Levenshulme - Recently Updated Pages

Development around St. Mary's and Elbow Street area

Anonymous — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 04:22:34 CDT

Quick photos from the open day. These plans have been made by the developer, FoL haven't been involved in their production. It's just for information purposes only:

THE LATEST:

St Mary’s Development Open Day

Thursday 26th June 2008

3.00pm – 7.00pm St Mary’s Parish Hall

Irish Anglo Properties have proposed a new residential development around St Mary’s Church in Levenshulme. The mixed development will comprise a range of apartments and family housing, environmental improvements and additional car parking. The scheme will also include space for retail and community facilities.

Come along and learn more about the proposals.

For further details on the Open Day contact David Rogerson on:

Tel: 0161 277 1880 Email: d.rogerson@manchester.gov.uk

Levenshulme's New "GP-Led Health Centre"

StuartCalton — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 16:32:59 CDT

click above for links to the "Keep Our NHS Public" campaign and the British Medical Association's "Support Your Surgery" campaign.

According to the information rolled out at Ward Co-ordination Meetings (the invitation only local “consultation” meetings held by Council Officers and local “stakeholders”), the new “GP-led Health Centre” being talked about by Manchester Primary Care Trust (PCT) as “an extra practice” that will “not affect any of the 3 existing practices in historic Levenshulme”. However, it’s not quite as simple as that. In fact, these three new clinics will not only affect local services, but they could end up affecting the NHS as a whole if we don’t oppose them.

So what are “GP-Led Health Centres”?

The document above (click on it to link to the full online document) shows that the new practice will be set up as an Alternative Provider Medical Services (APMS) contract. What this means is that the PCT are seeking to tender the contract for running the centre outside of the NHS. See the Department of Health’s own explanation of what an APMS is (again, click on it to see the page in context):

What type of companies

are bidding to run our GP clinics?

As made clear above, these contracts can go to anyone (click here to see the list of those excluded from bidding under the Directions above), including companies not known for their Healthcare credentials. In fact, sensing untapped profit, companies from every part of the private sector are circling our NHS. Back in February, the Virgin Group laid out their plans to bid for GP Surgeries, sparking protests by NHS workers and Trade Unionists outside the Virgin Healthcare conference in Salford.

After what Virgin have done to our rail network, does anyone really want them let loose on the NHS?

Elsewhere in the North West, contracts have gone to CARE UK, (reference here) a “leading independent provider of person-centred care”.

As with most of these “Solutions” companies, none of CARE UK’s board of directors (meet the guys here) has any direct experience in Healthcare, although they do have considerable experience in hovering up our tax money through local and national government contracts.

For example, one of CARE UK's directors is a former main board director of Compass Group PLC, who already have their fingers in the NHS till, providing “innovative patient feeding programmes” in NHS hospitals. (have a look) He remains a consultant to Compass.

Another, Miles Roberts, is a former group director of the Costain Group, a massive building company who, according to their own website have “been involved in PFI since its' inception and completed one of the very first PFI projects - the 800 place category B prison in Bridgend, Wales”. They were also part of the consortium which built the PFI Kingston Hospital, (reported here) and profited from our tax money by doing so. Costain Group also manages the construction projects for the Greater Manchester Waste PFI contract (report here).

And speaking of Waste Solutions, another CARE UK director, Michael Averill, is currently Group Chief Executive of Shanks Group plc. Shanks is the waste management group that bid for a 4 billion PFI contract to deliver Manchester’s Waste Disposal Solutions back in late 2005 (report here).

When these companies look at our NHS, or our transport network or our Post Offices, they don't see vital services that people need. They see only wasted opportunities to make profit for themselves.

So what are GPs are saying about all this?

We approached local GPs for their opinion on the plans, and they agreed to write a short letter stating their concerns. Here’s what doctors at Levenshulme Health Centre had to say:

In fact, it’s not even just local GPs who oppose these plans. Nationally, the British Medical Association have launched a campaign against these clinics, and recently delivered a petition to Gordon Brown signed by 1.2 million doctors and patients calling for these reforms to be scrapped. In Herefordshire and Buckinghamshire, PCTs have withdrawn their plans for polyclinics, since patients appeared not to want them, and due to doubts over "cost-effectiveness" (click here).

Dr Chand, a GP from Ashton under Lyne, and the regional spokesperson for the BMA, has been a vocal critic. He points out that these large clinics, which could hold upto 25 GPs, could end up closing down our existing health centres, so that far from “improving choice”, they actually mean that local people could end up with only one choice: a private clinic. He Chand writes that these new clinics are in fact

But the problems associated with privatisation are only half the story. Even without the private element, problems are anticipated:

So we are potentially looking at a situation similar to the railways. Where rival practices cannot efficiently share information, where the idea of “choice” is constantly undermined by virtual monopolies. (Ever tried getting some "consumer choice" on the Manchester to London line?) The concept of the “family doctor” is replaced by a “call-centre” approach, where you speak to whoever is available when you turn up, where we are treated as customers rather than patients. This is the primary vision of Lord Darzi’s reforms (of which the “GP-Led Health Centre” is one of the key proposals). As the Guardian puts it:

Likewise, further problems have been anticipated in Private Eye (issue 1213, 27th June-10th July 2008):

So what’s the consultation process?

Local people haven’t been properly consulted about this. The first thing we heard was rumours of the closure of Ashcroft Surgery and talk of a petition. The rumours of closure turned out to be wrong.

Then we began to get the local newspaper calling up for our opinion on the new GP surgery. Which was the first we heard of it. There was no mention of how the new surgery would be funded, of what building it would be in or any details that may concern patients at all.

Finally, after hours of digging around in online minutes (and actually having to go through the Freedom of Information Act at one stage!), we managed to find some details.

It’s not just patients that have been left out of the loop on this one. GPs have been no better informed than us. They and their representatives are still going through the process of trying to convert the rumours into facts and then asking for confirmation from the PCT.

We contacted the PCT to ask some questions:

In terms of the consultation, we were told:

We didn’t see the survey which was designed to be “forwarded on to key community contacts”, until we contacted the PCT and asked for it. Was a single stall at Cringle Fields Park designed to consult with over 12000 people that live just in Levy ward, let alone across Chapel Street in the Gorton South half?

The PCT, based on our intervention, agreed to extend the first stage consultation date from the 26th June to the 11th July.

Here are the surveys they asked us to publicise:

http://tinyurl.com/56bdr6

and

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=FrXCIFRvEcfPSCli_2fa0ASA_3d_3d

On the other questions, the PCT said:

So, we don’t know who’ll be running it (although given the sums of money needed, it’s likely to be a private business) and we don’t know where it’ll be. At the moment, the PCT have told us over the phone that they can’t find a building to use, and that in a situation where no building is available the government have told them to use temporary accommodation on a bit of suitable land!

So there’s a possibility that instead of giving additional funding to our local health centres, they’ll instead be spending twice as much per patient trying to undercut NHS services by running private clinics out of Portacabins! Maybe Portacabin should bid for the contract!

So what should the PCT do instead?

There's no denying that Levenshulme is "under-doctored", as the PCT put it. In this area, as in others, we need all the services we can get. But we shouldn't have to put up with accepting the privatisation of our facilities in order to get the services we deserve. GPs at Dunstable Street have been asking for funding to supply two new GPs at the centre to cut down on waiting times, but this hasn't been given to them by the PCT. Instead they have had to pay for additional services out of their own salaries, in order to take the heat of them at the busiest times. Neither patients nor GPs should have to go cap in hand to the PCT in order to get the basic services local people need.

Whilst denying GPs the funding they need through the NHS, the PCT are set to pay twice as much per head per patient for this private clinic. It's a waste of our money and an attack on the NHS.

We should be lobbying the PCT to provide our existing GP surgeries with the funding through the normal NHS channels. That is something we could all welcome without reservation.

Home

dngjamie — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 08:32:54 CDT

Future development of Levenshulme District Centre - HAVE YOUR SAY

'Stakeholder' workshops will consist of four sessions for each sector of the Levenshulme community at
St Mary’s Parish Hall next to St Mary’s Church on Elbow Street. These are:

Local Traders – Tuesday 15th July at 12.00 – 2.00pm
Faith Groups – Wednesday 16th July at 6.00 – 8.00pm
Local Community Groups – Thursday 17th July at 6.00 – 8.00pm
Tenants and Residents Groups – Saturday 19th July at 12.00 – 2.00pm

click here for more info

TOP ISSUES

St Marys Development open day
Click on the picture below to see more photos

http://www.southmanchesterreporter.co.uk/news/s/1055691_post_office_closure_fight_hits_streets

Well - love 'em or hate 'em it looks like they are on their way

Proposed trading hours for the supply of alcohol for consumption off
the premises:
Mon to Sun 0600 to 0000

Proposed opening hours for the premises:
Mon to Fri 0700 to 2230
Sat 0700 to 2030
Sun 1000 to 1630

Hopefully this much needed food shop will kick start regeneration in Levenshulme and the small businesses that suffered with the closure of Somerfield / KwikSave can make some recovery with the passing trade this will attract. -

We'll have to check out their community policies and hold them to it!

NEW! CLICK HERE TO SEE PHOTOS FROM OUR EASTER EVENT

CLICK HERE TO READ THE LEADER OF THE COUNCIL'S LETTER

A group from Manchester University are working on a regeneration framework for Levenshulme Town Centre to go to consultation with the City Council later in the year. In order to help create a vision for Levenshulme's District Centre they need the input of all residents. They ask that anyone interested in the future of Levenshulme should fill out this quick questionairre to help them gather data.

http://FreeOnlineSurveys.com/rendersurvey.asp?sid=sbchhneeumi158e414144

Like too many people, didn't get the chance to ask a question? Ask it now! And keep asking!!

r.leese@manchester.gov.uk

Sir Richard Leese

Leader, Manchester City Council

Town Hall

MANCHESTER

M60 2LA

Richard Leese's Blog about his Levenshulme Meeting:

http://www.manchester.gov.uk/site/scripts/documents_info.php?categoryID=200109&documentID=3185&pageNumber=2

SOMETHING TO READ?

Transcript from the Proceedings of the City Council held on 11 July 2007

Please also find below the Consultation Report for Levenshulme

produced following South Manchester Regeneration's consultation earlier this year.

The report contains a breakdown of findings from across the South Manchester

area together with a more detailed look at Levenshulme itself.

Claire Mooney, sing/songwriter and local resident, sings her new song 'Who's Looking After Levenshulme?'

For more information on Claire Mooney check: www.clairemooney.co.uk
Manchester Evening News 06/10/07: Levenshulme's song of protest http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/1018694_levenshulmes_song_of_protest_

Click here to read our new page about Sure Start Levenshulme and the changes to Broom Avenue Children's Centre

* * * Let us know your views by e-mailing
levenshulmecampaign@googlemail.com
or posting a message at the bottom of this page, its quick and easy. Also e-mail us if you would like regular e-mail updates on the campaign and we will add you to our e-mail mailing list.

PLEASE NOTE - SOME EMAILS ARE BOUNCING BACK TO US. IF YOU HAVE NOT HEARD FROM US IN RECENT WEEKS, PLEASE EMAIL US TO ALERT US TO THIS. WE WILL RE-KEY YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS IN THE HOPE THAT THIS WILL SOLVE THE PROBLEM.

* * *

PRODUCED BY RESIDENTS GROUPS, THE TRADERS ASSOCIATION & FRIENDS OF LEVENSHULME

Check out Levenshulme's history at www.levyboy.com

Consultation Events

dngjamie — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 08:24:09 CDT

from: David Rogerson Senior Regeneration Officer South Manchester Regeneration Team

Levenshulme District Centre Plan – Stakeholder Workshops

Since February 2008 we have been working with our colleagues and partners to develop a District Centre Plan for Levenshulme. This plan will outline the objectives for improving the area over the next 10 to 15 and will set out a strategy for the revitalisation of the district centre in terms of its:

Retail offer
Public realm
Community, civil and leisure facilities
Public transport and accessibility

Our team of consultants have completed their initial research into the District Centre and have produced a baseline report setting out the key characteristics of the area along with the opportunities for development. This work has been overseen by a Steering Group consisting of local Councillors and senior Council officers.

We are now working on possible approaches to the future development of the District Centre and want to include the views of key stakeholders at this stage. Feedback from the stakeholder workshops will be used to shape a draft plan which will form the basis of the full public consultation in the autumn. We would therefore like to invite a representative of your group to attend one of the workshops listed below.

The stakeholder workshops will consist of four sessions for each sector of the community at
St Mary’s Parish Hall next to St Mary’s Church on Elbow Street. These are:

Local Traders – Tuesday 15th July at 12.00 – 2.00pm
Faith Groups – Wednesday 16th July at 6.00 – 8.00pm
Local Community Groups – Thursday 17th July at 6.00 – 8.00pm
Tenants and Residents Groups – Saturday 19th July at 12.00 – 2.00pm

You are free to attend whichever session you choose, but we have tried to tailor each workshop to meet the interests of the specific groups.
I would be grateful if you could confirm you availability for the appropriate workshop.

I look forward to hearing from you. If you would like any further information about the consultation process, or if you need anything to enable you to attend the event, please contact me as detailed below.

Yours faithfully,

David Rogerson
Senior Regeneration Officer
South Manchester Regeneration Team
Daisy Mill Complex
Level 2 (Northwing), Entrance 2
345 Stockport Road, Longsight
Manchester
M13 OLF
Tel: 0161 277 1893 Fax: 0161 274 7138
Text: 0161 277 1882
d.rogerson@manchester.gov.uk
www.manchester.gov.uk

not strictly a consultation event, more of a find out what's planned...

St Mary’s Development Open Day

Thursday 26th June 2008

3.00pm – 7.00pm St Mary’s Parish Hall

Come along and learn more about the proposals.

For further details on the Open Day contact David Rogerson on:

Tel: 0161 277 1880 Email: d.rogerson@manchester.gov.uk

Community Garden

dngjamie — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 18:23:41 CDT

LATEST NEWS

The wild flower seeds keep growing and the site looks better everyday.

If your splitting plants or can spare 5 mins and a bucket of water over the summer,
plant & garden, guerilla style at the Levenshulme Community Garden
Chapel Street / Stanhope Street / Gordon Avenue

Do you have a particular interest in campaigning for the Community / Unity Garden and protecting the public space the council want to sell off ? We need more help! - the council will let us buy OUR land back for £100,000 for the project, we need more ideas and help to preserve this as a public space. If you have any ideas or experience please contact Jamie through:levenshulmecampaign@googlemail.com

We spent the afternoon at chapel street school with a model of how the garden could look, some pictures and the documents. It was well received and there is still wide support for the idea of the Peace Garden. “we don’t want flats there..” People took away slips of paper to write their letters of support. Our contact at the school (who contacted us through the FoL website) thinks it’s a brilliant idea and can see the potential for the schools involvement. + she really wants to get the school council involved to help with the campaign for it. We left the Peace Garden document with the Head with a covering letter asking for their support and gave some ideas of how they might get involved. We also met the dept. Head of Levenshulme High school who was also interested and left her details. We are holding a similar stall at the Family Day at St. Mary’s on Sunday to promote the garden further.

Picnic in the Park Event:
The Garden Model - friends start thinking about how the garden could look

On 16/07/07 a letter and document (+email to make sure) was sent to Sir Richard Leese and local councillors to make a formal request that Manchester City Council actively support us in creating a Peace Garden at the site of the old community centre on Chapel Street by taking a decision to preserve the land as a community asset for the people of Levenshulme.

His reply on 24/07/07:

I have now had the opportunity to look into the background to this proposal including the discussion that took place at the Council's Community Regeneration Overview and Scrutiny Committee in September last year . Last week I also came to have a look at the site . I agree with your description of the Stockport Road end of Chapel Street , not helped by the road being closed off , and the Council does have a city-wide aspiration for a greener feel particularly through increasing the amount of tree cover .

However , having looked at the site , I would take some convincing that it is a good location for your proposed use . Notwithstanding that , I expect that one of the recommendations likely to come out of the South Manchester Strategic Regeneration Framework [ SRF ] when it is finalised in October will be for the development of a specific Levenshulme District Centre local plan . On that basis , I am willing to ask Council officers to take no action to dispose of the site so that its future can be considered within the context of that overall District Centre Plan,

Best wishes ,

Richard Leese .

Our Responses 30/07/07:

Dear Councillor Leese
Re: Friends of Levenshulme Peace Garden

Thanks for your quick email response to the proposal for the Peace Garden and commitment to ‘No Action’ to dispose of the former community centre site.

However, ‘No Action’ appears to be a running theme in Levenshulme. You will have seen on your visit to Levenshulme the very poor environment at the end of Chapel Street and lack of any progress at the St. Mary’s site. Local people are very angry, but ready to take on regeneration work themselves.

We are pleased to see that this has at least been recognised in the MCC Draft Levenshulme Ward Plan 2007-10:

The area is threatened by the lack of action taken by the City Council over the renewal of Levenshulme’s community centre and other venues in the ward which have rapidly declined because of lack of investment over a number of years.

Major sites awaiting appropriate planning applications (Elbow Street, Palace Nightclub, ex-Somerfield building) are threatening the vitality of the District Centre. Their current status is causing a negative impact on the surrounding environment and lack of vitality to the District Centre.

A positive regeneration impact in what is a very poor quality public space is needed to begin as soon as possible. Local people are positive about the area in which they live and are ready and willing to get the job started now. This includes the two immediately neighbouring residents associations. Why do we have to wait and let the neglect continue?

Your response ignores the crucial support of local people with the event in May and the involvement of members of the Asian community working together to try and achieve a sense of belonging not only in relation to the garden but to Levenshulme.

The focus on social cohesion with this project and encouragement so far could give the diverse ethnic communities the opportunity to release their missing contribution by creating a garden that has visible features which recognise multi-cultural presence in Levenshulme, Manchester and the UK.

Your response also ignores the fact that this project is not the goal of one person or company, but a grass roots idea taken from local people gathering and discussing what they would like to see from regeneration. This is positive. Isn’t it?

The land is currently standing idle as waste ground, as are many other sites awaiting development in Levenshulme. This pattern of neglect and lack of respect for the immediate residents is a theme we cannot accept anymore. We want action. We are fed up of delaying tactics which ultimately leave us living among rubble and decay.

Local people are quite clear that they do not want more housing developed on that space. We want improvement of public space and better community facilities.

It is not fair to sell the land or expect a neighbourhood group to effectively buy the land from the council when local people are prepared to develop it and take responsibility for it as a community asset. We are already discussing the garden proposal at the Levenshulme Ward Co-ordination meeting this Thursday 2nd and welcome any further discussion with the City Council to progress the idea.

Yours Sincerely
Jamie Summers
Friends of Levenshulme / Delamere Neighbourhood Group

Dear Sir Howard,

You wrote on 23rd July 2007 to Sir Gerald Kaufman in response to his letter of 11th July about the proposal for a Peace Garden on the site of the former Levenshulme Community Centre. I am responding directly to you, and copying my letter to Sir Gerald.

Essentially you make two points against the proposal. Firstly, you describe the intention of the local authority to generate the maximum capital receipt from sale of the site unless, with the sponsorship of an ‘operational division’, or by raising independent resources, the local community can generate the equivalent of that open market value. Secondly, you refer to a preference for ‘quality housing’ on the site.

The proposal for the site as a Peace Garden, submitted by Mr Summers and myself, made a positive case for the development of the site as a community asset, and your response appears simply to ignore that case. There are three essential points I want to address to you.

Firstly, the foundation of our case is that the Chapel Street/Gordon Avenue site is in a locality with pressing need for regeneration. We argue that the Peace Garden can act as a focus for regeneration of the Chapel Street axis. We also described its spatial relationship to other green spaces in Levenshulme, and the potential to link them (our concept of ‘green veins’).

Secondly, the Peace Garden proposal has support from diverse local interests and communities. An informal event on the site on 7th May 2007 attracted over 100 local people and gained significant publicity, including coverage in the Manchester Evening News and the BBC website. The two directly adjacent residents’ associations – the Cromwell Grove & Chapel Street Residents’ Association and the Delamere Neighbourhood Group – support the garden proposal. The committee of the Madina Mosque in Barlow Road supports the proposal, a meeting to develop the idea was hosted by the mosque on 10th June, and the secretary of the mosque is a member of our planning group. More recently I understand that the Levenshulme Labour party has passed a resolution of support for the proposal.

Thirdly, we are aware of the large-scale development proposals for the adjacent St. Mary’s site. Far from enclosing the former Community Centre site within this wider development, and building additional housing, there is a very clear case for a complementary development of the site as a public, green space. It shows a terrible poverty of ambition to ignore this potential. Local people have already demonstrated, by their voluntary action, a will to engage in developing and maintaining the site as a community asset in one of the poorest parts of Levenshulme. The City Council’s response focuses on the potential capital receipt from sale of the site. We anticipated this in our proposal, and made the counter case for preserving the site as a community asset. Your response does not address this point.

As you know, the Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG) has now responded positively to the Quirk Report on barriers and incentives for transferring public assets to community management and ownership. The DCLG response refers to providing more expert advice and organisational development support for transfer and management of land by local communities. It encourages ‘bottom up mechanisms’ to promote the asset transfers. This is completely contrary to the way we are being treated.

Our specific case has been ignored in your response. It seems to me that the terms of your reply are, at the very least, against the spirit of government policy. Our proposal is precisely intended to promote regeneration, community cohesion, and voluntary action. Your letter shows a total disregard for all of this.

What more do we need to do to secure a proper hearing for our proposals?

Yours sincerely,

David Mottram
Friends of Levenshulme / Acting Secretary, Levenshulme Community Association

Richard Leese Response: Wed 15th Aug 07...

Dear Jamie ,

thanks for your message . I have been away on holiday for two weeks and this is my first day back in the office hence the delayed reply . I can always sympathise with the frustration of active residents committed to improving their local area who just want to get on with it , but previous experience suggests that that is not the way to achieve long-term sustainable renewal . We need a coherent 10/15 year plan for Levenshulme district centre , encompassing the part in Gorton South ward as well as that within Levenshulme ward , and that should be a priority for the next stage of work after the completion of the South Manchester SRF . That doesn't mean doing nothing in the interim as there is much that can be done to better manage the district centre but it does mean as far as possible avoiding premature decisions that might subsequently undermine or block regeneration . Yes I do agree that the Chapel Street area needs one hell of a facelift , but that does need to be planned as part of the bigger picture .. I hope that you and the other active residents you are working with will continue to be part of this process and whilst I'm sure we won't agree on everything that ultimately we have a district centre plan that we can all work together to deliver ,

Best wishes ,

Richard Leese

*********************************************

His reply on 16/07/07:

Thanks for your e-mail and details of your proposal for the former community centre site .
I will make enquiries of relevant officers and come back to you
Yours sincerely,
Richard Leese.

other replies: 17/07/07:

THANKYOU FOR THE INFORMATION, THE PROPOSAL certainly looks to have been well thought through and manageable and would be of great benefit to the local community, as you know I have already approached officers of the council with regard to the principle of the land use and I am waiting a response to give a commitment that the land will not be sold for development, when I have further news I will be in touch.
regards,
Keith Whitmore

Thankyou for your letter dated 15th July with regard to the proposal for a Peace Garden. This sounds like an extremely attractive possibility, and I shall certainly write to the council letting them know of my support. I shall be in touch with you again as soon as I have any news.
Yours sincerely
Gerald Kaufman

11/07/07:

Well Done you seemed to have covered all areas. Please keep me updated Kind Regards Janet

Janet Bainbridge Development Worker The Scarman Trust Manchester

See minutes from the meeting at Barlow Rd Mosque 10th June 2007

See Press Cutting 15th June 2007

See Peace Garden document

Link to Asian News

Help with design ideas for the 'Peace/ Unity Garden' at the site of the old community centre. Have a look at the photos of the site as it is now - and think how it could be...

Here are some themes that have been metioned in the meetings and a mood board to get you going: PEACE/ UNITY / BEAUTY / QUIET / CONTEMPLATION / REFLECTION / ISLAMIC INFLUENCE / MOSAIC / EAST WEST / SMALL PROJECTS FOR CHILDREN / ADULT / TODDLER FRIENDLY SPACE / LOCAL BUSINESS SUPPORT ? SPONSORSHIP / DIVERSITY

The site measures basically 20m x 42m. A hard surface area exists to the left (aerial view) of the site of about 15m wide. You might want to consider flexibility in the design for the building of a new community centre with-in the garden. (The hard surfaced area could be kept with planters used instead as a temporary garden)

Some Inspiration: http://www.goring-by-sea.uk.com/palatine/index.htm Naqib has sent us some photos of Mughul gardens - there's some great shapes: (the pavillions are just like the wood work above the doors on our terrace houses)

And lastly -In memorial to lost a facility that has not been replaced:

A photo of the old Community Centre

013 14/06/2008 Organising Meeting, Levenshulme Library

StuartCalton — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 09:44:43 CDT

MINUTES from Friends of Levenshulme Meeting, Levenshulme Library, 14th June 2008

Present: Nasreen Choudhary, Jamie Summers, Mohammed Anwar Usman, Pat Walsh, Tracy Jesty, Ellen Meredith, Sue McPherson, Charlotte Smith, M Wolstencroft, J Bettoni, Mr and Mrs Bunker, Frank Bamber, Malcolm Cowan, Carla Walsh, B. Walmsley, Stuart Calton, Audrey Sluyter, Barbara Mellor, Bill Langshaw, Jennifer Vickers, Kay Hodgkinson, John Hodgkinson, J Trail, D Trail, Nicky Jenkins, Freda Linnecor, Jule Reid, Candy Leonard, Nancy Smith, Julie Smith, Nancy Davenport, Dave Ball.

Apologies: Dick Brown, Sharon Glendon, Cllr John Commons, Cllr Keith Whitmore, Cllr Charles Glover.

Closure of Barlow Road (Greenbank) Post Office

The Post Office on Byron Parade / Barlow Road has been earmarked for closure by Royal Mail. Public “Consultation” is due to end on the 21st July, and should the closure go ahead, it would be closed in September. It was pointed out that Post Offices are community hubs, and that many people reply on the services they provide. It was mentioned that they provide people not just post facilities but banking facilities, car tax facilities etc… The catchment area for the Post Office takes in a large residential area where a considerable number of elderly people live. The walk to North Levenshulme Post Office, the next one along, is not reasonable for people with kids, the elderly or the disabled. It was said too that North Levy Office is frequently shut.

A number of actions are planned to fight the closure:

A petition has already been put together by the Postmaster, and is being signed in various shops and in the Post Office itself. We will need to take to the streets with this petition, and will organise this after the other actions have been sorted.

It was decided that we stage a protest outside the PO itself, at 11:00am on Saturday the 21st June. People will be asked to make and bring placards saying what they use the Post Office for and we will form an enormous queue from the Post Office and down the road. We will hand out leaflets asking resident to write down “What their Post Office means to them”.

It was decided that we should lobby outside our MP Gerald Kaufman’s surgery at Gorton Mount School on the 28th June at 10:00am. Placards again. A delegation of 6 or so will go in to seek his support in fighting the closure. We will also email Sir Gerald a short letter in advance to let him know we’re coming and to outline our concerns.

[N.B. Since the meeting, we've heard that Sir Gerald's surgery will be at Gorton Library on 28th June at 09:30am. The rest still stands]

It was decided that we should campaign on the issue at the Greenbank do on the 29th June also, perhaps with a stall. We will contact Greenbank RA about that.

We also agreed to look at the criteria for the closures (although doubt was expressed about whether they’d make any sense) on the Royal Mail website. We will also look into the possibility of the Local Authority taking over the Post Office, as has been done elsewhere. Also, we agreed we should be campaigning for MORE services in our Post Offices, and supporting them by using them, as well as against their closure.

ACTIONS:
► Stuart is sorting out a poster which advertises both events, and will get these to the PO to be picked up by residents for displaying in windows.
► Barbara has designed some leaflets to hand out to the protesting queue.
► Stuart & Pat will sort out the letter to Kaufman between them.
► Stuart will issue a press release for the queuing protest.
► Everyone in the area who wants to have a local Post Office will make placards.

Swimming Baths

The government have announced an £140,000,000 investment in free swimming. The press release from Tessa Jowell, Andy Burnham and Alan Johnson also talks about the funds being used to “Rejuvenate Pools”.

A letter has been written from Fol to be sent to the three ministers above, as well as to other notables like Richard Leese, Gerald Kaufman, Cllr Mike Amesbury, to enquire whether we could have a tiny, minute fraction of that cash to sort out our Baths, which are still on the verge of falling down.

It was pointed out that the Pools are also used for Mental Health patients, and to train the Fire Brigade, as well as for all the services we normally associate with them. It was also stated that a new filtration system had been installed recently. The facilities at Cedar Mount were mentioned and the question asked “Why can’t we have the same?”

► Julie will speak to Cllr Mike Amesbury about the Baths.

Lobby of the Council

The next full council meeting is on the 9th July. In order to show that we’re still here and that our issues haven’t gone away, we are intending to lobby the Council, both from the public gallery and from outside of the Town Hall. The main focus will be on the state of Levenshulme Baths, but also on any of the other issues facing our area. Dependant on the reply Leese gives us to our open letter in the SMR, we may approach Cllr Glover (who represents Gorton South ward, where the baths are) to raise a question about the Baths in the Council meeting.

It was pointed out that many different people do good work from within the various scrutiny committees, and that residents can apply to attend these meetings as observers. Whilst it was agreed that this is valuable, it was felt that there needed to be media visibility and a communal DIY aspect, in order to maintain the energy needed to keep Levenshulme’s issues in the public eye.

It was pointed out that the local paper is full of various different groups trying to protect their schools, their Health Services, their green space and so on, all across Manchester. If we all lobby at the same time, we can have a greater impact, so we are throwing the lobby open to any Manchester Community group that wants to join in. We have already spoken to ex-Council tenants at the Longsight end, who are keen to be involved in the lobby, protesting against the privatisation of their homes.

ACTIONS:

► Charlotte and Jamie are working on a new banner.
► Stuart and Jamie will knock up some kind of flyer.
► Charlotte & Stuart will seek out the contact details of various other community groups in Manchester and invite them to the event.
► Stuart will issue a press release.
► We need everyone to make placards again.

Bank Account / Constitution / “Treasurer’s Report”

The bank account is open and we’ve got about £91.00.

New "GP-led Health Centre" in Levenshulme

The “New GP-led Health Centre” in Levenshulme (like those in Moston and Longsight) is being put out the tender and will likely be privately-run. So far in the North West, the "preferred provider" has been Care UK (a private contractor linked to the US-based pharmaceutical company Mercury). It was mentioned that the British Medical Association handed a petition of one million signatures to Gordon Brown recently saying that patients shouldn’t become “customers”, that these new private clinics could be the end for existing NHS faculties in local areas and that for many they may mean further to travel.

It was pointed out that the consultation process has been extremely low-key, or invisible. In fact we had to find out about the plans through the Freedom of Information Act! The public “consultation” is set to close on 26th June. The website states that no communities will be forced to have one of these new health centres.

It was agreed that we write a letter to the PCT, asking that the consultation period be extended, stating grave reservations about the plans in general, and threatening judicial review on the lack of consultation. This should be copied to all the usual suspects in the Council and relevant Parliamentary departments. It was also suggested that at some point we organise a meeting with someone from the BMA, and someone from the PCT to put each side of the case in a public meeting. That way we can have the full debate.

► Sue will draft the letter.
► Sue to speak to GPs at Dunstable Street Health Cente and assess their attitude to the plans, Tracy to do likewise at Ashcroft Surgery. With view to sounding out a larger campaign.

Return of Leese

It was agreed to invite the Leader of the Council back again. This has been put back until September, given the workload above. It was agreed that he should be questioned on the whole range of issues affecting us, since the only issue to have been fully-resolved since he came last time is the opening of the new Tesco. It was also emphasised that we need to think about the structure of the meeting.

Other Business

Jenny Vickers of Four Avenues RA is planning to set up a group that can investigate and publicise Levenshulme’s heritage. This could also involve applying for listed status for important buildings. It was suggested that they speak to elderly residents about their memories, approach schools, set up a page on the FoL website and also see if they could tax any “community money” out of Tesco.

The Levenshulme Community Association are planning to set up a public meeting, as a method of consultation on the idea of a Parish Council for Levenshulme. Since there are a lot of conflicting reports about the different pros and cons of a Parish Council, they plan to invite an expert guest who can present the issues to the public.

(Taken down by Stuart)

Minutes of Meetings

StuartCalton — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 04:45:39 CDT

Here you will find minutes from our meetings & a reminder of who's doing what & when:

Some abbrieviations:

DNG - Delamere Neighbourhood Group
FARA - Four Avenues Residents Association
BAGRA Bristol & Gloucester Residents Association

001 12/02/2007 Residents Associations of Levenshulme come together

002 19/02/2007 Organising a Protest, petition and leaflet campaign

003 03/03/2007 Steering Group

004 14/04/2007 Report of the Friends of Levenshulme Open Meeting

005 10/06/2007 Proposal for a community garden at Chapel Street

006 11/07/2007 Transcript Full City Council Meeting

007 03/11/2007 Richard Leese at St Peters Church

008 18/11/2007 Organising Meeting, Bluebell

009 08/12/2007 Organising Meeting, Levenshulme Library

010 03/02/2008 Organising Meeting, Bluebell

011 23/02/2008 Organising Meeting, Levenshulme Library

012 09/04/2008 Organising Meeting, Bluebell

013 14/06/2008 Organising Meeting, Levenshulme Library

Links

dngjamie — Thu, 15 May 2008 12:03:09 CDT

Anyone who wants to get in touch with the 'Who's Looking After Levenshulme Campaign' can contact us on:

levenshulmecampaign@googlemail.com

The more people involved, the better

Levenshulme Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=5314674876&ref=mf

Local Neighbourhood Groups / Web Sites

Delamere Neighbourhood Group
(which covers Delamere Rd, Stanhope St. Gordon Avenue, Dalny St and Elmsworth Ave.)
Secretary: Maria dngsecretary@yahoo.co.uk
Website: http://www.dng.wetpaint.com

Four Avenues Residents Association
(which covers Broom Avenue, Kingsmill Avenue, Cornwall Avenue and Ventnor Avenue)
Secretary: Elaine - pulp_follies@hotmail.com, Publicity/Events: Sean - phatseanio@gmail.com
Website: http://www.4avenues.wetpaint.com

Carrill and Worsley Residents Association
(which covers Carrill Grove and Worsley Grove)
Secretary/contact: Emma musicmaestro81@yahoo.co.uk

Bristol and Gloucester Residents Association
(which covers Bristol Avenue and Gloucester Avenue)
Secretary: Tracy - tracy.jesty@britishcouncil.org (weekdays) or: tracyjesty@hotmail.co.uk

Rushford Park Residents Association
(which covers Central Avenue, Rushford Avenue, Park Avenue, Limefield Terrrace, Park Grove, Berkley Avenue, Sylvandale Avenue and Motherwell Avenue)
Secretary: rushfordresidents@googlemail.com
http://rushfordparkresidents.wetpaint.com/

Cromwell and Chapel Residents Association
They cover the following streets: Chapel/Ratcliffe/Wetherall/Rostron/Mercer/Cardus.
.

http://www.levenshulme.com/

http://www.levenshulmecommunity.org.uk/

http://www.levenshulmefestival.co.uk/

http://www.alltogether.info/

Manchester Roller Hockey

http://manchester-roller-hockey-club.wetpaint.com/

MCC Planning Portal - Keep an eye on any planning applications:

http://www.publicaccess.manchester.gov.uk/publicaccess/tdc/tdc_home.aspx

link to website page on effect on local people of supermarket closure

http://www.transportlongsight.org.uk/onthemove/06dec.html

10 - Question The Candidates Hustings, Cedar Mount School, 26th April 2008

StuartCalton — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 01:17:04 CDT

Friends of Levenshulme's

Question The Candidate Hustings at Cedar Mount School

26th April 2008

(left to right: Charles Glover, Keith Whitmore, Tracy Jesty (chair), Justine Hall, Quammer Ahmad, Julie Reid, Sue McPherson.)

Levenshulme's Local Family Planning Services Are Being Scrapped

StuartCalton — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 06:30:35 CDT

It's come to our attention recently (April 2008) that Manchester PCT are closing the Family Planning Services that operate from Levenshulme Health Centre. They are now to be delivered from Manchester Royal Infirmary instead. We understand that these local services will also be stopping in other districts of South Manchester. This is yet another example of our local services being attacked, and a blow which will particularly affect young people who need this advice on hand, not miles away in town.

Feel free to complain about this very bad and stupid policy by contacting Manchester PCT Complaints Lead Officer on lynn.yates@manchester.nhs.uk and keep an eye out for further action on this front.

Below are letters and an article from the South Manchester Reporter covering local peoples' responses to this move.

09 - Guerilla Gardening, Community Centre Site, 6th April 2008

StuartCalton — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 06:02:18 CDT

Volunteers planting trees and sowing seeds to brighten up the place and mark the plot as community land. More updates coming as nature takes its course re: flowering, sprouting etc...

Photographs

StuartCalton — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 15:30:25 CDT

What wonderful photographs, showing just how much support there is for this campaign!

Surely this voice is loud enough to be heard!

01 - The 1st Demo. KwikSave/Somerfield site Saturday 10th March 2007

02 - The BIG meeting. 350 Residents turn up to the South Manchester Regeneration Meeting

03 - The Community Centre Event. Locals build a cardboard community centre and start work on a garden

04 - Town Hall Demo - and handing in of the 3,141 signed petition 18th May 2007

05 - Picnic in the Park - Friends of Levenshulme Awareness Raising Event 26th Aug 2007

06 - Paper Shops & Stall - Publicising the Leese Meeting 27th Oct 2007

07 - The Meeting with Richard Leese and Gerald Kaufman 3rd November 2007

08 - The Protest Easter Egg Hunt, 23rd March 2008

09 - Guerilla Gardening, Old Community Centre Site, 6th April 2008

10 - Question The Candidates Hustings, Cedar Mount School, 26th April 2008

Old Images of Levenshulme : http://www.images.manchester.gov.uk/

A Personal View of Levenshulme, by former resident George Dixon: http://www.levyboy.com

Who's Looking After Levenshulme? Wallpaper : click here

Richard Leese's response to our Easter Postcards

Anonymous — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 13:21:21 CDT

HERE'S OUR ORIGINAL LETTER TO RICHARD LEESE,
WHICH WAS SENT WITH THE 79 POSTCARDS:

08 - Protest Easter Egg Hunt, 23rd March 2008

StuartCalton — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 06:29:08 CDT

CLICK HERE TO READ THE LEADER OF THE COUNCIL'S LETTER

012 09/04/2008 Organising Meeting, Bluebell

Anonymous — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 01:11:12 CDT

MINUTES from Friends of Levenshulme Meeting, Bluebell Inn, 9th April 2008

Present: Sharon Glendon, Dick Brown, Pete, Sara Harris, Pat Walsh, Helen, Tim McMahon, Jordon Kenison, Joe Kisolo-Ssonko, Jenni Viitanen, Malcolm Cowan, Sue McPherson, Cllr Keith Whitmore, Stuart Calton.

Hustings / Meet The Candidates

The list of Local Council candidates for May 1st has now been published here:

http://www.manchester.gov.uk/site/scripts/documents_info.php?documentID=3507

It was agreed to invite all candidates standing. The invitation letter will be re-drafted to include a general idea of the hustings’ focus. It was agreed that some mention of Public Services, especially youth facilities, community centre, would be good, as well as mentioning retail and the physical environment, grouped under the Council-friendly heading of the “District Centre”. We also agreed to mention in passing the recent talk in government circles about Civic Participation.

It was suggested that as an incentive, we agree to campaign on behalf of candidates that turn up. However, this was thought to compromise FoL’s independence. Also, it was thought incentives would be unnecessary, since the Labour Party, LibDem and Left List candidates for Gorton South, were all at the meeting where the idea was raised (see minutes) and appeared to be planning to attend anyway.

The importance of tight chairing was mentioned, given the large number of people on the platform. The vast majority of the meeting should focus on open questions from the floor, directed at all or some of the candidates. Tracy has agreed to chair the Hustings. It was decided that a school would be the best bet for a venue, since they are public buildings and central to the communities they serve. The long association between schools and polling stations also makes a school the obvious choice.

ACTIONS:

► Stuart is re-jigging the letter and will send it out to all candidates ASAP.
► Stuart and Jamie will knock up a flyer to advertise the event.

UPDATE: Tracy has contacted the headteacher of Cedar Mount school who is happy to allow us to host the event at the school on Saturday the 26th April between 2pm & 4pm.

Swimming Baths

The future of Levenshulme swimming baths is still on the immediate agenda, since the roof still hasn’t been fixed (it’s still being held up with ACRO supports) and no word has come to us on any plans to fix it.

Whilst the baths are run by Serco, the City Council has responsibility for the upkeep of the building. It’s understood that Serco and MCC are currently in discussion about who is liable to fix the roof. An initial suggestion that we seek clarification on the contract, to ensure that the Council is responsible for this aspect of the building work was thought to be unnecessary. Since the Council is the elected body, it was agreed to focus our campaigning on MCC, as that campaigning will apply a knock-on pressure to Serco anyway. It was also pointed out that the Council should be held accountable for any ambiguity in the original contract when they privatised the service.

Since this is a widely-used and much-loved facility, we agreed to pull in as many Residents’ Groups as possible to sign a letter to be sent to Richard Leese, to show the breadth of feeling. The letter will also be copied to the press as an open letter, asking:

- Who’s going to fix the roof?
- When are they going to fix it?

and asking for assurance that the Baths will not just be given the minimum investment needed to prevent it from collapsing, but that a commitment to proper Council investment be made, not just to maintain it, but to improve it for the long term future.

Once drafted, we’ll send this to representatives from the RAs, as well as other community groups, for permission to add their names to the signatories.

There was mention of a swimwear-clad protest outside the building, which met with a mixed reception (in most cases, more for personal than political reasons!), but may be something to think about if the response to the letter is deemed to warrant further action…

ACTIONS:

► Stuart will draft the letter and send it around the RAs and other groups for their signatures, subject to consultation on the contents of the letter.

Bank Account / Constitution

The bank account is still in the process of being opened. The constitution is now on the website here. Since those on the mailing list were notified on March 31st, we’ve had no objections to the constitution. The basis of the constitution was agreed by a vote at an organising meeting back in December 8th 2007.

There was intense debate about the nature of FoL and the anti-privatisation part of our constitution. It was suggested that the “public money for public services” part was too narrow and limited the extent to which FoL can get involved as partners in shaping the Council’s policies.

It was pointed out that most people within FoL get involved in other organisations like the Levenshulme Community Association, and the Residents’ Associations in order to be consulted on Section 106 agreements, and to bid for lottery funding and so forth. Nobody within FoL is excluded from doing these things. However, Friends of Levenshulme is a campaigning organisation, and as such, is focused on publicly applying pressure to the Council and against their policy of public service privatisation.

As per the minutes of the December 8th meeting, the constitution is now in place for one year until an AGM on 22nd February 2009.

ACTIONS: ► The treasurer Audrey is working on getting the account opened.

The Return of Richard Leese

It was agreed to invite the Leader of the Council in late May or June.

At the last meeting, the idea of council officers attending too was suggested and generally agreed-upon. However, this idea was thought to give Sir Richard too much scope for ducking his personal responsibility as the Leader of the Council. The flipside is that unless those officers who have all the specific information at their disposal are present, there may be yet more scope to “get back to us”, rather than answer the question on the day.

There was no fixed consensus reached on this point. However, it was agreed that it would be counter-productive to send the initiation during the election period, when Town Hall will be boiling over, but that we should wait until after May 1st. So the details can be decided at the next meeting closer to the time.

Other Business

Students from Manchester University are researching and writing a document in response to the Council’s District Plan for Levenshulme. People from the FoL Retail and Development group have been working with them. Their questionnaire on currently on our homepage, please visit and complete it.

Family Planning services are being moved out of Levenshulme Health Centre and re-located to Manchester Royal Infirmary. This was generally regarded as yet another example of our services being cut and (particularly) young people in Levenshulme being ignored. We will bear it in mind as a possible campaigning issue in the future and in the meantime advertise the fact and the details of those to whom we should complain.

The idea of a joint meeting between FoL and the LCA was floated, on the topic of setting up a Parish Council.

(Taken down by Stuart)

Events

Anonymous — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 08:07:29 CDT

COMMUNITY INFORMATION DROP-IN

Levenshulme Library
Wednesday 23 April 2-5pm

Free advice for everyone
Energy Efficientcy - Fire Safety - Housing
Crime Prevention - Care & Repair
Licensing of private Landlords

plus Hand Massage
Freebies from Starbucks

manchester library & information service / Private Sector Housing / Manchester City Council

Friends of Levenshulme's Constitution

StuartCalton — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 16:12:46 CDT

07 - The Meeting with Richard Leese, 3rd November 2008

StuartCalton — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 08:41:59 CDT

Who's Looking after Levenshulme Wallpaper

Ed_Moose — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 17:36:36 CDT

After the Easter Egg hunt today......

Looking through the photo's that I'd taken, I found this rather lovely image of a rather disgruntled looking Pug that was out on the hunt with his owner. A quick edit or two later and here are a couple of images that I thought might be fun for wallpaper...... For the full size images (2560x2048) click on the images themselves and it should take you straight to them :o)

Enjoy....

On a more serious note though, The Easter event was great, thanks to all those who made so much effort to make it work :o)

011 23/02/2008 Organising Meeting, Levenshulme Library

StuartCalton — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 12:05:52 CST

MINUTES from Friends of Levenshulme Meeting, Levenshulme Library, 23rd February 2008

Present: Charlotte Smith, Claire Mooney, Candy Leonard, Hugh Peters, Ellen Meredith, Liz Pilkington, Ollie Ashford, Paul Daly, Jenni Viitanen, Tracy Jesty, Jamie Summers, Lydia Meryll, Cllr Charles Glover, Kate O’Neill, Cllr John Bridges, Hannah Peake, Julie Reid, Liz Noble, Janet Scott, Cllr John Commons, Cllr Keith Whitmore, Stuart Calton.

Easter Event

Following on from the last meeting, it was agreed that the number of sites to be visited should be seven, these are:

- Chapel Street site (former Community Centre site)
- St Mary’s / Elbow Street site
- Levenshulme Baths
- supermarket formerly known as Kwiksave site
- Levenshulme Train Station
- Arcadia sports centre
- Greenbank

The postcard will be amended to show each of these sites. The event is to start at 14:00 and run until about 16:00.

Rather than stamps, it was agreed that stickers would be less expensive and fulfill the same role. Since there are seven sites, it was suggested that we use the seven colors of the rainbow, one for each site. This should be cheap and pretty.

Volunteers will sit at each site, at a kind of “checkpoint”, to sticker people’s cards.

There will then be a bring-and-buy sale at the end on the Chapel Street site. In terms of this, we’ll ask on the publicity for people to contribute baking. There’s also a possibility of getting cheap or free vegetables and stuff from Smithfields Market, as was done by Greenbank RA for their Christmas Party.

As well as drawing up a letter asking for donations to take around small local shops, it was agreed that we’ll also approach McVities, Cadbury’s and the Co-op (CWS) for free / discounted eggs and confectionary. It was suggested that, in the likely absence of a massive haul of large free eggs, we could use cream eggs instead.

There was some discussion about the legal implications of children walking around the various sites in Levenshulme. It was proposed that:

- if unaccompanied children turn up, we let them participate
- we do not provide people to accompany any unattended children
- we make it clear on all promotional literature that “parents are responsible for their children”

General consensus was reached on this solution, since it involved the minimum of intervention, expense and bureaucracy. Although it was also agreed to look into the legalities further to be on the safe side.

It was agreed that we need flyers a minimum of two weeks in advance. These should show a map of the route, explain the idea of the event and carry a message about what need to be done at each site. They can then be used to advertise it, and to give instruction on the day.

It was also pointed out that we should make sure any litter is collected from the site, and that we should ask for an optional donation from those taking part.

ACTIONS:

► Kate and the Roller Hockey Club have agreed to operate the checkpoint at the Arcadia. Cllr Commons and the Friends of Levenshulme Station will man the checkpoint at the Station. Hannah and Liz agreed to be on the checkpoint at Greenbank. The other sites will be dished out between us all on the day.
► Kate is to approach Alma Park school to ask if they’ll help distribute leaflets. Candy will speak to teachers at Chapel Street School too. ► Lydia will speak to the Co-op about possible donations of food, Stuart will contact Cadbury’s. Hannah will speak to Mark of Greenbank RA about visiting Smithfields Market for donations and Tracy will draft a letter approaching local shops.
► Stuart and Jamie will sort out a flyer between them, as well as finalising the postcard design and text.
► We should have stalls on the first three weekends in March to advertise the Easter event.
► Julie will look into the legal situation.

Letter to Richard Leese

It was acknowledged that it’s too late to get Richard Leese back before the election period begins. The Chief Executive of the Council has put restrictions on when council officers can appear in public during the run-up making it yet more tight.

It was agreed to invite the Leader of the Council and those council officers with responsibility for the Levenshulme area, in June or July 2008.

In the meantime, the letter inviting him, drawn up by Conor (see last minutes) will be sent. Additonal material will be included, asking for updates on the various issues.

Bank Account / Constitution

In order to open a bank account, Friends of Levenshulme will need some form of constitution and some official positions.

It was pointed out that our unofficial, loosely-grouped structure has always served us well, allowing us to make decisions quickly and with the minimum of fuss. However, we do really need a bank account, and there appears to be no way to get around it. For this reason the constitution will be extremely short and highlight only:

- FoL’s independence from all political parties and business interests
- FoL’s commitment to being inclusive regardless of race, sexuality, religion, disability etc…
- FoL’s commitment to the principle of public money or public services (see minutes 08/12/07)

Given that all these points have applied to FoL from the start, it should make no difference to the way we operate.

It was proposed that Tracy Jesty take the role of Chair, Stuart Calton take the role of Secretary, Audrey Sluyter take the role of Treasurer and Sean Roach and Charlotte Smith be additional signatories. All these positions were filled without objection.

The constitution will be placed on our website for public scrutiny and any objections. After 7 days, it will be regarded as agreed for one year. The positions and constitution will then be reviewed at an AMG a year from now on 22nd February 2009.

ACTIONS:
► Charlotte is drafting the constitution and has agreed to open the bank account itself once everything is sorted.

Levenshulme Hustings

It was agreed that we send letters of invitation to candidates standing in both Levenshulme and Gorton South wards, on the 4th April, once nominations are closed. We will need to have the letters ready in advance. The hustings itself should be in the third week of April. It was thought a school would be the best venue.

It was suggested that we invite one representative from each of the parties standing, rather than every candidate. This was generally thought to be more trouble than it was worth since it would not then be a meeting with the candidates. It was also suggested that we only invite candidates from parties already represented on the Council. These would be Labour, Tory, LibDem and Green. It was thought that this wouldn’t be appropriate as it would prevent independents or other smaller parties from having their say.

It was decided therefore to invite all candidates and let the parties themselves decide how they want to play it.

It was pointed out that neither Cllr Commons of the Liberal Democrats, nor Julie Reid (the Labour candidate for Gorton South) would be prepared to share a platform with fascists, should they stand. The general feeling was that we would not be prepared to offer them a platform. Should the a fascist candidate stand, we will meet nearer the time to plan our response in more detail.

ACTIONS:

► Stuart will get the basic text of the letters ready and pass them around in advance of the 4th April for comment. He’ll also get the basics of the publicity sorted out.

Other Business

A fundraiser CD single has been produced of Claire Mooney’s song “Who’s Looking After Levenshulme?” (with “Kindness of Strangers” on the b-side). It will cost £2.00 with all donations going to the campaign. Claire will advertise it on her website and at gigs. We will also sell it on the street on our stalls.

It was noted that the first draft of the minutes from 08/12/2007 gave the impression that St Peter’s church had been charging FoL to use their facilities. It was acknowledged that the wording was misleading and it’s now been amended. It was made clear that St Peter’s has never charged FoL for use of the church building and indeed has generously helped meet with publicity for our events in the past.

ACTIONS:

► Stuart has burnt the first batch of CDs and produced the labels and artwork. So they're ready now.
► Claire will approach ALL FM with these. We’ll also send some to the usual press contacts.

(Taken down by Stuart)

Levenshulme - Recently Updated Pages

Development around St. Mary's and Elbow Street area

Levenshulme's New "GP-Led Health Centre"

Home

* * * Let us know your views by e-mailing levenshulmecampaign@googlemail.comor posting a message at the bottom of this page, its quick and easy. Also e-mail us if you would like regular e-mail updates on the campaign and we will add you to our e-mail mailing list.

* * *

Consultation Events

Community Garden

013 14/06/2008 Organising Meeting, Levenshulme Library

Swimming Baths

Lobby of the Council

Other Business

Minutes of Meetings

Links

10 - Question The Candidates Hustings, Cedar Mount School, 26th April 2008

Levenshulme's Local Family Planning Services Are Being Scrapped

09 - Guerilla Gardening, Community Centre Site, 6th April 2008

Photographs

Surely this voice is loud enough to be heard!

Richard Leese's response to our Easter Postcards

08 - Protest Easter Egg Hunt, 23rd March 2008

012 09/04/2008 Organising Meeting, Bluebell

Swimming Baths

The Return of Richard Leese

Other Business

Events

Friends of Levenshulme's Constitution

07 - The Meeting with Richard Leese, 3rd November 2008

Who's Looking after Levenshulme Wallpaper

After the Easter Egg hunt today......

011 23/02/2008 Organising Meeting, Levenshulme Library

Letter to Richard Leese

Levenshulme Hustings

ACTIONS:

Other Business

ACTIONS:

* * * Let us know your views by e-mailing
levenshulmecampaign@googlemail.com
or posting a message at the bottom of this page, its quick and easy. Also e-mail us if you would like regular e-mail updates on the campaign and we will add you to our e-mail mailing list.