4th Full Meeting of Bury Council, 7pm Bury Town Hall. Public welcome

11th Healthier Communities Scrutiny Commission, Bury Town Hall. Public welcome

12th Standards Committee, 7pm Bury Town Hall, Public welcome

25th Special Meeting of Bury Council to set the budget for 2009/10, 7pm Bury Town Hall, Public welcome

26th Bury Looked After Children Achievement Awards  

28th Mayoral Charity Fundraising Dinner

Following last nights Council Executive Committee it’s now clear to me that Learning Disability services in Bury are under threat from Bury Conservatives.

At the recent Joint Scrutiny meeting called to examine proposals for Elderly accomodation in the Borough, members of all parties were unhappy with proposals to take over learning disability facilities at Whittle Pike and William Kemp Heaton.

As no details were provided about the impact of these proposals on these centres and Learning disabilities, members of the committee took the reasonable step to ask the Council Executive to withdraw the proposals and re-submit a more complete report that detailed the impact on learning disability services in the Borough.

A reasonable request was met with cynicism, accusations of playing politics and utter contempt from the leader of the Council and his Conservative Executive for the Scrutiny Commissions request, which was ignored as they approved the proposals as they stood - without any knowledge of the affects on some of the most vulnerable people in Bury.

Last night the process of scrutinising council policy was dealt a major blow as well. The whole concept of councillors scrutinising decisions of the Council Executive is based upon a respect and acceptance of that process and the need (for the benefit of all concerned) to examine proposals to ensure they are acceptable, offer best value and meet the needs of local people.

Last night Bury Conservatives decided they don’t need scrutiny - well perhaps we don’t need Bury Conservatives.

What we certainly need is a Council administration that values Scrutiny , values the opinions of local people and stakeholders and is prepared to take reasonable time, care and attention to ensure it delivers policies and proposals that the people of Bury need, irrespective of political agendas.

Despite the valiant efforts of local people at last nights Council Executive meeting Bury Tories passed proposals for The Derby High School to take over Radcliffe Riverside School.

As I listened to question after question being put to the Executive from Radcliffe residents it quickly became apparent that the Conservative group was in no mood to listen to their grievances , never mind act upon them. It was an appalling way to treat worried parents, teachers and pupils and no way to run a council.

Major questions remain unanswered about the consultation process and the sustainability of the very split sites proposed (especially bearing in mind recent exeperiences with radcliffe High and Coney Green).  But the Conservatives just will not listen to reason. 

Last night I was pleased to be able to attend Bury Councils memorial service for the victims of the holocaust.

The service recognises and remembers the victims of genocide, ethnic cleansing, persecution and oppression and looks to build bridges between faiths and communities and use the horrors of the past to positively contribute to ensuring such horrors are not repeated.

Last nights theme was “Stand up to hatred” and highlighted the detructive forces of hate and urged people to work together to understand cultures, faiths, sexual orientation and celebrate our diversity, warning us of the need to be vigilant against those who would use hate to divide our communities and destroy our liberties.

As always it was a very moving ceremony. The Mayor of Bury and leaders of the three political parties on Bury Council (Cllr Tim Pickstone represented the Lib Dems) signed the statement committing them to work to ensure liberties are protected and to oppose discrimination, oppression and exclusion.

The most moving aspect as always is the contribution of the young people of Bury, from all backgrounds including the jewish community - coming together to vividly highlight the lessons to be learned and the message for our communities.

AGE OF OPPORTUNITY CELEBRATES 2nd BIRTHDAY

Bury Councils Age of Opportunities innitiative is celebrating its 2^nd Birthday and you are invited to join the party on:

Date: Wednesday 18th February 2009

Time: 11:00am - 6:00pm

Venue: Elizabethan Suite, Bury Town Hall, Knowsley Street, Bury, BL9 0SW

Age of Opportunities is an initiative focussing on the promotion of health, well-being and independence for the people of Bury aged 50 plus, and builds upon the national Dignity in Care and Respect agendas. It is being delivered by a wide range of organisations across the borough from the public, private and the third sectors.

To ensure the day is as successful as last year, we need your continuous support and attendance to show that services we offer are being improved and are having a positive contribution towards promoting the health & wellbeing of the 50+ residents in Bury.

This fun filled day is going to be packed with a Nintendo Wii Demonstration, a wide variety of information stalls, activity taster sessions such as Plant Potting, Art Classes etc, a Free prize draw and much more.

Please find below a copy of the invitation/ Registration Card, which you can complete and bring with you to the event to be entered into our FREE prize draw with the opportunity to wim a variety of fantastic prizes.

age-of-opps-registration-card.pdf 

For further information about the event or the Age of Opportunities Scheme, please click on the following link:
http://www.bury.gov.uk/HealthAndSocialCare/SocialServices/ GeneralSupportCare/AgeOfOpportunities/default.htm

If you have any further queries regarding the event or the Age of Opportunities scheme, please contact the Adult Care Communications Team on 0161 253 6021 or via email at adultcarecomms@bury.gov.uk

A resident has updated me on activity in Prestwich Clough and Forest Park, informing me that there is increased activity from illegal off road biking in the area.

This provides me with a timely opportunity to remind anyone considering off roading in Drinkwater park or the Clough that this is not allowed and that there are now warning signs posted throughout the area warning that anyone caught will have their bikes confiscated immediately.

I have passed on to the authorities details received from my constituent.

The Disaster Appeals Committee, which brings together 13 of the UKs biggest international aid charities, is calling for donations to support its work with the victims of the war in Gaza. I have made my views on the conflict clear and whilst understanding Israels sovereign right to protect its people, I have never been so clear in my own mind that military force will never secure long lasting peace for Israel and will only drive more people into the arms of Hamas. The International community needs to start rebuilding Gaza, we have to work to drive people away from the extremists that threaten to destroy Israel and in so doing are threatening their own people and destabilising the whole middle east. We need to get the Two-state solution back on track.

 

Donate online to the DEC’s Gaza Crisis now
Thousands of people are struggling to survive with many having lost their homes and most down to their last supplies of food and only limited amounts of fresh drinking water.
Electricity - supplies to Gaza are erratic at best with 75% of the area cut off completely. There is a significant public health risk arising out of the almost collapse of Gaza’s water and sewage system, the running of which is dependent on electricity.
Water - Around 500,000 people are without running water with 37% of Gaza’s water wells not working effectively and fuel reserves depleted due to restrictions on access and damage to pipes.
At least 412 Children have been killed and 1,855 injured, 60% of the population is living in poverty
1.1 million people are dependent upon aid to survive.

Last nights Joint Scrutiny into elderly persons accomodation went somewhat pear shaped so far as Bury Council Executive proposals were concerned.

We had before us a fine report outlining proposals to bring elderly persons accomodation up to scratch and to offer 21st century choices to our elderly citizens to meet their changing needs and demands.

Unfortunately myself and other councillors had noticed a small but significant reference to Whittle Pike and William Kemp Heaton - facilities use by and for people with learning disabilities. The proposals suggested using these facilities to provide new services for the elderly by either demolishing, adapting or refurbishing these sites.

The report was completely flawed because there was no mention about the impact on services for people with learning disabilities, no mention of any consultation. So we were being asked to approve a report to go before Bury’s Executive without knowing the implications for people with learning disabilities in the Borough.

Because of that I stated that I could not support the report as it was and I proposed that the committee recommend that the report be withdrawn from consideration and new reports produced following consultation with all involved in learning disabilities.

Thankfully my proposal was supported by members of both other parties represented. The more I reflect on it the more astonished I am that we were expected to support effectively a report that offered “piecemeal policy” that would have affected some of the most vulnerable people in Bury. Disgraceful.   

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. 

The inauguration of Barack Obama as the first black american President of the US is of course the most visual symbol of the new world era that beckons. Seemingly a wave of  goodwill is sweeping the world in his direction and clearly he will need all the goodwill and luck he can get when he starts to tackle the global economic downturn and US recession.

But if President Obama is the symbol of the new era the world is entering then surely the evidence and signs are everywhere around us. It is hard for instance to imagine Governments and the ordinary person in the street ever having such confidence in banks as we previously had. The volatility of our currency and the now daily job cuts announced are further worrying signs.

Of course we have had economic problems and recessions before, but rarely have so many nations faced the same problems at the same time - again a symptom of the new world era of global economy and global banking. The worlds financial institutions have been building skyscrapers without foundations and first the cracks appeared and now they are seemingly collapsing altogether.

What we need now is strong leadership. In the US at least we seem to have someone prepared to take tough decisive action - but its early days yet. However in the UK, Gordon Brown has been around for some time and is catastrophically failing to address the issue. Virtually daily announcements of some scheme or tactic to shore up the banks or stimulate the economy are followed by further share price falls and further job cuts. The economy is drifting on rapids without the proverbial paddle.

We need strong decisive action that sends the right message to the banks, industry, investors and other Governments and offers real help, NOW to our ailing businesses and economy. Dithering, dodging and pointless initiatives can only spell disaster.