From the Canal to Sevenways

Category: Trafford Council

  • A Question of Morality

    Saturday night radio, I listened to BBC’s Moral Maze on the subject of taxation, a topic triggered by David Cameron’s recent assertion that he had a moral duty to cut taxes. Does morality come into it? And what about local taxes?

    cameron

    Given that the panel included such consummate right wingers as Melanie Phillips and Portillo, there was a pleasing consensus that taxes set both too high and too low might equally be considered immoral at the extremes. Nevertheless, Cameron’s moral imperative for low taxes really misses the point. It is for society to decide the services to be provided collectively or individually.

    Trafford is the midst of savaging the services it provides. The Tories ‘regret’ their cuts but there is no discussion about morality. Could it not be argued that it is immoral to close youth provision down, shut libraries and decimate the services for vulnerable people?

  • Question to Council 17th September 2014

    Council

    I asked a question regarding wheelie bin thefts by ward.

    Since April 2013

    630 bins have been reported lost/stolen in Gorse Hill Ward

    620 bins in Clifford (Old Trafford)

    286 bins in Bucklow/St Martins (Partington/Ashton upon Mersey)

    The grand total for the 21 wards of Trafford is 2395
    So Gorse Hill and Old Trafford accounts for 52% of all Trafford’s bin thefts.

    The council knows of no recovered bins.

    Clearly if these bins are still in circulation here, our bin men are emptying 1250 more bins in Old Trafford and Gorse Hill than there are households and the council is doing nothing about it.

    In reality they’re not in circulation and if the council gets enough £25 fees for replacing they’re not too worried.

    But the regularity with which these bins are stolen and the sheer inconvenience faced by residents when it happens makes this a very pressing issue for me. I don’t want to see a slight reduction in bin thefts, I want it reducing in Gorse Hill so that it becomes a very rare thing.

    It seems hardly any work has been done to understand why Gorse Hill is suffering to such an extent. Given that the other blight we’re suffering is the dumping of mattresses, my inclination is to put the letting agencies and their contractors under the initial spotlight. Both Clifford and Gorse Hill have the high numbers of such lettings so lets begin there. I’ve written the email below to council officers to look at correlation and means of engagement.

    [scribd id=240190241 key=key-d2c1xzgdKUyAPkMvr3qu mode=scroll]

    Bin Thefts by dinosaurbloo

  • Trafford Budget Debate – Variations on a theme of Pickles worship

    Local public services have taken the biggest hit from this government. It's the poorer areas that have taken the biggest hit. Surrey actually gets an increase in its funding.

    Labour called for Tory Trafford council to make representation to Government that the cuts would impact on the most needy, and adjourn setting a budget until March giving time for the Government to respond. It's clear that Eric Pickles has determined to target northern (mainly Labour) councils. We've seen £1bn taken out of Greater Manchester with the loss of 22,000 jobs. 

    There was a real opportunity for the Tories in Trafford – the tory flagship authority to take on Pickles. They hint they think that too much has been cut. But when it comes to taking on Pickles, they become like the little green aliens worshiping the Grab and become incapable of standing up for Trafford. 

    Oooh Pickles!

    So it wasn't going to be the best debate. They wanted Labour to surrender and come up with a budget of our own based on their loss of courage. Andrew Western (Priory Ward) gave a robust attack. Brian Shaw from Davyhulme was probably their best speaker on the night but it was a depressing night. The risks for the most vulnerable are there to see for all.

    As for the Lib Dems. It's so long now since they made any useful contribution, I can't tell them apart from the Tories.

  • More Cuts for Trafford

    Budget Meeting

     

     

     

    Full council meets tonight to set a budget for 2014/15.
    Trafford will cut its spending by £4,451,000 from £159.003m to £154.552m or 2.8%. When you take cost pressures into account it's £17m… and it's going to get worse.

    Spending Gap spending-gap