TOUGHER ACTION NEEDED AGAINST ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR IN STOCKPORT

Prospective Conservative MP Stephen Holland has called for tougher police powers to tackle anti-social behaviour and crack down on yobs.

This comes as new answers to Parliamentary Questions show that across Greater Manchester, 252,656 incidents of anti-social behaviour were reported to the police last year. However because of the massive under-reporting of such low-level crime, the real number of actual incidents could be as high as 2,296,873 last year.

Under new Conservative proposals, firm action would be taken against the yob behaviour that blights some of Stockport’s neighbourhoods. In particular the police would have stronger powers to remove troublemakers from the streets, and licensing laws would be more robustly enforced.

Stephen Holland said, “I recently met with residents living around Woodlands Park, who are plagued by anti-social behaviour ranging from graffiti to teenage drinking.

“This Labour Government has been soft on crime, and soft on the causes of crime. We live in a country where no one seems to say ‘no’ anymore and nothing happens when a young person steps out of line. This has to change. Conservatives will champion a system which places the victim above the criminal.”

TIME TO SHIFT POWER TO STOCKPORT’S PEOPLE AND REIN IN THE WHITEHALL BUREAUCRATS

Under a new Conservative blueprint for local democracy, Stockport’s residents will have the power to instigate local referendums, will know more about how town hall money is spent and Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council will have more powers and funding.

The proposals to revive local democracy were recently unveiled by David Cameron in a major policy document, and have been endorsed this week by Stephen Holland, Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Stockport.

The new policies include:

• Abolishing all regional planning and housing powers in the hands of regional government, and returning powers and discretion back to local communities.
• Granting Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council a new discretionary power to give discounts on business rates, allowing them to help local shops and services, such as post offices, or even create new local enterprise zones.
• Making greater use of direct democracy, including allowing Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council’s residents to veto high council tax rises, or instigate a council-wide referendum on local issues if 5% of local residents give their backing.
• Requiring Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council to publish detailed information online about its spending – including the pay and perks of senior staff; and issuing new guidance to stop ‘rewards for failure’ to sacked town hall staff.

Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Stockport Stephen Holland said, “These radical plans will put local people in the driving seat, and cut back interference and meddling by Whitehall bureaucrats.

“The next election won’t just be about whether to transfer power from Labour to Conservatives.  It will also be about whether to transfer power from the central state to local people.

“Greater powers for local government must also be accompanied by more openness, greater accountability and new measures to protect the pockets of local taxpayers.”

STANDING UP FOR STOCKPORT – MY LETTER TO NETWORK RAIL

Dear Sirs

Proposed Tree Felling In Heaton Chapel, Stockport

Heaton Moor Conservation Area, Stockport

Further to the report in The Manchester Evening News on 29 January 2009 that Network Rail is to undertake tree felling along a one-mile stretch of track in Heaton Chapel, Stockport, I have been contacted by local residents who have expressed their concerns about the proposals of Network Rail and the way these proposals have been communicated to local residents.

As you know, this stretch of track also falls within the Heaton Moor Conservation Area, Stockport.

I shall be grateful if you will please provide me with the folloing information at your earliest convenience:

1. Copies of any risk assessments that have been undertaken by Network Rail as regards the trees. Specifically please can you also let me know why previous risk assessments did not identify any issues with the trees along this stretch of track?

2. Copies of and details of any consultation with local residents living in the area. In particular please can you let me know the names of the streets where residents have been consulted, the time period of this consultation in order to ensure that adequate consultation has been undertaken, and the format of this consultation? I am sure you will agree that it is vital to consult with local residents as fully as possible over these proposals given the impact on their quality of life.

3. Copies of and details of any consultation with other bodies and/or groups. Please can you let me know the names of these bodies and/or groups and their responses?

4. Copies of and details of any third party reports that have been used by Network Rail to conclude that theseproposals are necessary.

5. The revised proposed start date of the tree felling.

Finally I would like to put on record my concern about the lack of consultation with local residents; my concern about the impact on the quality of life of local residents; and my concern about the environmental impact on the Heaton Moor Conservation Area.

I look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience.

Kind regards

Yours faithfully

Stephen Holland
Conservative Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Stockport