Asda Development Birkenhead – When do the public have a say?

I read with interest Frank Field’s piece in the local paper about the new Asda store in Birkenhead. I agree with Frank and many other local residents that it has caused massive problems with parking (including a reduction in Blue Badge spaces). What he fails to mention was that a few days before the local … Continue reading “Asda Development Birkenhead – When do the public have a say?”

I read with interest Frank Field’s piece in the local paper about the new Asda store in Birkenhead.

I agree with Frank and many other local residents that it has caused massive problems with parking (including a reduction in Blue Badge spaces). What he fails to mention was that a few days before the local elections it was a Labour-led Cabinet (with a built-in majority) of Cllr Foulkes, Cllr Davies (Phil), Cllr Davies (George), Cllr Stapleton and Cllr McLaughlin that met behind closed doors without the press and public present to agree to the price Wirral Council got for the car parks.

Generally in the month leading to an election or election period, apart from decisions that have to be made within a certain time limit (eg Planning, licensing etc), no decisions of a political nature are made. This is called purdah and it means they refrain from taking decisions or making policy announcements which are significant and may be politically contentious.

So what was the decision that was made? Well Asda (Walmart) wanted to only pay £500,000 for the car parks rather than £2 million. Asda have changed the original plans a number of times. You can search here using the postcode CH41 6EB in the address box to see things like the current planning application for signage for the store and carpark. You can leave comments online if you wish.

To finish, I welcome new jobs in Birkenhead, however there are concerns the existing businesses and stall holders at Birkenhead market have that once the new Asda store opens it’ll affect the viability of their businesses. A number of shops have already closed down. The new Tory/Lib Dem run Wirral Council believes in consulting with the public before making major decisions. The previous Labour led council had a “decide, announce, defend” strategy that led to the fiasco and public inquiry over the library closures and a very divisive, macho-style of politics that managed to cheese off large sections of the voting Wirral public.

I have seen many Walmarts in America and heard from local people about the effect it has had on local shops. I hope Birkenhead keeps its character and doesn’t turn into another Walmart clone town after the Asda store is opened in November. I hope the Asda doesn’t just end up employing people who currently work at the existing shops but also takes on people from Birkenhead who are long-term unemployed. Wirral Council is committed to supporting jobs and helping people keep their jobs or find new ones.

Councillor’s amounts for being on outside bodies

Councillor’s amounts for being on outside bodies

                                                

Following a comment on the previous post, I thought I would demonstrate how easy (or otherwise) it is to get this information and whether it’s as easy as Councillor Chris Blakeley claims because it is on the website.

Let’s start with Merseytravel. So like most people you do a search on Merseytravel’s website.

The first result is their publication scheme, which states they publish “PTA Members Allowances” and “PTA Members Allowances paid” (PTA stands for Passenger Transport Authority). This states it’s only published on paper, not electronically or on the website, but then this document was written eight years ago and not updated.

So you change the search for Members Allowances. Eventually you find this page on the website which only has the details for 2007/2008 and 2008/2009. With a bit of digging you’ll find they call the amounts for 2009/2010 “Members Year End Figures” and that you can get figures for 2010/2011 under “Members Allowance” but this only has a list of amounts and titles (no names).

As Merseytravel don’t publish online the minutes of their meeting at which they decide who does what there is no easy way to find out what Merseytravel councillors are currently being paid. My personal experience of Merseytravel is that they don’t make it easy to get information. For example this report showing how Merseytravel charged the disabled and elderly on Merseyside £48,000/year in 2007 if they lose their pass (and that was before they doubled the charge!) was subject to a “public interest test” before they would release it! Since they doubled the charge it’s now probably nearer £100,000/year. Perhaps this is how they plan to finance the hundreds of millions they’re spending on Merseytram’s “Line One to Nowhere”! The Mersey Tunnels Users Association has had similar problems getting information out of Merseytravel.

Cllr Blakeley is right, Merseytravel do publish the information, but it took me a good ten minutes to find it. Merseyside Police Authority’s was easier to find (however the Merseyside Police Authority has since been abolished so I have removed the link) and simpler, but again has no names. They currently pay councillors ~£11,000, + ~£4,000/chair + ~£14,000 as Chair of the MPA.

Mersey Fire and Rescue Service do publish the information, in part 5 article 28, page 206 of their constitution. However once again it is a list of amounts, job titles and other allowances (travel etc) with no names.

I gave up trying to find the information on the Merseyside Waste Disposal Authority site, but the above took a total of twenty minutes. There is no easy way to answer the question “What was X councillor paid for being a councillor this year”? This information is (sadly) still a secret to me and (apart from the councillors themselves and the taxman) a secret to the members of the public who pay them.

Another apology from Wirral Council… FOI request over amounts paid to councillors on outside bodies Merseytravel, Merseyside Police Authority, Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service & Merseyside Waste Disposal Authority

In an email Wirral Council apologises (“The Council apologises that it failed to collect the information“) as they weren’t complying with their own agreed policy. One only has to look at the information to guess at £120,000 worth of reasons why it took so long to release it!
It took nearly three months after the FOI request to put the information on their website! The information is 12 months out of date now anyway, but the public can now see (in the same place) how much councillors are getting for representing Wirral Council on various outside bodies for 2009-2010. They say they’ll update the start of April with the 2010-2011 figures.

Merseyside Integrated Transport Authority (Merseytravel)

Cllr Ron Abbey £12,958.64
Cllr Chris Blakeley £24,120.19
Cllr Dave Mitchell £5,942.34

Total: £43,021.17

Merseyside Police Authority

Cllr Adrian Jones £11,172
Cllr Kate Wood £15,214

Total: £26,386

Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority

Cllr Gerry Ellis £10,713.30
Cllr Steve Niblock £14,660.64
Cllr Lesley Rennie £16,508.66
Cllr Denise Roberts £8,025.75

Total: £49,908.35

Merseyside Waste Disposal Authority

Cllr JJ Salter (amount not specified)
Cllr G Gardiner (amount not paid as she is already in receipt of an Special Responsibility Allowance as Deputy Leader of the Lib Dem Group)

Total: Unknown

The above amounts are in addition to their councillors allowances which range from just over £9000 for 2009-2010 to just over £32000. These are not the only outside bodies that councillors are paid for being on but cover most of the ones covered by Council tax (and precepts) eg police, fire, Merseytravel and waste. I’m not sure if these amounts include payments that come under councillors allowances as attending meetings on outside bodies is classed as an “approved duty”. Nor does the above amount AFAIK include amounts paid for conferences & accomodation.

It’d be nice to have in one place a list of names, council allowances, amounts from outside bodies with a total. I might compile such a list later this year. After all the public should know they’re getting value for money. Just so the public know:-

Labour voted for and decided the budget for Merseytravel (which includes the amounts paid to councillors).
Labour (and independent members) voted for and decided the budget for the Merseyside Police Authority.
Labour voted for and decided the budget for the Merseyside Waste Disposal Authority.
Labour voted for and decided the budget for the Merseyside Fire & Rescue Authority.

All the cuts this year and last to police, fire, transport and other services were voted for by Labour who voted against other parties such as the Lib Dems and Tories that wanted things differently.

Planning Committee – 08/03/2011 – Part 6 – Sheldrakes Restaurant, Banks Road, Heswall

Another officer said he wouldn’t like to comment on which impression is more accurate. He referred to one of the elevations and showed them the elevation that the painting was painted from.

The Chair, Cllr Mitchell said it’d been a very interesting site visit. He referred to the comments and questions of Cllr Johnston and Cllr Johnson. He talked about the hours. The petitioners interrupted the meeting and said they hadn’t spoken on six (in reference to the hours). The chair repeated that as he said at the beginning they would deal with both items five and six together and explained the procedure to them. The petitioners asked why they were only allowed five minutes for both items. The Chair responded with yes and explained he was trying to be fair and that there were other items on the agenda with petitions too.

He referred to Councillor Johnson’s amendment to 6. Cllr Johnson pointed out his amendment was to five and six. Cllr Johnson read out his amendment again, seconded by Cllr Keeley. The vote was (for item 5) three councillors voted for. There was a again a problem with the microphones. Cllr Mitchell and Cllr Realey proposed approval. The Chair was advised by the Borough Solicitor’s department not to have the order of the vote the way he wanted so it was switched round.

On five’s amendment, three councillors voted for, eight voted against. On the approval for five, eight councillors voted for with three against. Then he went onto item six. Cllr Johnson moved an amendment and was asked for reasons. After a delay he gave reasons stating the extra hour would be harmful to the wellbeing of residential properties to the NW and SE.

Cllr Mitchell moved approval, seconded by Cllr Realey. On 6’s amendment, three voted for with eight against. On 6’s approval, eight voted for with three against. It was pointed out that approving six transfers conditions to item 5.

So therefore, both items 5 and 6 were approved, so the Committee moved on to item 4.

Planning Committee – 08/03/2011 – Part 5 – Sheldrakes Restaurant, Banks Road, Heswall

Cllr Johnson referred to the Inspector’s report which mentioned limitations on the balcony to be used by patrons to prevent overlooking to residential properties. He moved onto item 6 regarding the extended hours. The Inspector considered conditions. He said the Inspector had considered it necessary to protect the living conditions, neighbours and character of the area through a condition. He also mentioned a reimposed condition to control noise which was modified to comply with the 11/95 circular. He said the view of the Inspector was that the extra hours shouldn’t be approved and there were enough grounds to refuse item 6.

He referred to the artistic drawing and said it had artistic licence as it’d take twenty years for the ivy to grow. He said they were not supposed to be commercial in the Greenbelt and said it should be refused as it was out of character and harmful to the appearance and character of the Greenbelt (policy GB2 of the Unitary Development Plan) and that the proposed alterations would give the appearance of a commercial use on the shore contrary to GB2 also. Cllr Keeley seconded this.

Cllr Mark Johnston asked how many car parking space there were? He also asked which was more accurate (or which was more misleading) the artist’s drawing or the less complimentary picture? He asked as the restaurant had the later opening hours, was this just to bring the extension into line?

The Chair asked the officers to answer the points.

The answers given to how many car parking spaces was that it was “quite a large car park”. He said he wouldn’t expect a significant impact on the highway and parking. One of the petitioners heckled from the audience “We do though”.