TOM ROSS: A lot of plans in the pipeline at Trafford Council

I would also like to congratulate Connor Rand MP, for becoming the first Labour Member of Parliament to represent Altrincham and Sale West.

Connor will make an exceptional advocate for the area and place the needs of his constituency front and centre.

My congratulations extend to Andrew Western MP, and Mike Kane MP, on their re-election and new positions as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Department for Work and Pensions, and for Department for Transport, respectively. Having worked alongside both, I know they will excel in their new roles and continue to be excellent representatives of Trafford.

Following the general election, my focus immediately turned to council business and the many exciting projects that are currently in the pipeline. Below I have listed just some of the work that is making great strides.

Housing Strategy

A key priority for me is to make sure residents have access to settled, affordable and decent homes.  This can only be achieved through strategic planning, sufficient investment, good design, and connecting people to the right housing. A new Housing Strategy has been approved and is set for public consultation later this month. The document states that the national housing crisis – compounded by a shortage of social housing and ever-increasing rental and property prices – has made it extremely difficult for people to find decent and affordable homes. We intend to address these issues through the following measures.

1. Increase the supply of housing and build more affordable homes.
2. Ensure residents can access suitable housing and sustain their homes.
3. Ensure homes meet current and future needs.
4. Create neighbourhoods of choice that address inequalities.

Joint Venture

An exciting Joint Venture has been agreed between Trafford Council and property developer, Bruntwood, which could see 900 homes built across three sites.  The plan is for the developments to be split into six stages: three in Stretford, two at Lumina Village and one in Altrincham’s Stamford Quarter. The new business model will allow Trafford Council tighter control of the type of properties earmarked for the borough while making sure sustainability is at the forefront of developers’ plans.

School Extension

I am delighted to see plans to extend Brentwood School and Community College approved. This will increase the capacity of the school, which caters for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and provide 80 extra places over the next eight years. The demand for SEND school places remains high. However, by taking this approach, it will provide a well-designed, environmentally friendly extension that will increase capacity and benefit families.

Digital Exclusion

Hundreds of residents have received laptops, free data, affordable broadband, and digital skills training in a major shake-up to tackle digital exclusion. Around a quarter of households in Trafford don’t have access to digital devices – and the Trafford Tech4All campaign aims to bridge that gap. The council and tech-refurb partner, Community Computers, handed 265 laptops to families at pop-up shops in Old Trafford, Lostock, Altrincham, and Sale. The unused devices, donated by housing association L&Q, were refurbished and passed onto families for just £60.

These are really exciting times for Trafford. There are some fantastic initiatives, large-scale developments, redevelopment of leisure centres and town centre regeneration projects happening across the borough. I am so proud of our achievements and to know there is much more to come.

Finally, in my previous column, I talked about the council’s refreshed Corporate Plan – and encouraged residents to have their say. Thank you for taking the time to submit your ideas.  The document has now been approved and published on the council’s website and can be accessed via the link below.

Corporate-Plan-2024-27.pdf (trafford.gov.uk)

Tom Ross is the leader of Trafford Council.