Category: Bidston & St. James

Planning Committee 24th April 2012 Item 10: APP/12/00145

A decision on item 10 (which was the Wirral Churches’ ARK Project planning application for 55 Duke Street, Birkenhead, CH41 8BW) was deferred at Tuesday’s Planning Committee. The reason given by the Chair of the Planning Committee, was that officers had asked for it to be deferred due to further information having been received which … Continue reading “Planning Committee 24th April 2012 Item 10: APP/12/00145”

A decision on item 10 (which was the Wirral Churches’ ARK Project planning application for 55 Duke Street, Birkenhead, CH41 8BW) was deferred at Tuesday’s Planning Committee. The reason given by the Chair of the Planning Committee, was that officers had asked for it to be deferred due to further information having been received which they would like to assess properly.

This is a former public house called “Grand Trunk Hotel” on the corner of Duke Street and Old Bidston Road, which was sold last year for £42,000. Wirral Churches’ Ark Project’s proposal is to change its use to six bedsits on the first and second floor with offices on the ground floor. A qualifying petition of signatures from sixty different addresses has been submitted against it.

The committee report on it can be read here.

Geodiversity Day (Cheshire RIGS) – 21/4/2012 – Bidston Hill/Flaybrick Cemetery

There’ll be a “Geodiversity Day” on Saturday 21st April 2012 organised by Cheshire RIGS group. RIGS stands for Regionally Important Geological/geomorphological sites.

It’s starting at Tam O’Shanter Urban Farm and will be all day and will include the RIGS Geodiversity trail. There’s no need to book and it’s free. For further details phone 0151 653 9332 or email tamoshan@wirral.gov.uk .

Planning Applications (recently decided) affecting Bidston & St. James ward

There have been three planning applications recently approved by Wirral Council’s planning officers in the last few weeks. Two of these are concerning the Bidston Moss retail park. Further details are below and for more detail please click on the links.

Application No.: APP/11/00650 Application Type: Full Planning Permission
Decision Level: Delegated
Ward: Bidston and St James
Decision Date: 05/04/2012 Decision: Approve
Case Officer: Mr M Rushton
Applicant: Agent: Higham & Co
Location: Halfords, BIDSTON MOSS, LEASOWE, CH44 2HE
Proposal: Elevational alterations to existing retail unit including recladding and new entrance features.

Application No.: APP/11/00704 Application Type: Full Planning Permission
Decision Level: Delegated
Ward: Bidston and St James
Decision Date: 05/04/2012 Decision: Approve
Case Officer: Mr M Rushton
Applicant: Agent: Higham & Co
Location: Junction 1 Retail Park, Bidston Moss, Leasowe, CH44 2HE
Proposal: Reconfiguration and refurbishment of existing non-food retail unit including partial demolition, construction of extension and external alterations including recladding and new entrance features together with new car parking spaces.

Application No.: APP/12/00089 Application Type: Full Planning Permission
Decision Level: Delegated
Ward: Bidston and St James
Decision Date: 22/03/2012 Decision: Approve
Case Officer: Mr M Rushton
Applicant: Agent: Paddock Johnson Partnership
Location: Vittoria Court, BECKWITH STREET, BIRKENHEAD
Proposal: Proposed two storey side extension, entrance & internal alterations to update existing residential accommodations to current decency standards and to provide additional office accommodation for disaster & recovery suite and training facilities.

What Everybody Ought to Know About A-Boards & Shop Displays

An article about the licences granted for A-boards and shop displays on the Wirral by Wirral Council.

Following on from an earlier story about flytipping at the back of shops on Hoylake Road, Bidston (which has thankfully now been partly rectified by the owner building a wall there), a resident has been in touch with me about concerns they have (mainly about one particular shop on Hoylake Road) and more widely on the subject of A-Boards and shop displays on pavements in general on the Wirral.

Here, Wirral Council is the highways authority and can grant permission (in the form of a licence) for shops to display A-boards advertising their premises on the street outside. Shops can also get permission to display some of their wares and cafes can be granted permission to use part of the pavement (although pavement cafes usually require planning permission too). There’s a page on their website that explains how businesses go about this.

This licencing is supposed to make sure that a minimum width of pavement is left so that pedestrians can pass in both directions easily. Certain classes of walkers such as those using one or more walking sticks, or wheelchair users need extra space, which is why Wirral Council recommend a clear path of at least two metres around obstacles, such as lamp posts (these minimums are increased if the area is next to a pedestrian crossing, in a pedestrianised area or in a busy area). Businesses are also supposed to display the licence granted in their shop windows (although many don’t seem to).

Below are some photos of A-boards locally on Hoylake Road, Bidston and a shop display from further down Hoylake Road in nearby Moreton. On the first photo is two large A-boards outside the All-American Car Wash which are sensibly placed well out-of-the-way of the dropped kerbs. The second is an A-board advertising a barber’s shop, again placed sensitively with the needs of pedestrians in mind, but the third is placed on the opposite side of the road from a cafe, therefore unless they have a bespoke licence this isn’t permitted. The fourth is an example of a shop display outside a fruit and vegetable shop on Hoylake Road, which due to the nearby lamp post constricts the available pavement left.

Wirral Council’s Technical Services Department does have enforcement officers that respond to complaints raised if a business seems to be exceeding the terms of its licence. However even if a business is visited and found to have breached the terms of the licence, it seems Wirral Council don’t revoke the licence if the situation is remedied to what it should be. The police do have powers they can use against if “a person without lawful authority or excuse, in anyway wilfully obstructs the free passage along the highway”, which can be punished by a fine of up to £1000, but generally the police seem to refer people back to the highways authority, Wirral Council.

So what do you think about the current situation? How should the compliance by Wirral Council with licences be enforced? Should businesses that regularly exceed the terms of their licence have them revoked and have you got any examples of good or bad practice you’d like to share? If so, please leave a comment.

Licensing, Health & Safety and General Purposes Committee (Wirral Council) Part 1 19/3/2012 Agenda items 1(Declarations of Interest), 2 (Minutes), 3 (Sex Establishment fees) & 5 (Local Election fees 2012/2013)

Well on the 19th March 2012, I attended the well-attended Licensing, Health & Safety & General Purposes Committee in Committee Room 1. There were the usual people there such as taxi drivers and union reps and a few new faces from Merseytravel, as well as the committee of councillors and officers.

The committee composed of the following councillors (Cllr Ian Lewis (Conservative) was absent):-

Labour (5)
Cllr Bill Davies (Chair)
Cllr Patricia Glasman
Cllr Chris Jones
Cllr Steve Niblock
Cllr Irene Williams

Conservative (3)
Cllr Sue Taylor (Conservative spokesperson)
Cllr Kate Wood
Cllr Tom Anderson

Liberal Democrats (1)
Cllr Bob Wilkins (Lib Dem spokesperson)

The following Wirral Council officers were there to support the committee:-
Committee clerk: Anne Beauchamp
Legal adviser: Mr. Ken Abraham
Others: Margaret O’Donnell, Mr. Robert Beresford + others I don’t know the name of

The meeting started late with the Chair apologising for the wait as they were waiting for their legal team in regards to item 3 (Proposed election fees 2012/2013). He apologised again for the wait and said they would skip item 3 until Surjit Tour arrived.

He started the meeting with item 1 and asked for any declarations of interest.

Cllr Sue Taylor (Conservative spokesperson) apologised for Cllr Ian Lewis who was not present.

No declarations of interest were made, so they moved to item 2, which was the minutes of the last meeting.

Cllr Steve Niblock objected to the list of people attending the last meeting as he had not been at the last meeting due to being at the Economy and Regeneration Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting which was also held on the 8th March.

He said he couldn’t be in two places at the same time, so he had sent Cllr Salter in his place as deputy. Therefore he asked for the minutes to be changed and his name replaced with Cllr Salter. The Chair said they would make sure it was changed. With the amendment to the minutes, the minutes (item 2) were agreed and the Committee skipped item 3 to item 4 (Hackney Carriage Vehicle Licences).

The Chair explained they would also skip item 4 and deal with it at the end.

At this point a councillor’s mobile phone started ringing and the Committee moved to item 5 sex establishment fees. Margaret O’Donnell introduced this report about the licensing of sex establishments and referred to various pieces of legislation including section 27 of the “Police and Crime Act 2009”, although she actually meant the Policing and Crime Act 2009. She asked the Committee to consider what fees should be charged by Wirral Council for receiving applications. She suggested £1,200 per an application based on an estimate of what costs would be incurred.

At this point 6.15pm Surjit Tour arrived fifteen minutes late and sat down.

Cllr Niblock asked if the £1,200 was just for a new one or the same for a renewal too?

Margaret replied that yes, she suggested £1,200 for both.

Item 5 was agreed that Wirral Council would charge £1,200 for new applications and £1,200 for renewals of sex establishment licences.

The Chair asked Surjit Tour to explain to the meeting his report,item 3 (proposed election fees for 2012/2013).

Surjit Tour asked the Chair if he wanted him to go ahead so they could agree the suggestions? The Chair agreed. Surjit Tour apologised for being late, he had thought the meeting started at 6.15pm, Ed – it was supposed to start at 6.00pm, he apologised again for his late arrival.

He explained that the election fees were proposed fees and were payments made to staff by the Returning Officer. There was no specific guidance or formula used as this was a local issue. According to scientists, the results of the study indicate that at https://summitps.org/accutane-isotretinoin/ accutane isotretinoin creates the necessary conditions for useful populations of Propionibacteria and other bacteria that reduce the likelihood of acne. The way it had previously been arrived at by the previous Chief Executive/Returning Office Steve Maddox was a yearly increase to take into account inflation. The increase for this year was therefore 3.9%, however it was calculated on the basis of individual wards. Neighbouring authorities fees were included in the report for comparison.

The Merseyside Electoral Administration team also discussed such matters at a meeting. However because of difficulties facing staff he proposed the following changes to those figures in the report.

(a) polling station inspector increased from £190 to £565.

(b) Deputy Returning Officer fee increased from a flat fee of £459.42 (per ward)  to 50% of the Returning Officer’s fee (£5,127.98 * 50%) = £2,563.99 (per ward)

The Chair thanked him for the report. The committee agreed the recommendations and changes. He thanked Surjit Tour again.

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