Piece and quiet on Claughton Road

I was recently alerted by a resident on Claughton Road to a persistently troublesome security alarm. It seems the alarm had been going off around 20 times per day. Needless to say residents were well and truly fed up.

I'm now glad to report that following contact with Environmental Health the alarm has been disabled so everyone can get some rest.

Election result

We secured one in four votes at the local poll for Birkenhead & Tranmere ward. A huge result given that the general election on the same day always made it likely that Labour would prevail, for now.

We are now clearly the challengers to Labour in Birkenhead & Tranmere having easily outpolled all the other parties.

Thanks to everyone who helped in the campaign and to the 1,095 residents who voted for us.

Full election results here. Birkenhead & Tranmere ward is at the bottom of the page.

Activity Report for April

Welcome to my update for the month of April. A brief note below on the upcoming election followed by the usual streets update.

Election update

Whether you are reading this report for the first time or have been a regular recipient over the past year or so, I hope my year-round campaigning has encouraged you to support me in this Thursday's ballot.

My commitment to all voters is that, if elected, I will continue to;

maintain an active presence in the local community

deal with all requests from residents promptly and efficiently

communicate effectively and regularly with you via email and our door-to-door newsletter

This election could be very close between myself and the Labour candidate. Your vote could be crucial. If you have any questions about the election or need transport to the polling station please don't hesitate to get in touch.

Streets update

The election hasn't prevented the usual focus on the streets where you live. Improvements this month include:

• graffiti on Beech Road at the Derby Road end has been cleared
• day burning light on Olive Crescent now repaired
• dumped sofa blocking the walkway between Fountain Street and Whitford Road removed. Also, the broken light in the same location has now been fixed
• the awful pile up of rubbish outside the new flats on Rodney Street has been cleared.
• the missing roller on the alleygates on Briardale Road at the Borough Road end has now been replaced
• the broken light on Pearson Road by Holt Hill Terrace has been fixed.

Other issues recently reported include;

• Overgrowth from Hillside Road affecting the alleyway behind Holt Road
• Broken lock on alleygates on Paterson Street
• Damaged street signs on Frodsham Street and Olive Mount
• Extensive littering on Hamilton Lane
• Collapsed wall between Rodney Street and Clifton Road
• Poor conditions on the walkway under the railway bridge on Green Lane
• Littering behind the panelled area on Hinderton Road opposite Hinderton Close. Apparently this belongs to Scottish Power who have been contacted by the Council.

As ever, if there are any issues affecting you please let me know.

Streets update

A few items I've noticed have been dealt with recently:

graffiti on Beech Road at the Derby Road end (pictured above) has been cleared
day burning light on Olive Crescent now repaired
dumped sofa blocking the walkway between Fountain Street and Whitford Road removed. Also, I'm told the broken light in the same location has now been fixed.

£36

That's what it will cost you to replace your wheelie bin, even if it's been stolen and/or vandalised.

Of course that's much more likely if you don't have the luxury of a back garden to keep your bins or your elderly or disabled and have difficulty moving your bin around.

Another tax on the poor basically.

Streets update

A quick update on some of the issues I've reported recently:

• Glad to see that the awful pile up of rubbish outside the new flats on Rodney Street (pictured) has been cleared.
• The missing roller on the alleygates on Briardale Road at the Borough Road end has now been replaced
• The broken light on Pearson Road by Holt Hill Terrace has been fixed.

Unfortunately, the alleyway between Laurel Road and Sycamore Road remains in a poor condition and I have had to chase it again today. I've also reported the following:

• Overgrowth from Hillside Road affecting the alleyway behind Holt Road
• Broken lock on alleygates on Paterson Street
  
• Damaged street signs on Frodsham Street and Olive Mount
  
• Day burning light on Olive Crescent
• Extensive littering on Hamilton Lane
• Collapsed wall between Rodney Street and Clifton Road
• Poor conditions on the walkway under the railway bridge on Green Lane
• Littering behind the panelled area on Hinderton Road opposite Hinderton Close. Apparantly this belongs to Scottish Power who are being contacted by the Council.

Activity report

Council-sanctioned vandalism on Church Road

I’d like to start this month with a very disturbing incident. In mid-March, dozens of trees off Church Road were felled without any warning to local residents. The area surrounding the derelict site earmarked for retail and housing development contained trees that had stood for generations and were much loved by locals. You can see the pictures I took and read more about the incident here.

Just as disturbing is the shocking response of the Council to the legitimate anger of the community. Again you can read the evidence on my website. There are two stand-out issues here. First the obvious bias of the Council in favour of the developer. I have no doubt that many if not all of these trees could have been preserved if the Council had placed the necessary constraints on the developer. Instead, what the developer wanted the developer got.

The second issue for me is the inadequate consultation with local residents who were given the impression that the trees would remain. It is completely unacceptable that residents are treated in this way. Sadly, last year’s fiasco surrounding library closures shows that your elected representatives don’t take consultation seriously. Based on this incident, they have learnt nothing in the meantime.

Streets update

• Following on from the above I have been looking at the latest redevelopment application to affect our area. The derelict flats at Quarrybank by the YMCA are due to be refurbished into 12 new units. This is welcome news for a site that has become an eyesore and prone to fly-tipping. However, I have today submitted a comment on this application. The plans as currently drafted would remove one of the trees on site to facilitate car parking. I have pointed out that, if this really is deemed necessary, there should be an obligation on the developer to plant at least two new trees. I have also pointed out that the plans for bicycle storage are hopelessly inadequate and run counter to Council policy.
• Meanwhile, the war on fly-tipping is a never ending one unfortunately. This month I have had to write repeated emails and make several phone calls to Council officers before finally getting action on the disgraceful conditions between Elmswood and Harrowby Roads. Can I remind everyone that most entries have a scheduled monthly cleanse. My experience is that this often doesn’t happen so if you are experiencing ongoing problems please let me know. To find out when your area is scheduled for cleaning call Streetscene on 606 2004.
• Other issues I have reported this month include:

The collapsed wall between Rodney Street and Clifton Road

The poor conditions for pedestrians under the railway bridge on Green Lane

Broken lights on Victoria Road, Craven Street and between Fountain Street/Whitford Road

Damaged alley gates on Paterson Street and Briardale Road (again)

Election news

Last week my nomination papers for the local elections on May 6^th were submitted. Along with my Green Party colleagues I have begun door-to-door canvassing. The feedback so far is really encouraging with many residents responding positively to all the work we have done throughout the year. The local poll is clearly between myself and the Labour candidate. Other parties are out of the race. If you would like to support my campaign by displaying a “vote Green” poster please let me know. You can read my key priorities for this election here.

And finally, a special mention for the ARK project for the homeless. There will be an official opening for its new extension to the Sandford Street site on April 21^st. Well done to everyone concerned on achieving this important milestone.