Ashton Upon Mersey Conservatives

Did the Queen really make a trip to Ashton on Mersey to meet two of the Wards Councillors? Cllrs John Lamb, Brian Rigby and Michael Whetton are very pleased with the way preparations are going for the early June Diamond Jubilee celebrations. Use the links to the right of this story and click on ‘Raising the Standard Jubilee Edition’ to find out what is planned for the 27th May and 2nd June in Ashton.

Cllr John Lamb and Cllr Mrs Pam Dixon at the THT Community Panels Annual Conference held At Sale Point.

Ashton Ward Councillors John lamb, Brian Rigby and Mike Whetton were among the guests at the well attended annual conference of the THT Community Panels this morning (Saturday 12th May). The five Panels that cover the borough are made up of THT tenants and take decisions about the allocation of some £750,000 annually. THT is leading the way in developing an approach to tenant/resident involvement in how money is spent in neighbourhoods. The Conference heard from a number of speakers on topics ranging from Participatory Budgeting to use of Social media.

Re-elected: Cllr Brian Rigby MBE

During the early hours of this morning (Friday 4th May) Brian Rigby was re-elected to serve as a councillor for Ashton-upon-Mersey ward. The results are shown below and Brian commented that he was “absolutely delighted to have received the confidence of Ashton residents once again”.

BRIAN RIGBY CONSERVATIVE               1396

LABOUR                                                   992

LIB DEM                                                   161

GREEN                                                      235

Brian went on to say

” Since first being elected to represent local people on Trafford Council in 1994 I have always taken this position extremely seriously.   I believe that Ashton-on-Mersey is a wonderful place for families to live and therefore I have felt that it is a privilege to work to maintain the high quality of services as well as education that local people throughout our community rightly deserve.

I can do no more than to assure all the people of Ashton-upon-Mersey Ward that I will certainly continue to work for them to the best of my ability in the future.”

The results across Trafford saw Labour gain three Conservative seats but Conservatives remain in overall control of the Council.

Brian Rigby’s election address which is to be delivered to every house in the ward sets out seven key reasons for voting Conservative in the May 3rd local elections:

1. Ashton on Mersey Village

Recognising the valuable contribution that it makes to our community, I will continue to support and value Ashton-on-Mersey village centre

2. Supporting the vulnerable

I support Trafford’s Conservative Council who will invest an additional £2.2m to support vulnerable children, increase foster carer allowances and help older people live more independent lives.

3. Defend your local services in times of  austerity.

Conservatives are cutting out waste, keeping libraries, children’s centres and community buildings open. Unlike Labour Councils we won’t cut the front line first.

4. Fighting crime and antisocial behaviour.

Crime has fallen by over 40% in five years.   I will support the fight against criminals by encouraging even more Special Constables.

5. Backing our education system

Trafford’s schools achieve the best results in the North West due to our excellent education system. I fully support all our schools and our excellent education system.

6. Freezing Council Tax for the second year.

Trafford Conservatives will freeze Council Tax again, saving an average household over £100 per annum in real terms.

7. Backing local shops and local business

Our town centres have been boosted by Conservatives slashing Council parking charges to only 10p

Brian Rigby the Conservative candidate for Ashton-Upon-Mersey Ward

In a message to the residents of Ashton-upon-Mersey ward Brian Rigby welcomes the Conservative controlled Council’s decision to freeze Council Tax for another year.

Dear Resident,

It has been a privilege to represent the people of Ashton-on-Mersey since 1994.  As a local resident, I have built up a strong affinity with the ward and have personally met many of you.

Ashton-on-Mersey is a wonderful place to live and I wish to continue  working to maintain its high standing in the Borough.   Our schools as well as the many services that we all enjoy are second to none and they must be maintained for future generations.

As Chairman of Governors at Ashton-on-Mersey School since 1990, I have seen the school grow both in size and reputation. The school has received an unprecedented four consecutive ‘Outstanding’ Ofsted reports and I am extremely proud of the opportunities that are provided for local children.

I am very aware of the financial issues that our country faces and the impact that spending constraints are having on local people.   That is why I have been working with Conservative colleagues to ensure that the excellent front line services provided by Trafford Council are maintained.    I have also strongly supported a second year freeze on your Council Tax payments, which will assist local families.   Trafford Council Tax under the Conservatives is the second lowest council tax in the North West and our schools and services remain the best.

Don’t let Labour fritter away what we have achieved for you and your families.

Please support me on May 3^rd and I will continue to work and fight for you all.

Best Wishes

Brian

Brian Rigby is the Conservative candidate for Ashton-Upon-Mersey ward in the upcoming Local Elections to be held on May 3rd 2012. Polling stations will be open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. For voters who have requested a postal ballot it is expected that the Town hall will begin to issue these, by post, from 19th April 2012.

(Promoted by John Lamb on behalf of Brian Rigby both of A&AWCA, Thatcher House, Green lane, Timperley, WA15 8QW Copyright 2012 Ashton Upon Mersey Conservatives. Web Design 2009-2012 MATTEON Software.)

Jonathan Mackie and Cllr Mike Whetton

Guest of Honour at the Ashton-upon-Mersey Conservatives annual dinner was MP Graham Brady who is also Chairman of the Conservatives Backbench 1922 Committee. Some 70 guests gathered at Ashton-on-Mersey golf club and heard Graham talk about the role of the 1922 Committee, he also gave his thoughts on a number of current issues. Graham is pictured with the Ashton-upon-Mersey ward President Mrs Dora Carter. Also present was Jonathan Mackie who fought the Stretford and Urmston constituency for the Conservatives in the 2001 General Election.

Dora Carter, Ward President with Graham Brady MP

Local residents meet on-site with ward councillors and representatives from THT and the Council

Recently all three ward councillors John Lamb, Brian Rigby and Mike Whetton met with local residents for an on-site inspection of the site proposed for the extra-care housing scheme (see previous posts for more information about the proposal). The councillors suggested an on-site meeting so that residents could point out to representatives from Trafford Housing Trust (THT), their architects and Trafford Council Highways Department some of the concerns around the proposals for car parking.

THT is hosting a ‘drop-in’ session for anyone interested in the proposals on Tuesday the 13th March 2011 10.00 to 12.00 at their HQ building at Sale Point (junction of Barkers Lane and Washway Road). Ward Councillors will also attend. Following this there will be a further public meeting before the proposal is sent to Trafford Planning Committee.

From L to R: Jonathan Morgan (ENW), Cllr John Lamb and Cllr Mike Whetton

Electricity North West provided some insights about the wonder of electicity for children at Forest Park school recently. The school was the first to participate in a regional scheme which involves teaching some of the fundementals of how electricity is generated, how it works and some health and safety issues also. Cllrs John Lamb and Mike Whetton were invited to the school to observe the lessons. Cllr Whetton commented ” electricity is such a ‘taken for granted’ service that we barely give it a second thought but to see the children, quite obviously enjoying the classroom experiments that focused on the basic science of electricity was great fun”

Cllrs John Lamb, Brian Rigby and Mike Whetton attended the residents meeting at the Salvation Army hall (21st Feb) to hear about changes that have been made to the proposed extra care scheme that is planned for the site occupied by Palace Court and the former Atkinson Road elderly persons home. The councillors were pleased to hear that residents had no objection in principle to the type of development proposed but did have a number of concerns about car parking arrangements for existing neighbours.

Trafford Housing Trust representatives commented that they are hoping to submit a scheme to the Council’s planning committee in April 2012. In the meantime the ward councillors will continue the conversation with residents at a site meeting during March to consider some of the issues raised.

'BEFORE' Cllr Whetton gets to grips with a mess!

Yesterday (Tuesday 7th February) saw numerous volunteers spend a couple of hours picking up litter in an effort to tackle some of our ‘grot spots’. Children from St Mary’s school descended on Ashton park with rubbish sacks and litter pickers and appeared to really enjoy themselves. The adults moved on to the village area and removed sackfuls of paper, tin and bottle litter on sites that had become an ‘eye-sore’. Councillors John Lamb and Mike Whetton helped along with volunteers and were pleased with the results which can be seen in the pictures.

'AFTER' the mess cleared and bagged