Category: Blog

I attended a presentation from the Environment Agency last night along with Labour colleagues and other councillors. The presentation also included an update from Simon Castle, Trafford’s Chief Planning Officer. I’ll deal with Simon’s presentation first:

• There is no date set for when the application will come to committee. It could be a few months before that happens.
• Although the consultation period is closed, representations are still being received and will be taken into account right up to the decision.
• The Health Protection Agency have been added to the standard consultees, although there’s been no request for a Health Impact Assessment (see letter from the Director of Public Health in previous post)

Presentation from Environment Agency

The slides from last night’s presentation will be added as soon as I receive them. The main point is that the Environment Agency’s permitting scheme is a parallel process to planning but runs entirely separately to the planning process. The project needs to pass both hurdles in order for it to operate. If the project was to gain its Environment Agency approval but be refused planning (after appeal), the project will not go ahead. The converse is also true.

• The application for a permit has not yet been accepted as ‘received’. There’s a little bit of to-ing and fro-ing as the final details of the application are refined.
• When it is received there will be a 20 day consultation exercise.
• Unlike planning, the regulating authority issues a draft permit for consultation – so it’s a two stage process
• Permits can change over time and the Environment Agency apply ‘Best Available Technique‘ standard to their permits. As technology improves, the operator must apply that technology. (This particular issue raised questions from Labour Councillors over Plasma Gasification which has been mooted by opponents as a cleaner and environmentally friendly means of extracting energy from waste). The Environment Agency representatives had received no guidance on Plasma Gasification and it seems they do not consider it is yet sufficiently mainstream for a view to be offered. It’s clear to me that the Best Available Technique is a notion that only applies to elements within a process and not to the nature of the process itself. I do not believe that even were plasma gasification to become be accepted as mainstream and the preferred model, that the Environment Agency would order the plant to be rebuilt to adopt that process. I do not say this right, I just believe it to be the reality.

  My view is that we have to be assured that the plant is safe from its inception and not take a view that it will become safer as technology develops. I take no comfort from the Environment Agency’s adherence to Best Available Technique.

• There was a lot of discussion around the inspection regime that will operate. Clearly this has become a contentious subject and views are polarised. I’m not reassured that even were the inspection regime be foolproof, that the poor air quality we already experience will not be impaired further and there’s the rub. It is already accepted that our air quality is shortening lives (in reality that means some of us are dying early as a consequence). Our focus should be on improving that air quality – actions to reduce road traffic etc, not allowing the air quality to deteriorate further.

I think the main message from last night’s presentation is that we will have to follow the progress of the Permit Application and contribute to the consultation process. I am particularly interested in any Health impact Assessment that is submitted with their application. If I understand the Friends of the Earth Guidance (page 6), there will be such an assessment submitted – although it may be called something else.

The Environment Agency will notify us when the application is accepted and we’ll be able to view details at the Environment Agency Consultations Pages

I have received a reply from the Director of Public Health who has made enquiries of the Health Protection Agency. The reply infers the strong causality between airborne pollution and reduced life expectancy of 6months per newborn baby nationally (Clearly this will be more where particulate pollution is more). Whilst acknowledging that the additional emissions in themselves may not exceed allowable levels the reply does confirm that “any increase in particle concentrations should be assumed to be associated with some effect on health”.

Mike Cordingley

I’ve lived near Trafford General Hospital all my life. The hospital was opened as Park
Hospital by Labour’s Aneurin Bevan on July 5 1948 and we can all feel proud of what was set in motion that day – a National Health Service, the first in the world promising universal ‘cradle to grave’ healthcare.

Now, more than 60 years on that is looking more and more like an empty promise. There’s talk of ftunding shortfalls and the possibility of Trafford Health care Trust having to link up with other hospital trusts to make economies. There’s talk of the ‘temporary closure’ of the extremely popular and successful walk-in centre at Trafford General, too. And there’s a very clear threat to other hospital and
general health services.

Living close to TrafTord General, I’ve always felt safe in the knowledge that if
a member of my family fell ill or had an accident there was a hospital on the doorstep where we would receive treatment. It’s a secure feeling, one which I am sure has been shared by many local people. But today I feel that little bit more apprehensive- and I don’t like it.

Nye Bevan described the start of the NHS as giving this country "the moral
leadershlp of the world" and he was right. We judge a society by how we look
after one another and how we care for the sick and vulnerable. We all know about the need for cutbacks in public services but in my view the cuts being made to our NHS go far too far – and may cause severe injury not only to individuals but to society as a whole.

The NHS is being made to manage within an overall budget which falls well below inflation, one which will not reflect the increased demand made on hospital services as people, hopefully, live longer.

Our predecessors 60 and more years ago had to fight for a free health service. That right was largely won, but we should never take it for granted. We should never forget the dedication of people – nurses, doctors, police, firefighters and many more – who work unsociable hours to help keep us safe and well. We owe them all a big thank you.

I would also like to wish everyone all the very best for the new year.

I’ve a guilty admission. I do have a lot of time for Liberal Democrats and the old Liberal Party. Apart from my shared support for the Alternative Vote, I would cite:

• Charles Kennedy calling it right on the Iraq War,
• David Steel’s private members bill to give rights to abortion was a huge step forward for women.

Then we have such notables as John Maynard Keynes and William Beveridge who made a huge contribution to shaping post war Britain as a mixed economy and the Welfare State.

Whilst I disagree with the VAT rise because of its effect on the poorest, I can understand that as minor partners in the Coalition they do have to make compromises. And whilst I view the coalition’s broader approach to the economy and public services as reckless, I do not judge it to be a betrayal of the Liberal heritage.

Whilst it could be considered that worries over the Liberal heritage are none of my business, I’m astounded that the Liberal Democrats are swallowing Andrew Lansley’s reforms of the NHS.

Forcing the new GP Commissioning Consortiums (Replacements for the PCTs) to tender for services is so serious that I consider it to be the most serious threat to the NHS since its inception. As Lib Dem supporting Polly Toynbee in her Guardian article describes;

“For the first time the entire NHS has been put under competition law. The financial and clinical safety of NHS foundation trusts used to be the responsibility of the regulator, Monitor. Now its website proclaims: “The first of Monitor’s three core functions is to promote competition.” That means “enforcing competition law” and “removing anti-competitive behaviour”. Few yet understand the nuclear nature of this. It compels every NHS activity to be privately tendered. If the NHS is the preferred provider, that can be challenged in the courts or referred to the Competition Commission.”

It doesn’t need Polly Toynbee to warn us that global healthcare companies will happily run loss-leader services forcing the closure of NHS services giving themselves a clear field to raise prices when the NHS is gone. This is a recipe for destroying the NHS and it goes against everything that Liberals and Labour have stood for over the last 60 years. I could never imagine that Liberal Democrats would allow this through on their watch. It’s nothing to do with defecit reduction. It’s an idealogical driven assault on the NHS and the Liberals are allowing it to take place in silence.

How are Lib Dems allowing this to happen? I genuinely don’t believe this is something Lib Dems can support. It goes against everything I’ve understood them to stand for over the years. I’d welcome Lib Democrats to explain their position. I’d welcome more their expressions of opposition to this. I am sure that had this been a majority Conservative Government, they’d have been marching with us against these reforms.

How can Lib Dems keep quiet?

To Simon Castle, Trafford’s Chief Planning Officer

Dear Simon

With the exception of the Labour Planning Committee Members who are not allowed to pre – judge planning applications, I wish to object on behalf of the Labour Group to the above planning application for the following reasons :-

• The biomass renewable energy plant process is a relative new process and there are real fears amongst the local community and the wider public concerning the health risks of such a plant being proposed on the doorstep of a highly populated area. The toxic emissions from the plant has the potential to damage peoples health, particularly the young, elderly and those that suffer with existing health problems. This type of renewable plant is controversial, and there appears to be  considerable evidence from scientists and experts who warn against the health impact and dangers of such plants.
• The continuous daily heavy lorry journeys to and from the plant will create considerable extra traffic congestion in an area which already suffers severe congestion. This extra traffic will further add to the significant air pollution which already exists in the locality, and will create further disruption, noise and inconvenience to people living close to the plant.

• I understand there are other Energy Plants in Trafford  which have recently been given planning permission. We therefore believe Trafford has enough power plants with permission to develop, and one more will result in adding to the adverse environment affect of power stations in the Trafford area.

• We also consider that this area suffers already with significant environmental problems which exist by the fact situated nearby is Trafford Park Industrial Estate, the Trafford Centre, Davyhulme Sewage Works, Trafford Retail Park and Chemical Manufacturers on the doorstep. It is our view that this is one development to much for the area.

Dave Acton

General Election

In line with expectations we didn’t win a fourth term in Government, but then neither did the Conservatives. In consequence we learned an awful truth about coalition Government. This is not about triangulating a set of policies at the point of alignment on the political spectrum between the two coalition partners. This isn’t a Government that’s a little bit Conservative and a little bit Liberal, far from it. The presence of the Lib Dems in Government has emboldened the Tories to proceed with haste down a full blooded right wing agenda. It’s put the NHS under threat, and it’s putting a stop to all those initiatives Labour had introduced to improve life chances.  Had the Tories won outright, it’s unlikely they’d have proceeded with such haste and contempt for the most vulnerable.

Most predictable consequence of Conservative Govt.

The number of patients waiting more than 18wks for treatment in the NHS shoots up as soon as targets scrapped – Link to Daily Telegraph Article

General Election in Stretford and Urmston

It’s only a touch over 12 months since Kate Green was selected as Labour’s candidate for that election. It didn’t take voters long to realise that we’d got a candidate of real quality and the increase in the size of the Labour majority is testament to her. She’s making a genuine contribution to parliament and the constituency. It was a real privilege to have been her agent in the election.

It was a good campaign and all the candidates played their part in ensuring it was a civil contest about real issues.

Local Elections

At the same time as winning the parliamentary seat we made gains in the council elections in Urmston with Kevin Procter and Sale Moor with the return of Philip Gratrix. We will be seeking to build on these successes when the local elections come round on May 5th 2011. I’m delighted to have chosen to be the candidate when the locals come round in Gorse Hill.

Leadership Election

I don’t regret putting Diane Abbott and Ed Balls as my first two preferences in the leadership election as I feel they enhanced the contest. The final outcome was always going to be between Ed Miliband and his brother David and I’m delighted that Ed emerged the winner in a very close contest. Ed is developing into a very measured and engaging leader and has every chance of taking the party forward and back into power at the first opportunity. It’s clear he has learned the mistakes of the past and he’s not getting diverted from the core truth, that the Conservatives are taking unnecessary risks with the economy and pursuing their own agenda of reduced public services.

Trafford – A year of Calamity

It’s been a year of fiascos for the Conservatives on Trafford Council.

Their attempts to close down two well regarded High Schools (Lostock and Stretford High) were thwarted at the final hurdle by the Schools Adjudicator’s accurate assertion that it was all about pursuit of money rather than educational matters.

The Lancashire Cricket Club / Tescos project has turned into a complete shambles and is now subject to an application for a judicial review into the planning permission for the cricket ground and Tescos and the refusal of a Supermarket at White City on the same night. Nobody who witnessed the planning committee of that night will be surprised at this outcome but the consequences have put at risk much needed investment from the regional development agency.

We’re seeing the butchery of library openings whilst at the same time witnessing the commissioning of glossy council propaganda that would in itself pay for an expansion of library provision when it is most needed.

Our Town Centres have taken further hits during the year, although Labour pressure has at least got us the return of free parking at the Newton St car park. Indeed a feature of the year has been Labour campaigning forcing concessions or actions out of the Tories. We’ve reduced the impact on our parks from that the Tories originally planned but there’s still threats we face, not least to Gorse Hill Park’s football pitches.

Best Council Speech of the Year: Councillor Tom Ross (Stretford) on the in-year cuts and how the Conservative Government was repeating the errors of the past.

I found this the most inspiring speech of the year. Tom used his economic expertise of the 1920s in illustrating the effect of the Geddes Axe on taking us into the Great Depression and how the Conservative Government was repeating those errors. I’m not really capturing the power of the speech which was coherent and pointed and won praise from all sides of the chamber.

Worst Interjection of the Year: Councillor Viv Ward (Flixton) in arguing as chair of planning that since Old Trafford Football Stadium had been built over 100 years ago, Rock concerts should be permitted to be held there;

“People know what they are moving to in Old Trafford. Just show me someone who lived here before the club came to the area nearly 100 years ago.”

Gorse Hill

Clearly the biggest win of the year was the campaign to save Stretford High School and Lostock College. It was a campaign that not only achieved its ultimate objective but brought about a renewed sense of collective pride in these institutions and gave chance of a new beginning particularly for Lostock. That school is so well placed to benefit from Media City including the  new Coronation Street set that it really does seem to have a bright future with its specialism in the performing arts.

We seem also to have repulsed the threat from the Stadium Point all-nighter venue. This was the wrong place on Trafford Quay for such a massive development that would have brought misery to the Quays. It’s beginning to look as though the plans have been abandoned although you can never be sure. We’ll certainly be ready if it re-emerges.

Lostock Health Centre is nearing completion which will mean the return of much needed health provision to the neighbourhood.

Lostock Skate-park is going from strength to strength and we’ve seen the award of further grant towards providing the equivalent of nursery slopes for the skate-boarders so it can be of value to even more young people.

We’re still making progress with the control of drinking in the street ahead of matches at Old Trafford.

I pay tribute to the police for achieving an exceptional performance in this patch. Their performance is amazing:

Burglary Down -21.7%
Vehicle Crime Down -51.0%
Personal Robbery Down -23.7%
Serious Violent Crime Down -50.0%
Anti Social Behaviour Down -27.3%
Criminal Damage Down -28.2%

Best Overall Performance

Inspector Sutcliffe and the Stretford Neighbourhood Police Team

It really is appreciated. The reduction in crime hasn’t come about by accident and it’s a tribute to the dedication and professionalism of all involved.

And very close Runners up – Equal

Trafford’s Extreme Weather Team – Gritters and snow clearance

Trafford’s Bin Collection Service – for the service they’ve provided over the Christmas Period and during Extreme Weather

Mike Cordingley – A personal view