Tag: Manchester City Council

Community News, News, Politics

MP warns closure will lead to Wythenshawe school places squeeze

SaveNewall

Wythenshawe  MP  Mike Kane is calling on the government to reverse the controversial plans to close Newall Green High School.

The Shadow School’s Minister has told Education Secretary, Gavin Williamson, he opposes the DfE decision to shut the school saying it could lead to a shortage of school places.

In a letter to the DfE boss he said: “Manchester City Council’s place planning shows the secondary school population in south Manchester will increase in the next two to three years. With the school closing, how will the DfE ensure the area has enough school places for our community’s children in the years ahead?”

Parents were told earlier this month that the DfE will close the academy school because of falling numbers.

A petition to save the school has been launched, signed by more than 650 people and students staged a protest calling on the decision to be reversed.

The school had been put in special measures following an OFSTED inspection, but in its latest monitoring report, inspectors said the school had made improvements.

Mike Kane was involved in establishing a Wythenshawe Education Board with the Regional Schools Commissioner, Vicky Beer.

All four Wythenshawe high schools are on board, aiming to raise standards and give a ‘good offer’ for schools in the town. The schools board aims combat o raise OFSTED.

The MP says  he is very disappointed the school is being closed while we’re in the middle of this project.

 

In his letter to education bosses, Mr Kane has also asked: “How did this once desirable and popular school end up being so under-subscribed that it is no longer financially viable to remain open?

“When the school closes and the land returns to the Department for Education, what will become of the buildings and large open spaces?”

The Department for Education has been approached by the Wythenshawe Reporter for a comment.

Community News, News, Politics

Save Newall Green High School

The Wythenshawe Reporter is backing a campaign by parents, students and councillors to save Newall Green High School, earmarked for closure by the Government.

Parents were told this week that the Department for Education will close the school because of falling numbers.

A petition to save the school has been launched and students staged a protest calling on the decision to be reversed.

newall green school

And today, Manchester City Council’s executive committee pledged to fight the DfE’s decision.

The council’s deputy leader and Wythenshawe councillor, Sue Murphy tweeted: “We need to oppose the closure. Potentially devastating for young people in school there.”

Baguley councillor,  Tracey Rawlins led the calls for the council to fight the closure.

Dawn Fairweather, who started the petition which has already attracted nearly 400 signatures, says the closure will impact on other schools in Wythenshawe, by increasing class sizes and piling more pressure on teachers.

She said: “This is not acceptable for children in the Wythenshawe area who through no fault of their own may not get the education they rightfully deserve which could affect their future employment prospects.

“This could also mean that children have to travel further to and from school and cost more money that some parents do not have.Please sign this petition to stop the closure of this school.

“The education minister and Prime minister need to know that the people in Wythenshawe will do their upmost to stop the closure of this school.”

Sign the petition here.

Newall Green School was put in special measures following an inspection by the schools watchdog, OFSTED.

But following the school’s latest monitoring visit in November last year, inspectors said there had been improvements in their report.

Inspector, David Selby said: “Leaders and managers are taking effective action towards the removal of special measures.”

The report summarised the strengths in the school’s approaches to securing improvement as:

  • Leaders have continued to develop the wider opportunities that the school offers
    to pupils. These opportunities often involve local businesses.
  • Leaders have continued their careful focus on the urgent priorities identified at
    the previous inspection. However, they have now started to widen their view and
    to identify and enhance aspects of the school that were already working well.
  • Leaders are seeking ways for pupils to be more involved in their school. Leaders
    intend to find out more about what pupils think of the school. Staff have just
    introduced a prefect system and they intend that a pupil council will soon be reestablished.
  • The reducing role of the executive principal in supporting other leaders has
    allowed leaders within the school to become increasingly more confident and self reliant.

And the weakness was summarised as:

  • Despite the improvement in the school and the increasing number of things that
    pupils can be proud of, some pupils lack pride in what the school offers them and
    is achieving.

 

News, Politics

Manchester council leaders plead with MPs to reject No Deal Brexit
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Manchester Council Leader, Sir Richard Leese

Manchester council’s leadership has joined leaders from England’s five core cities to plead with MPs to reject leaving the EU without a deal.

MPs are voting tonight on whether to rule out a No Deal Brexit following the Prime Minister’s defeat yesterday of her proposed withdrawal agreement.

Manchester says they are concerned about the impact of No Deal on the region and in particular its effect on Manchester Airport. Continue reading “Manchester council leaders plead with MPs to reject No Deal Brexit” →

Crime, News, Politics

Councillor welcomes fine for rogue airport parking firm
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Cllr Rabnawaz Akbar

A Wythenshawe-based “cowboy” airport parking firm has been told to pay more than £3,500 following a trading standards sting.

Mr Nabeel Khoury, age 45, of Greenwood Road, Manchester was personally fined £425 as sole director of PPS Manchester Limited and was ordered to pay £1,000 court costs and a victim of crime surcharge of £42 following a hearing at Manchester Magistrates Court.

The PPS Manchester Limited company was also fined £1,000 after being found guilty of engaging in a misleading action, and ordered to pay court costs of £1,000 along with a victims of crime surcharge of £100.

Mr Khoury and PPS Manchester claimed that car would be parked securely when in fact they were being parked on residential streets in Woodhouse Park, Wythenshawe – nearby to Manchester Airport – which is an offence under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations.

In 2016, Manchester City Council’s Trading Standards team fitted a tracking device to a vehicle and booked a three day airport parking service through the PPS Manchester website. The tracker showed the car had been parked on Greenwood Road in Woodhouse Park and clearly not in a secure car park as advertised.

The company’s website claimed that cars are kept on a concrete surface surrounded by fencing, patrolled 24 hours a day by security guards and under the watch of CCTV.

Returning the following day, trading standards officers found the car in the same position before picking up the vehicle from a PPS Manchester driver the next day.

Under interview, Mr Khoury claimed the cars were safe and secure as it was parked outside of his home address, and claimed the promise on the website referred to a period of time when the business was based at another location close to the airport.

He also claimed that if the booking had been for longer, the vehicle would have been moved to one of three secure car parks that he had exclusive use of.

The investigation is part of a multi-agency operation tasked with dealing with meet and greet parking operators in the Woodhouse Park area that sometime leave holiday maker’s vehicles residential streets for up to two weeks.

A dedicated enforcement team has now been set up to tackle the problem of cars being parked obstructively by rogue ‘meet-and-greet’ companies in residential areas during the school summer holidays.

Since the end of July, the enforcement team have received 42 calls from residents that have led 29 penalty charge notices being handed out, and nine vehicles removed from the streets of Wythenshawe.

Councillor Rabnawaz Akbar, Manchester City Council’s Executive Member for Neighbourhoods, said: “Cowboy meet and greet firms are making life a misery for residents in Wythenshawe and I’m pleased that the Courts have found it appropriate to impose a significant fine on this so-called company.

“I hope this sends a clear message to other illegal operators that deceiving customers will not be tolerated. We are doing everything we can to find you, investigate you and where possible, we will prosecute.

“Many residents are tricked into handing over their car keys to criminals for what seems like a good deal so we strongly advise anybody thinking of using an airport meet-and-greet scheme to research your chosen company carefully and look out for the certified “Buy with Confidence” mark.”

 

Residents are asked to call the Council on 0161 234 4199 if a vehicle is parked on double yellow lines, if a road crossing is blocked where there is a dropped kerb, if their driveway is completely blocked (where a dropped kerb has been provided by the Council or Wythenshawe Community Housing Group), or if a bus stop is blocked.

Where there is a confirmed case, the Council has powers to take enforcement action, which could include towing the vehicle away.

If a parked vehicle blocks a path or grass verge and makes it hard for pedestrians to pass, residents should contact Greater Manchester Police on 101.

News, Politics

Wythenshawe voters urged to register as every council seat is up for grabs in May
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Image:cc/FutUndBeidl 

Voters who are not registered to vote are being urged to do so as the countdown begins to Manchester City Council local elections, on Thursday May 3.

New ward boundaries will come into effect at the elections, following an electoral review by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England.  As a result, electors will have the opportunity to vote for three candidates in each of the five Wythenshawe wards – Woodhouse Park, Sharston, Baguley, Brooklands and Northenden.

To take part, people must be registered to vote.  Anyone not already registered must do it before Tuesday April 17 2018, buy visiting http://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.

Anyone who is registered to vote can also choose to vote by post, or by proxy.  Applications for a postal vote must be received by 5pm on Wednesday 18 April 2018.  The deadline for the receipt of proxy vote applications is 5pm on Wednesday 25 April 2018.

Electors will receive poll cards, which will confirm their voting arrangements, from Friday 23 March 2018 onwards.  An online polling station checker is also available at http://www.manchester.gov.uk/pollingstations.

A full list of candidates will be published at 4pm on Monday 9 April 2018.  The count and declaration for the local election results will take place on Friday 4 May 2018.

Joanne Roney OBE, Returning Officer for Manchester, said: “This election gives Manchester residents the opportunity to elect the councillors who will represent them locally.

“It’s vital that nobody loses out on their right to vote, so please make sure that you are registered to have your say by Tuesday 17 April.”

To find out more about the ward boundary changes and the Local Government Boundary Commission for England’s Electoral Review of Manchester, visit http://www.lgbce.org.uk.