Liberal Democrats have criticised Bury Council’s under-investment in road repairs after a local councillor discovered a two-metre deep crater on a Prestwich street.

Cllr Donal O’Hanlon, Liberal Democrat member for St Mary’s ward, discovered the hole on Lowther Road, and launched a stinging attack on road maintenance in the borough. “We can’t go on like this - the condition of our roads is appalling, and the amount we are allocated to repair them is paltry!” said Cllr. O’Hanlon.

“Bury Council announced it’s annual budget recently, but the amount given over to road repairs was so low that we can’t even afford to fix the single neediest road. Local Area Partnerships decide how much of the meagre money allocated can be spent on the upgrading of the roads and pavements, but there is nowhere near enough.”

Cllr O’Hanlon described the moment he almost became a victim of the crumbling road himself. “I came round the corner and swerved around a dip in the road. I got out to investigate, and found a crater two metres deep. The damage to someone’s car if it’d fallen in, let alone the shock to the person, would far outweigh the cost of keeping the road in a decent condition!”

Residents have complained to me about fly tipping in this road which is not only an eyesore but is hampering access for emergency services amongst others.

As a result I have now been in touch with Council officers and have requested that they inspect the scene to identify what can be done to eliminate fly tipping and deter future tipping. In the meantime I have now asked (more than once!) that existing dumped rubbish is removed.

I will continue to monitor the situation.

I understand that Bury Conservatives are considering disbanding Bury’s Youth Service, with options including inviting tenders from voluntary organisations and operating a reduced services amongst other possibilities.

Bury currently has Youth workers working in every township in the borough, running youth facilities and projects, bringing young people together and performing valuable work throughout our communities in dealing with anti-social behaviour and youth issues.

If this proposal were to get the go-ahead then the ramifications would be enormous both from the perspective of supporting young people in an often hostile environment but also in getting to grips with problems on some of our estates where youth workers have done tremendous work.

Lets see - do Bury Conservatives value the youth service as much as they do the rest of the Council staff or (following the pay review debacle) have they learned any lessons?

Watch this space. 

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.

Liberal Democrat Councillors have repeated their calls for Labour-run Salford Council to stump up desparately needed cash to renovate abandoned shops in Rainsough.

The derelict units, on Chapel Road, are owned by Salford Council and the preferred site for an outreach centre for the St Mary’s Sure Start Children’s Centre, but the renovations won’t happen without money being made available to carry out repairs.The Prestwich Local Area Partnership, under Lib Dem control, has secured funding for part of the repairs, as well as for a new youth centre for Rainsough.

Local campaigner Mary D’Albert said “Without money from Labour-run Salford, we can’t make this happen. It’s absolutely vital that Labour match our commitment to local people, but so far they have failed to come up with the goods.” 

Cllr Richard Baum has met with the Labour Councillor in charge of Housing in Salford, but was unable to make him stump up the money. Richard said “I went to Salford to meet Cllr Connor in his office and plead our case, but it fell on deaf ears and now all the efforts that we are making in Bury might go to waste if Labour won’t provide the rest of the money. It just isn’t fair and will be a big let down for local people.”