State of the Area 2007

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Leader’s Foreword

Hello and thank you for attending Tameside Council’s 7th State of the Area address. It has been another outstanding year with a record number of accolades bestowed upon us, which clearly demonstrates what a high achieving council we are. On the opposite page are listed just some of the awards we have picked up over the past year, which, I am sure you will agree, is impressive by anyone’s standards.

There is no better theme for the State of the Area address than that which continues to embrace the priorities laid down by the people of Tameside: A safe, clean, prosperous, learning borough.

These four powerful words as separate entities provide specific qualities but together they provide a place to live which is fit for purpose and if the majority of our residents agree that their priorities have been met by a listening, caring and effective council, then I know we are doing an excellent job.

I have finished this booklet by listing a number of key objectives Tameside Council will pursue throughout the coming year. Although I do not intend to go into too much detail here, once again they will fit in with our overall safe, clean, prosperous and learning strategy which has proven so popular with the borough’s residents.

Once again thank you for attending and I hope you find the address both informative and useful as a guide to highlight the tireless work Tameside Council puts into running the borough on your behalf.

Cllr Roy Oldham
Executive Leader of the Council

Future Objectives

Council tax

• Keep Council Tax rise among the lowest nationally, with the total increase over the next three financial years not exceeding 10 per cent

Waste management

• Further to reduce household waste going to landfill sites

Carbon footprint

• Continue to reduce the borough’s carbon footprint

Community safety

• Further improve road safety by both improving the technology and winning accreditation for our Watchman street camera system
• Relaunch household community diaries to help reduce crime and anti-social behaviour
• New initiatives to divert young people away from anti-social behaviour such as engaging them in sport and learning activities

Heritage

• Continue to develop innovative and inspiring ways to celebrate our rich heritage

Tameside’s Top 20 Highlights 2007

Crime

A record drop of seven per cent in all police reported crime compared to a one per cent rise across Greater Manchester

Recycling

More than 50 per cent success rate in pilotmanaged collection areas

Street cleanliness

One of the top performers nationally

Schools

Best ever GCSE results with year on year improvements

Supporting People Programme

Awarded the highest possible score, putting us in the top five per cent of councils nationally

Council Tax

One of the lowest rises in the country – less than 12 per cent over the last four years

Use of resources

Rated one of the best in Greater Manchester

Children’s play

Three-year BIG Lottery award of £500,000

Adult Social Care

Home and Community Support rated excellent with the highest possible score

CPA 4-star Improving Strongly

Best council in the north west and among the top 10 nationally

Charter Mark

First metropolitan borough to achieve Charter Mark

MJ Award

Winner of Municipal Journal Best Achieving Council 2007 award

In Bloom

• Won the large city category in North West In Bloom for the third year running.
• Top prize at Southport Flower Show.
• Eight out of eight parks achieve Green Flag status.

Partnership for Older People

£1.15m for the Opening Doors for Older People project

Libraries and Museums

• Accreditation of all libraries and museums
• Setantii awarded museum status

Business

Local Authority Business Growth and Investment – awarded £3.6m

Customer service

Approved Centre Status achieved for another two years

Award winning teams

• Public Sector Team of the Year
• Shortlisted for CBI Excellence in the Public Sector award
• Joint runner-up for the BECTA ICT
• Excellence Awards Support for Schools title

Award winning staff

Guardian North West Teacher of the Year

Leading nationally

Chief Executive Janet Callender chairs the Local Government Delivery Council

Safe

Reducing crime and disorder

• Crime in Tameside has been reduced by 9.5% (April – October 07) compared to same period last year, and Anti-social behaviour is down 14% overall
• 110 Anti Social Behaviour Order (ASBO’s) and 160 Acceptable Behaviour Contracts (ABCs) have been issued. 1,800 letters have been sent to parents about their child’s behaviour
• A residential survey revealed 95 per cent of residents said their neighbourhood felt safe
• Partners and Communities Together (PACT) police posts are operational in all 19 wards - with more police, Police Community Safety Officers (PCSOs) and Patrollers on the streets
• Operation Safer Tameside Against Night-time Disorder (STAND) has seen a 23 per cent reduction in violent night time offences
• 95 per cent of abandoned vehicles are removed within 24 hours
• The council leads nationally in the fight against mini-motorbike nuisance

Museums & Art

• Accreditation for all our museums and art galleries has been granted
• Victoria and Hyde Park bandstands have both been restored
• An art gallery to exhibit Harry Rutherford paintings is being installed at Hyde Library
• Public sculptures continue to be erected
• Further works are in the pipeline
• Gorse Hall gardens continues to be restored
• Manchester and Forshaw Galleries have been remodelled
• Stalybridge Splash and Hyde Splendid Weekend attracted over 3,000 visitors
• St George’s Day and the regimental parade drew substantial crowds
• The Setantii museum goes from strength to strength

Sports & Conservation

• £750,000 spent on Stockport Road Playing Fields
• Copley High sports facilities refurbished
• Development of Ken Ward Centre and Pinfold playing fields
• Refurbishment of Longdendale Sports Centre
• Specialist coaches into schools and the community for dance, rugby, cricket plus others
• Created a Sport and Physical Activity Alliance using a £282,000 Sport England grant
• Countryside events have attracted nearly 9,000 people to some 232 events
• Continuing to improve outdoor facilities such as Blocksages
• Working with Dukinfield FC and Astley Sports College to continue refurbishing Yew Tree Playing Fields

Clean

The quality of our environment

• Planting of 8,000 tress in Swallows Wood, Hollingworth
• Introduction of energy saving hybrid cars
• Road traffic accidents reduced by a third over a 10-year period
• Falling weight of domestic waste going to landfill - through innovative public information campaigns
• Increased powers to deal with litter, fly-tipping and dog fouling
• £4M regeneration of Ashton’s west end
• Top performing street cleanliness authority
• North West In Bloom champions for the third time
• Over £400,000 spent on environmental improvements
• £500,000 refurbishment of Denton garden nurseries

Prosperous

Economic development and jobs

• Ashton Market Hall on target for opening next year
• Newly opened Hyde Business Centre, now fully occupied
• Over 500 enquiries made about new investment in the borough
• Droylsden marina continues to attract attention
• Regeneration strategies in place for Hurst and Stalybridge station
• Ashton Moss and St Petersfield continue to attract big business.
• Been awarded £3.8M through the Local Authority Business Growth and Investment Board
• The first phases of Longlands Mill in Stalybridge is about to be released
• Fully refurbished Tame Street depot

Learning

Education and libraries

• Construction has started on Ravensfield and Lyndhurst Primaries
• Dane Bank Primary remodelling and extension underway
• Three new primaries planned for a 2008 completion
• New foundation units at Dowson and Gee Cross primaries
• An outdoor pursuits centre to be added to Longdendale High School
• A new community centre is planned for Haughton Green
• New children centres complete at St Peters, Ridgehill and Waterloo, with work underway at Linden Road, Micklehurst and Fairfield
• Hyde and Denton libraries have been transformed
• Public standards for the borough’s libraries is rated 9/10
• Adult library user satisfaction is at 95 per cent.