Tag: tourism

U-turn on Fort Perch Rock car parking charges and 2 other updates

U-turn on Fort Perch Rock car parking charges and 2 other updates

U-turn on Fort Perch Rock car parking charges and 2 other updates

                                          

Fort Perch Rock car park 29th June 2015 Photo 1 of 3
Fort Perch Rock car park 29th June 2015 Photo 1 of 3

There have been developments recently with a number of stories I’ve written about on this blog so I thought I would give an update for each story.

New Brighton Fort Perch Rock car parking charges

A week ago I wrote a story headlined Over 3,000 people have signed a petition against car parking charges at Fort Perch Rock in New Brighton but what happens next?

Personally I thought nothing further would happen on this story until the September meeting of Wirral Council’s Highways and Traffic Representation Panel. However, since writing that story Wirral Council have issued a press release that’s titled either “Resort parking plans quashed” (when it’s linked to from their homepage) or “Wirral Council leader says no to plans to charge for parking in New Brighton” from the press release.

There is a very interesting quote in the press release from Councillor Phil Davies that states “Cllr Pat Hackett, our Cabinet Member for the Economy, has been meeting with traders and business leaders in New Brighton to discuss the proposals, and they made a powerful case for not proceeding. When we looked at the plan and the possible impact on parking and tourism across the whole of the resort, I made the decision to stop the proposal”.

On the 22nd December 2014, I wrote on this blog When Wirral Council introduces car parking charges at Fort Perch Rock, will 3 hours free parking end for a further 423 New Brighton spaces? (later updating it this year by including the public notice). I published the three pages of Wirral Council’s lease for the Marine Point development at New Brighton that detailed if Wirral Council introduced car parking charges at Fort Perch Rock car park, charges could be introduced at the supermarket car park and the “health and fitness” car park (originally Bubbles was going to be a gym but they couldn’t find a company that wanted to run it as a gym). This was plenty of time before the 2015/16 budget for Wirral Council was agreed on the 24th February 2015 for councillors to change their mind.

An article by Liam Murphy in the Liverpool Echo states “But Promenade Estates, who manage part of the successfully regenerated resort, say if the charges are imposed they would have little choice but to follow suit. This would mean parking charges on the car parks serving Morrisons, The Light Cinema, Bubbles play centre and other businesses.”

So it wasn’t just a “possible impact” but a “probable impact”. On the 9th December 2014, Councillor Phil Davies proposed and voted for this resolution at a Cabinet meeting, that was seconded and agreed by all councillors including Cllr Pat Hackett:

“We also feel that it is appropriate to introduce a modest charge for parking at Fort Perch Rock in New Brighton up to 6 p.m.”

“67.We also feel it is appropriate that a modest charge for parking up to 6 pm. at Fort Perch Rock in New Brighton should be introduced.”

So Councillor Phil Davies U-turned on his own policy! However it begs the following question, if the reason for stopping the proposal is the impact on parking across the resort (as stated in the quote from Cllr Phil Davies), then why wasn’t he told about the impact on parking elsewhere in Marine Point by his own officers before Cabinet made the decision? As you can see below from the first page of the lease that has the clauses about parking, Wirral Council is the landlord for the Marine Point development.

New Brighton Marine Point lease Wirral Council Neptune Wirral Ltd cover page
New Brighton Marine Point lease Wirral Council Neptune Wirral Ltd cover page

I’ll also draw readers attention to a leaflet from April 2015 from Tony Pritchard (the Conservative candidate for New Brighton ward and former councillor opposing parking charges at Fort Perch Rock car park.

The mysteriously missing Employment Tribunal judgement

I wrote previously about my failed attempts to get a copy of an Employment Tribunal judgement in a case involving Wirral Council. I have since been told by a clerk to the Employment Tribunal that the case hasn’t concluded and that there will be a final hearing listed for November 2015. After the final hearing I can request a copy of the judgement.

Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority and DHA Communications

An earlier story headlined Why did Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority pay a PR agency £650 + VAT a day? which involved Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority paying a £1,625 monthly retainer has led to a statement from Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority which I will quote here:

“I confirm that the Authority no longer retains DHA Communications and the use of their services ceased as of March 31st 2015. The Authority recognises that some parts of its relationship with DHA Communications was not fully formalised in some time periods. The Authority has reviewed its practices in relation to this type of contract and has now put in additional measures and monitoring in place to ensure that an accurate audit trail is retained.”

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

Cabinet agrees new 5 year plan for Wirral and makes pledges on increasing tourism jobs and house building

Cabinet agrees new 5 year plan for Wirral and makes pledges on increasing tourism jobs and house building

Cabinet agrees new 5 year plan for Wirral and makes pledges on increasing tourism jobs and house building

                                                                         

Please accept YouTube cookies to play this video. By accepting you will be accessing content from YouTube, a service provided by an external third party.

YouTube privacy policy

If you accept this notice, your choice will be saved and the page will refresh.

Councillor George Davies pledged to build and improve 7,000 houses by 2020 as part of Cabinet's new 5 year plan
Councillor George Davies pledged to build and improve 7,000 houses by 2020 as part of Cabinet’s new 5 year plan

Wirral Council’s Cabinet have agreed a new five year plan. No longer called the Corporate Plan, the new name for it is Wirral Council Plan: A 2020 Vision.

In introducing the new plan Cllr Phil Davies commented, “but I now think we are broadly akin to a normal council but I think the challenge now is for us to move to become an outstanding council”.

On the plan’s targets he said “this is not just warm words, this is specific targets and commitments that we can measure ourselves against” and “we need to recognise that the Tory government is in power for another five years, I wish that were different but that’s the reality, but we can’t use that as an excuse to do nothing. I think we’ve got a duty to our constituents, our residents to use the resources we’ve got to deliver these priorities”.

So what are the priorities in the new 2020 Vision? They are:

  • Ensure every child has the best possible start in life;
  • Equip all our residents with the skills to enable them to secure quality jobs;
  • Create economic opportunities by attracting enterprise and investment;
  • Treat everybody with respect and dignity in older age;
  • Strive to close the gap in health inequalities and
  • Look after our environment for future generations to enjoy.

Following Cllr Phil Davies’ introduction, each Cabinet Member gave examples from their own Cabinet portfolio of what would improve.

Cllr George Davies (Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, Housing and Engagement) said, “everybody no matter who they are deserves a good quality home that’s warm, secure and fit for all residents”. He went on to promise more care homes and supported living accommodation which he described as “vital” for an ageing population. Cllr George Davies pledged that by 2020 they would “build and improve 7,000 houses”.

Cabinet Member for the Economy Pat Hackett referred to £250 million of private sector investment over the next five years and highlighted a number of projects including Wirral Waters and a new golf resort at Hoylake.

Cllr Adrian Jones (Support Services) remarked, “We’ve emerged from a terrible period similar to the Dark Ages and in only three years we’ve changed it from perhaps what was widely perceived as a basket case to a Council (a large part of the credit goes not to politicians but to officers who are sitting here at the back of the room) because they’ve driven it from being the Council that’s absolutely the lowest ever Council of the year to a shining example to be looked on in other parts of the country to be learned from and emulated.”

The Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health (Cllr Chris Jones) described the plan as “fantastic” and welcomed the announcement by Cllr George Davies to build more care homes and supported accommodation.

Other Cabinet Members also welcomed the plan in their areas of transport, education and the environment.

As Councillor Chris Meaden (Cabinet Member for Leisure Sport and Culture) wasn’t present, Cllr Phil Davies highlighted their aspirations to increase the tourism sector on the Wirral and commented on the economic benefit to the Wirral of both the Open Golf tournament in 2014 and the more recent Three Queens event.

Cabinet agreed to recommend the new plan to a meeting of all Wirral Council councillors who will meet on Monday 13th July.

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