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SALFORD CITY COUNCIL ACTS ON PETITION THAT NO-ONE SIGNED
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Star date: 21st October 2020 SALFORD COUNCIL TURNS PUFFIN CROSSINGS LGBTQ+ RAINBOW Salford City Council receives loads of petitions every year which normally get binned – but it has responded positively to one that no-one ever signed, not even the bloke who created it. Now, two puffin crossings on the Crescent outside Salford University have turned rainbow to celebrate Pride in the city..."At the end of the day I'm just happy that the rainbow crossings have been done" says Kevin DeVulder who came up with the idea and launched the petition. Full details here...
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Back in July, Salford resident Kevin DeVulder created a petition on the Salford City Council website calling for 'Permanent Rainbow Road Crossings celebrating our LGBTQ community'... "With the success and growth of the Peel Park Pink Picnic gaining national recognition, it seems a shame that we are lagging behind other councils in the country...in having a Pride/Rainbow crossing as a permanent display" he wrote "showing not only our support and openness to the LGBTQ+ community, but providing a colourful addition to our city." Kevin's ace idea proposed a pair of rainbow crossings on the existing crossing spaces on the Crescent near Salford University and Salford Museum and Art Gallery. Unfortunately, despite running for four weeks during July and August, no-one actually signed it, not even Kevin! However, Councillor Sharmina August says she picked up the request from Kevin, which she adds "was a great idea", and the crossings were opened a couple of weeks ago. Kevin says that, once the idea was put into practice, he actually had to contact the Council to 'remind' them that it was actually his original concept... "Everything is sorted now" he tells the Salford Star "At the end of the day I'm just happy that the rainbow crossings have been done..." The moral of the story is, possibly, that if you want Salford Council to act on your petition, don't sign it or get anyone else to sign it, and you might, just might, get a result! Unlike those poor souls over the years who have had thousands of people sign their petitions only to be ignored...
PS If anyone is thinking of making any homophobic comments please don't as they won't be published...
Main photo shows Kevin at the rainbow crossings
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Neil James wrote
at 11:18:57 on 04 December 2020 |
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| I submitted a FOIA request and I can confirm the following.
The cost was £19,787.53
It came from the Highways maintenance budget (paid for by Salford Council Tax payers).
Imagine what could have been done with that money. Something more useful and important than rainbow crossings. |
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Brian Farrow wrote
at 10:40:07 on 29 October 2020 |
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| Kevin De Vulder The genuine local people that I mention are the ones that I know who now have little on no faith in a council who have in our area repeatedly disregarded the views of these people on a variety of subjects, the top echelons on the council have not listened to the ward councilors, petitions have been raised, with many names on and appear to have been written off as "The petition was a small one".
These genuine people cannot get a decent sleep through stupid traffic measures that the council brought in and were unsuccessful and the council officials will not act on the residents concerns or lack of sleep etc.
Yet this same council appear to have acted on a petition that had no one in favour of it but on the whim of one councilor decided to change the layout of two pelican crossings that were completely fit for purpose at an unknown cost,was it put out to tender?
With regards your comments on LBGT+ I repeat the genuine people in my area includes everybody who I know irrespective of who they are and having lived in Salford all my life I think that I have the right to express my views on what I feel is the council wasting money on a scheme that wasn't required.
Any cost of the repainting of these two crossings cannot be justified and if by any chance the cost runs into thousands then someone should be out of a job. |
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Kevin De Vulder wrote
at 05:47:53 on 29 October 2020 |
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| Hi Bob. The roadworks that have been taking place I believe are part of the SBNI (Salford Bolton Network Improvements), which was originally presented by TGFM in 2016. You can read more about it here: https://tfgm.com/sbni |
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born bred Darren wrote
at 18:17:24 on 26 October 2020 |
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| Back in about 2004/2005, Salford council become PINK. All the council vehicles, park signs, stationery, etc etc and 34 PINK "welcome to Salford" signs were put up all on the Salford borders with Manchester, Wigan, Bolton, bury and trafford at a cost of over 20 grand. So Salford is a lovely PINK city full of lovely people. |
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Bob wrote
at 14:18:26 on 26 October 2020 |
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| Hello kevin. I support your cause,and wish you well.I take your point about all the cost not being for the paint job. It is obvious it is not. What I object to, is the way our devious council has done this, i.e.worked the Rainbow into a new traffic system, a system that perhaps we did not need. As far as I know, this traffic system has worked perfectly well for many years, with no safety issues, or traffic issues. I do of course accept that this new system is an even safer system of traffic and pedestrian management. Like I said,the vast majority of the people using this crossing are Salfords most intelligent ,alert ,able bodied citizens.It therefore follows that if a more up to date high technology crossing is needed here for road safety for these people, then other busy main roads in Salford with less alert and able bodied people crossing them must surly have the same.Lets have them on all our main roads going through Salford with a free rainbow on each. Starting with liverpool road,East Lancs ,Bolton Road ,Bury new Rd ,Leicester Rd and Bury Old road. |
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Kevin De Vulder wrote
at 09:13:47 on 26 October 2020 |
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| Hi everyone. I am the person who came up with the idea for having the rainbow crossings installed originally.
Bob:
Whilst the puffin crossings may or may not have cost £125,000, your statement reads as thought it cost that much to have the 'rainbow' part added. This is grossly misleading. I do not know how much it cost, but I am fairly confident it did not cost anything like that. I would hazard a guess that the work was incorporated into the existing work being carried out in that area as part of the improvement works to that section of road. Put an FOI in and perhaps you can find out the real cost of the work.
Darren: Glad you like it. I mean, who on earth doesn't like a rainbow?
Keri: If you want more crossings near the school, then put a petition in and tell everyone to go sign it, and don't forget to sign it yourself! (I forgot to! lol). You may not have noticed but there is a building called the University of Salford across the road from the crossings, with a massive campus, much like a school in fact. Perhaps that is why there are so many crossings? Just a guess on my part.
Joe Muggins: I highly doubt Covid money was used, but you are free to put an FOI in. And do you not like rainbows? And regarding your comment about 'genuine local people', are you saying I'm not? Obviously you're not saying LGBT+ people who live in Salford aren't genuine people, because that wouldn't be very nice now would it? I'm sure you were brought up much better than that.
Colin: Ditto.
I would be very happy if the day comes that I no longer have to worry about the possibility of being attacked, verbally abused etc, simply because I am gay. What if your son or daughter came out as gay? Would you support them? And if you did, and then they came home beaten up, or ended up in hospital or worse, how would you feel? Would you still think that the LGBT+ community don't need help and support?
The fact is that people are still being abused, assaulted and killed because they are gay, and in THIS country. And that is wrong.
And if you don't like rainbows, I'll send Rod, Jane & Freddy round to sort you out! |
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Bob wrote
at 21:35:42 on 25 October 2020 |
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| Of course Ray I am a loudmouth, but I am not yet incontinent. I set out before why I am against this Geneva declaration.It is basically a load of religious nutcase countries trying to force their views on the world, and a ploy by Trump to put the idea of overturning Roe V Wade into the heads of religious nutters over there who might vote for him. If our council felt so strongly , they could have hung a huge stripped banner on the old cop shop, It would be more visible and saved a fortune. While you're on Ray, how much did these crossings cost, and how much did the council pay in compo to the cop shop developer? |
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Northern regular wrote
at 16:34:39 on 25 October 2020 |
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| For once ROSSI says something positive and good and doesn't call anybody. These colourful crossing's are really good for the crescent. One question is nobody knows how much these cost. |
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ROSSI wrote
at 13:09:48 on 25 October 2020 |
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| I like these rainbow crossings. I'm not saying that it's money well spent, but the Council would have squandered the money on something else anyway, but these rainbow crossings give a splash of colour to Chapel Street, and show that we stand by Our BTLQ cousins no matter what. |
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Bob wrote
at 12:43:22 on 25 October 2020 |
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| Good question Joe Muggins.First,I am not against Gay peoples rights, and I do not object to what that crossing represents, and I see no reason why it should not stay there. What I do object to is the fact that £125 000 or more was spent putting it there, money that could have paid for a house for someone to live in. Like I said ,why does it have to be there where there are very few people who need to be reminded of gay peoples rights. Were they afraid to put it in areas where people with strong religious views against gay people live? You can bet your life they were.Can you imagine painting a crossing like this on the main road near commander scruffies house? Regards the second point, I am against the Geneva declaration basically because yet again it seems to be the work of the god bods again. These lot never give up do they.Again, it seeks to restrict gay peoples rights ,saying there is nothing wrong with countries that punish gay people, just for being gay. It is also a clever ploy by the religious mob in the states to overturn Roe V Wade in American supreme court. The declaration says individual states can decide on abortion and gay rights. The question is,does the USA signing this declaration overrule the US supreme court? I don't know the answer to that, but many might vote for that arsehole Trump because they might think it does. Anyway, what do our other readers think of the crossing and the Geneva declaration, and should our councillors be asked if they support it? (The declaration ). Come on Felsey, what do you think? |
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Rayofsunshine wrote
at 12:40:33 on 25 October 2020 |
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| Bob,why are you against the Geneva Consensus Convention? Out of deep conviction?? Or is the case
that you're just an incontinent loud mouth moron? |
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Joe Muggins wrote
at 18:56:35 on 24 October 2020 |
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| Bob wrote -Opposed to the rainbow crossings or the Geneva Consensus or both? |
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bob wrote
at 16:37:56 on 24 October 2020 |
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| It seems to me, that unlike the rest of the dozy lot at clown hall, Cllr Sharmina August is an intelligent and well informed person who knows,and takes an interest in whats going on in the rest of the world. Let me explain.While over here we have been stuffed with endless crap about covid ,brexit and the US Presidential election, what was happening in Geneva Switzerland was whats called the GENEVA CONSENSOUS DECLARATION. This is an international statement thing signed by thirty odd countries (not ours).It is a pile of shite going on about issues that affect womens health rights and issues that affect the gay community. I am totally against it, and since Trump has signed it, our idiot in downing street might be tempted to follow suit. I am pretty sure that this crossing is Cllr augusts way of showing what her position, and Salord councils position is regarding this declaration. As this declaration is an important matter, I feel all our councillors, regardless of party, should state now if they are for or against it. Indeed ,I call on all our regular writers to state their views on the matter. For or against. Like I said,I am against it. |
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bob wrote
at 12:51:48 on 24 October 2020 |
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| Well,£63 000 per crossing amazes me. And thats in Kent where the Tories are in charge, and although daft with money,they are not as daft as our lot are. As far as I know, there were no traffic management problems on the Crescent there, apart from the long hold ups at peak times, and the crossing there seemed to work well. I know Cllr Sharmina August was trying to make a politically correct statement in the colour of the crossing, but the university is the most politically correct area of our city,and I would have thought the people using that crossing would not need reminding of politically correct ideas. Perhaps it might have been better to spend this money for such a crossing on one of the main approach roads to our city that does at certain times of the week, as I understand it, suffer from traffic management problems, that being the A57 in Cllr Sharmina Augusts own council ward. |
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Joe Muggins wrote
at 11:51:08 on 24 October 2020 |
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| I have just passed these rainbow crossings this morning and they look grotesque and the councillor who thought that it was a good idea should be acutely embarrassed.
In our area residents have been campaigning for ages for some yellow lines to be put down at a busy junction but the council says that there is no money, the way this council is being run is not fit for purpose and some drastic changes are required.
City Mayor Dennett and President Burnham say they are for the people, which people I would like to know.
Our Mayor should come and visit some genuine local people and get their views on what is required before the city goes right down the pan. |
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yes sir no sir. wrote
at 00:30:21 on 24 October 2020 |
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| are you going to stand in the election bob or are you just ranting from the rafters like all the other loud mouth do nowt brigade bob big mouth strikes again if this is all you have to worry about a bit of paint you are one hell of a sad case get a life . |
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Born bred Darren wrote
at 21:58:28 on 23 October 2020 |
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| All these colourful rainbow crossing should be put on all the 4 crossings on the crescent opposite the uni, it will only cost a couple of thousand quid, they will bring a bit of happiness and colour to the crescent area of Salford. At the moment Salford crescent has got 2 horrible rundown buildings on it, the old dibble station that has been abandoned and derelict for 15 years and also the grade 2 listed crescent pub that looks a right mess and all boarded up and is full of graffiti everywhere on all the outside walls and has been derelict since about August 2017 (over 3years ago). This pub was built in the 1860s and had lots of charm and lots of live music every weekend and when it was open you could go in and meet great people and have a chinwag, now it's a shambles. A Chinese people bought the pub and also the large car park at the back for about £325,000 and are now going to let it rot and decay and eventually in a couple of years another big expensive appartment block will be built. This crescent road is a main rd between the GREAT city of Salford and that other city full of mancs called Manchester, what must people think when they pass these abandoned derelict buildings every day and then see the colourful lovely rainbow crossing on the crescent trying to bring a bit of sparkle and happiness to people faces in these horrible times. |
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Bob wrote
at 12:01:26 on 23 October 2020 |
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| well mr wrote, how do you know its well worth the money if you do not know how much it cost? And regards that cop shop, it was Darren that brought it up,but since he did, why is it wrong to ask how much the council have paid out to a property developer who is a very,very, rich person, money paid out to him because the council broke a legally binding agreement with him. And why are they keeping this secret from us? Imagine, if ,in another part of Salford,the council had done a deal with a developer over a derelict mansion building,and then ratted on the deal. If this had then gone to court and the council had to pay out £10million, and the building was still a wreck, then there would be hell to play here. We have to find out how much this fiasco cost before the next election, so that the salford electorate can prove how stupid they are by voting our clowncil back in. The only seat they will loose will be 1 in kersal, and they know this already. |
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Arnold Rimmer wrote
at 11:08:14 on 23 October 2020 |
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@The watcher. It's a light controlled crossing so there wasn't a need for a black and white line crossing before so I guess you can paint whatever you like on the floor. You'd still have to stop for the lights though. |
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The Vindicator wrote
at 10:55:40 on 23 October 2020 |
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| Stream of consciousness terryD. Joyce entered the literary canon using it. Wrote not the only practitioner on here. |
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wrote
at 09:00:05 on 23 October 2020 |
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| PUFF-IN (Pedestrian User Friendly Featured INtelligent) crossings cost £65,000 plus £1650 annual maintenance according to Kent Council. Great time to install these in recognition of The Pope blessing same sex civil unions. |
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TerryD wrote
at 06:50:03 on 23 October 2020 |
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| Wrote - Would you care to write that again,in English, with some sentence structure and punctuation? There are free lessons available if you don't know how to. |
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wrote
at 23:17:09 on 22 October 2020 |
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| barmy bobs usual cobblers drivel the posts got nothing to do with the cop shop knob head and you could get the paint pretty cheap i reckon it cost a couple of hundred quid well worth it and the money you say burnham is trying to screw is taxpayers money not boris the liars money and its for salford folk to keep the debt men from the door you tit and that spineless lick arse terry d the little creep wasnt so smart arsed when he just got told he can freeze to death in his pokey little rat hole was he dont you herberts ever give up |
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Darren Boden wrote
at 13:25:25 on 22 October 2020 |
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| Virtue signalling at its highest degree. That along with the thank you NHS on the roads is blatant waste of money. |
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wrote
at 11:10:54 on 22 October 2020 |
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| some of the negatives on here must lead sad lives i feel really sorry for them poor frustrated little beings. |
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Bob wrote
at 11:07:48 on 22 October 2020 |
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| Looks like no one is gonna tell us how much this cost, so I will hazard a guess. £23000. A grand for the paint, (road paint isn't cheap), two grand for the lads to do it, plus 1000% mark up for profit.Darren brings the old cop shop up again, anybody know how that case is going on, how much our council have had to pay in compo to that developer? I heard £10 million. Thats twice what Dennett and Burnham are trying to screw out of Boris. |
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TerryD wrote
at 07:03:27 on 22 October 2020 |
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| What an absolutely essential use of council tax payers money.... |
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paulkelly wrote
at 00:22:33 on 22 October 2020 |
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| I got of the bus today going to SMAG and it took my mind just for a moment off the absurd position we find our selves in quite cheered me up i like it and it looks nice cheers up the area around the crescent looked really striking against the back drop of a heavy rain shower the colours light up the place we should have more of this free art and expressionism in the city well done it seems some people want to know the price of everything and the value of nothing.I then learned that 300 tory scum had voted to starve children by refusing to give children free meals one disgusting vermin said that people should be responsible and feed them well i have never met any parent who would knowingly not put food on the table rather i have met many who have starved and done without food so there kids do not starve this vermins slur could only be made from total ignorance of the dire economic position many families find them selves in this out of touch piece of trash should be made to live on universal discredit with kids to feed and see how hard life is for ordinary people at the present time are food banks an illusion if people had enough money they would not need free meals or food banks and children would not be starving. its a great shame Angela Rayner apologised for calling tories scum she was only telling the truth she should have stuck to her guns and used bevans quote tories are lower than vermin which is also true and they starve children for it is they that suffer when they are deprived of food. |
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The Watcher on the shore wrote
at 20:33:04 on 21 October 2020 |
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| Can anybody clarify the situation regarding the colour used on road markings ? I always thought it was an adjunct to the signage mounted besides the highway.White lines and yellow junction boxes being just two examples. What is the legal standing of a " Rainbow crossing", does it feature in the latest highway code ? |
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Joe Muggins wrote
at 19:44:18 on 21 October 2020 |
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| So now we have a council that takes little or no notice of residents petitions with lots of names on, where in this case we have a petition with no names on it, not even the person who started it, where at the whim of a councillor this work is carried out.You simply couldn’t make it up.
I was under the impression that this council has no money for improvements in traffic management in many areas but in this case finance has suddenly become available.
It would be courteous if the public could be told just who sanctioned this job and how much it has cost.
I hope this hasn’t come out of the Covid 19 money. |
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Colin wrote
at 18:17:25 on 21 October 2020 |
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| Think I will put in a freedom of information request to see how much they have spent when they can only empty my black bin every three weeks |
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Keri wrote
at 17:43:11 on 21 October 2020 |
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| I find it disturbing the amount of crossings their is compared to Cromwell where Albion High School is .... also the amount of potholes in the city, bike lanes falling apart for the 4/5 time, I know let's make the cresent have rainbows .. I do like it, it's just so wrong. |
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Darren born bred. wrote
at 16:42:14 on 21 October 2020 |
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| Great idea. I passed ere last Friday afternoon and it brings a bit of happiness and sparkle to the crescent area and then you look at the old abandoned crescent police station decaying away for the last 15 years. We need more colourful crossing like this all around Salford. |
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Bob wrote
at 16:33:14 on 21 October 2020 |
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| Am I allowed to ask how much they cost? |
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