Mary DAlbert

Election statement to readers of the Bury Times:

Liberal Democrats across Bury have had a brilliant response from local residents. People are telling us that they are fed up of Labour closing post offices, taxing poorer people and watching the economy slide. People are uncertain what the Conservatives stand for, and haven’t noticed any improvement since they took over last year.

Liberal Democrats in Bury have three clear priorities:

We want safe, thriving communities across Bury. People must feel safe in their own streets and communities. This isn’t just about tackling crime, it’s about stronger, united communities. That’s why we’re opposing Post Office closures and why we secured massively increased funding for children in the Council budget. It’s also why we have always opposed the unfair and divisive congestion charge.

We want Bury to be the greenest Metropolitan Borough in Britain. Last year Lib Dems secured blue recycling bins for every house, and this year more money for parks and cleaning. We cherish Bury’s beautiful environment. We will work hard to protect it.

We believe in giving power to local people, not keeping it at the Town Hall. This means that decisions should be made locally in the six towns that make up Bury. It means local people making decisions at the most local level about the services that effect communities.

On May 1st we have a choice - A return to the 21 years of neglect under Labour’s rule in Bury, uncertainty under the Tories, or a clear vision for a better Bury from your local Liberal Democrats.

The St Mary’s Focus Team heard back form a local resident last night who was very pleased to discover that a missing bollard had been replaced, after intervention from our election candidate Mary D’Albert.

We heard last week that the bollard had been removed from the edge of Prestwich Clough during recent fencing works, and the people involved had not replaced it. This had led to illegal motorbiking activity in the area, because the bollard which had been installed to stop it had now been removed. Mary and the team got onto it and now the bollard is back.

During canvassing last night, we picked up a bit more casework too, so this morning our election candidate Mary has been chasing that up as well. One elderly lady was concerned that she wouldn’t be able to manage bringing her blue bin down her drive way, so we have asked that a refuse collector assists her with this, similar to the arrangement already in place for her grey bin. The lady was delighted to see local Lib Dems again, because we got the street light outside her house fixed a few weeks ago after a call to the team.

We have also heard from the Friends of St Mary’s Park, who contacted the team to talk about plans for a flower bed in the park. The group is one of a number of small community interest groups that Mary D’Albert and the team regularly attend and try to help. The Friends of the park have the plants, but not the time to plant them, so we are trying to work with the Council to get the flower bed planted by the time of the next Prestwich Clough Day, which will be in a few weeks. Lots of local people were delighted to hear that the future of this excellent community event has been secured for at least the next two years thanks to a grant of over £2,000 from the Lib Dem controlled Prestwich Local Area Partnership.

Prestwich Lib Dems will be back out on the campaign trail tonight, and we look forward to meeting more local people. If you see us, do stop and say hello, and let us know if we can help with anything.

Liberal Democrats have announced a full team of candidates to contest the elections for Bury Council on Thursday 1 May 2008. One third of the seats on the Council are up for election, with one councillor to be elected in each of the 17 wards.

Two Councillors are seeking re-election - Vic D’Albert in Holyrood and Ann Garner in Sedgley.

Liberal Democrat candidates are:
Ramsbottom, Tottington and North Manor
Ramsbottom - Janet Turner
Tottington - David Foss
North Manor - Ewan Arthur
Bury West
Elton - Robert Sloss
Church - Tamsin Thomson
Bury East
Moorside - Nissa Finney
East - Emma Davison
Redvales - Paul Jenkins
Radcliffe
Radcliffe North - Lynne Molloy
Radcliffe West - Joanne O’Hanlon
Radcliffe East - Mike Halsall
Whitefield and Unsworth
Unsworth - Theo Tzymcyca
Besses - Julie Baum
Pilkington Park - Wayne Burrows
Prestwich
Holyrood - Vic D’Albert
St Mary’s - Mary D’Albert
Sedgley - Ann Garner

Liberal  Democrats in Bury have accused Ivan Lewis MP and David Chaytor MP of failing to support local services after they voted to support the Government’s massive post office closure programme.

The Government has ordered that one in five branches be closed. Opposition MPs tried to stop the closure programme on 19th March when a motion was proposed in the House of Commons demanding the Government halt their plans to make 2500 branches shut up shop.

But enough Labour MPs rallied around the Government’s closure plans to reject the motion and ensure the closure programme can continue unhindered. Two of those voting to close post offices were Bury’s MP.

Disappointed local Liberal Democrat campaigners are calling on Ivan Lewis and David Chaytor to explain why s/he voted to close post offices.
“Our MPs have let down people in Bury by voting to allow the closures to continue,” said Lib Dem Parliamentary Spokesperson Vic D’Albert. “In May the announcement will be made as to which branches here will be put forward for closure. This was an opportunity for Ivan Lewis and David Chayor to make a stand on behalf of residents. I am disappointed they have backed the Government rather than local people.

“The loss of post offices will hit communities hard in Bury. They are vital assets for many local people and closing them will cause many difficulties for older people and others with mobility problems, in particular.
“Despite the decision of our MPs to help the Government press ahead with closure, Liberal Democrats are continuing to fight the demolition of the post office network.”

Tuesday night’s meeting of Prestwich Local Area Partnership (LAP) was the final meeting of the municipal year, and contained some great news for local organisations to whom we were able to award thousands of pounds in grants.

The LAP controls a number of grant funds and can allocate them to local groups throughout the year. Already this year for instance, we have allocated £10,000 to the Rainsough community centre, with more to follow for Children’s Centre outreach both there and in Carr Clough.

The following awards were made:

- Prestwich Carnival were awarded £2,125, which will ensure the continuation of this excellent community-wide event for the next two years. This money was awarded from the Kickstart Community Initiative fund, which is to benefit the entire community.

- The Prestwich Clough Centenary group also received £2,125 so that the Clough Day which has taken place for the last two years can continue for the next two as well. This too is a wonderful Prestwich event, and we are proud to provide the money to keep it going. This money also came from the Kickstart Community Initiative fund.

- £1,500 was given for the provision of a sensory garden for disabled children at Butterstile. This money came from the Kickstart fund, which is for small projects.

- Heaton Park School applied for money for fencing around the school, which will be an asset to the local community and which we were happy to provide £5,000 towards. This grant was made from the Cleaner, Greener, Safer capital fund, which is for capital schemes benefitting the local environment.

- The Cleaner, Greener, Safer capital fund was also the source of money for the Downham Tenants and Residents Association, for whom the LAP has given £500 towards the cost of creating a “wildlife corner” for communal use on land that is currently an eyesore.

- And the Cleaner, Greener, Safer capital fund has been made available for refurbishment of the Parksway ginnel in Sedgley ward, where £1,000 will be used for essential security work.

- A ball zone will be created at Parrenthorn school, with £5,000 coming from the Community Development fund for projects in the community.

- In addition, a further £5,000 has been made available from this fund for a new under 5’s play area in Polefield.

Altogether there was over £22,000 of money invested by the LAP into much needed community projects. This is a massive investment, and we have secured major projects like the carnival and much-needed play facilities, as well as smaller things like the Downham wildlife corner.

St Mary’s in particular will benefit from the Clough day which takes place in the ward, and the Butterstile sensory garden, on top of Rainsough money which has already come this year.

All in all a very good night for Prestwich.

Mary D’Albert has called on the Council to take “all necessary steps” to deal with the derelict garages on Shrewsbury Lane.

The garages have had several fires started in them by vandals and are becoming a local eyesore and hazard.“I have requested that Bury Council press the owners of these garages to make them secure or preferably demolish them. I am also concerned about childrens safety.”

Local Lib Dems are demanding Zero-tolerance for those that fly-tip or dump rubbish, vandalise and cause graffiti. “Local people have had enough of seeing smashed bus shelters and rubbish strewn around. Why should we have to put up with it. It’s time the Council used its powers to deal with this anti-social behaviour”said Mary D’Albert.

A new planning application has been received which is St Mary’s ward of Prestwich as detailed below:-

Application number: 49597 Type of application: Full Date Registered: 25/02/2008

Applicant: GM WEST MENTAL HEALTH NHS
Location: EDENFIELD UNIT, PRESTWICH HOSPITAL, BURY NEW ROAD, PRESTWICH
Proposal: ERECTION OF EXTENSION TO EXISTING MEDIUM SECURE PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL TO PROVIDE 20 ADDITIONAL BED SPACES, ANCILLARY FACILITIES AND CAR PARKING

Should you require further details please contact the case officer: Dave Marno on: 0161 253 5291 or if you require advice on commenting on applications or would like either myself or my ward council colleagues to raise issues on your behalf please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Lib Dem’s Secure More Money for Children and Young People, and more money for Parks and Cleaner Streets 

Liberal Democrat Councillors saved services for young people and vulnerable children and secured extra expenditure on much needed environmental services such as parks, cleaner streets and environmental enforcement in Bury Council’s budget for next year.

The Lib Dem proposals, which were agreed and have become part of the budget:

- saved advice services for children and money for youth services across Bury

- saved services for disabled children, the “young carers” service and provision for children who are at risk

- secured new money for our parks and environmental services

- secured new money for a cleaner environment such as street cleaning and enforcement such as dog fouling and fly-tipping

 Cllr Tim Pickstone, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group said:

 “This is a difficult budget again for Bury. We all need to be clear on why these difficult savings once again have to be made. The blame is quite clearly with the Labour Government who, despite many years of pressure, continue to effectively give Bury a “poor deal”.

“Services to young people are already stretched  -  A vibrant youth support service is essential to ensure educational staying on rates and engagement in training or employment, with the subsequent positive impact on reducing anti-social behaviour”

“We are not prepared to put up with an unsafe reduction in support for vulnerable children, and to not see advances in supporting the environment in this borough.”

Cllr Richard Baum, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson on Resources said

“The people of this Borough want cleaner streets, green space and safe places for their families. And the Liberal Democrat group will ensure that as much as possible is done to give them what they want. Our proposals tonight are to invest in parks in this Borough to ensure that every community has a well-managed place of peace and greenery to enjoy.

Attacking the Labour Party Proposal to cut vital services for a zero Council Tax rise Cllr Pickstone said:

“This proposal is madness. We would all like to have a zero council tax rise, but the Labour Party are proposing to scrap £700,000 on much needed services for disabled people, are proposing to scrap services for young people and vulnerable children, and proposing to run Bury Council into the ground by running reserves down to a dangerous level. This is a disgrace - I am shocked that that Labour Party will stoop so low in a pathetic attempt to gain votes.

“There are two opposition parties in Bury. One, the Lib Dems, have achieved over £1/3 million of expenditure on young people, children and the environment, while Labour have achieved nothing but a cheap gimmick at the expense of vulnerable people.”