The Leader's blog

Eyes of the sporting world will be on Trafford this summer

This is my first blog since the local elections last month and I am obviously delighted that my Labour group now has won overall control of Trafford Council.

As always, I enjoyed the campaigning and getting out and about meeting voters, and thanks to everyone who took time to vote, no matter which party you cast your ballot for. It is important we have a strong local democracy and that politicians are held accountable for their decisions.

The borough faces some major challenges over the coming months, not least the need to make further savings to our budget and I have made some changes to my Executive councillor team as we look to address the budget gap and deliver our new Corporate Plan. Putting party politics to one side, I can reassure you all that we will be aiming to achieve the council’s vision of building the best future for everyone in Trafford.

Congratulations to our new Mayor of Trafford, Cllr Rob Chilton. While we may not hold the same political views he is a good friend so I was delighted to see him sworn in and I am sure he will do a great job. I must also thank his predecessor Cllr Tom Ross for his incredible efforts during his tenure.  

Elsewhere there is so much to look forward to this summer as Trafford will take centre stage in the sporting world, hosting some high profile events which will showcase the borough across the globe.

First up is the Cricket World Cup and Old Trafford will host six games including the India and Pakistan group match which will be played in front of a sell out crowd and watched by millions on television. As a massive cricket fan, to have some of the world’s best players coming to the borough is particularly exciting for me.

Continuing the cricket theme Old Trafford will be the venue for one of the England v Australia Test matches at the end of the summer and that also promises to be a fantastic occasion with thousands of fans pouring into the borough.

And after the Ashes one of the most prestigious cycle races is coming to Trafford when Altrincham hosts the start of the final stage of the OVO Energy Tour of Britain. Again thousands of people are due to come into the borough to watch the action live.

In between these great sporting events we have also teamed up Lancashire Cricket Club to put on Trafford Live again on Sunday 21 July. It’s a free festival that will showcase the borough’s sports, history and culture and offers something for young and old to enjoy and take part in. I hope to see you there!

Finally, there is still time for you to give your views about plans to help clean up the air in Greater Manchester. We need to take action now before more people suffer ill health so please have your say. You can find out more on the Clean Air Greater Manchester website   

Thanks, Andrew