Last Wednesday was the regular meeting of Bury Council’s Cabinet. This is the meeting made up of the eight Labour cabinet members. Opposition Group Leaders are invited to attend but not vote – Councillor Tim Pickstone reports:  Greater Manchester Clean Air Plan We have previously reported on the Greater Manchester proposals for a Clean Air Zone charging proposals […]

The deadline for consultation in the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework has recently closed. Here is the response from Bury’s Liberal Democrat Group: Thank you for being given the opportunity to comment on the revised proposals of the Greater Manchester Plan for Jobs and Homes (Greater Manchester Spatial Framework).  Please find below the formal response of […]

Liberal Democrats are supporting a Private Members Bill which would give people who are in Britain because they have claimed asylum, the right to look for paid work. Liberal Democrat MP Cristina Jardine tabled a private members bill in Parliament which would change the current regulations. As it stands, people seeking asylum who make it […]

Greater Manchester’s council leaders and the Mayor have agreed an outline business case to put to Government for the introduction of clean air zone charging. Why is this happening:  People will be aware of the significant concerns about rising air pollution across the country. The Government has placed legal responsibility for complying with NO2 limits […]

Figures released this week by the Government show that 597 deaths in 2017 related to street homelessness. Manchester, with 21 deaths, had the highest number. Birmingham (18) and Bristol, Lambeth and Liverpool (all 17), also registering more than one death a month. Our view is that the fact that nearly 600 people died on our […]

Last night was the ‘Budget Council’ meeting at Bury Town Hall, where councillors set the Council’s budget for 2019-20, as well as the Council Tax rate residents will pay. The proposals from the ruling Labour Group were agreed. These include: – Council Tax rise of 4.4%. The maximum rise allowed by Government without a referendum […]

Last week was an important opportunity to scrutinise the Council budgets which are set at a Greater Manchester level with the regular meeting of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority ‘Corporate Issues and Reform Scrutiny. Bury’s Lib Dem Councillor Tim Pickstone represents Bury on the Committee and reports here: Mayor’s General Budget A part of our […]

The formal public consultation on the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework ends a month from now on 18 March 2019. This is your opportunity to have your say on these important plans which will have a massive impact on our local area for generations to come. You can take part in the consultation online, or in […]

A survey released by Age UK has found that more than 50,000 older people have now died waiting in vain for care during the 700 days since the Government first said it would publish a Care Green Paper Over the same period, in excess of half a million older people (626,701) have had their requests […]

Last week the Government published its annual ‘Local Government Spending Allocations. Councillor Tim Pickstone, Liberal Democrat Group leader on Bury Council said: “Councils still face a funding gap of more than £3 billion this year. The money councils have to provide local services is running out fast and there is huge uncertainty about how they […]