Category: Bidston & St. James

Play Areas Gautby Road Play & Community Centre

I welcome the Ilchester Park play area in Bidston as mentioned in this Wirral Council press release. However 200 yards away from Ilchester Park (as the crow flies) and just a few minutes walk away is a play area next to the Gautby Road Community Centre. The land the play area is on is owned … Continue reading “Play Areas Gautby Road Play & Community Centre”

I welcome the Ilchester Park play area in Bidston as mentioned in this Wirral Council press release.

However 200 yards away from Ilchester Park (as the crow flies) and just a few minutes walk away is a play area next to the Gautby Road Community Centre. The land the play area is on is owned by Wirral Council. Most of the time it is kept padlocked.

Cllr McLachlan stated in the Wirral Council press release: “Local children deserve the best play equipment near their homes and these sites are spread across the borough so that everyone can access them.” Cllr McLachlan (along with Cllr Harry Smith and Cllr Jim Crabtree) are all on the Gautby Road Play & Community Centre Joint Management Committee which manages the community centre and adjacent play area.

I agree with Cllr McLachlan and am pleased that local children can now access the play area in Ilchester Park (I’ve seen children already playing here when I’ve been walking to Birkenhead North train station to get a train). However many children live nearer to the play area which is part of (and next to) the Gautby Road Community Centre. Unlike the Ilchester Park play area it is surrounded by railings.

I have heard many reasons why the Gautby Road play area can’t be used from Wirral Council officers. These range from children could slip in the rain, to children need supervising, to concerns about vandalism. All seem to be a reason to keep it locked up and stop children playing there. The problem has been ongoing for some time and has been brought to my attention by a number of residents.

However it would be great if it could be open at least some of the time and the public made aware of when these times are.

Padlock, Gautby Road play area, Bidston

Gautby Road Community Centre and Play Area, Gautby Road, Bidston

Gautby Road Community Centre and Play Area, Gautby Road, Bidston

Planning Applications Decisions Part 2 of 2 & Wirral International Trade Centre

In the period 18th August 2011 to 9th September 2011 there were no planning applications decided by officers about applications relating to Bidston & St. James ward.

However item 4 on tonight’s Planning Committee agenda along with Appendix 1, Appendix 2 and the updated conditions reasons on the proposed Wirral International Trade Centre does relate to a planning application in Bidston & St. James ward.

It was also mentioned on the Granada TV news this morning.

The decision about the International Trade Centre application will be made at tonight’s Planning Committee meeting which will start at 6pm in Committee Room 1 at Wallasey Town Hall, Brighton Street, Wallasey, CH44 8ED.

Planning Applications decisions Part 1 of 2

A quick round-up of recent planning application decisions affecting Bidston & St. James ward. The decisions below have been made by planning officers at Wirral Council. Further detail can be found by entering application numbers on Wirral Council’s website (enter these numbers in the Application Quick Search field) .

The first batch are from 28th July 2011 to 17th August 2011.

Application Number: APP/11/00674

Ward: Bidston & St. James ward

Decision Date: 4th August 2011

Case Officer: Mrs S Lacey

Applicant: Mr Haskayne

Agent: CS Planning Enforcement Solutions

Location: Unused Land, ST ANNES PLACE, BIRKENHEAD, CH41 4FQ

Proposal: Change of use of first floor to self-contained two bedroom flat

Application Type: Full Planning Permission

Decision Level: Delegated

Decision: Approve

Application Number: APP/11/00680

Ward: Bidston & St. James ward

Decision Date: 29th July 2011

Case Officer: Miss K Elliot

Applicant:

Agent: WCEC Architects

Location: Netto Food Store, STANLEY ROAD, BIRKENHEAD

Proposal: New ATM pod, new plant enclosure and new refrigeration plant

Application Type: Full Planning Permission

Decision Level: Delegated

Decision: Approve

Application Number: ADV/11/00681

Ward: Bidston & St. James ward

Decision Date: 29th July 2011

Case Officer: Miss K Elliot

Applicant:

Agent: W C E C Architects

Location: Netto Foodstores, STANLEY ROAD, BIRKENHEAD

Proposal: New freestanding, fascia, banner and window signage with Asda branding to be implemented

Application Type: Advertisement Consent

Decision Level: Delegated

Decision: Approve

Application Number: APP/11/00692

Ward: Bidston & St. James ward

Decision Date: 2nd August 2011

Case Officer: Miss S McIlroy

Applicant:

Agent:

Location: 60 HOYLAKE ROAD, BIDSTON, CH41 7BY

Proposal: Change from A1 to A2 (solicitors practice)

Application Type: Full Planning Permission

Decision Level: Delegated

Decision: Approve

Source used: <A HREF=”http://democracy.wirral.gov.uk/mgConvert2PDF.aspx?ID=20250″>Planning Committee (Wirral Council) 6/9/2011 item 11 PLANNING APPLICATIONS DECIDED UNDER DELEGATED
POWERS BETWEEN 28/07/2011 AND 17/08/2011</a>

Liberal Democrat Conference: 19th September 2011 Post Offices

I was listening to Ed Davey MP on Post Offices, some of the changes make sense. No one wants to see any more Post Offices close, but going from a “nationalised industry” to a “mutualised cooperative” is something I’m sure the unions won’t be happy with.

Taking nearby Hoylake Road Post Office as an example, there are three counters and usually two people working there. In addition there’s another person at a different counter that deals with anything you want to buy in the shop. Ed Davey said they’re trying out (through some pilot projects) everything being sold at the Post Office counter (which could cut costs making more Post Offices viable) whilst trialling self-service machines to cut down on queues.

Clearly queues is an issue that has been a greater problem since a several Post Offices in Birkenhead have been closed. Having used the Hoylake Road and Upton Road Post Offices in the last few months I think there’s only been one occasion when I didn’t have to queue.

I also remember the campaigns against Post Offices closures we ran a number of years ago. Paula Southwood campaigned in 2007 against the threatened post office closures in Spital and in Heswall. She put a lot of hard work into campaigning and getting petitions going.

In fact a year ago I tabled a question at the Liverpool conference in a session chaired by Lorely Burt MP about the future of the Post Office network. Hopefully any changes made will result in a better Post Office network and not the closures that happened under the previous Labour government.

I notice the next speaker after Ed Davey is also still taking up the Post Offices theme.

Economy & Regeneration Overview and Scrutiny Committee 5th September 2011 Part 2 Budget Issues for Economy and Housing in 2012/2013

Kevin Adderley continued about the population demographics which was outlined on page 44. He did have good news of a Telegraph report on cities in the UK with the greatest growth over three years measured by companies that had grown 20% year on year. Birkenhead was second best after Aberdeen. 12% companies had grown 20% year on year, however there were signficant challenges in housing and the “worst recession in living memory” which led to small growth and difficult challenges. Universal Credit, housing benefits reforms and the work program being delivered by national providers as well as an aging population and housing were all issues to consider. Kevin talked about employer’s opportunities to retrain young people and keep the average age of the population down as the greatest reduction had been in young people of working age.

It was a changing global economy and the investment strategy had to include businesses and jobs. There was a focus on housing, specifically private sector housing. They were trying to secure inward investment into Wirral to tackle the economic problems. Wirral had 112,000 private sector units. Wirral Waters would help to tackle some of the economic disparities between different parts of the Borough.

The priorities were strategic planning and a strategic function for housing and planning. Hoylake, Devonshire Park and Liscard Neighbourhood were all involved in the Neighbourhood Planning Vanguard pilot. The land charge role was going to change and be opened up to the private sector. There would be partnerships between businesses, registered social landlords and developers. The European funding specification for Merseyside given since the 1980s was due to finish in 2012. There was discussion over continuing the regional program or a UK-wide program, they would lobby to maximise European funding. Cllr Mark Johnston thanked Kevin Adderley and the council officers.