A6 to Bredbury: Labour Decide not to Decide

Like the community, the minority ruling Labour Cabinet are split on the road from the A6 to Bredbury.

Strong feelings and arguments on both sides were clear at a recent Cabinet meeting that was supposed to decide whether to proceed with applications for funding for a full business case for the road.


A6 to Bredbury Proposed Route

In simple terms the main arguments for and against the road are…

For:

  • Alleviation of current congestion especially in Hazel Grove, Bredbury and Stockport itself.
  • The coming additional journeys from new houses and businesses currently being built to the south of Stockport and proposed under GMSF
  • Need to support economic growth

Against:

  • Environmental damage, especially to sensitive and cherished areas of Stockport including the Goyt valley
  • Induced additional traffic from a new road; encouraging ever more journeys and leading to a back-to-square-one result in terms of congestion in a few short years
  • Lack of information on the long term impact of the road across the whole borough

The decision of whether to proceed with applications for funding to complete a full business case has been passed to the full council meeting of 63 councillors from across all areas of Stockport.  That decision will not decide the final fate of this road but a decision not to proceed would at least halt plans for a significant number of years.

“The need to relieve congestion in Hazel Grove is without any doubt a major concern – we are being suffocated by fumes and strangled by the volume of traffic.  It is only going to get worse as thousands of new homes are built in Stockport and to our south.

“But, the environmental argument that we cannot simply keep building new roads and completely filling them with even more cars is unquestionable too.

“We should only build this road if we have all the evidence and we make absolutely sure that it will play a strategic role in a truly sustainable multi modal (including trains, buses, taxis, cycling and walking) transport infrastructure across the whole of Greater Manchester that moves far more toward public transport and a shared vehicle basis,” said Cllr Jon Twigge.

 

Cllr Lisa Smart Chosen to Fight General Election

Local Councillor Lisa Smart will be the Liberal Democrat candidate for the constituency of Hazel Grove at the General Election on June 8th 2017.

Lisa has a track record of campaigning for better services at Stepping Hill Hospital, standing up against Conservative and Labour plans to bulldoze our greenbelt and winning fights to keep local buses on the road.

In this election Hazel Grove is a clear fight between hard working local Councillor Lisa Smart and the Conservatives.

The Labour Party are a mess. Fighting among themselves rather than fighting the government. Only the Liberal Democrats will stand up against this Conservative government.

Tim Farron MP, leader of the Lib Dems said, “This election is your chance to change the direction of our country.

“If you want to avoid a disastrous Hard Brexit. If you want to keep Britain in the Single Market. If you want a Britain that is open, tolerant and united, this is your chance.”

Lisa added, “As a local Councillor it’s a privilege to stand up for residents at the Town Hall. I’m keen to take that fight to Westminster.”

Hazel Grove campaigner Paul Ankers said, “Lisa Smart impresses me each time I meet her. I think she will put Hazel Grove on the map, whilst the current Tory has been anonymous even in his home ward.”

The North West’s Social Care Crisis

The BBC Radio 4 Today programme highlighted this morning the particular problem in recruitment in Stockport Council,  managed by the Labour party, based on a report by Independent Age which pointed out  2 out of 3 care homes in the North West of England are inadequate or require improvement. Another report, by the charity Skills for Care brought up that 1 in 20 jobs within care remain vacant.

In addition commenting on reports that more than 900 adult social care workers a day quit their job in England last year, Norman Lamb, Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Secretary, said:

“The NHS and the care system is lurching from crisis to crisis. There is a massive risk that with the Prime Minister’s obsessive focus on pursuing a hard Brexit it is tying up the government so that it is chronically mismanaging other sectors.

“Theresa May’s continued failure to guarantee the future of EU citizens in the UK is only going to create a bigger workforce crisis in the years to come.”

Stockport Market in Decline Under Labour

A year after the new Labour administration ‘saved’ Stockport Market, Council figures show the market is in serious decline.

A report to the Council’s Scrutiny Co-Ordination Committee forecasts a fall in visitors by 9% over the last financial year.

The Labour group squashed a consultation into the market’s future, but have show no sign of a vision to revive the market. Instead, they seem to be managing its decline.

Paul Ankers said, “These figures are alarming. I am fond of the market, but other markets in Manchester & Gorton have been revitalized. The last LibDem administration had a plan but this Labour lot are just glad to be in charge but have no vision for Stockport.”be

Rubbish Plans to be Scrapped !

A big thank you to everyone who signed petitions and gave feedback on the council’s plans to reduce non recyclable waste (the black bin) collections to every three weeks.  The Council Executive have effectively admitted that the plans were very unpopular and they probably wouldn’t have worked anyway.

stockportbins

Manchester Evening News reveals that Stockport refuse plans have been binned !

Siting feedback from a survey they say that there are 12,000 homes had two bins and many others would not be forced to recycle more as their bins are not full anyway.  While the consultation period is not yet over they now say the proposals are unlikely to go ahead.

Cllr Jon Twigge said “This is great news for the whole of Stockport.  We told them it was going to be very unpopular, cause lots of problems for lots of people and a lot more fly tipping.  And, I told them the numbers just didn’t add up – it would not force people to recycle anywhere near the amounts they were targeting.

“This idea is now heading for the bin and they have admitted that the best way forward is to work with people to help everyone recycle more.”

More from the Manchester Evening News here.

Local LibDems Slam 3 Weekly Bin Collections

Stockport LibDem Councillors Jon Twigge & Mark Hunter have criticised Stockport Council’s barmy plan to increase black bin collections from 2 to 3 weekly.

Cllr Mark Hunter said, “There are no guarantees here; no guarantees of savings or increased recycling. This is a big gamble to change a system that has been lauded nationally.”

Jon Twigge & the Hazel Grove team have been speaking to local people and over 90% are against. Jon said “Lots of Hazel Grove people have to take rubbish & recycling to the tip. They will not be incentivised to recycle more.”

Low Emission Car Incentive to Be Axed

Stockport Labour have infuriated Environmental campaigners by proposing a MASSIVE 3500% rise in a parking permit for low emissions vehicles.

The £10 scheme, introduced by LibDems to encourage switching to greener cars, will be increased to £360 a year under proposals being finalised this winter. Vehicles which fall in Emission Band A (99g/km of CO2 or less) are exempt from car parking charges throughout the Borough.

Local LibDem Louise Ankers said, “Such schemes were in my mind when I bought my new car. We still need to tackle climate change.”

Stockport Labour Planning 4% Council Tax Hike

Stockport Labour have revealed early that they plan a 3.99% Council Tax Hike in April. Their first budget in Stockport in nearly 20 years will reinforce the image of them as the high tax party.

The Council are responding to continued huge cuts by the Tory Government, coupled with the financial implication of Brexit, which was supported by local Tories too.

Local Campaigner Paul Ankers said, “Council Tax hikes and cuts to services hit Stockport people twice over. It doesn’t take long to see the effects of Tory policies”