Posted On May 4, 2012 1 Comment

A clear majority for Labour in Wirral

For the second year running the people of Wirral have, with huge support for Labour, shown the Tory/LibDem Collaboration that their running of the Council is unacceptable.  In a Council of 66 Seats Labour has taken control with 37.  The Tories have been reduced to 22 and the LibDems to 7.  This ends years of ‘hung’ councils in which minority Labour administrations, or fragile joint administrations, have militated against clear corporate direction.  Nothing could remove impediments to robust corporate governance better than this decisive permission of the people of Wirral for Labour to direct our Council with a clear working majority.

Labour Leader Cllr Phil Davies (centre) with (left to right) Cllrs Chris Jones, Seacombe; John Salter (re-elcted for Seacombe); Ann McLachlan, Bidston; Rob Gregson (newly elected for N Brighton); Pat Hackett, N Brighton; Ron Abbey (Leasowe, demonstrating his impression of Churchill's famous 'Victory' metaphor); Anita Leech, newly elected for Leasowe; Darren Dodd, Liscard; Pat Glasman, N Brighton; and Adrian Jones, Seacombe. Not in the picture are Liscard's Cllrs Jan Williamson and Bernie Mooney.

Rob Gregson, newly elected for New Brighton, said:

Councillor Rob Gregson

“I would like to say a very big ‘thank you’ to all the people, of New Brighton, who voted me in. Last night’s result was amazing putting Labour, for the first time in 10 years, in full control of Wirral with 7 new Labour councillors.  Jobs and services are firmly on my agenda, particularly for the younger generation, and with a strong Wallasey team, with three newLabour councillors, you can be confident that these issues will be addressed properly.  I look forward to representing all the people of New Brighton with openness and integrity.  I will work hard every day to repay the trust that you placed in me and in the Labour Party. Thank you for your overwhelming support. I look forward to working for you.”

Veteran Cllr John Salter, re-elected for Seacombe, said:

Veteran Cllr John Salter - re-elected with a huge majority

“We never take the electorate for granted, but after working hard for many, many, years with Adrian, and since last May with Chris, we were confident that our support would still be there.  But the extent of the support  our residents have shown me is completely overwhelming.  I will continue to work hard, as I always have, to justify your confidence in me.” 

This is the Seacombe result. It shows John with three quarters of all the votes cast. Need we say more?

Key members of the Seacombe Team. Back row Cllr Chris Jones, Mrs Joan Salter, Cllr Adrian Jones, Mrs Kathryn Stuart. Front row Mr Tom O'Neill, Cllr John Salter - newly re-elected, and Mr Paul Stuart.

 

Posted On March 8, 2012 Leave a Comment

“Catwalk” between Town Hall and Seacombe Ferry – great success

Thursday 8th March 201

Our Community Action Team (CAT for short) were out in Seacombe today.

John, at the mobile police station, with just some of the Team who were 'sweeping' the area.

Cllr John Salter is seen here on the “Cat-walk” in the area between Seacombe Ferry and the Town Hall.  “Cat-walks”  involve your Councillors; Streetscene Officers; the Police; Wirral Partnership Homes; the Fire Service; and other agencies.  Student volunteers, from the Vocational College in wheatland Lane, also came along to help clear rubbish from our open spaces.

Many concerns were identified from local people ranging from rubbish in alley ways to matters of rowdy behaviour.   John said:

 “This has been a great success.  Placing the mobile police station was an excellent idea and it has been there for quite a while now.  Local kids have come to know our local bobbies personally and have struck up good relationships as they learned first hand about how to help the police and how the police can help us.  Having the ‘Respect’ bus along with the Anti Social Behaviour Team on board was a great success as well. 

The 'Respect Bus' is parked at the "Leasowe Castle" pub - one of several that have closed in recent years.

We did a ‘sweep’ of the area from Wallasey Town Hall to Seacombe Ferry.  Then we went on to Albermarle Road, and the area around, where we found several cases of fly tipping to the rear of properties.  (The culprits had left enough identity for our team to be able to locate them!   So this will be passed on to our enforcement team.)

The best thing about this exercise was the way the public, young and old, welcomed the presence of the ‘Respect bus’ and the Team.

It was a very worthwile exercise.”

 

Posted On January 16, 2012 Leave a Comment

Central Park – Walled Garden restored to the public.

16th January 2011

Central Park, standing at the edge of Seacombe and Egremont on the one side, with Liscard on the other, is a key public asset.

Cllr Adrian Jones & Mrs Di Ledder met Council Officers, who came up with remedies at a meeting this morning.

When the Tory/LibDem collaboration, in control of Wirral until last May, sought the reduction of some 1100+ council jobs our Central Park Ranger, who left early under one of the schemes of ‘encouragement’ to go, was among them.  He was popular and dedicated, well known for working far beyond the call of ordinary duty; we all wished him well for his early retirement, but we certainly miss him.

The public were left with the impression that the deletion of such posts would occur only if they did not adversely affect front line services.  But were people under the care of  Social Services  in Central Park not ’front line’?  Following the deletion of our Ranger’s post they found themselves without organised means to open the buildings they were using, in the morning, or to secure them afterwards, or even to have the lavatories cleaned.

This picture of Mrs Di Ledder was taken in the Park, with Cllr John Salter, when the improvements to the children's playground were being done.

The attractive Walled Garden was no longer open to the public unless the volunteers, or their carers, or Social Services staff, found ways to get it done.  And with the retirement of our Ranger it was also closed to the public and to visitors on weekends.  Not exactly good news for the ‘Leisure Peninsula’?
With no Council arrangements put in place  for the lavatories to be cleaned that, too, fell by default to Social Services Staff and volunteers.  Whoever else felt it was acceptable, it was not acceptable to your Seacombe Labour Councillors.
“What”, readers might ask,  “was the rationale for not making arrangements for the buildings and the Walled Garden to be unlocked and secured, and for the lavatories to be cleaned?”     That would be for the previous administration to explain.  Your Labour Councillors are just getting on with the business of having it put right.
Happier times are back again

 Meanwhile, the privatisation shadow has been lifted and our Parks have returned happily to public maintenance, with our professional officers able once more to arrange for the buildings to be opened for the volunteers and Social Services Staff to work unhindered; for the lavatories to be cleaned, and for our Walled Garden  to be re-opened to the residents of Wirral who, by the way, own it.

 

We will not publicly name Council Officers, not even in a ‘good news’ story such as this, but with great pleasure we can report our sincere thanks to them for the professional manner in which they were able to put remedies in place at a meeting in the Town Hall this morning.  No such thanks would be complete without recognising the wealth of advice given by Mrs Di Ledder, who chairs the Central Park Partnership.

 

 

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