Library-in-the-market plan "huge costs" don't add up

Southport residents were joined by Lib Dem Councillors to collect signatures in support of keeping a temporary library in Southport Town centre during the renovation of the "Cultural Centre"





Conservative and Labour councillors refused to support a motion made by the Liberal Democrats at this weeks SOuthport Area Committee which asked for the ruling "Cabinet" of Sefton Council to reconsider their decision to vote against a temporary Southport town centre library in the Indoor Market because of what they say would be the cost.

A figure of £500,000 has been bandied about. We have challenged this constantly.We have done some detailed research and the real figure cannot be anywhere near this amount. To give just one example: no mention has been made of the Lord Street library savings during its closure e.g. rates, cleaning, maintenance, heating etc.. From council figures that we have obtained these alone could amount to £170,00 to £200,000 over the three years. Looking at the work needed at the Market, there are some unbelievably high suggested costs, even by the usual grossly inflated council estimates. e.g. £25,000 for "Kitchen Ventilation" (this is for a small kitchen with facilities for library staff to make a cup of tea or heat some lunch in a microwave !) That is just one example !

Southport has a number of nationally-known, top quality shopfitting specialist companies. We're convinced that they would blitz the job in no time at all - at a far more reasonable cost. But this suggestion did not impress council officers.

Clearly, certain politicians who haven't done their homework properly, are trying to make the cost as high as possible as an excuse not to provide a temporary town centre library.

To use an old expression: "Where there's a will, there's a way !"

Major Push for new Street Nameplates

Your LibDem have spearheaded a campaign to bring local street nameplates up to scratch. Sue & Carmel have agreed to use £1,700 of Cambridge Ward’s ‘Street Scene’ Budget to replace missing and damaged street signs throughout our area.

Cllr Sue McGuire cycled around to identify sites where replacement signs are needed. Sue also found out that street nameplates on garden walls cost only a third of the price of free-standing ones.Roads now due to get replacement street nameplate signs include: Albany Road, Alexandra Road, Allerton Road, Avondale Road North, Bakers Lane, Bank Nook, Cambridge Road, Churchill Avenue, Court Road, Gordon Street, Hilbre Drive, Lathom Road, Manx Janes Lane, Park Avenue, Park Crescent, Queens Road and Salcombe Drive.

If you know of any damaged or missing street signs in our area please let your Lib Dem Team know.

Wheelie Bin Collection Update - 8th January 2010

Wheelie bin & recycling collections have been very patchy both today and yesterday.

Although refuse vehicles have been out throughout Southport, collecting left out wheelie bins where its reasonably safe to do so, lots of roads couldn’t be done. Still problems emptying the contents of the trucks at Foul Lane where they are only accepting a limited number of loads. Some refuse lorries parked up at the depot full of waste that can’t be got rid of.We’re told that a number of Sefton council street cleaners/refuse workers have had accidents/injuries over the last few days because of the conditions. In one case, a broken wrist.

The plan is to collect as many grey wheelie bins and recycling boxe as possible on the usual days next week and a black bag of rubbish, put by the side of the grey bin, will be collected because of the extra waste that’s been piling up since the snow dropped and bins haven’t been emptied.
The green recycling box teams have been out in areas of our town where they can collect reasonably safely. To catch up, they are going to delay picking up recycling material from schools for a while in order to concentrate on emptying boxes from households.

Wheelie Bin & Recycling News

Sefton council cannot collect refuse at the moment because the places where they take waste to for disposal cannot take any more rubbish. The council deals with collecting refuse and the vehicles then go to two “tip” sites - Foul Lane, Southport and Gillmoss, Liverpool - where they unload.

All Sefton’s waste is then dealt with by a private contractor, Veolia, which manages the “tips” for the Merseyside Waste Disposal Authority, the body responsible for getting rid of all the waste collected in the region.

EVERYTHING IS BACKING UP - NO MORE ROOM

The refuse is taken onwards by Veolia for burying at a landfill site near Warrington. But this is effectively closed because of the conditions. The whole operation is therefore backing up. Both Foul Lane and Gillmoss cannot store any more of the waste collected by Sefton.
Sefton refuse lorries were out yesterday (Tues) collecting. But they now have nowhere to unload. The vehicles are now stranded in the council depots completely full of rubbish and so, of course, cannot go out again until the vehicles have been emptied.

The private contractor that collects the green recycling boxes has had to stop all operations because of the risks to the collection teams.