Marvin the Martian returns to discuss 2 local political issues: the Greasby Fire Station saga and the King Street buildings collapse

Marvin the Martian returns to discuss 2 local political issues: the Greasby Fire Station saga and the King Street buildings collapse

Marvin the Martian returns to discuss 2 local political issues: the Greasby Fire Station saga and the King Street buildings collapse

                                                  

Marvin the Martian from Disney's Looney Tunes
Marvin the Martian from Disney’s Looney Tunes

The below is a fictional interview with Marvin the Martian about two issues Greasby Fire Station and the King Street building collapse. Marvin the Martian is trademarked to Warner Brothers Entertainment. Our legal team point out their trademark doesn’t actually cover its use on blogs but in case they try to argue this blog is an “entertainment service”, it isn’t, so no laughing! Yes I mean it, not even a smile! We also point out it’s not an infringing use of class 9 of this trademark as that refers to its use on goods rather than virtually.

We rely on s.30 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 and class this as “fair dealing” due to the acknowledgement above. As the The Copyright and Rights in Performances (Quotation and Parody) Regulations 2014 have come into force earlier this year, we’ll rely on this too and the new section 30A on parody.

JOHN BRACE: Thanks once again for agreeing to be interviewed about Greasby & the proposed fire station as well as the King Street building collapse. We couldn’t get straight answers on these issues out of anyone else.

MARVIN THE MARTIAN: You’re welcome. I live on Mars, but having read your press reports on this I’m confused. Perhaps you could help just briefly explain to your readers what’s happened so far in Greasby?

JOHN BRACE: Well Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority decided to consult on closing two fire stations at West Kirby and Upton and building a new one, their preferred site was Greasby.

MARVIN THE MARTIAN: OK, I’ve got that bit. So who owned the Greasby site?

JOHN BRACE: Wirral Council own it.

MARVIN THE MARTIAN: So it’s just a cleared site, with nothing on it and has been declared surplus to requirements?

JOHN BRACE: No, it’s got a library and community centre on it already as well as some green space.

MARVIN THE MARTIAN: And there are four Wirral Council councillors on the Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority?

JOHN BRACE: Yes.

MARVIN THE MARTIAN: And the Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service stated Wirral Council offered them a lease of the site (subject to planning permission/outcome of their consultation)?

JOHN BRACE: Yes.

MARVIN THE MARTIAN: But Wirral Council stated that they didn’t offer the Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service (or Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority) the site to build a fire station on (subject to planning permission and the outcome of the consultation)?

JOHN BRACE: Yes.

MARVIN THE MARTIAN: Ahh so Greasby fire station is like Schrödinger’s cat, it was both offered and not offered to the Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service/Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority at the same time?

JOHN BRACE: According to MFRS/MFRA & Wirral Council yes.

MARVIN THE MARTIAN: So did someone actually open the box and see if the “cat” was dead or alive?

JOHN BRACE: Some councillors tried to at last night’s Council meeting. The box was opened and it was (from last night’s meeting) a policy decision was formally made not to offer the Greasby site to Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service/Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority.

MARVIN THE MARTIAN: So before that was the Greasby fire station dead or alive?

JOHN BRACE: Like the mysteries of quantum physics the answer to that depends on who you ask and when.

MARVIN THE MARTIAN: Ahhh, it makes no sense at all!

JOHN BRACE: This is Wirral Council. It’s not meant to make sense.

MARVIN THE MARTIAN: So let’s move on to something the Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service were involved in, the aftermath of the buildings collapsing in King Street one evening. Who were then owned by?

JOHN BRACE: Wirral Council.

MARVIN THE MARTIAN: OK, so why did they fall down?

JOHN BRACE: The “official” version is after they checked the rubble, is that there had been a bodged repair before Wirral Council bought them.

MARVIN THE MARTIAN: So did Wirral Council have a survey done before they bought these properties?

JOHN BRACE: Who knows?

MARVIN THE MARTIAN: So did Wirral Council have a survey done after they bought them?

JOHN BRACE: Well once they collapsed and the rubble was surveyed yes.

MARVIN THE MARTIAN: No, I mean after they bought them but before they collapsed!?

JOHN BRACE: Oh again, who knows? Although the collapse is being spun as a positive.

MARVIN THE MARTIAN: Why?

JOHN BRACE: Well as the buildings were in such a bad state of repair, they’d probably have had to be pulled down or expensively repaired. As they collapsed on their own it saves Wirral Council on some of the costs of demolition or repairs!

MARVIN THE MARTIAN: Your Wirral Council politicians are just as keen to put a positive gloss on disasters as our Martian ones are!!!

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Author: John Brace

New media journalist from Birkenhead, England who writes about Wirral Council. Published and promoted by John Brace, 134 Boundary Road, Bidston, CH43 7PH. Printed by UK Webhosting Ltd t/a Tsohost, 113-114 Buckingham Avenue, Slough, Berkshire, England, SL1 4PF.

14 thoughts on “Marvin the Martian returns to discuss 2 local political issues: the Greasby Fire Station saga and the King Street buildings collapse”

  1. There are certain things that should have been done prior to the Council taking Possession of these properties. They should, once in the possession of the Council been maintained to a Safe Level/Standard.

    When they fell down, this matter should have been reported to Health and Safety, as a Near Miss Incident after an Employee had checked them a Couple of Hours Earlier (only the Locks). This could have been done by the Person in Control of the Building, an Employee or a Member of the Public.

    This I would have expected the persons at the Scene to know or the Council and whilst I appreciate there maybe an ongoing Investigation, I will remain silent as to any possible Charges may result, if any!!!!!!!

    1. The Cabinet Member Cllr Adrian Jones talked about the King Street building collapses and the cause at a public meeting of Wirral Council yesterday evening.

  2. A “Bodged up job” is not an Answer to a Building Collapse or Damage sustained to a Second Building, so much so it has to be Demolished.
    Who, Why, Where? How, Why was it left to Drop, When was it last Inspected, by whom? Was a Survey carried Out before Purchase? When? by whom?
    What Money was used? Who owned the Building? the list of questions to ask is endless (or Exhaustive) Someone has to take Responsibility for this matter and in my view, mistakes were made does not wash. Is it on the Asset Register as a Publicly owned building?.
    If it has been reported to anywhere, cautions should have been given and Statements taken under Caution. Can you lay out the full picture for me, Mr Brace. please?.

    1. I’ll do the best I can.

      Cllr Adrian Jones answered a question about it last week at the Council meeting (which you can view below). Questions to Cabinet Members starts at agenda item 6 and that particular question to Cllr Adrian Jones starts at 10:54 in the clip below:

      http://youtu.be/pOcpIXF440M?t=10m54s

      Hopefully that will help answer some unanswered questions!

  3. G’day John

    As Marvin comes from out of this world can you please ask him what the dickens is “Phil the Dill” “The Football Shirt” and “The Chamber Potty” doing in Reno.

    No wonder that idiot from “Wirral Funny Bizz” got away with hundreds and hundreds of thousands of pounds under their watch.

    They just don’t care whether they understand it or not.

    Get Marvin to get them to time travel to Lyndale, have they got no decency going to see some ex- Liverpool bloke in gambling machines in Reno.

    He definitely is a prize “Dill”.

    How big was “THE PARTY” that went I have no doubts there were more parasites, some from over the water NO DOUBT, and, probably paying their own way. ha ha

    Ooroo

    James

    Ps Did the DCLG Report get mentioned last night My Hero?

    1. Yes the DCLG report was referred to by Cllr Crabtree in his answer, had a bit of trouble compressing the video from that meeting though.

      1. Thanks “Tarras”

        Couldn’t really hear it but I guess he implied the DCLG were slack in giving a report on an audit that was finished over a year ago.

        It looked like a You’ve been Framed Show, appropriately, with your Harry Hill collar.

        Ooroo

        James

        Ps I would not be so bold as to say “Crabapple” was telling untruths (“The Shyster”) might threaten me but I wouldn’t be surprised if the DCLG auditor said it.

        1. I did think of whipping up my iPad and filming Cllr Crabtree while he answered the question but after the Mayor’s warning about not using electronic devices during the meeting (which must be after that MP caused headlines for playing Candy Crush during a pensions meeting in the House of Commons) I decided not to.

          Being one of the few people who could see Cllr Crabtree when he answered the question, even if you could hear every word he said, you have to read between the lines somewhat as the answer was somewhat carefully phrased in the way that Surjit Tour writes his letters.

          1. Thanks John

            If he said anything half intelligent “The Shyster” would have had it written for him by someone else.

            Keep up the great work.

            Ooroo

            James

            1. Councillors get to read the answers they are giving to questions (which are written by senior officers).

              If there is a supplementary question (instead of showing their ignorance in a subject they have just given an answer to), the councillor will usually replies that they will give a written answer.

              However if they’d written the original answer to their question, they’d be able to answer the supplementary question there and then (rather than have to ask a senior officer again and send a written response about a month later).

              Hopefully that explains how our democracy works! Senior management know the answer before the politician is given it to read. 😀

  4. Mr Griffiths, Surely you must have read in the previous blogs, we have had the French Connection, the Chinese Connection and now this is the USA Connection, if I was the Leader of this Country, I would be wetting my Pants with Excitement, at how many people our Glorious Leader knows, I would be pushing for Mr O to sign him up to Devolved Powers, rather than calling in the Administration. He is a Sunday Politics Star (TV) before you know it, He will be in Hollywood, the new ARNIE

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