Failsworth Conservatives – Working hard for Failsworth

Councillor Ian Barker's fight has been covered in the local press

Failsworth West Conservative Councillor Ian Barker is furious with Unity Partnership after constant requests for disabled markings to be provided to a resident registered disabled have been branded as inefficient.
 
The disabled residents son and carer contacted Cllr Barker in May last year, soon after his election, with a request to have a disabled car parking space marked out close to her home. As there is no on street parking outside her house on Hulmes Road, the closest parking to the house is on Newton Road and often this is crowded with other residents cars’ and she has to walk more than 50 yards to her carers car.  The disabled markings would mean that she would not have to walk as far.
 
Cllr Barker contacted Unity Partnership and the work was authorised.  Now a year later and, despite numerous phonecalls and emails to a senior officer within Unity Partnership the markings have still not been put down.
 
In a frustrated attempt to get this moving Cllr Barker offered £1200 of his own councillors budget to get the markings down and was stunned to be told that it would be inefficient for them to carry out the work on this disabled parking bay.
 
Cllr Barker said: “I am extremely perplexed as to how this work can be seen as inefficient.  Apart from the fact that the request has been in for a year the lady is registered disabled and is in need of this space. She pays her Council tax like everyone else so why should she not be able to call on services when she needs them.  It is outrageous.”
 
He added: “Both I and the resident have been extremely patient over this but I cannot continue to accept the excuses from Unity.  They need to get their act together and get this done.  The money is there, I have provided it myself they just wont spend it.  Infact if they give me a pot of paint I will paint it myself as well!!”