Politics

The new J. B. Firth Forensic Science building, part of the University in Preston takes shape

2012: What’s in Preston council’s inbox for the first few months of the New Year

3rd, January 2012 by

The next twelve months will be of tremendous importance for the city of Preston, with the upcoming Guild celebrations dominating proceedings. But with some of the largest budget cuts of any council in England, all eyes are on the Town Hall and what councillors will be deciding in the coming months. Here is what is in the in-tray of Leader of the council, Peter Rankin, [...]

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Preston’s councillors criticised for “embarrassing” emails

6th, December 2011 by

City councillors have been attacked by a colleague for “embarrassing” political debates via email. Private discussions had been had between Labour and Conservative members surrounding the proposed 20mph speed limit across Preston. Plans have been put in place for the whole of the city’s residential roads to be 20mph – a move that is costing £9m. Cllr John Potter, of Cadley, said members of the [...]

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Plans to give more power to local residents axed

5th, December 2011 by

Plans to give more power to local residents as part of the Localism Bill have been shelved by the government. A local referendum scheme was due to be employed within the much-maligned bill – allowing small communities to vote on issues that affected their immediate area. However, fears over expense and openness to extreme groups saw the collapse of the project. Councillor John Bruton, Cadley, [...]

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Video: Preston’s public sector workers strike over pensions

1st, December 2011 by

Yesterday saw over 1,000 public sector workers from Preston and the surrounding area take part in the national walkout over public sector pensions. Workers from Unison, Unite, PCS and many other unions initially assembled in Avenham Park and marched to the Flag Market. Below I’ve put together some video footage of the protesters moving from Avenham Park up the high street, as well as some [...]

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In Photos: Preston’s public sector workers on strike

1st, December 2011 by

Yesterday saw over 1,000 public sector workers from Preston and the surrounding area take part in the national walkout over public sector pensions. Workers from Unison, Unite, PCS and many other unions initially assembled in Avenham Park and marched to the Flag Market. Below I’ve put together the best photos from the day scored with the sound of protesters horns and drums.  

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Preston’s public sector workers join biggest strike in 30 years

30th, November 2011 by

Over 1,000 public sector workers from Preston and the surrounding area today took part in the biggest national strike for 30 years. Several council buildings and schools were shut for the day, and services like bin collections, leisure centres and certain clinics at Royal Preston Hospital were reduced as nurses, teachers, civil servants and police joined the walkout over government changes to public sector pensions. [...]

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November 30 Public Sector Strikes – How they affect you

29th, November 2011 by

Tomorrow will see teachers and other public sector workers strike on a day of action across Lancashire and the UK. Members of Unite and Unison and many others have voted in favour of industrial action in reaction to the government’s policy towards public sector pensions. Below you can see a map of all the services that will be affected tomorrow. Preston City Council has several [...]

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Preston prepares to shut down on November 30 for public sector strikes

26th, November 2011 by

Public sector workers in Preston will join nearly 3 million across the country in walking out of work on Wednesday over cuts to pensions. Unison, Unite and GMB members have all voted to strike meaning council offices will be closed, refuse collections disrupted and museums shut for the day. Workers are unhappy about government plans to switch their pensions from RPI inflation tracking measures to [...]

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speed camera preston

Lancashire police and council scheme to install speed cameras is “akin to fraud”

18th, November 2011 by

Lancashire police and council chiefs have been accused of cashing in on new road safety measures. The claims come after plans to implement 78 new speed cameras across the county have begun in Lancaster. There is a significant increase in mobile speed cameras, meaning that motorists will be targeted on longer stretches of roads. Keith Peat, from the Association of British Drivers, said: “The new [...]

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Online petition calls for referendum on future of Preston Bus Station

4th, November 2011 by

Campaigners fighting to save Preston’s Bus Station have launched an epetition on the council website calling for a referendum to decide the building’s future. The petition, put forward by John Wilson who tweets as @SaveBusStation, was initially rejected by the chief executive of Preston council but has since been reworded and approved. The wording on the petition states: We the undersigned petition the council to [...]

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