Category: Liverpool City Region Combined Authority

Why has Minister Sajid Javid requested a “team of experts” to intervene at Wirral Council after Wirral Council’s repeated delays in producing a Local Plan?

Why has Minister Sajid Javid requested a “team of experts” to intervene at Wirral Council after Wirral Council’s repeated delays in producing a Local Plan?

Why has Minister Sajid Javid requested a “team of experts” to intervene at Wirral Council after Wirral Council’s repeated delays in producing a Local Plan?

                                                

Photo 4 - Cllr Phil Davies answering questions Birkenhead Constituency Committee 1st March 2018
Cllr Phil Davies answering questions at the Birkenhead Constituency Committee 1st March 2018

Edited 27.3.2018 14:32 An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated one of the other three councils facing intervention was Castlerock, this has now been corrected to Castle Point.

The latest in an exchange of letters between the Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP (Minister for Housing, Communities and Local Government) and Cllr Phil Davies (Leader of Wirral Council) has been published.

Wirral Council’s failure to produce a Local Plan (which are their policies by which planning applications are decided) has led to intervention. Out of the fifteen local government bodies that the Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP wrote to initially (which included locally Liverpool City Council and the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority) only three (Wirral Council, Castle Point Borough Council and Thanet District Council) have caused enough concern to warrant intervention.
Continue reading “Why has Minister Sajid Javid requested a “team of experts” to intervene at Wirral Council after Wirral Council’s repeated delays in producing a Local Plan?”

What were the reasons behind the 24 hour RMT strike over guards on the Merseyrail network?

What were the reasons behind the 24 hour RMT strike over guards on the Merseyrail network?

What were the reasons behind the 24 hour RMT strike over guards on the Merseyrail network?

                                           

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RMT strike (Merseyrail and Northern Rail) 3rd March 2018 outside Liverpool Lime Street

RMT strike 3rd March 2018 Merseyrail Northern Rail strike Liverpool Lime Street
RMT strike 3rd March 2018 Merseyrail Northern Rail strike Liverpool Lime Street

Saturday (3rd March 2018) saw another one day strike by RMT on both the Merseyrail and Northern Rail train networks, both strikes are over the issue of guards and public safety.

Pictured above was the protest outside Liverpool Lime Street train station, Liverpool on a cold and snowy morning.

Out talking to the public yesterday in both Liverpool and Southport, I was told by a number of people who instead of taking the Merseyrail train journeys they would normally, they were instead taking buses.
Continue reading “What were the reasons behind the 24 hour RMT strike over guards on the Merseyrail network?”

Will council tax rise by 5.98% for Wirral residents from 2018-19?

Will council tax rise by 5.98% for Wirral residents from 2018-19?

Will council tax rise by 5.98% for Wirral residents from 2018-19?

                                                         

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Budget Cabinet (Wirral Council) 19th February 2018 Part 1 of 2

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Budget Cabinet (Wirral Council) 19th February 2018 Part 2 of 2

Councillor Janette Williamson left Cabinet Member for Finance and Income Generation middle Cllr Stuart Whittingham right Cllr Matthew Patrick Cabinet Wirral Council 19th February 2018
Councillor Janette Williamson left Cabinet Member for Finance and Income Generation middle Cllr Stuart Whittingham right Cllr Matthew Patrick Cabinet Wirral Council 19th February 2018

The author of this piece declares a financial interest in that my wife is liable to pay council tax to Wirral Council for a residential property we both live in on the Wirral.

The piece was possible because of a collaboration with the Bureau of Investigative Journalism (TBIJ).

An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated the overall increase was 5.2%, when it is in fact 5.98%. This was corrected at 19:22 on the 21.2.18 by JB.

Wirral Council’s Cabinet on Monday morning (19th February 2018) agreed to recommend a 5.99% rise in the Wirral Council element of council tax for 2018-19. You can watch video clips of that public meeting above.
Continue reading “Will council tax rise by 5.98% for Wirral residents from 2018-19?”

Wirral Council’s Cabinet expected to recommend 5.99% council tax rise for 2018-19

Wirral Council’s Cabinet expected to recommend 5.99% council tax rise for 2018-19

Wirral Council’s Cabinet expected to recommend 5.99% council tax rise for 2018-19

                                          

Cabinet (Wirral Council) 18th December 2017 L to R Cllr Bernie Mooney Cllr Angela Davies Cllr Chris Jones Cllr Phillip Brightmore
Cabinet (Wirral Council) 18th December 2017 Left to Right Cllr Bernie Mooney, Cllr Angela Davies, Cllr Chris Jones and Cllr Phillip Brightmore

The author’s wife has a liability for council tax for 2018-19 for a property on the Wirral, so I declare that as a financial interest in the below piece.

I would like to also thank the Bureau of Investigative Journalists (BIJ) for their help in the area of council budgets and this piece.
Continue reading “Wirral Council’s Cabinet expected to recommend 5.99% council tax rise for 2018-19”

Councillors recommend 10p rise in Mersey Tunnel cash tolls from 1st April 2018

Councillors recommend 10p rise in Mersey Tunnel cash tolls from 1st April 2018

Councillors recommend 10p rise in Mersey Tunnel cash tolls from 1st April 2018

                                          

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Transport Committee (Liverpool City Region Combined Authority) 1st February 2018 Part 1 of 2

Cllr Steve Foulkes (Transport Committee) LCRCA 1st February 2018 Mersey Tunnel tolls item
Cllr Steve Foulkes (Transport Committee) LCRCA 1st February 2018 Mersey Tunnel tolls item

The author’s wife has a Fast Tag for the Mersey Tunnels issued on disability grounds, therefore she does not have to pay the tolls referred to below.

Yesterday (at the time of publication which you can watch above) was the annual public meeting where councillors on the Transport Committee (formerly called the Merseytravel Committee) of the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority made a recommendation on the Mersey Tunnel tolls (although the final decision will be made after this article is published by a different set of politicians on the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority). Continue reading “Councillors recommend 10p rise in Mersey Tunnel cash tolls from 1st April 2018”