Council Plans to remove "full time" staffing of Memorial Park

[Duke Fame]

Last month we had 38 degrees raising a petition against the council's plans to close the market. Of course there are no such plans. Last week we had a group saying the council has plans to close Heaton Library. Now there are groups describing a consultation process as a firm plan.

Any well run organisation, and Stockport Council is exceptionally well run,  from time to time reviews how it does things And the service ices it provides. What's wrong with that for goodness sake. What's wrong with giving those who don't want resources spent on our parks an opportunity to say so.  Or are parks only you be developed according to one persons vision

I can't say the parks need a permanent parky, I'd have thought the freinds of' grou would be better managing it and given the budget. They can do as much work themselves and sub other work out to local gardeners etc. 

HAVING SAID THAT, Wheels, are you saying the Market is not going to be changed from it's current 'general' market into a food provider in the style of Altrincham market?

I have no time for 38 degrees petitions and if 1/2 of their signatories actually used the market, the place would be thriving.

[CllrGeoffAbell]

As Tricky said

The council will still have to make the saving somewhere. 

On the other hand, I'd like to think your local reps did listen.  Thanks to to all the Marple residents who were concerned and replied. 

[Dave]

Well done Mark, and everyone who spoke up on this issue - it's very good news.   

[Tricky]

The council will still have to make the saving somewhere..  Wonder who/what else will be affected instead?

[simonesaffron]

That is very cheery news.

[JohnBates]

Excellent news. Thanks to all who have responded to the survey. 

[Lily]

Thanks, Mark, for bringing it to our attention, giving us the opportunity to have our say.

Lily

[admin]

I'm very pleased to report that the council has taken note of the feedback that they received via the consultation about cuts to the park budgets and decided not to go ahead with proposals to remove the permanent assistant from Marple Memorial Park. We are also pleased that Rob has returned to the park and look forward to working with him in the New Year if he is to remain the regular permanent attendant for our park.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to comment on the consultation and help show that the process can work so long as people know that there is one taking place!

[wheels]

Agreed  Dave. Phil the way in which we join the club of society is by paying a decent level of taxation  so that it might be spent on things which we personally would not chose to spend money on. Currently we have an obsession with reducing taxation in some misguided belief that a few hundred pound in my pocket is better than going into a general pot.

Higher taxation not lower should be the principled default position.

[Dave]

I can't speak for wheels, but I for one am happy to pay my fair share of tax in order to ensure that we all have decent public services, including those who can't afford to pay for themselves.  I suspect I am not alone in that.

[Rudolph Hucker]

Er, wheels, what idea would seem to be an exceptionally good idea to you?

A) Increase taxes
B) false belief
C) knows better
D) how to spend money
E) other.....

Please learn to articulate.

RH.

[wheels]

You mean one which increases taxes in the false belief it knows better than we do how to spend our money.

Yes that would seem to be an exceptionally good idea to me.

[Dave]

You mean one which increases taxes in the false belief it knows better than we do how to spend our money.

It was, I believe, an American lawyer, Oliver Wendell Holmes, who about 100 years ago coined the phrase 'Taxation is the price we pay for civilisation'.  Civilisation, in this case, means outdoor play facilities for children of all backgrounds to enjoy, whether or not their parents can afford a large house with a garden big enough for swings and a game of football.  It's not a lot to ask, and having in the past taken my own children countless times to the various parks in this area, I don't see why it should be denied to the children of today. 

[simonesaffron]

Your point is well made Dave, regarding council cuts. By March 2017 SMBC will have had £93.3 Million cut from its budget in six years.

That still leaves SMBC with a lot of money left but of course they also have a lot to do with it. It is all a matter of priorities. This issue though is a local issue and it should be being represented in earnest to SMBC as a priority by our local council representatives at their various meetings. These proposals don't just exist in a vacuum, they are discussed by Councillors beforehand and very often the best argument wins the case.

Obviously this isn't happening now, otherwise the proposal itself would have been strangled at birth.

Unfortunately, the way that the local political scene is at the moment (and it is likely it will go worse) we can expect more cuts in the public realm, particularly in our parks.

The question we should be asking is to our local councillors. I don't think consultation exercises are going anywhere other than to lose our staff in the park. 

[Condate]

So the solution is not easy to find.  The real solution, of course, would be to elect a government which values the public domain and doesn't impose huge funding cuts on local authorities.

You mean one which increases taxes in the false belief it knows better than we do how to spend our money.