The new play area in Scholes Field (at the Foxland Road corner) is now completed and, my son tells me, looks cool. It does look good, and there were already about 15 kids playing there when I passed this afternoon, so drop by and take a look.

Stockport yesterday passed it’s budget for the next financial year – 2011/12. The budget sees us making just over £16 million of savings. Unlike some other councils, we’ve worked hard to smooth out the impact of the cuts so they’re spread more evenly and not hitting us in the first year. That gives us time [...]

As we’ve previously reported, there’s some confusion over the mobile breast screening service at Massie Street car park. Stockport Council have said it’s still welcome, but the NHS Trust aren’t bringing it along and are telling people that the Council won’t let them put it on the car park any more. Pam and I are [...]

I’ve had a warning from a resident of someone looking official (logo on jacket and car) asking to come into their house and check the safety of their gas meter. They checked afterwards and the companies that might have had a legitimate interest in checking their supply said it was nothing to do with them, [...]

Yesterday we received Stockport Council’s report on its use of RIPA – the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 – for the period July-September 2010. This is the Act that gives Councils (and other public bodies) the power to carry out covert surveillance – spy – on people in certain specific situations.  It should only [...]

Yesterday evening I presented a review of the way Stockport Council does marketing and communications.  It’s been approved by the CRMG Scrutiny committee, which looks at the back-office functions at the Council, and next goes to the Executive. The review, as with all scrutiny reviews, is a cross-party one and councillors O’Neill, Scott, Wyatt and [...]

Pam and I have been contacted by several people concerned that, in the last couple of weeks, a lot of motorists are parking on St Ann’s Road North by the rear of Cheadle Royal. The suspicion is that it’s people who work on Cheadle Royal choosing to park there and walk in. The problem is [...]

Here is the agenda for next Tuesday’s Cheadle Area Committee. Some of the items on the agenda: An update from the Police and our Area Conditions Officer, plus your opportunity to ask questions and raise issues. Planning application for a free-standing cash machine at the Red Lion BP Garage, Stockport Road, Cheadle Consideration of new [...]

As councillors we work hard to get things done, and there’s nothing we like more than a good local success, but sometimes it turns out to be difficult for all sorts of different reasons. This is one such example – still a “work in progress” but I’ve been frustrated so far. At the back of [...]

Nick Clegg came to Stockport yesterday (Friday) for a brief visit. He spoke to our councillors, MPs and Chief Exec about how Stockport’s making cuts compared to the Manchester approach. In Stockport we’re not closing a single library, or even reducing their opening hours. Manchester are closing libraries left, right and centre. In Stockport we’re [...]