The Ducklings are here

My office at Edge Hill looks out over the campus lake. We have some (very) tame ducks here who seem to have no fear of vehicles or people.

Anyway, yesterday we had the first sightings of a brood (is that the right word) of duckings with their proud mum. Ahhhhhh!

Jack Jones

Former union leader and pensioners' activist Jack Jones has died, aged 96.

He was actually from Garston under the bridge and was featured in the local history book - "Over the top from Under the Bridge".

Annoyingly I lent my copy to someone and now can't remember who. I am not sure if this is still in print. The publisher is Countyvise and here is a link to a page on Amazon.

Garston Hospital - planning committee

I have had a few e mails or posts asking about the decision about Garston hospital. I have just discovered that the relevant planning committee is next Tuesday (21st April).

The agenda for the whole meeting, including material re the hospital, is at www.liverpool.gov.uk in the Councillors, government and decision making section.

I have had a few problems with links lately but hopefully this one will take you to the relevant section

When is it too early??

Popped along yesterday morning to look at an environmental issue a constituent had raised. I was about to then knock on his door and tell him I had been to have a look when I realised that before nine on a holiday morning probably wasn't the best time to go disturbing him! I put a note through his letter box instead. When he called later he was rather glad I hadn't woken him up.

Liverpool Commission update

Later this month its the final meeting (well final before the recommendations report is written) of the Liverpool Commission. The Commission is an independent body set up by Liverpool City Council to discuss and make recommendations around a number of things including recruitment of potential councillors, training for elected members, systems of scrutiny, involvement of marginalised groups etc. There are two councillors on this body - one is me - but the majority of members are independent of the Council. Liverpool is one of nine Councils running something like this although I understand some others are likely to follow.

I have blogged about this before but the reason I raise this now is to remind people that the next meeting is 23rd April in the evening. The meetings are held in public so people are welcome to attend. Also though there is still time for people to send in thoughts.

Information about the Commission (mainly minutes and agendas from previous meetings plus details of time date and venue) is on the City Council website - www.liverpool.gov.uk. You can also e mail me with questions though - either post them here or e mail me at paula.keaveney@liverpool.gov.uk.

I can thoroughly recommend...

... a few days away.

Just spent five days in a cottage in a Yorkshire village (sort of betweel Halifax and Hebden bridge). Loads of fresh air. Loads of walking. And mobile free (as I soon discovered my phone wouldnt work in the cottage).

MWDA letter

In a previous post I offered to send a copy of the letter from the Merseyside Waste Disposal Authority out to anyone interested. This is the letter correcting many false impressions in the leaflet about the proposed Jack Allen Holdings waste plant.

I don't have an electronic copy so please if you do post to say you'd like a copy, please give me your postal address (you can e mail me at paula.keaveney@liverpool.gov.uk with this if you would prefer)

Alternatively a scanned version has, I understand, now been added to
www.southliverpoolresidents.org.uk.