Wirral ARK bike project

On Friday I was very proud to be asked to officially open the new bike repair scheme at the ARK project for the homeless. They already have a successful boat repair scheme and this new project aims to build on that. You can get more details of the scheme here. If you have any unwanted bicycles or bike parts to donate please ring 650 6858.

The photo shows me with Barry Miller on the left who is running the bike scheme and David Astle, one of the volunteer helpers.

Green Lane pavement cleaned at last

Good to see the pathway under the railway bridge on Green Lane has finally been cleared. More details and pictures on the Wirral Talk website.

Victoria Road car park

I've complained several times about the state of the car park at the top of Victoria Road. Earlier this year I was promised that the area would be cleared and neighbouring residents would be able to add appropriate planting at their own expense and time. It's very disappointing that this still hasn't happened and I have asked for reassurance that this will indeed be done at the earliest opportunity.

Copied below is the most recent correspondence that I have received:
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Dear Mr Cleary,

 

You recently enquired about the area adjacent to number 8 Victoria Road, Tranmere.

 

This area will be passed to the council's maintenance team for spraying, however, it may not happen until spring, as spray is not effective in colder weather.

 

Regards,

Pavement repairs Church Road/Chesnut Grove

The Council has now responded to my enquiry about the uneven pavement on Chesnut Grove:

Dear Mr Cleary


Thank you for your e-mail regarding the uneven pavement on Church Road adjacent to Chesnut Grove by the site of the former Tranmere Park pub.

Our highways inspector has visited the location and has agreed that some work is needed. He has requested that our contractor schedule this work into their programme

Regards

Streetscene Highway Management Team

Another shocking set of road casualty stats for Wirral

 
Complacency rules!

• Latest road safety figures show people face unacceptable risks when walking or cycling

• Labour’s failure to implement 20mph zones shows a complete disregard for road safety

• Merseyside police need to seriously up their game

Latest figures confirm the dismal state of road safety in Wirral. Once again, our borough falls way behind national statistics confirming that pedestrians and cyclists face wholly unacceptable risks.

The figures for  child pedestrian casualties are particularly shocking. Under 16s in Wirral are almost twice as likely to be killed or seriously injured compared with the national average.

The figures for cyclists are also very poor. Despite low rates of cycling, local casualty rates are well above the national average.

Commenting on the figures, Pat Cleary of Wirral Green party says “How long do we have to tolerate such dismal statistics for road safety in Wirral? Each statistic is a tragedy in itself and we simply shouldn’t accept such a poor performance from local councillors and the local police force.

Given these figures, it is particularly shocking that the Labour Party is dragging its heels on the implementation of 20mph as the default speed limit in residential areas. This is something Liverpool and other areas are fast tracking but Wirral Labour clearly doesn’t see road safety as a priority.”

The analysis also raises serious questions for the police, especially as Merseyside as a whole is shown to be the fourth worst area of the country for pedestrian casualties.Merseyside police recently used 2010 data in isolation to suggest that significant progress has been made(1). However, using a single year’s figures is not a statistically robust approach and ignores the fact that traffic levels have fallen due to economic recession.

Pat Cleary says, “Merseyside police need to give a much higher priority to pedestrian and cyclist safety. Basic infringements including speeding and pavement parking are routine. We need a cultural shift, both within the police and across the wider community, if these figures are to show a much needed improvement in the years to come”

Note: 1 “Dramatic reduction in Merseyside road deaths”, Wirral Globe, 30th June 2011

Access issues, Simpson Street

We recently responded to concerns from residents in Simpson Street regarding access. I'm glad to say we have now received the following positive response:

Thank you for your recent enquiry regarding the junction of Conway Street and Simpson Street, Birkenhead.

I can advise you that I will arrange for a ‘KEEP CLEAR’ road marking to be introduced on Conway Street at the junction with Simpson Street, Birkenhead.

Thank you for your interest in this matter.

Wirral Council in turmoil

What on earth is going on at Labour run Wirral Council?

Over the past few weeks Wirral Council has been rocked by a series of scandals which point to serious incompetence and waste of taxpayers’ money. To cap it all, the local MP has now called in the Serious Fraud Office amid allegations of serious malpractice.

First, we had an independent review into how Wirral Council is managed. This is a truly shocking exposure of incompetence and mismanagement. I would urge you to read the brief summary which, as the Wirral Globe put it, revealed a devastating catalogue of failures by Wirral Council and claimed the authority was in the grip of a corrosive and inward-looking culture where the needs and rights of residents had become submerged under its “bureaucratic machinations.”

The report really confirms what many people have said for many years, that Wirral Council is hopelessly mismanaged and does not serve its local residents well. Of particular concern to all council tax payers will be that Wirral Council’s failures include:

·        being unable to understand and implement fees and charges properly

·        not being able to commission, manage and, where necessary, dismiss failing contractors and suppliers  

…in other words, wasting taxpayers’ money

It is very important to remember that for 24 of the past 25 years Wirral has been a council led by the Labour Party. It is surely no coincidence that this report was commissioned during that one brief period when Labour was not in control.

You would therefore expect that Labour would do the decent thing, that its leader would step down and an inclusive response to what is clearly a major crisis would be implemented.

But, that would be expecting Labour to put Wirral people first.

Instead, Labour has set up what is cheerfully called a “turnaround team” consisting of, you guessed it, Labour councillors.

So, Labour’s response to a damning report on the management of a Labour run authority is to set up a crack response unit run by, eh, the Labour Party.

But, it doesn’t end there….

On September 30^th we learned that the district auditor has questioned whether Wirral Council has “proper arrangements to secure value for money in its use of resources.”

The criticisms relate to the outsourcing of a multi-million pound highways contract which could have left the council facing “substantial damages”. The auditor’s report concludes that Wirral Council is unable to determine whether it is receiving value for money.

In other words, Wirral Council is failing in its basic duty to manage our money effectively. It is yet another confirmation that Wirral residents are being comprehensively failed by a delusional political elite.

But it doesn’t end there either….

Following the district auditor’s report, a group of council employees approached local MP Frank Field with serious claims relating to the council’s handling of the highways contract referred to in the auditor’s report.

As a result of their approach, the Serious Fraud Office has been asked to investigate whether the council is guilty of malpractice in signing this contract.

It is, perhaps, instructive in my view that council employees approached their MP rather than the local councillors who are directly responsible for how Wirral runs its affairs.

A very rotten borough

It is very clear that Wirral Council needs to change and change quickly. Unfortunately, the same people who presided over such a rotten borough are still in charge. The Labour Party has let down the people of Wirral. At a time when local government is under attack from savage government cuts, we simply cannot trust Labour to provide the leadership we need.

As if to confirm this, today’s Daily Post carries the headline “Wirral Council predicts budget deficit to rise to £100m.”