This morning I blogged about not going to conference, and instead got stuck into some leafleting, some DIY, and family stuff.

I never got to go for that walk, it took much longer to power-wash the patio than anticipated. This was mainly due to the interruptions of having to deal with local youths smashing up a derelict house nearby. First time I went down, I told three lads to get lost (or words to that effect!) and that they did. I picked up a mobile phone off the ground near where they’d been standing, intending to pass to the police.

However, when I got back home I noticed that they were back, and so this time I ‘phoned the police. Whilst I was on the line describing the miscreants & their nefarious activities, the Peelers arrived! - Talk about rapid service!! I went down & described the kids, gave the bobbies the mobile phone (which was switched on) and left them to it.

As I was returning home, I spotted the kids, and told the bobbies. They knew the kids, and said they’d deal with it appropriately.

So when Labour’s retiring Cllr. Maggie Gibb and her little helper say they’ve been doing something about Shrewsbury House, you can tell them that their words were of no use whatsoever, and that LibDem Councillors prefer action to talk!

The truth (as I understand it) about Shrewsbury House is that the current owners want to sell it & the land, for development. However, the house is in a conservation area so must be maintained in appearance, and many of the surrounding trees are under “preservation orders”. Any developer who wants to buy it probably can’t make money on doing up the house & grounds, then selling it on. The only way to make money on it is to build something else in the grounds, such as starter-homes or a block of flats (which would be difficult because of the trees!) Bury Council also has put a halt to building new homes in most parts of the Borough (apart from town centres), so developers can’t get planning  permission to put extra dwellings in the grounds even if they could overcome the tree problems.

The owners have not replaced the roof that was partly stolen a couple of years ago, so the house timbers will be rotten, and it will not be economically viable to repair the house - most of the interior needs totally replacing. I suspect that the owners hope that vandals will burn it down, so they can demolish it & save themselves lots of money. I will try to ensure that this doesn’t happen, and ask Council if they can make the owners keep it water-tight, due to it’s historic value to the area (I’ve already asked them to ensure it is re-secured on several occasions).

So today, at least, I can confirm that actions DO speak louder than the words of Maggie Gibb or even Nick Clegg (Leader of the LibDems)!!!

Donal