Cllr Lesley Rennie refers to proposed Saughall Massie fire station site in green belt as “a piece of scrappy land”
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Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority meeting 29th January 2014 Part 2 of 2 starting at what councillors said on agenda item 5 (West Wirral Operational Response Considerations (Post Consultation))
This transcript continues from Councillors agree 12 week consultation on new £1.95 million Saughall Massie fire station to replace Upton and West Kirby. The reports for this agenda item are on the Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority website.
DAN STEPHENS (Chief Fire Officer, Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service): I’ll pause at that point and take questions.
CLLR DAVE HANRATTY (Chair, Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority representing Liverpool City Council): Just before we open it up, just to make a note that the recommendation I’m proposing to the Authority around our proposal to the Authority is that we approve the key area that we choose in Wirral West so that we can make any further decision over the closure of West Kirby and the proposal to undertake consultation obviously will ??? just so you know that that’s what I’m proposing. Lesley?
CLLR LESLEY RENNIE (Lead Member for Operational Preparedness representing Wirral Council): Thank you Chair.
Well, I’m absolutely delighted that is what you’re proposing and I would have hoped that you would have done that, before I had the opportunity to and I never expected that as well but having said that I just wanted to make a couple of comments.
I am still a hundred per cent convinced that a merger is the best possible option we have as a fire and rescue authority in the circumstances we have which for all the reasons regarding finance, savings that we’ll have to make without rehearsing all those again.
I think we’re extremely fortunate to be able to have the opportunity to at least pursue this other option on the Saughall Massie site. I know that it’s not going to be popular with particularly some of my colleagues on Wirral, but I think here as a fire authority and what I have to do as well in my mind is to say we have a piece of green belt land here, on the other hand we have the safety of twenty-six thousand people in the wider West Kirby, Hoylake, Meols area which we can offer them the added safety of I know it’s errm, it’s still a reduction in the response times but at least the fire appliance would be able to get to them if we went along this option at two minutes and two minutes is an awful long time if your life or your family or you’re in a road traffic accident and you feel that it’s a matter of life or death.
So I think we have to be pragmatic about this and I’m sure we’re going to be especially as the Chair has suggested the best possible options these days. The way is what we have to repeat myself we have a small piece of green belt land, yes it is designated green belt land, it’s not a lush pasture by any means, it’s a piece of scrappy land but nevertheless it’s green belt land and that will cause some opposition in Wirral I’m sure amongst colleagues and members of the public but weighing that up against the additional safety for that wider area of West Wirral I don’t really think there’s any chance in that and it’s the best possible option.
It’s unfortunate again that I know that in one sense we have to enter into a full consultation process, but again I think again you know again that’s a sensible decision to take to make sure that we’re belt and braces really and that hopefully that we won’t find ourselves in a judicial review because that would just take us endlessly into the future time. So I’d be pleased to support option 3a if that’s alright with you Chair.
Continues at Cllr Jean Stapleton tells Conservatives to “get their priorities right for humanity’s sake” on fire station merger.
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Mr Brace, I do beg your pardon for this, as I know yours is a serious Blog, but I cannot resist ” Shush Rennae, I will only say this once ” It would appear she has been snooping again and finding 2 and 2 are 5
Mr Brace, I think that you frighten some of the members that you film, they appear to think it is either a Photo opportunity or a way to Frighten or Intimidate you. I noticed in particular a mature lady looking directly at you, during the filming of this, it was extremely scary!!!!!
I’m usually typing notes on my iPad of what’s being said so I don’t notice such things.
There are photos of the councillors on the Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority on their website so you might be able to figure out who it was! All the Wirral Council councillors were facing me so it narrows it down to one of the three female councillors from the other councils on Merseyside.
It’s entirely possible though that I just laughed at something so the councillor turned round to see who it was laughing.
The meeting happened shortly after the hoo ha about the taxi expenses in Wirral. The published expenses claimed by councillors on the MFRA is here.
It is a pity these councillors are unable to speak in clear English. Some of the ramblings are difficult to follow and others complete nonsense.
Often many councillors don’t seem to know how to use the microphone properly. I’ve seen councillors at meetings turn a microphone on, then point it away from them so they can hardly be heard! In other cases the microphone is too far away and they don’t remember to bring it closer. Many times they speak but forget to turn the microphone on.
At that particular meeting this blog post is about where we were sitting was near a rather noisy what I think was an air conditioning unit. I couldn’t make out what the Chair said (at the other end of the room) most of the time he spoke, although on the recording the audio is a little clearer!
Thanks for that John, I have seen the ” Standards ” Photographic Roll before, another who things nothing is wrong and everybody bar herself and three others are mad
Sorry, please once again forgive my lack of Formality Mr Brace!!!
G’day John
So tell me who got the top job?
It must have been decided earlier in the week at either “Hooligans Bar” or the “Silly Cider Club” “The Pretend Friend” frequents.
Is it a quango kid or an old journeyman that has been around them all escaping just in time.
Ooroo
James
I learnt of more shenanigans again yesterday, they are just not fit for purpose to put it nicely.
Keep up the great work.
Even though the final interviews were this morning, whichever candidate they pick has to be told of Wirral Council’s intention to appoint him or her as Chief Executive (probably at some point next week).
Then the recommendation of who it is has to go to the Council meeting on the 24th February to be agreed. Once that happens a formal offer of employment can be made on the 25th February and it is possible the person will have to serve out a period of notice in their current job of up to 3 months.
So there are a few more stages to go yet before someone is in post.
According to the press release the recommendation is an Eric Robinson.
He won’t last long John he supports the wrong team.
Thanks John
It won’t make any difference anyway until they are gone?????
Wirral Council urged to dip into £83m reserve fund as another cash crisis looms
A RESULT
“The administration appears to have forgotten who this money actually belongs to.”
“A further five years of austerity will see the end of local government as we know it.
Three big cheers….hip hip
Ooroo
James