A little over three weeks ago, I wrote to Urban Vision (copy here) and requested a walkabout so that I could personally show them the dreadful state our road had deteriorated to. Less than a week later, I was pleased to be joined by Steven Lee (Director of Engineering at Urban Vision) on Seedley Park Road where we met and discussed the current condition of the road and poor previous attempts to fix it.

Steven promised an immediate fix for the pothole and longer term, a partial re-surfacing of Seedley Park Road in the Summer.

I am pleased to report that today Urban Vision workers arrived on-site for the first of two days work to cut out the damaged sections of Seedley Park Road and fill in the holes. I will be checking by tomorrow to see the completed works, but I would just like to pass on my personal thanks to Urban Vision for re-acting quickly.

My enthusiasm for Urban Vision is, of course, tempered – because it took a resident’s complaint (i.e. mine) to get Urban Vision to agree to action. If it hadn’t have been so close to election time, who knows how long it would have taken to get the road sorted?

I am sick of hearing that a pothole “doesn’t meet intervention criteria” and I am looking forward to meeting Steven again to discuss how we can make changes to the decision to fill/not fill a pothole. Further, there are many a road that need complete or partial resurfacing – yet the policy seems to be just to fill in the holes, no matter how many they are and how close together they are.

This policy is wrong and needs to be changed.

During March and April, the Seedley and Langworthy Trust in partnership with Take Part Salford are hosting four ‘Salford Question Time’ events featuring the key political leaders in local politics. The Liberal Democrats, Labour and the Conservatives have all agreed to sit on the panel, alongside others with specialist knowledge.

Elected members will be addressing potential voters and confronting Salford issues in public. The format will be very similar to the BBC’s own Question Time TV programme and the events will also provide a training experience for members of Salford Community Media Partnership who would be involved in set design; sound; film and lighting.

Tickets are free, but there is limited availability – so book early.

The themes and dates are as follows:
* Housing & the Environment – Thurs 4th March, 7–8.30pm
* Economy & Employment – Thurs 11th March, 7–8.30pm
* Education, Children & Young People – Thurs 18th March, 7–8.30pm
* National Issues (MPs) – Thurs 8th April, 7–8.30pm

To apply for tickets and submit questions for the event, please telephone Seedley and Langworthy Trust on 0161 737 9918 or email: admin@sali.org.uk

RE: Deterioration of Highways in Langworthy ward

Dear Sir,

I am writing to express my grave concern for the deterioration in our ward’s roads following the recent freeze and thaw.
While the roads in Langworthy were already in a pretty terrible state to begin with, the situation has gone beyond a joke.

For example, recent repair activity on Seedley Park Road has to be seen to be believed. The repairs that were actioned last week are of the worst quality “repair” I have yet to see on any road in Salford (or indeed the UK). Actionable potholes were ignored, possibly due to the fact that white markings had faded/disappeared in between the reporting date and the repair date. This is unacceptable incompetence on the part of Urban Vision.

Further, the quality of the actual repairs to holes that were filled in is of extremely poor quality, with inferior material being used coupled with poor workmanship.

As a consequence, I request a ward walkabout/inspection(as was recently granted to Claremont and Weaste & Seedley wards) so that residents, ward councillors and Urban Vision staff can all collectively agree on what are and are not actionable repairs and acceptable repair quality.

Monday 15th February would be an idea day for me and I can pretty much accomodate any time on that day.

I hope each of you will take the time to consider this request, purely in the interests of the residents of Langworthy.

Best Regards,

Steve Middleton

I’m happy to report that as from tomorrow (Tuesday 12th January), Salford Council is able to resume it’s bin collection services.

Therefore all Langworthy residents should put their grey bins out as normal. If your bin is full (mine is – no collection for weeks!), you can put extra refuse in a SEALED black bin bag, I am assured these will be collected as well.

Please do not put out your recycles – this service is still suspended at the moment,

Just a quick note to let everyone know that tonight’s Ordsall & Langworthy Community Committee meeting has been cancelled.

Will update here as soon as possible when it is re-scheduled.

I know it’s Christmas-time and my thoughts should be on other things, but when it’s right outside your front window – the broken/non-working street light is hard to ignore. In fact, due to Christmas I haven’t really been too minded about hassling Urban Vision about the street light.

However, this evening I was clearing out old emails and came across the email (and reply!) I sent to Urban Vision about the street light which is not working on Seedley Park Road. Monday 30th November was the date – and I even received an email back confirming that it would be added to the list of jobs.

What is taking so long? Four weeks to fix a street light?

Once we are well into the new year, I’ll be highlighting this with Lead Members as an example of how inefficient the Council’s highway repairs are tasked and carried out (if ever). Things must change in 2010. It is unacceptable to pay through the nose, by way of council tax, for the quite frankly crap service we all get from Salford Council.

Following my earlier post here, where I asked “Are these the best Christmas lights in Salford?” in answer to Tony Flynn’s question over on Salford Online – Tony has now tracked down the owner of 37 Seedley Park Road and revealed that Donna McLoughlin is the genius behind the impressive festive display.

Salford Online retain full copyright of this video and it is re-published here subject to their consent.

I still think these are the best Christmas lights in Salford and I love the fact that Ms. McLoughlin’s display gets bigger and better each year. I can’t wait to see how she improves on her work in 2010! Well done Donna.

May I take this opportunity to wish all my blog readers a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Tony Flynn of Salford Online has posted this gem of a video here, and he has already posed the question: Are these the best Christmas lights in Salford?

While my neighbour has made a fantastic effort – I don’t think even her efforts are quite up to the standard offered by David Brierley.

Still well done – her display gets bigger and better each year. We’re quite lucky on Seedley Park Road, many residents have made a great effort and I really do get in the christmas spirit every time I come home from work (as it’s always pitch black when I do).

Seedley Park Road, Salford. M6

Following on from my previous blog article, Councillor Owen and I stopped to inspect The Langworthy Hotel – this superb example of 19th century architecture is now destined for demolition by Salford Council, who purchased the property in 2000. After several failed attempts to secure investors and sell it to developers, the decision seems to have been made to level it. Rather strange, considering this page from Salford City Council’s own website (which was recently updated) states “We believe that this building (and land), its location, architectural attributes and close ties to the local community provide the essential requirements to create a positive impact.”

The money that has been spent on The Langworthy Hotel by Salford City Council since it took ownership is not inconsiderable. Following the purchase, the council spent almost £26,000 in 2004 engaging consultants Meadowhead Consulting to come up with a business plan for the retention of the building. At the time, the proposal requirements stated by the council were “We would like to engage the consultants to provide a realistic, concrete, action focussed business plan for the building with a sustainable end use or uses so that this valuable local asset and landmark building is regenerated and does not become a further burden to the public purse.”

But now it seems the fate of The Langworthy Hotel is sealed. The Sustainable Regeneration Directorate has proved what an oxymoron it really is, by approving it’s demolition. While it’s sad to see such a wonderful building disappear, it is even more disheartening when the local community has made it’s opinions clear that the hotel would complement the ongoing developments on Langworthy Road.

In April 2004, The Seedley and Langworthy Initiative published a report entitled “Accessing Community Demand for The Langworthy Hotel” in which the responses to questionnaires sent out to every household in the area are summarised. The majority (well over two thirds) of residents thought that the Hotel would make a suitable additional community venue and their last choice would be for the Hotel to be demolished.

Indeed, in publishing it’s decision to demolish the Hotel, the Sustainable Regeneration Directorate even mentioned that The Seedley and Langworthy Trust (S.A.L.T.) was interested in exploring a bid from the Community Builders fund, that could bring the building back into use for the local community. The Directorate ignored this expression of interest from S.A.L.T. on the ground it would “take too long”.

I think this decision is a travesty and hope that Langworthy residents can come out in support of The Langworthy Hotel before it’s too late. Surely until every possible option has been exhausted, including any bid via SALT, the Hotel should not be demolished. I don’t understand why Salford Council see demolition as the answer to Salford’s problem. Demolition should always be the last resort.