Mayor Joe Anderson responds to green space protestors "I’ve got news for you I’m going to stand again [as Mayor]"

Mayor Joe Anderson responds to green space protestors “I’ve got news for you I’m going to stand again [as Mayor]”

Mayor Joe Anderson responds to green space protestors “I’ve got news for you I’m going to stand again [as Mayor]”

                                                                 

Protest outside Liverpool Town Hall 8th April 2015
Protest outside Liverpool Town Hall 8th April 2015

About three dozen people protested outside Liverpool Town Hall yesterday ahead of a meeting of Liverpool City Council councillors. The protest was about opposing any plans to build on green space land and against Liverpool City Council selling off any green space land to developers.

Please accept YouTube cookies to play this video. By accepting you will be accessing content from YouTube, a service provided by an external third party.

YouTube privacy policy

If you accept this notice, your choice will be saved and the page will refresh.

One of the protestors from a group called Save Our Green Spaces Liverpool addressed the meeting and said, “Firstly, we want to ask the Council and the Mayor once again to respect the views of local people and our communities and not just listen to their preferred developers whose objectives seem to be for short-term economic gain at Liverpool’s long-term expense.”

She asked for new housing to be built on brownfield sites and not green space sites and said “As a Labour run Council, it is your duty to look to the benefit of your constituents and listen to their views and to keep the lungs of our city in our parks and open spaces.

We would also hope finally that in the Mayor’s final year he would want his legacy to be the introduction of building thousands of homes by the Council, affordable homes for its people on brownfield sites, rather than being remembered for building homes for the elite on places like Sefton Park Meadows.”

Mayor Joe Anderson responds on the issue of green spaces in Liverpool 8th April 2015
Mayor Joe Anderson responds on the issue of green spaces in Liverpool 8th April 2015

Mayor Joe Anderson (pictured above) said that the protestors were “coming together in an alliance with the Greens and the Liberal Democrats to cause political mischief”. He claimed that “over the last four years, 167 sites totalling more than 100 acres have been created or improved within this city. We’ve now got more green space in this city than we’ve ever had in the history of this city, more green space now than we’ve ever had.”

He finished by saying, “We’re not in the hands of anybody, we’re in the hands of the people of this city and it’s they who will decide. Let’s see and let me tell you one thing Janet you said in my last year as Mayor, well I’ve got news for you I’m going to stand again!”

If you click on any of these buttons below, you’ll be doing me a favour by sharing this article with other people. Thanks:

Why did Wirral Council receive £2 million from an off shore company based in the Isle of Man?

Why did Wirral Council receive £2 million from an off shore company based in the Isle of Man?

Why did Wirral Council receive £2 million from an off shore company based in the Isle of Man?

                                                          

Following on from yesterday’s blog post about how Wirral Council spent £16,412.04 on legal advice for regeneration of Birkenhead Town Centre, you only have to look at the lease for New Brighton’s Marine Point to see why Wirral Council sees these sorts of deals with companies such as Neptune Wirral Limited/Neptune Developments Limited & Neptune Projects Limited as lucrative.

In return for a 250 year lease of New Brighton’s Marine Point between Wirral Council and Neptune Wirral Limited (an offshore company based in the Isle of Man), Wirral Council received a premium of £2 million (plus VAT). In addition to this £2 million Wirral Council also receives 6% of the rents paid by commercial tenants in the Marine Point development as the documents below show.

It’s highly likely that if Neptune’s plan to redevelop Birkenhead Town Centre goes ahead, that there will be some sort of similar lease between Neptune and Wirral Council.

New Brighton Marine Point lease Wirral Council Neptune Wirral Ltd cover page
New Brighton Marine Point lease Wirral Council Neptune Wirral Ltd cover page
New Brighton Marine Point lease Wirral council Neptune Wirral Ltd index page
New Brighton Marine Point lease Wirral council Neptune Wirral Ltd index page
New Brighton Marine point lease Wirral Council Neptune Wirral Ltd £2 million premium
New Brighton Marine point lease Wirral Council Neptune Wirral Ltd £2 million premium
New Brighton Marine Point lease Wirral Council Neptune Wirral Ltd Additional Rent Page 1
New Brighton Marine Point lease Wirral Council Neptune Wirral Ltd Additional Rent Page 1
New Brighton Marine Point lease Wirral Council Neptune Wirral Ltd Additional Rent Page 2
New Brighton Marine Point lease Wirral Council Neptune Wirral Ltd Additional Rent Page 2
New Brighton Marine Point lease Wirral Council Neptune Wirral Ltd Additional Rent Page 3
New Brighton Marine Point lease Wirral Council Neptune Wirral Ltd Additional Rent Page 3
New Brighton Marine Point lease Wirral Council Neptune Wirral Ltd Additional Rent Page 4
New Brighton Marine Point lease Wirral Council Neptune Wirral Ltd Additional Rent Page 4

If you click on any of these buttons below, you’ll be doing me a favour by sharing this article with other people. Thanks:

EXCLUSIVE: Wirral Council spent £16,412.04 on legal advice for Birkenhead Town Centre regeneration

EXCLUSIVE: Wirral Council spent £16,412.04 on legal advice for Birkenhead Town Centre regeneration

EXCLUSIVE: Wirral Council spent £16,412.04 on legal advice for Birkenhead Town Centre regeneration

                                                 

Indicative illustration of Neptune Development Limited's masterplan for Birkenhead Town Centre
Indicative illustration of Neptune Development Limited’s masterplan for Birkenhead Town Centre

Invoices published below for the first time today show that Wirral Council spent £16,412.04 with Weightmans on legal advice on proposals for redevelopment of Birkenhead Town Centre. Advice was given by Weightmans to Wirral Council on the preferred development agreement (later referred to as a lock out agreement) with developers Neptune Developments Limited.

Wirral Council’s Cabinet agreed last month to consult staff at Europa Pools, which might be relocated as part of the regeneration proposals.

Wirral Council invoice Weightmans £3,328.32 29th July 2013
Wirral Council invoice Weightmans £3,328.32 29th July 2013
Wirral Council invoice Weightmans £4,482 2nd April 2013
Wirral Council invoice Weightmans £4,482 2nd April 2013
Wirral Council invoice Weightmans £735.48 30th August 2013
Wirral Council invoice Weightmans £735.48 30th August 2013
Wirral Council invoice Weightmans £960 8th October 2013
Wirral Council invoice Weightmans £960 8th October 2013
Wirral Council invoice Weightmans £1929.60 28th June 2013
Wirral Council invoice Weightmans £1929.60 28th June 2013
Wirral Council invoice Weightmans £4976.64 27th March 2013
Wirral Council invoice Weightmans £4976.64 27th March 2013

If you click on any of these buttons below, you’ll be doing me a favour by sharing this article with other people. Thanks:

EXCLUSIVE: 11 more invoices paid by Wirral Council including £2,241 for gym mats and £6,090 for a barrister

EXCLUSIVE: 11 more invoices paid by Wirral Council including £2,241 for gym mats and £6,090 for a barrister

EXCLUSIVE: 11 more invoices paid by Wirral Council including £2,241 for gym mats and £6,090 for a barrister

                                               

Below are eleven invoices (although some are for credit amounts) paid by Wirral Council. The first four are for people in nursing homes or residential homes where Wirral Council pay their fees. It seems Wirral Council do the accounting for this using software so these are printouts of the payments made (although the last amount to Riversdale Northwest Limited is for a credit of £6247.57). The invoice after that for £2,241 is for gym mats and safety mats for Birkenhead Youth Club.

Then there is an invoice for £6,090 from Kings Chambers. The invoice from Kings Chambers was covered in more detail at Wirral Council paid barrister £6,090 for 2 day planning inquiry hearing & 5 hours of work.

The next invoice is a bit of a mystery. United Utilities refunded Wirral Council £10,070.32. The information supplied (a printout from a spreadsheet) shows this is to do with United Utilities invoices to the library and one stop shops section (which doesn’t really tell why the refund happened).

Cottrell Electrical Services invoiced Wirral Council £1,973.40 for work on Wallasey Town Hall.

Merrill Legal Solutions (who do transcription of legal cases) issued Wirral Council a credit note for £1598.92 for a case in the Liverpool County Court in 2011.

DMM Psychology Limited did a psychological report for a legal case. The cost was split between four parties (one of which was Wirral Council). Wirral Council paid £809.85.

BDH Solicitors charged Wirral Council £1369.80 although what this is for is a mystery as the “attached cost checker” was not supplied to me. The amount of the court fee would suggest it was either to do with a special guardianship order or an application for permission for adoption or wardship.

Wirral Council invoice PSS UK Limited £1100.58 25th March 2014
Wirral Council invoice PSS UK Limited £1100.58 25th March 2014
Wirral Council invoice Voyage Limited £3000 Anchor Trust Homes £1020.86 25th March 2014
Wirral Council invoice Voyage Limited £3000 Anchor Trust Homes £1020.86 25th March 2014
Wirral Council invoice Century Healthcare Limited £1804 Daleside Nursing Home £1732 25th March 2014
Wirral Council invoice Century Healthcare Limited £1804 Daleside Nursing Home £1732 25th March 2014
Wirral Council invoice Oxton Manor £1588 Riversdale Northwest Limited £6247.57 25th March 2014
Wirral Council invoice Oxton Manor £1588 Riversdale Northwest Limited £6247.57 25th March 2014
Wirral Council invoice Eveque Leisure Equipment Ltd £2241 25th February 2014
Wirral Council invoice Eveque Leisure Equipment Ltd £2241 25th February 2014
Wirral Council invoice Kings Chambers £6090 25th April 2013
Wirral Council invoice Kings Chambers £6090 25th April 2013
Wirral Council invoice United Utilities £10070.32 13th March 2014
Wirral Council invoice United Utilities £10070.32 13th March 2014
Wirral Council invoice Cottrell Electrical Services £1973.40 12th December 2013
Wirral Council invoice Cottrell Electrical Services £1973.40 12th December 2013
Wirral Council invoice Merrill Legal Solutions £1598.92 19th January 2012
Wirral Council invoice Merrill Legal Solutions £1598.92 19th January 2012
Wirral Council invoice DMM Psychology Limited £809.85 16th January 2013
Wirral Council invoice DMM Psychology Limited £809.85 16th January 2013
Wirral Council invoice BDH Solicitors £1369.80 30th March 2012
Wirral Council invoice BDH Solicitors £1369.80 30th March 2012

If you click on any of these buttons below, you’ll be doing me a favour by sharing this article with other people. Thanks:

Does Labour’s plan to "rescue the NHS" involve further privatisation?

Does Labour’s plan to “rescue the NHS” involve further privatisation?

Does Labour’s plan to “rescue the NHS” involve further privatisation?

                                                 

Arrowe Park Hospital's Chief Executive explains to politicians why Monitor is investigating it
Arrowe Park Hospital’s Chief Executive explains to politicians why Monitor is investigating it

Earlier this week Councillor Phil Davies was quoted in the Wirral Globe as saying “Voters have a straight choice between the Tories’ cuts and failed austerity measures, and Labour’s plan to rescue Arrowe Park Hospital and introduce policies to raise living standards for hard-working families.”

So what is Labour’s plan to “rescue Arrowe Park Hospital”?

A report to the Health and Wellbeing Board (chaired by Councillor Phil Davies), which meets on the 15th April shows a bid to be a “vanguard site” was recently agreed. £200 million of public money will be shared across the 29 vanguard sites across England.

The vanguard site bid was jointly submitted by Wirral Council, various NHS bodies including the part that runs Arrowe Park Hospital, Cerner Ltd, Advocate Physician Partners ACO Inc and the Kings’ Fund.

So let’s just look at the history of one of these organisations involved in the joint bid.

Cerner Ltd is a subsidiary of an American corporation called the Cerner Corporation. Both Cerner Ltd and its parent company Cerner Corporation provide software for electronic health records to hospitals.

In 2005 Cerner Corporation paid the RAND corporation to write a report which stated the US healthcare system could save $81 billion by switching to electronic healthcare record systems.

However, after the American government had changed funding rules to give hospitals an incentive to switch to electronic health care records, the RAND corporation in 2013 decided that their earlier figure of $81 billion savings was “overstated”.

The vanguard site bid has phrases in it which echo the overly optimistic tone of the 2005 RAND report:

“This will have the dual focus of reducing health inequalities while achieving costs savings through and reduced inefficiency and duplication.”

“Our proposals will further catalyse these developments aimed at delivering a de-hospitalised model of care, reducing health inequalities and reducing costs.”

“During this time, Cerner UK has delivered Cerner Millennium® across 22 Trusts including WUTH, supporting NHS providers in the delivery of high quality care to patients, safely and cost effectively.”

“This results in more efficiency, improved health outcomes and significant cost savings for patients.”

So is this Labour’s plan to “rescue Arrowe Park Hospital”? To hear more about why Monitor (the regulator) are investigating Arrowe Park Hospital you can hear the detail at a recent meeting of the Families and Wellbeing Policy and Performance Committee below:

Please accept YouTube cookies to play this video. By accepting you will be accessing content from YouTube, a service provided by an external third party.

YouTube privacy policy

If you accept this notice, your choice will be saved and the page will refresh.

If you click on any of these buttons below, you’ll be doing me a favour by sharing this article with other people. Thanks: