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Executive Leader Cllr Brenda Warrington

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Councillor Brenda Warrington, Executive Leader of Tameside Council

Have Your Say On Tameside's Future

Friday, 25 March 2022

Council Emergency General Meeting – 21st March
 

Last Monday we held an Emergency General Meeting of Full Council to discuss a motion in relation to the High Speed Rail (Crewe-Manchester) Bill, which will result in the suspension of the Metrolink service between Ashton-under-Lyne and Piccadilly for a period of at least two years.

As well as registering our opposition to the plans in their current form, the motion also empowered the Council to draft and submit a formal petition to Parliament to amend the Bill in order to enable the construction of a new depot at Ashton Moss. This measure, supported by Transport for Greater Manchester and local Members of Parliament, would allow a tram shuttle service to continue operating between Ashton-under-Lyne and New Islington during the HS2 construction works. All of Tameside’s councillors were invited to have their say, and following the unanimous passing of the motion we are now able to present a united front against this threat to our ambitions for investment and regeneration in Tameside.

An update was provided on work taking place in the borough to show our solidarity with Ukraine following the brutal and unprovoked Russian invasion last month. The Council is currently in touch with the government about the local implementation of the new Homes for Ukraine scheme, and I expect to be able to provide an update on the issue in the very near future. A number of charity and community organisations, including the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain, Europia and Action Together, are also organising their own relief and fundraising efforts and I would encourage anybody who is able to offer support to do so.

The meeting also gave us an opportunity to thank Cllr Janet Cooper for her service as Civic Mayor of Tameside over the past two years, and approve the conferment of the title of Honorary Alderman of the Borough to Cllr Brian Wild for his extraordinary contribution to Tameside including, but not limited to, his roles as an elected Councillor, patron of Willow Wood Hospice and Justice of the Peace.

Local Elections – 5th May 2022
 

As many as you are no doubt aware, local elections are due to be held in Tameside and across the country on 5 May 2022. This is your opportunity to tell us who you believe should be representing your community for the next four years. While they may not have the glamour and coverage of General Elections, I honestly believe that local elections are, in their own way, even more important. From transport and housing to parks, libraries and social care it is local authorities, not Parliament, which run a majority of the everyday services we depend upon.  When you pick up the phone or go online to get help with issues such as potholes, bin collections or school places, most of the time it will be your local councillor that receives the message. I’m proud of the work that we’ve carried out in Tameside but, as should always be the case in a democracy, the ultimate judgement of our performance comes from the voters and the ballot box.

If you’re over 16 and a British, Irish, Commonwealth or EU citizen living in the UK, you can register to vote through the Tameside Council website here. All you need to provide is your Date of Birth and National Insurance Number, and once you’re registered you don’t need to do it again for future local and national elections unless you change your name, address or citizenship status. You can also apply for a postal vote here if you’re registered and want to vote but don’t think you’ll be able to turn up in person to a polling station on Election Day.

Goodbye for Now

As Monday 28th March marks the beginning of the official pre-election period this will be my last Leader’s Blog until after the local elections in May. Thank you very much for reading, see you in a month or so and, if you haven’t done so already, don’t forget to register to vote and have your say in Tameside’s future.
 

Posted by: Executive Leader