It's time for our By-Pass

Wigan council say that Standish will get £5m because of all the houses that we didn’t ask for, nor do we need.  They  also  say  that  Standish  will  keep  every  penny  and  this  money  will  be  for improvements. The improvements that Wigan Council say they will put in place with this money is two sets of traffic lights on both of the roundabouts at Boars Head and Pepper Lane. These mini roundabouts do not need traffic lights on them and putting these lights on them will make the traffic worse.

Also does £5m only buy you two sets of traffic lights for two mini roundabouts? Surely you can get better value for our money?

However, we – the residents of Standish – are getting a raw deal. Why? Because Wigan Council are selling us short. They said that they will cap the new houses at 1000 houses. Currently they have passed nearly 1500 houses for Standish. Nearly a 50% increase and not one mention of any extra money. When Wigan Council said £5m that was for 1000 houses! With a nearly 50% increase surely the Council should be telling us there is an extra £2.5m. That is simple maths.

More importantly the £5m is only one pot of money that the Council will receive. However, with regards these houses the Council receive a number of different pots from these houses. Also the Council are selling some very expensive land to developers for a link rd.  That again will bring in millions.

The truth is that the all these pots add up to over £15m. So when Wigan Council say we can keep all the £5m, the truth is we should be able to keep ALL of these pots of money and not just one. With all the money these pots would generate there would be enough money for a by‐pass. That could be from the bridge to nowhere. Or it could be a new junction off the M6 near Heinz down to Martland Mill estate.  That  would  help  traffic  not  only  in  Standish  but  Shevington,  Orrell,  Pemberton  and Saddle Junction. Would these improvements just be to residents? No it would also help businesses.

That would create new jobs. All these areas could benefit. We have the money but Wigan Council is trying to deceive people and then sell them short because we only get a couple of sets of lights rather than our by‐pass.

Cllr George Fairhurst, who is up for re‐election for your local Councillor in Standish, has said if re‐elected he will fight to get this by‐pass. As for myself, who is standing for the General Election, is

backing  his  plight  and  campaign  because  it  would  help  Standish,  it  is  fair  for  Standish.  Not only because of all of that but because it is right and fair for the other areas mentioned too.

Now we have the money coming and it is right that we get this right because we don’t know when this amount of money will come our way again. Rather than take 2/3 of the money and giving it to areas of deprivations, the ones that prop up Labour in Wigan. Rather than keeping the down we need jobs and this kind of infrastructure change will help create jobs and aspirations. Surely that is better than just giving people a hand out?  We should give people a hand  up  whilst supporting communities.