Graham, Tom and Ian

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Conservative proposals to turn off streetlights and take money away from our area

by Lib Dem team on 13 April, 2012

The Lib Dems have pointed out that the local Tories have been pressing for the Council to look into dimming and turning off streetlights (we campaigned against the Tory plan – thank you to everyone who supported us).

We’ve also exposed the Tory proposal to take money away from Cheadle and Gatley and spend it all in Heaton Moor – something our local Conservative councillor voted for in February.

The Conservatives, in their latest leaflet, want to persuade you that we’re lying. Unfortunately for them, we’re telling the truth and we can prove it!

Turning off and dimming streetlights

Twice in public meetings, the leader of Stockport Conservatives attacked the Lib Dems for failing to carry out trials on dimming and turning off streetlights. One of these was a written question at the Executive meeting, so if you want to check that we’re telling the truth, you can check the Council records and see the exact question that was asked.

The Lib Dems have never proposed turning off or dimming streetlights (another Tory fib). When Council officers raised the possibility back in 2006, we said no!

Taking money away from Cheadle & Gatley to spend it in Heaton Moor

When the Stockport Budget was set back in February, there were two options to choose between.

The Lib Dem option was to spend £500,000 on boosting jobs across Stockport, planting new highway trees and removing old tree stumps that litter our pavements.

The Conservative option was to take that money and spend it all on a leisure centre in Heaton Moor – every penny!

The Lib Dems voted for our option – spending money on roads and on jobs in every single part of Stockport Borough, with Cheadle & Gatley getting our fair share.

The Conservatives – supported by several Labour councillors – voted for the Tory option. Don’t spend the money on jobs and roads in Chealde & Gatley, spend it on the leisure centre in Heaton Moor instead.

It’s easy enough to check that we’re telling the truth on this one – the council meeting was a public one, the minutes are a matter of public record and council officers would be able to clarify anywhere where the minutes are unclear.

The Lib Dems will stick up for our area and oppose Tory attempts to divert money to other areas.

Patrick McAuley was a Labour councillor in Stockport until recently (he was elected just last year). Here’s what Patrick said about the Tory budget amendment, and Labour’s support for it.

I am absolutely furious to be honest. [For Labour] to vote for a Tory budget and against getting people on the jobs ladder to win a few votes in rich areas of the Heatons is not just a disgrace, it’s sick.

I will never forgive Labour’s betrayal and treatment of those young people.

Patrick now sits as an Independent and is supporting his Lib Dem candidate in the local elections.

   9 Comments

9 Responses

  1. john harding says:

    recently i got in touch with yourselves stating the proposal to remove trees blocking the pavement do not apply to every street,road,avenue in Cheadle as you state.I have a very large tree blocking the pavement right outside my home and recently had a visit from a man from Stockport council a Mr Peter Pollard who told me he knew nothing about your proposals to remove large trees blocking footway access and he informed me he did not intend to remove the tree i have been complaining about for the last 12years.So after hearing this i stand by my 1st impression of reading your leaflets it is untrue what you wrote concerning the removal of these trees.And further until this matter is resolved asto who is lying I myself will not be voting for yourselves as i am unable to trust what you say.

  2. bruce thwaite says:

    Your comment about a vote for labour helping the Tories to get in is absolute Libdem arrogance – a vote for Labour could let you in!

  3. Phil Johnson says:

    “Smoke and Mirrors” from the Conservative candidate comes as no surprise.

    VOTE FOR KEITH !!

    “Tick-Tock !!”

  4. John Hartley says:

    I’ve met Keith a couple of times. Seems a genuine sort of bloke.

  5. Iain Roberts says:

    – john harding,

    Hi John,

    Peter Pollard works for Solutions SK, the contractor that carries out work for the Council. He does not work for Stockport Council. There’s no reason for Peter to be familiar with the Council budget, but you are very welcome to check with the Council officers who can confirm the highway tree plan.

    The proposal, by the way, is not to remove existing large trees but to remove tree stumps and to put in new suitable trees to empty tree pits. The Council does remove some larger trees, and I’d be very happy to look at your situation, but that isn’t part of the work this £150,000 is funding.

  6. Alex Williams says:

    Just to be clear I am a Labour Party member. However your statement about taking money away from cheadle to spend on Heaton Moor is somewhat misleading especially with regard to the job issue. Here’s why I think that is the case. Forstly you need to quantify how much of the 500K for the whole of STockport would have actually spent in Cheadle & Gatley. For all we know it might turn out that none of it was. It is also a somewhat dubious line of argument since you could then go out and say anything spent specifically in one ward is taking money away from another ward if it was at the expense of general Stockport wide funding.

    The jobs thing on the other hand is more spurious since the money spent on a leisure centre in the Heatons would also generate jobs and might also save the jobs of those who live there. It could also be argued that a leisure centre provides more general beneficial well being than removing some tree stumps and planting trees (although this might be a moot point depending on what you considered more significant). I am sure the people of Cheadle will be happy to also know that they can also access the facilities at Peal Moat (if it remains open)and it is not a service exclusive to the Heatons.

  7. Iain Roberts says:

    Hi Alex,

    We’ve always been clear that the money to sort out highway trees would be spent in every single ward across Stockport, with Cheadle & Gatley getting our fair share. That’s what I said in Full Council and that remains the case.

    The money for job creation programmes focusses on the poorer members of our community where it’s most needed and again aims to help people right across the area.

  8. Vincent Gregory says:

    It seems as if Councillor McAuley’s not too subtle attempt to be a Lib Dem with a paid position is going to come true soon. He quit Labour, not because of political differences, because of the financial situation he found himself in and has allowed himself to become Cllr Goddard’s extra vote.
    Cynical is not too harsh a word for him. You will regret it though Councillor as he changes like the wind.

  9. Iain Roberts says:

    If Councillor McAuley is trying to become a Lib Dem, he’s being very subtle about it indeed. Publically stating several times that he’s not a Lib Dem and isn’t going to be a Lib Dem wouldn’t seem to be the best strategy if that was what he wanted.

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