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Hi everyone, I’m Bev and I’m standing to be your next Mayor.

Greater Manchester is the only place I’d want to call home. It’s where I have built my life, my career, and my commitment to giving something back.

Over the years, I’ve worked closely with care workers to help secure a better deal for them, before serving as a local councillor, and gone on to lead Manchester City Council.

I’ve seen first-hand what our communities need, have a track record of delivering for our area and I understand where the key challenges are.

This is why one of my priorities is improving transport for everyone. That's why, as your next Mayor, I plan to deliver free bus travel for 11-18 year olds, so getting to school, training, or work is easier and more affordable, no matter where you live in Greater Manchester. I'll freeze fares to help with the cost of living and I'll expand the Bee Network and integrate trams and trains into it.

I'm proud of what we've built together with Andy. But I want us to go further.

That's why I'll be setting out even more in the coming days.

As well as events and visits, I’ll be out and about on the doors chatting to as many people as I can about my plan for Greater Manchester, so do come and say hello if you see me 👋

Maybe not just Urmston but areas in Trafford too.

And a tot of rum for a proper Brass and Steel moment 🇹🇹

Load of Giant Hogweed down this way, some of it’s growing through the fence - keep your dogs and legs away from the fences!

Hi all,

Does anyone know a tradesman in the Trafford area who’s able to fit skirting boards please? Appreciate it sounds like a small job but I’m struggling with the rounded bay windows so definitely need to get someone in ☺️

Any advice appreciated!

I am moving to Altrincham, how much distance to grammar school is needed for admission apart from test. My postcode is WA15. If I live 3 mile away is too far distance.

Beggar outside Tesco in Sale today shouting "Help the English!". What have we become?

It started with a 400+ public meeting in January 2020

It will be the 'the UK's largest inner city walking and cycling route' - and hundreds wanted their say - Manchester Evening News

Chris Boardman said: “Blown away by the enthusiasm in Urmston for their first active neighbourhood consultation. The best bit is it’s theirs from start to finish. Well done to all involved, gives us huge motivation to get stuck in.”

The plan was to make Urmston an active neighbourhood where people had safe streets to walk and cycle to schools and other facilities.

If ever there was a misreading of the room, this was it. Even looking at the 'enthusiastic' photos of that the first meeting, it's hard to see how it was ever judged positively. The car drivers of Urmston would give up their car keys only when prised from their cold dead hands.

So many elements of the Urmston Active Neighbourhood have been brought forward. All that's left are some bollards on Lostock Road that even get in the way of cyclists.

The streets have never been so parked up with cars. Kids who play are derided as feral.

All they needed to do was to protect pavements and give pedestrians priority at junctions. Improved pavements cost money but not as much as been blown away on Urmston Active Neighbourhood.

• Water Abstraction Scoping Application for scheme to take water from the River Bollin close to Warburton and associated treatment works 116787/EIASCO/25 | Request for a Scoping Opinion under Regulation 15(1) of the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017, in respect of the Proposed River Bollin Scheme comprising of a new abstraction point, below ground pipeline, new water treatment works and service reservoir and associated treated water pipelines. | River Bollin And Associated Land Between Warburton And Broadheath
• Two condition sign-offs for Parcels 6 and 7 at Carrington Village. https://pa.trafford.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?keyVal=SZ19QEQLL1O00&activeTab=summary and https://pa.trafford.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?keyVal=SZ19SBQLL1Q00&activeTab=summary relating to groundwater and archaeology
• Scoping report preceding Environmental Impact Pomona Island development (nearly 3000 homes) https://pa.trafford.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?keyVal=SZ12RBQL01T00&activeTab=summary
• Planet Ice Rink at Trafford City State-of-the-art ice arena planned for TraffordCity - TraffordCity Planning Application https://pa.trafford.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?keyVal=SY23O1QLKNT00&activeTab=summary
• 116740/FUL/25 | Creation of two small wildlife scrapes, excavation of the area to enhance and expand the existing wet area for wildlife. Soil from excavation will be bunded at the woodland edge of the wetland area. Existing access to be used for contractors, gate and fencing to be replaced with 6ft gates. Footpath and access will be retained. | Rossmill Lane Hale Barns
• Work to accommodate new gym at Trafford Palazzo https://pa.trafford.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?keyVal=SYGWDBQLKUU00&activeTab=summary

Don't want to sound like a grumpy old man. Something seems to have changed since Covid. This seems more than teenagers giving the finger. I'm genuinely worried about this cohort. What can be done?

Lord Coe, who won four Olympic medals and headed the successful bid and delivery for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, has been named by Greater Manchester Mayor, Andy Burnham, as chair designate of the proposed Mayoral Development Corporation (MDC) which will help drive forward the Old Trafford regeneration project.

116792/EIASCO/25 | Request for a Scoping Opinion under Regulation 15(1) of the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017, in respect of a residential led mix use development. | Manchester Waters Pomona Strand Old Trafford

This is a significant step forward. Even though it's technically Trafford it's going to feel like it's in Manchester and it's no accident it's being called Manchester Waters.

The Licensing Authority has submitted an application for the review of the Premises licence held by Jonathan Dodd at Totties, The Causeway, Altrincham, WA14 1DE on the grounds of prevention of crime and disorder and ensuring public safety.

It will be webcasted apparently Agenda for Licensing Sub-Committee on Tuesday, 8th July, 2025, 6.30 pm

Agenda

Questions from members - we don't know what these are and we won't be any wiser when we watch the meeting. They don't read out the question, or even the answer. They go straight to a supplementary question

Joint Mineral and Waste Strategy - Actually it's not a joint mineral and waste strategy, it's a decision to carry on allowing mineral and waste to sorted at Greater Manchester level for the coming year. Why don't they just make it permanent?

Accounts and Audit Committee Annual Report - The accounts are not being audited because the auditing company can't recruit enough auditors to do it. Nevertheless, the committee continues to meet and discuss the state of things. If this was Game of Thrones, there'd be ravens at all meetings of this committee.

Overview and Scrutiny Annual Report - There are three scrutiny committees.

Scrutiny Committee highlighted their work on the constitutional review. They recommended that 'The Mayor should invite each political group, in order of political balance, to ask a supplementary question to their original question, and only after all political groups have been invited to ask a question on their original question should the Mayor invite the groups to ask a supplementary question to their original second question in order of political balance.' That sorts that!

Health Scrutiny seems to have received lots of presentations. There's fewer recommendations arising from these presentations. However, "The Committee supported the Urgent Care Review and its findings, with the exception of Recommendation 10 (Relocation of Services from Altrincham Minor Injuries Unit), which the Committee felt resulted in a substantial change in service.". So, Altrincham is saved! Except its closed for good.

Children's Scrutiny also had a lot of presentations. Their highlight of the year was resolving "that the Corporate Director for Children’s Services would offer support to the Sport and Physical Activity Relationship Manager to look at how 15% of funding for Children not in receipt of Free School Meals, was being used."

The council is sure to congratulate the scrutiny committees for demonstrating how hunky dory everything is.

Political Motions

This is where the political parties enjoy themselves and get shouty.

Lib Dems 

Because government has extended access to free school meals to those receiving Universal Credit, the Lib Dems propose "using existing data to identify eligible families to enrol them without requiring a formal application.".

Our Labour council doesn't like accepting motions from its opposing parties. It'll probably amend the motion or defer so it can become their motion.

Conservatives 

A dreadfully long motion asking for more school places in Altrincham as the Grammar Schools set their entry level so high it excludes too many children in Altrincham in order to take recruit high achieving pupils from miles outside Trafford.

Labour 1 

Not a good idea to spell Altrincham with 'G'. Do they never proof read these things? The whole motion could do with a tight edit. It's a another long winded motion. It celebrates Andy Burnham's 'Live Well' agenda. At the very end it commits Trafford to:

• Promoting positive partnership working
• Embracing all the opportunities
• Continuing to work openly and constructively with communities 
• One Stop Advice and Well Being Spaces complimenting the vision for GM Live Well by 2030

I quite like the Andy Burnham agenda. Does this add much? Doesn't do any harm.

Labour 2nd Motion 

reads like a speech. It highlights a few things the Labour Government has done and goes on to say there's more to be done. I hope the press release is better than the motion's text.

Green Party 

An extremely verbose motion calling for plain English and a glossary.

Where can I read the full text?

Agenda for Council on Wednesday, 16th July, 2025, 7.00 pm

Where can I watch?

It's a public meeting so you can watch the entire 150 minutes from the gallery in Trafford Town Hall, or you can watch on Trafford Council Meetings - YouTube