gorsehill-labour blog - Latest Comments

Re: Contemptible Conservatism returns to Council – private police forces and tally ho racers

Dave Mitchell — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 06:48:44 -0000

I know the movie Robocop was only fiction but I feel it gave a glimpse of the disaster a privatised police force would be. Crime would go through the roof and lawlessness would become an epidemic. It is time to curtail private business. They already have way too much power. We need a properly resourced and trained police force in the public sector. Privatisation would be a disaster of immense proportions.

Re: Contemptible Conservatism returns to Council – private police forces and tally ho racers

Dave Mitchell — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 06:43:42 -0000

It is time that the Labour Party represented working people as enthusiastically as the Tories represent their rich friends. Let's make no bones about it, we ended up with this coalition of the rich because of the failure of the so called "New Labour" project which was actually a continuation of Tory policies. Over time working people became disconnected and alienated from politics, as their lives have steadily got worse. Blair and Co were privatising with glee and following the same discredited Thatcherite agenda.

Our party should not be afraid to embrace Socialism and start giving people a real alternative to this nasty Neo-Liberal consensus that has dominated the political scene for over 30 years.

The clearest example of this can be seen in Bradford where in Bradford West an independent party led by George Galloway took away a safe Labour seat. The message in that is that people are crying out for a real alternative. It was a shot across the bows and we should take note. Labour needs to become a party of working people, of the vulnerable and the downtrodden, who currently have no voice in British Politics, and haven't for a long time. The middle ground is a fiction, an excuse conjured up by careerist politicians such as Tony Blair who put their own interests before those of society. The New Labour project damaged Labour's reputation and disconnected most of our supporters. It is time to put that right. Clear, bold socialist policies are the way forward and I am proud to be one. We all should be. Once we are then we can begin the task of putting a real worker's Government into power.

Re: Alternative Vote passnotes no.1

watching — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 17:26:22 -0000

Good question Rob, Come on Mike answer please.

Re: Passageway from Barton Road to Cromford Avenue

Mike Cordingley — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 07:41:06 -0000

Not perfect but the team has attended to it. Will try to keep an eye on it to watch for deterioration

Re: Stretford Neighbourhood Police Team – Latest Quarterly Performance

Mike Cordingley — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 19:57:01 -0000

Hi David,
I've been in touch with the police. They've given the following response:

"I have tasked officers to patrol the area at various times of day and can find no evidence of drug taking or selling. It will remain on our radar but there have been no other reports to police of drug issues around this area."

I know it's not going to be the answer you're looking for but I can only ask them to keep an eye on things there. They've responded positively and put additional resources in. I suspect the problem has moved on but they'll continue to keep it on their radar. I do think policing has improved enormously over the last four or five years and I really do complement Inspector Sutcliffe and his officers.
Mike Cordingley

Re: Stretford Neighbourhood Police Team – Latest Quarterly Performance

MikeCordingley — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 09:54:29 -0000

Thanks for your comments David. I'll ensure that they're fed back.

Re: Stretford Neighbourhood Police Team – Latest Quarterly Performance

David Allen — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 01:13:21 -0000

Nice to see the figures, shame they don't reflect reality. As a local resident I constantly stumble upon drug dealing going on out in broad daylight, out in the open. The Bishops Blaze pub has to be one of the busiest places in stretford yet dealers can park up outside and send runners in and out without any problems, the space outside stinks of weed, po po must be visually challenged.
The conversion of Gorse Hill into a privately owned council estate has brought in a breed of bone idle, neanderthal, parasite that multiply like vermin!

Re: Tesco and Cricket Ground Planning Application 74393/FULL/2009

Mike Murray — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 15:18:46 -0000

How can the council take park land the do not own let alone lend it to a school who can fence it off from the community then sell off more land and grab even more of a park the do not own. shurely someone has got some paperwork from the archives banning this from happening. or are too many people getting there hands greased with dirty money.

Re: Tesco, The Cricket Club, The neighbouring Developer, The Council and lots of lawyers

T.BOGGIANO — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 05:51:46 -0000

What is interesting about this farago is NOT that the neighbourhood do not want or need two supermarkets on their doorsteps but that the declared aim of Tesco as stated in their presentation evening at Trafford Town Hall by their Marketing bod was to DENY Asda income from the Trafford Park and Hulme sites by placing a 'convienient alternative' in the midst of the two Asda locations.
Trafford Council has been hung on its own petard of greed and so called 'improving Traffords legacy' ie bolstering up a company ie LCC who already run a hotel, a catering facility, an increasingly intrusive and profitable concert and events calender and still cannot afford the paltry £20 million on its own back to improve its add on cricketing field.
The overall labrinthine and convoluted mode of funding, which Trafford has sought to employ by the involvement of Tesco, together with the NWDA is seriously suspect and also the embroilment of Stretford High School attempting to cover the whole over with a disguise of educational veneer really fools nobody as to the true context where this road map has been created.
Facilities for the Community? Who are you kidding? Profits for the mega store and sod the Community, thats the reality!
Whilst waxing the hands, or shall we put it, the cricket bats of the club members of LCCC who are in the corridors of power to help the process along.
As for the proposed sports hall for Stretford High School, that paradine of educational excellence that dispays so many signs on its facias that one would think it was a Mcdonalds. Within a 5 mile radius of Great Stone Road you have existing Stretford Sports Centre, Longford Athletics Track, LCCC cricket training wickets, MUFC Carrington training facilities. Now who honestly believes that a further encroachment on the only green lung untouched by the slimy hand of this whole dubious suburban redevelopment is not part of the same underhanded game?
That is, build a new Sports hall for the communities' good as well as Stretford High School and then miraculously discover that two sports centres are not cost effective in such close proximity and one can hear the banal refrain already 'that its only right that the old run down and decrepid Stretford Sports Center will be torn down!' Which, consequently, would leave more car parking space for Tesco - (shock horror!)

This may explain why on the actual plan originally displayed in Trafford Town Hall the houses currently on Great Stone Road were all coloured in the same purple as everything else that was going to be redeveloped.Does that mean that we are going to be Compulsory Purchased in the second or third stage of this dubious project

Re: Weekly Update 16th May 2011 (more of a gripe this week)

Richard Bowen — Thu, 19 May 2011 18:07:38 -0000

I'm partially in agreement with you Mike about the hotel proposal but why focus on bicycles and ignore the car parking issue which is the real one? I believe the proposal makes allowance for a mere 50 or so car parking places on the hotel site, yet the hotel will have over 700 bedrooms.

As it stands, the developer proposes to lease car parking space from Man Utd - which will obviously not be available on match days. I don't know who owns the seemingly derelict land alongside the proposed hotel site but it might possibly have been an idea to have negotiated construction of car parking that a large hotel requires there.

Re: Weekly Update 16th May 2011 (more of a gripe this week)

MikeCordingley — Thu, 19 May 2011 12:41:37 -0000

Cllr Rob Chilton

I would describe it as jovial objectivity.

Re: Weekly Update 16th May 2011 (more of a gripe this week)

Cllr Rob Chilton — Thu, 19 May 2011 12:19:06 -0000

Did we get up on the wrong side of bed this morning, Councillor...? :)

Re: AV passnotes no2

MikeCordingley — Fri, 13 May 2011 14:33:57 -0000

It should be a video Ashley. Press play and it switches to Daniel Hannan who cannot be bettered as a visual example of Tory Stupidity.

Re: AV passnotes no2

Ashley Duffy — Thu, 05 May 2011 18:39:22 -0000

There are plenty of visual examples of Tory stupidity you could have used to illustrate your point, instead you chose to use Glenn Beck. Glenn Beck? His opinion is not only irrelevant but also completely worthless in the context of the argument. Or indeed any argument. I expect better.

Re: Barton Bio Mass Plant Environmental Permit

Carolin Hogsed — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 00:23:44 -0000

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Re: Tesco Planning verdict

MikeCordingley — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 17:45:12 -0000

I hear what you're saying DomT. By all means contact me via email, or give me a call on 865 9228. I do get around the streets of Gorse Hill and I'll be cycling through Nansen St / Top Field area tomorrow on the way to town. We have been active in trying to get the council to clean the area sufficiently and I believe we've made progress. In particular my colleague Councillor Walsh has been especially active in getting the area behind PC World cleared and landscaped. But we are prepared to listen.

As for the Tesco, I'm well aware that there are residents who support the development. And no one can deny that it does have positive aspects. But it is just too big for that location. It's bigger than their store in Altrincham and that creates problems in my view that means we should have been able to negotiate it down. But I know there was a body of opinion within Gorse Hill that wanted the store just as there were others against. All that is history now and we have to work to make the best of it.

Re: Tesco Planning verdict

DomT — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 15:52:26 -0000

As a Gorse Hill resident I wholeheartedly welcome the development. Although a huge Tesco isn't ideal, it's the best option on the table for the area and I believe it'll have a huge positive impact. It can't be denied that there's going to be more traffic congestion, but as we already suffer with commuting and match day traffic that has no beneficial affect on the area, at least with the Tesco we'll get some benefit of out it.

Stretford Mall's biggest problem isn't the new Tesco, it's the Trafford Centre and the continued lack of investment in the place. Do we realistically believe it'll ever get the kind of investment that Altrincham and Urmston have had recently? The same is true of the shops at Gorse Hill. With the exception of the Co-op, it's nothing but takeaways and rough pubs.

The No Mega Tesco campaign's agenda was all about Chorlton and nothing to do people living locally. The people of Chorlton should be more concerned about the two Tesco Express stores in the area that'll have more of an impact on local shops than the new Tesco.

Derwent Holding proposition of a Sainsburys at White City wouldn't have had less of a damaging effect than the Tesco proposal will and it wouldn't have the positive impact of the LCCC redevelopment.

I'm disappointed that the local MP and councillors appear to spend more time opposing the development than actually listening to the people who elected them and dealing with their concerns. There are huge problems in Gorse Hill with crime, anti social behaviour, litter and mess everywhere and nothing's being done about it. I'm afraid to let my son out round the streets because of all the dog mess and broken glass everywhere, it's just dangerous and a health risk.

Re: Alternative Vote passnotes no.1

Cllr Nigel Hooley — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 11:43:57 -0000

Mike thanks for clearing that up, there have been many occasions where postcode has been used against a councillor which is why I defended that position. I have to agree as well, Gorse Hill ward does house a great many of the famous features of Trafford and will soon house another in the Coronation Street Studios. I think it is a testament to both the Conservative led council and the Labour Councillors for the ward that so many large organisations wish to invest in this part of our great borough.

Re: Alternative Vote passnotes no.1

MikeCordingley — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 07:01:47 -0000

Nigel
By the way, it is not a criticism that you're a Gorse Hill resident. I think it is an attribute. In my view we are the centre of Trafford. There is hardly a Trafford publication without at least one photo of one of the many attractions in the ward. Imperial War Museum, football stadium, town hall; even the swing bridge carrying the Bridgewater Canal over the Ship Canal is one quarter in Gorse Hill ward.
Just for the sake of accuracy, Dave lives just a stone's throw on the wrong side of the motorway so we won't hold it too much against him.
Mike

Re: Alternative Vote passnotes no.1

MikeCordingley — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 06:33:33 -0000

Hi Nigel,

Thanks for coming over to post. You're very welcome. I agree that there's arguments in favour of the present system, just as there's arguments against it. One of the attractions of Alternative Vote is that the candidate has to work harder to attract the majority of voters rather than relying on the opposition splitting amongst a number of candidates.

Mike

Re: Alternative Vote passnotes no.1

MikeCordingley — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 06:20:14 -0000

Hi Rob,
Nothing malicious intended. In fact I've tweaked the line to remove any misconception.
Mike

Re: Alternative Vote passnotes no.1

Cllr Nigel Hooley — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 06:10:17 -0000

Mike,

I am indeed one of your residents however I do not believe in the age of technology and excellent transport links postcode is a barrier to which ward a councillor represents. After all your own ward colleague is a resident of Flixton is he not? Also Cllr Mrs Bennett is a resident of Brooklands, Cllr Jane Baugh a resident of Timperley...I could go on!

As for AV, well allow me to quote for you a section of the procedure. I do hope you and your readers are ready for complexity.

"As the process continues, the preferences allocated to the remaining candidates may not be the second choices of those electors whose first choice candidates have been eliminated. It may be that after three candidates have been eliminated, say when a fourth candidate is removed from the contest, one of the electors who gave their first preference to him/her gave her second, third and fourth preferences to the other three candidates who have already been eliminated so their fifth preference is then allocated to one of the remaining candidates."

Compare this with the current one person one vote system. "The person with the most votes wins."

Which of these is the most simple and effective method? The FPTP system has operated successfully for hundreds of years and as the old phrase goes "If it isn't broken, don't fix it."

Re: Alternative Vote passnotes no.1

Cllr Rob Chilton — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 05:57:16 -0000

Nigel is 'a lot of things'.

What sort of things, Mike?

Re: Stretford Neighbourhood Police Team – Latest Quarterly Performance

MikeCordingley — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 04:54:09 -0000

Debbie,
I couldn't agree with you more. The PCSOs have been brilliant.
I will pass on your comments to the Inspector.
Mike Cordingley

Re: Stretford Neighbourhood Police Team – Latest Quarterly Performance

Debbie — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 17:36:58 -0000

I cannot tell you enough how much a difference the local pcso's have made. I virtually know them all by name. They have relentlesly purged my local area of anti social behaviour, youths hanging around, drug dealing and gangs!

They identify problems, target them and persistently work on them until they are gone. I have never known such a dedicated team who genuinley care, understand, and work together to get the job done.

They are worth their weight in gold!

This area went really bad a few years ago, but they have reclaimed these streets and that took courage, hard work and guts. If anyone is unhappy with something, instead of moaning, tell them and give them the information to deal with it. It worked for me!

Good Luck !