Conway Street car parks

Last year a planning application for two car parks on the grassed area of Conway Street that borders Parkfield Avenue and Simpson Street was rejected.

Unfortunately, the applicant has appealed this decision. Below you can read my submission to that appeal:


I would like to make the following points regarding this appeal:

• As you will be aware, the planning committee was unanimous in its view that the original application should be rejected. There was overwhelming opposition to the proposal.
• The area directly opposite this site (which includes Europa Pools) is currently the subject of a major regeneration proposal. In that context, it would be unwise to allow proposals for additional car parking to proceed until those regeneration plans are finalised.
• As stated in the original officer's report, "there is no requirement for additional parking provision within this locality". There are currently six council owned car parks within 500 metres and a further four privately operated car parks. In total, these provide 2,187 spaces. The site is extremely close to Birkenhead bus station and Conway Park railway station so there are clear, more sustainable alternatives. The national planning policy framework says local authorities should support a pattern of development that facilitates the use of sustainable transport. This appeal clearly runs counter to that objective.
• This land is designated as primarily residential. Moreover, the established community on Simpson Street/Parkfield Avenue clearly benefit from the grassed area along Conway Street. This is complemented by a similar strip on the opposite side of Conway Street. This provides an important buffer against noise and pollution. This. This will change completely if this development proceeds. I cannot agree with the officer's report which states this development "would not have an adverse impact onto the character of the area or existing residential amenity," Residents in the surrounding streets are united in their opposition to the proposal for car parks. You will be aware of the petition against the proposal but I would like to add that I have not spoken to a single resident who feels there is any merit in converting this land for car parking.
• I am particularly concerned that vehicles exiting the Simpson Street car park will not necessarily turn right onto Conway Street. Traffic here frequently backs up from the junction with Exmouth Street. There will be a clear temptation for vehicles to exit left out of the Simpson Street car park and access Conway Street via Simpson Street and Parkfield Avenue. I therefore cannot agree, as stated in the report, that "there are no highway safety issues relating to the proposal". Additionally, there will be a further erosion in air quality in the immediate area.

For these reasons, I urge you to reject this appeal.
 
Cllr Pat Cleary, Birkenhead and Tranmere ward

Merseytravel's Walrus Card: What's the point?

I'm a frequent public transport user. I tend to travel off peak and at irregular times so I generally buy a Saveaway. It's flexible (buses and trains) and reasonably priced by today's (inflated) standards.

Recently, Merseytravel introduced the Walrus card. It's being trialled in Wirral before a planned roll out across Merseyside. It was dubbed an Oyster card for Merseyside. This sounded great as the Oyster card is really flexible. You load up your card in advance and travel when you need to so no need to queue at the station and fret about missing your train.

Only Walrus isn't like that. You have to load the card on the day you travel. And, it's quite slow to load based on the experience at my local newsagent.

Previously you could buy Saveaways in advance, scratch them off on the day of use and off you go. I always kept a stash at home and never had to worry about buying a  ticket on the day.

So what's the point of the Walrus card? My newsagent reports a huge dive in sales of Saveaways since Walrus was introduced.

We all want public transport to be as flexible as possible. At the moment Walrus is a real step backwards in flexibility as it doesn't allow purchase before the day of travel.

Hopefully Merseytravel are working on this. Otherwise sales of Saveaways are likely to fall and fewer people will be using public transport.

More security tagging dates

British Transport Police have contacted me about some more sessions for
people to get their phones, bicycles etc. registered. Details below
including several at Conway Park station. This is a really practical way
to help fight crime and assist victims whose items are subsequently
recovered.

09/02/2015 Starting 1700 – 1900 hours at Rock Ferry

13/02/2015 Starting 1600 – 1900 hours at Hooton

14/02/2015 Starting 1000 - 1200 hours at Hooton

22/02/2015 Starting 1000 - 1200 hours at West Kirby

28/02/2015 Starting 1300 – 1600 hours at Conway Park

08/03/2015 Starting 1600 - 1900 hours at Wallasey Grove Road

21/03/2015 Starting 0900 – 1200 hours at Conway Park

02/04/2015 Starting 0830 – 1130 hours at Conway Park

Austerity axe strikes again

Wirral Council's latest budget proposals mark a new low for people of Wirral as a further £38 million is sucked out of the local economy with drastic effects on services and spending power.

Tory and Lib Dem councillors should hang their head in shame at the appalling impacts their disastrous state-shrinking policies are having on a borough already riven by gross inequalities.

As a result of their policies and the further deep cuts contained in these budget proposals further misery will be heaped on our most stressed communities already struggling with poverty pay, benefit sanctions, the bedroom tax and, most shameful of all, the mounting queues at food banks.


Serious Questions for Labour

But Labour have serious questions to answer if they really expect the people of Wirral to believe they are committed to protecting the vulnerable and reducing the gap in inequalities. In particular,

• How can Labour claim a commitment to fairness having just voted through an eye-watering 30% increase in the chief executive’s salary. Not only is this an insult to the council employees facing redundancy and reduced pay, it shows a leadership out of touch with reality and missing a glorious opportunity to set an example to others and rein in excessive pay in the public sector.
• How can Labour moan about the Tories state-shrinking agenda when they have accepted the Tory bribe to freeze council tax and shrink Wirral’s tax base which is so important in supporting and sustaining public services. Yet this is the same council that has forced the unemployed to pay council tax and has now scrapped discounts for the over 70s.
  
• How can Labour cut jobs and services even as it spends seven figure sums on a Town Hall that will never be fit for purpose as most residents in Wirral find it hopelessly inaccessible due to its location?
  

Perhaps, most worrying of all is the nonsensical claim that a Labour government would reverse these cuts. Just this week Ed Balls has reiterated his ruthless approach promising “spending cuts every year” In other words, under Labour we will face more cuts, more austerity, more poverty, even more inequality.

Austerity is not inevitable

Austerity is a political choice supported by Tory, Lib Dem UKIP and Labour.

Only the Greens are offering an alternative to austerity based on taxing the wealthiest in our society, rolling back the cuts, ending poverty pay and investing in jobs and vital public services. Specifically the Green Party would 

• Impose a wealth tax on the wealthiest 1% generating over £20 billion per annum.
• Introduce a Robin Hood tax on financial transactions generating a further £20 billion per annum.
• Replace council tax with a land value tax requiring wealthy land owners who benefit from massive Common Agricultural Policy subsidies to pay something back to society.
• A 50% tax rate on salaries over £100,000.
• Scrap Trident and HS2 saving over £100 billion.

What's really the point of "Free after 3"?

Localism is at the heart of Green philosophy and it is incredibly
important that we support local shops and promote effective measures
that encourage people to use their local shopping centres all year round.

However, are Wirral council plans to introduce "free after 3" parking
during the remainder of December really the best we can do to support
the local economy?

Having read what the recent car parking scrutiny review has to say about
"Free after 3" it was revealing to learn that we have no idea how many
motorists took advantage of it in the past and therefore we have no idea
what the cost to the council was or what the benefit to local shops was.

When I enquired what the expected cost of the current proposal is I was
told a budget provision of "up to £20k" had been allowed.

But clearly we don't know the cost which is worrying in itself and leads
me to believe that this is primarily a political gesture.

Now it is instructive to me that we hear and read far more about the
cost of parking than we do about the cost of public transport which of
course has been driven upwards by the misguided policies of the current
government.

So, given that, as a council, Wirral is tasked with supporting local
business, reducing inequalities and improving our environment shouldn't
we be diverting scarce resources to help those people without private
transport access local shopping centres. It is worth remembering the
huge transport inequalities that prevail across Wirral. In Birkenhead
and Tranmere, 56% of households do not have access to a vehicle and are
therefore reliant on public transport.

So, if we are going to spend "up to £20k" on supporting local shops lets
do it in a joined up fashion that supports other key objectives. We
could use that money to reduce bus fares or increase frequency. Or we
could use it to expand 20 mph zones in our town centres and make them
more attractive places to visit. Or we could improve pedestrian/cyclist
infrastructure and achieve more long lasting benefits.

"Free after 3" is a political gesture of minuscule benefit to the local
economy. Unfortunately, it serves the interests of local politicians
more than local traders.

Get your valuables security tagged for free

British Transport Police have contacted me about some sessions for
people to get their phones, bicycles etc. registered. Details below.
This is a really practical way to help fight crime and assist victims
whose items are subsequently recovered.

==============================================

We have a few dates now for future property recording and bike marking
dates which would be great if you could let local people know via you're
website/newsletter/tweets

6th December between 1300-1600 hours Conway Park

9th December from 0900 -1100 hours Conway Park – also Lime Street
Station on this date

17th December from 0900 – 1100 hours Conway Park.

Yobs debate is out of control

It’s not surprising that local politicians have been holding forth about the problem of anti-social behaviour in Birkenhead. The figures speak for themselves. ASB is a huge issue for many, many people, an enormous blight on our communities and is placing a massive strain on public resources

But is comparing Birkenhead to Beirut and chastising the police and other public agencies really the answer? Or, is the approach of a general election bringing forth simplistic solutions from those our community looks to for leadership.

Looked at through the lens of relentless austerity and the rise in anti-social behaviour is surely inevitable.

For almost five years the people of Birkenhead have been subjected to a ruthless attack. Benefit cuts and welfare sanctions, massive reductions in public services and the hollowing out of local government, the perverse bedroom tax, the explosion of zero hours contracts and poverty pay, soaring tuition fees and the pernicious impact of payday lending companies, the rise in fuel poverty and the relentless drop in living standards.

Those at the sharp end can see the cumulative impacts – social workers, police, teachers, health professionals are all expected to pick up the pieces from the relentless assault on civilised society.

I know from first hand experience that the police and other services are working extremely hard to deal with incredibly challenging conditions. I’m sure they welcome constructive suggestions on how best to cooperate with other agencies. I’m also sure that the public criticism we have recently seen is counter productive and just makes dealing with anti-social behaviour even harder. It can only be negative for staff morale already battered by cuts in funding. Comparing Birkenhead to Beirut is an insult to the plight of the Palestinian people and discourages those who want to invest in our area and create badly needed employment.

If we want to seriously address anti-social behaviour we have to address the underlying causes. Austerity is a disaster and has to end. But, incredibly, it’s not just the Tories and Lib Dems who persist with austerity despite its trail of carnage. Labour too is committed to years more austerity and further cuts in benefits and public services.

No wonder people are losing hope.

The answer to rising ASB and other social ills has to include an end to austerity. We need a fair taxation system that addresses inequality and ensures the wealthy start paying their fair share. We need a reversal to public sector cuts and a fundamental reappraisal of the role of public servants and the crucial role they play in our communities. We need investment in housing to end fuel poverty and create employment. We need free and fair access to education and a renewed sense of hope for young people.

The roots of rising anti-social behaviour lie in the failed experiment that is austerity. We need politicians to wake up to that reality rather than offer simplistic solutions that dodge the real issue.