Graham reports back from Friends of Scholes Park meeting
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Iain to defend council seat on 3rd May
by Lib Dem team on 13 January, 2018
Cllr Iain Roberts with Lib Dem campaigner Claire Halliwell, opposing car park charge hikes in November
Cllr Iain Roberts has announced his intention to stand for re-election in the local elections on Thursday 3rd May 2018.
“It’s been a privilege to represent Cheadle and Gatley since 2009. We have achieved a lot but the challenges haven’t got any easier,” said Iain. “Our villages are struggling, with Labour threatening a 67% car parking price hike in Cheadle and the weak economy hitting shops in Gatley. Thousands of new houses will be build along the A34, making it essential that we sort out the Kingsway junction and continue the campaign for better public transport, walking and cycling facilities.”
“Our under-funded Police force is struggling to cope with crime, council cuts continue to bite and our NHS is under threat as never before. If re-elected I will continue to be a strong voice fighting for Cheadle and Gatley, and I will continue to work with local residents and businesses.”
“We know Cheadle and Gatley will be a tough fight against the Conservatives, but I’m up for it. The other parties ignore our area – we need local councillors who listen and get things done.”
8 Comments
What happened to selling off all of the local authority sites as promised by the Lib Dems years ago following the centralisation and build of the Stockport town centre council offices?
Hi Jill,
The council has indeed been bringing people together in central council offices and closing down many smaller locations around the borough to save money. Nearly everyone now works in a few central offices. There is probably a bit more to do on that, but the big changes have all happened.
To give one example, the offices near the town hall that used to have the planning department have now been sold converted to apartments, with the planning people moved to the new Fred Perry House.
I’m not a Lib Dem voter as such, but I always vote for you Iain. I think you do an amazing job, and I am sure you get a lot more complaints than praise!
Thanks Karen – really appreciate that.
Iain good luck as I think you are very active looking at local issues however I am not impressed with the appauling standard of local services provided by Stockport council and the inflation busting council tax rise, Some weeks ago I highlighted rusty dangerous railings , litter mountains and path breakup, this is still mounting, nothing has happened apart from you explaining why this is happening which I do not get, I wish you would stop quoting 67 percent car park increases when lib dem controlled council enforced a 100 per cent increase , you mention the promotion of cycle track, Manchester road is a disaster whilst wilmslow road cycle track has faded away and in the mean time we have blocked road drains dangerous pavements, from a highest charging council, which is sitting on funding excess and income from the airport, why why why, Cheadle and gatley is fantastic but is suffering NO decent day to day service funding , how can we go forward , how can we make sk8 gr8t ????
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Hi John,
Sorting out local government funding is tricky – you can go to any almost council in the country and you’ll find the same story. Councils having to put up council tax higher than inflation, doing all they can to become more efficient and even after that still having to make cuts every year. If there was an easy answer, someone would probably have found it.
I’ll carry on quoting the 67% parking increase because it’s true – and no, the Lib Dems didn’t do the same. When we changed car parking charges, we kept the overall amount of money coming in the same and we made changes to help local businesses.
Sadly, the council isn’t sitting on money from the airport. Yes, the council gets a dividend from Manchester Airport Group, and that goes into services and helps but it’s simply not enough to counter the cuts in government funding.
I speak to councillors around the country and everyone is in a similar situation. I think community groups can make a big difference. For example, Cheadle Green is a real success because of the Civic Society.
Hi Iain, I fully agree with Karen’s comment and I too am not a lib dem voter, however you do a fantastic job and get my vote for the effort you put in locally
Ps, I recently wrote to the Mary Robinson on the Carillion fiasco and haven’t even had a reply, pathetic !, at least I always got a reply from the Lib Dem’s