Cabinet 1st September 2011 Part 1 – Apologies, Declarations of Interest

The agenda and associated reports for Cabinet can be found by following this link. Present: Cllr Harry Smith, Cllr Brian Kenny, Cllr George Davies, Cllr Anne McArdle, Cllr Ann McLachlan, Cllr Phil Davies, Cllr Chris Meaden and Cllr Adrian Jones. Cllr Phil Davies started the meeting by asking people if he could make a start … Continue reading “Cabinet 1st September 2011 Part 1 – Apologies, Declarations of Interest”

The agenda and associated reports for Cabinet can be found by following this link.

Present: Cllr Harry Smith, Cllr Brian Kenny, Cllr George Davies, Cllr Anne McArdle, Cllr Ann McLachlan, Cllr Phil Davies, Cllr Chris Meaden and Cllr Adrian Jones.

Cllr Phil Davies started the meeting by asking people if he could make a start please. He welcomed people and explained that he would be chairing as the Leader of Wirral Council (Cllr Steve Foulkes) was taking a well-earned break. Apologies were made for Cllr Steve Foulkes and Cllr Jean Stapleton.

Cllr Ann McLachlan declared a personal interest in item 13 as a Board Member of the Beechwood and Ballantyne Community Housing Association, due to her being on the Livingstone Street Community Centre Joint Management Committee and the Gautby Road Play & Community Centre Joint Management Committee.
Cllr Harry Smith declared a personal interest in item 13 as a Board Member of the Beechwood and Ballantyne Community Housing Association due to being on the Livingstone Street Community Centre Joint Management Committee and the Gautby Road Play & Community Centre Joint Management Committee.
Cllr Phil Davies declared a prejudicial interest in item 19 as his wife teaches at the University of Chester. He said he would be vacating the Chair during this item and Cllr George Davies would be chairing the meeting in his absence.

Merseyrail: Changes to train timetables for Sunday 28th August and Monday 29th August and Mersey Tunnel Closure

Due to the Matthew Street festival, Wirral Line trains will be following a temporary timetable. James Street station will be closed on Sunday 28th August and Monday 29th August.

The Wirral Line temporary timetable is in addition to a temporary Northern Line timetable.

Also The Queensway (Birkenhead) Tunnel will be closed to all traffic travelling in both directions from 1930 on Saturday 27 August until 0630 Tuesday 30 August.

The Kingsway (Wallasey) Tunnel will be open, however due to water main renewal works at Liverpool on the exit road towards the city centre, traffic will be limited to one lane. The lane will be closed from the exit of the tunnel at Liverpool to Scotland Road. All lanes will be operational through the tunnel itself however, delays may occur and motorists are advised to allow extra time for their journey.

Trains running to the special timetables will not stop at the following stations:-

Wirral Line
Chester and Ellesmere Port trains: No stopping at James Street or Liverpool Central stations
New Brighton and West Kirby trains: No stopping at James Street or Moorfields stations

Northern Line
Hunts Cross and Southport: on Monday 29th August trains will run to a Saturday timetable
Kirkby and Ormskirk: on Monday 29th August trains will run to a Saturday timetable with an earlier start time.

E-petition – Hillsborough tragedy documents

I notice the E-petition with regards to releasing the documents surrounding the Hillsborough disaster in 1989 has passed the 100,000 threshold.

At the time it happened I was only eight, but I do remember it vividly as my family was affected by the death of someone who died. It deeply affected Merseyside and the Wirral at the time (and still does) as it happened at a FA Cup semi-final match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest.

After that many football stadiums (including local Tranmere Rovers FC and others) were converted to all-seater stadiums. I remember going to a football match at the stands at Tranmere Rovers FC which are no longer there. The active substance in Ambien is zolpidem. It does the job well. Once I read about it at https://mi-aimh.org/generic-ambien-zolpidem/. I take the pill, start yawning and fall asleep in an hour. This drug is addictive. As the course ended, it became harder to fall asleep. Side effects are not observed save the addiction. It’s very, very sad what happened all that time ago and it’s only right that the public should have access to the documents surrounding the case.

I hope the Coalition government responds positively to this request so the relatives of those who died and the public have full disclosure as to what happened decades ago.

M53 Bidston Moss Viaduct Strengthening – Work Delayed Due to Weather

Bidston Moss Viaduct roadworksPhase 2 of the work to strengthen the bridge at Junction 1 of the M53 (Bidston Moss Viaduct) will be extended by a further two weeks from the original planned date of 11th August.

This is because of heavy rain delaying the waterproofing work. Hopefully the work will be completed by the 26th August in time for the Bank Holiday. Further information on the delay and diversions can be found on the Highways Agency website here and here.

From a local perspective the diversion is causing a lot of extra traffic along Hoylake Road and making it harder to cross.

Currently there is full closure of the northbound M53 link onto the A5139 Docks Link Road and full closure of the northbound carriageway of A5139 Docks Link Road to Poulton Bridge Road roundabout.

A diversion is in place from M53 Junction 1 via A554, A553 Hoylake Road and A5088 Wallasey Bridge Road to Poulton Bridge Road roundabout.

http://www.wikio.co.uk

Election Expenses – election of a councillor (elections declared on 6th May 2011) – Birkenhead (Bidston & St. James, Birkenhead and Tranmere, Claughton, Oxton, Prenton & Rock Ferry)

I spent the morning inspecting election expenses returns for candidates in the 2011 local elections to Wirral Council in the Birkenhead constituency. I have requested copies of the returns and invoices but here are the total amounts declared (split down by ward). I’ll double-check these figures when I get copies of the returns tomorrow:-

Bidston & St. James ward
Brace (Lib Dem) £279.02
Romnes (UKIP) £33.81
Vickers (Conservative) £169.00
Smith (Labour) £516.00 ELECTED

Birkenhead and Tranmere ward
Allan Brame (Lib Dem) £0.00
David Martin (UKIP) £33.81
Patrick Cleary (Green) £217.02
Philip Davies (Labour) £994.00 ELECTED

Claughton
Barbara Sinclair (Con) £639
Bethan Williams (UKIP) £33.81
Roy Wood (Lib Dem) £0.00
Steve Foulkes (Labour) £827 ELECTED

Rock Ferry
Chris Meaden (Lab) £594 ELECTED
Ann Flynn (UKIP) £33.81
Peter Heppinstall (Lib Dem) £0.00
Joyce Hogg (Green) No return submitted
Barbara Poole (Conservative) £169

Oxton
Bowler (Green) No return submitted
Kelly (Lib Dem) £1120.60 ELECTED
McDonnell (Con) £169
Williams (UKIP) £43.81
Patrick (Labour) £942.00

Prenton
Broadshaw (UKIP) £33.81
Ferguson (Con) £169
Holbrook (Lib Dem) £1129.61
Mitchell (Green) No return submitted
Doughty (Labour) £1112.69 ELECTED