We are delighted to confirm the application has now been granted by the Planning Department.This is despite us having to overcome the restrictive HMRI policy inhibiting housing in Stoneycroft
Whilst we can not control the development, it will now be up to the new owners to start work as they see fit
We hope by passing the application in such a quick fashion it will encourage them to proceed
Thanks for such an overwhelming support from residents ,which no doubt contributed to this speedy decision
Warmest Regards
Councillors Steve Radford, Hazel Williams and Chris Lenton
Liberal Party Councillors for Tuebrook and Stoneycroft
Sep 19 2007 thanks to Nick Coligan of the Liverpool Echo
LIVERPOOL’S first superschool is on hold after its planners were sent back to the drawing board.
Education officials were hoping to get the go-ahead from the council’s planning committee yesterday to rebuild ageing, split-site West Derby comprehensive on playing fields in Tuebrook.
But their £27m scheme – the first of a series of plans to rebuild or refurbish Liverpool’s secondary schools – met with a stinging response from councillors.
They refused to approve the plan, telling officers they wanted more details about which other sites were considered and what the impact on traffic would be.
They also heavily criticised a proposal to replace the lost open space behind the Peter Lloyd leisure centre by turning part of nearby Newsham Park into playing fields.
Officials have to return to the council’s planning committee
Assistant education director Tim Warren said: “Children need a proper environment where we can make a real difference to their lives. Some of those benefits will be shared by the community.
“There are some unwanted changes within this proposal for local people. But ultimately, the greater benefits of this scheme massively outweigh them.”
But councillors accused officials of not providing enough detail on crucial elements, such as how much extra traffic would be generated and how playing fields would be replaced.
Liberal group leader and Tuebrook councillor Steve Radford said: “We are enthusiastic supporters of a new school, but emotional blackmail should not be used to give us a substandard site.
“We would suggest Lister Drive industrial estate gives us the ideal opportunity to build a new school.”
The planning committee decided the plan should be deferred to a later date.
Liverpool’s Building Schools For The Future programme was first unveiled in the ECHO four years ago.
The project is being paid for by the government, which has allocated £420m to the city.
‘Green space’ campaigners halt plans to build school
Oct 24 2007 thanks to Alex Bell of Liverpool Daily Post
PROTESTERS have succeeded in halting plans to build a school on Millbank playing fields, off West Derby and Bankfield Roads in Tuebrook.
Councillors have now called on education officials in the city to seek a brownfield site for a replacement building for West Derby Comprehensive.
Opponents campaigned for the site to be spared with a “save our green space” message to members of the council planning committee.
The council’s planning committee had been urged by planning officers to give the go-ahead to the £27m scheme, saying replacement playing fields would be found.
Instead, the committee backed an amendment from Liberal Democrat member Peter Allen calling instead for officers to seek an alternative brownfield site.
The scheme, part of the massive Building Schools for the Future Programme, will be held up while alternative sites are examined.
Politicians said they were unhappy at the loss of green space as well as the problems of traffic chaos in the Bankfield area.
Last night, local Liberal councillor Steve Radford, one of the key objectors, welcomed the decision. He said: “Other local authorities have been able to build new schools without resorting to using greenfield sites, so why can’t Liverpool do the same?”
The plan would have meant both West Derby Comprehensive School and the Ernest Cookson School of Excellence being located on Millbank playing fields site, close to the Peter Lloyd leisure centre.
The campaign, led by KLiberal Party Leader, Cllr Radford, based objections to the proposed plan on potential loss of playing fields, car parking issues, flood risk assessment and traffic issues as well as access to the proposed premises from busy West Derby Road.
Tuebrook residents protested that traffic on West Derby Road would be congested, disrupting one of the main traffic arteries into the city.
One local resident protested: “I just don’t know how we are going to handle it. It’s just so congested, somebody will eventually be killed and if all this is to be built on Millbank, it will not be safe there.”
Some residents raised concern over their safety saying they would need strong barriers in front of their homes.
“We have lost a number of playing fields over the years and are losing a lot of green areas and haven’t much left,” said another objector.
Article on Oct 9 2007 thanks to Larry Neild of the Liverpool Daily Post
A MASSIVE £2.5bn pension scheme, responsible for thousands of former Merseyside Plessey and Marconi staff, is about to change hands to an offshore company, in a deal worth almost £400m.
Former Marconi personnel manager Steve Radford revealed last night he has written to Merseyside MPs to enlist their support to ensure the pension pot is protected.
A Guernsey-based company has made an offer to buy Telent, a residual company set up following the collapse of Marconi and GPT in the 1990s.
The board of Telent are recom- mending shareholders to accept the offer, which will give the new off-shore owners control of a massive pension fund, affecting thousands of ex-employees across Merseyside of what was once one of the region’s biggest employers, Plessey, Marconi and GPT.
The prospective new owners of Telent and its pension scheme have assured Merseyside pension-ers that the management of the scheme will be in safe hands.
Cllr Radford, leader of the minority Liberal group on the city council, represents the Marconi/Plessey pensioners on a pension fund consultative com-mittee, representing views of fund members to Telent.
Cllr Radford has asked local MPs to raise the issue in the House of Commons to seek guarantees that their future pensions are protected.
He said: “I, like tens of thousands of other Plessey, GPT and Marconi employees living in Merseyside, want to enlist the support of our MPs over this takeover. While the takeover is good news for Telent share-holders, I am not sure the 63,000 global members in the pension scheme, will see it that way.”
Cllr Radford said the takeover will give access to the Pension Corporation of pension funds worth £2.54bn, and an escrow pot worth more than £500m.
He said: “My main concern is Telent have managed the pension fund in a prudent way, using low risk gilts and bonds that give assured income. My worry is the Pension Corporation will not invest in the same investment vehicles.
“I do not want to see the Government relaxing rules of the rights of firms to interfere with or dispose of final salary pension schemes. I believe there should be tighter rules to protect pensions.”
Telent employs 2,000 people and is based in Coventry. In the year to March, 2007, Telent generated a profit of £24m.
The Planning Cmte voted 5 to 4 to reject the application to build on Millbank and demand education look at alternative brownfield sites
Thanks for everyones support _ we are both elated and exhausted
We are so grateful for everyone who sent in the petitions, wrote to local newspapers, helped deliver leaflets
Nor could we have have done it without so many resdents turning up and so many speaking at the Town Hall
We know many were really nervous about speaking, but the impact was astounding.
We are so proud of the community we represent and the confidence and support you have given us wanting to ensure we do have a new school for the future in the best location but not in the middle of dangerous congestion
Liverpool Echo Letters Page 22nd Oct Turn up to protest
RE: Proposed new school for West Derby Boys. The operative word here is proposed.
The planning meeting does not take place until Tuesday October 23 at 10am, so why are they spending money already and have men, plant and machinery on the playing field, doing bore testing?
Are we being shafted yet again by this council and it is all cut and dried and we are just going through the motions?
If we don't want any more building on the few green spaces we have in the city, I would ask everyone to turn up at the planning meeting to show support.
It is Tuebrook today, it could be you tomorrow.
There is brownfield site available, much more suitable for traffic etc, in Lister Drive, but because it means spending some money to extend the site, they won't consider it.
CAN we thank the dozens of individual residents, Tuebrook Central Residents Association and local police for providing supporting evidence to alleygate the entry between Windsor Road Pierhead Estate and Marlborough Road.
Cllrs Steve Radford, Hazel Williams and Chris Lenton
NEW bars and restaurants in Liverpool could be forced to open up their toilets to non-customers.
The move is being considered in an attempt to increase the number of loos available to the public outside the city centre.
There are 10 official conveniences in Liverpool city centre, but none in surrounding communities, compared with up to 19 in places including Manchester and Birmingham.
Toilet blocks were closed permanently years ago, with shoppers and pedestrians advised to use supermarket facilities instead.
But amid concerns from councillors that there are no public toilets in popular areas including Lark Lane, officials are discussing using planning laws to improve the situation.
When new bars and restaurants are given planning permission, a condition could be imposed forcing them to allow non-customers to use their WCs.
A council spokesman said: “Public toilets in residential areas were closed due to their poor condition, association with anti-social behaviour and the fact they did not comply with the Disability Discrimination Act.
“In Liverpool, many shops, pubs and restaurants make their toilets available to the public.
“But there is an opportunity to make more formal arrangements, which will require public premises to allow non-customers to use their toilets.
“This will be achieved through the planning process.”
Meanwhile, the council has confirmed it has no plans to reopen mothballed facilities in high streets across Liverpool’s suburbs. Instead, it is planning to sell many of the sites to developers so they can be either converted into other uses or demolished.
For example, the toilets at the junction of Lark Lane, Aigburth Road and Livingston Drive are being auctioned.
Liberal group leader Steve Radford, who has campaigned for action to be taken on closed conveniences in West Derby Road, Tuebrook, welcomed the move.
He said: “They are an eyesore a magnet for dumping, and gangs throw rubble off the roof.
“But they occupy a prime location and that land could be used for something meaningful.”
Seven Days - D Day to Save Bankfield Playing Fields
Dear Friends
Can you please pass the word urgently we will need as many people as possible attend the Planning Committee, Town Hall Dale Street at 10.00 on Tuesday 23rd October, the postal strike will hinder me getting letters out
In order to prepare for that meeting can you also invite people to a further public meeting at the Hope Centre this Sunday 21st October at 2
However the most important thing is getting as many people as possibleto the planning committee week Tuesday for 10.00
By the way we are the firsat item to be debated
The recent builders on site are only running test bore holes. Planning permission has not been given
