Prestwich residents who offered to pay the Council for extra winter grit supplies and grit bins have been told that the Council are not interested, and advised to use private shops instead.

A group of local people, supported by Liberal Democrat Councillor for St Mary’s ward Mary D’Albert, offered to pay for extra grit from Council stores to keep pathways, pavements and roads clear during the cold snap. But despite the offer of cash for the Council coffers, they were knocked back and offered no help.

Commenting on the issue, Cllr Mary D’Albert said

“It’s as if the Council are being wilfully unhelpful. Of course we understand that not every road can be gritted. But residents are offering to pay for the grit and bins, and pick them up themselves. I would have thought that the Council would welcome the money, but they have been very unhelpful.”

Cllr D’Albert had hoped that the scheme could allow local people to take responsibility themselves where the Council’s budget cuts make providing a service difficult, but is disappointed.

“The Council could have made some money here, and made things easier for local people. Instead they have been inflexible and unimaginative, so they miss out. It’s not very inspiring local leadership from the Council, who should be dynamic not bound by bureaucracy.”

More information Mary D’Albert 07855354519

Local Councillors have given a cautious welcome to the Stone Roses concerts to take place in Heaton Park in June 2012 (Friday 29 and Saturday 30 June 2012). 

Councillor Tim Pickstone, who represents residents in Prestwich, Simister and Middleton who live around most of the norther half of Heaton Park said: 

“In many ways it is great that such high profile events can take place in Heaton Park, as long as they’re not too often!.”

“But Heaton Park and Manchester Council need to learn from the Oasis Concerts last year. Heaton Park is surrounded by residential areas, and this time they need to get things sorted correctly around parking, traffic, litter and anti-social behaviour”. 

ends

More information: Tim PIckstone 07825 823 486 

Liberal Democrat Children and Families Minister, Sarah Teather has announced the extra money each school will receive through the Pupil Premium this year - more than originally expected.

In Bury, schools will get a total of £1.85 million to support children from disadvantaged backgrounds.

The original plans for an extra £430 per pupil have been boosted by £100m, meaning that that every school in Bury will now get nearly £500 for every child on Free School Meals.

News of the extra money comes after Sarah Teather recently announced that the total Pupil Premium funding for next year will rise to £1.25bn, double the amount in 2011-12.

Thanks to Liberal Democrats, it will rise again each year until 2014-15 when it will be worth £2.5bn.

Bury Lib Dem spokesperson, Cllr Mary D’Albert, who is a Governor of two local Schools in Prestwich said:

“It is a shocking fact that pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds are three times less likely to achieve five good GSCEs than their more well-off classmates.

“Education is the best way to end the underachievement of disadvantaged pupils through supporting children comprehensively from early years straight through to secondary school.

“That is why Liberal Democrats have ensured that in Bury schools will this year receive £1.85 million as part of the Pupil Premium. In Prestwich alone schools will this year receive £377,000 in extra cash.

“This is more than expected and will make an even bigger difference for our children. I look forward to working with schools and teachers to make the Pupil Premium the success our children deserve it to be.

”Commenting further, Sarah Teather said: “The Pupil Premium will benefit poorer pupils, providing extra money directly for those pupils who need it the most. “This extra funding will help tackle inequality and enable schools to provide the extra support their pupils need to reach their full potential.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors: Full details of the figures for Bury are here.

The Pupil Premium is one of the four key commitments the Liberal Democrats fought the 2010 General Election on and featured on the front page of the Liberal Democrat manifesto. It is designed to support pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds and is allocated on the basis of pupils on Free School Meals to schools, which they can spend as they believe best supports children from disadvantaged backgrounds in their schools. Children who have been looked after by local authorities for more than six months also qualify for the Pupil Premium. The funding has increased from initial estimates of £430 per pupil to £488 per pupil as a lower than expected number of pupils had registered for Free School Meals. As this meant not all of the £625m available in 2011-12 had so far been allocated, it was used to increase the per-pupil funding.