Conservatives in Walkden South, Walkden North & Little Hulton
Your local Conservative Councillors were delighted to support the Justice4Georges march organised by pupils at St George’s RC High School. The march was a real show of support for the school and the whole community should be very proud of the organisers.
St George’s is an excellent school at the heart of the local community and your local Conservative Councillors and activists will continue to support the views of pupils, parents, staff and the local community about the school’s future.
Local bus company Vale of Manchester have introduced a new service, numbered 514, linking Walkden with Farnworth, Little Lever, Radcliffe and Bury to the north and Worsley, Winton and the Trafford Centre to the south.
This is the first direct bus to the Trafford Centre on weekdays since First Bus withdrew their 554 service last year.
You can view the 514 timetable and route map here (pdf file).
Local Conservative campaigners have demanded action after Network Rail refused to accept that the problems caused by nesting pigeons on Bridgewater Road railway bridge are causing a health hazard.
Walkden South Conservative Councillors Iain Lindley and Les Turner have been pressing Network Rail and Salford City Council to provide longstanding solutions to the problems caused by pigeon droppings on the pavements under Walkden railway bridges, and whilst the Stanley Road and Walkden Station bridges have been netted after pressure from local Councillors, no action has been taken on Bridgewater Road and the Walkden Station netting has not been repaired following damage from bridge strikes. Now Network Rail have insisted that there is no reason to net the Bridgewater Road bridge despite numerous complaints from local residents.
Local Conservative campaigner Nicky Turner said:
“Pigeon droppings may sound trivial but they create a real eyesore as well as a public health risk - I am very disappointed that Network Rail are refusing to take action. Local Conservatives have launched a petition on this issue so that local residents can show the local strength of feeling on this issue”.
If you would like a copy of the petition, please e-mail Cllr Iain Lindley at iain@walkdenconservatives.co.uk.
Your local Conservative Councillors were delighted that the proposed new fencing around the Parr Fold Park play area was approved by the Planning Panel before Christmas and look forward to the new fence being installed.
This is excellent news for local residents on Rutland Road and Broadway who have suffered from the anti-social behaviour of a small minority of young people, and for the parents and children who make use of the play area, as it should stop the littering and occasional vandalism which sometimes blights the use of the park by families.
Unfortunately the erection of new fencing around the Environmental Services warehouse on Bedford Avenue has been postponed due to “lack of funds”. Councillor Les Turner has written to Environmental Services asking for assurances that this work will be completed as soon as possible.
Your Walkden South Ward Conservative Councillors inspected the newly-installed Oracle Court security fencing during a recent walkabout in the Athens Drive area.
Councillors Les Turner and Iain Lindley are both pleased that this work has been completed after a short delay, and hope that it will provide a solution to longstanding problems of anti-social behaviour.
Les and Iain will be consulting with local residents in Oracle Court to ensure that the fencing has had the desired effect.
On Monday 14th January, your local Conservative Councillors were delighted to welcome the Shadow Secretary of State for Transport, Theresa Villiers MP, to Walkden to discuss local transport issues at Walkden station.
Local Councillors Iain Lindley and Les Turner raised a number of concerns expressed by rail users and local residents - in particular the problems of overcrowding on peak services and the need for longer trains and platform lengthening. They also highlighted the excellent work being carried out by the Friends of Walkden Station (FOWS) group.
Cllr Iain Lindley said:
“Walkden railway station is a key asset for the local community and many local residents rely on the service to commute into Manchester and elsewhere. I am delighted that Theresa was able to take some time out of her busy schedule to discuss how to make real improvements to ensure that current rail users receive a much better service and new passengers are encouraged to use the station.”
New Prospect Housing have organised an estate walkabout in the Athens Drive area for this Monday, 14th January. The walkabout starts at 10am and will be attended by ward Councillors and representatives from New Prospect, Salford City Council and the Police.
If you live in the Athens Drive area feel free to join the walkabout to discuss any problems or queries you might have. Your local Conservative Councillors are particularly interested to hear about the effect the Oracle Court fencing has had on anti-social behaviour in the local area.
