Published July 10th, 2008
Lib Dems Call for Action as Thefts of Drain Covers Increase Tenfold in a Year!
John Cameron and Iain Donaldson, Liberal Democrat Councillor for Burnage Ward, are calling for swift action to save council taxpayers thousands of pounds in the face of an epidemic of drain cover thefts across Manchester.
Figures uncovered by the Liberal Democrats show that the number of thefts in Manchester in less than the first quarter of this financial year stand at a little under 500, compared to a little over 200 for the whole of the last financial year.
Now Councillors Cameron and Donaldson are calling for the Council to take action to stop the thefts happening, instead of waiting for them to happen, as happens at present.
Councillor John Cameron said:
“We always report things like graffiti, broken streetlights and potholes that we notice when we are out and about in Burnage. We noticed that we were reporting more and more missing drain grid covers from the area’s streets. These missing covers are stolen for scrap, which has a high value at the moment. The trouble is that when they are stolen a dangerous hole is left that could cause serious injuries to pedestrians.”
Councillor Iain Donaldson added:
“When we report these missing covers, the City Council replaces them with non-metallic ones, which do not get stolen as they have no scrap value. What we have suggested is that they start to replace the metal covers in areas where there are lots of thefts before they get stolen, not after. That way the City Council would at least be able to accrue the value of the metal to spend on council services, instead of just waiting for the thieves to steal them all. It would also remove the trip hazard being caused for pedestrians.”
Published July 4th, 2008
UEFA Report Leaves Unanswered Questions
Liberal Democrat Councillors in Manchester have welcomed a Council report into last month’s staging of the UEFA cup final in Manchester but believe that some questions remained unanswered by the report.
Manchester Lib Dem Leader Cllr Simon Ashley said:
“I have met senior Council Officers and told them we agree with some of the key recommendations in the report:
that Piccadilly is an unsuitable venue for a large event;
that there should be ticketed entry to control numbers;
that there should be better communication with city centre businesses and residents;
that there needs to be better signage, more toilets, bins and better and quicker cleaning.”
Cllr Ashley added:
“However, I think the report fails to answer three questions:
1) Why weren’t more viewing screens made available throughout the City when number estimates kept increasing, to better disperse the crowd numbers?
2) Did the U-turn on the communications strategy on the 8th of May (when instead of saying ‘Don’t come without a ticket’, the city said “Everyone welcome”) contribute to the increased visitor numbers?
3) Was the decision making process transparent and did the organising committee rely too much on intelligence and information received from Strathclyde Police and Glasgow Council?”
Cllr Ashley concluded:
“This report isn’t perfect but is a good start. Manchester needs to learn the lessons of the Uefa final so that the people of Manchester can regain the confidence they have lost in its Council bidding for future events.”
Published June 4th, 2008
Burnage Lane Fire - Lib Dems Warned of Danger
Focus readers will know of the devastating fire that destroyed the building site on the corner of Burnage Lane and Lane End Road last month. There was no security on the site, despite Lib Dem MP and your local Lib Dem Councillors raising the fact that kids were getting onto the site every night, putting themselves and nearby residents at risk. Councillor John Cameron said: “We warned the authorities that the site was not secure weeks before the fire and yet no security was put on at night or at the weekends. Now that this terrible fire has taken place, they must act to ensure that the site is secure from now on.” Pic - The Lib Dems warned that the site was not secure.
Published June 3rd, 2008
Lib Dems Pledge More Police for Manchester
Manchester Liberal Democrats have proposed a cash boost of nearly £ 1.7m to fund an extra 40 police officers on the beat to tackle crime on Manchester streets. The call comes after an alarming increase in gun crime in parts of Manchester.
Opposition Finance Chief Cllr Marc Ramsbottom said:
“Fighting crime has got be our number one priority in Manchester. Labour talks tough, but has failed to deliver when it comes to making our streets safer. Many residents tell us that what the police need is not more laws and ASBOs, but more police on the streets to catch thugs and yobs. We will work with the police to fund an extra 40 police officers dedicated to Manchester to reduce crime and make our communities safer.”
Lib Dems would fund the extra police by reducing the subsidy to URBIS museum and spending some of the cash dividend the Council receives from Manchester Airport. Lib Dems also say they would cut back Councillors’ allowances and get rid of other waste such as bottled water and posting out pay slips to Town Hall staff.
Cllr Ramsbottom also slammed the unfair and unjust Council Tax:
“We believe that the Council Tax is an unfair tax that disproportionately affects people on low incomes, and should be scrapped. Nationally, the poorest 10% pay over 4 times more of their income in council tax than the richest 10%. Therefore we will be proposing a zero increase in Council Tax bills for the coming financial year, ” he said.
Leader of the Opposition on Manchester City Council Cllr Simon Ashley said:
“Our budget delegates more decision making to local communities and Councillors, beefs up the police presence on our streets, takes action to cut truancy, clean our streets, improves recycling, and freezes the country most unpopular tax, the Council Tax.”
Published June 3rd, 2008
Lib Dems Call for Effective Measures against Teenage Drinking
Liberal Democrat Councillors John Cameron and Paul Ankers, are calling for tough new measures to reduce teenage drinking in Manchester.
Cllr Cameron, who represents the Burnage Ward, has written to the Manchester Drug and Alcohol Team to demand action to stop shops selling alcohol to underage drinkers. He has suggested that alcohol bottles and cans should be labelled to identify the shop they came from, so that action can be taken against the shops when children or teenagers are found with alcohol.
Chortlon Lib Dem Councillor, Paul Ankers, backed the move at a recent meeting of Manchester City Council’s Communities and Neighbourhoods Overview and Scrutiny Committee.
John Cameron said:
“There is a serious problem with teenagers drinking alcohol in public places in many parts of Manchester, including Burnage Ward. This drinking causes problems for local residents, through vandalism, antisocial behaviour and litter. Underage drinking is also dangerous for the teenagers involved, who are putting themselves at risk and may be storing up health problems for the future.”
Paul Ankers said:
“It is often difficult or impossible for the police and Trading Standards to prove where this alcohol has been bought, as kids often get adults to buy it for them and unscrupulous shop owners are skilled at evading Trading Standards test purchases. If all of the alcohol containers were marked to identify the shop they came from, it would allow the authorities to crack down on those shops who are supplying alcohol to underage children.”
