Stockport Liberal Democrats

Twenty’s Plenty for Bracadale

The speed limit on Davenport’s Bracadale estate is to be lowered to 20 miles per hour.

John Reid is campaigning for more residents to be given the option of taking their roads down to 20mph limits.

Road charity RoSPA supports 20mph zones because the evidence shows it helps reduce injuries and casualties.

Even when unenforced by Greater Manchester Police, 20mph zones work in reducing the average speed of drivers by a few miles per hour. That might not sound like a lot but, if there’s an accident, it can make the difference between someone receiving a minor injury and them being very seriously injured – or worse.

Now a council committee has agreed to lower the speed limit on Bracadale Drive and adjoining roads.

“This is a positive move to make the Bracadale area that bit safer,” said John Reid.

Meanwhile Ann has written to local residents to update them on trees hanging from the neighbouring fishing club.

The trees were left to grow wild, into residents’ gardens and drives, until Ann raised the issue with club owners. Since then the trimming programme has kept the trees under control.

Greyhound Site Update

Planning permission has been granted for the building of an ‘M-local’ Morrisons store on the site of the former Greyhound pub in Cheadle Hulme.

The site has been empty since the closure and demolition of the pub three years ago.

The proposal is for the building of the store, an additional retail unit and 21 parking spaces.

Ann Smith, John Reid and the local Lib Dem team undertook a door-to-door survey of local residents asking what they thought of the proposal.

Though the survey showed residents are generally in favour of developing the site, Ann and John want to ensure all resident’s concerns are heard. Some are concerned that there is not enough space for delivery and refuse vehicles.

Ann promised to pass on resident’s concerns to Councillors on the local planning committee.

“The committee agreed to make numerous conditions to the application after we raised our concerns about the size of delivery vehicles and opening times,” said Ann.

“I don’t want the site to be derelict, but the developers must listen to local needs,” said John Reid.

Ann was keen also to discuss the issue of a filter lane for traffic from Bird Hall Road turning right into Councillor Lane. “It is difficult to see cars coming from Ladybridge Road as it is, and this needs looking at.”

Relief Road Update

A Stockport Council survey has shown that 70% of local residents are in favour of building the new A6 to Manchester Airport Relief Road.

Working with Cheshire East and Manchester, Stockport Council sent out over 85,000 consultation surveys on the various options for the A6 to Manchester Airport Relief Road. In addition, the consultation was widely advertised and available online through the website and social media.

The three local authorities will vote on the preferred route being drawn up following the consultation, with a further consultation being held on the preferred route.

The current target is to complete the road in 2017.

The A6 to Manchester Airport Relief Road will take traffic off our local roads and generate up to 5,000 new jobs, making an important contribution to Stockport’s economic growth.

The survey responses show approximately 70% in favour of the road, 10% against and 20% having no view.

Bridge Hall School wins ‘Good’ Status from OFSTED

Bridgehall’s local Lib Dem team have praised the work of Bridgehall Primary school after it was promoted to ‘GOOD’ status by school watchdog OFSTED.

The school had previously been categorised as ‘satisfactory’ following inspections in 2008 and 2011.

But after the inspection at the end of February, school inspectors decided the school had improved to such an extent it was now ‘GOOD’ – just one place behind the highest possible assessment.

Ann Smith, who lives near the school on Sandpipers, is on the school’s board of governors and has seen for herself first hand the transformation of the school.

Ann said “I think I can speak for most people on Bridgehall and Sandpipers that the improvement of the school is a real reason for pride in our area.”

£6.9m extra secured by Lib Dems for Stockport kids

Stockport Academy Liberal Democrats support — Stockport Academy will get than £261,000 extra money for kids from disadvantaged backgrounds after Lib Dem work in Government

Work by Liberal Democrats in the Coalition Government has meant schools in Stockport borough have an extra £6.9 million next year, as part of the Lib Dem Pupil Premium policy.

The pupil premium was one of four policy priorities that the Liberal Democrats put on the front page of their 2010 General Election manifesto.

It is designed to give a cash boost of £900 per pupil straight to children from disadvantaged backgrounds through their schools.

Lib Dems believe that for too long, social background has been a deciding factor in a child’s chances for the future. The pupil premium is designed to help prevent children being held back by poverty and disadvantage.

The extra money will mean schools all around Stockport receiving extra money, including Adswood Primary School which will receive an extra £107,100, Westmorland Primary in Brinnington which will get £234,900 extra, Banks Lane schools which get an extra £83,700 and Stockport Academy, which gets an extra £261,000 for the next year.

Liberal Democrat Schools Minister, David Laws said:

“We are already seeing across the country how the Pupil Premium is making a difference to children’s lives. Extra tuition, better IT resources and closer work with parents are all examples of how the Pupil Premium is being used to support the most disadvantaged pupils and benefit all their classmates too.

“That’s why I’m so pleased that, next year, we’ll be extending the Pupil Premium to another half a million children, and increasing the money that schools get to £900 per pupil.

“This means that, as a result of Liberal Democrats in the Coalition Government, more children will get a better start in life.”

See which schools are set to benefit and by how much here: Continue reading £6.9m extra secured by Lib Dems for Stockport kids

Unemployment falls again in Stockport

Lib Dem policies Stockport — Lib Dem policies at local and national level have led to a 60% increase in Stockport apprenticeships

Unemployment figures out this week show another fall in unemployment in Stockport.

Stockport’s unemployment rate is now down to 3.3%. This compares favourably with the overall 4.8% figure for Greater Manchester, the 4.3% figure for the North West and the 3.8% figure for the whole of the UK.

Significantly, youth unemployment is also down. The JSA claimant rate for 16-24 years olds was down 3.9% and the 18-24 age group down 4.2%. The results are good news for Stockport’s apprenticeship work, in conjunction with the Lib Dem policy pushed in government to boost apprentice numbers.

The results of this work mean that 6,290 new apprenticeships have been created in Stockport since 2010, a 60% rise on the apprenticeships created in Stockport under the last government.