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Why have Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service submitted a 2nd planning application for a Saughall Massie fire station?

Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority meeting 17th December 2015 L to R Treasurer, Deputy Chief Fire Officer Phil Garrigan, Chief Fire Officer Dan Stephens, Chair Cllr Dave Hanratty

Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority meeting 17th December 2015 L to R Treasurer, Deputy Chief Fire Officer Phil Garrigan, Chief Fire Officer Dan Stephens, Chair Cllr Dave Hanratty

Why have Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service submitted a 2nd planning application for a Saughall Massie fire station?

                                     

Cllr Dave Hanratty (on the right) and his posse 20th October 2015

A stranger rides in to Wirral Town in a thrilling Wild West tale about gold, greed, horses, the law and a land grab was the tale of how the pony club were turfed out of Moreton by Phil Davies and his gang. It was described as “this is not an appropriate action for a Local Authority landlord to take”, “accusation of dishonesty”, “gnawed at his professional conscience” and “unfortunate sequence of events” in an independent report (which has since mysteriously vanished) as to how the landlord had behaved.

However, Dave Hanratty and his posse were not taking no for an answer from Phil Davies’ gang this time!

So Dave Hanratty’s men submitted another planning application for the fire station at Saughall Massie.

In case you didn’t know already, Dave Hanratty and his posse had been defeated the first time around by Chris Blakeley (who was in a rival gang).

Just in case, Wirral Council didn’t get the message, this was backed up with £300,000 for Wirral Council for the land if it was approved.

The £300,000 for the land had been approved by Wirral Council councillors on the Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority that were also on Wirral Council’s Planning Committee. The Planning Committee would decide which way the planning application was decided.

Of course, in the cosy world of politics, this was neither a conflict of interest that councillors had failed to make, nor a bribe, nor anything really that the public should know about as Dave Hanratty’s gang started going “Shhh!” whenever these matters were brought up.

In fact the public wouldn’t have known, except a brave and a squaw from the nearest reservation had made sure the public were told.

Had Dave Hanratty and his gang been foolish enough to not be diplomatic? Had lies been told to get the answers they wanted?

Dave Hanratty and his posse had had plenty of opportunity to turn back, but instead when the icebergs were spotted, he had given the order, “Full speed ahead!”.

Who will choose the lifeboats? Who will choose the violin? Keep watching over the next months to find out the thrilling end to this story!

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