I want to start this week’s review by saying how deeply shocked and concerned I was to hear about the possible closure of Kellogg’s factory based at Trafford Park.

Kellogg’s has been a fantastic neighbour and employer in Trafford Park for almost a century – and I can assure you that Trafford Council will do everything it can to support staff and keep in close contact with the company throughout this difficult time.

Last weekend it was good to see the progress being made with our investment along Kingsway in Stretford.  Although the work is not yet complete the area is looking much better than it did before and my ward colleagues and I have been really pleased to see positive feedback about the changes to this road and improvements for pedestrians and residents.

On Monday, following an invite from Rehoboth for Families, I attended the charity’s new premises based at the Salvation Army building in Stretford. It was good to hear from the team and residents about their plans to enhance greenspace near to the Bridgewater Canal and Trans Pennine Trail in the area.

Since I became leader of Trafford Council, I have consistently lobbied the government for a fairer funding deal on behalf of the authority given it is one of the lowest funded in the UK.

On Monday afternoon, I gave an interview to the Manchester Evening News, where I spoke about the stark financial position central government has left Trafford Council in.

It has been extremely challenging process setting the budget for the next financial year. And I have been very vocal in my call for a fairer funding package that would enable the authority to provide the services Trafford residents deserve.

On Tuesday I welcomed, AIRA Home, a leading provider in clean energy-technology, to Trafford. The company, which has ambitions to deliver clean, affordable energy to millions of homes by installing heat-pumps, has new premises located in Trafford Park.  There are also plans to employ more than 100 people during its first year with roles covering – electricians, plumbers, heat pump installers, plumbing and heating engineers, customer services, sales and marketing.  This investment is welcome news for the Borough.

During the afternoon, I held several one-to-one meetings with my Labour Group colleagues. It was great to see everyone and to hear about various work happening within their communities.

On Tuesday evening, Trafford Council’s budget proposals for the next financial year were published. My personal thanks go to everyone who has been involved in this complex and difficult process.  I am pleased to report that the authority has met its statutory duty and, if approved, will agree a balanced budget in the coming weeks. However, I will continue to lobby government for a fairer funding deal on behalf of all Trafford residents.

On Wednesday, I was based at Trafford Town Hall where I attended several meetings with council colleagues. Later in the day I attended a governors meeting at Victoria Park Junior School.

On Thursday morning, I had several back-to-back meetings including chairing the Greater Manchester Green City-Region Board.

The main item of business at the board was to provide feedback on Greater Manchester’s next Five-Year Environment Plan- which will be launched at this year’s GM Green Summit in October. I’m proud of the work we’re doing across Greater Manchester to reduce our carbon footprint and address the climate crisis- from retrofitting buildings to exploring alternative energy provision.  I believe we’re leading the way in GM.

On Friday, it was Trafford Council’s turn to host the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) at Trafford Town Hall.  The focus of this meeting, chaired by Mayor Andy Burnham, was to approve the revenue budgets for the next financial year.  The agenda can be accessed by clicking here and the live stream can be viewed here.

And finally, Deputy Leader, Cllr Cath Hynes, will be taking over the reins next week with an update on her portfolio as Executive Member for Leisure, Arts, Culture and Heritage. I will look forward to reading it!

Have a great weekend.

Tom.