The Government has announced additional funding to provide free early years education to two-year olds across England including 1,100 2 years olds across Bury.

130,000 two-year olds from the poorest homes will be eligible for 15 hours of free childcare a week with a nursery or childminder.

The Government is investing more than £500 million into childcare this year and £100 million through local authorities to create new places to ensure those children eligible right now can benefit from these places.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said:

“From today, if you’re a parent on a low income with a two year old in the family your child will qualify for 15 hours a week of free early years’ education. These funded places are focused on helping the families that need them most.”

Next year the Government will be investing £760m to help an additional 130,000 two-year-olds in families on less than £16,190 a year who receive working tax credits.

Commenting Bury Lib Dem Group Leader Councillor Tim Pickstone said:

“This is a welcome announcement for families across Bury.

“Early education helps promote a child’s physical, emotional and social development. This extra support for low income families is a real Liberal Democrat achievement.”

Liberal Democrats in Bury are calling on the Council to step up consultation on the future of local services after the government cut Bury’s budget by around £12m for the coming year.

The budget, set as part of the nationwide local government settlement, will see Bury Council lose around a quarter of its budget over the next four years. Liberal Democrats are concerned that without proper consultation, many valuable services could be threatened.

Cllr Richard Baum, Resource spokesman for the Bury Liberal Democrats, said “We all know that cuts need to happen to deal with mess inherited by the government. Some of those cuts are happening here in Bury so it’s vital that local people get the chance to tell us what they want prioritised.”

“Lib Dems have been asking local people for a long time now, so that we can fight to protect the services local people need. The only way we can get the debt and deficit down is by taking local people with us, so I call on the people in charge of the Council to get out into our local communities across Bury now and start an open, honest conversation about the challenges we face.”

“Lib Dems in Bury will continue to fight to give Bury the best services we all want and need.”

Bury Schools are set to receive up to £430 per pupil a year for each poorer pupil they teach under details announced by the Coalition Government. It means that Bury stands to gain over £1.8m extra cash in the coming year to help towards improving teaching and learning in schools and boosting achievement.

The extra cash will be given according to the number of pupils on free school meals and whose families earn less than £16,000 per year. It means that Bury gains an estimated £1.825m.

It was one of Nick Clegg’s Liberal Democrats main pledges before the election. The Pupil Premium prioritises spending on boosting the chances of younger kids starting out at school, rather than those already at university.

Lib Dem leader in Bury Coun Tim Pickstone said,

“There are over 4,200 pupils in Bury eligible for free school meals, so this will mean a really boost for our schools and make a huge difference to the outcomes and chances for our young people. Children need the best possible start in life, and this much needed extra cash will make a real difference in schools to getting our children a better start in life”.

Construction of a controversial soccer centre in Heaton Park has been delayed after Liberal Democrat Councillors “called in“ proposals to sell off land in the park.

A planning application was heard earlier this year by Manchester City Council who own Heaton Park. All Labour Councillors voted in favour of the plans to concrete over a corner of the park and open a pay-to-play five-a-side soccer centre. All Lib Dems voted against, citing community concerns over noise, traffic, and the destruction of green space. The application was successful, and on December 7th Manchester City Council agreed to lease the land to Goals Soccer Centre to commence construction.

Now though, the continuing community protests, including a 10,000 signature petition, have led to Lib Dems “calling in” that decision for further scrutiny.

The call-in means at least a temporary delay to the project, forcing the Council to look again at community objections.

Bury Lib Dem Leader Cllr Tim Pickstone said today “I am pleased that our Lib Dem colleagues in Manchester have ‘called in’ this decision. Local Councillors in Holyrood and Sedgley, such as Steve Wright and Ann Garner have been at the forefront of efforts to look again at this decision.”

“Given that thousands of residents objected to these plans originally, a complaint has been made to the Local Government Ombudsman that the Council have not followed due process. Six issues have arisen through this consultation process that have not previously been addressed, so we felt that further scrutiny was necessary.”

Cllr Pickstone continued
“I am pleased that Manchester City Council will be forced to look again at these proposals which local people have objected to since the start. We continue to fight to save Heaton Park.”

Local Liberal Democrats have accused Bury Conservatives of threatening the future of the town after big cuts were announced to Town Hall budgets last week.

The Council confirmed a range of cuts to be made immediately, including a reduction in funding for children’s services, playgrounds and roads. The decisions were made with immediate effect and without the involvement of Councillors or local people.

Commenting, Cllr Tim Pickstone the leader of the Bury Liberal Democrats said “We all know that cuts need to be made because of the huge debts left by the last Labour government. But this is the wrong way to go about making those cuts. In just a few days the Conservatives have decided to slash vital services without asking local people what they think is important.

“Why didn’t the Conservatives at the Town Hall ask other Councillors to talk to local people and get a sense about where they would like to see the cuts made? If they’d have asked local people they’d have found out just how bad some of their plans are. For instance, all year people have been telling me how much the roads need better maintenance, and yet this is the first budget to be cut. That’s madness and it isn’t fair. Local people have also said that they want more facilities for young people, but this budget too has been cut straight away. Where’s the sense in that?

“I call on the Conservatives to start a big consultation with local people right now about the full options for these necessary cuts, and I call on local people to let us know what their priorities are so that local Lib Dems can work with local people as we make the best of the mess the Labour Government have left us in.”