Salford Labour Party Website

Your correspondent S Potts (Greenbelt Plan is Hypocritical, Letters, December 31) suggests that there is a conflict between allocating land for housing and jobs and reducing our carbon footprint. In one sense he is right. Everything that human beings do (including breathing!) generates greenhouse gases. The point is not to stop doing anything, but to make the right choices about the future which minimise greenhouse gases.

Paradoxically, new developments have a much lower carbon footprint than existing buildings. They are built to much higher standards and Salford City Council is insisting on rigorous planning controls for private developers. The Council is leading by example with its own buildings – for example, our programme to provide new high schools should reduce the carbon footprint of those schools by 60 per cent.

The Core Strategy will ensure that new development is built to the highest standards of sustainability that are possible. The Core Strategy will also demand that new development is accessible so journeys can be made by foot, cycling or public transport.

The Core Strategy also promotes ‘green infrastructure’ – the green spaces that are needed for sustainability. This does not mean sterilizing all land. It means making sure that new green spaces are provided in those parts of the city where there is a deficit. It also means safeguarding land that is important as a carbon ’sink’ – that is the woodlands and the peat bogland at the heart of Chat Moss.

The most sustainable way to develop our city in the future is to use ‘brownfield’ sites as a priority – that is, to recycle previously developed land. That is exactly what the Core Strategy proposes. But the forecasts we have suggest that using that land will not be enough to meet the needs of future generations for homes and jobs.

That is why we have proposed a minor amendment to the greenbelt with a 1.2 per cent reduction in Barton compensated for by a 1.2 per cent increase in Little Hulton. (There is no housing proposed on greenbelt land).

The site at Barton was selected precisely because, of all the options before us, it appears to be the most environmentally sustainable. The new Port Salford development means that there will be access by train and the new industry will be able to take advantage of the Port’s new road network rather than increasing the carbon footprint with additional infrastructure.

That is not to say that the Barton site will go ahead. The City Council is consulting on the proposal at the moment. No one would be happier than me if it could be shown that the site is not needed or that there is land available elsewhere to meet the needs of future generations. That is why we will work with local groups to test all the evidence to make sure we have got it right.

Our plan has to be honest. It must be based on the evidence that is available about future needs and how they can be met – not on whether they inconvenience one special interest group or another. If the plan is not honest, it can be amended by an Inspector at a public inquiry.

I expect one of the biggest debates at the public inquiry will be between the Council and private developers who wanted the Council to release 90 hectares of greenbelt land – rather than retain the the existing level with minor amendments as proposed by the Council. The Council has rejected ideas to release land at Worsley greenway, Hazelhurst Farm and more greenbelt land in Irlam.

Councillor Derek Antrobus
Lead Member for Planning

Telephone:
Office: 0161-793 2190

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Regarding Councillor Lindleys remarks in the M.E.N, about green belt land, Councillor Antrobus has replied as follows:

“Salford City Council is committed to protecting the greenbelt. Under our proposals the amount of greenbelt land in the city will remain the same. Some changes affecting just over one per cent of the city’s greenbelt are included in our plan.

This involves extending the greenbelt by 40 hectares to protect land around Little Hulton from encroachment.  This enhances an area that is in desperate need of the retention of open land. By contrast we suggest a similar reduction in the area of the city that is richest in greenbelt land.

This is needed to ensure that future generations have access to decent jobs. There will be a shortage of good quality employment land and an extensive search has identified Barton as the only area capable of meeting the need.

Our plans maintain the existing scale of the greenbelt and make amendments involving 1.2% of the city’s greenbelt to offer a more prosperous future for our children. ”

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STATEMENT BY COUNCILLOR DEREK ANTROBUS, LEAD MEMBER FOR PLANNING ON THE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE ST GEORGE’S RC HIGH SCHOOL DEMONSTRATION

 
Salford City Council cherishes the rights of citizens to participate in local democracy whether through the ballot or through protest.

The pupils from St George’s have been welcomed into the Council Chamber to hold councillors directly to account. The Council supported the organisers of the demonstration to ensure it was held safely.

The Council has no power to prevent demonstrations nor should it have. Organisers have a duty to ensure those who participate in demonstrations are safe. The Council works with organisers to ensure this is achieved. There is a cost to safety measures and this must be borne by the organisers. The costs include advertising in newspapers, legal fees, signage and wages.

The Deputy Headteacher (not a group of schoolgirls) requested the Council to provide the closures and asked for the bill to be sent to the school. The cost was known to the school in advance of the demonstration taking place. Schools spend a lot of money on carrying out risk assessments when sending pupils on trips and we were pleased that they showed the same duty of care to their pupils in this case.

The costs for the service provided by the Council are no different from room hire for a public meeting or paying a shop for materials for placards and T-shirts.

All demonstrators are treated the same. The only exemptions are for traditional, civic occasions such as brownies and scouts marching on St George’s Day and the parades by veterans on Remembrance Sunday.

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Councillor Warmisham gives a frank & honest update on St. Georges. Listen and make up your own minds with the facts and NOT the wild and dishonest conjecture posted by the conservatives.

If you have any questions please join our site and post it here. You can also comment or Email Cllr Warmisham direct on this article.

 

 John Warmisham on St Georges [2:15m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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You local Labour councillors and Labour community activists, have been campaigning within the party to ensure the catholic children of little Hulton and Walkden retain the the opportunity to receive a catholic education which is accessible to all. We are pleased to announce that a proposed option is now under discussion.

It is proposed to build a new catholic high school for the pupils of St. George’s and Ambrose Barlow. This new school would be situated in Wardley.

We believe that the new school would cater positively for the catholic children of Salford West and have the potential to become one of the best schools in the city.

For more information, please contact one of the local councillors or party activist below:

Walkden North.

Cllr Vincent Devine – 0161 799 3291 or Email Councillor.devine@salford.gov.uk

Walkden South

Brendan Ryan – 0161 790 0627 – Email Brendan Ryan

Little Hulton

Cllr Pat Ryan – 790 0627 – Email Councillor.Ryan@salford.gov.uk

Worsley

John Ferguson – 0161 794 5849 – Email John Ferguson

Ellenbrook and Boothstown

Abdul Shahid – 0161 790 8543 – Email Abdul Shahid

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