Month: April 2011

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 … Continue reading “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.

Wirral Council’s Faith Champion, funding and grant application help for the voluntary, community and faith sector

Wirral Council’s Faith Champion, funding and grant application help for the voluntary, community and faith sector

                                        

I had an enquiry today from a Bidston & St. James ward resident and I racked my brains trying to remember who Wirral Council’s Faith Champion is.

For those as in the dark as I was, it’s a Conservative councillor from Clatterbridge Cllr. Peter Kearney. I did remember reading it on his name badge whilst waiting to go into an Employment and Appointments Committee, but apart from his Twitter feed there seemed to be little mention of it online.

The voluntary, community and faith sector are important parts of Wirral’s community. Many have a role to play in community cohesion and have in some cases tireless, unsung volunteers that receive little recognition for the work they do in their communities.

For groups looking for funding Wirral Council has a webpage which allows you to search for funding opportunities for projects and advice and support can be given to groups on making successful grant applications.

I know in Bidston & St. James there is also a range of funds available promoted through the Area Forums. The Prenton/Oxton Area Forum recently had a Q&A session for charities and voluntary groups on accessing funding to implement their ideas.

Reason to vote Liberal Democrat on May 5th – Day Five

Many years ago shortly after I was selected as the Lib Dems to be their candidate in the Wirral Council election, a woman living near Birkenhead Park station emailed me in response to one of our leaflets.

She was the foster carer for a teenager in a wheelchair and had great difficulty with the stepped ramp at Birkenhead Park station. This station has (as many who will use it will know) a stepped ramp going down to the platform.

She had no difficulty in as she put it “bumping him down the ramp” but found it impossible to get him back up. As a result she was travelling to Conway Park train station (which has a lift) and wheeling him back a mile through the streets over bumpy pavements (which was very tiring for her).

As a result I wrote to Merseytravel and lobbied them (and Frank Field) my MP to improve access at the train stations. Access for disabled people to stations was also an issue raised at an Area Forum in relation to stations on the Chester/Ellesmere Port route.

The current policy of Merseyrail (and Merseytravel) is to provide taxis for disabled travellers from the nearest accessible station. The Roads v Central Trains Limited [2004] EWCA Civ 1541, (2004) 104 ConLR 62 case (which being a Court of Appeal case) was about exactly this issue and is binding on any case brought by a disabled person in the County Court.

In it a disabled traveller couldn’t use a station because of a footbridge. He was put to inconvenience (compared to his non-disabled travellers) in travelling to a nearby station and getting a taxi. Doing this added an hour to his journey. Like Merseytravel the train company claimed it’d cost £750,000 to adapt the station.

Appeal judges found the claimant had been discriminated against and overturned the ruling of the lower court, awarding £1,000 in damages and special damages of £97.

However there is a problem with the law and Merseyrail (which makes ~£6,000,000 in profit a year). Both Merseyrail and Merseytravel (at least due to what they’ve said in public and correspondence) see access to stations as a National Rail issue.

After British Rail was privatised the different areas were either put out to tender (eg the rail franchises for example Merseyrail, Virgin, Arriva Train Wales etc) or a separate company was set up. National Rail is the successor to Rail Track and is responsible for the track, signalling, infrastructure, stations etc.

Although the money for improving station access goes to Merseytravel, they complain that Network Rail causes them (as they see it) increased costs due to bureaucracy.

I raised with Merseytravel the issue that all stations within Bidston & St. James ward – Bidston, Birkenhead North and Birkenhead Park as well as the nearby station of Upton all had problems with accessibility.

I am pleased to announce that as a result of my lobbying (and others) money in this financial year has been set aside for improvements to Birkenhead North station.

In total approximately £1.6 million will be spent on a Park and Ride scheme (which is why the properties were pulled down) and on making the footbridge accessible.

Once again this shows that where people come to the Liberal Democrat Action Team with their problems, we take action and improve things for local residents.

In the meantime, the paint on the footbridge is peeling (which I doubt will be done before it’s replaced) and when I have more news about when the work will begin I will give an update.

I would like to thank Cllr Dave Mitchell, the Liberal Democrat Merseytravel representative for his help on this issue. The late Tony Garrett of the Wirral Transport Users Association was a passionate advocate for public transport and wanted these improvements made to stations on the Wirral. He even toured each Area Forum asking questions.

Although it may be some time before all stations in Bidston & St. James can be used by those with mobility problems, the news on Birkenhead North train station is a welcome step in the right direction.

Mersey Tunnel Fast Tags

A reader asks “How do you use a disabled Mersey Tunnel fast tag?” . This is very simple.

You go through the tunnel as normal to the toll booth or if going to Liverpool reach the toll booth first.

Disabled Fast Tags can only be used at manned toll booths so make sure you go to the right one. Unmanned toll booths (such as the one reached if you come out of the tunnel from Liverpool and turn left) confusingly marked “Fast Tag” can’t be used (unless you want to create a major traffic jam backing up into the Tunnel!).

Once you’ve waited in the queue, show the person in the toll booth your Merseytravel issued photo ID card. They will then check the Merseytravel issued photo ID, a trip will be added to your Fast Tag. Within a short time the barrier should be up and you should be on your way.

However there are rules to follow:-

If using a disabled Fast Tag you can’t:-

a) carry passengers for hire or reward (eg taxi driver etc)
b) carry goods for hire or reward
c) travel without paying if you don’t have either the photo ID or the Fast Tag
d) the Fast Tag/concession is tied to a particular vehicle; if you travel in a different vehicle it won’t be allowed
e) a tolls officer may request your Blue Badge. If you can’t produce it you may have to pay.
f) there have been reports from disabled people of tolls officers disputing whether a person looks like their photo ID. People’s appearance over the up to 3 years the Fast Tag is valid for can vary. Many disabled people can have to wear glasses when driving that alters their appearance or if having a bad day can look older than their photo.

Further information including an application form can be found on the Mersey Tunnel’s website.

Harry Smith talks to Wirral Councillors at the March Budget meeting

Harry Smith talks to Wirral Councillors at the March Budget meeting

                                          

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Transcript:-

Cllr Harry Smith – Point of order Mr. Mayor, I do believe that you asked for the gallery cleared of all people except for the lady with the disability. I do believe there are people creeping back in.

Mayor: No, I haven’t…

Cllr Smith continues talking over the Mayor: I think everyone should be cleared except for the lady.

Mayor: Security asked my permission and I gave it.

Cllr Smith: Well, Mr. Mayor, I’ve got to say that the people who are there are political party members and there’s such thing as (at this point he gets drowned out by the Deputy Mayor Cllr Moira McLaughlin, Labour councillors, Lib Dem councillors, Tory councillors and others)

Cllr Smith: Mr. Mayor, I think you’re allowing some people to come back but not others. There was others who were very quiet up there. They’ve made no arrests of anybody but cleared with the noisy ones.

Mayor: I note your comments.

Cllr Stuart Kelly: From the opposition, you can see that there are a number of other people that have been allowed back in.

Mayor: There are a number of people up there listening to the debate very quietly.

Cllr Harry Smith: I’ll will just reiterate that everybody was asked to be cleared from the public gallery. That’s all.

Mayor: Yes and I do,

Cllr Harry Smith (interrupting the Mayor again): And some quiet ones, had to go and no doubt they don’t know now. So they’ve missed out on the opportunity of coming back and listening to the debate and I just think it’s unfair that some are and some aren’t.

Mayor: OK, Cllr Mountney.

Just for the record, the Labour Party (and its union sympathisers) planned before the meeting started to disrupt the meeting seemingly to get the Budget delayed to the reserve budget date a week later. When one noisy heckler was thrown out, another started. The Lib Dem Mayor decided to adjourn the meeting. At this point he asked for the public gallery to be cleared.

The adjournment lasted longer than originally stated (whether the rumour that a councillor had gone to get a pizza was true or not I don’t know). However the journalists (who had their laptop set up tweeting) and the petitioner were allowed to stay in the Council Chamber. The Council has a legal duty to provide for journalists at the meeting and nothing had (yet) been decided in response to the petition.

Anybody who wanted to hear the rest of the meeting was ushered into Committee Room 1. A few people refused to leave the public gallery.

In Committee Room 1 Cllr. Jeff Green couldn’t be heard giving his speech as the volume on the speakers was too low to be heard and a member of the public started smoking. However all the building staff (which had been supplemented by Community Patrol and police) except one were either in the public gallery supervising the one or two people left in the public gallery.

Clearly things could’ve been managed better and the fact people were delayed from joining the council meeting until about twenty minutes after it started didn’t help the mood of the public. After most had left, those remaining in Committee Room 1 were invited back to the public gallery to hear the rest of the meeting.

Cllr Harry Smith (Labour’s candidate) unfairly accuses the Mayor Alan Jennings, because he is in the same political party as myself and my wife of showing us preferential treatment compared to Labour Party members. This was not the case as I will demonstrate in a further blog post. There were others in the public gallery. It is not the first time he has interrupted a meeting of the Council to comment on my presence and that of my wife.

P.S. For any of those people who think you can’t record public meetings please read this Wirral Globe article first.