Conservative leader's column: Places for Everyone, the future of Littleborough & Awaab's Law

John Taylor is the leader of the local Conservative party in Rochdale and a councillor for Wardle and West Littleborough.

This month he dedicates his column to discussing Places for Everyone, the future of Littleborough and Awaab's Law.

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This month I feel compelled to write first about the tragic loss of life in Turkey and Syria. The devastating and destructive earthquake spanning those two countries has resulted in a catastrophic loss of life and as I write the death toll has now passed 33,000. Unfortunately, that figure will continue to rise for quite some time before the true loss of life can be established. It is difficult to comprehend the scale of the tragedy and my thoughts go to all those affected along with their families and friends.  

In November I wrote about Awaab Ishak the two-year-old toddler whose life was snatched away from him because of the failings of Rochdale Borough Housing. 
 

Read more: Conservative leader's column: the tragic and needless death of a childPublished: 23 November 2022

That local tragedy prompted the introduction of ‘Awaab’s Law’ which will include amendments to the Social Housing Regulation Bill.
 

Read more: Government to deliver Awaab’s LawPublished: 10 February 2023

Social housing landlords will be forced to investigate and repair damp and mould in their properties within strict new time limits. I know to many this will be a case of shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted but I would like to think something positive will have come from a terrible situation.

Last week I sat before Government Inspectors in Manchester who are assessing the soundness of Andy Burnham’s Places for Everyone plan. It feels like I have been writing about this plan and the unnecessary destruction of greenbelt land for a long time and I make no excuses for writing about it once more. There is much to applaud within the plan and I support both the economic ambition and potential for growth across our conurbation.

However, with the removal of mandatory housing targets, revised need by taking account of the most up to date census figures and how new builds have consistently surpassed existing targets over recent years only reinforces the argument for removing our local greenbelt allocations from the plan. There simply isn’t a need for those sites to be built on.

It was encouraging to note how the inspectors listened to our well-reasoned arguments and it was pleasing to finally articulate the views of our community to those decision makers able to make a difference.

At our recent Pennines Township meeting together with other elected members I received an update on the proposed Littleborough Supplementary Planning Document which in a nutshell is a broad-brush overview of how Littleborough may be developed over the coming years.

There are aspects of the plan I along with most others agree have potential to improve the village centre, however, some aspects continue to polarize opinion. It is evident the council plans to purchase a church premises in Littleborough, a plan I am struggling to understand the rationale for given the squeeze on public sector finances, particularly as the council is reviewing its estate with a view to cost saving.

There are a number of churches advertised for sale across the borough and I wonder if the council intends to purchase those too?

I have been approached by a number of service providers in the village who genuinely fear for their livelihoods and continued existence if this plan is followed through. I urge the decision makers involved in this venture to think very carefully before embarking on a path that may be counterproductive and an unwelcome risk to others. I do not consider it appropriate for the council to actively pursue such a path.

We remain in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis but the green shoots of hope are starting to emerge. Signs that inflation is slowing and moving in the right direction are very welcome, however, the government’s challenge of balancing fair public sector wage increases without reversing the pressure on inflation remains very real.

For the good of our whole society the government cannot cave in to militant trade unionists who seem to be hell bent on changing the political landscape of our country. It was alarming to read in the Telegraph this week how Mick Lynch, general secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport workers union has been forced by his militant members to reject a nine percent pay deal negotiated in part by his own deputies.

It seems through a leaked memo that the general secretary has been ordered to hasten the “suppression of the capitalist system by a socialistic order of society.”  

If the leaked memo is authentic surely it begs many questions about the RMT’s true agenda and their desire for political representation as opposed to that of their members. I believe we have a collective responsibility to find a way through this whereas some political zealots delivering our public transport services seem to care more about promoting ideology than they do about people.