| WUTF.160 | No declarations were made in respect of the any items on the agenda.
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| WUTF.161 | Following the decision of the bus operator First Manchester to change the bus routes which serve the Whitefield and Unsworth area, a report was considered by the Transport for Greater Manchester Committee Bus Network and TfGM Services Sub Committee on 22 June. The changes were formally approved at the meeting.
The changes included:
- the introduction of a new 94 service (Bury - Hollins - Unsworth - Prestwich - Carr Clough - Broughton - Manchester) Day time operating every 30 Minutes Monday - Saturday and hourly Sunday. The service partially replaces the withdrawn 137 service between Besses o’ th’ Barn via Hollins and then follows the same route as he revised service 93 via Prestwich to Manchester City Centre.
- Changes to the 94 service involving revision to the route via Parkhills and Market Street to Bury Centre, no longer serving Whitefield Interchange via Stanley Road.
- Changes to the 138 service involving the withdrawal of the Sunday daytime 30 minute interval service. (The change means the loss of the direct link between Hollins/Unsworth and Heaton Park. Passengers would instead be expected to use the 94 service and change buses at Besses o’ th’ Barn to use the 135 service. The daily evening 138 service would be renumbered 92 and would operate from Bury via Pilsworth to Besses o’ th’ Barn and then follow the daytime 94 route via Prestwich to Manchester. TfGM Officers would also investigate the feasibility of a Pilsworth Local Link service).
Representatives from Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) (Paul Lucas and Sam Tysoe) and First Manchester (Mark Newbon) attended the meeting to explain the process for the changes to the routes and to answer questions.
Paul Lucas addressed the meeting and explained that TfGM did not run the bus services within Greater Manchester. This was done by private companies seeking a profit. TfGM had the responsibility of supporting the bus network, issuing bus passes and determining subsidies for some bus routes that were not considered commercially viable by bus operators but considered necessary for the sustainability of an area. The design of bus service routes were determined to enable residents to have access locally to a bus route. Commercial bus routes were decided by the bus operators and they could make changes as required. TfGM had no powers to make the operators change routes.
Mark Newbon then set out the proposed changes to services that would become effective from September 2012.
Sam Tysoe explained that a consultation would be carried out by the operator on any proposed changes to a route and TfGM had eight weeks to respond.
The meeting was also attended by Councillor Noel Bayley who is the Council’s representative on the TfGM Committee. Councillor Bayley explained that he had received a report eight days prior to the meeting of the Bus Network and TfGM Services Sub Committee. Alternative transport such as the tram was too expensive for a lot of travellers and the option of catching two buses to complete a journey that previously required no changes was unacceptable. The proposals were a backward step for Whitefield and Unsworth.
Pam Taylor (Hollins Village Community Association) stated that there had been a lack of consultation on a matter that affected the whole of a community. A meeting had taken place in January between the Township Forum representatives and Richard Harris (First Manchester) with the outcome that Mr Harris undertook to look at the 137 and 138 routes to Pilsworth. It is now understood that Mr Harris had left and no further contact or action had been taken. Pilsworth has a large number of employers and a potential number of 2000+ workers need transport to Pilsworth. The 154 service was not adequate for workers and shoppers who required a more regular service to and from Pilsworth outside the two scheduled times (07:11 and 18:41) under the proposals. The Whitefield and Unsworth
Township Forum Area Plan listed “sustainable travel plans” as a key issue for the area not a “would like to have target” but a basic necessity. A regular scheduled bus service would help to reduce car journeys. First Manchester appeared to have lost out the potential passengers travelling in and out of Pilsworth. Pam asked First Manchester to look again at the proposals for Pilsworth and bear in mind the workers and the people who need to travel to the Blackford House Medical Centre. Instead of running a 137/138 service, why not introduce a 92 service running every day, all day.
Councillor Grimshaw stated that traffic travelling to Pilsworth from Blackford Bridge could take up to 30 minutes at busy periods. There has not been a regular bus service to the Pilsworth ASDA since it opened. Taxis from Whitefield to the Blackford Medical Centre would cost around £10.
Comments were also made that only two additional stops were needed to make Pilsworth ASDA accessible to people travelling from Whitefield. Also anyone wanting to travel to North Manchester General Hospital would need to take four buses.
Mr Newbon reported that First Manchester had requested a bus corridor along Bury New Road but this had been rejected.
Councillor Bayley questioned this request in view of the size of the highway and the volume of traffic. Councillor Bayley also informed the meeting that he had placed objections to the proposals prior to the meeting of the Bus Network Sub-Committee.
The suggestion was made that a meeting should take place with representatives of the Township Forum, TfGM and First Manchester to discuss the proposed changes.
The representatives from TfGM agreed to a further meeting and to take the onboard the points made. They also asked for copies of the minutes of meetings to help when they raised and discussed issues with the bus operators.
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| WUTF.163 | War Memorial Stand Church - Mrs Marshall updated the meeting on the background to the purchase of the Memorial and the reference made to it in records held by English Heritage and the Imperial War Museum. Contact had been made by Mr Paul Clarke regarding the HLF Memorial Action Group and the grants that were available for repairs to Memorials up to £20,000. The meeting was reminded that the 100th Anniversary of the start of WWI would take place in two years and it was important to ensure the Memorials within Bury were fit for purpose. A grant scheme was also available to help protect memorials against metal theft.
The Township Co-ordinator invited Mrs Marshall to meet with her and the Council Parks representative to discuss the ownership of the Memorial if funding for repairs was required.
Alex Stacey suggested the Friends of Whitefield Parks could be used to help apply for funding.
Skateboarding provision - It was report that the young people who attended the last meeting representing skateboarders in Whitefield and Unsworth had raised £264 during collections taken at the Olympic Torch event.
One of the representatives had been accepted into the Friends of Whitefield Parks group and would now have help and advice in accessing a bank account. This would help the group to apply for grants and funding. Further consideration was needed on potential locations for a skateboard park.
It was reported that Philips High School had offered access to its skateboarding club to the group members.
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| WUTF.164 | No questions were raised under the item.
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| WUTF.165 | The Township Co-ordinator reported that due the extremely wet weather conditions on the Friday before the event and the saturated ground where the Funday would take place, it was decided that Funday should be cancelled. Although weekend weather had improved, the ground was still saturated and this would have raised access and safety issues for anyone attending. Alternatives had been investigated but due to the short period of time available to relocate the stalls and inform those taking part, the decision was made not to proceed.
It was hoped that the Friends of Boz Park could look for a new date to rearrange the Funday.
Mr Boden thanked Kim Griffiths for her hard work in the preparation for the Funday and for taking the right decision to cancel in enough time to let everyone know. He suggested the organising committee could consider the access points to the park for future events.
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| WUTF.166 | The Township Forum Co-ordinator submitted the Whitefield and Unsworth Area Plan and Equality Analysis Form. The Plan included a welcome statement from the Chair (Councillor K Audin), background information about Whitefield and Unsworth and the purpose of the Township Forum.
The Plan will help to contribute to the key outcomes for:
- Improved health and wellbeing
- Improved employment opportunities
- Educational Attainment/learning
- Community Safety
- Community Pride and Belonging
The Township Co-ordinator gave an open invitation to residents to get involved in the key issues and provide views and feedback through consultation. The Area Plan would receive regular updates at each meeting of the Township Forum and was open to amendment and update as local priorities changed.
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| WUTF.167 | A report was submitted by the Communities Manager setting out the changes to the Township Operating Framework following a review and approval by the Council on 16 May 2012.
The Township Co-ordinator reported that ideas were welcome on how the meetings of the Township Forum could be improved. This could include the venues and times of meetings to allow different parts of the community to attend.
Councillor Caserta suggested that the Township Forum could put ideas forward on issues that are important to the area such as licensing and planning matters.
The point was made that more leafleting would raise local resident’s awareness of Township Forum meetings.
Alex Stacey stated that Tweeting the proceedings of meetings could provide a lot of people with access and allow them to make points and ask questions from across the area.
Emailing a short summary of details of meetings would be helpful as these could be circulated widely and printed off more easily.
It was suggested that a session on how to use Twitter be arranged to help people to better understand the capabilities of social networking.
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| WUTF.168 | Inspector Garland (GMP) gave an update the work of the police in Whitefield and Unsworth. It was reported that there had been a 13% reduction in reported crime in the area.
The public could make contact with police in the Whitefield area and across Bury via Twitter.
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