Hello, I’m Lee Wolf, I’ve been ward councillor for North Middleton Ward since May 2022.

Full statement

It's coming up to a year since the residents of Middleton elected five Independent councillors to represent them on Rochdale Council. A rejection of the status quo, whereby Local Labour considered the whole of Middleton as their patch - we won a third of the Middleton council seats and what a shock we caused!

We’re as strong as ever, and now, just twelve months later, I must stand again. However, this time the election isn't for one year, but a full term of four years. I’ve achieved much for North Middleton ward residents since last May including:

• Helped with the provision of SEND needs in local schools • Helped protect our heritage with the removal of graffiti • Improved the area around Boarshaw Road with the removal of self-seeded trees and major vegetation flailing • Removal of vegetation to help stop rats nesting • Had numerous failing streetlights fixed to improve visibility and safety • Had Kankey's Ginnel cleaned up and made presentable, it was severely overgrown with weeds and fly-tipping / debris • Reported issues with poor landlords to council officers to help make sure standards for renting are maintained • Potholes reported, barriered off and repaired • Lots of instances of fly tipping reported and removed • Made sure urgent items such as safety barrier damage and dangerous paving were reported, even if out of usual hours • Identified and had corrected long standing paving issues • Worked with interested parties to help resolve vegetation and infrastructure issues • Reported paving issues on Long Street and secured repairs, regular cleaning and gritting in cold weather to stop the falls • Worked with residents to stop anti-social behaviour • Brought forward plans for an improved master plan with fresh ideas to challenge Local Labour • Took on RBH when they were ignoring residents and made them listen and get their tenants issues resolved • Brought council and other interested parties together to help transform Myrtle Lodges • Working to increase the time allowed to park in bays on Long Street, with a view to increasing footfall for local businesses • Attending regular police meetings to hear about crime and the work being done to prevent crime in our town • Continuing to make sure Middleton's heritage is taken more seriously and insist on enforcement action when developers attempt to ignore the rules • Kept my promise by voting against any development on our green belt and will continue to do so • Continue with regular meetings with the various local friends’ groups to make sure their needs are heard • Working with Highways Officers to make Clough Road safer

As you can see, I’ve achieved much for North Ward and Middleton residents since last May, and for those of you who supported me last time and for those who didn’t, I hope you’ll consider supporting me this time round.

As promised, I've listened to the views of residents and I've held twice monthly Councillor Surgeries for residents to pop along and see me with any issues they’re experiencing, and these have been very successful.

There’s still so much more to do and I’m keen to get on with it. With your help, the Independents can continue to build on the success of last year and hold Local Labour to account over their woeful running-down of Middleton. But it's only with your vote that we can succeed and have control to make the much-needed changes that residents talk about all the time.

I'm not a politician and Middleton Independents Party isn’t a party of national politics like Labour, we're a party of like-minded Middletonians, who all live in Middleton and some work here too. We care passionately about this town and want to see an end to the ‘top-down’ approach in investment and services in Middleton, where we’re left the scraps from the table of Rochdale.

The election on Thursday 4 May is our chance to change things for the better. So please vote Lee Wolf for Middleton Independents and make sure that local Labour hear us loud and clear, we want a better place to live, work and play - a Middleton for us all to be proud of, with a voice that’s listened to.

Thank you,

Lee Wolf