A blog about Wirral Council's public meetings, Wirral Council's councillors, Bidston & St. James ward and other public bodies on Merseyside
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.
Below are pages 45 to 429 of the bundle for the hearing last year.
Since that time, Merseyside Fire and Rescue Services’ planning application has been refused by Wirral Council and a revised planning application submitted earlier this year has yet to be determined.
Photos on the valuation reports written by Hardie Brack have been removed and so has the First-tier Tribunal crest on First-tier Tribunal orders.
There are some typographical errors in the pages below.
Documents originally in colour have been converted to black and white for the bundle.
Despite this matter being ended by consent order in September 2016, eight months later there are sub judice matters involving costs.
I therefore will not be commenting on those matters until they are resolved.
The revised planning application is expected to be on the agenda of Wirral Council’s Planning Committee for a public meeting on the 22nd June 2017 and if the Planning Committee decides on a site visit it will be finally determined at its public meeting scheduled for the 20th July 2017.
Councillors meet next week to discuss fire station mergers project including Saughall Massie
Councillors meet next week to discuss fire station mergers project including Saughall Massie
Land off Saughall Massie Road Saughall Massie 13th December 2016 SAVE OUR GREEN BELT SAY NO TO THE FIRE STATION banner
A public meeting of councillors on Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority next week (MFRA’s Wirral Council nominated councillors are Councillor Brian Kenny, Councillor Chris Meaden, Cllr Lesley Rennie and Councillor Jean Stapleton) has as its last agenda item the fire station mergers project.
A report to councillors states that the Prescot fire station will cost a further £145,000 than planned due to “discovery and eradication of Japanese Knotweed; grouting of shallow mining workings; requirement for further boreholes and trial pits due to inaccurately plotted co-ordinates; and the discovery of further asbestos contamination”. A break-in to the site compound over Easter also led to a loss of £2,000 of plant and equipment.
The report states that in St Helens, Pilkington have withdrawn their offer of a two acre site in Canal Street as someone else has offered Pilkington more money than Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority, so MFRA have been forced to switch to another Pilkington owned site in the Watson Street works (which may require a further consultation).
A revised planning application for the Saughall Massie site (which is owned by Wirral Council) has been submitted to Wirral Council and the report author had been hoping that it would be decided at the Planning Committee scheduled for the 1st June 2017.
Due to the general election, it looks unlikely that a decision will be made a week before people vote, so Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service have told councillors it will probably go to a Planning Committee meeting to be decided on the 22nd June 2017.
Interestingly, despite an “intention” expressed to councillors in January to appeal the original refusal of planning permission, this has now been changed to an appeal of the decision to the Planning Inspectorate of the revised planning application (should it be refused again).
Madam Mayor and Surjit Tour (Annual Council) Meeting (Wirral Council) 16th May 2017
And so did councillors gather and the meeting got to “Leader’s Announcement”, otherwise known as the gospel according to Cllr Phil Davies.
Cllr Phil Davies gave a prayer of thanks for Councillor Jeff Green and asked for his appreciation to be recorded.
He set out his priorities for the next year which of course include the 2020 pledges.
Three new Cabinet portfolios would be created, “Delivering Differently”, “Transformation” and “Finance and Regeneration”.
However “issues” had arisen in Children’s Services according to Phil. The Director of Children’s Services had resigned and his Cabinet Member had “stepped down” which Phil felt was the “right decision”.
Cllr Phil Davies continued, but as this is an election period, we have to provide some political balance on this blog.
But before that, some words from someone who isn’t allowed to be party political Madam Mayor. She was asked why she decided to stop around sixty councillors from speaking on this topic towards the end of the meeting.
Madam Mayor said, “Council, I have exercised at my discretion, I do not have to explain that to you! I’ve accepted it. You or any other Member of the Council, this is how we will proceed now.
This is going to be the order of speakers, Group Leader for the Conservative Group Cllr Ian Lewis (5 minutes), Group Leader for the Liberal Democrat Group Cllr Phil Gilchrist (5 minutes), Deputy Group Leader for the Conservative Group Cllr Lesley Rennie (3 minutes), the spokesperson for the Liberal Democrat Group Cllr Alan Brighouse (3 minutes), the Cabinet Member for Children and Family Services Cllr Bernie Mooney (3 minutes), the Leader of the Council Cllr Phil Davies (5 minutes).”
Cllr Ian Lewis said he had, “no faith whatsoever that the lessons have been learned or that this department is being well-led” and went on to say, “Madam Mayor, it is our view that such is the chaos in this department, that expecting this problem to be managed in-house is no longer feasible. Nor is it acceptable to expect unelected individuals to manage the department under the guise of an Improvement Board that meets in secret.
Extra support and guidance to this Council is required. Not one person on this Council can hold the Improvement Board to account in public. That is not good enough!
For that reason Madam Mayor, the Conservative Group will be asking for government intervention as we’ve seen in other failing authorities with similar cases as we’ve seen in the Liverpool Echo and other media over the last 48 hours.
Madam Mayor, whether this happens or not, the Conservative Group will not sit quietly while those in authority such as Cllr Davies utter platitudes and wring their hands. We will hold this administration to account, before, during and after the serious case review and at every opportunity from now on.”
Cllr Phil Gilchrist said, “The minutes of the Improvement Board are available in public on the Council’s website if Members wish to look for them. They record the contributions of Members I think fairly and accurately.
I do think that the Chair Eleanor Brazil is determined that things should improve and is keeping a very weather eye on it. I’m not in the business of rocking the boat when work is in hand and in progress. The issue is that the work is in progress, but incomplete.”
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Julia Hassall resigns and Cabinet Member Cllr Tony Smith sacked
Julia Hassall resigns and Cabinet Member Cllr Tony Smith sacked
Cabinet 17th December 2014 vote on Lyndale School closure L to R Cllr Tony Smith (Cabinet Member for Education), Cllr George Davies, Cllr Ann McLachlan
One can just imagine the Wirral Council equivalent to Malcolm Tucker shouting at people, “Who’s going to resign? Who’s going to get sacked?”
Wirral Schools Forum (3rd December 2014) Agenda item 4 Consultation on the local schools funding formula L to R Andrew Roberts, Julia Hassall and Richard Longster
The answers to both those questions (in the order they are asked) being Julia Hassall (Director of Children’s Services) and Cllr Tony Smith (Cabinet Member for Children and Family Services).
I’m sure politicians will be making political capital out of this change in the next few days.
Tonight, Wirral Council councillors meet to decide on a new Mayor (Cllr Ann McLachlan) and a new Deputy Mayor (Cllr Geoffrey Watt).
The political fireworks on this story look set to go off tomorrow evening.
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Who are the 17 candidates in the elections of Members of Parliament for Birkenhead, Wallasey, Wirral South and Wirral West?
Who are the 17 candidates in the elections of Members of Parliament for Birkenhead, Wallasey, Wirral South and Wirral West?
Holy Cross primary school Bidston polling station Bidston St James 4th May 2017 resized
I will declare an interest in this piece as my father has proposed one of the candidates.
The deadline for nominations (plus a £500 deposit) ended yesterday at 4 pm and the candidates in the general election to be Members of Parliament for Wirral West, Wirral South, Birkenhead and Wallasey are now known.
They are as follows (by constituency alphabetically, then by surname alphabetically).
BIRKENHEAD
Allan John BRAME (Liberal Democrats)
Jayne Louise Stephanie CLOUGH (Green Party)
Frank FIELD (Labour Party)
Stewart Anthony GARDINER (Conservative Party)
WALLASEY
Debbie CAPLIN (United Kingdom Independence Party)
Paul Philip CHILDS (Liberal Democrats)
Lily CLOUGH (Green Party)
Angela EAGLE (Labour Party)
Andy LIVSEY (Conservative Party)
WIRRAL SOUTH
Chris CARUBIA (Liberal Democrats)
Alison MCGOVERN (Labour Party)
Mandi ROBERTS (Green Party)
Adam Christopher SYKES (Conservative Party)
WIRRAL WEST
Tony CALDEIRA (Conservative Party)
John Bernard Cowan COYNE (Green Party)
Margaret GREENWOOD (Labour Party)
Peter Timothy Clifford REISDORF (Liberal Democrats)
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