On Thursday 4 May 2023 elections took place for all 9 seats on Mossley Town Council. Some existing councillors were re-elected and some new councillors were elected for their first term of office.
With the election of the new Council for a 4-year term it is an appropriate time for the Town Council to set out some key areas of activity upon which it intends to focus over the next 4 years.
The list is by no means exhaustive particularly because the Town Council is a reactive body and takes decisions following changed circumstances and the needs and demands of the community it serves.
The following areas of activity are highlighted as future initiatives upon which the Town Council aspires to further develop or build upon:
- The further development and promotion of art and culture in the Town, building on the excellent work carried out by Global Grooves at The Vale. In particular, giving support to the ‘creative’ community in the Town.
- The further development of the former Egmont St Pavilion using money set aside in the Town Council’s budget for 2023/24. The Town Council has been instrumental in progressing an initiative to bring the pavilion back into some form of community use and negotiations between Works4U, a community based charitable organisation and Tameside MBC are progressing well.
- Forging stronger links with young people in the Town including the establishment of a Youth Forum and offering support to sporting activities in the Town. Discussions are to take place with local primary and secondary schools in the Town to progress the establishment of a Youth Forum.
- The further development of walking and cycling activity in the Town. Building upon the recent ‘Mossley Walks’ Festival which took place between 13 and 20 May 2023, the holding of future events, including for other possibly ‘hard to reach’ groups.
- Enhanced collaboration with the local Police and reporting mechanisms. The Town Council has endeavoured to build stronger links with the local Police and Police representatives regularly attend Town Council meetings to update on crime and other Police matters in the Town. The Town Council acknowledges that Mossley is by no means a ‘crime hotspot’ in the wider scale of things but nevertheless wishes to take all possible action to reduce crime in our community.
- Continuation of the Town Council’s tree planting initiative and the establishment of community gardens. The Town Council will build on the recent installation of planters in both ‘Top’ and ‘Bottom’ Mossley and will continue the initiative to provide every child leaving primary education in Mossley with a small tree to plant in the hope that in some small way, this will inspire their imagination and respect for the environment.
- Delivering the Neighbourhood Plan: acknowledging the significant amount of work required by not only the Town Council but also the wider community. The organisation of an event at which the community can make suggestions or raise issues to benefit the Town, possibly as part of the Neighbourhood Plan preparations.
- Implementation of the draft action plan to control litter in the Town and to re-invoke plastic free initiatives in the Town. The Town Council is involved in dialogue with Tameside MBC and local community groups, including ‘Mossley Litterbugs’ to develop the establishment of ‘Litterhubs’ in the Town and the provision of additional litter bins in the Town. Action is also being pursued with Tameside MBC to control fly-tipping.
- The development of a programme of annual or biennial events to take place in the Town. The Town Council has a history of arranging community events in the Town, including Christmas Light switch-ons and more recently, Town Twinning celebrations. The Town Council is exploring additional and more seasonally appropriate events in which the wider community can participate.
- The investigation of ‘micro hydro-electric’ schemes. In the interests of the environment the Town Council wishes to pursue any options to harness power from the River Tame which flows through our Town.