Tom Bailey
Liberal Democrat Party
Healey Ward
Address
24 Nookfarm Avenue
Syke
Rochdale
OL12 0SH
My name is Tom Bailey, I have been a campaigner in the Healey Ward for nearly a decade. In my time as a Councillor, I have worked hard for the residents of the Healey Ward. I look forward to my record standing up for scrutiny on 1 May.
I live on Syke with my wife Gwen and enjoy making a difference alongside my colleagues Elwyn Watkins, the Leader of the Council, Alan Taylor and our Member of Parliament Paul Rowen. We have worked hard on many issues. These include working to secure the future of Syke Community Base – an organisation that has done so much to provide a ground-breaking service for our community and beyond. One of my priorities if re-elected will be to secure long term funding for the Base so it can continue the excellent job it does.
One of the campaigns that I am most proud to be behind is to get rid of charges for disabled parking and to introduce more spaces. Disabled people have been telling us that there are not enough car parking spaces and many of the ones that are provided are in the wrong places. We have listened and apart from doubling the spaces available we have also taken the opportunity to scrap the charges for disabled people.
One of our main campaigns has been against traffic and congestion problems in our area. Massive improvements to the Townhead Junction are well under way. This will ease much of the congestion on Whitworth Road and is the first step to reducing congestion on both Whitworth Road and Shawclough Road. The next stage should be the removal of the mini-roundabouts along Whitworth road to be replaced by modern traffic lights and the improvement of the Shawclough Road/Falinge Road junction. Much of this future work is in partnership with Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive to improve travelling times for bus passengers and helping the environment by taking a number of cars off the road. We are still pressing everyone concerned to bring these schemes forward as quickly as possible. We are looking to provide long term solutions to this problem that has blighted our area for too long.
Out of politics, I am an active member of Rochdale Fusiliers and serve as their Chairman. I am also Vice-Chairman of local branch of the Royal British Legion. I was so proud recently when our Council supported the new Fusiliers Museum in Bury by making a £20,000 donation to the project. Alongside my Ward Colleague and Council Leader Alan Taylor and my colleague Councillor Peter Clegg we presented a cheque to Museum Director Major Edmund Gartside at the Town Hall. It is important to inspire the heroes of the future that we remember the heroes of the past. Men and women from our Borough are still serving in Fusilier units, some of them in Iraq and Afghanistan. This donation is a tribute to them and will ensure their deeds and memory will be fully reflected in the exhibits of the new museum.
My other priority is the fight against crime and anti-social behaviour and I have been privileged to chair the Council Sub-Committee concerned with fighting this problem. I would like to continue my hard work. Please vote for me, Tom Bailey on 1 May.
