Planning Issues Progress in Tuebrook and Anfield

 Planning Commiittee Councillors on Tuesday 5th October (10.00 Town Hall, Dale Street) are being asked to reject applications to turn derelict properties into single mens hostels for refugees.

 Liberal Party Councillor Steve Radford described Rocky Lane and Windsor Road as two problematic areas with an excessive crime rates,excessive flats and derelict properties, "the very last place a single refuge should be abandoned in." He also directly questioned the owner of the houses, who confirmed that the two properties would not have any in house residential support staff. The Planning Committee agreed to a request to visit the locality last month, it is hoped that they will ratify the decision to refuse permission at their meeting on 7th.

Also on the agenda is the conversion of a former childrens home at Sunnyoak, Hughenden Road into 5 apartments.

A planning application for 4 houses at Ivy Leigh has been rejected as an overdevelopment which would not provide for a turn around at the end of this tight cul-de-sac. It is now up to the developer to submit a fresh application Liberal Party Councillors are welcoming plans to build 4 terraced houses to extend the current row of Gloucester Road North, this will eradicate waste land currently used as an illegal driveway.

Over the last year Liberal Party Councillors have worked with various bodies to promote the re-development of waste land at Hilberry Avenue and the former Breckside Social Club abd depot. "We are determined to up grada housing in the Tuebrook area and provide a more secure and cleaner environment" commented Cllr Steve Radford at the area committee.

 Cllr Chris Lenton has argued against further telephone masts being erected on Queens Drive by the current deaf school, "we already have significant masts at Queens Drive, St Andrews and Lister Drive - our plannng officers should be doing more to encourage shared use, otherwise we will end up with a mast on every street corner" the debate was summed up by Cllr Chris Lenton.

118th Liberal Party Assembly

Boundary Review Accepts Liberal Party Proposals...

 From June 2004 Liverpool will have its current 33 wards reduced to 30 wards. The local elections in June 2004 (rather than May) will mean each voter will be able to cast three votes for all three ward councillors at the same time.

The currently Liberal Party stronghold of Tuebrook Ward will sadly see the Pinehurst Estate residents re-allocated to Anfield Ward and the Elm Vale/Fairfield residents move into a new Kensington/Fairfield Ward. However the whole of Newsham Park and the Townsend Lane communities will remain in the Tuebrook Ward representing a defeat for the city councils initial recommendations. Joining the Tuebrook and Stoneycroft Ward will be residents from Stoneycroft Crescent and Close, Bowley, Plemont,Eccleshill, Northgate Roads, Woburn Hill and Tynwald Hill all currently in the Old Swan Ward.

From Croxteth Ward will come residents from Maxwell Rd, Millbank, Sandy Lane, Hewitson, Browning, Borella Roads and part of Muirhead Avenue From Anfield Ward come residents of Scorton, Morecambe,Grange, Rossett and Rockhouse, Hampson St and part of Rocky Lane

The new residents in many cases already know us and come to us with their concerns, we are so pleased they will now be able to vote for us as well commented Cllr Steve Radford who led the Liberal Party submission.

Residents from the Baltic Streets will now be included in the Anfield Ward.

The Review also accepted the idea of a new Norris Green Ward and the new Clubmoor Ward which will be focussed along the Queens Drive area from Muirhead Ave and the full length of the Cherry Lane area.

With LocalElections on new boundaries and European Elections in June it is vital everyone registers to vote. If you have not filled in your forms or recently moved please phone 233 3000 today.

Liberty News...

20,000 Copies of Liberty News hit the streets of Walton and West Derby as part of The Liberal Party campaign for a more diverse and democratic Europe. Liberal Party members are delivering 20,000 free copies of Liberty News. Liberty News is the official newspaper of the Campaign for an Independent Britain, a cross party group.

"Whilst the CIB may wish withdraw from the EU many of us would all welcome a halt on the slide to further integration and uniformity, we all welcome the call for the people of Briatin to have a democratic vote, that is why The Liberal Party is leading from the front. We welcome co-operation with others who share similar concerns from all parts of the democratic political spectrum" summed up Cllr Steve Radford.

PUBLIC MEETINGS TO DEBATE CASE FOR REFERENDUM ON EU CONSTITUTION:

Deprived Areas By-passed in Government Child centre funding due to city council neglect

At the Education Scrutiny Committee Liberal Party Councillor Steve Radford questioned why the current programme of child centre, building upon the sure start programme, did not see any immediate plans for many deprived communities such as Tuebrook, .Anfield, Fazakerley and a large swathe of the Walton/Clubmoor area.

The child centres and sure start programme are government led initiatives and are funded to target the poorest 20% of wards in the country.

Anfield, Tuebrook and Fazakerley are actually in the most deprived 10% of wards, across England.However the city council are more advanced with a child centre planned for the Wavertree Gardens suburb, which is more prosperous and represented by the leader of the council

Anfield Liberal Party Campaigner Mike Butler said, “Local people are fed up with promises of funds but areas like Anfield and Tuebrook are continually by-passed”

Liberal Party Councillors have tabled this issue for a council debate however they are expecting the Lib Dems to vote against this issue being discussed with their track record in refusing to debate local issues whilst they prefer to take shots at the government on national issues.

Cllr Chris Lenton commented that since being elected he was shocked at the way councillors wanted to ignore the impact of their own decisions whilst turning the Town Hall into a shadow Westminster debating society.

Liberals Protest at Lack of Single Sex School Places

At the Education Scrutiny Committee on 11 the September, Liberal Party Councillor Steve Radford queried that there was a consistent lack of single sex school places in Liverpool.

Taking into account first preferences only there were 380 parents seeking the 240 places at Holly Lodge Girls School, whilst there were over 300 parents seeking 240 places at the West Derby Boys School.

Education officials said they were not considering any steps to increase the supply of single sex secondary education places.

The Liberal Party Group of Cllrs Steve Radford, Hazel Williams and Chris Lenton have now tabled a formal council motion to seek options to respond to parental demand.

In the Catholic sector Broughton High School for girls have an excess demand of 30 first preferences

"This is not about us dictating to parents but us responding to parental demand, we have a golden opportunity with the pending single siting of West Derby Boys to plan for changes now" rounded Steve Radford.

Over the city 92% of parental first choices are met, the question of single sex school places is the only major point of conflict and a considerable number of allocation appeals.

Newsham Park...

NEWSHAM PARK : CITY COUNCIL IS A NEGLIGENT LANDLORD SAY LIBERAL COUNCILLORS

At the Fairfield and Stoneycroft Area Committee (this includes Tuebrook, Fairfield and Old Swan Wards) Liberal Party Councillors Steve Radford , Hazel Williams and Chris Lenton are calling for a report back on the condition of all council leased properties in the Newsham Park Area. The area Committee on Monday 15th Sept is to be held at the Tuebrook Hope Centre, to the rear of St John's Church, Green Lane. All residents are welcome to attend , the meeting starts at 6.00 At the last city council Resources Committee Cllr Steve Radford hit out that the city council and one of the larger Housing Associations were the worst landlords in the Park, they in fact were so negligent that it was dragging down the whole area. Other issues at the meeting is a call for an audit of all roadways that need repaving in the area such as Bowley Road, Stoneycroft

Liberal votes at 16 motion carried

At the Liverpool City Council meeting on 3rd September ,the Liberal Party motion endorsing the votes at 16 camapign was carried without opposition. Whilst the Labour Group abstained ,rather than make their mind up, the majority of Lib Dems voted for the Liberal Party Resolution Moving the resolution Liberal Party Councillor Steve Radford argued that vast numbers of young people were interested in politics as evidenced by the numbers at Stop the War demonstrations. He also said if it was good enough for 16 and 17 year olds to pay tax and serve in the armed forces it was good enough for them to votes The Liberal Party submission supporting the Votes at 16 Campaign can be found on the Liberal Party website Newsdesk and more information can be obtained from the votes at16 website The Liberal Party is very keen to encourage the participation of young people and has the youngest city councillor in Liverpool, Chris Lenton being elected in May 2003 at the age of 23. Chris Lenton is a graduate of Liverpool Univeristy having studied politics and represents the Tuebrook Ward along with Cllrs Steve Radford and Hazel Williams

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 - Cllr Steve Radford