should require of this strategically important development.

    Mike Cordingley
    Councillor for Gorse Hill Ward
    Shadow Spokesperson – Economic Growth
    www.gorsehill-labour.co.uk
    @MikeCordingley

    0781 499 7522

  • Trafford’s New ‘Medieval’ Market Policy

    Trafford’s New ‘Medieval’ Market Policy

    Warning: The events that follow are all True.

    Proposed Adoption of a Markets Policy

     


    The right to hold markets in the  town of Altrincham was originally granted by Royal Charter from King Edward I in 1290. The Council’s market rights were acquired by Deed from the successors in title to the Lords of the Manor to whom the original charter was granted. The charter allowed markets to be held in the town on a Tuesday in each week.
    The Charter Rights and statutory rights give the power to stop markets from operating anywhere within a radius of six and two thirds of a mile from any location on which Altrincham Market operates and to require anyone wishing to hold a market to obtain a licence for the market.

     

    Seven centuries later…….

    On 29th June 2015 Trafford Council determined that the policy dating back to 1290 be restated. As a consequence, other than the markets recognised by the council at Urmston, Partington and Sale, the assumption is that no new regular markets will be allowed to be established in Trafford except for occasional one-off events.

    The policy does not recognise that Stretford ever has had an established market. It certainly doesn't recognise regular car-boot sales or even the Computer Markets that ran for many years at Bowlers. Coming within 6 and three quarter miles of Altrincham, the expectation is that under the new policy these would not be allowed again, regardless of changing fashions.

    Clearly the policy is feudal in origin and looks to be feudal in practice.

    Labour councillors have called the decision in and thankfully the Conservative Chair of Scrutiny has agreed to the call in. Hopefully we can improve the policy or widen the consultation.

  • I’m backing Liz Kendall as Labour Leader

    I’m backing Liz Kendall as Labour Leader

    Scene:

    September 2014 BBC Newsnight – Ed Miliband had forgotten the deficit in his speech. The political pundits are tearing into the Labour leader's performance.

    BBC manage to find a single minister prepared to come on to promote the economic policies forgotten by Ed Miliband. Liz Kendall gave such a slick and controlled interview defending Ed and Labour that the interviewer was forced to move on.

    This was the first time I'd really seen Liz Kendall under pressure. She totally owned the moment. Since then she's never failed to impress.

    I'm supporting Liz Kendall for Leader of the Labour Party.

    I hate Labour being in opposition. Some find it a very comfortable place to be. I absolutely hate it. Liz Kendall offers Labour it's best chance of winning in 2020.

  • Learning from Election Day

    Learning from Election Day

    Labour lost the general election and went backwards in Trafford. It was bad, unbelievably bad.

    Sometimes defeat means you just pick yourselves up, dust yourselves down, and start preparing for next time. But this was seismic. I want to understand better what happened. Kate Green has a survey on her website. I'd really like everyone to complete it. I don't think democracy is served by having an opposition Labour Party kidding itself that it's going to be easy; and I really want to hear from people across the political spectrum including those who voted for other parties, or didn't vote at all.

    Survey

     

  • Objection to planning proposal on Station Road

    I am writing to object to the above application.
     

    The proposal is to build on a shallow band of land adjacent to the railway embankment. The land is currently a band of scrub that is an important piece of greenery for the community. Although it is untended it does play a roll in community life. In the blackberry season, residents can be seen with buckets full of blackberries. The terraced houses bordering this space tend not to have gardens and this small piece of green is a vital amenity.
     

    We have seen in recent months Community Volunteers from 'Love Gorse Hill' and the Stretford Wombles take part in litter picks of this area and the future looks really positive for this land.
     

    The development itself is inappropriate to the terraced community. It will dominate the street scene of Bowness St as it will be much taller than the houses. It will take away natural light from the street itself.
     

    Station Road is a vital cycle route through to Gorse Hill recognised in Trafford's cycle strategy that will grow in importance with developments already under construction at the Trafford College site and behind Trafford Park Station which I've welcomed. The proposal will have a detrimental affect on this cycleway as access to the footpath will be compromised.
     

    This proposal is going to lead to over development in the area largely due to the loss of greenery. The site is also part of a wildlife corridor particularly for birds.
     

    The railway line is increasingly busy and is running at full capacity. I have worries that the new homes will be too close to the railway. Clearly we need new homes but this is an inappropriate site as it removes a vital community asset and is simply wrong for the area.
     

    I have been contacted via Facebook by a number of residents and it is clear that there is a great deal of disappointment in this application coming forward again. Gorse Hill Ward has insufficient greenspace which is why even small plots such as this are so vital. It will be a development too far if planning permission is granted.

     

     

     

     

    Mike Cordingley

    Labour Councillor for Gorse Hill Ward
    0781 499 7522

    www.gorsehill-labour.co.uk