What lurks beneath West Kirby Marine Lake and could cost Wirral Council £500,000 to £1,000,000 to fix?

What lurks beneath West Kirby Marine Lake and could cost Wirral Council £500,000 to £1,000,000 to fix?

What lurks beneath West Kirby Marine Lake and could cost Wirral Council £500,000 to £1,000,000 to fix?

                              

David Armstrong (right) (Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Wirral Council)) 28th November 2019
David Armstrong (right) (Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Wirral Council)) 28th November 2019

In one corner of the Wirral was a town called West Kirby.

In the summer holidays families enjoyed the sun and sandy beach at West Kirby and next to the sandy beach was a lake.

On top of the lake people would often be seen windsurfing and sailing.

But beneath the water in the lake a weed had been growing and growing which had led to complaints from those using the lake.
Continue reading “What lurks beneath West Kirby Marine Lake and could cost Wirral Council £500,000 to £1,000,000 to fix?”

Which Labour councillor described the “human cost” of welfare reform but wouldn’t propose a resolution in case it “endangered [Wirral] Council”?

Which Labour councillor described the “human cost” of welfare reform but wouldn’t propose a resolution in case it “endangered [Wirral] Council”?

Which Labour councillor described the “human cost” of welfare reform but wouldn’t propose a resolution in case it “endangered [Wirral] Council”?

                                       

Cllr Steve Foulkes (Business Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Wirral Council)) 27th November 2019
Cllr Steve Foulkes (Business Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Wirral Council)) 27th November 2019

The author declares at the start an interest as he is disabled and therefore directly impacted by some of the issues below. I do not agree or endorse all the viewpoints expressed below but feel it is important for these to be in the public domain during a period when people have a vote.

Roll up, roll up, you’ve paid your council tax so come on in and while the rest of the country plays “The Weakest Link” to choose their next Member of Parliament Wirral Council councillors still have to carry on well carrying on!
Continue reading “Which Labour councillor described the “human cost” of welfare reform but wouldn’t propose a resolution in case it “endangered [Wirral] Council”?”

What was in the due diligence report to Wirral Council councillors about a proposed £26 million loan to developers for the Hoylake Golf Resort?

What was in the due diligence report to Wirral Council councillors about a proposed £26 million loan to developers for the Hoylake Golf Resort?

What was in the due diligence report to Wirral Council councillors about a proposed £26 million loan to developers for the Hoylake Golf Resort?

                                   

ICO (Information Commissioner’s Office) logo
ICO (Information Commissioner’s Office) logo

In late June I made an information request to Wirral Council for the reports to councillors that had later led to the Cabinet decision against a £26 million loan to the Nicklaus Joint Venture Group. I received no reply. In early September I asked Wirral Council again to do a review as to why this request hadn’t been responded to. Again no reply.
Continue reading “What was in the due diligence report to Wirral Council councillors about a proposed £26 million loan to developers for the Hoylake Golf Resort?”

What happened at Wirral Council’s Cabinet meeting held on the 25th November 2019?

What happened at Wirral Council’s Cabinet meeting held on the 25th November 2019?

What happened at Wirral Council’s Cabinet meeting held on the 25th November 2019?

                                       

Cabinet (Wirral Council) 25th November 2019 (left Vicki Shaw, right Cllr Pat Hackett)
Cabinet (Wirral Council) 25th November 2019 (left Vicki Shaw, right Cllr Pat Hackett)

On Monday morning (25th November 2019) Wallasey Town Hall had a “Preparing for Retirement” course running in Committee Room 2 and in the One Stop Shop the public were explaining why they were struggling to pay their council tax.

Wirral Council’s Cabinet (which was on borrowed time and would itself cease to exist in around 6 months time) met for a somewhat brief 18 minutes in public (video of the meeting can be watched below).
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Memoirs – Chapter 2 – School Days and “policies”

Memoirs – Chapter 2 – School Days and “policies”

Memoirs – Chapter 2 – School Days and “policies”

                                     

Ballot Box
Ballot Box

Continuing from Memoirs – Chapter 1 – SAPE, the Russian Doll problem and the “black budget” of Merseyside Police I’m now moving on to school days and policies.

When I was ten (now called national curriculum year 6) I changed primary school from St Josephs Upton to St Josephs Birkenhead. This was nearly three decades ago and the year was 1991.

Each school had slightly different policies – I came from a family interested in politics though where policies were discussed and debated.
Continue reading “Memoirs – Chapter 2 – School Days and “policies””