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.

Woodville Road

It seems this bag of muck has been a charming feature on Woodville Road for many months. Several residents complained about it during our recent survey.

I've had to report it more than once but thankfully it has now been removed.

Nice to see that....

....this fly-tipping behind the Carlton pub has been cleared.

How long before it fills up again I wonder?

Activity report for September

Welcome to the latest monthly update. The Council’s consultation exercise on service cuts leads the way followed by the scandal surrounding adult social care in Wirral. Details also on new residents’ groups and the usual streets update.

Cuts Consultation

Wirral Council is currently consulting with residents about the services it provides. In reality, this will partly determine which services are cut the most over the coming months. Whilst I have a lot of misgivings about the length and wording of the questionnaire my main concern is that relatively few people from our area will participate. I would therefore encourage you to take part in the consultation, perhaps taking on board the comments I make below. You can complete the questionnaire on-line via the Council website.

Section B “Living in Wirral” is particularly worrying. It is clear from this that the Council is planning to charge for services such as graffiti and fly-tipping removal and to increase charges for bulky waste collection. This could have a major impact across Birkenhead and Tranmere so I would encourage you to add your concerns here. This section also gives you the opportunity (should you wish) to suggest a more robust approach to tackling issues such as fly-tipping and to voice support for 20 mph limits for residential roads.

The scandal of adult social care in Wirral

The Care Quality Commission recently issued a scathing report on the quality of adult social care in Wirral. The Commission rated Wirral as “poor” in safeguarding adults with learning disabilities. The report (which you can access here) forced Steve Foulkes the leader of the Labour Party in Wirral to “apologise for those people who’ve been let down”.

Given the incompetence of the previous Labour-led administration in Wirral and the savage cuts being planned by the new Tory-led Council, the clear danger is that the quality of care for some of the most vulnerable in our community will be further eroded.

New residents’ group need more support

I’ve been very pleased to attend some of the recent meetings of the (relatively new) association representing residents in the Church Road area. These groups can be very effective in making sure local Councillors work effectively for you, something which hasn’t always happened in the past.

If you live in the Church Road area and would like to get involved please let me know. Alternatively, if you are interested in establishing a residents’ group the Green Party can help so do get in touch

Streets update

A particularly busy update this month with lots to report on:

• I complained about the lack of a garden waste collection service for houses in and around Bentinck Street. However, the Council is refusing to consider this which is quite shocking and yet another example of how our area is discriminated against. You can read the Council’s excuses on my website.
• Graffiti in the alleyway between Victoria Road and Chesnut Grove has been cleared but the Council refuses to tidy the extensive overgrowth claiming it is on private land.
• Meanwhile, the dumped furniture by the substation on Chesnut Grove has been cleared while Environmental Health has been informed of the fly-tipping in the alleyway behind the substation.
• Following our recent survey work I reported the broken street light (column 3) on Maybank Road. I am also writing to the Council to remind them of the abject failure to address the rubbish dumped on derelict land by Victoria Fields.
• Persistent fly-tipping on Holt Road has also been reported.

As usual, if there are any issues you would like to raise please don’t hesitate to get in touch.