Wirral Council’s Labour and Green councillors vote for increased on and off street car parking charges despite opposition from Conservative and Lib Dem councillors
Wirral Council’s Labour and Green councillors vote for increased on and off street car parking charges despite opposition from Conservative and Lib Dem councillors
Fort Perch Rock Car Park, New Brighton, Wirral (29th June 2015)
By John Brace (Editor) and Leonora Brace (Co-Editor)
First publication date: Wednesday 11th August 2021, 11:44 AM (BST).
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What would Rumpole of the Bailey make of Chester West and Chester Council’s car parking problem?
I wonder what Rumpole of the Bailey would’ve made of Chester West and Chester Council?
I used to give long speeches in court.
Were I as litigious as I used to be I wouldn’t be trying to persuade Chester West and Chester Council to do the right thing as you can see from the blog posts linked below. Here’s a draft of the speech I would make though if I that hypothetical situation happened.
Sir/Madam*(delete as applicable), it is obvious from the traffic regulation order starting on page xx of your pack (please refer to Part IV, section 33 of that order) that vehicles displaying a blue badge (or Disabled Person’s Badge as it is referred to in this traffic regulation order) at this car park (and many others in the Chester area run by Chester West and Chester Council) were entitled to 4 hours free parking.
The effect of that variation was to remove the four hours free parking for disabled persons, but those with a Chester West and Chester blue badge could apply for a microchip to continue free parking as before.
This variation to the traffic regulation order was therefore not lawful as the legislation requires Chester West and Chester to treat all blue badge users equally. It cannot discriminate in favour of its own residents.
As a result of this tangled web of poor corporate governance, my wife, a blue badge user when visiting Chester on Saturday 19th December 2015 was denied the opportunity to park in this car park.
Chester West and Chester Council could’ve quite easily raised the barrier and let her park for four hours, but it chose not to.
Instead one of its employees decided not to act with common sense but instead like a bureaucratic jobsworth.
She has clearly faced discrimination because of her disability.
I have raised this with the Leader of Chester West and Chester Council, her MP, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Disabled People, the Cabinet Member for Legal and Finance and the Cabinet Member for Culture, Leisure and Wellbeing.
You can see Vanessa Whiting’s response at page xx.
The average person, turned away from one of Chester West and Chester’s car parks will neither have the patience, or understanding of local government to hold Chester West and Chester Council to account and wade like treacle through the murky depths of their apparent lack of understanding of the legal framework within which they are supposed to operate.
My wife of course does not wish to cause a fuss, but it is the principle of the matter that should be of concern to us all.
The state has when exercising its powers to act lawfully. Clearly these barriers prevent blue badge users from parking in these car parks and displaying their blue badges.
Clearly if you decide that the variation to the traffic regulation order was unlawful, then the barriers to the car park were unlawful too.
It is doubly perplexing that as Chester West and Chester Council has the ability to check the validity of any blue badge, that it chooses to make an exception only in favour of blue badges issued to its own residents.
The evidence is there before you in the pack, it is clear what happened and there is no dispute over the facts of what happened between the two parties in this case.
Ultimately what is needed is someone impartial and independent to adjudicate on this case and make a binding decision on both parties.
I realise this is the County Court and you may quite reasonably point out that only the Administrative Court has the power to quash the variation to the Traffic Regulation Order.
However if a finding of discrimination is made, then without Chester West and Chester Council changing the car parks, the situation will repeat again.
Clearly Chester West and Chester Council invested £650,000 in this parking system and it is shocking that the legal implications were not fully thought through before this large sum of public money was frittered away.
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Why did Wirral Council spend £534.90 on catering for a meeting with Dong Energy?
It’s no secret that Wirral Council have been trying to persuade businesses to create jobs on the Wirral. Last year Cammell Laird applied for planning permission (planning application APP/14/00352) for "an on shore office, warehouse building and pontoon that will serve as a marine operations and maintenance facility for off shore projects" on a car park in Alabama Way. This was so Cammell Laird could expand to the "green energy" sector such as maintenance for wind turbines such as the Dong Energy wind farm at Burbo Bank.
Below is an invoice from Carrington Catering Ltd paid by Wirral Council for catering at a meeting on the 8th May 2014 with Dong Energy. You can click on the thumbnail for a higher resolution version.
Wirral Council invoice Carringtons Catering Ltd Dong Energy Meeting 8th May 2014 catering £534.90 thumbnail
On the 23rd July 2014 it went to be decided by Wirral Council’s Planning Committee (you can watch video footage of the meeting below). The Planning Committee refused the application based on the effect it would have on the flats nearby. That refusal was appealed to the Planning Inspectorate.
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Cammell Laird (before the planning appeal had been decided) submitted a revised planning application in December 2014 (APP/14/01585). This also went to Planning Committee for a decision and after nearly an hour of discussion it was refused on the 19th February 2015 (see video of the decision below).
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Eventually a planning inspector on the 13th October (after informal hearings on the 25th February and the 19th May and site visits on the 18th May and 4th June 2015) issued a 29 page appeal decision overturning the earlier decisions of the Planning Committee.
I’ll point out at this stage that the planning application is in Birkenhead and Tranmere ward (currently represented by Cllr Phil Davies (Labour), Cllr Jean Stapleton (Labour) and Cllr Pat Cleary (Green)).
As detailed in the planning appeal decision, although the plans would have created an estimated sixty to sixty-five jobs, nearby LDRA Ltd had threatened to relocate to Newbury taking fifty local jobs away if the plans for expansion at Cammell Lairds were approved.
So the news reported in the Wirral Globe yesterday that an alternative site has been found at Kings Wharf in Seacombe, as the "new home of [Dong Energy’s] offshore-wind manufacturing and maintenance facility" means a compromise must have happened. The Alabama Way site is referred to in a quote in that article from Cllr Phil Davies as, "Alternative sites had been considered in Birkenhead, but were rejected by my council team responding to community concerns."
Wirral Council consult on £1.1 million scheme to change Birkenhead’s Hamilton Square
Wirral Council consult on £1.1 million scheme to change Birkenhead’s Hamilton Square
Remembrance Day 2012 outside Birkenhead Town Hall. If the traffic scheme goes ahead then this area outside Birkenhead Town Hall won’t be solely for pedestrians but will be open to two-way road traffic
The removal of the taxi rank outside Hamilton Square train station in Hamilton Street. The reason would be so there could be a puffin crossing outside Hamilton Square train station. This taxi rank would be relocated to two sections of Bridge Street (one for four taxis, one for five taxis).
A bus stop in Bridge Street would be relocated to Hamilton Street.
The existing bus stop outside Hamilton Square train station would be moved further down Hamilton Street.
The area in front of Birkenhead Town Hall which is now closed to road traffic, solely for pedestrians and protected by bollards would become part of the road and open to traffic.
The mini roundabout at the Hamilton Square/Hamilton Street junction (to the North-East of Birkenhead Town Hall) would be removed and replaced with a Give Way junction instead.
The mini roundabout at the Hamilton Square/Hamilton Street junction (to the South-West of Birkenhead Town Hall) would be removed and replaced with a Give Way junction.
The closure at this junction which prevents traffic going to Hamilton Square from the South-West along Hamilton Street would be removed.
Hinson Street (now one-way) would be made two-way between Hamilton Street and Henry Street.
Hamilton Street (now one-way between Hamilton Square and Conway Street) would be made two-way between Hamilton Square and Conway Street.
Conway Street will be closed at its junction with William Street.
Alterations to the traffic signals at the Bridge Street/Hamilton Street junction.
The deadline to respond to this consultation is Friday 13th November 2015.
Then enter your contact details and email address (twice).
Click Next again.
The Scheme name/details to enter on the next page are “Hamilton Square re-design“.
The Scheme number is “DC-STEP-1516-2”
If you wish to comment or ask a question on the scheme select Comment/ask a question about the scheme from the drop down menu.
If you wish to object to the scheme select Object to the scheme and enter your reasons in the box below.
If you wish to do both select All of the above and enter your comments and objections separately.
Then click Next, followed by Submit.
There was a drop in session on Tuesday November 10th 2015 at Birkenhead Town Hall, Hamilton St, Birkenhead CH41 5EU, between 3pm and 7pm so people could view the plans.
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