London Victories Bring Hope for Heaton Park

The campaign to stop an 8-acre private soccer centre being built in Heaton Park is in its final stages ahead of a decision by Manchester Council on December 17th. Campaigners to save the park have been encouraged by a wave of rejections for similar schemes in parks in London.

Campaigners in Morden Park found out this week that their campaign to stop their park being turned into a commercial soccer centre had been a success. Find our more from their website here.

Regents Park, as well as parks in Morden and Wandsworth in the capital, have all been threatened with “Goals” soccer centres similar to the one proposed for Heaton park. In each case the applications have been rejected after public pressure.

Campaigners in Morden produced this stunning video to support their cause:

Cllr Tim Pickstone, Liberal Democrat Councillor for Holyrood ward and a leader of the campaign to protect the park said “I am pleased that communities in London have come together to save parkland, and that local Councils have listened to what people want. I appeal to Manchester City Council to do the same.

“We have always said that this is a good facility, but in completely the wrong place. We are all for better sports facilities, but this is an 8 acre concrete site with a big car park, charging people a lot of money and open until 11pm. This isn’t something that should be built on green land inside a quiet public park.

“Manchester Council will hear the application on December 17th. In the meantime I urge as many local people as possible to visit the website at www.saveheatonpark.org.uk and learn more about how to stop this development from threatening our park.”

Send a Message on Climate Change

Next month, members of the United Nations meet in Copenhagen for vital talks on securing a new worldwide response to climate change.

On the Saturday beforehand, December 5, thousands of people will march in London to demand the Government goes further in cutting carbon emissions.

Nick Clegg and Simon Hughes will be leading Liberal Democrats on the march. All Lib Dems are urged to join them. Here’s why:

We are the party that has the courage to tackle climate change in Britain. We will go furthest on cutting carbon emissions. Go furthest in generating renewable energy. And go furthest in insulating homes.

But climate change can only be tackled by global action – and that is why the Copenhagen conference is so important. It could prove to be the most important in our lifetimes.

The march on December 5 is a chance for us to show the Government how strongly people in Britain feel. We can’t let this opportunity pass. And a strong Liberal Democrat presence on the march will send a clear message to the nation that we are the only party with the ambition and policies to reverse climate change.

Please let us know that you are going to be able to take part in the day of action in December 5th by signing up here.

Bury Liberal Democrats Annual Dinner 2009

The Woodthorpe Hotel in prestwich hosted the fourth Bury Liberal Democrats Annual Dinner on Friday 6th November.

This year we were joined by guest speaker Andrew Stunell MP, the Liberal Democrat MP for Hazel Grove. Mr Stunell is the vice chair of the Lib Dem General Election campaign, and is also a member of the House of Commons International Development Select Committee. He had returned from a fact-finding trip to Nepal and Bangladesh less than 24 hours before his appearance in Prestwich, but overcame the jet-lag to entertain the many members of the Bury Lib Dems who came together for the meal.

There was a special presentation made to David Foss, the newly elected Honourary President of the Bury Liberal Democrats. David is a long-standing party member and activist who’s decades of contributions to the local party were recognised on Friday. The picture above sees David (centre) flanked by Vic D’Albert, our parliamentary candidate for Bury South, and Andrew Stunell MP.

As well as Mr Stunell’s speech, and some high quality food, there was also a raffle and some fund-raising activities. Plans are already under way for the fifth annual dinner next year, but not before a range of other social events for members, activists, helpers and anyone else interested in the Bury Lib Dems, starting with the Christmas party next month. Just get in touch to find out more.

The photograph below shows Cllr Wilf Davison and his wife Maureen, two of the other guests at Friday night’s Annual Dinner.

Lib Dems fight for better child care

Lib Dems across the country are coming together to fight for free childcare for every family.

We all understand that juggling work and family life can be a struggle for parents. Current Government provisions make it difficult to raise young children and go back to work full or even part-time and the economic crisis means families are even harder pressed than before.

Liberal Democrats believe that things need to change and parents should be entitled to 20 hours of free, high quality childcare for each child from 18 months to when they start school. 

Bury Liberal Democrats are calling for everyone who supports this cause to sign our petition calling for the Government to bring in the extra childcare. You can find the petition here

Anyone interested in joining a Facebook group in support of this campaign can do so here 

Or you can follow us on Twitter

Please spread the word with an email to five of your friends. Just click here 

Dole Queues in bury continue to grow

Bury’s dole queues have lengthened by over three quarters this year to over 4,000.

Now Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate Vic D’Albert says the Government must act fast to halt the rise in job losses and home repossessions in the borough.

There are now 4,230 people claiming Job Seekers’ Allowance in Bury, an increase of 78.9% compared to this time last year, and an increase of 41.7% in the last three months.

Unemployment in the borough is now at a higher level than before Labour came to power in 1997, after the ravages of 18 years of Tory government.

Commenting, Vic D’Albert said: “Despite some sterling work by local businesses, these figures show that the recession is continuing to hit Bury hard as more jobs and homes are being lost. It is clear to me that the Labour government has failed Bury, and that the Tory Council isn’t doing anything like enough to help.

“It is vital that the Government offers help to the millions who are struggling to keep their heads above water. Income tax should be cut, and the banks must pass on the cuts in interest rates to reduce the cost of borrowing and keep people in their homes, and businesses open.

“The Prime Minister promised to abolish boom and bust, yet for the people of Bury it’s unemployment that’s booming, and their businesses that are going bust. At the same time, the Tories at the Town Hall are dithering over Lib Dem proposals like our “Park Free After 3” idea which would be a big boost to jobs.

“The banks have had their bail-out, how much longer must ordinary people wait for theirs?”

Lib Dems slam Tories after CCTV pledge broken

Liberal Democrats in Bury have accused the Conservatives of breaking an election pledge after it was revealed that no new CCTV camera is being installed in the borough this year, despite the Tories promising an increase.

Figures obtained by the Lib Dems show that since coming to power in May 2007, no new public safety cameras have been introduced across the borough. The only increase planned for this year is a single additional camera aimed at catching motorists parking illegally on Silver Street.

Commenting on the news, Liberal Democrat Councillor Steve Wright said “The Conservative election manifesto made a specific commitment to improving community safety by investing in CCTV cameras. The Tories have broken that promise and have not given Bury a single new camera.

“I am very disappointed that whilst the Police and the Bury Safe Partnership continue to work so hard to make Bury Town centre and the wider Borough a safer place, the Tories at the town hall aren’t pulling their weight. They have broken their promise, and the only CCTV camera they have bothered to install is more about fining motorists than making the town safer.”

Cllr Wright pointed out the recent initiatives in Lib Dem-run Oldham to make the town centre safer at night. “In Oldham there are innovative schemes in place to make town safer. Here in Bury we are hamstrung by ineffective Tories who have neglected our borough and seem happy to make promises which they just don’t deliver on.”

Bulky waste collections slump after Tories introduce charges

The amount of bulky waste sent for recycling in Bury has slumped since the Conservative Council introduced charges for collection, say local Liberal Democrats.

Information gathered by the Lib Dems shows that over 800 tonnes of bulky waste (excluding fridges) was collected in 2007/8. In 2008/9, the first year during which charges were fully operational, that figure almost halved to 468 tonnes, and in the first quarter of this year only 72 tonnes was collected.

Commenting on the figures, Lib Dem Councillor for St Mary’s ward Cllr Donal O’Hanlon said “These are truly shocking figures. At a time when we should be encouraging recycling, this Tory policy does exactly the opposite. Since introducing the charges, we’ve seen the amount of waste collected almost halve. Now it’s falling even more. More bulky waste will be illegally dumped, and less will be recycled. The Tories have put money before doing the right thing.”

Lib Dems back shopkeepers in Besses parking row

Local Liberal Democrats have backed shopkeepers’ calls for the removal of new
parking charges at the Bay Horse pub in Unsworth.

Businesses and shoppers nearby have complained after brewers Joseph Holt
introduced a £2 per day flat rate parking charge on land used by shoppers for
free for years.

Julie Baum, Liberal Democrat campaigner for Besses ward, which includes the
affected shops, said “I have been shopping at these shops for over 30 years and
I’ve never had to pay. It’s a shame that the brewery have installed this car
parking charge. It won’t make them much money but it’s certainly enough to deter
people from using these local businesses.”

Lib Dems reject the brewers’ claims that parking has caused a problem for the
pub. Julie Baum continued “In all the time I have used shopped here, I have
never seen the car park full, so it simply isn’t right to say that shoppers are
stopping pub-users getting into the car park. And besides, it’s obvious that
drinkers shouldn’t be driving to the pub.”

Support has also been given the shopkeepers’ view that the charges are damaging
business during the recession. Mrs Baum said “The first time I came here after
the charges were brought in, the car park was absolutely empty. It is clear that
less people are shopping here because of the new fees, which could be disastrous
for local businesses. I will campaign hard to have the brewery remove these
silly charges.”

Nick Clegg’s Speech to Party Conference 2009

 

Nick Clegg\'s Speech to Conferece 2009

Nick Clegg: Conference 2009

This was Nick’s speech to Party Conference – Nick Clegg, Leader of the Liberal Democrats: Speech to Conference 2009.

My favourite quote? “If you supported Labour in 1997 because you wanted fairness. You wanted young people to flourish. You wanted political reform. You wanted the environment protected. Or you simply believed in a better future. Turn to the Liberal Democrats. We carry the torch of progress now.”

Nick Clegg

In the last eight weeks, 28 British soldiers and Royal Marines have been killed in Afghanistan. However easy it may be to forget, we are a nation at war. Already more than 75,000 British men and women have done tours of duty in Afghanistan.

Thousands upon thousands of our compatriots, putting their lives on the line in the burning heat and the frozen winters of a country on the other side of the world. I want to pay tribute, on behalf of all of us, to the tenacity, bravery and extraordinary professionalism of every one of them. Their families, too, have borne with incredible fortitude the separation, the fear, and the anguish of bereavement. We salute them.

I’m afraid the hardship has been deepened, for all of them, by the enormous difficulties of this war. After nearly 8 years, victory not only seems more distant than ever, failure seems inevitable unless we change course.

Read the rest of this entry. Read the rest of this entry. Read the rest of this entry.

Conference Report

Last week was the main Autumn Federal Conference for the Liberal Democrats – back in Bournemouth for the second year running.

Bury Liberal Democrats were this year represented by Council Group Leader Cllr Tim Pickstone and Deputy Group Leader Cllr Andrew Garner and by Philip Garner.

Conference news stories include:
Think big, choose a better future – Nick Clegg speech
Liberal Democrats back plans for 20 hours of free childcare
Kirsty Williams’ speech to the Conference
Lib Dems call for real action to help the people of Gaza
Lib Dems fight for post office investment
Lib Dems say no to titan prisons, yes to more police
Liberal Democrats back plans to cut primary class sizes to 15 
Vince Cable’s speech to the Conference
Simon Hughes’ speech to the Conference
Lib Dems back plans to scrap tuition fees
Lib Dems set out plans to bring the City to heel
Lib Dems kick off spring conference (preview)

Here’s Vince Cable’s speech to conference:

The following Conference videos can be viewed by clicking below:
Nick Clegg’s keynote speech part one
Nick Clegg’s keynote speech part two
Leader of the Welsh Lib Dems, Kirsty Williams’ speech
Vince Cable’s speech on the economic crisis
Former Chairman of the US Democratic Party, Governor Howard Dean’s speech
Simon Hughes’ speech on environmental sustainability