Moss Bank Rose, March 2007

Moss Bank Rose, October 2006

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Moss Bank Rose, February 2007

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Roy Litherland - your local community campaigner

Your local Labour Party team member, Roy Litherland has, for several years, been at the forefront of local efforts to improve the area in and around the Moss Bank estate. Among the numerous successes he has been involved in are:

• £32,000 raised to provide a skateboard ramp in a local park
• Fundraising to purchase changing rooms at a local recreation facility
• Creation of the "Dream Team" scheme for local young people
• Setting up, along with others, "Activate", an effective support group for young people

Roy has campaigned effectively on many issues on the local estate and has been instrumental in building up a coalition of (among others) local campaigners, council officials, Helena Housing officials, local police in order to identify and deal with problems of anti-social behavious, environmental health, and funding for local facilities, etc.

Roy is now asking residents all over Moss Bank, Haresfinch and Laffak to get in touch with him so he can help you out with any issues you may have over local issues and the shoddy way your Lib Dem councillors are ignoring your problems. Please get in touch with Roy personally by emailing him at roy.litherland@merseymail.com.

Carr Mill Dam

Community champion Roy Litherland has received many messages of support from local residents following his ongoing battle with the Lib Dem led council regarding fly tipping at Carr Mill Dam. Roy said:

Carr Mill Dam is a jewel in the crown of our area and we should be protecting it for future generations, not encouraging people to dump rubbish there.

One local resident said:

Good on you Roy. It comes to something when residents are left to try and clear hazardous mess from well used public beuty spots.

Know of any other local grot spots you want tackling? Contact Roy on 22639 or email roy.litherland@merseymail.com

Coming Soon at Moss Bank Labour Club

Wed 20 December

Will Power (m voc) & Lisa Young (f voc)

Fri 22 December

Last Chance (5 piece group)

Sun 24 December

Unison (top group)

Tue 26 December

Prize Karaoke with Al. Come along and enjoy the evening.

Wed 27 December

James Devine (voc inst) & Kelly Barugh (fem voc)

Fri 29 December

Rave On (rock 'n roll group)

Sun 31 December

Talk Of The Town

Coming Soon at Moss Bank Labour Club

Wed 13 December

American Pie (top group)

Fri 15 December

Happy Dayze (top group)

Sun 17 December

Rare Fusion (BG duo) & Tony Garcia (m voc)

Coming Soon at Moss Bank Labour Club

Wed 6 December

Senior Citizens' Christmas Party.

Starring - George Monks (m voc), Gerry Sanoon (50s tribute) and Ruth Reagon (fem voc).

Fri 8 December

Pretext (top 3 piece band)

Sun 10 December

Jamie (Irish tenor) & Pamela Jaymes (fem voc)

Laffak bus service proposal

We recently sent a letter to every household in the Paisley Avenue area of Laffak. The text is as follows:

Dear Resident,

We have been contacted recently by residents from the Paisley and Renfrew Avenue area regarding the local bus service.

At present, there is a bus every 20 minutes running along Bosworth Road, along Chain Lane and then turning left along Hinckley Road on its way back to the town centre. This service is quite adequate, but for some residents of the area, this entails a long walk to the bus stops in Chain Lane.

It has been suggested by some residents that one of the already scheduled buses could be re-routed and instead of tuning left onto Chain Lane, it could instead turn right down Chain Lane then left into Paisley Avenue running the full length of Paisley Avenue then turning right back onto Chain Lane, continuing along Hinckley Road on its original route back towards the town centre.

If you would like to contact us with reference to the above issue, please do so.

This is just a draft proposal and it is your views that count, so if you would like to have an input, please do so then we can take into account the views of the majority. Thank you for taking the time to read this,

Yours,

Roy Litherland.

If you would like to get in touch regarding this proposal, please leave a message by clicking on “comments” below.

Lib Dems: soft on thugs and soft on crime

Introducing Roy Litherland, a member of your Labour team

For the benefit of those in the Laffak & Haresfinch areas of the ward, here is just a short introduction to Roy and his background in voluntary and community work.

Over the last few years, Roy has created and chaired the successful Clinkham Wood/Moss Bank/Carr Mill tenants and residents association. During this time, he has won numerous awards both locally and nationally for his work in the local community. The investment Roy has brought into Moss Bank is staggering - there has been hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of investment by way of the Activate project, the skateboard park and the changing facilities at Windermere Avenue.

On policing issues, Roy worked particularly hard in bringing to the area the new community building situated in Bowness Avenue, working alongside Inspector Alistair Buckley and Estate Manager Colin Green. The three worked hard on a number of major issues, leaving a lasting impression on the Moss Bank estate, either through the implementation of both the Section 30 intiative, or the Estate Watch Scheme, which was the first of its kind in the country. Ever since its introduction, we have seen great results, including the long campaign to bring Community Support Officers to the area.

Roy has worked tirelessly with the police to rid the area of its one-time massive illegal drug problem. Although the problem has not been fully eradicated, it has (with the help of Helena Housing and members of the public through a team of volunteers) reduced in scope and the culprits have been removed from the area.

On the community front, Roy has created a fantastic network bringing all the local voluntary and official bodies together to form a very strong bond which again has helped to make Moss Bank one of the more sought-after areas of the borough. Roy's reward was to be voted 12 months ago to be the best community worker/volunteer not just in St Helens, but nationwide.

We are pleased to welcome Roy to the team and are sure his joining forces with your local Labour team will bring many benefits to local people's lives.

Clothing collection, Laffak. Beware!!

This leaflet is being delivered this morning to houses in the Laffak area of the ward. Please be aware that the company behind the leaflet, which asks you to leave out unwanted clothes for collection this coming Thursday, is not a charity. It is Recycling Port Ltd, which Companies House confirms here has never filed any accounts and was only incorporated in March 2006.

Not only that, but Recycling Port Ltd does not inform Companies House of the nature of its business. The nature of Recycling Port's business is that it collects your unwanted clothes and then sells them on for its own gain. If you have an any unwanted clothes, we would urge you to give only to registered charities. If you have any doubts about whether a collection is being made on behalf of a charity, please contact the Charity Commission's helpline on 0870 333 0123.

300 gains thanks to your Labour government

Click here (pdf file)

Fines for fly tipping? Not in St Helens

Councillor Carole Kavanagh recommends giving fly tippers a second chance. As long as people go back and clear up their rubbish after they've been caught, there will be no fines.

If this isn't a fly tipper's charter, then nothing is. Fly tippers, you now have the freedom of St Helens. And if you're caught, merely say sorry and clear it up, and you won't be fined.

Appeal: Does anyone have any old local Lib Dem Focus leaflets?

If so, please get in touch with local Labour team member, Patrick Hurley, at patrick.hurley@merseymail.com.

Thanks.

Grot Spot: Bowness Avenue shop

Take a look at these photos of the state of the area around the Best One shop on Bowness Avenue...







...and ask yourself what your Council is doing about it.

Lib Dem Moss Bank Councillor jeopardises 10,000 new St Helens jobs

As reported below, Cllr Richard Ferry (Lib Dem for Moss Bank) recently used his casting vote as planning chairman to vote in favour of proposals to redevelop Newton Park farmhouse and barn to create 37 new homes. If this development goes ahead, there could be major consequences for plans to build the rail freight terminal on the former pit - a project that could create 10,000 new jobs.

These people are supposed to be representing you. They're not. Vote them out.

Lib Dem Council Leader in hot water

http://www.sthelensstar.co.uk/display.var.933225.0.parkside_vote_fury.php

ST HELENS Council leader Brian Spencer has been reported to the Standards Board for England for allegedly influencing a planning verdict that could put the proposed Parkside rail freight terminal in jeopardy.

The claims, made by a rival Labour councillor, follow the decision by the local authority's planning committee to vote in favour of proposals to redevelop Newton Park farmhouse and barn to create 37 new homes.

Councillor Spencer, who is this week attending the Liberal Democrat party conference in Brighton, totally refutes the allegations.

He accused the Labour party of "using dirty tricks" in an attempt to "discredit" the council that is now run jointly by the Lib Dems and Conservative party.

The controversy has stemmed from a planning committee meeting where proposals to re-develop the farm buildings standing on land situated next to the former Parkside colliery, were heard.

The new homes development may still need to get approval from government, but if does go ahead there could be major consequences for plans to build the rail freight terminal on the former pit - a project that backers say could create 10,000 new jobs.

Cllr Spencer does not sit on the planning committee. He was present in the public gallery during the meeting, which he is fully entitled to do.

At the meeting, the committee went against the council's officers' recommendations to reject a planning application to re-build the farmhouse.

After a tie in votes, seven for and seven against, planning chair and Lib Dem councillor Richard Ferry used his casting vote to grant the application permission.

Labour councillor Keith Roberts, who sits on the planning committee, has now sent a letter to the independent watchdog for ethics and standards alleging Council Leader Brian Spencer "unduly influenced" the planning committee.

His accusations allege that: Councillor Spencer was twice heard during the meeting to say the committee should vote to accept the application and that he used his position as council leader to influence the planning committee to approve the application for Newton Park Farm in order to adversely affect proposals for the Parkside rail freight terminal.

Cllr Spencer described the allegations as "total fabrication". He added: "I did not make any comment during that debate nor did I speak to any member or officer."

The Standards Board for England will now decide whether Cllr Spencer faces an investigation. Meanwhile, plans for Newton Bank Farm will go back to a planning committee to have conditions set down against the planning consent.

Given that the farm project involves developing homes on greenbelt land, the application could yet be called in' by the government for further consideration.

Improvements to Whiston & St Helens Hospitals

http://www.sthelenspct.nhs.uk/organisation.asp?section_id=51&navigation=3

Strategic Redevelopment Project

The scheme will deliver two new hospitals at St Helens and Whiston. These new buildings will complement developments in primary and social care which together will deliver comprehensive modern services to the residents of St Helens and Knowsley.

• The redevelopment project is about much more than new buildings and will generate significant opportunities for local regeneration.
• The Local Authorities, Primary Care Trusts and the Hospital Trust are working closely together to ensure that every opportunity is taken to deliver benefits into the local economies.
• The new hospital facilities will be provided through a private Finance Initiative (PFI) scheme.
• The Hospital Trust has selected NewHospitals as its privat sector partner after a rigorous competitive process.
• Work will commence on both the Whiston and St Helens sites during the Summer of 2005.

The Trust has undertaken a series of discussions to develop new models of care to better serve the local community.

The new models of care will deliver greater separation of emergency and planned services, to improve speed and efficiency of services. This will be partly accomplished by the further development of emergency services on the Whiston site along with enhanced provision of acute beds. Whilst providing a new fast access diagnostic and treatment centre on the St. Helens site, this will include an improved and expanded day surgery unit alongside outpatient facilities which will be supported by assessment and diagnostic facilities. Another element of the proposals is the introduction of intermediate care beds, where patients can gain independence to enable a smooth transition back to home or elsewhere, supported by improved and enhanced rehabilitation facilities.

The models complement a major investment in Primary Care supporting treatment closer to patient homes and improved access to services.

There will be a large increase in capacity to help meet national targets for patient waiting times and an increase in staffing of over 500.

Whiston Hospital is planned to be the main centre for Emergency and more complex care with over 900 inpatient beds. Services that are planned for the new Whiston Hospital include:

• Accident & Emergency
• Neurophysiology
• Burns & Plastics Unit
• Occupational Therapy
• Coronary Care Unit
• Oncology Inpatient Unit
• Critical Care Unit
• Orthopaedics Unit
• Education & Training Centre
• Paediatric Services
• Endoscopy
• Pathology Department
• General Theatres
• Pharmacy Department
• Gynaecology Unit
• Physiotherapy Services
• Inpatient Cardio Respiratory Unit
• Radiology Department
• Inpatient Medical Beds
• Special Care Baby Unit
• Inpatient Surgical Beds
• Women's services

The re-development of the St. Helens site will see the removal of the existing outdated buildings and their replacement with modern purpose designed and built accommodation. St. Helens will be the main centre for outpatients, day case surgery and treatments.

There will be a:

• New state of the art Diagnostic & Treatment Centre
• Purpose built Day Case Unit
• New Intermediate Care Unit with 120 beds

What are your Lib Dem councillors doing about this eyesore in Chain Lane?

They're not doing much by the looks of things.