Internal Bodies

• Member of the Cabinet of the Council
• Member of the Board of Tameside Council
• Lead Member for Co-ordinated Services including:
  • Marketing
  • I.T.
  • Crime and Disorder Reduction
  • Member Services and Training
  • Government Public Service Agreements
  • Procurement
  • Equality in Service Access
  • Governance for Older People
  • Social Exclusion Strategy
  • Community Legal Services
• Equality - Social Cohesion
• Freedom of Information Act
• Lead Member for Efficiency Review
• Chair of Enforcement Panel

External Bodies

• Member of Newton Forum
• Member of Werneth Low Trust
• Representative on AGMA (Vice Chair)

The continuing success of the Council at every level and activity of service is mirrored by the financial control exercised which provides efficient and effective budgets for service providers whilst maintaining a low Council Tax increase.

Thus value for money, an ongoing project under my jurisdiction, has played a substantial part in achieving the foregoing, which again has led to a 4-Star Improving Strongly National Audit score. Better procurement has saved over £1M in the last few years.

The ICT strategy is working well and provides the modern information and work technology that again impacts on quality services and their delivery. Completion of the ICT review has now been put in place via a service that has the skills and numbers to meet the Council’s service providers’ needs.

A continuation of the influences and acting in the capacity of “lead organisation” for the North West e-Government Group (NWeGG), the Local e-Government Standards Body (LeGSB) has been ongoing. Additionally, at national level, with a Government Take-Up campaign and Government Connect, we have county wide become recognised for our expertise and excellence in ICT.

The three year programme of modernising and keeping pace with the most effective and reliable equipment for staff and elected members is proving to be invaluable with keeping the whole Council establishment at the highest level of output and efficiency.

Community Safety is at the hub of the Council’s policies and the PACT schemes and co-operation between Police and Council have seen crime and anti-social behaviour pushed down to low levels compared to our peer Councils in Greater Manchester. Crime has fallen by nearly 30% in recent years and the Council’s work with its partners has been praised by the Audit Commission for the strong improvements made.

I am acutely aware of the work that my two colleagues in the Newton Ward carry out and have supported the many improvements such as safety measures of CCTV, the Watchman Traffic System, 20 MPH zoning and the ongoing provision of leisure and community facilities across and outside the Ward in the Hyde area.

Not least of these is the refurbishment of the Hyde Library and the added provision of the ‘Harry Rutherford Art Gallery’, which will be of value to Newton in particular and Hyde in general.

Finally, I thank Peter Robinson and Helen Bowden for their continued and sustained support in the Ward whilst I have been ill, as I do for the invaluable aid of the ICT management, in particular Tim Rainey and Nicola Smith.