Children really are the future!

Posted By: Naim Mahmud
Date Posted: 21/06/2007

I’ve spent a lot of time lately with my grandson – Hayam who is nearly one and the time I spend with him puts my job into perspective.  Everything we do as Councillors should be geared to leaving a legacy for the young people of this Borough.  Lessons learnt today need to implemented for tomorrow.

Being a Councillor is a huge responsibility – a responsibility to today and a responsibility to tomorrow.  That is why I am delighted to see the emerging opportunities at the Kingsway Business Park and also the redevelopment of Rochdale Town Centre.  We need to look at source and decide what is best for our area – what are we missing?  Well, I hope that we can sort out problems with anti-social behaviour that my colleague Councillor David Clayton alludes to.  One key way to sort this is simple – Increase the amount of police on patrol in the Borough.  It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to work that a visible police presence reduces crime.  I would like to see the Government recognising the funding problems at Greater Manchester Police and act decisively.  We owe it to all generations of Rochdalians of all ages from all backgrounds to sort this out.

We also need to look at youth provision – I think the opportunity is ripe to sort this out.  Especially with the availability of land at Balderstone Technology College after the recent Building Schools for the Future decision.  This is an opportunity for the Councillors with the community to come up with positive suggestions on how to use this land.  I hope that this Council will not sell this land to the highest bidder and that any money made by the Council will be reinvested in our area.

I continue to receive lots of work from residents – please keep the work coming.  It is a pleasure to actively help and make a difference.