http://www.marcramsbottom.org.uk/newsarchive.php Recent News Stories from Marc Ramsbottom for Manchester Central en-GB Marc Ramsbottom for Manchester Central http://www.marcramsbottom.org.uk/ Prater Raines Ltd http://www.praterraines.co.uk/ (c) 2010 Marc Ramsbottom for Manchester Central 2010-03-11T05:22+00:00 United Kingdom http://www.marcramsbottom.org.uk/news/000076/lib_dems_back_calls_for_new_moston_village_council.html Local Liberal Democrat Campaigner Tim Hartley has backed local residents calls for New Moston to have its own village or community council. His campaign, which is receiving widespread support from local residents, has recently received a publicity from the North and East Manchester Advertiser. 2010-02-28T16:49+00:00 http://www.marcramsbottom.org.uk/news/000075/new_controls_over_student_city_centre_flats.html City Centre Liberal Democrat Councillors have welcomed news that new planning controls will come into force on the 6th April to restrict the use of apartments as flats in multiply occupancy. City centre living has provide very popular for students, with more and more residential apartment being rented out to students. However, long term city centre residents have become concerned at increasing complaints about noise and disturbance. 2010-02-28T11:58+00:00 http://www.marcramsbottom.org.uk/news/000074/labour_set_to_close_city_centre_police_station.html Labour police bosses are planning to axe the only city centre police station at Bootle Street as part of a huge cost cutting exercise. Plans revealed last week at a meeting of the Labour dominated Police Authority, will lead to the closure of the only police station in the city centre at Bootle Street, and transferred to a new facility in Newton Heath - nearly 4 miles away. 2010-01-24T11:11+00:00 http://www.marcramsbottom.org.uk/news/000073/gay_rights_would_grind_to_a_halt_under_tories.html Parliamentary Spokesperson for the Lib Dems, Cllr Marc Ramsbottom, has warned that gay rights would 'grind to a halt' if the Conservatives won the next election. His claim is based on research carried out by the Liberal Democrats which shows that nearly a third of David Cameron's shadow cabinet voted against gay rights legislation over the last two parliaments. David Cameron himself voted against legislation to repeal section 28, which for a long time banned local authorities and schools from 'promoting' homosexuality, in 2003. Nineteen members of the shadow cabinet joined an attempt to block the Equality Bill, which included a requirement for all publicly funded bodies to promote equality. 2010-01-17T10:31+00:00 http://www.marcramsbottom.org.uk/news/000072/labour_cuts_threaten_300_police.html Cllrs Marc Ramsbottom Damien O'Connor and local campaigner Gerry Diamond are demanding more resources for local police. Manchester Lib Dems have called on the Home Secretary to end the unfair funding formula which will mean budget cuts for Greater Manchester Police, despite figures released which show that Greater Manchester has one of the highest crime levels in the 2010-01-06T09:00+00:00 http://www.marcramsbottom.org.uk/news/000071/council_urged_to_rethink_special_school_closure_plan.html The Liberal Democrat Shadow Education Spokesperson, Cllr Marc Ramsbottom, has urged the Council to rethink plans to closure a top performing special school. Labour's Town Hall Bosses are driving through plans to close Ewing School in South Manchester, that was rated 'excellent' by OFSTED, despite huge protests from parents and teachers at the school. 2010-01-05T12:00+00:00 http://www.marcramsbottom.org.uk/news/000070/new_jacksons_wharf_plans_revealed.html New plans for the development of the derelict former Jackson's Wharf pub have been announced by developers Peel Holdings. These revised plans show a smaller building on the important site in the Castlefield basin. 2009-12-30T20:28+00:00 http://www.marcramsbottom.org.uk/news/000068/police_authority_boss_should_resign.html The Liberal Democrat Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Manchester Central has called on the boss of the Greater Manchester Police Authority to resign after recent official figures showed that the north Manchester police division had the worst crime rates in Greater Manchester. 2009-12-28T11:31+00:00 http://www.marcramsbottom.org.uk/news/000067/lib_dems_welcome_plans_for_civil_service_of_the_north.html City Centre Lib Dem Councillor Marc Ramsbottom has welcomed outline plans by the government to create a new 'civil service of the North' close to Piccadilly station. 2009-12-13T13:35+00:00 http://www.marcramsbottom.org.uk/news/000066/anger_at_tesco_takeover.html City Centre Lib Dem Cllr Marc Ramsbottom has set out his concerns at yet another high supermarket opening up in the city centre. This brings to a total five Tesco stores in the city centre - and a total of 64 Tesco stores in a 12 mile radius of the city centre! 2009-11-19T21:54+00:00 http://www.marcramsbottom.org.uk/news/000065/stpeters_square_to_get_major_revamp.html Plans to redevelop St Peter's Square have been given the thumbs up, following on from major works to revamp the Town Hall Extension and Central Library. St Peter's Square, which houses the city's war memorial and cenotaph, will benefit from a multi million pound revamp in 2013. An international design competition will take place for the scheme. Commenting on the scheme, Lib Dem City Centre Councillor Elaine Boyes, said "This is a great opportunity to upgrade one of our major city squares. If Manchester aims to be a world-class city, then the highest standards need to be set, and St Peter's Square is a public space we can really be proud of". 2009-11-07T21:24+00:00 http://www.marcramsbottom.org.uk/news/000064/racist_group_not_welcome_in_manchester.html City Centre Lib Dem Councillor Marc Ramsbottom has hit out at plans by the racist group the English Defence League (EDL) to stage a demonstration in Manchester. Recent disturbance in Birmingham and London resulted in clashes between the group and anti racist protesters, with 90 arrests. Skinheads have raised Nazi salutes and other EDL supporters have chanted racist slogans. Many have open links to the BNP and other far right groups. 2009-09-27T19:26+01:00 http://www.marcramsbottom.org.uk/news/000063/50_cash_back.html Manchester Liberal Democrats £50 Cash Back scheme was rejected by Labour councillors after their originally supported the scheme. Labour councillors first supported Lib Dem plans to give hard pressed Manchester residents a £50 Council Tax rebate. 2009-08-10T18:15+01:00 http://www.marcramsbottom.org.uk/news/000062/fury_over_new_shuttle_bus_route.html Local residents at the Left bank apartments in Spinningfields are up in arms at plans to turn a pedestrianised street into a bus route. Transport bosses have been asked to divert one of the city centre free Metroshuttles along Left bank outside residents flats. The No.3 'purple' Metroshuttle current runs along Gartside Street, by the court buildings through the middle of Spinningfields. Under new plans put forward by Spinningfields Management Company it would turn right off New Bailey Street head down Leftbank - instead of Gartside Street - along a pedestrianised street, then turn left onto Quay Street. 2009-07-19T12:41+01:00 http://www.marcramsbottom.org.uk/news/000061/special_report_councillors_expenses.html Manchester City Council has published the expenses claimed by all 96 Councillors in Manchester. All councillors are paid a standard annual allowance, with some councillors paid an extra responsibility allowances. Some expenses such as travel and child care costs can also be claimed, but most councillors are expected to met their expenses for being a councillor from the annual allowance - which is £ 14,640 in 2008/9. 2009-06-18T23:16+01:00