Manifesto

Transport

We believe that we should have public transport infrastructure in place and investment in local services. We need reliable, clean and affordable bus and train services, which are suitable especially for those who are elderly, disabled or with young children. All communities should have public transport that operates at the times that are needed for workers and commuters. We support the extension of Metrolink but not the recent increase in charges for Altrincham commuters. We are pleased with the recent investment in rolling stock but we still need more double trams at peak times. 

• Parking charges
  We support free car parking in Timperley, Hale and Hale Barns villages, and other local centres in Trafford as this helps our community and brings in shoppers to our local small businesses.  We do not support any price increases in car parking charges in Altrincham.  We believe that traffic wardens should be there to help, especially disabled drivers rather than inconvenience shoppers.
• Better Roads
  The condition of the roads in Trafford is high on our list of complaints. We would like to see a road improvement programme, which does more than just deal with pot holes and temporary repairs; we need a more robust and permanent solution to save money and time. The same procedure should also be implemented for our pavements and car parks.
• Speeding/ 20mph zones
  To tackle the speeding and aggressive motorist, the Timperley Lib Dems have run a 20 is plenty campaign. We would like to see more 20 (mph) advisory zones, especially on side roads and around schools. Rather than increase the number of hidden speed cameras, we would like to see more traffic police that stop drivers who present a danger to the public. Liberal Democrats are continuing with their campaign to get the Council to create 20 mph speed limit zones around local schools.

Compared to other areas, Trafford could be worse with the latest figures showing 218 accidents involving cars per 100 000 in 2008. Neighbouring Manchester stands at 310 accidents per 100 000 involving cars. We would like to see this figure even lower as even one fatality is one too many and there were still 54 incidents in 2008 where someone was killed or seriously injured on Trafford's roads.
The Lib Dems support the pilot 20mph advisory scheme that was trialled in Old Trafford recently. Although the 12 month trial was too short to assess any reduction in accidents in the area, residents felt that it was safer to walk and cycle there and for children to play out.
There is by now evidence from around the country to show that such zones do cut accident rates. The 20 zones in Plymouth (where the overall stats had been much worse in previous years) had by far the biggest impact on accidents involving cars (152 per 100 000, compared to 198 per 100 000 Hampshire average). Still there was an overall reduction in accidents in recent years.
The Transport Research Laboratory recently reviewed results from 250 20 mph zones in. Results showed there was a 67% overall reduction in child accidents. The Department of Transport now says it will allow 20 mph limits to be used without the need for additional traffic calming methods. Let's act now to protect our children. 

• Bicycling
  Liberal Democrats would like to see better road conditions and facilities for all those that wish to cycle. For all age groups, we would like it to be a safe, healthy and sustainable mode of transport. We need to combat heavy traffic, improve cycle lanes and create viable storage places for bicycles. We believe influencing the planning processes will make the above possible.

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Health

Lib Dems believe that health is more than just about health services, and choice is more than just where an operation is carried out. Investment in the NHS is vital and when people need health services we believe they should be of high quality, close to home and responsive to individuals. We want people to live healthier lives and we want to tackle the causes of ill health to enhance our freedom to have control over our own lives.

We have supported Altrincham General Hospital (AGH) as a vital community service, and we are disappointed about the closure of local maternity services in Trafford. We would like better services for patients with mental health problems as about a quarter of all families can be affected. Liberal Democrats are proud of the fact that the National Health Service (NHS) concept was the idea of Beveridge, a member of the Liberal Party as it then was. We welcome the recent improvements to make NHS dental services more available to residents in Trafford.

We welcome that, at long last, Trafford Council have decided to make Health & Wellbeing a priority. It took a Red Alert flag on Health Inequalities to make this happen. Liberal Democrats have long been calling for this change as we believe the Health & Wellbeing of our residents should be amongst the highest of priorities.

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Environment and Sustainability

The Liberal Democrats believe that each generation is responsible for the fate of our planet and, by safeguarding the balance of nature and the environment, for the long term continuity of life in all its forms.   

• Local Parks
  Timperley has a lower than average number of green spaces per person and we therefore need to protect and improve the park land than we have. The Lib Dems supported the maintenance of Watling Gate as public open space. We believe our local environment should be "Clean & Green"; we would like our streets to be cleaner, and eyesores caused by litter cleaned up. The Lib Dems have increased the number of dog bins in parks. We have supported the local community in setting up Moss Park Gardens at the corner of Moss Lane and Park Road. We have been delighted that our suggestion to develop allotments in Pickering Lodge is now happening. The Lib Dems supported Altrincham and the green area near the bus station on Barrington Road that was under threat last year and the park by Shaftsbury Ave in Timperley "Timperley Green".
• Waste Recycling
  Trafford is improving its recycling rates; however the Lib Dems would like to see more progress and increased rates. We support doorstep collections, for all items that can be recycled. We would like improvements to our tipping centre at Broadheath to increase the breadth of recycling available to Trafford residents.
  The consumer and the planet are paying the price for excessive packaging. The Lib Dems are campaigning to reduce excessive packaging at a national and local level. 
• Climate Change and Flood Risk
  The Lib Dems were trailblazers in Trafford when we introduced our Climate Change Policy. Since then we have pushed for and supported all individual and borough-wide measures to reduce greenhouse gases in Trafford. Climate change is a major threat to our planet - and urgent action is needed. Liberal Democrats will lead by example by ensuring that Britain achieves its Kyoto targets well before the deadline. We will tackle traffic pollution by getting more people onto public transport. We will ensure that much more of the UK's electricity comes from safe and renewable sources.

The Liberal Democrats have published plans to protect Britain from the worst effects of flooding, as we are warned that severe flooding is due to worsen in the years ahead. We have continued to press for monitoring of potential flooding problems in Trafford.

The Government isn't taking the devastating potential of climate change seriously enough. We need to act now if we're to protect Britain from the flooding that could sweep Britain in years to come. Lib Dems believe we must invest more in our flood defences. The Government must stop building so many new homes in flood risk areas, and help families in high risk homes to get insurance. We need a comprehensive approach to flooding, brought together in a Flooding Act in Parliament to ensure changes are made quickly, and to reassure the thousands of families who are at risk of losing everything.

Planning
We hope that the new rules coming into force will, over time, make things better for local people. The Lib Dems believe in listening to local opinions and believe that people's concerns should be taken into account at each planning stage, especially on over-development issues. For example, local people should be listened to when proposals are made to build large developments of flats next to already congested roads. We are concerned about lack of parking near some metro-stations and cycle parking which is needed even outside Barrington Police Station. The current system of funding allocation means most money is conditional on implementing national government targets. 

People First

• Youth
  The youth of to-day are often seen as trouble makers, however we believe it is a small minority that spoil it for the rest. We would like to see more youth centres, and other places for the young people to socialise. After a long campaign the local Lib Dems are delighted that the Broomwood Community Centre re-building is finally complete.

The Lib Dems feel this very important service is being neglected by the Conservatives. At a time when Society is  at a low ebb because our streets, parks and the community in general is being plagued by anti-social behaviour, surely the problem should be addressed by providing more Youth Clubs and related activities to prevent boredom in our younger generation which certainly exists today. The Lib Dems would make the Youth Service one of our top priorities. 

• Elderly Citizens
  Our elderly citizens deserve better policies than that offered by Trafford Tories. We have seen the Tories cut vital services such as Day Centres and Care Homes.  Lib Dems believe that the elderly and those with disabilities should have free personal care, although Nick Clegg has acknowledged that we can't at present afford it. Many elderly people are fit and well and have a lot to contribute to their communities, we will do our best to support this work and applaud the vital role of older people. We believe care in the community should be supported and enhanced.
• Council Tax

The Lib Dems think the council tax is unfair and would introduce a better system of Local Income Tax based on ability to pay that would save most people money.

Council Tax has increased steadily year on year and it is very unfair. We believe in greater accountability and devolvement- not just in service provision but also in the ability of local governments to raise income.

• Finance
  Trafford's Council Tax set by the Conservatives at

Liberal Democrats solution to Local Government Finance is to scrap the Council Tax and introduce a fairer system based on the ability to pay, which would help pensioners and the poorest people.  It would include fair local taxes, local income tax, simple grant mechanism and re-located business rates. Currently in Trafford we only receive approximately half of the £135 business rate collected, that just cannot be fair.

Local Services and facilities 

• Altrincham Town Centre
  Lib Dems welcome the much-needed improvements in Altrincham Town Centre, but question why they took so long. The Lib Dems worked hard to save Altrincham Town Hall, which would have included a Hotel on the Town Hall site without our intervention.

Altrincham is now full of bars and restaurants. This has caused problems, particularly since the smoking ban came into force. Large groups can gather outside premises in the street to smoke; this can appear unattractive and threatening. To help combat this problem we will improve the policing of the area and promote more night bus services and taxis.

• Post Offices
  We support our local Post Offices and want to see the Post Office network protected. Closures of a local branch will affect the vulnerable people in our society. The Labour government has already closed 4000 Post Offices in Britain and under the last Conservative administration 3,500 Post Office were closed. You can trust the Lib Dems to fight for our community to keep this vital resource for everyone. Our high profile campaign helped reprieve the threat to Park Road, Post Office and we did our best to save another at risk Post Office on Brook Lane, Timperley.
• Libraries
  We do not want to see any cut backs in Library services; our local Libraries are often the centre of a local community. We understand that we live in a changing world, and we welcome new technology, but many library users are people that do not have access, or indeed have any desire to use the internet. Library Staff, are skilled staff, often with years of experience, we need to keep these not to lose them. We are disappointed that a recent re-restructuring of libraries with Trafford Direct will led to savings of £400,000 that we believe should be re-invested in the service. 
• Tory closures and demolitions

Over the last five years of Tory administration in Trafford the following have closed:

• Pownall Road Day Care Centre
• Northlea Day Centre
• Northlea Residential Home
• Atkinson Court Residential Home
• Oaklands Court Residential Home
• Hardwick House Residential Home
• The Adult Training Centre at Albert Place
  And more now announced

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Local Education

Liberal Democrats want the best education for all our children whatever their ability  We would fund smaller class sizes in primary school (20 in each infant class and about 25 in each junior class) Trafford has an excellent schools and an education system that we fully support.  Graham Brady MP's resignation as a shadow Tory shadow cabinet over grammar schools signified a damaging public row within the Conservative Party.

The Trafford Liberal Democrats have always supported our superb local grammar and excellent high schools and will continue to do so.  Nationally, the Liberal Democrats have recognised that Trafford's education system is a matter for local discretion and for local people to decide upon.

The Trafford Conservatives have wrongly used issue of the grammar schools to misrepresent the Lib Dems in the past. We agree that the selective education system in Trafford produces excellent results for our children. The Lib Dems have a clear national policy which supports diversity within the system and takes into account local people's view on what works best for our unique area. In addition, we strongly support investment into mainstream services and schools for children with Additional and Special Needs.

We support excellent schools, excellent performance and believe we can do even better.  Currently Altrincham Grammar Schools intake is c. 1% of pupils from poorer backgrounds, as shown by free school meal provision, whilst neighbouring local High schools take over 20%. With a more balanced intake, our excellent grammar schools will enable many more pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds to fulfil their potential and our high schools results will increase dramatically by this level playing field. The Lib Dems are committed to a pupil premium, where we fund extra money for disadvantaged pupils.

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Crime and ID Cards

The Liberal Democrats have taken a lead, proposing real action to cut crime. It was a Lib Dem Council (near Watford) that introduced the first new police station in 40 years to help protect its vulnerable citizens. In Timperley we had a massive response to our crime survey last year. Violent crime is rising nationally, anti-social behaviour is still a serious problem, and our prisons are overflowing. Labour has talked tough but have failed to deliver despite 10 years in power. The Tories are in disarray on crime, the last Tory government cut police numbers and let violent crime double.

The Lib Dems will make criminals who cheat or steal pay back to their community. We will work hard to stop pubs and shops selling alcohol to those under age or already drunk and we will implement extra late night police patrols. We want police stations that are open when we need them.

We need more police, freed from the burden of bureaucracy, to take back our town centres, especially after dark. We want to see the police out tacking the real problems, preventing crime before it happens, responding to problems as they happen, and not left bogged down with paperwork, desk duties or being unofficial prison wardens. Instead of spending billions of pounds on compulsory ID cards for innocent, law-abiding citizens, that money should be spent on targeting criminals and tackling crime. Lib Dems believe in restorative justice, where criminals are made to pay the price of their crimes, as it is both tough and fair. We believe we must work harder to address the causes of crime - deprivation, alienation and most of all drug use.

We need a prison system that works. Prisoners should work to pay compensation to their victims, and to cut re-offending. A life sentence should mean life. We are serious about cutting crime. Together, we can make Britain safer for all of us.

• ID Cards

Lib Dems do not support a national ID card, which is likely to cost every taxpayer at least £200. We believe the money would be better spent on more police officers in our communities.

In November 2007 the Government lost the personal details of all 25 million families with children and has put the privacy of every family in Trafford at risk. The dangers of putting so much information about every citizen in the UK into one central database should be clear.  The government are in denial when they argue that the information will be safe and people's privacy will not be threatened, when ID cards are introduced.

In Trafford we have backed calls for the government to abandon plans to make people carry identity cards. Liberal Democrat nationally have published figures showing that 37 million pieces of personal information on UK citizens were lost in 2007, mostly through Government error.

Terror attacks have not stopped in other countries, such as Spain and the US, which have a national ID card. The scheme will be a bureaucratic nightmare. It will not prevent illegal working. It won't help stop crime or terrorism. If the government really wants to make an impact on crime, terrorism and illegal immigration, the money it has earmarked for this scheme would be far better spent on more police and intelligence officers.

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