Our City p1 18/3/13 17:17 Page 1 Issue 31 Chelsea Flower Show garden spectacular... FREE WIN TICKETS Cycle See page 13 map Delivered with this issue... in Children join city PRIDEPRIDE PrideN INI council campaign OurOur CityCity our to improve our communities City See page two Budget update: Building a great city: Where the money THE FACTS really goes Pages six, seven and nine Pages four and five Our City p2 18/3/13 12:24 Page 1 2 Our City SPRING/SUMMER 2013 PRIPR IDEDE Everyone can ININ OurOur play a part in CityCity Pride in Our City campaign By City Council Leader Councillor MOHAMMED PERVEZ I was lucky enough to travel to Japan a few years ago where I visited places like Osaka, Ube and Hiroshima.What struck me was just Resident Mary Billings, 69, how free the streets were from talks about community safety litter in these cities.When I asked with PCSO Carl Radford how they achieved such high during the Ford Green and standards of street cleaning I was Smallthorne RESPECT Day. given a very simple answer:“We don’t drop litter!” I know many of you in our city are very proud and on this page and on page 28 you will see the fantastic efforts of our residents in Many hands make light helping to keep our city clean. But the sad fact is that not everyone feels the same. That is why the council is proud work of RESPECT action to be launching a Pride in Our City campaign aimed at encouraging TREETS were spruced up, more people to make this a city to Bill James with wasteland was cleared and be proud of. resident Andy crime prevention advice From litter picks to gardening S Wakefield. handed out as part of a community The events give competitions we will be “” encouraging everyone to get action day in Ford Green and involved. And we will also be Smallthorne. people a sense of The city council joined forces with the sending out a very strong message police and fire service as part of the pride and help to to those who blight our areas by wide-reaching event which enabled dropping litter or dumping residents to access a range of services make their rubbish.This cannot be tolerated. right on their doorstep. City Centre Bus Station It was part of the RESPECT initiative, community a great which has proved highly successful since it This month saw the opening of our was launched two and a half years ago. place to live. brand new iconic Stoke-on-Trent Thirty five neighbourhoods have been City Centre bus station as another cleared up so far and reports of antisocial part of our city-wide regeneration behaviour have plummeted by 35 per cent comes to fruition.The iconic from 17,000 in 2010 to 11,000 at the end of City council staff were also out in force building has transformed the city 2012. tackling dog fouling and fly tipping, while During the latest project, the city council’s members of the housing team were available centre skyline and improved access environment team were out in force to answer questions. Residents could drop in to public transport for residents sweeping and cleaning the area, pruning to a Staffordshire Police bus for advice and and visitors alike. trees and treating weeds. free equipment and Staffordshire Fire and Marketing our city Free skips were available on many of the Rescue Service carried out home fire and roads so people could dispose of bulky safety checks. The council has found an household items. Councillor Janine Bridges, Cabinet innovative way to market the city Meanwhile, new rubbish bins were also Member for Housing, Neighbourhoods and to investors and others while installed following litter picks. Community, said: “The Respect events celebrating our rich heritage. bring key local organisations This year our landscape into the heart of the gardeners have worked in community, allowing residents partnership with local businesses Blooming marvellous garden competition to access information and advice right on their doorstep. to create a fantastic show garden at DOES your garden dazzle with azalea, radiate Full details of the competition will be “People are able to make a the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. with roses or is it a haven for hydrangea? If so announced on stoke.gov.uk in early PRIP real difference by getting Sponsored by local businesses then our new gardening competition is just for April so look out for more details. RIDED ININ E involved in cleaning up their and Bartholomew Landscapes of you. BBC Radio Stoke has promised to OurOur area, sprucing up green spaces London, the garden will give us the As part of our campaign to foster more Pride follow the campaign’s progress. CityCit and disposing of any unwanted opportunity to showcase our city to in Our City, the city council is encouraging The competition is open to y bulky household items in skips. investors and other opinion residents and businesses to spruce up their everyone who lives within the The events give people a sense formers during the show in May. gardens, back yards, school grounds and city’s boundary. of pride and help to make their For more details and the chance business premises. ● Find out more on the council’s community a great place to live to win tickets for the show see You may even want to get together to take Facebook and Twitter profiles – meeting an important aim in page 13. over green spaces where you live. @SOTcitycouncil. the Mandate for Change.” Live webcast of full council meetings Give us your feedback on this issue of MEETINGS of the full council can now be viewed online.To see and hear Web: stoke.gov.uk Our City by emailing Our City is printed on the debates and decisions which affect life in Stoke-on-Trent, visit recycled paper.When Facebook: facebook.com/ [email protected] stoke.gov.uk and click on webcasting. you have finished with stokeontrent.citycouncil this publication please A list of dates and times of council meetings and committee meetings or write to: help the environment Twitter: @SoTCityCouncil by passing it on to a can be found on our website at stoke.gov.uk/meetingdates FREEPOST Our City. friend or recycling it. twitter.com/SoTCityCouncil Our City p3 18/3/13 12:28 Page 1 SPRING/SUMMER 2013 Our City 3 Campaign launched to recognise our citizens’ pride PRIDEPRIDE OurOuININ r Residents across Stoke-on-Trent feel great pride in the people and places that CityCity make our city great... here Our City asks some visitors to the city centre what makes them proud about the place where they live... Michelle Sanger, Lliam Green, 26, Victoria Felton, David Bithell, 63, Don Williams, 66, 41, from Oakhill: from Meir Hay: 36, from Milton: from Joiner’s from Bucknall: “Investment could “Everyone is a “Great that Emma Square: “Nice “Moved 22 years have a massive promoter of the Bridgewater is people who help ago and had such impact on us all.” city.” based here.” others.” a warm welcome.” Residents Mel Hawkins, 59, and Kath Williamson, 66, litterpicking at Residents speak up about Ford Green. Can you help create a the best of our city better neighbourhood? VERY day, people of all ages, next three to five years will be very exciting.” HELP is available for residents looking to tidy up from all walks of life show Victoria Felton, aged 36, from Milton, said: their areas. what it means to be proud of “I am proud of our people. We have a small city The city council will support volunteers and E with a friendly attitude. Emma Bridgewater is community groups to coordinate their clean-up Stoke-on-Trent. also something for us to be proud of. Stoke-on- From friendly neighbourhoods, world famous events, provide equipment such as litter pickers Trent is famous for its pottery and Emma is and collect any waste gathered as part of their ceramics industry and proud heritage to our keeping the industry alive in the city. It is great two professional football teams, our brand new efforts. her company is based here.” Councillor Andy Platt, Cabinet Member for schools to the parks and open spaces that beat David Bithell, aged 63, from Joiners like a green lung, we have lots to shout about. Green Enterprises and City Services, said:“To Square, said: “The people of Stoke-on-Trent help to create a better place for ourselves as part But don’t take our word for it. make me proud of the city. Eighty per cent of of our Mandate for Change, we all need to sell the As part of the city council’s new campaign to those who live here are nice people who will go promote “pride in our city” we spoke to out of their way to help others. city to people from outside and to do that, it shoppers in the City Centre and asked them “I am also proud of both of our football needs to look attractive. what made them proud about where they live. teams for what they have achieved over the “Everyone can help a little to make their area a Here is what they had to say: years.” better place to live by not dropping litter and Lliam Green, aged 26, from Meir Hay, said: Don Williams, aged 66, from Bucknall, said: helping to pick up what is already there. “Everyone from Stoke-on-Trent is a promoter “I moved to Stoke-on-Trent from Bolton 22 “We will always happy to support those efforts of the city and I think we should be proud of years ago and had such a warm welcome when where possible.” that.