Saughall Massie residents express their opposition to fire station plans at first consultation meeting

Saughall Massie residents express their opposition to fire station plans at first consultation meeting

Saughall Massie residents express their opposition to fire station plans at first consultation meeting

Dan Stephens (Chief Fire Officer) answers questions at a public consultation meeting in Saughall Massie to discuss proposals for a new fire station (20th April 2015)
Dan Stephens (Chief Fire Officer) answers questions at a public consultation meeting in Saughall Massie to discuss proposals for a new fire station (20th April 2015)

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Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service consultation meeting Saughall Massie 20th April 2015 Part 1 of 4

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Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service consultation meeting Saughall Massie 20th April 2015 Part 2 of 4

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Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service consultation meeting Saughall Massie 20th April 2015 Part 3 of 4

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Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service consultation meeting Saughall Massie 20th April 2015 Part 4 of 4

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Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service consultation meeting Saughall Massie 20th April 2015 Playlist of all parts 1-4

A consultation meeting in Saughall Massie to hear from the public on a proposed new fire station in Saughall Massie Road started badly when over a hundred people who came to the meeting were turned away from the St Marys Centre because the meeting was full. Despite repeated requests at the start of the meeting by a local councillor for a further meeting in Saughall Massie, Dan Stephens (Chief Fire Officer) refused to commit himself to a further public meeting however did say it was something he would “carefully consider”.

The Chief Fire Officer explained that if Upton and West Kirby fire stations were closed, then in his view (although people didn’t have to agree with him) a new fire station would be needed near the midpoint of the two existing fire stations. If a new fire station wasn’t built in Saughall Massie and only West Kirby fire station was closed, then it would lead to an increase in response times to the former West Kirby station area. He made it clear that after the consultation was finished the final decision on what happens next would be taken by the Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority, who would have to consider public safety and response times. The views expressed at the public consultation meetings would be reported back to the Fire Authority.

The first person who asked a question felt that gridlock in the roads around Saughall Massie at certain times and narrow roads would lead to an increase in response times if a new fire station was built in Saughall Massie. The Chief Fire Officer responded that he felt the traffic conditions “were no worse than they are anywhere else on Merseyside”.

Continuing with his question the same person pointed out that twice a day the road from Saughall Massie to West Kirby was blocked by cattle being moved between fields. He suggested that they look for brownfield sites instead.

The Chief Fire Officer explained that they didn’t have compulsory purchase powers and that as they’d already been through a consultation on Greasby that the matters needed to be resolved. He said that if West Kirby fire station was closed and Upton kept open, then the fire engines (from Upton) would need to travel down the same roads to the West Kirby area.

Another member of the public pointed out that the number of incidents responded to by the fire service was falling year on year. She asked if Upton fire station could be used for less callouts?

Dan Stephens replied that it wasn’t the number of incidents that was important but the type of the incident. There were 26,000 people living in the West Kirby station area, therefore “it’s an absolute certainty we will have another domestic property fire”. In his view it didn’t matter that the total number of incidents were going down, but as long as people lived there, there would be incidents. He said, “It’s about run times, not numbers of incidents.”

The next person to ask a question pointed out that the map showing response times of Saughall Massie versus Upton showed that from Upton, an over 10 minute response time would be mainly to fields and a golf course. Replying to his point, the Chief Fire Officer said that there was still a good proportion that was an 8 to 9 minute response time compared to only 6 to 7 minutes from Saughall Massie.

A resident of Saughall Massie said that she wasn’t in agreement with a new fire station in Saughall Massie and that “if you feel that that’s the best place you have to prove it to everybody”. Dan Stephens replied that they couldn’t afford two fire stations, but could only have one. That one fire station would have to be in the middle.

The next question was from the secretary of the Saughall Massie Conservation Area Society. He said he was not going to talk about conservation or greenbelt, but response. His question was if BRVs (brigade response vehicles) would be considered? The Chief Fire Officer explained that the brigade response vehicles weren’t of much use in responding to a domestic property fire or a road traffic collision. He pointed out that West Midlands Fire and Rescue Authority could afford BRVs, but Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority couldn’t. BRVs were for antisocial small fires, but would have to be manned by three extra people that they couldn’t afford.

A further question asked was why couldn’t the council tax that pays for the fire service on Merseyside be increased by £5? The answer given was that to do that would require a referendum which would cost an estimated £2 million.

The Chief Fire Officer was then asked if he would consider other options such as BRVs? He said he would not consider them as they “give me absolutely nothing in terms of operational response” and that he would be “paying for an asset that gave me absolutely nothing”.

The next woman referred to a petition about the closure of West Kirby fire station and speculation about plans for a multi-storey shopping centre there. Dan Stephens said that there had been no consideration of the disposal of the site at West Kirby because no decision had yet been made to close it. The same woman referred to the “Greater Concourse plan”. David Armstrong (Assistant Chief Executive, Wirral Council) said that “there are no current plans for anything at the West Kirby site”.

You can watch what was asked in the rest of the meeting on Youtube. Details of how to respond to the consultation are here. The consultation closes on the 18th May 2015.

If you click on any of the buttons below, you’ll be doing me a favour by sharing this article with other people.

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.

12 thoughts on “Saughall Massie residents express their opposition to fire station plans at first consultation meeting”

  1. G’day John

    A word of warning to Ecca aka “Spotty Dog”…..

    INS

    “The Dunny Chain Wearer”
    “Phil the Dill”
    “The Pretend Friend”
    “Phil the Dills ugly twin brother with the comb over from Hell”
    “Crabapple”
    “The Raving Loony”

    “The Shyster”
    “The Football Shirt”
    “Humpty Dumpty”
    “He who can talk for twenty minutes without breathing or saying anything”
    “The Chamber Potty”
    “The Garbage Lady”

    This dross has been there through it all…

    OUTS

    Norman
    Wilkie
    Coleman
    Etc etc………………….

    Ecca time to get rid of the INS (Ingrained naughty shi**)

    Ooroo

    James

    Vote for Simon Kelly Lib Dem get rid of anyone who has been there over five years.

  2. G’day John

    What do you think is the reason for the delay?

    It was only finished over 13 months ago.

    From: Anna Canning
    Department for Communities and Local Government

    17 April 2015

    Our reference: 768042 Information request

    Dear Mr Hobro

    I am writing to apologise for the significant delay in responding to your
    request for a copy of the investigation report in to the abuse of the
    Intensive Start Up Scheme. I am currently reviewing the information we
    hold and will endeavour to get a response to you as soon as I can. I
    appreciate you should have received a response by now and am sorry for any
    inconvenience caused.

    I have informed the Information Commissioner of our position in responding
    to this request.

    Yours sincerely

    Anna Canning

    John, can you ask Ecca if you are in the Wirral tip today.

    Keep up the great work.

    Ooroo

    James

  3. G’day John

    If you are in the Wallasey dump today could you also ask Ecca about this FOI as well?

    ORIGINAL BIG REPORT

    20 August 2014

    Dear Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council,

    Mrs Lyons emailed myself this week the unredacted paragraph J of
    the Timmins review. See also the Agenda supplement of the Audit and
    Risk Committee of 22 July 2014. page 48.

    I quote the paragraph

    “There is on file a previous, and much more detailed, draft report
    which includes numerous evidential appendices.

    …….

    However for the avoidance of doubt I would not consider that this
    report could be released into the public domain, and has, in any
    case, been superseded.”

    This review was conducted in autumn 2012. The D Garry report and
    ,now, the Grant Thornton reports have entered the public domain.
    The Grant Thornton report contradicts the D Garry report.

    I believe that this original evidenced file is the work of an
    employee who left Counter Fraud in January 2012, that it is a true
    representation of the facts in the BIG case and that it would
    directly highlight malpractice and subversion by Mr Garry. Mr Garry
    at the November 2011 whistleblower meeting re BIG was merely the
    note-taker and the employee who left January 2012 was leading the
    investigation, posing the questions whilst Mr Garry remained
    silent.

    ask you for a suitably redacted copy of the file referenced in
    the quote from the Timmins review.

    Yours faithfully,

    nigel hobro

    I sense John that if Ecca doesn’t do the right thing with BIg, ISUS and Working Neighbourhoods he will be “retired” sooner rather than later.

    Ooroo

    James

    Ps Is there

    “There is on file a previous, and much more detailed, draft report
    which includes numerous evidential appendices.

    Or, isn’t there?

    You decide!

    They can’t!

    Liars liars pants on fire.

  4. G’day John

    If you haven’t gone to Ecca’s garbage tip you might also ask him about this pack of lies as well.

    LOCKWOOD ENGINEERING LTD LIQUIDATED

    nigel hobro left an annotation ( 4 February 2015)

    this has indeed gone to the Information Commissioner. It would simply for the 4 months it took to perform the internal review let alone anything other.

    Link to this

    nigel hobro left an annotation (23 February 2015)

    I suggest you re-read page 11 of the Internal audit report prepared by D Garry chief Internal auditor on the BIG project

    Invest Wirral told the auditor they had recorded minutes and continued contact with Harbac (dissolved) the successor company to Lockwood (dissolved).He records this on page 11 of the minutes to ARMC of 8th October 2014

    That would mean WBC have deliberately destroyed these minutes or that it is lying.

    This has returned to Information Commissioner and will proceed to the Local Government Ombudsman

    Link to this

    nigel hobro left an annotation (23 February 2015)

    from D garry’s report page 11 (I have inserted the company names as being liquidated so no longer needing redaction)
    “Correspondene had taken place between Invest Wirral and one of the directors of Lockwood during March 2011 concerning the transfer of the business and assets of Lockwood to a new company,Harbac UK ltd,which had been formed on 11th October 2010. Following consultations with the department of Law, HR and Asset Management, Invest wirral approved this approach… accordingly Harbac took over the assets, orders and staff of Lockwood…
    Invest Wirral confirmed Harbac continued trading successfully and delivered the outputs which was the purpose of the grant.
    There were records of ongoing reviews and contact with Harbac which was considered to be successful”

    WBC claims it has nothing in a recorded format!!!!

    Ooroo

    James

    Ps Ask Ecca about how have these lying barstards improved.

    JUSTICE FOR THE TWO

  5. G’day John

    More stalling before the election.

    ———- Forwarded message ———-
    From: casework@ico.org.uk
    Date: 23 April 2015 at 12:32
    Subject: Confirmation from ICO – complaint against Department for Communities & Local Government accepted[Ref. FS*********
    To: nigelhobro@gmail.com

    23rd April 2015

    Case Reference Number FS************

    Dear Mr Hobro

    Your ref: Intensive Start Up Scheme – Wirral Borough Council

    Your information request to the Department for Communities & Local Government

    Thank you for your correspondence of 17/04/15 in support of your complaint about the above public authority’s handling of your request for information.

    Your complaint has been accepted as eligible for further consideration and will be allocated to a case officer as soon as possible.

    and also John

    From: casework@ico.org.uk
    Date: 22 April 2015 at 14:09
    Subject: Your complaint to the ICO about Wirral Council[Ref. FS50559883]
    To: nigelhobro@gmail.com

    22 April 2015

    Case Reference Number FS

    Dear Mr Hobro

    Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA)
    Your FOIA request to Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council

    Further to our email of 20 April 2015, I write to inform you that your case has now been allocated to me to investigate. This letter will explain how I intend to do this. It will also provide you with contact details so that you can get in touch with me if you need to.

    Oh Johnnie boy ask “The Pretend Friend” if this is what he does to his friends what does he do to the average voter.

    He should bow his head in shame.

    What a disgrace.

    Ooroo

    James

    Ps Ask Ecca mate what has changed or improved with this despicable bunch of bullying egotistical maniacs?

  6. C’mon Reprahnehpets

    Defend your ridiculous LAW and tell me how it can’t be manoeuvred by dodgy shysters.

    Or has “The Shyster” told you to keep your gob shut and you have meekly submitted to the fat barstards wishes?

    Ooroo

    James

    Ps Or has he told the you like the rest of the muppets to enforce a conspiracy of STUPID err I mean silence.

  7. G’day John

    In the local rubbish Clowncil propaganda sheet

    An e-mail sent by a senior officer to all 66 councillors explains: “The household survey is a vital element in building up a robust picture of where people shop and how town and district centres are performing.

    Was this the same lying barstard of a senior officer that was in charge of Wirral “Funny” Bizz getting £116 plus for a few minute phne call?

    Again only Simon Kelly, the legend, Lib Dem can see anything wrong with highway robbery.

    Please don’t vote for the other 65 and give Ecca an effing shake they just take the piss. And the money.

    Ooroo

    James

    The conspiracy of S T U P I D

  8. G’day John

    Friday nights drunken ramblings.

    Looking at the rubbish paper from over Stella’s Wirral Waters and lo and behold no picture of “The Chamber Potty” but some other blonde Chamber person. Is it in the job description and is it just a coincidence she had her gob shut.

    Burglars stole more than £1,800 cash after smashing their way into a Walton snooker club

    John my man “Highbrow” and I reckon Wirral “Funny Bizz was a £2,000,000.00 fraud and hardly a snippet anywhere.

    Bless…..how embarrassing to be ripped off by very dim individuals who couldn’t do simple sums.

    Ooroo

    James

    Please ask Ecca if they are going to fess up when you see him John?

  9. G’day John

    I feel sorry for Ecca as he is just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

    Had the Clowncill gone into Administration four years ago as it should of it would now have got rid of all the dross and scum and crap and operating as it should in the interest of the taxpayers.

    It isn’t improving and won’t under the current regime.

    I won’t name the dross or scum again we (and more importantly they) know who they are so the future is not very bright for the boy.

    Someone asked me why his other nickname was “Spotty Dog” and was it because of the picture in that dreadful paper over “Stella’s Wirral Waters” or was it just because he is “The Dunny Chain Wearers” bitch?

    It could have all been cleaned up by now John and moving forward.

    Poor “Ecca” no wonder he hasn’t moved to the Wirral.

    Ooroo

    James

    WIRRAL GATE WIRRAL GATE WIRRAL GATE WIRRAL GATE
    WIRRAL GATE WIRRAL GATE WIRRAL GATE WIRRAL GATE
    WIRRAL GATE WIRRAL GATE WIRRAL GATE WIRRAL GATE
    WIRRAL “FUNNY” BIZZ WIRRAL “FUNNY” BIZZ
    WIRRAL “FUNNY” BIZZ WIRRAL “FUNNY” BIZZ
    WIRRAL “FUNNY” BIZZ WIRRAL “FUNNY” BIZZ

  10. G’day John

    WIRRAL’S new chief executive says it is important to have a period of “listening, learning and talking” to make sure the authority has a plan to help the borough progress further.

    Listen Ecca nothing has changed at Wirral.

    All the people in the know (the Kitchen Cabinet and 60 odd councillors being told on an almost daily basis) and directly involved in the £2,000.000.00 approx. Wirral “Funny” BIzz fraud are still employed four years on.

    The Wirral “Funny” Bizz whistleblowers are not.

    Ecca if you didn’t have selective “listening, learning and talking” you would have contacted the whistleblowers before this and started to correct the wrongs.

    Ha ha I’ve just seen a ten stone “Dunny Chain Wearer”.

    Ooroo

    James

    JUSTICE FOR THE TWO

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