Walton residents hit out at 24-hr booze sales plan at Asda
Photograph of street meeting including Liberal Party Cllrs Steve Radford, Chris Lenton and Clubmoor Spokesperson Dennis Gaskell
May 8 2008 by Nick Coligan, Liverpool Echo
We don’t want 24-hr booze sales at Asda
RESIDENTS have hit out at a supermarket’s plan to sell booze 24 hours a day.
They fear problems with nuisance youths will spiral out of control if they can buy alcohol around the clock from Asda, in Walton.
The Utting Avenue store has applied to Liverpool council for a licence to sell beer, wine and spirits 24 hours a day, and keep its cafe open from 11pm to 5am, seven days a week.
Asda today claimed it would only use the late licence at particularly busy times, such as the run-up to Christmas and New Year.
But residents living near the store, which currently opens 8am-10pm, Monday to Saturday, and 10.30am-4.30pm on Sundays, fear it will be the tip of the iceberg.
They have called on the council to reject the licence application, which was submitted last month.
David Marshall, 67, of Richard Kelly Drive, who lives opposite the store, said: “Our homes are only 100 yards away and we just know what will happen.
“Groups of people will come past in taxis on their way home from town and drop in there at 2am to carry on boozing.
“They will be able to have a party every night of the week.”
Liberal councillor Steve Radford, who is supporting residents’ opposition, said: “This area of Walton is essentially residential and the increasing ease with which youths are accessing alcohol is disturbing.
“Legislation has gone too far in favour of businesses being able to open at any hour they want.
“Residents in this area are already suffering so it would be utterly irresponsible to increase the supply of alcohol.”
An Asda spokesman insisted the store was not planning to open 24 hours a day full-time.
He said: “This is about enhancing our offer to customers when we need to, at times like Christmas and New Year.
“This licence would allow us to provide our full offers at these times of the year.”
The spokesman said Asda staff are trained to ask anyone buying alcohol who looks under 25 for identification.
He added: “We do not believe we have a problem with young people drinking in and around the store.”
Printed Daily Post Letters Page 8th May : LFC Planning Debate
Dear Editor
No where greater was the collapse in the Lib Dem Vote and swing to Labour than the Anfield Ward
No doubt a significant contributing factors was the closures of Leighton Dene and Boaler Street rehab facilities and care facilities in Venmore Street
the administration could now show a signal of listening to the people by reconsidering their decisions in respect of these locations
Over and above that is a real bitter resentment that the Lib Dems lied by stealth over the whole Anfield Stadium issue. The plan was never for a 60,000 stadium
but a move towards a 75,000 seat stadium irrespective of the inability of the traffic schemes to cope
It was really disappointing at the first planning committee of the new municipal year the newly elected Labour Councillor for Anfield did not even appear,
showing the same disinterest of previous Lib Dem Councillors for Anfield for the biggest decision for Anfields future
It was truly noticed by all objectors with disdain
Cllr Steve Radford
Leader Liberal Party Group
Defections and Double Standards
open letter from Cllr Steve Radford
Dear Editor
Cllr Anderson (Letters Page Daily Post 8th May) hits out at Cllr Nadia Stewart defecting to the Lib Dems, her having been elected as a Labour Councillor, a matter I agree with
Is this the same Joe Anderson who welcomed defector Cllr Frankael only weeks earlier?
Cllr Anderson says he was in the process of pushing Nadia Stewart out of the Labour Group for poor attendance.
If that is the case he would have my sympathy, for we in The Liberal Party have formally disciplined former Liberal Party Councillors in Clubmoor for failing to carry out their duties, they were then opportunistically welcomed into the L:ib Dem Group
Without doubt many parties suffer from some councillors at some time or other not pulling their weight, however it was because this Government forced councils to pay all councillors a flat allowance irrespective of how many committees they serve on. let alone attend. Wiithout doubt the levels of attendance have dropped acroiss all committtees where the work is done
Can we urge Cllr Anderson to speak to his own government to corrects this nonsense
Lastly if Cllr Anderson has taken disciplinary action against Cllr Nadia Stewart for failing in her duties where is the evidence of that ?
For in the case of Clubmoor Labour Cllr Ben Williams persistent non attendance at any public events since the beginning of the year, we have no evidence of any disciplinary action being taken against him
In fact far from it , Cllr Anderson it appears intervened to prevent the Councillor resigning and had his Labour Group carry on having him appointed and paid for the Chairmanship of the Clubmoor Croxteth Norris Green Area Committee
There appears a blatant double standard to Cllr Andersons alleged actions in respect of non-attendance by Clr Stewart and the protection of Cllr Ben Williams
,This is compounded by a clear double standards in welcoming the defector Beatrice Frankael whilst condemning Cllr Stewart in the same breath for the same action
Cllr Steve Radford
Leader Liberal Party Group
Liverpool FC: Third stadium plan gets go-ahead
May 7 2008 by Nick Coligan, Liverpool Echo
LIVERPOOL FC have been given the go-ahead for their third stadium plan - but it is still unclear when work will start.
Councillors approved the proposal for a £350m, 60,000-seater ground in Stanley Park at Liverpool town hall yesterday .
It was the third time in five years the council has backed a stadium scheme from the Reds.
But the futuristic design was given a rocky ride by some critics, who described it as “a giant extractor fan dropped from outer space” and “an architectural caricature of terminal five at Heathrow”.
Eventually, the nine-man planning committee approved New Anfield unanimously, hours after visiting the site and witnessing restoration work in the rest of Stanley park.
Chairman Dave Irving said: “It is quite exciting and will certainly benefit Anfield’s regeneration.”
Liverpool were today unable to give a start date for the stadium.
After American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett took over in February last year, they ordered a redesign and that plan was approved last summer.
It was then shelved and redrawn again by Dallas-based architects HKS earlier this year when the tycoons decided it was too expensive.
The scheme approved yesterday showed a number of changes, notably a smaller underground car park beneath the stadium and a reduced height.
Anfield resident Brian Woodbridge, a Reds supporter, said: “I think it is a wonderful stadium and the last one wasn’t bad.
“I want them to build a big stadium – 100,000-seater, if they like – but not on our park.
“Would you consider it being built on Sefton Park or Calderstones Park? Of course you wouldn’t.”
Liberal councillor Steve Radford told the committee: “If anyone else, such as Everton, wanted to build this giant extractor fan on one of our historic parks, they would be told ‘no’.
“It is hypocritical to object to Knowsley council building on green space when you are doing the same yourselves.”
Sam Ryan, representing the club, said the proposal was much the same as the one approved in July last year.
She said: “This is a much more viable development, but it remains in line with the original objective of being high-quality.”
The scheme will be sent to the government to be approved or “called in” for a public inquiry.
Steve Radford
Robert Millington
Kathryn Dadswell
George Powell
Jennifer Mary Brown
Peter Squire
Maggie Stewart
TUSP
Socialist Labour Party Leader - Arthur Scargill
