Trafford Labour

Trafford’s Tory Council has (August 2006) introduced a Helpline for residents to phone in to report incidents of Motorcycle Nuisance. However the phone number they are using is 0870 050 7373 and 0870 numbers can cost upto 8p/minute; much more than a local number.  In addition, some of the payment is actually shared with the Council!

The Central Office of Information and the telephone regulator Ofcom both recommend that 0870 numbers should not be used by public bodies. They recognised that there is a great deal of public concern and confusion about these numbers. For example, many people believed that they were full “premium rate” numbers that cost 25 to 35p per minute to phone and were discouraged for m using them. For this reason in October 2006, Bolton Council has stopped using an 0845 number, which actually only incurred local charge cost.

Ofcom has now decided that, from January 2008, 0870 numbers will cost no more than the local rate for local calls and revenue sharing will not be permitted.

They recognise that there will be continuing public concern about 08 numbers in general and therefore propose a new range of 0300 numbers. These will be available only to Government, public sector and not-for-profit bodies who donot wish to charge customers a premium rate. The Central Office of Information advice is that public bodies should transfer any 0870 services to the new 0300 range and Trafford Council should adopt that advice as quickly as possible.

The ruling Conservative group on Trafford Council have had a grant of £30,000 from the Local Government Leadership Centre for training. No one is denying that they need it.

However they have chosen to spend over £10,000 of this grant on two Away Days at luxury hotels. The Tory Executive and Management Executive had a day and half away at Castle Green Hotel in Kendal in the Lake District. Why did they have to go 80 miles away from the Town Hall? There are plenty of local Council buildings they could have used at no charge. If they had to go to a hotel, why not use one in Trafford?

At the meeting of the Council’s Executive on 23 October 2006, the Conservative majority started the final stage of closing Moss View Primary School in Partington.

The Labour Councillors have consistently worked with parents and local residents to oppose this closure.

If closure goes ahead, which now seems very likely, this will be the second school that the Tories have closed since they took control of the Council in 2004.

In the same time they have also managed to close four Elderley Person’s Centres.