Friday 31 July 2009

Update on Park Avenue

The Liberal Democrat Team have been working hard on behalf of Park Avenue residents since 2004 to tackle a number of on-going problems and we are pleased to report that a number of issues have now been resolved:

1. New Street lights - installed and painted
2. Pot holes filled
3. Missing Weight Restriction sign installed
4. Overhanging trees cut back
5. Action to tackle pavement weeds with a special targeted spray
6. Improved street cleaning
7. Missing junction markings added

There are however 2 recurring issues which are proving more difficult to rectify - an on-going request for Park Avenue to be fully resurfaced and the on-going problem of speeding traffic.

The letter on the reverse side details the current situation regarding resurfacing Park Avenue and is in response to a request made by Councillor Sue McGuire at the beginning of 2008. The Carriageway Resurfacing scheduled for 2009/10 has now been released and does not include Park Avenue. However your Lib Dem team are working hard to get Park Avenue included in the prospective programme for 2010/11 or 2011/12. We are making the case that Park Avenue is a recognised traffic route and as part of the HGV Traffic Management Plan is subject to a very heavy traffic flow including a large number of HGV vehicles which all have a detrimental effect on the carriageway and as a result Park Avenue should be resurfaced as a matter of urgency.

Speeding traffic is an increasing problem across Southport and no more so than in Park Avenue which as a wide straight road with few parked cars seems to encourage motorists to put their foot down. The police have undertaken a number of operations to catch speeding motorists as a direct result of requests by your Lib Dem Councillors, in fact a new request for action was made to the police this week. As Cllr Sue McGuire explained “I know from personal experience just how dangerous speeding traffic is. There needs to be a change in peoples behaviour so that everyone recognises that speeding is not acceptable however this may take sometime so in the meantime your Lib Dem team are asking Sefton Council what traffic calming options,if any, are available that would be suitable for use on Park Avenue.”

Friday 10 July 2009

Proposed Closure of HSBC on Queens Road

Your local Lib Dem Councillors are very concerned about the proposaed closure of the HSBC branch at 75 Queens Road. The branch is scheduled to close on the 18th Spetember.

As Councillor Carmel Preston explained
"The closure of this branch will effect many people in the area especially those older residents, those with limited mobility and families."
Councillor Sue McGuire added
"Closing this branch could leave many people isolated as getting to the Lord Street or Birkdale branches will be very difficult for lots of residents so we are asking anybody who wishes to object to this closure to write to:
Nigel Davis
Regional Director
Personal Financial Services
Regents Place, Regents Road
Salford
M5 4BT

or people can e-mail nigeldavis@hsbc.com or alternatively can call the HSBC Branch Manager Mrs Mullane on 08455 834891."

KGV VIth College Funding Crisis - sign the petition

The Southport Visiter deserves praise for taking the initiative and launching a petition about the KGV VIth College funding crisis. John Pugh MP has been on the case and raised this matter in Parliament. I think it is important that everyone gets behind the petition.
Writing in The Visiter John Siddle says:

KING George V College today thanked the Southport Visiter for leading a campaign calling on the government to release £40m it had promised for a dream rebuild.

On Friday, we launched a Downing Street petition demanding Gordon Brown delivers on a pledge to transform the town’s flagship college. College chiefs were given a green-light to transform the Scarisbrick New Road campus into a world-class learning facility by the government-backed Learning and Skills Council (LSC). They then spent £2m of taxpayers’ money in preparation of anticipated building work. But their visionary plans were last week left hanging by a thread after the cash- strapped LSC suddenly scrapped the scheme.

The Visiter is continuing to call on the town to sign the petition, while the college has circulated an email to all staff and students asking for them to back our campaign.

KGV marketing director Tony Langan said:
"We are really grateful for the backing the Visiter has given the college and the support it is showing. We are delighted such a strong local presence has launched a key campaign over the predicament we find ourselves in. We are very grateful."


Alumni of the college have rushed to the Downing Street website to sign the petition.

Richard McCulloch, 24, left KGV in 2003 said
"It’s a no-brainer to sign this petition. The government, via the LSC, promised the college much-needed money to bring it into the 21st century and those responsible need to be held to account."

A total of 79 college improvement schemes were given "approval in principle" only for it to emerge that the £2.3bn pledged did not exist. Just 13 colleges will receive some form of funding.
Unsuccessful institutions – like KGV – will be reconsidered in 2011, but by then Britain will be in the grip of a squeeze on capital spending, raising serious questions about whether the scheme will ever go ahead.

Visiter editor Andrew Edwards said:
"The money may be available in two years’ time, but there will be a general election before then, so who knows what will happen. "We urge you to sign the petition and get Mr Brown to take positive action."