Category: Wirral Council

Why did Wirral Council spend £637.06 on refreshments for Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub briefings?

Why did Wirral Council spend £637.06 on refreshments for Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub briefings?

Why did Wirral Council spend £637.06 on refreshments for Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub briefings?

                                        

Cllr Bernie Mooney (Cabinet Member Children and Families) 16th October 2017
Cllr Bernie Mooney (Cabinet Member Children and Families) 16th October 2017

At the last public meeting of all of Wirral Council’s councillors, Cllr Bernie Mooney pictured above (Cabinet Member for Children and Families) said, “The most criminal thing out of all of this is the people who are suffering are the poorest people in society.”

Last year Wirral Council, which was paid for its Children Services section, paid £637.06 for “refreshments” for a series of briefings to partner agencies to do with the Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH).

The “refreshments” were bought at Costco (Liverpool), Marks and Spencer (Cheshire Oaks) and Marks and Spencer (Croft Retail Leisure Park) and included tea, coffee, biscuits, quiche, sausage rolls, apples, bananas, seedless grapes, platters, caramel crispies, flapjacks, Rocky Road mini bites, hummus, chive dip, a maple & pecan Danish pastry, sour cream, plums, chocolate brownies, mini rolls, a chocolate orange, teacakes, pitta chips, disposable plates, disposable cutlery and other items of food that are detailed on the receipts below.

In the same speech, Cllr Mooney asked for a further £25 million to be spent on services for children at Wirral Council and she was also concerned about the rise in the use of foodbanks.

Costco receipt refreshments at briefings for Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub
Costco receipt refreshments at briefings for Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub

Continue reading “Why did Wirral Council spend £637.06 on refreshments for Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub briefings?”

Will two overlooked covenants for “enjoyment of light” prevent a fire station at Saughall Massie from happening?

Will two overlooked covenants for “enjoyment of light” prevent a fire station at Saughall Massie from happening?

Will two overlooked covenants for “enjoyment of light” prevent a fire station at Saughall Massie from happening?

                                                            

Planning Committee (Wirral Council) site visit Saughall Massie fire station 18th July 2017 photo 1 of 40
Planning Committee (Wirral Council) site visit Saughall Massie fire station 18th July 2017 This photo shows properties with windows facing the proposed fire station

Today I read Land Registry title number MS503610 which covers various properties and includes thirteen of the properties owned by Wirral Partnership Homes Limited (who trade as Magenta Living) that are adjacent to the proposed fire station in Saughall Massie.

One of the entries in title MS503610 states the following:

“5. The right to the unimpeded access and enjoyment of light and air to all windows in the buildings now on the Retained Land from or over such part of the Property provided that nothing expressed or implied in this Transfer shall prevent the Transferee from developing the Property.”

This is about the landlord’s right to light.

and

“By Transfers of adjacent or neighbouring land pursuant to Chapter 1 of Part 1 of the Housing Act 1980 or Part V of the Housing Act 1985, the land in this title has the benefit of and is subject to the easements and other rights prescribed by paragraph 2 of Schedule 2 to the Housing Act 1980 or paragraph 2 of Schedule 6 to the Housing Act 1985.”
Continue reading “Will two overlooked covenants for “enjoyment of light” prevent a fire station at Saughall Massie from happening?”

Wirral Council claims no disclosable conflicts of interest over grant of Saughall Massie fire station planning application

Wirral Council claims no disclosable conflicts of interest over grant of Saughall Massie fire station planning application

Wirral Council claims no disclosable conflicts of interest over grant of Saughall Massie fire station planning application

                                        

Planning Committee (Wirral Council) site visit Saughall Massie fire station 18th July 2017 photo 1 of 40
Planning Committee (Wirral Council) site visit Saughall Massie fire station 18th July 2017 This photo shows the distance between the proposed fire station and the nearby residential properties referred to in the letter below

Below is the text of a letter I received earlier this month from a David Ball at Wirral Council following a stage 1 complaint I made about the grant of planning permission APP/17/00306 (which was for a fire station in Saughall Massie).

I will point out that there are aspects to the letter I don’t agree with, but in the interests of transparency, the public interest in the matter and the seniority of David Ball I am publishing it below. As it’s two pages, a link break is shown between the two pages.
Continue reading “Wirral Council claims no disclosable conflicts of interest over grant of Saughall Massie fire station planning application”

Wirral Council’s councillors decided on backdated pay rises for 4 councillors costing an extra £34,226 a year!

Wirral Council’s councillors decided on backdated pay rises for 4 councillors costing an extra £34,226 a year!

Wirral Council’s councillors decided on backdated pay rises for 4 councillors costing an extra £34,226 a year!

                                          

Councillor Steve Foulkes (centre) 16th October 2017 voting to give himself a backdated £10,108 pay rise
Councillor Steve Foulkes (centre) 16th October 2017 voting to give himself a backdated £10,108 pay rise

Wirral Council councillors on Monday evening voted to give four councillors a backdated pay rise costing Wirral Council an extra £34,226 a year.

Councillors from Wirral Council (Councillors Abbey, Foulkes, Rowlands and Jerry Williams) on the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority Transport Committee (formerly called the Merseytravel Committee) will now receive a backdated basic allowance for their work on the Transport Committee annually of £5,675 each.

On top of the basic allowance of £5,675 (backdated to May) three councillors received extra amounts too. Cllr Les Rowlands received an extra £2,660 as Opposition Spokesperson, Cllr Steve Foulkes an extra £4,433 as Lead Member for Finance and Organisational Development and Cllr Ron Abbey an extra £4,433 as Lead Member for Bus.

A report of the Independent Panel on Member’s Allowances stated that prior to May “the allowances paid to the four Wirral Members were paid by the Council and reimbursed by Merseytravel” but went on to explain that after May 2017 Merseytravel would no longer do this and it would become a decision for individual councils.

Despite a legal requirement to publish the total amounts Wirral Council pays to individual councillors as soon as reasonably practicable after the end of a year it appears from this page on Wirral Council’s website that it has not yet done so for the 2016-17 year.

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Council (Wirral Council) 16th October 2017 Agenda item 11C Members Allowance Scheme

Earlier in the same public meeting, councillors heard from UNISON trade union representative Paddy Cleary who supported a Notice of Motion that called for the “immediate end of public sector pay restraint”.

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Will Cllr Phil Davies weaken greenbelt planning policy to help planning permission for Hoylake Golf Resort?

Will Cllr Phil Davies weaken greenbelt planning policy to help planning permission for Hoylake Golf Resort?

Will Cllr Phil Davies weaken greenbelt planning policy to help planning permission for Hoylake Golf Resort?

                                                 

Cllr Phil Davies 6th March 2017 Budget Council speaking about Labour's Budget
Cllr Phil Davies speaking at a meeting of Wirral’s councillors earlier this year (6th March 2017)

Earlier this month I wrote about the Strategic Regeneration Framework consultation which includes the Hoylake Golf Resort project.

A week tomorrow (2nd October 2017) Wirral Council’s Cabinet meets in Committee Room 1 at Wallasey Town Hall starting at 10.00 am. On the agenda is a report in Cllr Phil Davies’ name to Cabinet that recommends not only is the new Strategic Regeneration Framework agreed as policy but also recommends to Council that the Strategic Regeneration Framework is adopted as a “material planning consideration” and that it’s used in the Core Strategy Local Plan.

So what does this mean? If the Strategic Regeneration Framework (which includes the Hoylake Golf Resort project) is adopted as a planning policy by Wirral Council, then this will be a material consideration in favour of approving any future planning application for the Hoylake Golf Resort that the Planning Committee will decide upon.

At the moment due to the greenbelt nature of the site proposed for the Hoylake Golf Resort, Wirral Council’s planning policies only allow development in “very special circumstances”.

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