INCREASE IN BIG EARNERS AT SALFORD CITY COUNCIL

While everyone is being threatened with public sector cuts, draft accounts for Salford City Council show an increase in the number of staff earning above £50,000 a year during 2009-2010.

A total of 253 Council staff earned over £50,000, compared to 242 staff in 2008-9. Figures also show 19 people at the Council earned over £85,000 compared to 13 people last year, while top earner is Chief Executive Barbara Spicer, who pulled in £201,329 including pension contributions.

What Is MediaCityUK?
"Is it something to do with football?"

Young people in Salford who are supposed to benefit from MediaCityUK don't even know what it is or where it is, according to research carried out less than a few miles from the Salford Quays site.

Far from being inspired by the £1billion+ scheme that's promising jobs and opportunities for local people, the vast majority of young people, aged nine to fifteen, who were asked a series of questions about MediaCityUK had no idea of the concept.

THE PLAY                                  THE FILM
The Bench                                 Diary Of A Bad Lad
By Joe O'Byrne                          Starring Joe O'Byrne
Salford Arts Theatre                 Plaza Cinema Stockport
30th June – 3rd July                 29th June – and on DVD

JOE O'BYRNE WEEK…

THE BENCH COMES TO SALFORD ARTS THEATRE
After successful runs at The Lowry, the Library Theatre and Studio Salford, Joe O'Byrne's play The Bench finally comes to Salford Arts Theatre, after being postponed earlier in the year.

DIARY OF A BAD LAD PREMIERE
Joe O'Byrne stars as a hard core psychopathic gangsta in a new film, shot around Salford but getting its premiere in Stockport, before being released on DVD this week…

LIFE IN SALFORD TO BE AXED?

Today, the Government has announced plans to 'toughen up the rules' governing tax payer funded council publications.

"Our free press should not face state competition from propaganda on the rates dressed up as local reporting" says Eric Pickles Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.

He adds that "town hall Pravdas that end up in the bin…undermine a free press".

With a promised revision and tightening of the rules covering local authority publicity, this could well mean the end of Salford Council's controversial loss making Life magazine…

STITCHED!

Salford Council Officers Subjectively Advised Community Committees To Reject Salford Star Funding Application…

"We've not been provided with the written evidence of examples of political bias" John Merry, Leader Salford city Council

Salford Council officers subjectively decided that the Salford Star shouldn't be funded, according to statements made at the Council's Cabinet meeting this week.

Salford Star was appealing against the Council's decision to advise three of the city's community committees not to fund the magazine from devolved monies as the publication was 'overtly political' and 'not balanced'. No proper definition of the term 'overtly political' was produced by officers, and neither was there any evidence presented of 'unbalanced' articles.

The Cabinet decided to defer the appeal to await some evidence.

FIRST SALFORD PROTEST AGAINST CON DEM GOVERNMENT

A small demonstration outside Salford Civic Centre last night heralded the first fightback in the city against the Tory and Lib Dem Government's cuts.

In the immediate aftermath of a budget which will hit Salford particularly hard, protestors waved placards urging the city's Labour Council `Don't Do The Tories' Dirty Work' and `Make The Bosses Pay!'…

There'll be a further demonstration outside the Civic Centre next Monday at 12noon called by UNISON.

SALFORD CABBIES OFFER FOR NEW DRAMA

Bluebird
Salford Arts Theatre
Until 26th June

All Salford taxi drivers have been offered a special discount to see the first play performed by the newly formed Salford Theatre Company.

The acclaimed production, called Bluebird, is about a taxi driver and the strange relationship he has with those who use his cab. It's on all week at Salford Arts Theatre and Salford cabbies can see it for a fiver. Everyone else has to pay the full fare.

NO EVIDENCE FOR REFUSING SALFORD STAR FUNDING

This morning, Salford Star's appeal to Salford City Council's Cabinet was deferred until July.

Salford Star had appealed against Salford City Council's ruling that the community centred magazine didn't meet its criteria for funding because it was `overtly political' and `unbalanced'. Councillors noted that in the officers' reports there was no proper evidence submitted to back this up.

Officers now have until the next Cabinet meeting to provide serious proof that the Salford Star is `overtly political' and `unbalanced'.

SALFORD COUNCIL CHILDREN'S SERVICES INVOLVE POLICE IN SALFORD STAR EXPOSE…

In what we see as an attempt to shoot the messenger, the Salford Star has received a letter from Salford Council, copied to the police, demanding to know more details of how the Star got hold of confidential child case studies…

As the Council's Children's Services today get slammed by OFSTED for being `inadequate', is this an attempt to find a scapegoat?

SALFORD COUNCIL CHILD SAFEGUARDING `INADEQUATE' YET AGAIN…

"The leadership and management of senior managers and elected members have been ineffective in delivering the required service improvements to ensure safeguarding concerns are appropriately identified and investigated" OFSTED

Today a shocking OFSTED Report has again slammed Salford City Council's attempts to safeguard our children. The Report judged the Council's safeguarding `inadequate', but will those directly responsible for the service – Salford City Council Leader, John Merry, and Chief Executive, Barbara Spicer, resign?

MARK MACREADY AND THE ARCHANGEL MURDERS…

MAC IS BACK!

When it was first released a year ago, Salford Star hailed the city's first ever proper horror film as `totally, totally up there…a triumph'.

Now, after touring the world's film festivals to much acclaim, the short comedy monster movie has been made available free to view online, with a prequel cartoon version due out in August.

SALFORD COUNCIL VOTES FOR MINING IN THE GREEN BELT

“In my opinion if the Council is not even prepared to listen to an MP, Barbara Keeley, with regards to objections, what chance do our ordinary citizens have?" Christine Smith, local resident.

Yesterday, the planning committee of Salford Council voted to allow coal bed methane mining on Peel Holdings' land in the Green Belt at Barton Moss in Irlam. Local residents are already reeling from the slow destruction and exploitation of their area, with peat mining on the Moss, and the siting of the massive Port Salford and Salford Reds stadium on their doorstep.

Now residents are wondering what happened to the pre-election promises of Labour councillors and candidates that they wouldn't support industrial development on the Green Belt…

SALFORD COUNCIL MAG BEGINS TO LOSE MONEY

"Now I would have thought that people would welcome the fact that we're saving the taxpayer money here…" John Merry, Leader Salford City Council

Despite assertions from Salford Council Leader, John Merry, that the Council's Life in Salford rag would `save local taxpayers money', we can reveal that the publication is now actually beginning to lose money – despite being subsidised by taxpayers, despite being stuffed with in-house advertising and despite having `no staff costs'…

CHARLESTOWN AND LOWER KERSAL NDC STAFF 10% WAGE RISE

While everyone else is being told to tighten financial belts, some staff at the New Deal for Communities in Salford have been awarded a 10% `plusage' on their wages because, a Salford City Council notice states, "It is imperative to retain leadership and other staff"…

However, according to latest published figures, the NDC is already spending a greater percentage of its budget on `Management and Administration' than on things like Health and Community Safety…

UNIVERSITY OF SALFORD MEDIACITYUK SUPREMO SCARPERS

After only 18 months in the job, John Holland, the University of Salford's Director for MediaCityUK, has left and gone back to London. Holland, who was employed to exploit the "enormous opportunity" the University's new base at MediaCityUK offered, leaves well before the new centre even opens next year.

Holland recently told an audience that MediaCityUK was a "place where amazing things are going on" – unfortunately he won't be there to see them…

ANOTHER CHILD PROTECTION RESIGNATION IN SALFORD

Michael Kemp, the head of Salford's Child Protection Service, has now resigned from Salford Council, adding to a whole list of Council staff involved in safeguarding our kids who have now left the department.

It comes in the wake of leaked information from OFSTED, which has shown the Council getting another `inadequate' rating for its Children's Services. But where are the other resignations?

`DON'T DEMOLISH IT…COFFEY IT!'

A new campaign has sprung up on Facebook to get Joe Coffey's art splattered all over Central Salford. The artist, currently being hailed as `the new Lowry', produces vibrant, almost glowing pictures of how Salford is, not how the regeneration industry would like it.

Coffey's work, featuring hoodies, the Precinct, Strangeways, landscapes and old pubs has been photo-shopped and re-imagined onto Salford landmarks by local musician and poet, James Herring, and slapped on Facebook where it's receiving rave reviews.

PROTEST AGAINST THE CUTS IN SALFORD
Tuesday 22nd June 4:45pm
Salford Civic Centre 

The Hazel Must Go! campaign, which bravely stood up to Hazel Blears' indiscretions during the General Election, has now formed itself into TUSC - Trade Union and Socialist Coalition - and has called a Demonstration Against The Cuts on the day the national ConDem coalition announces its first budget.

The demo will call on Salford City Council to resist the cuts in public services that ex-Etonian George Osborne will inevitably be pursuing, and will urge the Council to demand proper Government investment in the city.

THE WORLD COMES TO CHAPEL STREET
Chapel Street World Jam Band
Tues 15th June 6pm-10pm Free
St Philip's Church

Singers, musicians and cooks from around the world – all with a Salford connection – will be converging on St Philip's Church on Tuesday night, slapping some global glue on the city with acts ranging from Ordsall Samba to the Northern Belly Company…with food to match.

HERE'S ONE WE BUILT EARLIER IN LOWER BROUGHTON

"If those lads at the University can build a 100% replica of what we had I'd take it – and we'll get a parade and a band going down the street…" Ann

The University of Salford has announced plans to construct the "world's first energy house" in a sealed chamber, fully functioning and furnished so boffins can conduct the "most advanced energy experiments ever conducted on a residential property".

However, 25 years ago residents in the Lower Broughton streets of Ascension Road, Lord Street and Countess Grove moved into revolutionary energy saving houses also constructed by the University of Salford. They were demolished two years ago to make way for Countryside Properties' promised land of New Broughton. Here's what happened…

 Click here for full energy saving story…