Sunday 23 March 2008

Sean And Johnny - Come On Down

The question "Why Are We Up And Running?" is a difficult one to answer.

Just what is the point of Active Longdendale?
What is its role or raison d'etre?
What values and/or aspirations underpin its foundation?
More intriguingly, how does it differ to already existing groups that provide a similar service?

Trawling the Internet in an attempt to find some answers reveals that information on Active Longdendale is very thin on the ground. What little information that is available tends to be somewhat contradictory.

Nevertheless, buried in the Minutes of the Longdendale and District Assembly, which was chaired by Cllr Sean Parker Perry (Labour) held on 7/12/06, lies the following nugget in which the Town Manager appears to provide a succinct definition of its aims and purpose:

"Active Longdendale is a project that "provides an opportunity for community groups and members of the public to participate in clean ups in the area". He qualifies this by quoting an example of their alleged work at Hurst Clough on 18/11/06 which he states was "successful in dealing with undergrowth and flytipping". In a nutshell it's a tidy campaign group.

So far so good. This all seems to be innocent and innocuous enough - in fact it appears to be positively praiseworthy. Unless and until one realises that the local council (Tameside MBC) already provides a Countryside Ranger Service (http://www.tameside.gov.uk/countryside) which is responsible for the management of the Borough's countryside and helps the local community and visitors alike to appreciate, enjoy and care for the natural environment.

Moreover, the Countryside Service comprises not only of full time rangers, information officers, admin support and an estate team but also has an additional 60 Voluntary Rangers that provide invaluable support and assistance to the Service.

The work of the Voluntary Rangers is of particular interest since the type and scale of the projects they tackle is quite comprehensive and usually of high conservation or amenity value. This link: http://www.tameside.gov.uk/voluntaryrangers to the official Tameside MBC website lists many of these projects and explains the scope of their work more fully.

Suffice to say that it includes:

* Litter picking and rubbish collection.
&
* Footpath and bridleway clearance and improvement.

which in itself appears to nullify any reason for the creation of Active Longdendale.

In fact it rather begs the question as to why its only known members Cllr. Sean Parker-Perry (Labour) and Cllr. Johnny Reynolds (Labour) don't just simply join the Volunteer Ranger Service where throughout the year there is an opportunity to participate in conservation tasks with the countryside rangers and their team of dedicated volunteers (as opposed to showboaters).

If SEAN or JOHNNY would like to get involved they can apply online here: http://public.tameside.gov.uk/forms/f1084voluntaryranger.asp or by phoning 0161 330 9613.
Alternatively they can snail mail to:

Chief Rangers Office
Park Bridge Heritage Centre
The Stables
Park Bridge
Ashton-u-Lyne
Tameside
OL6 8AG

Yes, that's right, they have their own premises (and tools) so no need to lease expensive railway arches or to tap up the lottery for funds!

Aah! That's another blog for another day!!

Friday 7 March 2008

Why Are We Up and Running?















Welcome to the Active(?) Longdendale Blogspot. This site is designed for your scrutiny and feedback of the community tool service that Active Longdendale allegedly provides and is a contact point for your concerns.

To get the ball rolling, we invite your comments and feedback as to the status of Active Longdendale itself, which seems to be a matter of some concern.

Active Longdendale, which was founded by Councillor Sean Parker-Perry (Labour: Longdendale) and Councillor Jonathan Reynolds (Labour: Longdendale) is described by themselves as a co-operative. However, Council Leader Roy Oldham (Labour: Longdendale) describes it as a 'small business enterprise' whilst a Freedom of Information response from the Borough Solicitor claims Active Longdendale has applied for charitable status.

If you can shed any light on the actual status of Active Longdendale, please let us know.