Executive Member for the Environment

Anonymous, who lives in Manchester, asked:

Why were the major roads in the city not gritted YET AGAIN?  Also given that temperatures will fall again, have you any plans to clear the roads so that they do not become even more dangerous?

Councillor Richard Cowell, Executive Member for Environment, replied: Thank you for your question.

Eight gritters were out gritting the main arterial and A roads on 21 December 2009 and first thing on 22 December 2009.

The gritters refilled their stocks and were out on the roads again on the afternoon of 22 December 2009 because the weather forecast from the Met office predicted two to five centimetres of snow in the Manchester area subsiding later in the afternoon.

We have used approximately 800 tonnes of salt in the last four days with 1,300 tonnes being used over the last week. Stocks are being replenished on Wednesday 23 December and we will continue to replenish the salt stocks over the Christmas period.

The main footpaths in the city centre and district centres throughout Manchester have been gritted.  Due to the adverse weather conditions predicted by the Met office, further gritting will take place until the severe weather subsides.

23 December 2009.

Charley Ashbury, who lives in Manchester, asked:

Why are cars allowed to park (some positioned on the pavement) free all day long on North Western Street, Temperance St and Hoyle St in the Mayfield area of the city centre? Traffic wardens do not appear to ticket them for pavement parking, or is that the responsibility of GMP? On the other hand, people are using it as an unofficial park&ride for Piccadilly Station, because the parking charges there are too high!

Councillor Richard Cowell, Executive Member for Environment, replied:

Thank you for your question.

Parking within the City Centre is managed using a Controlled Parking Zone, often referred to as CPZ.  The Mayfield area is currently outside the zone, a few years ago when the CPZ was reviewed an option to extend the CPZ to include the Mayfield area was considered.  This proposal recieved  numerous objections from businesses within the area, as parking for customers and deliveries would become restricted.  Therefore, it was determined that the extension of the CPZ was not appropriate at this time.  One of the major problems the city council faces

Throughout Manchester there are many areas suffering from inconsiderate parking on the pavement . One of the major problems the City Council face when attempting to allay these concerns, is that many of the carriageways were never designed to cope with today's demands. Therefore, Manchester has a large number of roads where the carriageway is unable to facilitate parking along both sides whilst maintaining a 2-way flow of vehicles. Due to this, it appears that many motorists elect to park on the pavement

Currently there are no pavement parking restriction orders within the city and as such parking attendants do not have the powers to deal with pavement parking unless there are waiting restrictions (yellow lines) on the highway adjacent to the pavement.  In these instances, a Penalty Charge Notice can be issued, as the vehicle would be parking in contravention of a traffic order. Waiting restrictions cover the highway from the centre of the highway to the back of footway, but they do exclude any private forecourt that may be behind this.  Greater Manchester Police are responsible for enforcing obstructions of the highway and footpaths where no other parking restrictions are in force e.g. yellow lines.  However they will only enforce where a total obstruction is taking place, i.e. where people are forced into the road. Since the commencement of Decriminalised Parking Enforcement in 1999 Greater Manchester Police have ceased to have any powers to enforce yellow lines and other parking restrictions.

An option available to remove parking on the footway is the introduction of additional waiting restrictions.  We would be concerned that the introduction of these restrictions would have an impact on businesses and we would receive objections similar to those raised when we considered extending the CPZ.

23 December 2009

Crystal Lai, who lives and Studies in Manchester, asked:

Dear Councillor, I am a final year student pursuing a Law degree in the University of Manchester . I am taking a leadership-related module, the Manchester Leadership Programme. To pass the programme, I have to make an e-poster which requires me to draw some social issues and discuss them critically on leadership aspects. I therefore sketched some of my questions regarding to leadership, it is appreciated if you can reply as soon as possible. I have chosen the topic "How do Leaders deal with the Air Pollution in Manchester ?" since air pollution is quite a serious problem in our area. And my questions are: 1.) As one of the Leaders of the City, what is your plan apart from the current ones to deal with the air pollution problem? 2.)To what extent do you think the pollution problem is affecting our lives and economy? 3.) What would you recommend the citizens to help with minimising the problem? 4.) What is your thought on the Congestion Charge? Would you please include your contact details and some of your background (with a photo if possible) in the reply email, they will be referenced in my e-Poster as a "Leader's suggestion". This project is crucial for my final grade of graduation, I would be much appreciated if you could kindly reply with your fastest response. Thanks a lot. Crystal Lai Bachelor of Law The University of Manchester

Councillor Richard Cowell, Executive Member for Environment, replied:

Thank you for your enquiry regarding my views on the air pollution issues for the city.  Can I begin by saying that the City Council takes the issue of air quality very seriously and is committed to doing everything it can to improve air quality as part of our aspiration for a healthy and environmentally sustainable City for everyone who lives, works in, and visits Manchester .  I hope that the responses to your questions are of help in your project and wish you well with your studies

1. As one of the Leaders of the City, what is your plan apart from the current ones to deal with the air pollution problem?

The main source of our air pollution in the City is emissions from traffic which results in higher levels of pollution particularly at the sides of busy roads and in congested streets in the City Centre.  Clearly a key way forward is to encourage people to use public transport and to leave their cars at home.  One of the Council's policies is to develop an integrated transport strategy which provides an effective alternative to the car and includes the major extensions to the Metrolink system across the conurbation which we are supporting in partnership with the other Greater Manchester authorities.

2. To what extent do you think the pollution problem is affecting our lives and economy?

The Council monitors air quality across the City and publicises information on levels of pollution to inform people about the issue and what they can do to protect themselves.  Fortunately 'pollution incidents' in the City are now quite rare as a result of a whole range of actions that we have already taken to reduce levels of pollution from all sources including industry, transport and commercial activity in the City.  The Council recognise that we still need to do more and that the success of the city depends on it being a place where people want to live and work.

3. What would you recommend to the citizens to help with minimising the problem?

We are all part of the problem, but can also be part of the solution and help in simple ways which do not have a big impact on the way we live.  If we all do our bit, we can contribute to reduced emissions of the key pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide and particulates.   For example, you may be able to walk instead of taking the car on short journeys, turn the heating down in your home by 1 degree, compost your garden waste rather than burning it, and as I mentioned earlier, use public transport when travelling into the City.

4. What is your thought on the Congestion Charge?

The Congestion Charge was part of a much bigger plan to keep traffic moving across the conurbation, support the regeneration of the City and create new jobs for people who live in Greater Manchester.  The people of Manchester overwhelmingly voted against the Congestion Charge as a way of improving traffic movements around the City and, as a politician, I respect that view and want to respond in a positive way by looking for other ways of addressing the transport issues that are facing the City region.  Our integrated transport strategy includes not only the Metrolink expansion, but also quality bus corridors, improved transport infrastructure and better travel information to help people make the "smarter choice".

26th November 2009

 

Richard Baker, who lives and works in Manchester, asked:

With the South Manchester Metrolink phases going ahead I would like to understand what foot and cycle paths will be kept or included as part of the development. In particular, the Didsbury link from Chorlton to East Didsbury in part will travel the route of a path currently in use as well as a route that is currently closed to the public. Please can you confirm that the currently accessible paths will remain alongside the Metrolink and also whether the parts of the route that are not currently accessible to the public, will include a cycle/footpath adjacent to the Metrolink?

Councillor Richard Cowell, Executive Member for Environment, replied:

Thank you for your recent comments regarding foot and cycle paths on the South Manchester extension of the Metrolink network.

The situation at present is that the existing Trans Pennine Trail between Olive Shapley Avenue and the end of the line at Parrs Wood Road will be maintained.   However, it may be repositioned within the railway cutting.

Unfortunately, due to the constraints of the area west of this, we will not be able to introduce additional cycle paths.

17th November 2009

 

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Mr Brendan Parker, who works in Manchester, asked:

Is the Council happy with the work that has taken place in the City Centre in relation to the Metrolink?  What jurisdiction does the City Council have over the completion of the work?  Can the City seek some financial return for making our great city look like a 'dogs dinner'?

Councillor Richard Cowell, Executive Member for Environment, replied:

Thank you for your question.

The Metrolink works that have been taking place in the city centre over the summer have been part of a £100 million infrastructure renewal programme to replace all the city centre tram tracks. At the same time, GMPTE have also refurbished the city centre tram stops, including widening the Piccadilly Gardens stop and extending the height of the St Peter's Square stop along its full length. The opportunity has also been taken to significantly improve the surface finishes on Mosley Street , Piccadilly Gardens , Piccadilly Place , High Street and Shudehill.

It was vital that this work was carried out, not only to improve the safety, reliability and comfort of the existing services, but also to prepare for the future expansion of the network. GMPTE are currently investing a further £600 million in building four new lines and have also ordered 40 new trams to bring a whole new range of services into the city centre.

The end result of the city centre works will be a significant improvement both in the operational effectiveness of Metrolink and in the physical appearance of the tracks and stops.

While there has undoubtedly been inconvenience to passengers and disruption to the city centre generally, GMPTE have assured us that they have carried out the works in as short a period as possible with as little effect on services as they could manage. The city centre services are due to start running again, as planned, on 2 November.

30th October 2009

 

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Caroline Martin, who lives and works in Manchester, asked:

We received a couple of leaflets advising us about what and what not to put in the new blue wheelie bins. The leaflets say that plastic food trays should not be put into the bin. I share a bin with my neighbours and they frequently put plastic food trays into the bin. The bin men still take the bin away even when you can clearly see that it has lots of plastic food trays in it. Does this mean that plastic food trays are OK? Could you please clarify which kinds of plastic can and cannot go into the blue bins?

Councillor Richard Cowell, Executive Member for Environment, replied:

Thank you for taking the time to check the details of plastics recycling in Manchester : the answer is that plastic food trays should not be included in your recycling.

There are many different types of plastic commonly used, but the only ones generally recycled at the moment in the UK are the ones that plastic bottles are made of. If someone has mistakenly put the wrong type of plastic in their bin then - when it gets to the recycling plant - it's rejected by the machinery and unfortunately has to be sent to landfill.  

Our collection crews are trained to spot the wrong type of plastic, but don't have the chance to sort through the entire bin: if a bin is badly contaminated they would simply not empty it, but would leave a sticker explaining why.

You could mention to your neighbours that they should only be including plastic bottles, or alternatively, we could post a "plastic bottles only" sticker to you. In case you don't still have the leaflet, the list of things you can put in each of your "twin bins" is:  

BLUE BIN: paper, envelopes, cardboard, cartons, catalogues and directories (inc Yellow Pages).

BROWN BIN: plastic bottles, tins and cans (including aerosols) and glass. 

Should you have any further questions at all, please don't hesitate to call Environment on Call on 954 9000.

28th September 2009

 

 

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Charles Ashbury, who lives in Manchester, asked:

I would raise questions about Fairfield Street , and the Fire Station Triangle Quality Bus Corridor scheme (built 2008). Whilst the inbound lane is appreciated (to speed up bus times, although congestion is rare, occuring further up around the A635 Fairfield St/Mancunian Way junction), the width of the outbound lane has been considerably reduced. Previously the road was a wide 2-lane layout, providing ample room for vehicles to pass cyclists. The revised layout, whilst reducing passing speeds, means vehicles pass much closer. With traffic levels falling, and little congestion at this spot, could the layout be revised?

I would also like to raise the poor environment under the railway viaduct/bridge. Street lights have been provided, but the footpath (and people!) are regularly stained by pigeon droppings, there is no netting whatsoever. Brick walls are in awful condition, with water seeping from above, causing slip/trip hazards. Why has no pedestrian phase been provided for the traffic lights at the junction of Fairfield St/Travis St ? Cycle ASLs have been provided, but no feeder lanes? What was the point of building the bus lane/plug (call it what you will) from Fairfield St into Aytoun St, when no buses are routed that way? The lane appears far too narrow. Taxis occasionally make use of it, but have to pass through a red traffic lights, because the sensors appear not to detect them, or are switched off?

Councillor Richard Cowell, Executive Member for Environment, replied

Thank you for your question. The points you raised are addressed individually below:

Fairfield Street, and the Fire Station Triangle Quality Bus Corridor scheme (built 2008).

To accommodate the current three lanes (two general traffic and one bus lane) within the existing highway envelope the lane widths had to be reduced. However, the outbound single lane is still generally over 3.5m wide along its length and any disadvantage for cyclists here has to be weighed against the better inbound access provided by the bus lane. Bus flows along this route have increased with the major operator improving service frequencies and, whilst there may be a perceived reduction in congestion, this is because of the two lane approach which has a much higher capacity, and buses being separately catered for means they are no longer increasing the general traffic queue length . There are no plans to change the layout on this approach.

Traffic lights at the junction of Fairfield St/Travis St ?

There is an inadequate volume of pedestrians using the junction, or crossing, to warrant the introduction of a pedestrian stage at this junction having regard to the loss of capacity and resultant congestion such a stage would generate.

Cycle ASLs (Advanced Stop Lines) have been provided, but no feeder lanes?

It is common practice in Manchester , and elsewhere in the country, to provide ASLs as a matter of course wherever an existing signal junction is modified, to ensure cyclists gain direct access to the signals stopline. However, this does not mean that cycle feeder lanes can either be justified or physically provided on all approaches to a junction.   

What was the point of building the bus lane/plug from Fairfield St into Aytoun St , when no buses are routed that way?

The new bus/cycle/taxi link from Fairfield Street to Aytoun Street has been built to allow all of the bus services currently coming into the city along Fairfield Street to avoid the heavily congested right turn movement onto London Road at the signals near the station. Buses can move conveniently straight across the London Road junction and then turn right up the new link into a new extended bus lane on Aytoun Street leading to Piccadilly.

The lane appears far too narrow. Taxis occasionally make use of it, but have to pass through a red traffic lights, because the sensors appear not to detect them, or are switched off?

The central bus lane is over 3.5m wide and the link road is over 4m wide, both of which are more than adequate. The legal orders for the link road take a significant time to process and during that time the Fairfield Street signals to the link road have been covered over, with the signals in the link road switched to red and the road sensors disconnected. The whole route became operational approximately three weeks ago with the signals brought into action, although there is still some carriageway resurfacing and subsequent remarking of lanes to be completed. Bus operators have been advised of the link road operation but it will take time for all bus drivers to become aware of the benefits of this short cut.  

Poor environment under the railway bridge: The railway bridge is not within the ownership of Manchester City Council, I have reported the issue to Network Rail who have said they will inspect the area in question.  I have also arranged for the pavements to be cleaned.

 23rd September 2009

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Mr David Day, who lives and works in Manchester asked:

Has the Smoking Ban been lifted?

Councillor Richard Cowell, Executive Member for Environment, replied:

Thank you for your question.

The smoking ban in Manchester was introduced on 30th June 2007.  It remains in force.

I trust this fully answers your question.

10th August 2009

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Mr Derek Brocklehurst, who lives and works in Manchester, asked:

Dear Sir Madam 

Are you aware of how many passengers PHV's carry in a day or in a year ?

There is 15000 PHV's and each driver on average takes 2 passengers doing 30 jobs a day - this equates to 60 passengers x 15000 totalling 900.000 a day (the only service running 24 hr a day) over the year this totals 328 million.

Are you aware how many Buses carry per year ? well this is 27 million.

Looking at these figures the Bus Lane should be re called Taxi Lane as we carry more passengers and take more congestion off the rd, PHV's have never been consulted in any transport strategy not even the tiff bid at the time.

Where is your evidence that PHV's would clog up the Bus Lanes - all PHV's do not work at the same time and as a driver I have never seen more than 3 PHV's in the outer congested lane whilst the Bus Lane is empty.

Lastly why are there 24hr Bus Lanes when Buses do not run 24hrs a day unlike PHV's

Councillor Richard Cowell, Executive Member for Environment, replied:

Traffic surveys show that taxis and private hire account for 54 million trips in Greater Manchester.  

Bus patronage in Greater Manchester for the year ending 2008/09 was 236 million. 

Less than half of the bus lanes in Greater Manchester operate 24 hours. The hours of operation are determined according to local circumstances that could include the fact that, in a particular locality, buses are delayed throughout the day; there may be contra-flow services operating; there is heavy evening or weekend traffic that causes congestion; there is a heavy traffic generator nearby (such as a retail park) or there are regular local events that cause increases in traffic, such as sporting venues close by.

I trust the above fully addresses your concerns.

5 August 2009

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Mr Derek Brocklehurst, who lives and works in Manchester, asked

Dear Sir, Madam My name is Derek Brocklehurst, myself and 7 elected members formed an Association run by "Private Hire drivers for Private Hire drivers" We write to you regarding an ongoing issue Private Hire drivers face when Picking up - Dropping off Disabled/Elderly customers in Bus Lanes in Manchester. Currently Hackney is the only permitted vehicle allowed to do this, these vehicles rank up in city centres and more often than not only take passengers out of the city, unlike Private Hire that bring passengers in to the city as we are the only vehicles Disabled/Elderly customers use and trust serving the community 24hrs a day 7 days a week. There is 2000 Busses and over 210 miles of Bus Lanes in Manchester are these being used effectively! these Bus Lanes now run along Opticians, Pharmacies, Doctors, Dentists, Hairdressers, Essential shops Disabled/Elderly customers need to use, it is not right to ask a customer of these groups to walk 10/20 yards to end of lane to be picked up/dropped off as most customers have walking/breathing difficulties - this is blatant discrimination and drivers will no longer accept this discrimination from the council. Why is it other councils such as Warrington, Sheffield, Doncaster, Glasgow and many more already allow Private Hire to use Bus Lanes but Manchester can not, well the reason the council does not allow this comes down to the same old argument it sends out to anyone questioning this, that they cannot distinguish between a private car and a Private Hire Taxi - well i have over 50 fines showing clearly the CCTV stills of Private Hire Taxi's with a license plate on them, technology has moved on from the 1989 Police report advising councils who should use Bus Lanes. I personally handed in to the council 2000 signed petitions from Private Hire, Disabled customers, Hackney drivers (who also agree we should be allowed to use Bus Lanes) along with support letters from MP'S and disabled organisations. Drivers and customers are your constituents and you have a duty to look in to this problem. We have had no response from Manchester officials this is not acceptable as they are not listening to Manchester constituents and the Disabled. To summarise we are only asking to Pick up and Drop off Disabled/Elderly customers in Bus Lanes not full use of them, we have spoken to the Equality and Human Rights Department and they inform us we have a case against the council which we will be following up in due course, along with more peaceful demonstrations taking up to 2000 drivers in to the city centre by supporting the rights of Disabled/Elderly customers. We urge you now to act and stamp out this blatant discrimination towards your constituents.

Councillor Richard Cowell, Executive Member for Environment, replied

Thank you for your question regarding Private Hire taxis picking up/setting down customers in bus lanes.

You question whether bus lanes are being used effectively:

1.  Bus lanes have been introduced across Greater Manchester as part of an £88 million investment programme in Quality Bus Corridors (QBC). A QBC is an important bus route that has been improved to increase bus use and deliver better conditions for cyclists and pedestrians. Bus operators have also invested heavily in new buses and other improvements to support the public investment and QBCs have brought some important benefits to bus passengers;

• Bus passenger numbers on QBC routes have grown by 18.6% in the past 5 years
• This equates to an additional 8 million journeys
• Punctuality has been improved - services on QBCs are 50% more punctual overall
• Accidents on QBC routes have been reduced by 19% - a saving of £17 million
• Bus journey times on QBC routes have improved relative to cars
• Improvements have been carried out to 388 bus stops in Manchester and now 70% of the bus fleet is low floor

I think it is fair to say therefore that bus lanes are being used effectively.

2.  You also raise the issue that a) only Hackney carriages are presently able to drive in bus lanes and b) that the enforcement agencies are unable to distinguish between a private car and a Private Hire vehicle.

a)  There are approximately 2280 registered Private Hire vehicles in the city together with an estimated additional 7000 throughout Greater Manchester. We know that such an extra volume of private hire vehicles using bus lanes would have a detrimental effect on bus journey times and compromise the safety of vulnerable road users in the bus lanes.

b) The definition of a 'taxi' as mentioned on bus lane signs is held under Highways Law but does tightly restrict them to Hackney Carriages, which usually means the typical 'London Taxi' vehicle. Whilst these vehicles no longer have to be black, the public can readily identify them as a separate type of vehicle from a Private Hire vehicle, which aids enforcement. Even though Private Hire vehicles are required to have a number of official stickers, generally from the rear view the only thing that differentiates them from a car is a small license plate usually located below bumper height. Seeing what appears to be a private car in the bus lane can become an encouragement for ordinary motorists to follow - or at least for motorists to claim 'confusion' during the penalty charge appeals process. Allowing in excess of 15,000 Private Hire vehicles into bus lanes would go a long way to making bus lanes unenforceable in Manchester.

The typical Traffic Regulation Order for bus lanes in all ten district authorities in the Greater Manchester county area uses the same format, wording and exemptions to make sure there's no chance of conflicting laws when a bus lane crosses a boundary between two authorities' areas. Any changes to include Private Hire vehicles in the exemptions would need to be approved by all ten authorities and, because of the likely opposition, this is most unlikely to happen.

Government advice set out in Local Transport Note 1/97 recommends against allowing Private Hire Vehicles (PHVs) to use bus lanes whilst recognising that bicycles and hackney carriages should normally be permitted in bus lanes.

It is not possible to allow limited access to bus lanes for picking up / setting down passengers since this would be impossible to enforce as all Private Hire drivers in contravention of a bus lane offence could claim that they had entered the bus lane for this purpose. We therefore propose to make no changes which would allow Private Hire vehicles any access to bus lanes.

I hope that this helps with understanding why Private Hire taxis are not allowed to drop off/pick up in bus lanes.

24th July 2009

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Mr Tony Holker, who lives and works in Manchester, asked:

I am self-employed as a photographer and would like some information about 'Street Trading'.  Do I need a license to photograph consenting adults in Manchester for money?

Councillor Richard Cowell, Executive Member for Environment, replied:

Thank you for your Question

The legislation surrounding street trading is quite complex, and in order to provide you with a full response we would need further information, for example, would people be photographed in a formal setting including an artificial backdrop (this would likely constitute a stall), would the sale of the photograph be completed on the street or would customers be directed to a website for purchase at a later date etc.

In order to ensure you receive appropriate advice, please contact the licensing compliance officers on 0161 234 4975, who will speak to you directly to ascertain the exact nature of your work and then provide appropriate advice.

I trust the above satisfactorily answers your query.

10th July 2009

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Dr Ogbonmwan, who lives in Manchester, asked:

The refuse collection team have refused to remove the bulky refuse from my garden for two weeks in spite of promising to do so on the 3rd of July 2009 and repeated phone calls. As you are aware this is a health hazard for members of my family and neighbours. (Reference number attached). What should I do to ensure that Manchester City Council workers carry out a service that they have promised to do especially when I am paying council tax on a regular basis. Kindly advise me.

Councillor Richard Cowell, Executive Member for Environment, replied:

Thank you for your question.

I have been advised that the Head of Waste & Recycling has spoken with Environment on Call (the call centre), Enterprise Manchester (the collection partner) and interrogated the Council's IT system to determine what the problem was with this bulky service request.

I understand that you first telephoned Environment on Call on 24 June 2009 to advise you had some bulky items for removal, consisting of 3 suitcases, 14 pieces of cardboard and 4 household bags.  A date for collection was offered for 3 July 2009 by the call advisor.

You telephoned Environment on Call on two occasions on 3 July 2009 to advise that the items had not been collected.  The job record showed that 4 household bags had been collected, but not the other items. The other items were subsequently collected on 7 July 2009.

It is understood that the collection team did not pick up all the items initially as they were not presented correctly or in the agreed place in the front garden by the gate. Whilst this may seem trivial, the collection teams are under explicit orders to only collect listed items that are presented together in the agreed location. The reason for this is we do not wish to collect items that a resident does not want disposing of.

Your complaint has highlighted the need to improve our communication service and we are grateful for you having brought this matter to our attention. 

I hope that this satisfactorily deals with your complaint.

10th July 2009

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Richard Beddow, who lives and works in Manchester, asked

I am about to start my own business selling a VOSA backed safety lens which is fitted to the inside of any HGV vehicle and reduces the risk of side swipe incidences, ie cyclists, cars etc, which occur on the left hand side of all HGV vehicles (blind spot).  Could you please advise me on who Ii can talk to so we can arrange a meeting with plans for my company to sell the safety lens to the city council transport department, with the hope to decrease the incidents with this problem.

Councillor Richard Cowell, Executive Member for Environment, replied

Thank you for your question.

The Transport and Plant Manager for Manchester City Council will be pleased to meet with you to discuss your business plans.

His contact details have been forwarded to you via your email address so that you can arrange a mutually convenient appointment directly with him.

3rd July 2009

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John Wilson, who lives in Manchester, asked:

I was so happy when the Manchester bill to force pedlars and hawkers off the streets of Manchester was passed, but it all seems to be a waste of time and money, the council has wasted £100,000 of taxpayers money by failing to stop these rogue traders, they continue to roam the streets and Manchester city centre dodging street wardens and licensing officers. The council continue to waste tax payers money by employing these licensing officers who are failing to enforce the new law and rid the streets of pedlars and hawkers. I pass at least one pedlar every day. They are raking in hundreds of pounds a week by selling cheap rubbish and now that football fever has hit Manchester streets they are moving in once again and I see more and more pedlars and hawkers on the streets every day, in fact, I passed three just this morning. I think after spending so much of taxpayers' money passing a new law the council should repay them by enforcing it. So far the licensing officers who are being paid to organise the removal of these rogue traders don't seem to be able to organise a drinking session in a beer making factory. So, when are we going to see the streets free of pedlars and hawkers? or is Manchester city centre turning into a free for all once again.

Councillor Richard Cowell, Executive Member for Environment, replied:

Thank you for your question regarding the Manchester Bill which is currently progressing through the necessary Parliamentary stages before it can become law. Unfortunately as the Bill has met opposition the process has taken much longer than we'd hoped. However we are persevering and hope that the Bill will progress through the necessary stages and become law later this year. I've outlined below the various stages that we've gone through so far which will hopefully help you to understand why, despite continuing to take regular enforcement action, there are increasing numbers of pedlars illegally street trading on Manchester's streets.

Unless and until the Bill becomes law the current legislation governing street traders and pedlars applies. As you may already be aware holders of pedlar's certificates, are currently exempt from street trading controls and may trade wherever they choose as long as they comply with the conditions of their pedlar certificate. Enforcement exercises, to try to stop pedlars engaging in illegal street trading, are regularly undertaken involving licensing officers, use of CCTV and GMP. Whilst these exercises have some limited, short term, success they are extremely labour intensive, and are not sustainable in the long term. This is why in October 2006 the process to promote a local Bill to secure powers with which to better control street trading in Manchester was approved by the Council.

One of the main powers sought in the Bill is to modify the "pedlar's exemption" on regulated streets so that it would only apply if the pedlar was trading from door to door. This would negate the need for officers to spend long periods on surveillance in order to obtain the necessary evidence to take the matter to Court.

In 2007 the Bill passed through the House of Lords after being scrutinised by an Opposed Bill Committee who heard evidence from Council and GMP officers over two days.

In accordance with parliamentary procedure the Bills were passed to the House of Commons. Upon the second reading of the Bills Christopher Chope, M.P. for Christchurch, put down a "blocking motion" which prevented the Bills from progressing further unless a debate was held in the Commons. This took place on 29 October 2008 and the Manchester Bill successfully passed through its Second Reading. As there was insufficient time in that parliamentary session the Bill needed to be carried forward into the next parliamentary session. Christopher Chope MP again objected, this time to the carry over motions, which were necessary for the Bill to be taken forward in the next session. A revival motion was passed on 21 April 2009, and the next stage in the parliamentary process is a Commons select committee hearing which it is hoped will take place in June or July this year.

Depending on the outcome of that Select Committee, and depending on whether there are any further objections from MPs, the Bill may return to the Commons for further debate, following which it is hoped that the Bill will pass into law.

Please be assured that while we are pursuing a local Act to enable us to take more effective action against illegal street trading in Manchester we will continue to undertake enforcement with our partners in GMP.

28 May 2009

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Peter Copping, who lives in Manchester, asked:

Could you please tell me when the City Centre Strategic Plan 2008-11 will be published and when the Regional Centre Transport Strategy will be published. In respect of the former when will this promise be fulfilled We intend to publish a response to those bodies and individuals that have commented. We have had a good response to the consultation exercise. All comments are being analyzed and are currently being reviewed to inform the strategy development.

You will note that I have been involved on planning matters where the Strategic Plan has be cited as the Council's aspirations while it has not yet been approved.

Councillor Richard Cowell, Executive Member for Environment, replied:

Thank you for your question.

There was a consultation on the Regional Centre Transport Strategy (RCTS) that was carried out in November 2007 - January 2008. However, the Strategy, at that time, was based on the proposals in the TIF bid being implemented. Following the TIF consultation in summer 2008 and the outcome of the referendum, AGMA decided not to proceed with TIF. As a consequence, the city council is in the process of reviewing its position on the RCTS and will consult further later this year.

The publication of the City Centre Strategic Plan has been delayed because it needed to be revised to reflect the post-TIF transport situation and the economic downturn. Whilst the plan is a medium term strategy, it is important that it reflects short term issues as these will be of key concern to a significant number of regional centre stakeholders. We are currently making some further (small) amendments so that the plan picks up on the work being led by Cityco and the joint work that Cityco and the Council are doing to support the city centre's economy in the current economic situation. We will be publishing the plan at the end of April.

21 April 2009

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Kevin O'Connor, who lives and works in Manchester, asked

There has recently been a large number of roadworks being carried out simultaneously across north Manchester, this has at times led to large delays as multiple diversions are in place at any one time.

Is the council able to work with the utility companies to try to co-ordinate road closures within a confined locality?

Councillor Richard Cowell, Executive Member for Environment, replied

Thank you for your question.

Over the past twelve months there has been a marked increase in works across the whole of Manchester to levels that are unprecedented. The majority of the work, but not exclusively so, is due to the massive investment by utility companies and GMPTE to improve the viability and quality of service they can provide. Clearly with such large-scale programmes of work having to be undertaken at the same time, it is difficult to coordinate them so that they do not impact on each other. Some disruption is, therefore inevitable, which is exacerbated further by developments that are still being carried out despite the current economic climate, together with the 'normal works on the highway.

All work is carefully coordinated and where conflicts are encountered, decisions made as how best to deal with them. In many situations the impact is only minor, but where unacceptable disruption is likely to be caused, we as Highway Authority, have the power to defer works to mitigate the problem. Unfortunately this is not always possible due to the type of work being carried out, and where such situations arise solutions are sought to keep any disruption to a minimum. This invariably results in greater costs for the contractor and therefore, has to be weighed carefully against the benefit gained.

With some of the works it is necessary to close roads, and means that traffic has to be diverted. Where this is the case alternative routes are signed, diverting traffic using the most appropriate roads available. This would normally mean keeping it to primary and secondary routes, as many of the local roads would not be capable of taking heavy traffic for prolonged periods.

In summary, all works are carefully coordinated to keep disruption to a minimum, and where it is impossible to avoid conflict the shortest and most appropriate alternative routes are signed.

25th March 2009

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Andrew McGarry, who lives in Manchester, asked

Could you please tell me what year Lancross Road Fallowfield, Manchester 14 changed its name from Lancaster Road and why this was done? I used to live on this road and think it might have changed around 1961. Thanking you.

Councillor Richard Cowell, Executive Member for Environment, replied

Thank you for your question.

Renaming of Lancaster Road, Fallowfield

Our records indicate that a proposal to rename Lancaster Road to Landcross Road was approved by the Highways Committee on the 18 December 1963 and ratified by the City Council on the 08 January 1964.

19 March 2009

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Gerwyn Marchog, who lives in Manchester, asked

I would welcome assistance from Manchester City Council in identifying who owns a street light column. This streetlight is very old, dangerous, vandalised and unlit. I have made numerous attempts with Environment On-Call to ascertain if they own it and request for it to be repaired.

The light fitting is at the foot of the bridge crossing River Irwell on the Manchester side of St Georges Island adjacent to the Metrolink arches. Access is gained through walking under the arches. This public footpath leading under the bridges is very dark and unsafe including uneven.

Additionally, there are 50 lights along the river Irwell that are unlit (from the above heading towards Cornbrook tram stop along the concrete hard standing on the river bank) - again a very unsafe area especially as it next to the river.

I would be grateful if you could identify who owns these lights, and either repair them or request that they are repaired as it a public safety problem. Many thanks for your assistance; I have gotten to the end of my tether in trying to get this fixed. Thank you.

Councillor Richard Cowell, Executive Member for Environment, replied

Thank you for your question.

This particular street light is not on the lighting inventory and is sighted on a public right of way albeit in a very strange location with access being gained through a gap in a fenced off area just before the metro link arches between Manchester, Trafford and Salford.

The difficulty is that the electrical supply has been lost; this has been due to the redevelopment of the area some years ago. To reinstate the supply from the nearest Manchester column would prove extremely costly, and in fact logistically very difficult.

However, Salford Council are going to illuminate the footbridge which is adjacent to the street light, this part is owned by Salford, and they have offered to provide an electrical supply to it, this work however, will not take place until approximately April/ May.

30 January 2009

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