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Our latest ward newsletter is hot off the press and will be delivered across Birkenhead and Tranmere during December.

You can view an on-line version here.

Great news from Merseyrail

Excellent news today that Merseyrail is increasing frequency along the Liverpool-Chester route which serves Birkenhead Central and Green Lane. The full details are reported in the Daily Post.

Merseyrail also operates an excellent cycle parking scheme. If more people cycled to the station rather than driving it would help ease congestion for local residents around Green Lane and Central stations.

Fly-tipping alert: Florence Street

Florence Street runs between Simpson Street and Parkfield Avenue opposite Europe Pools. It's a frequent target for fly-tipppers.

Graffiti watch: Hollybank Road

Hawthorne House on Hollybank Road is a frequent target of mindless graffiti. I've just reported this to Streetscene.

Activity report for October and why the cuts are so unfair

Welcome to the latest monthly update. As well as the usual Streets report below I wanted to spend some time addressing why I believe the savage cuts which are only just beginning to hit our key public services are deeply unfair.

Cuts: Why we are not all in this together

Throughout the year the Green Party is busy knocking on doors across Birkenhead and Tranmere. This not only keeps us up-to-date with problems in your street, it also shows us how the bigger issues are affecting people. Over recent months I have met several residents directly affected by the cuts in public services. These are people concerned about their housing benefit or those working in the public sector fearful for their jobs. Or, it may be people working in the charity sector who are reliant on funding from local government to maintain care for the elderly or those with special needs.

It’s not surprising that cuts are already beginning to bite. A recent report by the Financial Times showed that, along with Plymouth and Middlesbrough, Wirral is the area most likely to suffer from public sector cuts. Wirral is identified in the report (registration required) as an area with high levels of public sector employment and low levels of economic resilience.

Many are rightly angry that a deficit born of corrupt business practices and slack regulation is now laying waste to basic public services and creating real distress across our community. At the same time, the very wealthy and those who caused the problem in the first place are barely affected at all. Consider the following facts:

• Executive pay at FTSE 100 companies increased by 55% during the past year
• Corporations fail to pay £12bn in legally owed taxes each year. The government is refusing to pursue one company – Vodafone – for over £6bn in unpaid taxes
• Banks deprive savers of £12bn a year in interest according to consumer champion Which.

These are just a few examples but, in every case, the sums are massive. The government could easily clear the deficit by forcing corporations to pay their way. However, this ConDem government, supported by its partners in crime at Wirral town hall would rather force the most vulnerable in our society to carry the can.

If you think the Labour Party would address these concerns just consider that Labour in Wirral believes our Tory led Council has not been tackling the deficit quickly enough as reported in today’s Daily Post.

The whole saga is a disaster from top to bottom and clearly shows the need for real change which only the Green Party can provide.

Streets update

Another busy month with quite a few successes. As usual if there are any issues affecting your area please get in touch:

• Dumped rubbish behind the Carlton pub off Borough Road was removed after I sent photos into Streetscene.
• There was a similar outcome on Woodville Road where rubbish left on the pavement has now been cleared.
• The broken lock on the alley gates serving Claughton Road/Corfu Street has now been repaired.
• I have reported broken street lights in Victoria Park and on Bentinck Street.
• The Council has promised to clear rubbish dumped in the entry between Fairview and Holborn Hill. I am also liaising with the empty homes unit to try and bring a long term empty home on Holborn Hill back into use.
• Graffiti and fly-tipping in the Oxton Road car park has been reported as has the graffiti on the electricity substation on Westbourne Road.
• Streetscene has been asked to clean the vandalised street sign on Exmouth Way which you can see here.
• Traffic management has promised to pay more attention to illegal parking on the junction of Kingsland Road and Woodchurch Road.

Exmouth Way

Reporting mindless graffiti is one important way the Green Party helps to improve the local area.

This is a typical example on Exmouth Way.