Crime on Merseyside’s railway stations

Liverpool Lime Street Station at night.

The Liverpool Echo has the article on its website – see link below

www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/revealed-merseyside-railway-stations-youre-15699984

A Virgin Trains Pendolino train at Liverpool Lime Street Station.

There’s every danger with looking at crime stats and trying to interpret them that folk become more fearful of crime than they need to be. But the positive side of talking about railway stations where crime is an issue is to make travellers more aware of what is going on around them on busy stations. It’s a question of balance as with most things of course.

Southport Station.

Metro Mayor Tax – Another call on your pocket

The Liverpool Echo has the article on its website – see link below:-

www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/steve-rotheram-going-charge-you-15694713

Now I don’t recall amongst all the hype from Tories in Government and Labour locally who backed us having a Metro Mayor, on what I called at the time a 3rd rate devolution deal, that there’d be an addition to all the Liverpool City Region council tax bills, do you? But then again it was probably always the case that there’d be more mouths to feed and such has come to pass.

I’d be much happier if the powers devolved to our Metro Mayor had made it worth us putting our hands deeper into our pockets but I’ve been consistent in saying it was a poor deal that should not have been embraced so lovingly by Labour leaders across Merseyside.

It’s not that I’m opposed to devolved powers, indeed as a Liberal, I’ve championed such moves for as long as I can recall when both Tories and Labour nationally and locally would have none of it. It’s just that I’m far from convinced that the limited powers that our Metro Mayor has makes the post worth having (and us paying for) and I’d hold that view no matter who was our Metro Mayor.

And where’s the detailed plan and the vision for say the next 20 years to take our City Region forward, you get the impression that at least initially our money will be going to put that together whereas it should have come before the plea for cash.

Tell us what you are going to deliver – then ask us to chip in not the other way round

Hall Road Station – A rare railway accident in 1961

I came across this accent via a report in the Daily Telegraph which had been posted on the Mersey Railways Facebook Group and found it interesting not least because railway accidents are thankfully so rare and this one was in the present Borough of Sefton.

Here’s the cutting:-

And here’s a link to the official report into the accident:-

www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/docsummary.php?docID=746

It seems remarkable that so few injuries particularly serious ones were recorded especially when you look at the photo of the damage to the 2 trains in the Telegraph photo.

Credit for the cutting – Phil Hilton

Please click on the newspaper cutting to enlarge it

Brexit – What do Brexiteers really want? They really want different things

Yes, I know that they all want to leave the EU but frankly, that raises more questions than it answers. Look at this way:-

* Do they want to leave under any circumstances no matter what the consequences to the UK economy, their personal finances and even their own jobs? Well yes, some do and are well prepared for it to cost them money and even the jobs of themselves and their close family; it means that much to them. But how many who voted for Brexit support this ultra position?

* Or do they want Brexit and are prepared to take a bit of a hit to the UK economy and indeed their own circumstances (financial and job wise) to get it? Seems we are well past the stage where the damage to us all was just ‘a bit of a hit’ with the government putting Billions of Pounds into all kinds of Brexit issues that would otherwise be building hospitals etc. Has this group changed their minds now?

* Or do they want Brexit so long as it does not make them poorer or put them and their families and friends at risk job wise? This view will, I think, account for many who voted to leave the EU thinking that they would even become better off as would the economy, the NHS (remember the bus!) and public services in general. Of course, all those alleged advantages have been found to be without foundation. Has this group changed their mind?

If you are a well off Brexiteer you may well be in the first group, able and willing to weather the storm. If you have a little put by then maybe you are in the second group. If you are struggling or have no savings then you are likely to be in the last group. Yes I know these are generalisations but you get my drift.

And yes I accept that there will be a very small minority who voted Remain who may well now want to vote to Leave

I’ve come to these conclusions based on listening to what people who voted to leave the EU have said and its why I think we need a Peoples Vote. Too many folk are saying that what’s on offer is nothing like what was promised and they are as a consequence changing their position. Those wanting a hard line Brexit of any kind will seemingly accept any deal no matter what it consists of.

Are our MP’s listening? Many of them seem to be hidden behind their Brexit sofa not willing to express a view or indeed fearing to express a view. Both Tory and Labour MP’s will want to keep quiet because deselection will face them if they step out of line with their leadership.

The next few days will be telling because if those who were promoting Brexit had told the truth in the last referendum the reality is that there would not have been a majority to leave the EU.

Southport – Sainsburys’ Meols Cop development troubles

Cllr. John Pugh

Southport’s former MP is still on the campaign trail as a Sefton Borough Councillor for Dukes Ward; here he’s taking on the might of Sainsburys as the link below to a Liverpool Echo article details:-

www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/controversial-sainsburys-store-ever-built-15632011

Walking and cycling in the Liverpool City Region (LCR)

Via my good friend Sefton Councillor John Dodd I have become aware of a web site called Arrive Happy in the past few days:- Here it is via the link below:-

www.arrivehappy.org/our-cycling-and-walking-masterplan

As I understand things 31 walking/cycling routes were previously identified across the City Region/Merseyside and now 9 of them are to be progressed towards a funding bid.

Liverpool City Region Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP) – I’m told that the LCR Transport Partnership, have identified, using the evidence collected, a total of 31 potential cycling and walking corridors. The previously agreed and approved methodology used for the Active Travel prioritisation process has identified 9 corridors to be developed in more detail with a view to submitting a bid for Transforming Cities Fund funding.

I understand that these 9 corridors will form the basis of the next phase of the LCWIP and will be subject to formal engagement with stakeholders across the LCR which started on the 17th December with an engagement meeting with key stakeholders in the morning and the launch of an online survey into cycling and walking in the city region – www.arrivehappy.org/our-cycling-and-walking-masterplan

The two diagrams below show firstly the 31 identified potential corridors and then the 9 to be taken forward for more detailed design work. More detail will be shared, I understand, as the plan develops.

BUT if you live in Sefton Borough

Now I don’t know about you but if you live in Sefton Borough north of Bootle then there’s little to cheer about as no routes have made it into the 9 to be taken forward! I hold no information as to why this is the case although above you will see reference to an ‘approved methodology’ for choosing the routes to take forward. However, to say the least, I’m at best disappointed. On the ’31 map’ Maghull, despite being a large community, does not even get a mention!

Note:- Click on the two graphics above to enlarge them