An honour to serve as Leader of Trafford Council
Posted: Wednesday 4th January 2023
This is my final blog as the Leader of Trafford Council and I have to say it has been an honour to serve the people and businesses of this great borough in this role.
Since my first day in the job, back in May 2018, I promised to deliver. By working together with our many partners, I believe we have done so much to help the people and places of Trafford.
I will always look back on my tenure as Council leader with great pride and fondness mainly due to the successes that we have accomplished.
Our response to the Covid pandemic was outstanding – we opened safe hubs across the borough for residents to shelter and have access to food and chat with our team members.
We provided emergency help and support to residents and businesses – which showed Trafford at its best. Our focus has now shifted to the cost-of-living crisis and we have again stepped up the mark to provide much-needed support for those in need.
Together, we have refocussed our priorities for the borough and created many policies, including the hugely successful development of the first social housing to be built in Trafford for over a decade.
On my first day in office, I withdrew controversial plans to build a football training ground and new facilities on Turn Moss in Stretford, pledging to open a community-led consultation on the area instead.
In 2022, my Executive also approved plans to turn William Wroe golf course into a town and village green space solely for community use.
Following on from this, we have now applied for Fields in Trust status for the former golf course site in Flixton - and for Turn Moss - meaning both areas will be protected for future generations.
Our town centres and businesses continue to thrive and the exciting plans we have them will make sure they have a bright future.
Major sporting events continue to take place across the borough, attracting hundreds of thousands of people to sample the delights of what we offer as a leisure destination.
The Council’s Leisure Strategy, which is well under way, is also something to be very proud of. We have already revamped Move Urmston and will be doing similar in Altrincham, Sale and Streford as part of the muliti-million pound leisure investment plan. Also to be proud of is our continued work to reduce health inequalities, support people out of poverty and address the climate crisis.
New Year is not just a time to look back but also a time to look forward. An extraordinary Council meeting takes place this evening and Cllr Tom Ross is due to be nominated to be our new leader. I will be supporting him in my new role as an MP - and also as a ward councillor until the May elections. With your support, the new leader will continue to make Trafford a place where residents, businesses and communities prosper.