The Citizen 46 - Page 1
Ashton-Under-Lyne 
Audenshaw Denton Droylsden Dukinfield Hyde Longdendale Mossley Stalybridge
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Blooming brilliant
In Bloom officer Jessica Brooks among one of the many impressive floral displays around the borough. Visit Tameside In Bloom for more details.
Patrollers' Notice Board
Welcome to the latest from the Crime & Disorder Reduction Partnership – the Patroller’s Notice Board. This is a whistle-stop tour of what your Patrollers have been up to in the last couple of months.
Poster challenge
Tameside patrollers came up with a novel way to deal with fly tipping in Ashton. They set pupils at Holy Trinity School a challenge to produce a poster highlighting the problems and how to dispose of rubbish responsibly. The patrollers put on a presentation and set a quiz on littering and fly tipping for Year 4. The posters were judged and the registered social landlord, Regenda, presented the school with a cheque for £100.
Doing it for the kids
The patroller service has also been actively involved with prevention work with young people in the borough. This work includes; providing escorts for walking buses to local allotments where the primary school pupils learnt about growing vegetables, re-cycling, respecting other people's property and choice of leisure activity, road safety issues and the role of the patroller.
Tackling youth nuisance and underage drinking, in conjunction with other partners, is also an important dimension of the work of the patroller service. We know this targeted work also has a positive impact on the appearance of the environment through reduction in the incidents of criminal damage and littering. One such joint initiative in Droylsden resulted in over £6000 value of alcohol being seized over a four week period as well as targeted clean up of grot spot areas.
Opening Doors for Older People
In June, patrollers supported the launch of Opening Doors for Older People project (POPPS) in Droylsden. The Community Safety stand gave out advice and promotional information with safety messages to local people. The patrollers were pleased to have encouraged nearly 60 people to complete the referral form for the identislot package to deter unwanted callers at the door.
The identislot is available to all Tameside Residents aged over 65.
For more details or to request the package please call 0161 342 4064 or Send us a message.
Funeral of Sir George Kenyon
Patrollers assisted with the funeral of Sir George Kenyon in June attended by many dignitaries including the High Sheriffs of Manchester and Stockport and the Leader of Tameside Council.
Central Estate in Bloom
The Dukinfield Patrollers recently assisted in the annual community event on Central Estate. Residents were provided with plants and hanging baskets to enhance the appearance of the estate for Britain in Bloom.
A crucial event
On 23 July members of the Denton team attended a crucial crew for older people 50+ years.
The event had been organised by Catherine Robertson (Community Safety) and on the day around 65 residents of the Denton South ward (Haughton Green) attended Two Trees School to participate in the days scenarios. During the day a number of scenarios were played out to the audience, that were designed to deal with their perceptions of crime and anti-social behaviour and their responses to children in the community with their reactions being discussed. The two patrollers and a cadet assisted with the running of the event and helped individuals with mobility problems to different parts of the school to where the presentations were being performed.
Partnership work
The patroller service works closely with Highways in order to ensure that any abandoned vehicles are swiftly removed, cutting the pressure on the fire service and police.
Welcome, Sylvia!
Sylvia Pascoe is the new Patroller Service Manager. Sylvia is a Tameside resident who previously worked for the Greater Manchester Police 
for over 11 years as a control room shift supervisor. Sylvia’s knowledge and experience of dealing with a whole range of incidents reported to the police can only benefit the way in which the patroller service grows in the future. "The dedication and commitment the patrollers have in tackling issues within the community that affect people’s quality of life is second to none," says Sylva.
On duty
The patrollers are on duty up till 10pm, Monday to Saturday in your community.
To find out more about the service or to report any concerns you may have, call 0161 342 3010 or Send us a message
Plantastic
This year could well be Tameside in Bloom’s most successful year yet!
The borough is hoping to win the regional North West In Bloom title for the fourth year in a row and to win the National Britain in Bloom title for the first time. The judging for the regional competition took place on 21 July with results in October. The judges from Britain in Bloom toured the borough on 14 August and Tameside will find out if we’ve beat Aberdeen, Solihull and the Royal Borough of Chelsea and Kensington on 24 September.
This year has seen outstanding support from the community. Residents and community groups have really pulled together with a massive effort to improve their local areas with litter picking and planting schemes. This has been recognised in a series of posters that have been produced and distributed throughout the borough.
The gardening staff and cleansing staff at Tameside Council have also made a monumental effort. The borough has been kept spic and span and the vibrant floral displays throughout Tameside have been extremely popular.
There have been several exciting non-plant projects in the borough this year including having a sculpture of a kestrel carved from a tree at Park Bridge Heritage Centre and the installation of the sculpture of an owl at Cheetham Park in Stalybridge.
This year has also seen an unprecedented level of press coverage thanks to successful partnerships with Tameside Radio , The Tameside Advertiser and the Tameside Reporter .
Tameside came third in the Southport Flower Show. The show ran from 21 to 24 August. Last year Tameside won the Local Authority Bedding Display competition with a Large Gold Medal. The theme for the display was “Liverpool, European City of Culture”. The bedding plants for the display were grown by Tameside Central Nursery Unit, and the display was put together by a team from the nursery headed by nursery manager Malcolm Hartley. The centrepiece of the display was a steel sculpture of people embracing an “explosion” of culture which was commissioned from Pete Garcia Fabrications of Hyde.
Tameside hosted the first borough-wide Horticultural Show since the mid 1970’s. The show was held in Stalybridge Civic Hall on 6th and 7th September. There were 85 classes in the competition, covering:
- Horticultural Produce
- Dahlias
- Chrysanthemums
- Pot Plants
- General Cut Flowers
- Children’s Classes
- Schools Classes
- Photography
- Floral Art
- Bakery
Green success
A Tameside recreation area has become the first in the country to be awarded a Green Flag and a Green Pennant for the same site.
Haughton Green Playing Fields in Denton first received a Green Pennant in 2006, 
then again in 2007. Green Pennants recognise high quality green space that is managed by voluntary and community groups such as Haughton Green Friends of the Park (middle and bottom photos).
This year it was awarded its first Green Flag which recognises and rewards the best green spaces in the country. Both awards have to be reapplied for every year.
The site together with the adjacent football fields has been transformed from a bland, open area with few facilities into a much valued and well-used community green space.
The top picture is the recent unveiling of the green flag for Oxford Park, Ashton.
November opening for Market Hall
Work on Ashton’s historic market hall has moved closer to its November 28 opening after being marked by two recent events.
Firstly the large cranes that have been a part of the landscape for years have been removed ahead of the expected end-of-year finish.
This was followed up with the sealing of a lead time capsule into the wall of the market hall, at a ceremony attended by schoolchildren from a number of the borough’s schools.
All the school children at the ceremony were given a ticket inviting them back in 50 years time when the capsule is reopened. The capsule was welded shut by a Tameside College student Katrina, before Cllr Kieran Quinn placed it into the walls of the rebuilt building.
The capsule measures 46 x 15 x 12cms and weighs the equivalent of 24 bags of sugar! It is full of memorabilia ranging from a DVD of shoppers' memories of the old market hall and a front page newspaper report of the fire, to keepsakes from the children and other interested groups.
It is planned the capsule will be reopened in 50 years time, a serious commitment to the refurbished market hall. Work to bring the Grade II listed building back to life has been going on for four years.
Executive member for Economic Services Cllr Kieran Quinn said of the ceremony:
"When the fire happened what became clear quite soon afterwards was the importance of the building's history.
“So one of the key objectives we had was to ensure that as the new market hall came to life again we didn't forget that history.
"We also wanted to capture this moment in time and show how important this market hall is to our residents.”
From Tameside to Strasbourg
Tameside students represented Great Britain when they travelled to the European Parliament in Strasbourg.
Pupils from Audenshaw, Fairfield High School for Girls, and Alder Community High were chosen to attend the annual Euroscala.
They took park in a programme of events aimed at stimulating discussion about the European Union. The schools were the only ones from the UK to have been selected for participation, having been assisted by Tameside’s Economic Development Unit. In total, 500 students took part from across the European Union (EU).
During the day, they participated in multi-lingual debates in the main Parliament Chamber, reflecting the real life practice of the Parliament, which operates with 23 working languages every day.
Following the debates, the groups voted on issues relating to priorities within the EU including European Democracy, environment, the place of European values in the world, youth, and the Future of Europe.
Vicky Heywood from Alder Community High School said “Before the trip I knew very little about the EU.
“I now watch stories in the news about Europe in a different light. The Parliament building left me speechless and the town itself was beautiful. I’d do anything to go back.”
Audenshaw School pupil Kieran Beard said: "Overall, the day was an eye-opener into the EU and how it works, as well as finding out what people from other countries think.”
Jobs boost
Residents in Hattersley have been helping to come up with ways to boost their job prospects as part of the regeneration of the area.
While much of the regeneration has concentrated on housing and roads, there is now a move to tackle worklessness in the area and to this aim, residents met with regeneration partners in July to look at ways of boosting skills and employment levels in Hattersley.
Lisa Bowden, Community Regeneration Manager with local residential developer base, outlined a strategy based on the results of a local skills audit. The audit came up with a number of reasons for local people not being able to get jobs, such as the lack of opportunities and lack of access to training and education.
Lisa told how partners set out to encourage the employment of apprentices, helping to raise the aspirations and skill levels of residents to help them compete in the job market. She highlighted the contribution of local employer the Casey Group Ltd as a practical example of the contribution employers can make.
Since their arrival in Hattersley in November 2006, the Casey Group has worked closely with local partners to offer a number of training and employment opportunities to residents. They now employ 20 local people and have provided 10 of these with relevant training. Casey is the main contractor working with Peak Valley Housing, the registered social landlord.
Phil Corris, the managing director of Peak Valley Housing Association , said: “Peak Valley's contract with the Casey Group stipulated that the company should use local labour where possible. Already 27 per cent of their labour force lives within a six-mile radius of Hattersley.
The audience was given a moving personal account of the effect that training and development can have on people’s lives. Resident June Burns told how contacting the Local Step Ahead service helped her turn her life around. June told how, due to various reasons, she was at an all time low and knew she “owed it to the kids’ to do something”.
After starting a number of local courses June gradually made contacts in the community, gained qualifications and became Chair of the local Single Parents Action Network.
June said: “I know my confidence is growing day by day and this is all due to the day I enquired about the courses. Joining in all the other groups, you realise you are not alone with your problems. You can have a laugh, meet new friends, get support and even give support to others.”
The Leader of Tameside Council, Cllr Roy Oldham officially launched the strategy before opening the new Step Ahead Training and Resource Centre, based in Kingston Arcade, which will provide a facility for local people to find out about training and get advice and guidance.
Councillor Oldham said: “It is vitally important that residents and partners work together to address the causes of worklessness and the barriers that prevent people from gaining worthwhile employment.
Development of the strategy has been led by residential developer 'Base', working in partnership with a representative sample of residents and other organisations, including Tameside Council, Peak Valley Housing Association, and Hattersley Neighbourhood Partnership.
Longlands Mill transformation is complete
Award-winning property developer Urban Splash has completed its £10 million transformation of the historic Longlands Mill in Stalybridge.
Following a high level of anticipation from Tameside and beyond, Urban Splash opened up the mill on Saturday 26 July to showcase the new development.
The mill now features 44 studio, one and two-bedroom apartments in an excellent town centre location. The first residents have already moved in. They will benefit from the tranquillity of both the Huddersfield Canal and the River Tame which flank the building.
Urban Splash development director Simon Humphreys said: “The completion of the mill has been much anticipated not only by our first residents, but also by people from across Tameside who have a real affinity with the building.
“We are extremely proud at what has been achieved and the outcome of the redevelopment. We’ve picked up where the Mill left off when it closed in 1961 and have delivered a truly thriving community for Stalybridge.”
Working with architect Space Craft, Urban Splash have retained the mill’s stunning original features such as original beams, which have been incorporated into each apartment.
One of the mill’s most famous workers, Jethro Tinker has also made a permanent mark on the building and samples of his works have been subtly used within the apartments.
The development does not stop with the mill and Urban Splash is currently on site with the adjacent new build scheme Pattern House.
The sales office is open Thursday to Monday, 11am to 6pm. 0333 666 9999 / 0333 666 0000. www.urbansplash.co.uk
