GM Consultation on Bus Reforms

Greater Manchester launches consultation on bus reform proposals
Greater Manchester has launched the final public consultation on its proposals to reform bus services in the region which will run until Friday 29 January 2021.
Currently, bus companies decide their routes, frequencies, fares and standards. There is no co-ordination and limited oversight. Where bus companies decide not to run vital services the public sector pays to fill in the gaps. The proposals include introducing franchising to bring services under local control. Greater Manchester would coordinate the bus network and contract bus companies to run the services. This is intended to help the city-region develop a more integrated, multimodal public transport network designed to meet the demands of both passengers and the city-region’s economy.
To find out more and have your say CLICK HERE
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OUR AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
The churchyard of St Mary’s the Virgin is spread over 3 acres in the heart of Bowdon Parish, with graves dating back to the 17th century. The churchyard is a wonderful space and used by many in the community but is sorely in need of rejuvenation.
The Friends of Bowdon Churchyard is being formed in order to interface with our local council, to commence fund raising and to engage with the wider community.
We are linked to St Mary’s and St Luke’s Bowdon – for more information about Bowdon Parish go to www.bowdonchurch.org
The churchyard is a wonderful source of historical information about Bowdon and the surrounding area, with graves of many of the families that have lived and worked in the area.
There are also many significant war graves of those who gave their lives in many different conflicts.
To find out more and get involved go to our website
CLICK HERE https://friendsofbowdonchurchyard.org.uk/
We are also on Facebook @FOBCY

A table and chairs are to follow in Spring, so there’s now a little bit more green space for us all to share.

It concludes with a salutary thank you by Her Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant of Cheshire, David Briggs.
Filmed at Hadlow Road, a former Cheshire station now on the Wirral Way, 18 awards were made with 10 commendations.
Reddish South for their artwork, commitment and 100 year Armistice community events
Our Zoom AGM went ahead as planned on Tuesday 18th November 2020, with committee members and two guests.
Judith Miller presented her husband David with his much deserved Don Bayliss Award, which he said he was honoured to receive.
Our guest speaker Mr Stephen O’Malley from Civic Engineers gave an excellent illustrated presentation on the future development of public realm and the creation of compact neighbourhoods.
TO READ THE MINUTES OF THE MEETINGCLICK HERE
TO SEE THE GUEST SPEAKER PRESENTATION – Click on the following You Tube link https://youtu.be/evhOD4x17VQ
It asks the Council to reduce the speed limit on the residential roads in the area between the canal, A56, town centre and the railway line. This includes the area streets around Navigation park and primary school, and the roads immediately either side of Barrington Road.
Councillor Michael Cordingley has agreed to take on the role and we look forward to working with him.
Mike is Labour Councillor for Gorse Hill Ward.
OLD LINOTYPE WORKS
Morris Homes to demolish the old Linotype Works and create 18 apartments.
Read the full story at Place North West CLICK HERE
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GOVERNMENT TO INTRODUCE CONTROVERSIAL PLANNING REFORMS IN THE EARLY NEW YEAR
Dominic Cummings the P.M’s most senior aid, revealed to ministers on 16th June that BORIS Johnson will unleash a series of controversial planning reforms in the early new year, in a bid to turbocharge home building and solve Britain’s housing shortage.
For full details go to thePLANNING PAGE
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REGENT ROAD ARCHAEOLOGICAL DIG
As the planned open day for the Regent Road Archaeological Dig cannot take place,
click on the link below to see the footings of Chapel Street & associated area.
Norman Redhead, Heritage Management Director (Archaeology) at the Greater Manchester Archaeological Advisory Service, University of Salford has been in touch with the society. He will be inviting Archaeology England to give a presentation on this excavation for the
GM Archaeology Day in November.
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NEW BOOK ABOUT ALTRINCHAM IN SAXON TIMES
A&BCSoc Committee member David Eastwood together with a colleague, is writing a book about Altrincham going back to Saxon times.
Read the full story at Messenger Newspapers CLICK HERE
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HEALTH & WELLBEING CENTRE UPDATE
The second floor of the Health and Wellbeing Centre now houses the Trafford Local Care Organisation – South Neighbourhood team,
which is a partnership between the NHS and Trafford Council for such services as district nurses and adult social care.
Seventy Seven Community Health and twenty one Adult Social Care staff will cover Altrincham and sale.
Nineteen Children’s social workers will also be based there.
We await news of the commercial top floors and the cafe and pharmacy which are national contracts.
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LEISURE CENTRE REDEVELOPMENT
We have received the following update from Daniel Barlow of Trafford Council
Trafford Council agreed a combined investment over £46 million for the leisure centres in Altrincham and Stretford.
Trafford Council are committed to investing in leisure facilities and increasing physical activity levels across Trafford.
Improvements in the leisure centres are a key aspect of this commitment.
Trafford Council are working with partners to provide a long term solution to a complicated site in Altrincham in order to provide a fit for purpose and enjoyable leisure centre for the people of Altrincham.
Trafford Leisure are working hard to keep the amenities in Altrincham Leisure Centre working
as well as they can and in the short term a condition survey has been undertaken and work is
ongoing to prioritise the work required on the current facility.
Daniel Barlow
Business Change Analyst – Place Shaping and Investment Programme
Trafford Council
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Trafford Partnership’s Sustainable Community Strategy for 2021
‘Trafford Vision 2021: a blueprint’
At our AGM last year, the guest speaker was Sara Todd, Chief Exec. of TBC. Her presentation set out the strategy and plans which the council has set up to improve the lives of people in the borough.
The Trafford Partnership is the Borough’s Local Strategic Partnership, a body that brings together more than 100 organisations in Trafford from the public, private, voluntary and community sectors.
All of these organisations are committed to working together to improve the quality of life for Trafford residents.
To look at the AGM powerpoint presentation CLICK HERE
To read the ‘Trafford Vision 2021: a blueprint’ document CLICK HERE
OLDFIELD BROW
An update from resident Mike O’Neill regarding plans by Trafford Council for the development of the Cow Field and Allotment Gardens in Oldfield Brow.
In these challenging times we’ve really felt the benefit of having Cow Field as community green space where local residents can get out of the house to get some fresh air exercise and peace, play football, fly a kite, walk the dog, or have a family picnic while maintaining a sensible social distance. It has been a reminder of just how valuable informal recreation space is for use by everyone, at any time and in every circumstance, at no cost.
The arrival of Covid-19 halted the community consultation between Oldfield Brow Partnership (the over-arching group for community bodies on Oldfield Brow and managed by G-Force) and Trafford Council over future developments on the Allotment Gardens and Cow Field. Trafford Council are keen to build houses on the old Allotment Gardens and to seek community thoughts on placing/building community/sports facilities on a portion of Cow Field. Ideas include a community centre, football pitch, rowing club, and maybe even a foot/cycle bridge over the canal to connect these to the Bridgewater Way. For the local community, the concern is to ensure that what happens is wanted by and will benefit the local community enough to justify reducing the area of green space for informal recreation. And it is a sobering thought that any formal facilities/activities on Cow Field, had they already been there, would have been closed since the arrival of Covid-19. It underlines the value of having a decent area of green space for informal recreation.
For the full story and history go to the Cow Field Facebook page
CLICK ON THIS LINK @OldfieldBrowCowfield
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Changes to the ward boundaries in Trafford
The Civic Society attended a meeting this week which might be of interest.
The Local Government Boundary Commission are looking at changing the ward boundaries in Trafford to be more equal and representative.
Broadheath in particular has an unequal number of residents.
Please contact us if you have any thoughts on this either through the website contact page, Facebook or Twitter.
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TACKLING AIR POLLUTION
The A56 passing North-South through our town has a very poor record for air quality. Air pollution has been linked to a range of serious health problems. The Greater Manchester Clean Air Plan aims to tackle nitrogen oxide emissions from the most polluting vehicles.
The GM Clean Air Plan seeks to upgrade the region’s buses, HGVs. Taxis, and van fleets. There will be an expected £116 million behind the upgrade.
More information can be found at cleanairgm.com.
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FRIENDS OF MOOR NOOK PARK
Moor Nook Park is in Sale Moor opposite Sale Moor High School. In two years a neglected park has become a cherished community asset and a focus for community events.
Find out more about how local people decided to make their local green spaces into something they are justifiably proud of https://www.facebook.com/moornookpark/
If you have any comments or suggestions about any of the above, please get in touch via the
CONTACT US page, we would be pleased to hear from you. Or contact your local councillor directly and copy us in.
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