Let the light in

I’ve always been committed to keeping people informed. Hopefully, you’ll get a sense of what I’ve been doing and be able to tell me what I’m doing wrong or doing right.

I’m hoping to get my email address and phone number working this week and I’ll publish them as soon as they’re live.

Not having email/phone hasn’t stopped me taking on casework/campaigns and people can still get in touch with me via the comments here, or via facebook/twitter.

And here’s a taster of what I’ve been doing

• Parkway road surface – Facebook has been flooded with comments on the road surface there. I’ve liaised with officers and there’s hope of the worst areas being addressed in the next few months. It’s an expensive job and they’re budgeting on it being something like a fifth of the total road spending. Fingers crossed.
• Trees – There’s some very big highway trees that need managing (see photo). I’ve been championing the prioritisation of trees that residents have raised with me.
• Overhanging Vegetation blocking footpaths – Reported one instance to the council after it was raised with me. A second instance on Barton Dock Road has been referenced but I’m awaiting the exact location.
• Floating the issue of empty houses – This is more of a whim. There just seemed a lot of empty houses that I was coming across during the campaign. I raised it on social media and it seems to be worth pursuing as others were seeing the same; and I’ve seen some census figures that seem bear out the impression. I want to take it a little further.
• Planning Concerns over plans for a new house on a garden plot in Davyhulme.
• Amey Trying to update myself on how service level requirements might have evolved at review.

Settling in

Jill Axford is trying to get advice surgery locations sorted. We should have these in place in the next couple of weeks.

With regard to which committees I’m sitting on, we’re having our group AGM this week.
Tom Ross as leader has announced his cabinet/executive and it’s very much in continuity. Jo Harding gets the finance portfolio and she’ll be very good at it.

It’ll be interesting to see how we evolve under Tom Ross’s leadership.