The week that ended....04 Oct '15

So another week has passed and we are now getting into October. Soon be..... no I'm not going to say it. Many may be trying to stop smoking with the Stoptober campaign and any one doing, or trying that, good luck to you.

Ashfield

So the week didn't start off that great for Standish with the news that the inspector, who over saw Ashfield Village Green, has recommended not to register it as a Village Green. We have a small number of months now to review, in detail, that recommendation and see if we want to appeal it. A tough challenge but one that we need to review.

Wigan Council said that they never intended to sell Ashfield and this was all a waste of money and time. They said that they are looking into put the area into the historic part. That does not in anyway protect Ashfield. The only thing that does it make the value of the land go up, and then who benefits from that ? The Council when they sell it. 

I don't believe they will sell it yet. With the last local election next year for 2 yrs they will probably wait till after then and do it shortly after because there will not be a chance for people to forget, or get used to it not being there. 

Labour has said that it cost the Council £32,000 and this has put a strain on the budgets for vulnerable children in the borough. Fistly, I will be the last person to take that from Labour after they closed Mere Oaks Special school and putting the most vulnerable children in our borough lives in chaos, and I saw this. Next does Wigan Council really believe that people will believe that £32,000 will put budgets at risk? In fact the true cost of the Village Green is nearly £70,000 because over the years the council didn't want to get to a public hearing. 

I would like to thank everyone that has emailed,spoken or called me with their comments of thanks. As many say at least we stopped them in 2012 from building and if and when they come back we will stop them again. A small comfort but yes the email from the Council proves and demonstrates, especially the bit where the Council says to Persimmon Homes that the car park and play area has to stay, allowing houses on the playing fields, the bit we were trying to save forever, that they were planning on this.

I quite often put links on to the story but with Ashfield I have written to such I would recommend you type in Ashfield in the search box in the top left hand corner of the page and hit enter to see them all.

School bus service improved.

Last week members of the public contacted me over Winstanley school bus service that was not good enough and there were students being left behind. I am pleased to say that I was able to step in and get the Council to work on our behalf with Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive and now they have agreed to put more bus places on and this will mean that no student is left stranded again. Good Result. Here is that story.

New Labour Leader

So the new left wing socialist leader has said a speech this week that people shouldn't accept what they are given. I do believe he was talking about the cuts the Tory Government is making. Not sure of he wanted the Country to do a mass walk out, which would never happen, but the point of people not accepting what they get from government is interesting. Given that Wigan Council is a Local Government then I wonder what the Labour Leader, Jeremy Corbyn, suggest with all these houses that we are being told by this Labour Council we have to accept?

On Labour it is interesting that the Labour Candidate for Standish who has come third for the last 2 years is praising the Tory this week. And now she is copying me by having a blog. So after all her mouthing off she has no ideas of her own but praises the Tory's and copy's my blog. I guess if she is selected again next year another third place she will get. Although, the tory's are trying to get her not to stand and therefore not allow any splitting of any anti Fairhurst vote. For me I sit back and smile. Labour would never step down and allow that! We live in democracy and let 2 or 22 people stand in the election and let the people decide.