Salford City Mayor, Paul Dennett, is also the `Portfolio Lead' for Greater Manchester Combined Authority's (GMCA) Low Carbon Hub Board. And tomorrow he is expected to rubber stamp the sponsoring of a three year PhD research project "to better understand and act on improving, communications and engagement with civil society groups and citizens".
The PhD is one of three £60,000 research projects looking into how to "realise just cities" and is funded by Sheffield University and Mistra Urban Futures in Gothenburg "a centre with the vision of achieving sustainable urban transitions which are accessible, green and fair"...
The work will build on previous research carried out by Greater Manchester Low Carbon Hub and `a team of international academics and practitioners' which concluded that there was a "gap between city-regional decision-making organisations and residents in the city-region".
The GMCA report going before Dennett tomorrow adds that it identified a need for the Low Carbon Hub to "act on improving, the mechanisms and processes for communicating and engaging with citizens in Greater Manchester", and that the new research will focus on looking at how "safe spaces can be created to allow dialogue on climate change adaptation and mitigation policy".
The irony is screaming. Firstly, Salford citizens may recall the attitude of Salford City Council towards local people campaigning against fracking at Barton Moss a few years ago. There was absolutely nil `dialogue'.
Indeed, it was later revealed that Salford Council was actually central to Greater Manchester Police (GMP) operations against its own citizens alongside IGas and Peel Holdings that led to scores of arrests which were later dropped in court (see previous Salford Star article click here).
At the time, Paul Dennett was a mere Salford councillor and remained silent throughout months of protests as citizens begged councillors to go to the site and see for themselves what was happening.
Citizens even took their pleas to Salford Civic Centre, camping on the lawns, only to be evicted; while the GMP `Protester Removal Team' was called to, er, remove them after a lock-on protest in the foyer of the building (see here).
And last year, citizens campaigning against the destruction of greenfield land in Boothstown were dismissed as `NIMBYs' by Salford Council's Lead Member for Planning, Councillor Derek Antrobus (see here).
Meanwhile, this month, disgusted residents campaigning against the destruction of Green Belt land proposed in the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework called for "A commitment from the Council to fully engage with the communities of Irlam and Cadishead on future projects and developments in an open and transparent way to ensure all views and opinions are heard equally" (see here).
The PhD projects are part of a Realising Just Cities programme and, as well as the Low Carbon Hub research, there's also one on `cultures of knowledge reception' which will "look at the changing roles and cultures of local authorities in engaging with citizens to realise just cities".
Salford City Council and GMCA are both guilty of not even engaging with community media, never mind citizens (see here). And the GMCA was slammed by a House of Commons Select Committee for a complete lack of communication and engagement with almost three million citizens over devolution (see here)
The report going before Paul Dennett tomorrow adds that the GMCA "are exploring whether this [cultures of knowledge reception'] student can be embedded in a local authority in Greater Manchester". Preferably Salford Council...although we don't really need a student to research `engagement with citizens'....
... Just ask anyone who has campaigned against anything - particularly anything environmental and they will talk all night about the complete lack of engagement with citizens by Salford Council...to the point where the Kersal Moor Residents Association is actually standing a candidate against the ruling Salford Labour Party in the forthcoming Kersal ward by-election on March 2nd (see here).
The residents association is standing precisely because of a perceived lack of consultation and engagement by the Council...Just Cities? Some citizens could write the book, never mind a three year £60,000 PhD!
The PhD will be asking the following questions...
What kinds of 'communicative spaces' are needed in urban governance between public policy officials and civil society?
How can they be created and maintained?
How does communication relate to broader strategies for participation and inclusive governance?
Who needs to communicate to whom and how to realise more just cities?
Answers on a postcard to Tony Lloyd/Paul Dennett/Ian Stewart etc or you can still apply for the PhD until February 1st click here for details
Main photo by Steven Speed
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