Mary DAlbert

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.

For further details contact the case officer (0161 253 5000) or for advice on how to comment on applications or to raise concerns contact your local Lib Dems

Liberal Democrats have revealed shocking plans from the Labour Government to close local post offices.

The Government has announced that another 2,500 post offices are to close in a devastating blow that could mean that another six Post Offices are set to be closed in Bury alone. This is in addition to the 19 post offices that have already closed in Bury since 1999 under the Labour Government. What’s more - the Lib Dem’s have revealed that the Government and Post Office are deliberately putting back the closures until after the council elections in May 2008! (see letter from the Post Office below).  Lib Dem councillors led the defence of our local post offices when they got Bury Council to agree a policy in favour of saving our post offices late last year.

Local Lib Dem campaigner Mary D’Albert said: “Post Offices are at the heart of our local community and provide many vital services. In recent years we’ve lost two post offices in Prestwich (on Whittaker Lane and on Bury Old Road near Danesway in Sedgley).”

Local Lib Dems demand:
• Halt the Post Office branch closure programme;
• Stop removing Government business from Post Offices;
• Find additional Government functions that could be carried out through Post Offices.

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.”