"Some of the benefits of Hulme's regeneration are being lost because Labour Town Hall bosses are not providing good enough services to keep the area clean and safe on a day-to-day basis" says Hulme resident and Liberal Democrat campaigner Andrew Turvey. Andrew was speaking following an announcement from Manchester City Council that a new Hulme manager has been appointed.
Andrew added "I welcome the decision of the City Council to make this appointment and wish Sue Ahmadi, the new manager well. Hulme sorely needs an effective manager. Millions of pounds have been spent on regeneration of the housing stock over the last ten years - however maintaining the area following this spending has been neglected. It recently took me four months of pressing the Council to get over 70 street lights in Hulme repaired.
Many of these street lights were put in when the new houses and flats were built, but there is no point in having good quality new lights if they are not on at night! Safer streets need working street lights."
Fellow Liberal Democrat campaigner Shirley Inniss said "There are a number of large undeveloped sites in the middle of Hulme at Birley Fields and around the Hulme Arch. These sites were left to become overgrown and strewn with rubbish, an eyesore for residents, and, a deterrent to businesses who may have been thinking of moving in to the vacant office blocks next to these sites. Following Lib Dem action at the Town Hall these sites have now been tidied, but no agreements have yet been announced to guarantee that they will be kept clean into the future."
Liberal Democrat Regeneration Spokesperson on the Local Strategic Partnership Councillor Simon Wheale said "The rebuilding of Hulme has had strong cross-party support over the last decade which has allowed it to progress quickly. However Labour regeneration bosses have spent more time recently concentrating on publicity than on the less glamorous job of making sure that the new Hulme is a clean and safe place to live. I hope that the new Hulme Manager can make a difference to improving basic Council services for Hulme residents!"
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