Participation at Council Meetings and Panels

I am Deputy Chair of Speakers Panel (Planning). I have missed one meeting in the last twelve months.

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

I am Deputy Chair of Services for Children and Young People Scrutiny Panel. I think this Scrutiny Panel has a very important role (as do all the Scrutiny Panels), but this one more than most as it is responsible for scrutinising our children’s education which is a subject I am extremely interested in.

I have attended all Council meetings

I am a member of the Stalybridge Development Group. The traffic problems in the Town Centre are still an issue, I mention this year after year but still nothing has been done to resolve the problems. I am also very concerned about the number of apartments in the town centre, I personally think we have reached saturation point and if not careful will turn what the powers that be call Regeneration in to Degeneration as we are left with empty properties.

Participation at District Assemblies

I have attended all but one of the Stalybridge District Assemblies, where everyone can voice their concerns as long as they do not criticize the Council, because if you do, the answer comes back that you are being negative, even if it’s a valid point. Of course this is a comment about the meetings themselves, however, the staff who work in the District Assembly offices do an excellent job and nothing is too much trouble.

Participation on Outside Bodies and Partnerships

I am the Conservative Group leader on Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority. As a member of this Authority I sit on the following committees;

• Authority
• Policy
• Transport Network
• Capital Schemes Procurement
• Standards Committee

I am a Director of Greater Manchester Accessible Transport Ltd, and on the Audit Panel of this company.

I am on the Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Trust
Theological and Tameside College Scholarships

I am a co-opted member of Brushes Estate Management Board, and also on Millbrook Residents Committee. I attend meetings and help out as much as possible with any problems to do with the Council

I attend regularly the P.A.C.T meetings once a month. These are meetings with the Police, Community Support Officers, Patrollers, Fire officers, New Charter officers and the Youth Annoyance team.

The meetings are very informative and the group is working well. I think these meetings have been a huge success. When I have problems in Stalybridge South I can now get in touch with P C Lawton straight away instead of being passed from pillar to post.

Constituency Work

There is not a lot I can say about Constituency work except that people know I am always contactable and work very hard on their behalf to solve the many problems they have not only in Stalybridge South but other areas where people have felt they were not getting the service that was due to them.

Members’ Advice Surgeries

I hold two surgeries a month one at the Civic Hall and one at Mottram Road Conservative Club, but again people know they don’t have to wait for a surgery, they can call or e-mail me at any time.

Training and Development

I have been on the following training programmes:

• Waste Management
• Planning Summer School
• IT Training five courses in all

I have been on seminars for the Passenger Transport Authority.

Also, many lobbying activities to get the Government to put Public Transport and the way it is delivered higher up the political agenda.

Achievements during the Year

In my opinion the chief roll of a Councillor is working for constituents and I feel I have achieved all that has been asked of me, working for the people of Stalybridge and carrying out my role as a Councillor to the best of my ability. I have been working with P C Lawton to get a police surgery on Mottram Rise at least once a month. This will happen this year. Instigated many traffic calming measures across the Ward.

Youth annoyance is still the biggest problem we have, I think school buildings and playing fields are under utilised when school finishes and at holiday times. My aim this year is change this so that children and young adults have somewhere to go, especially where there are no facilities at all for them.