Councillor Doreen Dickinson

Participation at Council Meetings and Panels

I have attended all Council meetings.

I am Deputy Chair of Speakers Panel (Planning) and have attended all but one meeting.

I am also on the Appeals Panel and have attended when asked to do so.

I also attend Stalybridge Development, Democratic Working Group and Community Safety Panel meetings.

Participation at District Assemblies

I have missed one District Assembly meeting this year.

The traffic problems in the town centre are still a concern.

There are still rubbish bins on the streets, shopping trolleys everywhere and buildings in disrepair although one has collapsed so perhaps something positive will come out of that. Sadly, the main shopping streets still have a lot of empty property on them.

The District Assembly has started a Farmers Market once a month, which is to be welcomed as it brings people in to Armentieres Square and is, as far as I can see very successful, but because it is on a Sunday when most shops are closed, it will not do a lot to revive Melbourne and Market St.

I still think the old Market Hall should be opened up for a trial period as a market, if only on a Saturday. I also feel Armentieres Square should be open to traffic and that the Tesco store should be forced to have ‘£1 in the slot’ trolleys before the canal is that full we will not see any boats at all.

Participation on Outside Bodies and Partnerships

I am the Deputy Leader of the Conservative Group at Greater Manchester Integrated Transport. As a member of this Authority I sit on the following committees:

• The Authority
• Chair of the Rail and Metrolink Committee.

I also do quite a lot of lobbying to get transport put further up the agenda of Government and to solve the over crowding issues on our trains, even though the trains are run by private companies it is up to Government how many trains and carriages each area gets.

• I am on the Policy Committee and I am also Chair of Greater Manchester Accessible Transport Ltd, (Ring & Ride)
• On the Board of Trustees for GMATT
• Audit Committee GMATL
• Millbrook Residents Association (co-opted member)
• Brushes Estate Management Board (co-opted member)

I attend regularly the PACT meetings once a month. These are meetings with Ward Councillors, Police, Community Support Officers, Patrollers, Fire Officers, New Charter, Residents Associations, Youth Annoyance Team.

Constituency Work

I have been to meet many people in their homes to help them with problems they were experiencing. I have dealt with 223 complaints this year. I am always contactable to listen and help not only constituents in my Ward but throughout Tameside.

Members Advice Surgeries

I hold two surgeries a month, where I deal with the many complaints people bring to me.

Training and Development

• Finance training
• IT training

Achievements during the Year

My main achievement this year has been lobbying successfully to get some of the roads in Stalybridge South resurfaced.

Working with PC Lawton and the PACT team to try to solve anti social behaviour and also having walkabouts in the ward to find grot spots and having them cleaned up.

Working with Millbrook residents and New Charter to have a fun day for the children of Millbrook, the Residents Association is doing a really good job and they also had a clean up day that was very successful.

Any other comments

Apart from my Constituents who take precedence over every thing, I do work hard for the Local Conservative Party. I am Deputy Chair of Stalybridge & Hyde Conservative Association and Chairman of Stalybridge Conservatives.

I did not achieve my goal of getting rid of the many wheelie bins in our streets and Town Centre but I will keep trying because they are so unsightly, especially in the Town Centre where we are trying to encourage business.