Merseytravel and the LCRCA again refuse to show how your money is spent and claim it is vexatious to even ask!

Merseytravel and the LCRCA again refuse to show how your money is spent and claim it is vexatious to even ask!

Merseytravel and the LCRCA again refuse to show how your money is spent and claim it is vexatious to even ask!

                                           

Cllr Steve Foulkes (Lead Member for Finance and Organisational Development) front (right) answering a question at a public meeting of the Transport Committee (Liverpool City Region Combined Authority) 9th August 2018
Cllr Steve Foulkes (Lead Member for Finance and Organisational Development) front (right) answering a question at a public meeting of the Transport Committee (Liverpool City Region Combined Authority) 9th August 2018

The ongoing saga of trying to persuade Merseytravel and the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority to release details of a small number of invoices has now entered a new phase.

Last year I asked to inspect these invoices during the 30 day inspection period and was told this was unreasonable. I was asked to submit a FOI/EIR request (which I did). Now having submitted a FOI/EIR I am told Merseytravel estimate it would take 11 hours (within the 18.5 hour FOI cost limit). Merseytravel estimate that the activities of consulting and redacting (which don’t count towards the 18.5 hour limit) would take an estimated further roughly 24 hours that Merseytravel wish to class the request as vexatious instead.

Merseytravel acknowledge that part of the request could be an EIR request (which has no time limits) but have decided to base their estimates of time without excluding the EIR elements of it.
Continue reading “Merseytravel and the LCRCA again refuse to show how your money is spent and claim it is vexatious to even ask!”

Why have the costs of a fire station at Saughall Massie increased by a further estimated £134,000?

Why have the costs of a fire station at Saughall Massie increased by a further estimated £134,000?

Why have the costs of a fire station at Saughall Massie increased by a further estimated £134,000?

                                     

Dan Stephens (Chief Fire Officer), Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service 25th May 2017
Dan Stephens (Chief Fire Officer), Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service 25th May 2017

The costs of building the new controversial fire station in the greenbelt at Saughall Massie have increased by a further £134,000 due to two factors. The first reason for the increased costs according to a report to be considered by councillors on the Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority’s Audit Committee are due to “required United Utilties manhole diversions” and the second reason is due to “changes to the tower foundation design”.
Continue reading “Why have the costs of a fire station at Saughall Massie increased by a further estimated £134,000?”

Why are Wirral Council censoring video of a public meeting about Kingdom?

Why are Wirral Council censoring video of a public meeting about Kingdom?

Why are Wirral Council censoring video of a public meeting about Kingdom?

                             

Warning Sign Ban Filming Ban Public Public Meetings
Warning Sign Ban Filming Ban Public Public Meetings

I have requested from Wirral Council to re-use video footage of their recent public meeting of councillors where the subject of Kingdom came up. Despite their policy on filming suggesting that we should allow re-use when filming them, they are concerned about the possibility of “edited extracts” (even though I asked not for edited extracts but to republish footage of the whole meeting) and it appears that the answer to the question about re-use at the moment is no.
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How much did the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority agree to increase council tax in Wirral, Liverpool, St Helens, Knowsley, Sefton and Halton from the 1st April 2019?

How much did the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority agree to increase council tax in Wirral, Liverpool, St Helens, Knowsley, Sefton and Halton from the 1st April 2019?

How much did the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority agree to increase council tax in Wirral, Liverpool, St Helens, Knowsley, Sefton and Halton from the 1st April 2019?

                             

Mayor Steve Rotheram (Liverpool City Region Combined Authority) 1st February 2019
Mayor Steve Rotheram (Liverpool City Region Combined Authority) 1st February 2019

Last Friday afternoon, LCRCA (Liverpool City Region Combined Authority) Mayor Steve Rotheram (pictured above) proposed a budget for 2019-20 that included rises in council tax.
Continue reading “How much did the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority agree to increase council tax in Wirral, Liverpool, St Helens, Knowsley, Sefton and Halton from the 1st April 2019?”

Why is the Minister directing how Wirral Council prepares its Local Plan and what are councillors doing?

Why is the Minister directing how Wirral Council prepares its Local Plan and what are councillors doing?

Why is the Minister directing how Wirral Council prepares its Local Plan and what are councillors doing?

                          

Cllr Chris Blakeley 5th March 2018 Lead Signatory for the Call-In
Cllr Chris Blakeley 5th March 2018 Lead Signatory for the Call-In on the Local Plan

Councillors on Wirral Council’s Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee will meet again (which is their third public meeting within a month) on Thursday afternoon to decide on a call-in regarding the last decision by Cabinet before Christmas last year on the Local Plan.
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