” Our cities offer people the biggest range of economic opportunities. They are home to the most productive parts of the economy and they are places where new ideas are generated, businesses are started and expanded, wages are higher and people’s ambitions can be fulfilled. Our 64 biggest cities are home to over half of the population, 60% of businesses, and nearly three quarters of skilled jobs.

Our task is to bring together the different interests in our country – business, employers and employees, the third sector, our democratic leaders – to build a coalition for national renewal from the bottom up and in the process transform how we govern the country.

Jon Cruddas Labour’s Policy Review
We will not solve our problems from Whitehall

Richard Townshend, CC BY 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Interesting and perhaps challenging thoughts from Cormac Russell below. Is it a license for councils to walk away? Perhaps it is, but only to do something of a greater benefit, rather than just to simply cut.

Frighteningly, if ‘walking away’ isn’t preceded with, and associated with letting go of reins it’ll be disastrous.

Trafford is showing how not to do it, by withdrawing it’s services and exerting total control over what the community does in it’s place:

• Park groups are being told what they can plant and where to plant them.
• The council are selecting and choosing its ambassadors from the communities to sit on partnerships. 

And it’s not just the Council – the same dynamic applies to health and housing, even voluntary sector professionals – and therein lies the dilemma;  it’s often a fight for survival.

Winning Bids

Why would a coming together of nearly two hundred local residents to determine which community groups receive council funding be controversial? The ‘You Decide Day’ last month at Stretford High and other places across Trafford was followed almost immediately by a negative dismissal from certain angles.

Historically, the Council grants to voluntary organisations took the form of “earmarked grants”, given to a limited number of organisations over a number of years for recurring expenditure.

For the past two years, the council has handed over the decision making to residents through a participative budgeting day.

Is it perfect? No, it’s not !

• It’s easier for some groups than others to mobilise support
• There may be clashes with holidays or other things going on on the day
• There’s not enough time to evaluate each bid more than superficially
• There’s a concern that people vote for their own area.

These are valid criticisms. By it’s nature not everyone will be able to attend or participate and judgement has to be made on a very brief presentation. 

But already we’re seeing far more new groups receive funds for the first time. And even If neighbourhood loyalties are playing a part, we’re still seeing a good geographical spread across Old Trafford and Stretford..

The previous system for allocating grants was not perfect either.

There’s improvements to be made to participative budgeting in terms of putting more into the Old Trafford and Stretford Pot compared to Altrincham. We are already receiving more per capita, but Altrincham was undersubscribed in terms of bids, so it should be tweaked further. Publicity can be improved and certainly more information about the bidding organisations can be made available. There did seem to be more than was necessary spent on gloss and refreshments. 

But, I really hope we can continue and expand this form of decision making. Lack of transparency and accountability from bureaucrats is a subject that fills my mailbox on a daily basis. So there’s scope to take it into many other areas of provision. We should be opening up democracy, not retreating back to cosy relationships behind closed doors.

VSG Events

Image is a screenshot of “ParticipatoryBudgeting.org“, one of the best resources for engaging the community.

I love this video from the Kings Fund.
It’s informative rather than political but it illustrates the
complexity of the new structures that Lansley and Hunt have imposed on
us. And it does so in such an easy manner!

Highly recommended. 

No surprise that we feature so prominently in the league table.

The Imperial War Museum made it to number 9
The Manchester United Museum just pipped it at number 7
And Number 1 was our near neighbour The Lowry – just a footbridge away

I’m delighted that we’re recognised across Greater Manchester as a major centre of tourism. And of course Trafford Council is pleased too with the reflected glory. But is Trafford doing enough to make the best of our popularity as a destination of choice?

I believe there’s so much more it could do to really enhance our attractions.

It’s being a running theme of mine that what I’ve heard best described as the ‘red chippy village’ on Chester Road should be improved to make it a feature of the visitor experience.

And with the Quays featuring so high across both sides of the canal, we can do so much more to make the place a night and day attraction. It’s coming – but progress is to slow and I’ve yet to see real commitment from the council to make it happen.

We shouldn’t forget that we also have the Warehouse Project at Victoria Warehouse which I’ve seen described as the best dance venue in the country. And I fully support Gary Neville (never thought I’d say that) in his development of the hotel there.

Perhaps more importantly we’re seeing the emergence of a place changing community movement in and around the Gorse Hill neighbourhood using Facebook and other social media to reach out to like minded spirits, not content to wait for council bureaucracies to catch up with what is happening, but pursuing their ambition to turn the place into Gorgeous Gorse Hill.

I can not praise these people enough and I do urge residents who share this ambition to join both the M32 group and Gorse Hill Community Action Group on Facebook. Both groups exist beyond Facebook but Facebook remains the best platform and route in.

• So what are things Trafford should be doing better?
• Transportation – Yes they’re promoting the metrolink expansion into Trafford Park but is there a real vision behind this.
• Managing Car Parking – It remains a crime that the Trafford Park Village area has been effectively cleansed of visitors through a scheme that was never going to work.
• ‘Red Chippy Village’ the fans congregate there and always will, but where is the strategy for making their visit comfortable, clean and welcoming.
• The Quayside – beautiful in the evening, but there’s so much scope to have made the prom a hive of activity and encourage cafes and street activities.
• Cleaning generally – if we value tourism (and we should do) we can’t allow the tourist to be put off by the overflowing litter that blights the verges and unkempt areas throughout the approaches to our attractions.

So yes we’ve done well. And let’s celebrate, but we can do more. I haven’t even mentioned the Trafford Ecology Park, arguably Trafford’s most beautiful park.

Photo Trafford Ecology Park my own