Welcome to my latest e-bulletin, where I'll be updating you on the recent goings on in our area and in Westminster.

It has been a busy time since I was last in touch with you, with lots going on both in the constituency and in our area, including us passing an increased 3% pay rise for NHS healthcare staff.

We have opened up further, lifting many restrictions as life continues onto the path of normality. All adults have been offered a vaccine, and nearly 3/4 of people have now received both jabs! 

Queensgate Primary School to remain open!

THANK YOU to everyone who signed our petition to save Queensgate Primary School from closure. I joined with our fantastic local councillors in Bramhall, Cllrs John McGahan and Brian Bagnall, to a launch campaign to stop Queensgate Primary School from being closed. 

I am delighted that after our collective campaign with parents and councillors, a sensible solution for the Queensgate Primary School community has been found, with the school remaining open and on its current site in Bramhall, with a new school due to open in Woodford for September 2022. We have repeatedly said that the proposal to move the school would have a very negative impact on the children forced to make a much longer journey to school. The Council accepting the recommendation that the school remain on its current site will be a huge relief for pupils and parents. I would like to extend a big thank you to the local community and councillors on this.

NHS dental provision

I have been contacted by constituents over the last few weeks, who are concerned to learn that a dentist in Cheadle Hulme is set to go private, leaving residents struggling to find another NHS dentist. Earlier this month I was in contact with NHS England about this, stressing the importance of ensuring our area has a strong dental provision. Please do get in touch with my office if there is anything you wish to raise with me on this matter.

Further concerns in Greater Manchester Police

Yet more worrying news from Greater Manchester Police recently, with 5,000 pieces of intelligence having been found to have gone missing in the iOPS computer system.

Since GMP launched their new £29 million computer system in July 2019, the new iOPS system has caused problem after problem, including more than 80,000 crimes not being recorded. Publicised as a solution to an aged IT network, it has been strongly criticised by the policing inspectorate and has led to GMP officers blowing the whistle on failings, and such big problems with data, meaning that the force has not published any recent, accurate crime figures. 

It is two years on and these issues have still not been fixed. I will be meeting with the new Chief Constable, but in the meantime our Police and Crime Commissioner, Mayor Andy Burnham, must ensure both victims and police officers on the front line are well supported.

Community Ownership Fund

It has been great to see the Government deliver on its levelling up pledges, which people backed at the 2019 election. In the last few months we have seen announcements on the Towns Funds bids, the Levelling Up Fund, and the UK Community Renewal Fund.

The Community Ownership Fund will allow community groups such as sports clubs to keep facilities and resources in the community, retaining control and use of them, instead of potentially being sold off to developers or developed in ways that are not in line with the community’s goals. Instead of losing community assets, people can take control and ownership of their area.

If you are a constituent in my area and any of the schemes are of interest to you, please do get in touch with my office and I will do my best to assist.

Mirrlees Fields

During lockdown, we all regularly used and valued our local green spaces even more. Nowhere is that more true than for the community in Stepping Hill around Mirrlees Fields.

After months of uncertainty for residents in Stepping Hill, a pre-planning proposal has finally been submitted which gives more clarity about the future of Mirrlees Fields. The current proposal is to develop some of the space, but leave a green area in a protected trust in perpetuity.

Mirrlees Fields is the largest green space for the Stepping Hill ward and an ecologically important area that also stores excess flood water. Its value to the wider community cannot be underestimated.

Community clubs at All Hallows Church

Last week, I visited All Hallows Church in Cheadle to see their breakfast and over 50s lunch clubs and meet the new curate, Catherine Johnson. The Church have really helped ease the isolation and loneliness that the pandemic has brought with these clubs.

The Church have been hard at work throughout the pandemic, and are now a designated debt centre in partnership with Christians Against Poverty, supporting those struggling financially. This service is open to all to receive help, not just church goers/members. A big thank you to everyone at All Hallows!