Thursday 20 March 2008

The three who never speak

The agenda for the next City Council Executive Board includes a major report on regeneration in Garston. Its part of a long term plan which has been being worked on for years and includes decisions about use of money for a number of projects, including some on St Mary's Road in Garston. The Lib Dems had already said they wanted this project to proceed, but the exec board paper is effectively the formal decision process for this. I cannot stress too much what a major thing this is for the area.

As ever with proposals like this that go to the executive, local councillors covering the relevant area are asked to comment on it. This consultation informs the decision making process.

But yet again the three Labour Councillors who cover the area haven't bothered to respond (and given that responding means sending a letter or e mail or making one phone call it's hardly a big ask).

I remain bemused as to how they spend their time.

7 comments:

PM Swimmer said...

I agree thats pretty poor going.

I saw the article on these plans on the post website now as far as I could tell the story refers to 3 documents;

A FIVE-year plan to revitalise a Liverpool community has been revealed.

A report, due to be discussed by councillors next week

Officials have also drawn up plans for St Mary’s Road,

Can you tell me how I would get a hold of these documents and if there are consultations on the plans? As whislt I am keen to see investment in the area some aspects mentioned in the article fill me with complete horror.

I've tried the council website but as most users would know its about as much use as a chocolate fireguard.

Paula Keaveney said...

Go to the council website www.liverpool.gov.uk then select councillors and democracy ( or similar title) then select councillors, meetings and agendas. When you get to the meetings section find exec board (I think it is on page three but it is alphabetical) Then select the date you want and click on agenda. EAch report can be downloaded as a PDF.


All council official meetings are on here in alpha order. papers are usually on about 8 days before the meeting itself. I recommend you spend some time looking through this bit of the website - and the planning explorer. These are excellent sources of information and much underused.


The media coverage today is incomplete and I think has got two bits mixed up with each other as it refers to some building that has already happened as being in the future. (I should know I live next to it.) the report is a lot more comprehensive.

Anonymous said...

in reference to the 3 cllrs here, if they are as usless as Paula implies, would the good people of Speke/Garston not see this in May and vote out which ever of them is up?

are the lim dems tryin to win speke back?(propley i mean) Speke does strike me as a very "labour" area

PM Swimmer said...

Thanks for that Paula, lucky the council didn't spend millions on a website which should make it easy for citizens to get easy access to this kind of thing.... DOH.

seriously though shouldn't policy papers, investment strategies etc relevant to areas of the city come up when the citizens put there post code into the website. I'm mean getting the dates for recycling is great but some would say that knowing if the council intends to knock down the areas architectural heritage and flog it to developers thats pretty important too.

Rob - I'd love to vote out councillors that don't speak but exactly what would be the point of giving the controlling party more seats? I'm mean how does it help me as a resident if Paula and Peter Millea are sat there smugly nodding there heads in agreement to some daft plan from Mike Storey?

I need a stronger opposition to scrutinise those in power not another yes man/ woman.

PM Swimmer said...

Paula - Whilst you've pointed me to the agenda for the exec meeting, which I'm grateful for. All this gives me is a report on the plan put together by council officer for meeting.
It doesn't explain the plan/ strategy for st marys road therefore I have no idea what is planned.
The council talks of dealing with derelict shop properties on St Marys road but I don't know if this mean bull dozing victorian shop fronts, as has been done recently completely changing the nature of the street or whether these will be replaced with retail premises or flogged off for yet more empty flats?

I'm concerned because you can't put shops back once there gone and with out a critical number of shops your unlikely to retain enough shoppers in the face of supermarkets like the new Morrisons 5 mins up the road.

Seriously I want to know what the council is going to do to encourage St Marys road into becoming a vibrant local shopping area. I want to know that someone in the council is taking inspiration from revivals in small shopping areas in other cities and investing to encourage it here.

And this can't be something that comes from being cosy with developers becuase trust me they don't care!

Anonymous said...

Speke -Garston now is firm Labour territory, particularly the Speke part of the ward where Doreen Knight, Colin Strickland and Mary Rasmussen are popular figures with a long history of work in the community. It would be hard to see the Lib Dems making a come back in this ward. I live in Speke and in the past week have recieved 1 letter and a leaflet from Colin Stickland. At least he is keeping us up to date on the work he is doing!

Anonymous said...

I have just received a leaflet today from Labour's Rose Bailey and Stephen Twigg and I have to say that it's all doom and gloom. Nothing positive in it at all. They winge on about how bad things are but offer no solutions or no good work that they have done in the area. Very poor indeed!!! We really do expect a little more from our elected representatives than this!!!