Author: John Brace

New media journalist from Birkenhead, England who writes about Wirral Council. Published and promoted by John Brace, 134 Boundary Road, Bidston, CH43 7PH. Printed by UK Webhosting Ltd t/a Tsohost, 113-114 Buckingham Avenue, Slough, Berkshire, England, SL1 4PF.

Walking stick user collapses at ticket barrier at Liverpool Central

This afternoon my wife, Mrs. Brace was travelling with me back to the Wirral. We both have passes so waited in the queue to go through the barrier. I went through alright and the ticket barrier closed behind me. However Mrs. Brace swiped her pass to go through the barrier and it opened. As she … Continue reading “Walking stick user collapses at ticket barrier at Liverpool Central”

This afternoon my wife, Mrs. Brace was travelling with me back to the Wirral. We both have passes so waited in the queue to go through the barrier. I went through alright and the ticket barrier closed behind me. However Mrs. Brace swiped her pass to go through the barrier and it opened.

As she was part way through the barrier closed on her grabbing her walking stick in the process. With nothing to hold she collapsed. Now on the wrong side of the barrier I went back through another barrier and (sadly) didn’t arrive in time to catch her before she fell to the ground.

The Merseyrail staff offered her first aid and asked if she wished them to call an ambulance. We both went to an office, where two staff asked her details. She was a little shaken up by what happened, but most of her injuries were caused by the fall. The suspicion is that the walking stick triggered a motion sensor which then closed the barrier. Clearly something needs to change as there are plenty of elderly and disabled passengers with passes that are going to have trouble otherwise.

Merseyrail also said they’ll be reducing the staff at the ticket barriers as they move to more automation. Previously pass holders (and others such as those pushing a push chair) went through a side gate. Personally I don’t have any trouble when going through using my pass but I can understand how a walking stick could trigger a motion sensor.

Planning Committee Site Visits

Further to the Planning Committee decision to have site visits for a number of applications the following have been agreed (all on the 5th September 2011):-

5th September 2011

12 NOON APP/11/00561 – REFURBISHMENT & EXTENSION TO EXISTING BUILDINGS INTO 21 APARTMENTS AT 98 BIDSTON ROAD, OXTON, CH43 6TW

1245 APP/11/00613 – FIRST FLOOR REAR EXTENSION AT 2 DINGWALL DRIVE, GREASBY, CH49 1SG

1330 – APP/11/00645 – Land to north of BEAUFORT ROAD, and to the East of WALLASEY BRIDGE ROAD, WEST FLOAT BIRKENHEAD, CH41 1HG

You can find more information on each planning application by either reading the agenda for Tuesday’s meeting or by entering the planning application numbers in the Application Quick Search box on Wirral Council’s website.

Employment and Appointments Committee 11th August 2011 Part 4

The meeting moved onto the last item Any Other Urgent Business Approved by the Chair. There was one item of Any Other Business. However Chris Hyams asked the legal adviser to the committee if it should be held in closed session.

The legal adviser seemed reluctant to recommend in closed session as he admitted he hadn’t read the four page report in the supplementary agenda and asked for a reason. However Chris Hyams said it was related to financial matters. The legal adviser then said an exemption may be appropriate but would have to be agreed by the committee.

The Chair, Cllr Adrian Jones agreed that the item could be taken as a matter of urgent business. The Chair asked the committee for the rest of the meeting to be held in closed session. Nobody on the committee objected so the press and public were asked to leave (but officers and the research assistant to the Liberal Democrat Group stayed).

Once they had left, the councillors discussed and made a decision on the four page report on the Occupational Health Contract.

Employment and Appointments Committee 11th August 2011 Part 3

Jim Wilkie continued saying that the budget had been reduced, there were significant changes and they needed to remodel to do things in a different way. Four branches were going down to three. There was strategic overview of key services, they had taken on responsibility over transport services in the Learning and Achieving branch of the Children and Young People department and the Antisocial Behaviour Unit.

This report was looking at posts over spinal column 49. It sets out each posts proposals and allocates significant additional responsibilities. He was happy to go through on a post by post basis.

Cllr Gilchrist said “even I’m alright”, so Jim Wilkie said he would “stop there”. Cllr Gilchrist said he didn’t have a clear picture of the numbers of people in the structure, there were grey bold titles but not the details underneath. As Chair of Council Excellence he was aware that people could have added additional responsibilities such as additional duties as well as a range of new jobs which required a breadth of knowledge. On page 25, the second block on the left in the light grey he asked what secondary consultant meant as well as WASP. Was this an external consultant Wirral Council was bringing in?

Chris Hyams explained it was not an external consultant but experienced members of staff to advise. The report was agreed.

Employment and Appointments Committee 11th August 2011 Part 2

Cllr Gilchrist said he was puzzled by the equality implications. He asked why they were not required for the Finance restructure but were required for the Education restructure and he asked for an explanation.

Chris Hyams, Head of Human Resources & Organisational Development started to speak but then Jim Wilkie, Chief Executive asked why had there been no Equality Impact Assessment on the IT restructuring but they had done one on the Children and Young People restructuring?

Chris Hyams, Head of Human Resources & Organisational Development said they were not changing the structure. However the Children and Young People restructure had an impact on service delivery, which required an EIA.

Cllr Gilchrist asked comparing the two structures, what posts would be deleted further down?

Ian Coleman said there would be a £500,000 staffing saving.

Cllr Adrian Jones asked if the report was agreed and said yes.

The committee then considered Item 3 – Department of Children and Young People Restructure along with Appendix 1, Appendix 2, Appendix 3, Appendix 4 and Appendix 5.

This report was introduced by Jim Wilkie, Chief Executive. He explained that the Director of the Children and Young People’s Department, David Armstrong was current on his well deserved annual holiday on a cruise ship. Although there were no senior staff here tonight from the Children and Young People’s Department, he had their telephone numbers.

He said he was at a disadvantage over the detail at the briefing. However the restructure was a result of the Early Voluntary Redundancy/Voluntary Severance which had led to over three hundred leaving.

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