COUNCIL leader Roy Oldham has pledged to cut the borough's carbon footprint as part of his annual state of the area address.
The speech - delivered at Tuesday's full council meeting - was a chance for Cllr Oldham to reflect on the last 12 months and set out his priorities for the coming year.
High on the list were ways in which the council and residents could reduce Tameside's carbon emissions in line with the council's 10:10 commitment to cut them by 10 per cent during 2010.
Future plans include increasing recycling rates - currently around 40 per cent - using solar-powered bollards and introducing a 'heat-seeking' car which thermally scans homes and identifies those which would most benefit from insulation.
Cllr Oldham's speech centred on helping the environment and saving money.
He promised a 'reasonable and affordable' council tax level - currently the lowest in Greater Manchester - and continued investment in schemes such as the government's Future Jobs Fund which will create more than 700 jobs for young people in the next two years.
He also celebrated the council's work this year including the Tameside Works First and Buy With Confidence schemes to help local businesses, the Building Schools for the Future programme and success in Britain in Bloom. Public art was also praised for helping people to be proud of their streets.
He said: "We have done extraordinarily well so far with nearly everything that has gone on this year.
"Our balances and reserves are very sound and comfortable which will enable us to maintain a tight grip on the council tax charges and rises.
"We have been marked by the Audit Commission. As far as we know we are the only council in the North and maybe a handful in the country who have received the maximum scores possible."
He added: "Whether it be In Bloom, Green Flags for our parks, education attainment, low crime levels, public art, community activities - waste recycling, maintaining jobs, giving value for money and low council tax - we are simply at the top, the best, it's good to live here."
See more on the speech at the Tameside Council website here - http://www.tameside.gov.uk/soa09
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Of Denton, Tameside (25/11/2009 at 15:03)
gladys rowbotham, Manchester (25/11/2009 at 19:17)
gladys rowbotham, Manchester (25/11/2009 at 19:33)
12% reduction in crime in Tameside.
gladys rowbotham, Manchester (25/11/2009 at 19:36)
Of Denton, Tameside (26/11/2009 at 14:25)
Of Denton, Tameside (26/11/2009 at 14:27)
Of Denton, Tameside (26/11/2009 at 14:53)
I have a persistant drink driver on my road. He gets legless, drives his car (and has done for 2 years) and caused £5,000 worth of damage to a neighbors car - has he been caught NO do the police know about him YES. Is he on the crime statistics NO - i rest my case.