Wirral West Conservatives

Development Control (planning committee meetings) are held in the Town Hall at three weekly intervals throughout the year on a Thursday commencing at 6pm. The proceedings of all meetings are now televised (webcast) and can be accessed on the Council website.

 

The following site visit was requested and approved:

20075794 - Kentstone Motor Company, 23 Rowson Street, New Brighton - Change of use from car showroom to a convenience store/off licence. Members are invited to attend to review potential parking and traffic problems before any decision is made on this application.
20075730 - The Ravenscroft, 3-5 The Mount, Heswall
Councillor Rowlands declared a prejudicial interest in the above application by virtue of having expressed an opinion on the application and left the room while it was considered. It was moved by Councillor Johnson and seconded by Councillor Elderton that the application be refused.
Minute Decision :
Resolved - That the application be refused for the following reason:

The Local Planning Authority considers that the proposed development would result in an over-intensification of an existing use and, by reason of noise and general disturbance associated with the increased scale of activities, would be detrimental to the amenities which the occupiers of premises within the vicinity of the site could reasonably expect to enjoy and would be contrary to policy SH1 (Criteria for Development in Key Town Centres) of the Wirral Unitary Development Plan and SPD - Hot Food Takeaways, Restaurants, Cafes and Drinking Establishments.
 

20075818 - Sheldrakes Restaurant, 14 Banks Road, Heswall
Councillor Salter declared a prejudicial interest in the above application by virtue of being a member of the Licensing Act 2003 Sub-Committee which considered the license application and left the room while it was considered.

Minute Decision :
A petitioner addressed the committee. The applicant addressed the committee and a ward councillor addressed the committee.
Resolved - (10:1) That a decision in relation to the application be deferred for further information to be acquired to clarify certain ‘ambiguous’ issues.
20075852 - Land at junction of Upton By Pass and Moreton Road, Upton – erection of a cellphone telephone mast and equipment cabin.
Minute Decision :
Resolved - That the application be refused for the following reasons:

1 The local planning authority considers that the proposed development would be an alien feature by reason of its siting, size and design and the cumulative effect of three masts located in a confined site would result an unacceptable degree of visual harm which would be detrimental to the general character of the street scene. This is contrary to Policies TEL1, TE1 in the Wirral Unitary Development Plan and SPD1 Designing for development by mobile phone operators.

2 The applicant has not submitted sufficient information to support the choice of location site, this is considered to be contrary to policy TE1 of the adopted Wirral Unitary Development Plan.
20076021 - Grass Verge at St Michael and All Angels Queensbury Fronting Frankby Road, Newton erection of telephone cellphone mast and equipment cabin (Previous application on this site refused a short while ago)
Minute Decision :
Resolved - That the application be refused for the following reasons:

1 The proposed development would form a visually obtrusive feature by reason of its siting, size and design and would result in an unacceptable level of road side clutter which the Local Planning Authority considers would be detrimental to the general character of the street scene. This is contrary to Policies TEL1, TE1 in the Wirral Unitary Development Plan and SPD1 Designing for development by mobile phone operators.

2 The applicant has not submitted sufficient information to support the choice of location site, this is considered o be contrary to Policy TE1 of the adopted Wirral Unitary Development Plan.
Please feel free to contact the author of this news report in the event of query on any of these items.

The recent terrorist attacks have made us all aware of the need to go about our business without let or hindrance – but to remain vigilant. This news item contains the latest (edited) advice from the local Police.
 

You will all be aware of the terrorist incidents in London and Glasgow, also the arrests of people within Merseyside and Cheshire reported in the media. The public quite rightly expects to be protected from terrorist attack and the police service responds by placing overt and covert additional resources at strategic locations.  The increase in security naturally has a knock-on effect of creating delays for travellers and we apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.  If you are travelling over the next few days/weeks it may be worth while allowing more time for your journey, especially if you are travelling through airports or main-line rail stations.
Complacency is the terrorist’s friend.
Current initiatives.
.  A major counter terrorism investigation is underway following both attacks. Both devices had the potential to cause mass damage to property, but also significant fatalities.
·  There is no information that suggests that any part of the UK is a specific target but another attack is believed to be imminent. Additional policing activity is being undertaken to ensure that the public at large are kept safe. This is our utmost priority.
·   Merseyside Police and all forces across the country will be increasing their police patrols in areas which may be vulnerable. These include locations where large numbers of people may gather for functions and events and premises licensed for entertainment or alcohol consumption..
·   Police officers will be visiting such areas and premises in your area to ensure they are kept safe.
·   Terrorism affects all our communities and their safety is our highest priority. We will do our utmost to help people recognise the signs of suspicious activity and to assist us in defeating terrorism.
·   It is re-iterated that at this stage the incident anticipated has not been linked to any particular community group.
·   Armed officers will be patrolling at significant points: e.g. transport hubs.
·     The police will continue to work with our partners and communities at local, county, regional and national level to prevent terrorism.
·     Finally, we need our communities to help defeat terrorism, to be vigilant and to report any suspicious behaviour to the Anti-Terrorist Hotline on 0800 789321.
Reproduced on behalf - and in support of - release produced by
Jon. Smith - Inspector - Hoylake and endorsed by your local Conservative Councillors.
 

Chinese Government won’t promise to stop barbaric fur trade despite EU ban
 

Brussels, 4rd July 2007 — China has sneered at the EU cat and dog fur ban approved unanimously at the European Parliament in Strasbourg a fortnight ago, according to Conservative MEP Sir Robert Atkins.
 

Millions of people across Europe disgusted by reports of the horrific slaughter of these animals signed petitions, sent emails and wrote letters during an eight year campaign.
 

The ban on cat and dog fur imports, exports and trade will become law in all 27 Member States by the end of next year and is predicted to save the lives of more than two million cats and dogs every year in China.
 

Animal welfare charities said the EU ban sent a clear message to the Chinese government, but Vice Director-General of the State Forestry Administration Department in China, Mr Wang Wei, told Conservatives that the decision to close the EU’s borders to these products was Europe’s business and he could not guarantee the trade could stop in China.
 

Despite earlier reassurances that China abhorred the practice and looked forward to Europe introducing a comprehensive ban, the European Parliament was told that existing laws allow the captive breeding of animals, that China is different from other countries as wildlife products are used in traditional Chinese medicines and that they have moved from using wildlife to captive resources for this purpose.
 

It was also stated that skinning animals alive is not a common practice in China.
 

Sir Robert said:
 

“We have clearly touched a raw nerve with the Chinese Government on this issue and despite the successful implementation of our EU ban, there remains much work to do to convince the Chinese to put a stop to this horrific business once and for all.
 

“Slaughter of these animals is barbaric, with cats strangled outside their cages as other cats look on and dogs noosed with metal wires are slashed across the groin until they bleed to death as the wire noose cuts into their throat.”
 

Pelts used from these tortured creatures have appeared in EU stores as full-length coats, homeopathic arthritis aids, hair bows for children, toy cat figurines and linings for boots and gloves.

We must be vigilent to ensure we do not purchase these fur products in error. Always look at the label showing country of origin - but do not always believe the quoted ’source of the product’ - as descriptions can be ‘misleading’ to say the least… Apply a common sense approach.

 

 

A report identified by David Elderton states that: The safety of some NHS patients is being put at risk because of delays by hospitals in sending essential information to GPs when those patients are discharged, according to a survey published today by the NHS Alliance. More than a third of doctors it questioned said the delays affected patient safety and almost 60 per cent said the clinical care of patients had been compromised.
 

The study also found that doctors were unhappy not just because they were receiving information late but that there was also a problem with inadequate detail. They reported that sometimes a patient’s name could be missing from the hospital discharge summary, as well as the diagnosis, treatment, medication and contact details. In one case, a discharge summary was sent to the GP but it failed to inform him the patient had just spent a week in intensive care after suffering a stroke and a heart attack.
 

The Alliance’s report, ‘A very present danger’ , is calling for the Payment by Results system to be changed so no payments are made to a hospital unless it provides timely and accurate discharge information to the patient’s GP or primary care team. The Alliance, though, does not believe there are insurmountable obstacles. Some hospitals, or departments within them, were giving good prompt information and while seven out of 10 GPs had experienced late information “very often” or “fairly often”, 63 per cent said some acute providers did make sure they delivered good discharge information.
 

Dr Michael Dixon, the NHS Alliance chairman, said, “This widespread problem reveals an institutionalised, though unconscious, contempt for primary care and for the patient in primary care too. It demonstrates the current weakness of commissioner-provider relations.”  He named the Heart of Birmingham and Worcester primary care trusts as among those taking effective action but said there needed to be changes at a national level so commissioners were able to determine what services they expected. “That may already be the case in theory. Too often, it is not so in practice. The answer is to make sure payments to all providers depend on their delivering what is required, including timely accurate discharge information to a minimum standard,” he added.
 

That view was supported by Dr Vijay Bathla, chair of the Heart of Birmingham PCT PEC, who said hospitals should be forced to comply with a set of minimum standards. There was no reason why they could not provide what was needed and this was essential to patient care. The report has been sent to the NHS chief executive David Nicholson.

EU-US agreement on airport landing rights is a heavy blow for British airlines
 

Brussels, 22 March 2007 — The open skies deal Douglas Alexander MP, Labour Transport Secretary, has signed up to this afternoon is a smokescreen compromise which is bad for British airlines, says Sir Robert Atkins MEP, Conservative Deputy Leader in the European Parliament.
 
“Douglas Alexander has failed to maintain the UK’s advantages on transatlantic flights. Under the smokescreen of a six month delay he has sold out the British national interest.
 

“What is on the table now will give US companies a substantial share in our unregulated market, while EU companies will be left to fight for the scraps of the US regulated market. Labour should be fighting for reciprocal agreements on ownership rights. In the current deal, US interests can own up to 49% of the voting stock of an EU airline, whereas EU interests can only own up to 25% voting stock of a US airline. Is this fair and open? In a word, No.
  
“What we are calling for on this matter is action, not more dialogue. The Commission has championed the fact that the two sides have agreed to go back to the table in three months, but there are no firm commitments from the US to take action on this issue.
 
“In short, we are against this agreement, as it does not provide an open and fair market.
 

Perhaps the other burning question is whether or not we should be encouraging escalating air travel at all in these environmentally friendly times…

Answers please on a postcard!