Category Archives: Youths

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Leasowe, Saughall Massie and Moreton Area Forum 27th February 2013 Part 3 | Moreton Youth Club | Moreton Day Centre


Continued from Part 2.

English: Wallasey Town Hall, Wirral, England a...

English: Wallasey Town Hall, Wirral, England as seen from the promenade. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Cllr Blakeley said that he was not in a position to answer.

Terry said that when he’d worked with Cadburys he’d been responsible for youth activities and had persuaded them to build it in the community, however it had not solely been funded by Cadburys and had been part funded by the Council, however it recent years Cadburys hadn’t been funding it.

Caroline Laing answered the points. Cllr Blakeley said that he’d read through the 1968 deed hoping to find a covenant that meant it would be saved, if it was sold half the money would go to Cadburys so Wirral Council couldn’t fully realise the asset. He wanted it to remain open and was hoping that when a million pounds was spent in Birkenhead that Moreton wouldn’t be forgotten.

A member of the public said that young people were very territorial, couldn’t afford transport and were too frightened to go outside their locality. They thought this would mean the Birkenhead youth would have the new super hub to themselves. Another member of the public said that it was a shame that only six months since the Olympics that they were shutting down youth clubs.

Cllr Blakeley said that he had got the message that the people of Moreton wanted to keep the Youth Club going, but that it was important to know what’s going on. He said it was good news that Moreton Youth Club was recommended to be maintained as it would give more time to fight its closure, therefore it was good news but not final news.

A member of the public asked if the youth club could be incorporated into the new combined One Stop Shop and library as it would make more sense as one facility? Cllr Blakeley said there would be a library update later, that it might be something worth looking at and that all suggestions could be explored. He thanked Caroline Laing.

Cllr Blakeley said that Graham Hodkinson, Director of Adult Social Services and Chris Begya were here for the next item on Moreton Day Centre.

Graham Hodkinson started by saying that they need to make savings in services for people with learning disabilities, he was going to talk about how they plan to make savings followed by a little about the consultation process, Chris Begya was also present and could answer any more detailed questions.

Mr. Hodkinson started by saying that they had to find savings of £109 million [over three years] and that the Department of Adult Social Services spent £77 million a year, therefore it was incumbent on him to present ideas as to how to run an efficient service. He said that Audit Commission data which was “readily available” [Ed - readily available where?] showed that Wirral Council was in the top 5% for its spend on learning disabilities and was an outlier as it spent the most on day services for people with learning disabilities.

He said that this cost each Wirral resident £500 which totalled £6 million [Ed - 319,800 (latest 2011 Census population figure for Wirral) * £500 = £15.99 million, so the figure is more accurately £18.76 per a resident], £5 million was spent on in-house provision and £1 million on transport. Mr. Hodkinson said that they had a duty to meet people’s needs and use public resources wisely, but he recognised that people didn’t agree with him, nevertheless he had a duty to do that.

Continued at Part 4.

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Leasowe, Saughall Massie and Moreton Area Forum 27th February 2013 Part 2 | Moreton Youth Club


Continued from Part 1.

Caroline Laing said that officers had been asked for savings [in the Youth and Play Service] of £1.2 million which had led to a report to the Cabinet meeting of the 18th February.

She continued by saying that the Budget option would consolidate the existing youth clubs into four youth hubs and would result in a reduction in the number of outreach teams and the closure of eleven satellite youth clubs. The proposals would be discussed and had been recommended to the Budget Council meeting of the 5th March. The Leasowe Youth Club was proposed to be closed with no recommendation to be saved, meetings had been held with Leasowe Community Homes and 7 Waves Community Radio over an exit strategy, there would be a locality manager to give advice and guidance to voluntary organisations and there would still be some outreach provision which would be focussed on more targeted activity.

Cllr Blakeley said that before he asked for questions about Moreton Youth Centre, he want to ask if Moreton Youth Club would stay open until the Birkenhead hub costing £1 million opened?

Caroline Laing said it was worded until but she didn’t know the answer.

Cllr Blakeley said it sounded like the Moreton Youth Club wouldn’t close until the super Hub was open and asked for any questions?

A member of the public asked what criteria were used to decide what youth centres closed and which stayed open?
Caroline Laing answered that the decision was made by Cabinet, but in relation to the Budget four would be retained.

A member of the public involved with a voluntary group that used a youth club said that they hadn’t been consulted on closure and knew of another voluntary group in the same position. Tracey Smith said that managers had been provided with the detail of the consultation. Cllr Lewis asked the member of the public to see him at the end so he could liaise between her and the locality manager. Caroline Laing pointed out that the locality manager appointment had not yet been made.

A member of the public called Steve said that the youth club had been known as Cadburys Youth Club and that he’d been one of the first to go it many decades ago. It had been built for the people of Moreton, but had since gone to Wirral Council. He said it was scandalous that now people would not have anywhere to go to at night, that there would be more people hanging around if they removed provision and questioned how people would be able to afford the bus fare to Birkenhead and back finally saying it was “not right”.

Continued at Part 3.

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History walk (Bidston Hill) Saturday 5th November & fireworks displays


There will be a history ramble tomorrow on Bidston Hill between 10am and 12.30 tomorrow starting at Tam O’Shanter Urban Farm led by the ranger. Due to bat hibernation the windmill won’t be open on this walk.

It starts at Tam O’Shanter Urban Farm, Boundary Road, Bidston CH43 7PD and it’s not for dog walkers. For further details contact 0151 653 9332 or email tamoshan@wirral.gov.uk .

There are also a variety of public firework displays starting at 6.30pm (except for the one at Ridgeway that starts at 5pm). The locations are listed below.

Lingham Park, Moreton
Upton Park, Moreton
Woodchurch Leisure Centre
Birkenhead Park
Central Park, Wallasey
Mersey Park, Tranmere
Mayer Park, Bebington
Leasowe Adventure Playground (including a community organised bonfire)
Ridgeway High School, Noctorum (5pm)
Beechwood, “Greenacres Court Site” (off Bidston Green Drive)

Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service are advising people to take part in the public displays and will be removing any bonfires on public land. The local fire service recommend anyone with a wheelie bin to keep it away from doors and windows and if possible away from the public to lessen the risk of wheelie bin fires. For a free home fire safety check including free smoke detectors, to report an illegal bonfire (or build up of material) which will be quickly removed or for arson prevention advice contact Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service free on 0800 731 5958.

Merseyside Police will be running Operation Banger, which include high visibility policing, seizing illegal fireworks and other activities such as reducing underage sales of alcohol to young people.

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Free half-term football & tennis sessions at Wirral Tennis & Sports Centre (for teenagers)


Wirral Council are running free sessions of football and tennis over the half-term holidays for teenagers at Wirral Tennis Centre. The sessions are free, however advance booking is required, either in person, by telephone on 606 2010 or online on Wirral Council’s website. There are also a number of free sessions at other leisure centres across the Wirral (which also need to be booked in advance). Details are below.

Wirral Tennis and Sports Centre

  • Football – October 24th, 26th and 28th, 2pm-4pm
  • Tennis – October 25th and 27th, 1.30pm-3.30pm

The Oval, Wirral

  • Football – daily from October 24th-28th, 1pm-3pm

Guinea Gap

  • Football – October 25th and 27th, 3pm – 5pm

Leasowe Recreation Centre

  • Zumba, Dance Mats and Wall – October 25th, 26th and 27th, 2pm-2.45pm and 2.45pm-3.30pm
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Play Areas Gautby Road Play & Community Centre


I welcome the Ilchester Park play area in Bidston as mentioned in this Wirral Council press release.

However 200 yards away from Ilchester Park (as the crow flies) and just a few minutes walk away is a play area next to the Gautby Road Community Centre. The land the play area is on is owned by Wirral Council. Most of the time it is kept padlocked.

Cllr McLachlan stated in the Wirral Council press release: “Local children deserve the best play equipment near their homes and these sites are spread across the borough so that everyone can access them.” Cllr McLachlan (along with Cllr Harry Smith and Cllr Jim Crabtree) are all on the Gautby Road Play & Community Centre Joint Management Committee which manages the community centre and adjacent play area.

I agree with Cllr McLachlan and am pleased that local children can now access the play area in Ilchester Park (I’ve seen children already playing here when I’ve been walking to Birkenhead North train station to get a train). However many children live nearer to the play area which is part of (and next to) the Gautby Road Community Centre. Unlike the Ilchester Park play area it is surrounded by railings.

I have heard many reasons why the Gautby Road play area can’t be used from Wirral Council officers. These range from children could slip in the rain, to children need supervising, to concerns about vandalism. All seem to be a reason to keep it locked up and stop children playing there. The problem has been ongoing for some time and has been brought to my attention by a number of residents.

However it would be great if it could be open at least some of the time and the public made aware of when these times are.

Padlock, Gautby Road play area, Bidston

Gautby Road Community Centre and Play Area, Gautby Road, Bidston

Gautby Road Community Centre and Play Area, Gautby Road, Bidston

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Local news: Teenager stabbed to death in Wirral Partnership Homes flat (Corporation Road)


I noticed the Birkenhead News and Wirral Globe story about the death of Darren Brewster (aged 17) from a knife attack last Thursday in Corporation Road.

The photo next to the article shows the block of WPH flats between Jamesbrook Close and the junction with Beaufort Road/Patten Street/Price Street.

Police have arrested and charged a 17-year old with murder, who appeared at Wirral Magistrate’s Court on Saturday.

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Planning Committee 9/8/2011 | Part 5 | Agenda item 13 – SECTION 106 LEGAL AGREEMENT – REEDS LANE


Cllr Mitchell also referred to resident’s concerns about derelict land. He asked why it had taken so long to make a decision? He was going for option a which was the original decision. He said a certain area of land had been dedicated for it.

The Chair said it was unique. He referred to the £75,000 spent nearby, which mitigated the problem. He was not sure how valid it was. They had in the past agreed in some cases to make changes that went against the Unitary Development Plan such as a sports facility in an industrial area. He was not going against policy and making a precedent but encouraged members of the Planning Committee to “be their own people”.

Cllr Kenny said he had heard Cllr Mitchell and supported what he was saying. He supported option A which was consistent and argued against antisocial behaviour. He said it was strange that every day society had its troubles, with young people not having enough to do. He didn’t agree that there should not be a play area here and the money should be given back. It couldn’t be used for another one, so what would happen to the land? He said the song “Where Do The Children Play?” was by Cat Stevens. He was going to support recommendation a. They had been told there were twenty six people against, but not told the number of people that would welcome a play area that had previously been agreed by Planning Committee.

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May Elections


I’ve just read the latest press release from Cllr Holbrook about the May elections.

As he points out, Liberal Democrats work hard for residents all year round. Unlike Labour who announced budget cuts to libraries, then defended the plan to the public, then spent thousands on a barrister at a public enquiry, the Lib Dem/Tory coalition on Wirral Council consulted first with the public.

I have previously pointed out myself that thanks to Lib Dems in government, 4,400 Wirral residents are now not paying income tax and 102,000 people are paying £200 less. £5 million extra is going to Wirral’s schools, targeted where it is most needed in areas like Bidston & St. James.

The designation of Wirral Waters as an Enterprise Zone will further help local residents searching for employment.

There are those that criticise the Liberal Democrats for forming a coalition government with the Conservative Party in the national interest (and similar criticism of the local progressive partnership with the Conservative Party on Wirral Council). Do you think more money would be going to schools in areas like Bidston & St. James and that people on a low income would pay less tax under a Conservative council or Conservative government?

Cllr Holbrook says “Unlike other parties, we do not rely on negative criticism, empty insults and blank sheets of paper to try and win votes.” I think he is referring to Labour who won’t come clean about the £14 billion of cuts they planned. The difference between the Coalition government cuts and Labour’s cuts are things like the following:-

ID cards: £86 million saving to the taxpayer
£800 million saving to the public in fees

Instead of cutting waste, Labour let government spending get out of control. Thanks to the tough decisions made by Lib Dems on Wirral Council no Sure Start centres had to close yet in Labour run councils massive cuts have been made to vital services people rely on like Sure Start and libraries.

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Cabinet meeting (Wirral Council) 22/02/2011 Part 1 – the Conservative/Lib Dem budget cometh and Labour is not happy


Well yesterday the Conservative & Lib Dem Cabinet “unveiled” their Wirral Council budget for 2011/2012. Labour’s (opposition) budget will arrive by noon on Friday the 25th February.

Next Monday (1st March) the full Council will vote on the budget, although with 41 (yes I know it’s 42 including the Lib Dem Mayor but generally he doesn’t vote as he’s supposed to be politically neutral as part of his office) “progressive partnership” councillors to Labour’s 25 24 (edit – I sometimes forget Cllr. Knowles had switched from Labour to Tory and the independent Cllr Kirwan isn’t still with Wirral Council) councillors, I’m sure even Labour can do the maths and realise Labour’s budget will be defeated next Monday (with no need for Budget Part 2 on the evening of the 9th March) by around seventeen votes.

Can you see which bits of the Budget are from the Lib Dem side and which from the Conservative side? Yes you can see “the seams” between the two halves as we continue to be two independent political parties with minds and policy making processes of our own. If you look really hard you can see the bits influenced by yours truly and others (for example the 4-year rolling programme for 20mph residential zones discussed last year by the party when Cllr Quinn was Cabinet Member for Streetscene and Transport) now carried forward by Cllr Rennie.

One Lib Dem policy coming into play is the pupil premium which means about £5 million extra for Wirral Schools to spend on children on free school meals, looked after children and service children. You should’ve heard the “wails of anguish” at the Wirral Schools Forum from headmasters/headmistresses from the more prosperous parts of the Borough when they realised £5 million would be spent on improving the educational chances of the most needy! Clearly Wirral is a place of large social divides and the extra money will be a welcome boost to the schools in Bidston & St. James.

So what may you ask is “in the budget”? Well, first to deal with the elements of the council tax that are made up by Merseyside Police’s budget and Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service’s budget. Both Merseyside Police and Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service froze their contributions from Council Tax compared to last year (2010/2011).

Due to increased costs and inflation (as well as a high proportion of its costs being on staff), Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service will be cutting some jobs. Their Chief Exec/treasurer explains the situation in a self-styled “podcast” (I don’t think he quite knows what a podcast is but I have to give them a few marks for trying), which unfortunately with my browser Firefox either opens a blank black window or six video windows of him at once creating an echo effect so I’ve uploaded it to Youtube (which has slightly better audio quality than five echoes).

For the purposes of any copyright lawyers out there, as the work has been made previously available to the public (and still is on Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service’s website at this location), this is classed as “fair dealing” under s.30 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 and is being done for the purpose of news reporting (and making sure you can hear what the speaker says).

Quite why councillors on MF&RS left it to an officer to record a video (which is below) to explain the cuts is a mystery I’m sure my humble readers can enlighten me on in the comments section (or maybe I’ll just ask Cllr. Ellis, Cllr. Niblock, Cllr. Rennie or Cllr. Roberts next time I see them).

It sounds like sound quality was the first thing to be cut at Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service! :P Perhaps next year they could invest £20 in a noise-cancelling microphone? The reference in the video to the Budget being set today is in reference to last Thursday.

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Cathcart Street Primary School – Cabinet will decide on £1.8 million investment next Thursday


It’s always good to have a good news story about matters in Bidston & St. James. Next Thursday at Wallasey Town Hall Wirral’s Cabinet, made up of Liberal Democrat and Conservative councillors will decide whether to spend £1.8 million on Cathcart Street Primary School.

As reported on this blog last year the decision to close nearby Cole Street Primary School will mean some of its pupils will be joining Cathcart Street Primary School.

A detailed Scheme and Estimate Report, picture of what the proposed changes will look like, compared to the current building, existing floor plan and proposed altered floor plan are all available to view by following these links.

If approved next Thursday and agreed by the Planning Committee (or planning officers), work will start in May and (hopefully) be complete by the time of the next school year in September. Due to the closure of nearby St. Laurence’s Primary School, if this scheme is agreed the existing Children’s Centre at St. Laurence’s will be relocated to the Cathcart Primary School site. This scheme includes:-

• Alterations and small extensions to improve the pupil toilet and
cloakroom provision.
• Dry lining the existing internal walls to conceal the exposed brickwork
and block-work and to improve acoustic properties
• Alterations to the internal room layout to provide practical resource areas
adjacent to classrooms and to improve internal circulation.
• Provision of a hygiene room for pupils with disabilities.
• Improved office and reception facilities and a new entrance area.
• Refurbishment of all toilet provision for both pupils and staff.
• Redecoration and new floor finishes throughout.
• Replacement of the existing high level clerestory windows.
• Complete replacement of the roof covering with improved insulation
levels to reduce heat loss.
• A secure external covered play area adjacent to the Foundation
classrooms.
• Replacement boilers and heat emitters.
• Additional classroom ventilation.
• New energy efficient lighting.
• New fire and intruder alarms.
• CCTV security system.
• New fencing throughout to improve the security and appearance of the
site

In yet another good news story for Cathcart Street, Lib Dem MPs in government have agreed to give schools an extra £430/year for every child on free school meals and those in foster care or who have been adopted. This extra money, which will go directly to schools will mean over £5 million extra money being spent across Wirral helping schools such as Cathcart Street and other schools in Bidston & St. James.