VIC DALBERT

Prestwich Local Area Partnership, which brings together your nine Liberal Democrat Councillors, together with representatives of partner bodies and community groups, have agreed a “Prestwich Community Plan” for 2008-2011. The plan sets out what the Partnership aims to achieve over the next three years to make Prestwich a better place to live and work.

There are three overall themes, and within this ten priority areas:

GREEN PRESTWICH
1 - Improve Parks and Leisure Facilities (play areas, parks, green spaces - including the Phillips Park development)
2 - Achieve a reduction in car useage in Prestwich (walk to school, community bus routes, cycle routes etc)
3 - Reduce air pollution in Prestwich (particularly addressing the M60)
4 - Improve the Prestwich environment by reducing litter and graffiti

THRIVING PRESTWICH
5 - Vision for the Redevelopment of Prestwich Village Centre (the URBED study)
6 - Support local Prestwich businesses
7 - Create better facilities for the most deprived areas of Prestwich

STRONG PRESTWICH
8 - Make Prestwich Healthier (working with the local PCT and others)
9 - Make Prestwich Safe (working with the Police and others to reduce crime and the fear of crime)
10 - Create a Prestwich for people of all ages (focus on young people and older people, and a sense of community pride).

The plan sets out an exciting vision for how we want Prestwich to develop over the coming years, people’s views and ideas are much appreciated.

You can download the full plan here: Prestwich Community Plan 2008-2011

Prestwich Local Area Partnership, which brings together your local Liberal Democrat Councillors together with local partners and community reps, have agreed a number of grants for local projects and groups:

Agreed so far are:
£2,000 - Anti-Graffiti Kits to tackle the current spate of graffiti.
£2,143 - A Clean up and hanging basket project for the “Bent Hill” estate area
£2,000 - to fund the Prestwich Anti-Litter Campaign for one year
£3, 642 - to fund the “Health Kick” programme of health awareness programme for men in the Rainsough Area
£2,400 - to fund the summer scheme of activities for Young People in the Carr Clough area

We’ve also provisionally agreed to fund:
£1,000 towards the family health, skateboard and BMX summer festival in St Mary’s Park organised by Prestwich and Whitefield Methodists

I have been contacted by a distressed local resident who has been sent a letter from the Council threatening her with legal action unless she removes graffiti from a wall bordering her property.

The letter from a Council Risk Management Coordinator at the Council’s Planning, Engineering and Transportation Services Division says:

“The external appearance of your property is a source of concern due to this graffiti. The Council is writing to you as the owner/occupier, its purpose being a request that works are completed to remove the graffiti.

Its goes on…

“I advise that if prompt action is not made in remedying the removal of the graffiti…..the council has the option to take enforcement action under section 215 of the Town and country Planning Act 1990.”

“I do ask that the graffiti is removed within 21 days from the date of this letter.”

Isn’t it time we stopped targeting the innocent victims of petty crimes and anti-social behaviour?

Isn’t it time we supported local people who are the innocent victims of such behaviour?

The resident in question is a woman pensioner living on her own - she was extremely distressed in case she should be fined or somehow forced to clean the mess up herself at great cost to herself.

Its no way to treat people, especially our senior citizens.

I have written to the council asking that the letter be withdrawn and that the council put more effort into finding ways of supporting local people who are victims rather than threatening to punish them further!

Lib Dem councillors are currently working hard to tackle Graffiti and push for more resources to deal with this problem. Instances such as this hardly encourage the support of local people!!!

9th St.Mary’s CE Primary School Governors meeting

10th Sedgley Park Childrens Centre Opening

10th Prestwich Area Partnership,  6.30pm St.Monicas RC High School (Public Forum 7.30)

14th Whitefield & Unsworth Area Partnership, 6.30pm Elms Community Centre

15th Healthier Communities Scrutiny Commission, 7.00pm Town Hall, Bury

24th Prestwich Area Partnership, Town Centre Regeneration meeting.

If you have issues that you would like me to raise at any of these meetings or would like to know more etc, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

A new planning application has been received which is within Holyrood Ward of Prestwich as detailed below:-

Application number: 50140 Type of application: Full Date Registered: 02/07/2008

Applicant: Cambrian Homes Ltd
Location: LAND OFF POPPYTHORN LANE, PRESTWICH
Proposal: DEMOLITION OF EXISTING GARAGES AND ERECTION OF 12 NO. DWELLINGS (RESUBMISSION)

Plans can be viewed on the Council’s website. These plans may come before the Planning Committee as early as 24/7. Should you require further details or would like to raise issues with your councillors, please don’t hesitate to contact us or the Councils case officer: Helen Longworth on: 0161 253 5322.

The next meeting of Prestwich Local Area Partnership takes place this Thursday, 10 July 2008 at St Monica’s RC High School.

All members of the public are very welcome to attend and have your say about what happens in our local area. There is a “business meeting” from 6.30pm - 7.30pm, then at 7.30pm we have time for the public “open forum” where you can ask or raise any issue you need to.

The main business item for the Partnership meeting this month is the draft Prestwich Community Plan for 2008-2011.