Activity Report for June

Welcome to another monthly update.

Details below on the dire state of our roads and pavements, Wirral’s cuts agenda and the usual Streets update.

A hole lot of bother

Something I receive regular complaints about is the state of our roads. As someone who gets around by bicycle some of the pot holes on our roads are frankly lethal.

I was therefore very keen to study the recently released planned maintenance programme for our roads and pavements over the coming year. Unfortunately, the list comes as a huge disappointment for residents in Birkenhead and Tranmere. If the total budget of £1.95m was allocated equally to each ward we would be receiving almost £90,000. However, the Council list only identifies three streets in Birkenhead and Tranmere earmarked for improvement totalling £27,000. Compare this with neighbouring Rock Ferry where over 20 streets and pavements are listed.

Are your Councillors taking this issue seriously? This is a question every resident in Birkenhead and Tranmere is entitled to ask.

You can view the planned programme in full via my web site.

Cuts: Are you affected?

If the monies available for road maintenance are hopelessly inadequate at the moment just wait until the full force of government cuts are unleashed. From a local perspective Wirral Council’s new Tory and Lib Dem coalition is right behind the cuts agenda and the one thing you can be sure of is that the poor will suffer most.

Leaving aside the fact that the banking sector which created this mess is effectively getting away with it, the worrying issue for me is that the agenda in Wirral is firmly aimed at cutting services. While nobody likes paying more in tax, slashing services will hit areas like Birkenhead and Tranmere very hard. The impact on more affluent areas will be far less. We will therefore see a further increase in the massive divide between rich and poor across Wirral.

You can read more about Labour’s legacy of debt and the new regime’s cuts agenda here. If you are directly affected by local authority cutbacks please do get in touch.

Streets update

• The damaged lamp post on Argyle Street South by the corner with Hinderton Road was quickly repaired following my report.
• New street signs for Warrington Street have been ordered following my alert. The previous ones disappeared during the recent housing development.
• I recently complained about the poor arrangements for bin and cycle storage for the proposed renovation of the Quarrybank site by the YMCA on Whetstone Lane. I’m glad to say that my complaint has been upheld and the developer will have to make adjustments to the plans.