Cheadle and Gatley Lib Dems are moving
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by Lib Dem team on 23 April, 2012
Lib Dem Stockport recycles more than any other metropolitan borough in the country – and we’re in the top five of all councils. That’s not just good for the environment, it pays too. So far residents of Stockport have benefited to the tune of over £5 million. That money helps us freeze Council Tax and avoid the cuts to front-line services many other councils are making.
We’re also national leaders on solar panels – thousands of Stockport Homes properties and many Council buildings now have solar panels – that will bring in money over time, cut electricity bills for many Stockport Homes tenants and has created many new skilled jobs – the people who have fitted all these panels are now getting business from the private sector, fitting solar panels for private homeowners and businesses.
7 Comments
What I don’t understand is how you can reconcile investing millions in a recycling programme yet withdraw a comparatively small amount for the maintenance of vital crossing patrols outside primary schools.
Moreover – the Government provided you with the funding to cut Council Tax. Prior to the 2010 General Election, your colleagues on the Council told the Tories that Stockport could never have its Council Tax frozen as it simply could not afford it.
How times change!
Hi Oliver – I shall explain.
We maintain our school crossing patrols to the national best-practice standards that have been agreed by the Conservatives in Stockport in the past and come from the current government. That has not changed – we use the same criteria the decide whether a particular spot should have a patrol as we always have.
The reason we can invest millions in recycling is, of course, that it brings in money. We can make the investment because it makes a profit for the people of Stockport which helps protect us from making the sort of cuts that many other areas are having to – such as Conservative-run Derbyshire turning off large numbers of streetlights late at night.
All councils have had the same offer of money from the Government. Every single Lib Dem council in the country has frozen council tax. Many Conservative and Labour councils have raised it by up to 3.5%. As you say, how times change!
Let’s get one thing straight. I am not interested in what other Councils are doing.
The problem is that when that criteria does not work you have failed to listen to residents. Petitions have been handed in and yet there is still no action. There is no point defending a bad system.
And that money was provided by the Government because of Tory policy, which, if you weren’t in Coalition, you would not be accepting.
I’m quite sure that, as the Tory candidate in Hazel Grove, you’re very keen for people not to know about what our neighbouring Conservative council in Derbyshire is up to – judge them by their actions!
Odd, as you’ve repeatedly said on this website that you’re not political – guess we need to take these things with a pinch of salt.
Ha – if you can’t defend the policy, attack the man?
Yeah of course I am the candidate for Hazel Grove, and I want to know what has happened to the crossing patrols in my local area which the parents of primary school children are crying out for – is it that the ability to call yourselves, the greenest Council in England is more important than road safety outside our schools?
In case you haven’t noticed we are in Stockport – not Derbyshire. I have nothing whatsoever to do with Derbyshire Conservative Party. I really don’t see what they have to do with this discussion.
Because we are actually bringing more money into the Council through our green activities, we’re able to avoid making the cuts to front-line services that many other councils are having to make.
So, for example, we are able to look at improving safety outside schools not just when there’s a lollipop person to hand, but all the time by putting in permanent safety measures.
The two go together: being green makes financial sense and helps improve safety – one reason why I’m glad to say we are seeing fewer children injured or killed on our roads this year than ever before; though any injuries are too many and we need to work hard to ensure the downward trend continues.
Polemical styles and arguments are really boring.
I’m just glad we have got a Council Tax freeze and for this the current administration in Stockport should be congratulated.
Long may it continue.