Let's have volunteer of the year award says Lib Dem

Liberal Democrat finance spokesperson and Cllr for Allerton and Hunts Cross, Flo Clucas, is calling for more to be done to recognise the work of volunteers.

She wants the City Council to look into whether there can be an award each year for the City's volunteer of the year.

Says Flo: "There are so many people making such a huge commitment to our City with their voluntary work that it would be great if there were some sort of civic award"

Cllr Clucas has submitted a motion to the City Council meeting tomorrow (24th May).  The Leader of the Council will be asked to respond in the coming weeks.

The text of the motion reads:

"That this Council, mindful of the commitment of thousands of Liverpool residents, who are involved as volunteers with organisations across the city, places on record its gratitude to those volunteers in this the European Year of the Volunteer.

Further, the Chief Executive is asked to investigate the potential for establishing an annual award for Liverpool's Volunteer of the Year."

Control phone masts better says Liverpool Lib Dem leader.

Liverpool needs to get much better at controlling telephone masts.

That's the view of Cllr Paula Keaveney, Leader of the Lib Dem Group on the City Council.

She's put in a motion, for tomorrow's  (24 May) Council meeting, to ask for the problem to be dealt with.

Says Paula: " When operators get planning permission for masts they can end up riding roughshod over local people.  I've seen conditions ignored and Liverpool City Council behave as if there is little it can do.  In reality if conditions are agreed they need to be enforced or they are meaningless"

Problems recently have included operators turning up without doing the promised envionmental checks and not painting masts the right colour.

Paula , who is also Councillor for Cressington ward, is asking the Cabinet member for regeneration to have a proper look at this and see what can be done to tighten things up.

She adds: "The Council often insists that phone masts are painted goose grey.  In the real world this often translates into 'standout white'.  Surely we can come to a better agreement whereby residents have more of a say about the colour that will work in their area"

The motion is submitted to the City Council meeting on 24th May. It will be considered by the next meeting of the Council's regeneration committee.

The text of the motion, also signed by Lib Dem Councillor Pat Moloney, is below:

"Council notes that the installation of telecommunications masts in residential areas is often highly controversial and that there is often much resident opposition based on, among other things, health fears and appearance.

Council notes that some installations, despite what operators have said, clearly spoil the appearance of areas and stand out from surrounding trees, plants etc.

Council accepts that for citizens to have access to mobile telecommunications coverage, some phone masts are essential.

Council however believes that conditions on masts operators needs to be tightened up to avoid causing problems for residents. It notes that there are cases in which operators have simply ignored conditions applied by the Council and the council has not been able to properly enforce its own agreements.

Council therefore calls on the Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Transport to –

·              institute a time limited review of current practice when it comes to setting conditions and carrying out enforcement.  This review should include the arrangements made for receiving and monitoring information from operators and the decisions which are made when agreeing conditions on issues such as colour and tree/shrub planting

·              survey a sample of residents affected by those phone masts installed or reinstalled in the last three months to ascertain views on what could or should have been done to make the outcome more agreeable to residents.

·              report back with a view to making any changes identified as necessary."

Liverpool Labour threaten City's green spaces - Flo Clucas 3 May

Liverpool’s Green Spaces threatened by council drive for 37,000 new homes, says Cllr Flo Clucas

Greenfield sites and open spaces in Liverpool big enough to cover the size of more than 100 football pitches are being earmarked for housing development, Lib Dem leader Cllr Flo Clucas reveals today.

Cllr Clucas fears an ambitious city wide plan for 37,000 new homes threatens the city’s prized green spaces.

She said: “In the 1980s the  City Council were accused of selling off the family silver. If this huge land disposal is approved the council will be accused of selling off the crown jewels.”

Cllr Clucas said alarm bells sounded when she read a council report calling for 37,000 new homes to be built over the next 16 years.

Initially 85% of the new homes were earmarked to be built in and around the city centre on brownfield sites. The other 15% were to be built in other parts of the city.

But in a recent change of plan it is now proposed to build 30% of the total – more than 11,000 homes – in Liverpool suburbs, with several thousand earmarked on green spaces and former schools and playing fields.

Cllr Clucas added: “When I saw the figures I realised the only way to create this high level of home construction would be to sell green sites and open spaces.

“I then discovered the council had hired a firm of development consultants to look at the availability of hundreds of sites in the site suitable for new housing.

“Each site has been carefully examined and scored as to its suitability, even detailing how many homes could be built on each site.

“What I find alarming is many of the sites would only accommodate small numbers of homes, but when you look at the locations on a map and add up the totals you realise this is the biggest ever assault on our cherished green spaces. This doesn't include potential developments within what is known as Liverpool's Green Wedge from Woolton to Calderstones and Sefton Park, which faces possible incursions as well.

“If the council is doing this merely as a fishing exercise, why go to the expense of hiring land experts to examine hundreds of sites.

“We should be insisting on using up brownfield sites for new homes. I was shell-shocked when I read the dozens of individual site reports.”

Consultants Roger Tym and Partners carried out the detailed examination of each site for the Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment.

Added Cllr Clucas: “I have copies of each assessment report and around 30 relate to what are described as Greenfield sites and another 16 relate to former schools and school playfield fields. This is potentially a serious assault on our green spaces in Liverpool.

“Building around 2,800 on these green spaces will ruin what is one of the ace cards we have in Liverpool – our wonderful green acres, envied by cities all over the UK.

Green sites earmarked for new housing span the city from Woolton, Allerton , Childwall, Aigburth, Anfield West Derby, Wavertree, Picton, Old Swan,  Knotty Ash, Greenbank, Croxteth to Mossley Hill where 280homes could be built in the grounds of the Univerity of Liverpool Carnatic and Dale Halls. More than 70 homes could even be built on the site of the council’s Greenhill Nursery, currently home of the city’s world famous orchid collection. The consultants say 77 homes could be created at Calderstones Park Mansion House and Stables.

Said Cllr Clucas: “We need to look at sites for new house building, but selecting dozens and dozens of greenspace areas is a backward step, I will fight to preserve these areas for future generations to enjoy.”

The details emerged as a result of a strategy document known as The Liverpool Local Development Framework which sets out the city's needs for housing and economic development over the next few decades. Part of the document's role is to allocate sites for housing and other other developments. The document recognises as significant the doubling of proposed suburban housing development to 30% of the planned needs.

“The document says the strategy is supported by consultation responses in 2010, but I have never been asked for my views of whether we should raid our green spaces and I don't know of any other people who have been asked,” added Cllr Clucas.

Liverpool Lib Dems cry foul over plans to axe support for most needy - 26th April

Councillor Flo Clucas cries 'Foul' over plans to axe support for 1,400 of Liverpool's most needy.

Liverpool's Acting Liberal Democrat leader Flo Clucas slammed as a ‘foul’ a decision to hold two crucial public meetings over social care on the eve of local council elections.

The two 'limited places' meetings will take place at Liverpool FC's Anfield Stadium on May 4 – the day before the council elections.

As part of a money-saving exercise the Labour-controlled council wants to withdraw 'moderate' social service support currently offered to around 1,400 people.

Said Councillor Clucas: “I re-affirm my commitment to the provision of moderate social care to those who need it. If these people need this support today, they need it tomorrow, next week and next month. You just cannot pull the plug on this vital service currently offered to people who are among the most vulnerable in our city. Yet Labour is planning to pull that plug.

“The two biggest spending departments of the council are education and social services, and that's because they are the cornerstone of local government. I know we face a tough financial challenge, but we cannot abandon our most needy and vulnerable. The Liberal Democrats have fought for years to maintain proper care for the elderly and those who need it. Ending moderate care provision is fundamentally and morally wrong.

“This 'moderate' care includes attendance at day centres which will be lost if moderate care provision is abandoned. Those visits are a crucial lifeline.”

Councillor Clucas described as a sham, the decision to stage these two public meetings on the eve of the council elections.

Councillor Ron Gould, Opposition spokesman on Social Care said: “The benefits of moderate care cannot be underestimated, affecting many hundreds of families. The council should use money it is holding in reserves, reported to be some £122 million, to protect this most precious service to our most vulnerable people “

End traffic chaos say West Derby Lib Dems

West Derby Lib Dem Councillors, Norman Mills and Graham Hulme, are calling for action at a troublesome traffic junction in their area.

The Councillors think that changes to traffic light filtering would make a big difference on Queen's Drive when motorists are trying to turn into Mill Bank.

The two Lib Dems will be making their call at this week's meeting of the Council's Regeneration and Transport Select Committee (31 March)

The  text of their motion is below:

"MOTION FROM COUNCILLORS NORMAN MILLS AND GRAHAM HULME

There is a constant traffic problem at this major junction of Queens Drive, which we would request the Director of Regeneration to address. Traffic driving From the direction of Muirhead Avenue/Walton/ Bootle, upon reaching the Traffic Lights at the Junction with Mill Bank (near to Holly Lodge School) and needing to turn Right into Mill Bank- is being forced to back up in appreciable numbers during Rush hour periods.

A Filtering system is required to enable at least half a dozen cars to be able to turn Right into Mill Bank – heading towards Tue brook and the City. At present, only 2 or 3 vehicles maximum can turn right when the main traffic flow on Queens Drive is stopped, and before Traffic driving up Mill Bank to cross Queens Drive have the Green traffic light to proceed.

Apart from the numbers of vehicles coming from the Walton/Bootle direction which attempt to turn Right at this point into Mill Bank, there is also considerable traffic coming from the Three Butt Lane estate, and Marlowe Drive estates, which have no other alternative but to carry out this manoeuvre. This is a large area of Housing, with a considerable number of vehicles.

At present, Long lines of Vehicles are backing up in the third (Outside) lane at busy periods, which is not a specific (Designated) Lane for vehicles turning right. There is a potential Hazard created here, by other vehicles Not wanting to turn Right- trying to move left out of the line of vehicles, and motorists turning Right racing across Queens Drive before the Traffic coming from Mill Bank has the Green Light to do so.

The far side of Queens Drive has had a Filter system for Traffic turning Right for many years into Mill Lane, which operates very well. We request that a similar Filter system is created on the Holly Lodge side of Queens Drive creating at least a Filter Light system,- and hopefully a Filter Lane- for vehicles Turning Right into Mill Bank. This would not only make this Junction safer, but reduce the Stress upon Motorists waiting for lengthy periods to turn Right at this Junction.”

Extra cash for pothole repairs from Coalition Government

Liverpool is to receive more than one million pounds of extra Government money specifically to pay for pothole repairs.

That's as a result of an announcement in this week's budget, and an announcement earlier this year.

Says Lib Dem regen spokesperson Paula Keaveney:

" This extra funding is good news for the City.  As a cyclist I notice on a daily basis how badly potholed some of our roads are. In fact my route to the station is really the Garston slalom! This money should go some way towards making inroads on the repairs needed"

It's not yet known where exactly the extra money will be spent.  All Councils getting the extra funds have to publish details of how the money has been used.  Paula has submitted a question to the Regeneration Committee, which meets next week (31st March) about how the decisions will be taken.

Lord Storey's maiden speech in the Lords

Lord Storey, (Baron Storey of Childwall) made his maiden speech in the House of Lords today (Thursday 17th March) focusing on childhood and early intervention.

You can find the text of the speech here