Questions are invited from members of the Public present at the meeting on issues of concern relating to the provision of local Services. Approximately 30 minutes will be set aside for Public Question Time if required.
Minutes:
The Chair, Councillor Holt, invited questions, comments and representations from members of the public present at the meeting. Questions were asked and comments made on the issues detailed below.
The Township Forum Co-ordinator undertook to obtain a reply to matters which could not be dealt with at the meeting.
· A local resident asked how more money could be obtained for the North. There seemed an obvious North/South divide in lack of funding.
Councillor Connolly replied that as Leader of the Council for the last 5 years this was an issue he had been arguing for Bury for all this time, even going to London to see Ministers. Bury are not funded per head the same as other Authorities and are disadvantaged by the formula. Residents could take up this issue with the Local MP.
· Harry Reed asked in relation to an elected Mayor in Manchester and what money would be available to Bury.
Councillor Connolly stated that the 10 Councils, including Bury, that make up the Association of Greater Manchester Councils (AGMA) have now all agreed to a devolution deal with George Osborne to get its own directly elected Mayor with new powers and funding for transport, housing, social care, planning etc. which should be used to benefit everybody right across the Greater Manchester area.
Currently, Tony Lloyd was the interim Mayor with the election taking place in 2017.
· Jimmy Hill asked if there was an update on the Street signs in the Pimhole area and Councillor Holt stated that these would be fitted in the early Summer.
· A local resident asked how successful the 3 weekly bin collection was and Councillor Connolly replied that re-cycling had increased from 28% to 60% across the Borough, making a large financial saving to the Council and no job losses. A large amount was being paid to landfill tax and the re-cycling reduced this sum which could then be re-invested into front line services.
· A resident stated there was an issue with rats especially in the Parkhills area where there were quite a few fast food establishments and Councillor Connolly stated he would get someone to follow up this issue.
· A local resident reported that there was a lot of fly tipping in Brooke Street and Chesham Way but that it was an issue generally all around the area. Was this because people could not afford to pay the Council to have their waste removed and therefore just dumped it?
Councillor Holt stated that unfortunately this seemed to be the attitude of people and they needed to be informed and educated on this matter. Councillor Walmsley stated that generally fly tipping is bulky waste from businesses illegally dumping and not common rubbish that would normally be put in a household bin. The Council was responsible if it was Council property but not if it was on private land.
Jimmy Hill reported that the issue of fly tipping is something he has been fighting for over 5 years but the cost to the Council of taking someone to Court over this for them only to receive a small fine, was a real predicament. Councillor Holt stated that this was indeed an ongoing issue and all the Bury East Ward Councillors were involved in this issue.