From the Canal to Sevenways

Category: Uncategorized

  • Council’s Annual Budget Meeting

    Council’s Annual Budget Meeting

    Trafford’s annual budget meeting is traditionally the biggest set-piece event of the council year. It typically stages a buoyant ruling party, setting out delivery of its priorities, against the harping of a grieving opposition party. This year, however, felt decidedly different in mood.

    This was a difficult budget. Trafford has had to be granted a borrowing facility in order for its finance officer to sign the budget off as ‘robust’. We’ve also been allowed to increase council tax a little more than our neighbouring councils. Whilst that’s a tricky position, it does feel to me as though Trafford is being allowed to begin navigating a course back to sustainability after having been cut adrift by the previous government, whereby an already frugal council was denied the ability to steer clear of rocks.

    So, I think I’m probably somewhat more optimistic than the majority of councillors speaking in the budget debate on Monday evening.

    A good thing that has emerged from Trafford’s current financial plight is that there is more openness about how Trafford spends council tax payers’ money. We are still short of total clarity, but there’s been a definite positive shift. That transparency will be a prerequisite for pulling out of this. We have to take the public with us.

    I’d really like us to complain less about how Trafford is somehow singled out by central government for unfair settlements. If we say it’s unfair then we’ve got to design a formula that gives Trafford more compared to a more deprived borough like Knowsley, a borough regularly cited in council documents. The simple fact is that Governments of both the left and right expect comparatively affluent boroughs to use local residents for income. Whilst the design of council tax has internal flaws, even with reform, Trafford will still be left needing to levy its citizens. So, whatever the form of that local taxation, keeping it low will carry the same risks the next time a government sets limits on how much it can be increased. I don’t believe Local Government Finance reform is going to be our salvation. This issue will return again next year.

    Given the preponderance of adult social service demands in depleting the council’s finances, it was surprising only Liberal Democrat councillor Simon Lepori raised the delay in its reform as an issue. He made a good point. It was a shame his party chose, as it usually does, to pick a completely irrelevant diversionary proposal as its budget amendment. The opposition parties struggled. There was no alternative budget proposal and that Lib Dem amendment was effectively about independence for Timperley.

    Although the budget passed, the work to keep costs down will have to be a daily obsession for the council. Tom Ross gave the speech of the night and it’s clear he gets this. We need to maintain the transparency and that includes the stress that we’re still next to bottom of the council tax charts.

  • Council Tax and Cones

    Council Tax and Cones

    The fact of Trafford Council being one of only six councils in the country being allowed to increase the council tax we pay by more than the standard 4.99% ceiling set by government has been a shock to people. It’s understandable that residents have asked how Trafford has come to be a special case. I’ve had lots of emails and social media posts. Many of these messages point to cycleway cones on the A56 being the cause of the shortfall in the finances.

    I wanted to share below, the reply I am providing to these messages which I hope gives some explanation.

    Cycle Lanes

    I’ll deal briefly with the cycle lanes first.

    We have a problem. Manchester’s roads can’t cope with the increase in cars we’ve seen. We’re nowhere near seeing the peak of car ownership here. It’s increasing every year.

    Graph of private car ownership from 2012 to 2022 in Manchester showing a steady increase of 31%.

    We know where we’re heading if we do nothing but rely on cars for urban transportation.

    Houston

    Houston rush-hour

    Several European nations have tried a different model notably Holland, but also includes mayor led cities such as Paris, London and particularly Seville. Citizens are encouraged where they can to use the car less. They’ve managed to halt the spiral of road widening and new highways within the city. At the same time it’s had a positive impact on the prosperity. They’re healthier and wealthier.

    So, I am quite happy to justify the ‘why’ this is being done. Why we’re encouraging walking, cycling and public transport.

    But the A56 cones?

    I’m not going to lie and say the cones on the A56 are so easily justified (at least south of Stretford)edit. They were introduced as a Covid emergency measure. If it hadn’t been for Covid, we’d have gone for a proper appraisal and a proper business case. The last Government made us stick with our Covid measures.

    I’d have preferred to come back to the A56 when we’d done a lot more town centre work and worked on crossings to get a quicker return in terms of walking and health. So,I struggle to justify the timing, but we’d inevitably have to implement cycling infrastructure on our main route into Manchester at some point.

    Ultimately, I don’t think anybody disagrees with the premise that there would be an increase in cycling if all roads were safe to ride.

    In terms of the budget, the lanes have been government funded, so they haven’t impacted on our current financial plight. They do ultimately come from the taxes that you and I pay so I don’t dismiss the criticism.

    2025 Council Tax

    I’m now going to move on to Trafford’s general budget. Trafford has always had a low council tax.

    Other than Wigan, (who for historical reasons have substantial reserves) we have the lowest in Greater Manchester and I’m pretty sure it’s with Wigan as the lowest of all the Metropolitan districts nationally. At the same time we depend on Council Tax more than most councils.

    It’s argued that we’re affluent, but that only matters if we use that affluence to increase our income and we’ve deliberately kept it low.

    Historically, since Council Tax was introduced in the early 90s, it hasn’t mattered which party was in control of Trafford, we’ve kept it low. I am fairly sure that this is the first time in those 30 years a Labour Council in Trafford has proposed a percentage increase that is higher than the norm for the year.

    So, for 30 years we’ve been falling further behind. I’d have preferred us to have put a little more into reserves, but that couldn’t be done while chasing this target of lowest council tax. Put it this way, if we had Stockport’s rate of council tax in terms of our spending, we’d not only be in clover, we’d be giving out rebates back to you!

    As it is, you can remain assured that you’re still paying the lowest rate in Greater Manchester (bar Wigan) after this increase.

    It’s not a great position this year and I apologise. I genuinely believe we have been so lean in council finances that we were always going to come to a year like this where we need to make a correction.

  • Le Tour de Barton

    Le Tour de Barton

    A trip around the ward to check out what’s happening

    Kellogg’s Closure

    Although the Kellogg’s factory is just outside the ward boundary, the warehouse and loading bays are ours. There’s a perceptible slowing down of activity on the site. It’s rare to encounter an incoming HGV on Park Road now. Landscape maintenance has lost its edge. It’s sad seeing the slowdown. Manufacture might continue for a few more years, but the focus is shifting to what happens next. The land remains allocated for industry in Trafford’s strategic plan. We’ll have to see if that changes. I’ve not heard any discussions. These are quite large parcels of land and there may be more than one solution.

    Barton Dock Road and underpass

    I don’t remember a time when there wasn’t a cycleway down Barton Dock Road. It was there when Massey Ferguson was there. It might even go back to the war. Trafford Park has always had a lot of workers travelling by bike. So it’s sad to see parts getting overgrown. I’m going to try to get Amey to attend to it.

    For some reason, the underpass is decked with Red Bull cans, dozens of them. We have had some rough sleeping there in the past. It might be happening again although there was no obvious sign of bedding, just the empty cans. I’ve reported.

    Surf Centre and Therme

    There are no visible signs of life at either of the two proposed water-based projects on Barton Dock Road although, by coincidence, new planning applications have come in both for Therme and the site of the Surf Centre. I suspect the surf centre is only one of many options for that site, but I’d love both Therme and the Surf Centre to happen!

    Link to latest Therme planning application

    Link to latest Surf Centre site application

    Asda Crossing

    There’s been some bad press lately for the company. They’re slipping down the Supermarket popularity charts. Having said that, the Trafford Park store tends to be my supermarket of choice largely because it’s so accessible by bike. I just wish they’d improve their bike parking. If you’re blessed with a segregated cycling route all the way to your front door, make the most of it, get rid of the wheel bender brackets and install some proper stands! Please!

    That crossing outside Asda that links to the Trafford Centre needs to be more responsive to allow the crowds to cross. It’s an incredibly long wait for the lights to change even when the traffic is barely moving. The Bee Network is improving crossings across GM. I’m asking them to look at the Asda crossing.

    Bee Network Publicity 31st August 2024

    Church of All Saints, Barton on Irwell, Barton Swing Aqueduct and their joint Conservation Area

    Note: All the interior photos are from the Greyfriars website

    The church is Trafford’s only Grade 1 listed building north of the River Mersey. We’ve got a small number of Grade 1s in around Dunham Park and Hale, but nothing as highly regarded as this up here.

    Nikolaus Pevsner described the church as (Edward) Pugin’s masterpiece. It sits with Barton Swing Aqueduct (listed class 2 + star) in its own conservation area. You would not know it. The area opposite is a dumping ground for old fridges and mattresses and the swing bridge is looking unloved.

    According to April’s ‘Tablet’, the Greyfriars who are the current custodians of the church are moving on. I want to engage with Trafford’s heritage officers to prioritise this conservation area.

    I also want to visit the church and attend a service there. Definitely on my to-do list.

    Trafford Centre Premier Inn

    An application has been submitted to demolish the former premier inn next to the motorway (not to be confused with the one on Trafford Boulevard). This one has been empty for a few years.

  • Doorstep Challenge

    Doorstep Challenge

    I was asked on the doorstep tonight ahead of tomorrow’s election about Labour’s policy for the aviation sector. It was such an interesting question. To be honest, I struggled a little with it. I have such a conflicting internal dialogue on this subject and certainty is never going to leap forth from my lips.

    • As a Trafford Councillor, Trafford is very dependent in the medium term on the Manchester Airport Dividend.
    • As a socialist, I want to see working people have the same access to international travel as the very wealthiest

      Yet,
    • Planes are inherently linked to climate change
    • It feels simply wrong that it’s cheaper to fly to somewhere like Prague than it is to go by train to London.

    I can tell you that locally we want Manchester Airport to flourish but my voter wanted reassurance over air fuel taxes. I’m interested in how people feel Labour should balance this?

  • Consultation to begin on Davyhulme’s “Active Neighbourhood”

    Consultation to begin on Davyhulme’s “Active Neighbourhood”

    On Monday 2nd October the consultation begins on Davyhulme’s Active Neighbourhood.

    Consultation
    (opens 2nd Oct)

    The proposals limit north-south traffic cutting through roads like Wallingford and Guildford Roads. It focuses east-west traffic on Lostock Road, Winchester Road and Canterbury Road.

    Railway Road will no longer be a through road.

    Full list of closures – these will often effectively create new cul-de-sacs or crescent arrangements:

    • Sandgate Drive – Point closure
    • Salisbury Road – Point closure
    • Exeter Road – Point closure
    • Rochester Road/Westminster Road Junction – Point closure
    • Lichfield Road – south of Lichfield Road/ Westminster Road Junction – Point closure
    • Hartford Road/Westminster Road Junction – Diagonal closure
    • Tiverton Road – south of Tiverton Road/ Westminster Road Junction – Point closure
    • Guildford Road/Westminster Road Junction – Diagonal closure
    • Winchester Rd/Westbourne Rd junction – Point closure
    • Furness Rd/Newstead Rd Junction – Point closure
    • Newstead Road/Sherborne Road Junction – Point closure
    • On Abingdon Road northwest of Newstead Rd/Abingdon Rd Junction – Point closure
    • Wallingford Road at Y-Junction – Point closure
    • on the eastern arm of Railway Road at Railway Rd/Westbourne Park Junction Point closure
    • Granville Road/Langley Close Junction – Point closure with cycle-about

    My view

    I don’t pretend this is where I would prioritise my active travel interventions. My view has always been to focus first on enabling people to cross those roads that sever neighbourhoods through their sheer weight of traffic. People who can’t get across the main road won’t pick up a bike anyway, so enabling people to get across is essential. That would mean a lot of new crossings.

    That said, a strategic decision was taken to make Urmston an active neighbourhood and these plans attempt to address some of the concerns raised by residents where rat-running is an issue and they do include a few new crossings.

    So this is for a trial of at least six months. It’s created a lot of comments on FaceBook, mostly adverse. I talked to a few residents while I was riding through the area today. No one I spoke to was totally against it, although a few wondered if it was a good use of money. Some only vaguely knew about it. Others were disappointed that the busiest roads, Canterbury and Winchester weren’t going to benefit. The Railway Road filter was going to put one person I spoke to on the wrong side for Urmston. I think that might be a wider problem, but it’s outside my ward.

    I am struggling to test the scheme against objectives as they’ve not really been published. The scheme doesn’t really benefit cycling. In most instances, it doesn’t benefit walking. There are some small incidental forced gains in walking to Davyhulme school – particularly with regard to those approaching the school from Winchester Road. On the whole, these are already walkable streets requiring tree work in places and dropped kerbs to be fully accessible, but more walkable than most.

    Without a doubt, it will quieten some streets that currently have an amount of through-traffic. I’m thinking of Wallingford Road and parallel roads etc. It’s a strange scheme to benefit from Active Travel funding though, as I want to see more than a handful of quieter streets coming out of it and that troubles me as an advocate of active travel investment.

    Conclusion

    I’m keen to see the consultation reach the largest audience. I’m surprised Transport for Greater Manchester has approved it as meeting their criteria. We are where we are and if it gets the support I will be content to see it proceed.

    Links

    It will be the ‘the UK’s largest inner city walking and cycling route’ – and hundreds wanted their say – From the Canal to Sevenways (canal27ways.uk)

    Information for the public | Physical activity and the environment | Guidance | NICE

    Agenda item – URMSTON ACTIVE NEIGHBOURHOOD (trafford.gov.uk)

  • I don’t like Full Council and I’ve never been that fond of cricket either

    I don’t like Full Council and I’ve never been that fond of cricket either

    I’ve not been looking forward to full-council. There’s something very League of Gentlemen about the exaggerated amateur dramatics that you can get sucked into. It was quite funny that it clashed with Old Trafford emptying at the same time. It was fancy dress outside and (maybe) inside.

    We have two hours and thirty minutes for a council meeting. This was my first council since coming back and if anything, it’s got worse. I’m not going to go into all the issues but I think we can do better.

    These would be my proposals for improvement

    • We should remove prayers from the main body of the meeting.
    • Questions to the Executive are not working.
      We’ve made questions totally incomprehensible to the general public because it’s only a supplementary question that gets verbally spoken.
      Questions are important, but this is farcical if all the public hears is something like “So when are you going to do it?”.
      My view is that questions are so important we need to take them out of the Council Meeting and give them their own regular space. The next council meeting is in October – questions will arise before then and we need a facility to ask them that’s subject to public oversight.
    • Reports to the council are usually important. They don’t always get the time they deserve. Scrutiny might have a formal role.
    • Political motions are the main course of the meeting. They’re what gets us there. In reality most of the time, they’re of the moment and you’d struggle to find many that had a lasting impact. Nevertheless, it’s crucial that we have them. We need a facility for democratically coming together as an area to pronounce on what is deemed important. They’re a vital cog, even if a lot of the time it’s just political jousting.
      It’s just the Parties are losing the ability to draft a motion to maximum effect.

    The anatomy of a motion

    There’s actually not that much variation in motions. The Greens use a ‘preamble’ but essentially they should follow the pattern….

    This Council notes that…

    This Council believes that…

    This Council resolves to…

    There’s a reason for the pattern. The first part should just be facts. This council notes that the house was flooded. This council also notes that drainage has been reduced.

    The beliefs section can be more contentious but better to keep as much straightforward as possible eg. This council believes that flooding is avoidable and that regular maintenance is essential…

    It’s the ‘resolves to’ section where you’re trying to make your point and highlight differences.

    Keep the motion succinct. You also want to decide what is a ‘win’ – winning the vote or forcing the majority party to vote it down. I sat there amazed on Wednesday – most of the time I couldn’t work out what the opposition parties wanted to get out of their own motions.
    The Tories came with one motion against changes in firefighting provision that they ended up voting against. Maybe they just wanted to make a petty point on Andy Burnham, but they ended up voting against a motion that requested further investigation into the proposals to downgrade Sale fire-station. They completely wasted their advantage.
    The Greens had a motion on recreating a Greater Manchester Assembly. A lot of Labour people actually regret like I do, the original Greater Manchester Council being closed down by Thatcher. But the Greens got carried away and entered a whole shopping list within the motion of other things they wanted scrapping or introducing. I spoke in favour of a Greater Manchester Assembly, but was quite comfortable voting down the motion. They should have kept it simple.

    Back to those questions to the Executive

    A lot of people are raising this same question with me:

    When we can expect weed spraying to begin?

    Below is the written answer from the Executive Member

    The programme of weed spraying commenced on the 10th July 2023. The spraying is expected to take 4 – 6 weeks based on the current forecasts for July and August. An email detailing this information was sent to all members on Friday 30 June. The teams progress through the borough on a ward-by-ward basis. With some wards being larger than others it is difficult to say when the teams will be in a particular ward in advance with any accuracy at this time however, weekly communications to ward members will be issued to keep members up to date on progress.

    By Elections

    I don’t mind admitting I stayed up late for the 3 by-elections. Uxbridge was a disappointment, my suspicion is that had we given time to explain how few vehicles would be impacted by ULEZ, we’d have sailed through. You don’t change your policy in the middle of an election. So I went to bed very cross.

    Co-op Party AGM Gtr Manchester

    I really like the Co-op Party and I’m proud to be a member. We seem to get so much more business decided.

    We passed a motion supporting the mutalisation of United Utilities on Saturday. It reflected our values – the motion will progress to regional conference. We didn’t need to spend hours debating the point and sometimes unanaminity is more powerful than having the last word.

    Last few meetings at my Old Trafford school

    Had to ride to Old Trafford four times over the week, despite the last governor’s meeting being held the previous week. The school has broken up for summer now but we needed to mark the occasion.
    Good luck and Best wishes to all the children moving on to their secondary school. You will all make your mark on the world. I’m expecting great things from your your young lives!
    I’ve been chair of governors twice now – a short time at Barton Clough when it was in crisis and we brought in Tony Rae and lately at Old Trafford Community Academy with co-heads Judith Stott and Nicola Davenport. It was great to meet up with those Headteachers again at Old Trafford last week.

    Anthony Rae, Judith Stott and Nicola Davenport
    Anthony Rae, Judith Stott, Mike Cordingley and Nicola Davenport – Ms Stott’s Last Day as head