"What Really Matters"

Wirral Council's consultation exercise "What Really Matters" is an
expensive sham. The budget options outlined are based on an initial
consultation which attracted responses from less than 3% of the
electorate. It is designed to provide an appearance of public approval
for Council decisions where no such approval exists. The views of such a
low sample cannot be taken as representative of the Wirral public as a
whole, much less as providing any kind of democratic support for Council
actions. The public has been rightly suspicious of the exercise from the
start and has demonstrated its distrust by ignoring it.

People do not want to be given a choice of what kind of pain to inflict
on themselves and their neighbours while nothing is being done to
address the gross unfairness in society.

The government's programme of austerity, of which council cuts are part,
bears down harshly on the low-paid, the unemployed and disabled while
wealthy tax dodgers continue to prosper. As well as being viciously
unfair, the Coalition's economic policies are failing
miserably--Government austerity in a recession has, as widely predicted,
only prolonged the economic suffering, ensuring growth only for food banks.

Budget deficits will begin to fall when the government reverses its cuts
agenda and invests in the green economy, not as it cuts more. The answer
is certainly not to further impoverish the already disadvantaged. Given
Labour's abject failure both locally and nationally to oppose austerity,
this leaves the Greens as the only party to articulate and campaign
vigorously for an alternative.

More bad news on road safety

Latest figures on road safety indicate just how badly Wirral and Merseyside in general is doing. Figures for 2011 show the numbers killed or seriously injured in Wirral jumped 17%, much higher than the national increase (2%). For Merseyside as a whole the figures for vulnerable road users are even more worrying. 2011 was the worst year since 2005 and the worst year for cyclists since 1998.

The figures show that, despite all the rhetoric, local police and politicians aren't doing enough to protect and encourage pedestrians and cyclists. We badly need 20mph implemented and enforced as the default speed limit on residential roads. You can see the full Wirral Green Party press release via our Facebook page.

Wirral cuts, public out in force tonight

This photo comes courtesy of Liam Murphy of the Wirral News who posted it on twitter. It shows the packed attendance at tonight's cabinet meeting. Indicates how badly cuts are affecting Wirral.

Granada News report featuring Wirral Greens

Natalie Bennett was in Birkenhead yesterday and was featured briefly in this report along with members of Wirral Greens (around 1:35 in).

Green Party leader visits Wirral

Very pleased today to welcome Natalie Bennett to Wirral. Some excellent media coverage with interviews with Granada News and The Birkenhead News. Links to follow.

Response to Wirral's latest cuts and consultation

The news that Wirral faces £100m of cuts over the next three years is a shocking indictment of the coalition government’s savage assault on public services. It also exposes the Labour Party’s craven acceptance of the austerity agenda made worse by our council leader’s admission that, over many years of Labour control in Wirral, “we have had poor budget management”.

 

The much hyped and expensive consultation exercise is a blatant attempt to force Wirral residents to accept the austerity programme that is crippling our economy and entrenching poverty. What we really need is robust opposition to this government’s attempts to make ordinary people pay for the sins of bankers and successive government’s failure to regulate.

 

Consequently the Green Party urges residents to respond to Wirral Council’s consultation by making it clear they oppose ALL cuts and the entire cuts agenda.

Elm Grove, Tranmere

Just reported this eyesore on Elm Grove.

Hopefully it will be cleared soon.

Tower Hill update

Good to see that all the reported rubbish on Tower Hill has now been cleared.

One less thing to worry about!

Letter re wind subsidies

The letter from Paul Nuttal on subsidies for wind energy painted a very misleading picture. Figures from the OECD show that for every pound the UK spends subsidising renewable energy, over £10 is spent on tax breaks for oil and gas production.

 

Of course, Mr Nuttal never mentioned this. Instead he wants to perpetuate this lunacy by embracing shale gas despite the devastation this has caused in the USA. How strange that he seems offended by wind turbines but would happily see Wirral peppered by gas rigs.

 

To protect our own environment and preserve it for future generations we must embrace renewable energy and reject the increasingly desperate search for dirty fossil fuels.

Tower Hill, Tranmere

Dear Mr Cleary

 

        Thank you for your email of the 10^th July regarding builders rubbish in the entry side of no4 Tower Hill, Tranmere, I inspected the location on the 12^th July and found bags of builder rubble and a small amount of wood, unfortunately as the was no evidence or witnesses to this incident it is not possible to determine who is responsible. However I have passed instructions to our cleansing contractor to remove these items, If you wish to discuss this matter please contact me direct on the telephone number below.

 

Regards

Enforcement Officer
Wirral Council
Tel. 0151 606 2232

Wirral Pedestrians Association

New body campaigning on behalf of pedestrians. If you live in Wirral please consider joining.

http://www.wirralpedestrians.org.uk/

Letter to the Globe on wind energy

We should welcome plans to double the size of the Burbo Bank wind farm (caution over plan to double wind farm size – July 4^th) At a time of economic and environmental crisis wind energy ticks all the right boxes. It not only cuts pollution and imports of increasingly expensive gas, it also provides much needed employment. This is increasingly relevant locally as Cammell Laird has recently won major contracts to supply equipment to new wind farms.

It is vitally important that we support investment in the green economy. The negative comments emanating from Wirral planners in your recent report are therefore very worrying, especially for those in our community desperate for employment.

Wirral planners need to get behind renewable energy, not get in the way.

Briardale Road

Update from Streetscene following our request re road surface on Briardale Road.

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Following your recent enquiry an inspection of the carriageway in Briardale Road Birkenhead has been carried out and a number of actionable defects have been highlighted for repair.

 

In addition I have put this road forward for consideration for possible inclusion in a future structural maintenance programme which would result in a new surface being applied to the whole carriageway.

 

Regards

Highway maintenance team

Streetscene

roadway between Agnes Road and Allerton Grove/Church Terrace

Reply from Streetscene re gaping pot hole behind Agnes Road

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Dear Mr Cleary

Thank you for you recent enquiry over the condition of the entry at the rear of Agnes Road, Birkenhead.

Unfortunately I must inform you that this section of the entry does not form part of the adopted highway and is not maintained by Technical Services.

The unadopted section is the joint responsibility of the owners of all the adjacent properties.

Therefore we do not intend to carry out any works at this location at this time.

Regards

Streetscene

Request for Litter bin, Church road.Mersey Park Primary School.

Dear Mr Cleary

Thank you for your request in reference to the above which was logged on 13 March 2012.

The cost of satisfying the demand for litter bins continually exceeds the financial resources allocated for this provision.  Therefore all requests to install litter bins are assessed by the Departments area managers who deal with the Street Cleansing service.  They will periodically, as and when requests are made for litter bins to be installed, consider the requests against a pre-determined set of criteria and recommends in what priority order the installations should be carried out.  When assessing litter bin instalation requests the department will assess the installation based on the locations need and relevant factors. This would entail large amounts of litter being discarded in the area, near to or at the specific location requested, ie Schools, Shops, Bus stops etc. 

The scheduled cleanse for Church road is carried out on a weekly basis, which is currently deemed adequate enough to deal with the amount of litter that may accumilate between the cleansing cycles for this residential area.  However, the location will be inspected based on the above criteria and if a litter bin is deemed necessary, one will be installed in due course.

Thank you for bringing this matter to the Departments attention.  Should you wish to discuss any aspect of this matter further, then please contact Streetscene on the telephone number below.

Yours sincerely

Assistant Contracts Manager
Through Streetscene
Technical Services

Coaches on Price Street

I've complained to National Express about their coaches parking on Price Street, sometimes at unsociable hours with engines running.

I've been promised an answer soon! Let's hope so.

A Green vote is the only alternative to the politics of despair

As recent events have clearly shown, mainstream politics is completely out of touch with the reality of day-to-day life for most people. It is quite simply a tragedy that every one of Wirral’s 66 councillors backs the shameful austerity measures that are crippling our society while doing nothing to repair our broken finances.

 

The Green Party stands for real fairness. We are not afraid to say that the very wealthy in our society are not paying their fair share. That has to be addressed through fairer taxation, both locally and nationally. Neither are we afraid to say that investment is crucial if we are to provide desperately needed jobs and desperately needed hope for our young people. A Green New Deal can transform our economy and our society.

 

The path pursued by Labour, Tory and Liberal is a road to nowhere. Wirral desperately needs a voice that will promote real fairness, for our people and our environment. The Green Party can be that voice and May 3^rd is the opportunity to reject austerity and embrace the politics of hope.

Free Cycle Training in Birkenhead Park

A fantastic opportunity for all new or returning cyclists. Please pass this on if you can! If you cannot attend this date but may be interested in future dates please let me know.

Free cycle training is available at Birkenhead Park on Monday 13th February from 10-12noon and from 1-3pm. Booking is essential either by calling Bikeright on 0151 482 5700 or from the following link

http://www.bikeright.co.uk/services2/cycle_training/adult_cycle_training/freewheeling2/mersey_dates1/

The link will show the dates and also gives information on the content of the course. There are 2 hour cycle training sessions at a range of levels. Bikeright deliver the three levels of the National Standards for Cycle Training . They run group sessions for Level 1 (basic preparation for on-road cycling – e.g. turning, signalling, looking behind etc but in an traffic-free environment) and Level 2 (an introduction to cycling on quiet roads, including road positions). This will be on offer at Birkenhead Park, perhaps with a Learn to Ride option too .

You can use your own bikes if you can bring  them on the day. Bikeright can also provide bikes if needed.

Please contact Bikeright directly with any enquiries.

The meeting point on the day will be the Visitor Centre.