Category: Birkenhead

Alternative Vote Referendum Count – Wallasey Town Hall 6th May 2011

The AV Referendum Count started at 4pm on the 6th May. A select few were there to observe the proceedings, Cllr Bridson, Cllr Clements, Cllr McCubbin, Cllr Steve Williams, Ann Davies. The Leader of the Council (Cllr Jeff Green) and Deputy Leader of the Council (Cllr Lesley Rennie) came by for a short time to … Continue reading “Alternative Vote Referendum Count – Wallasey Town Hall 6th May 2011”

The AV Referendum Count started at 4pm on the 6th May. A select few were there to observe the proceedings, Cllr Bridson, Cllr Clements, Cllr McCubbin, Cllr Steve Williams, Ann Davies.

The Leader of the Council (Cllr Jeff Green) and Deputy Leader of the Council (Cllr Lesley Rennie) came by for a short time to watch it happening in the Civic Hall.

In addition there were some members of the media. The count was done for the whole of Wirral (approximately 103,000 ballot papers). The spoilt ballot papers had to be adjudicated by the counting agents present. However despite the count being finished about 6pm the result is not yet declared.

Bill Norman is awaiting authorisation from Manchester as all North West results will be declared at the same time. Pictures are below!

Whilst we await the result here is the interesting list of people allowed by law to be present at the count (which is something that seemed to confuse some Wirral Council employees under instructions to turn people away!)

the Counting Officer and his staff
the Chief Counting Officer
the Regional Counting Officer
referendum agents
counting agents
Commission representatives
accredited observers
any other person permitted by you, as Counting Officer, to attend

Of course strangely this means the police don’t have a specific entitlement in law to be there, there was one rather bored looking police officer though.

AV Referendum Count
AV Referendum Count

Count

I will be writing blog posts at the count for Birkenhead, which will be held at the Pacific Road Theatre/Arts Centre tonight after 10pm.

With no internet access (as far as I know) it might be the next day before I upload them.

The referendum count will be held at Wallasey Town Hall tomorrow afternoon. That count will start at 4pm. As it’s for the whole of Wirral it will take some time!

I have been assured by an election official that all referendum ballots will be kept “under police guard” until then.

Results are expected in Birkenhead, depending on turnout from the wee hours of the morning. Depending on turnout and recounts (if it’s close) this’ll be some time after 1am as the AV referendum ballots will be counted and checked before the local election count starts.

Wards to watch are:-

A Labour ward in Birkenhead (where there’s been a strong Green campaign)
Oxton ward – Labour hoping to beat Cllr Stuart Kelly
Prenton ward – Labour hoping to gain a seat here against Cllr Holbrook

Losing Prenton and Oxton ward would be bad for Lib Dem morale, yet if Labour don’t win at least an extra seat in Birkenhead, their chances of running Wirral Council any time soon are far away. Having read Labour’s leaflets in Oxton & Prenton neither leaflets inspires me with confidence in their campaign.

Certainly Labour would like to win six seats in Birkenhead, yet the resurgent Green campaign, Lib Dem opposition here in Bidston & St. James and other “local difficulties” such as the anti-Cllr Denis Knowles brigade have diverted some of their deliverers that they would otherwise use in Prenton & Oxton. In addition various other factors have changed the course of the election.

Winning local elections (because of strict spending limits of about £1000) usually comes down to teams of people and their respective size.

I did hear Cllr Steve Foulkes earlier coming down my road (Boundary) and through a megaphone telling people to Vote for the Labour candidate, yet somebody used (not me) an expletive and it went quiet after. It’s nice to hear you’re so popular in Bidston & St. James Steve! 😉

Thanks for reminding Lib Dem voters it’s polling day though!

Thankfully peace and quiet has been restored (at least in Bidston & St. James). Looks like you’ll have to get up earlier Cllr Foulkes to stop the Liberals voting here!

I will be at the count (along with Leonora) to observe the adjudication of doubtful ballot papers. We picked up an extra three votes last year this way!

It’ll be interesting to see if the Lib Dems the Tory and UKIP candidates’s votes in every polling district this year. From the looks on Tory candidate’s faces, in some areas it won’t be a good night for them.

If you live in Bidston & St. James ward

Please vote John Brace (your only local candidate) on Thursday May 5th. The local Liberal Democrat Action Team works all year round, not just at election time. Many people have said they appreciate our regular Focuses about this area and what’s going on.

If you are unsure of your local polling station (as many are) there is a list below. Your polling card will identify which polling district you live in (Bidston & St. James has six). If you don’t know your polling station area please get in touch and we’ll be happy to help.

Most people don’t need their polling card to vote (only one person in Bidston & St. James does!). Polling stations will be open from 7am to 10pm. However, please don’t leave it to 9.59pm in order to vote as the 10pm deadline can’t be changed!

AA – Beechwood Play and Community Centre, Fifth Avenue
AB – Bidston Village CE Primary School, (formerly St Oswalds), Ballantyne Drive
AC – Holy Cross RC Junior School, Gautby Road
AD – St James Centre, Laird Street
AE – Our Lady & St Edward RC Primary School, Old Bidston Road
AF – The Priory C of E Primary School, Trinity Street

If you still have a postal vote you can still take it to the polling station. It’ll be taken with the ballot boxes to the count. About fifty people did this last year as if you posted your postal vote on polling day you can’t guarantee it’ll get there in time to be counted.

If you have registered for a postal vote and it doesn’t arrive you cannot vote at a polling station (before 5pm). You have to travel to Wallasey Town Hall in Brighton Street, Seacombe, be issued with a replacement postal ballot paper, complete that and take it to your polling station.

After 5pm if memory serves correct Wallasey Town Hall is shut so you can vote at your polling station, however be persistent as they may initially tell you you can’t!

This year the arrangements for counting the AV referendum ballots and local council elections is different. Both will be counted at the Pacific Road Theatre & Arts Centre in Pacific Road, Birkenhead. The postal votes are generally done seperately at Wallasey Town Hall as a proportion of the dates of birth and signatures are checked.

The timetable is as follows (with approximate timescales):-

10pm Polling stations close. Paperwork completed. Ballot boxes sealed.
10pm to 10.15pm Ballot boxes transported to count centre
10.15pm to 10.20pm Ballot boxes arrive at count centre (more paperwork). Quick check to make sure nothing has gone misssing in transit and seals are still intact. Yellow pouches containing any postal votes handed in at polling stations removed. Ballot boxes assigned to correct ward teams for counting.
10.20pm to midnight Local council election ballot papers seperated from AV referendum ballots (to be counted Friday afternoon).

Three counters used to count Bidston & St. James vote. Result expected in the early hours of May 6th.

Some areas with large turnout and recounts may take longer.

Afternoon of May 6th – AV referendum ballot papers counted. Result declared and added to national result.

Good luck to all candidates (of all parties). I’d like to thank everyone in Bidston & St. James (even those who said they aren’t voting) for the interesting issues they have raised with me. Please be assured that we’ll still be here after the election working for the people of this area.

Although the Liberal Democrat Action Team already knows what the result of this election will be, we are not allowed (by law) to report it until the result it officially declared on May 6th.

New Housing Development Clarence Park on the Beechwood

Clarence Park - site for new Housing in Beechwood

When out delivering with the Liberal Democrat Focus Team on Beechwood today I noticed a derelict piece of land that used to attract flytipping has now got a big sign on it advertising 2 and 3 bedroom properties in a development called Clarence Park.

This is as well as a plan for houses by Liverpool Housing Trust on the former site of Feltree House (which was demolished over the Summer). Residents on the Beechwood (despite less car ownership than some parts of Wirral) have regularly told us about the parking problems encountered by them on this estate.

Clarence Park is being made possible thanks to funding from the Coalition Government. Without funding the properties would be about £140,000. However the government provides a loan of 15% of the value. The housebuilder also provides a loan of 15%. These two loans of 30% are interest free for five years. There are no restrictions on selling the property during this time.

Lib Dem councillors Simon Holbrook and Alan Brighouse have tabled a motion to Wirral Council at its meeting of the 18th entitled “Mortgage Support for First Time Buyers”. This outlines the “Lend a Hand” scheme (which lends buyers a deposit), the “First Buy” scheme (again helping low-income families to find a deposit) and asked for a report from Ian Coleman and Kevin Adderley on how this can be achieved on the Wirral.

Last November I wrote the following about the Liberal Democrat government housing policy. I am glad to see it being put into effect!

November Focus:-

Lib Dems deliver 150,000 new affordable homes

New Lib Dem plans will see the biggest increase in affordable homes for more than thirty years.

The Lib Dems in Government will deliver 150,000 affordable homes over the next gour years. That’s more than Labour delivered in their first eight years in power!

The plans will reverse the massive decline in affordable housing under Labour, who sold off more properties than they built.

Local campaigner John Brace explained, “After 13 years in power, Labour left Britain with 45,000 fewer affordable homes than they started with.

Thanks to the Liberal Democrats affordable social housing will at long last be available to thousands more families across Britain.”

Photo caption:
The Lib Dems are providing new affordable homes where Labour failed.

Asda Development Birkenhead – When do the public have a say?

I read with interest Frank Field’s piece in the local paper about the new Asda store in Birkenhead.

I agree with Frank and many other local residents that it has caused massive problems with parking (including a reduction in Blue Badge spaces). What he fails to mention was that a few days before the local elections it was a Labour-led Cabinet (with a built-in majority) of Cllr Foulkes, Cllr Davies (Phil), Cllr Davies (George), Cllr Stapleton and Cllr McLaughlin that met behind closed doors without the press and public present to agree to the price Wirral Council got for the car parks.

Generally in the month leading to an election or election period, apart from decisions that have to be made within a certain time limit (eg Planning, licensing etc), no decisions of a political nature are made. This is called purdah and it means they refrain from taking decisions or making policy announcements which are significant and may be politically contentious.

So what was the decision that was made? Well Asda (Walmart) wanted to only pay £500,000 for the car parks rather than £2 million. Asda have changed the original plans a number of times. You can search here using the postcode CH41 6EB in the address box to see things like the current planning application for signage for the store and carpark. You can leave comments online if you wish.

To finish, I welcome new jobs in Birkenhead, however there are concerns the existing businesses and stall holders at Birkenhead market have that once the new Asda store opens it’ll affect the viability of their businesses. A number of shops have already closed down. The new Tory/Lib Dem run Wirral Council believes in consulting with the public before making major decisions. The previous Labour led council had a “decide, announce, defend” strategy that led to the fiasco and public inquiry over the library closures and a very divisive, macho-style of politics that managed to cheese off large sections of the voting Wirral public.

I have seen many Walmarts in America and heard from local people about the effect it has had on local shops. I hope Birkenhead keeps its character and doesn’t turn into another Walmart clone town after the Asda store is opened in November. I hope the Asda doesn’t just end up employing people who currently work at the existing shops but also takes on people from Birkenhead who are long-term unemployed. Wirral Council is committed to supporting jobs and helping people keep their jobs or find new ones.