I started my week on a bus – but not a Bee Network bus. Instead, I joined Bev Craig on her open-top battle bus for a rather unique tour of Sale and Altrincham. Battle buses were a familiar sight in the 1980s and 1990s, and they seem to have made a comeback this year. It was a fun way to spend a Sunday afternoon and a welcome change from my usual election campaigning.
Much of Monday was taken up with meetings and updates on our Adult Social Care services. It’s been really encouraging to see the improvements the team has made over the last 18 months, and reassuring to hear about plans for the future as we continue striving to deliver the best possible support for those who rely on our services.
On Monday I also had the opportunity to present awards at Victoria Park Junior School’s Values Award Assembly. Children are nominated by their peers for demonstrating values such as respect, equality, aspiration, responsibility, courage and love. It was lovely to hear the tributes written by children about each award winner.
Back at the Town Hall, there were meetings of both the Executive and the Council, held under current pre-election period restrictions. This meant only certain items could be included on the agenda. Two important and time-critical items were the Trafford Wharfside Strategic Masterplan and Trafford’s Local Plan, both of which will now move into consultation. Once adopted, they will have a significant – and, I believe, positive – impact on Trafford for years to come.
Although we remain in the Greater Manchester Mayoral Election period, Greater Manchester business continues. On Wednesday morning I attended the GM Waste and Recycling Committee AGM, which was also held under pre-election restrictions. Councillors generally have a keen interest in bins, so it’s fair to say I find the committee’s work programme particularly interesting. It covers a range of important themes linked to the circular economy.
On Thursday I met colleagues from Trafford, Salford and the GMCA at a meeting of the Western Gateway Infrastructure Board. This area covers the Manchester Ship Canal corridor along the Trafford–Salford border and forms part of a Mayoral Development Zone. It includes a number of exciting projects, from Old Trafford Regeneration to Carrington Energy Campus and Therme. The area has enormous potential, and both Trafford and Salford are keen to work together to maximise the benefits for local communities.
Back at the Town Hall on Friday, I had a number of meetings, including with Open Swim, a CIC based at Sale Water Park. Jane, Bob and Kal spoke passionately about the benefits of open-water swimming and the work they do beyond their swimming sessions, including education, training and wellbeing activities. I was particularly impressed by the number of people taking part and it was good to explore ways we might work together in the future.
Later, I was back out knocking on doors in my ward as we approach polling day next Thursday. It was a pleasure to be joined by our new Chancellor of the Exchequer, John Healey. While he was supporting campaigning for the mayoral by-election, it was also great to talk about what makes Trafford such a fantastic place to live, as well as the financial challenges we continue to face as a result of the national funding formula.
Finally, I was delighted to support this year’s REfrACT Festival at Waterside Arts. I love REfrACT: it has such a diverse programme and is often where acts perform before heading to the Edinburgh Fringe. This year, Eve Parker, Zak Deakin and I went along to see The Mr Thing Show. I expected it to be funny – and it absolutely was, very much in line with my sense of humour – but I hadn’t anticipated becoming such an integral part of the performance as the roving camera operator. I’m not sure what the rest of the audience made of my presence on and around the stage, but I had a great time working with a very funny cast. As ever, my thanks go to the wonderful Waterside team for helping make Sale such a vibrant cultural hub.
This will be my last update for a little while, although work continues throughout the summer. I’ll be posting again from September, but in the meantime I hope you enjoy the rest of the summer.