Councillors can ask questions at each Full Meeting of Council. Not all questions get answered verbally, but we do get a written answer to all questions. Here’s the questions and answers asked by myself and the rest of the Lib Dem team.

Councillor T Pickstone
Local Area Boards and Local Area Partnerships have provided a welcome opportunity for local people to be involved services and priorities for their area. Given the Government’s strong commitment to localism, will the Leader confirm that ways will be found to strengthen the involvement of local people in decision making in Bury, building on the success of the Area Initiative?

Answer Councillor Y Creswell
A detailed discussion on this issue took place at the Team Bury Executive meeting on 9 December. The Team Bury Executive agreed a number of key actions about neighbourhood working, which includes the work of Local Area Partnerships.

In relation to areas and neighbourhoods, whilst there were differing views on the Local Area Partnerships, there was a consensus:
• On a proposed way forward to provide local residents with clear ways of reporting problems and issues, which focused more on self service options such as calling the council ‘report a problem’ line and less on face to face contact with officers from all Team Bury organisations.
• Agreement in connection with Groups/Communities in that there should be less focus on meetings and bureaucracy.
• Agreement to review the East Bury “Total Place” Pilot to see whether this should be used as a “model” for neighbourhood working.

Team Bury also recognised that as the Council provides the majority of the resources for the current neighbourhood working arrangements it was important that the Cabinet took time to look at options for the future as part of the budget setting process. Following this, new working arrangements will emerge at the next Team Bury meeting in March.

Councillor R Baum
What is the Council doing to measure the wider impact on the Prestwich community of the car park charges recently imposed at Fairfax Road, including the impact on local businesses and the impact on nearby residential streets?

Answer Councillor D Gunther
We have been carrying out informal surveys in the area. At the current time there are no locations that meet the criteria for the introduction of residents parking. Monitoring of vehicles in the residential areas will continue for another six months.

In relation to the impact on local businesses I have had no contact from them since the scheme implementation and the parking team has had no direct contact either.

I woudl, however, wish to remind members that the Longfield Centre car park is free of charge to motorists.

Councillor S Wright
Can the leader inform me how much revenue has been produced since car parking charges have been introduced at Fairfax Road? How does this relate to predicted income targets? What has been the split between £2 payments and £1 payments?

Answer – Councillor D Gunther
The income target was set at £35k full year effect but the parking Charges weren’t introduced until 11 October 2010. Up to 30 November 2010 we have produced £7.5k in revenue. The anticipated full year effect based on revenue to date is £54k.

Unfortunately due to the short timescales I am unable to provide a split in payments but will provide a written answer as soon as possible.

Cllr W Davison
How many of the Council’s grit bins were full prior to the recent snow falls? How many will now be refilled, and when will this happen? What provision is there for more grit bins, since it is clear that many side roads could benefit from the gritting which residents would happily administer themselves were bins provided?

Answer – Councillor D Gunther
About 300 salt bins are provided at known trouble spots such as sharp bends and steep inclines and where historically snow and ice have caused serious problems. We have installed an additional 30 grit bins ahead of this winter (costing over £6000) and we are at our maximum capacity in terms of being able to refill them.

To the best of my knowledge they were all filled during October. Salt bins are refilled by the Street Care Teams on an ongoing basis.

Cllr M D’Albert
Following the ‘Baby P’ case the criteria for taking a child into care was tightened up. Can the leader assure Council that the criteria will not be ‘relaxed’ due to any financial pressure that maybe put on our Children Services Department?

Answer – Councillor B Caserta
The criteria for taking children into care remains the same as it always has been and is set out in the Children Act 1989. The Council has not relaxed its application of the criteria and will not do so in the future, although members will appreciate that it causes severe financial stress on the Department. It is the case though that since baby Peter and the wider general awareness of safeguarding issues in relation to children that this has led to a significant increase in the number of referrals that are made to children’s social care. This has led to a rise in the number of families needing social work intervention and the need to take more children into care. The percentage rise in work for social workers since baby Peter without the same percentage rise in numbers of staff does put the workers under some considerable pressure and we constantly have to reprioritise our work to ensure that any risks to children are appropriately assessed and protected where they need to be.

Councillor D O’Hanlon
Last year, in response to my question to him, the Leader that we would develop a “lasting legacy” from the 2012 Olympics by inviting one of the competing nations to be hosted in the Borough. Can he confirm what actions he has undertaken to fulfil his promise?

Answer – Councillor M Hankey
The opportunities are limited for hosting an International Olympic Committee (IOC) as the Council’s facilities do not qualify to be to be listed in the London 2012 Facility Training Camp Guide. This prevents IOC countries qualifying for grants directly from the London Olympic Organising Committee to use our facilities. Some of our facilities also do not meet the essential requirements/guidelines specified for hosting international sports teams who expect world class facilities.

We have registered Castle Leisure Centre as a venue which could accommodate training pre games time commencing in early July 2012.

Councillor R Baum
For some time now I have been asking, through the press and my website (though not through Facebook…) and at public surgeries, for local people to give their priorities for the coming budget round. When is Bury Council going to ask local people their views on any proposed cuts or funding priorities?

Answer – Councillor I Gartside
Can I thank Cllr Baum for his question. He will no doubt recall that at last week’s meeting of the Internal Scrutiny Commission I made it clear that I was very keen to hear people’s thoughts on the budget and that includes Facebook, which we all know is a very effective medium for ensuring that views are widely heard.

He will also know that the Government has only just released the Settlement figures for 2011/12 and we were very keen to ensure that we had firm proposals to consult on before we went public. I am sure he will join me in recognising that scaremongering is totally inappropriate in these very difficulty times.

As it is we intend to release an initial set of budget proposals tomorrow and then we will be establishing a number of ways in which people can have their say including a dedicated e mail address, a dedicated page on the Council’s web-site and a public consultation meeting that will take place in mid January. Other ways in which people can have their say include Facebook, Twitter and of course the telephone and letter.

Councillor S Wright
Litter has been a top priority for Prestwich residents for years. It took a year for the Conservative administration to deep clean the centre of Prestwich, sweeping away grime so old that some of it needed carbon dating, and they haven’t repeated the feat since. Prestwich has recently discovered that after a year of lobbying we have been gifted two new litter bins. Does the Leader think that this is adequate?

Answer – Councillor D Gunther
Prestwich has a dedicated Street Cleaning Team consisting of a Team Leader and a number of staff. Resources include a truck mounted sweeper, a pavement sweeper, a precinct sweeper and a tipper vehicle. The team is responsible for sweeping adopted highways and footpaths, including the Longfield Centre, emptying 150 litter bins across Prestwich, litter picking and clearance of fly tipping. This is a similar level of resource dedicated to the other LAP areas.

Specific litter complaints are referred to the Public Health Team in Environmental Services and are investigated by one of 3 Enforcement Officers. Actions taken may include patrolling areas to identify offenders and issue them with a Fixed Penalty Notice the cost of which was recently raised from £50.00 to £75.00. They may also visit commercial premises such as takeaways or off licences and where they are causing a litter problem the officers will advise business owners to clear the area around their premises. If this advice is not heeded they have the powers to issue them with a Street Litter Control Notice requiring them to keep the area clean. The team are working closely with the Street Cleaning Team Leaders so that problem areas are identified early before it becomes necessary to take enforcement action

In addition, this small team are also involved in schemes such as Crucial Crew in which all year 5 children in the Prestwich Primary Schools will attend and receive advice about the outcomes and possible consequences to themselves of dropping litter. A similar scheme called BSafe BCool operates for Year 9 children in the High Schools. Where problem schools are identified officers will also go into the school to talk to pupils and staff during assembly or other identified times. Officers have also been involved in specific projects such as the ‘Love Prestwich’ campaign.

Councillor T Pickstone
What discussions have been had with Manchester City Council on the introduction of permanent year-round parking charges in Heaton Park on the impact of the neighbouring residential streets which are in Bury MBC? What discussions have take place with Manchester City Council regarding the impact of the proposed commercial Soccer Centre on parking and access on the roads surrounding the St Margaret’s Road entrance? Is the Council aware of any further developments proposed by Manchester Council in the area of the Park near the St Margaret’s Road entrance?

Answer – Councillor D Gunther
1. There have been no discussions on any proposals to introduce year-round car parking charges in Heaton Park.

2. As a neighbouring authority, the Council was consulted on the planning application for the proposed Soccer Centre. In responding to the consultation, the Council recommended to Manchester City Council that a condition be included in any planning permission to ensure that a management scheme is in place to manage the peak period parking in order to protect the amenities of residents, prior to the commencement of development. Condition 10 of the planning approval granted by the City Council in February 2010 imposes a requirement to submit a plan to the local planning authority for the management of the car parking areas included within the development. The quoted reason for the condition is to ensure that there is adequate car parking for the development proposed when the building is occupied.

3. The Council is not aware of any further developments proposed by Manchester City Council in the area of the Park near the St. Margaret’s Road entrance.

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