"It's like the councillors have something to hide by not engaging with the public and not sharing the regeneration plans."
Most areas of Salford have a Community Committee which meets every few months and everyone who lives in the area is free to attend, with voting rights for affiliated community organisations and a 'budget sub group' which dishes out funding for local groups.
Salford City Council's official Constitution states that the Council can appoint 'area committees' "as it sees fit, if it is satisfied that do so will ensure improved service
delivery in the context of best value and more efficient, transparent and accountable decision-making".
The constitution adds that "Community Committees are intended to provide a focus for the interests and concerns of local people" and "contribute towards the strategic development of an area, reflecting local views".
Swinton and Pendlebury used to have a Community Committee which was disbanded as attendance numbers dwindled but now, with huge community issues hitting the area, local community groups want it reinstated.
In January, a member of Swinton SON (Saving Our Neighbourhood) asked a question at the full meeting of Salford Council, requesting the reinstatement and it was agreed that a meeting would take place in June.
At yesterday's full Council meeting, former Labour Party councillor, Paul Wilson asked "Why have ward councillors, the Council and the Neighbourhood Manager not facilitated the reinstatement of the Community Committee as promised, so that the residents of Swinton South (like other wards in the city) have a Community Committee that meets in the evenings at least every other month?"
He added that the meeting in June, at 2pm on a Tuesday when people were working, was only attended by 18 members of the public, plus around thirty councillors and officers 'paid to be there', and "no discussion took place just prepared presentations". He explained that no communication had taken place since then except for an email on 4th July informing that there was only going to be an annual networking event and no reinstatement of the Community Committee...
"This is not good enough for the people of Swinton South" he told the Council meeting, citing important issues like the 200 homes on Campbell Road, 1,000 potential homes on Swinton Park Golf Club, and the rise in crime and anti-social behaviour in the area... "There's numerous issues we have to discuss in public..."
Tracy Kelly, Lead Member for Housing and Neighbourhoods, responded that "It was agreed by the councillors of Swinton and Pendlebury that they will carry on with networking and not Community Committee because they felt they were under represented at Community Committee meetings..."
She added that residents could contact councillors through email, surgeries and telephone to discuss issues but the Council "Will not be going back to Community Committee meetings."
Paul Wilson replied that "We don't accept that having individual meetings with councillors warrants what Salford Council's motto is – 'The welfare of the people is the highest law'; the welfare of Swinton people should be respected and we should have a Community Committee.
"We have urgent issues in Swinton South and would like to meet with ward councillors and the City Mayor as soon as possible" he added "We need to have a platform where large groups of people can listen and get a coherent message and engage with our Council...We're at a time now where politicians are at an all time low nationally; people don't respect politicians, people are not engaged with politicians, so we want to meet with our politicians..."
Councillor Kelly offered a meeting with herself, councillors and the Mayor, if necessary, but emphasised that the Swinton and Pendlebury Community Committee will not be reinstated...
After the meeting, Paul Wilson told the Salford Star... "I'm disgusted that the Labour Councillors and the City Mayor who represent over 20,000 people in Swinton, Pendlebury and Clifton refuse to engage with the public.
"Councillor Kelly who is in charge of Neighbourhood Management clearly has no understanding of how little the elected councillors of Swinton engage with the public, they don't hold sessions to meet the public and now they refuse to hold Community Committee meetings" he added.
"The people of Swinton are currently going through some of the biggest changes that have affected the area in over eighty years; this includes potential plans to build on a green space, regenerate the town centre and all whilst the residents have to live with some of the worst traffic congestion in the country" he explained "We (the residents of Swinton) now, more than ever need to work with councillors, but it seems they don't want to work with us. It's like the councillors have something to hide by not engaging with the public and not sharing the regeneration plans."
Carol Boyce, from SON, went even further... "This was an absolute outrage and a perfect example of what is a political decision being taken despite the fact that it negatively impacts local residents" she told the Salford Star "This we will definitely fight. It was so blatant it was hard to witness.
"Of course, the fact they have Saving Our Neighbourhood super active in Swinton South and the soon to be Swinton Park Golf Course issue on the table explains why they are so reluctant not to provide a public forum where residents can hold councillors to account."
If anyone wants a laugh, check out the cockeyed subtitles on the Salford Council podcast of yesterday's Council meeting – click here and see photos above
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