Wirral Council’s “parallel universe”

May 6 2009 Birkenhead News

IN the real world there are redundancies, home repossessions and a big rise in taxation, including a 4.4% council tax increase.

Times are hard and likely to become harder.

In the parallel universe inhabited by Wirral Council, things are obviously wonderful with unlimited cash to waste.

The latest list of council vacancies includes a “Children`s Centre Team Leader” at a salary of up to £44,309; a “Minority Ethnic Achievement Consultant” at £39,678; two posts of “Child Pedestrian Training Co-ordinators” at £21,306 and a “School Travel Plan Co-ordinator” at the same salary.

On top of these salaries we, the council tax payers, have to contribute towards their pensions and National Insurance.

There is obviously no intention to rein back on the council’s staffing nor, apparently, any attempt by our elected councillors to take control.

There are no council elections on Wirral this year and we have to wait at least 12 months before we can sweep this hapless council into oblivion and, hopefully, elect councillors who will look after the interests of the public rather than the highly paid officials.

CHARLES NUNN, Upton

Fight goes on

AS we reach the date when our Liberal/Labour council planned to close Irby library, I’d like to point out that local people are still fighting very hard to keep their library open.

You don’t have to spend long in Irby library to meet the people who walk there most days or the children allowed to go to the library by themselves to do school work, or research for their homework.

This is a key local resource for local people, and should remain open.

The terms of reference for the enquiry into the public library service ask “Did Wirral make a reasonable assessment of local needs in respect of library services”.

Listening to local people tells me that they need a library they can visit on foot, without the expense of a bus trip.

They value the sense of community fostered by the presence of the library and their ability to visit it without paying bus fares or making extra car journeys.

I hope that the Library Inquiry listens to the needs of local people, who want to retain their reading habits and be able to borrow books from a convenient, pleasant and local library where library staff are helpful, friendly and knowledgeable.

WENDY CLEMENTS, via e-mail

Plain sailing

IS West Kirby going to suffer the same fate as New Brighton for the last 40 years in terms of development?

Vociferous minority opposition from residents and other local pressure groups constantly prevented this tired old former resort from revival.

Now the three councillors for West Kirby have almost defeated an opportunity to make the corresponding north west corner of this peninsula into a destination for tourists, including sailing and golfers alike.

West Kirby badly needs the boost that a boutique hotel and associated development would bring.

Whilst I sympathise with complaint that the development may exacerbate West Kirby's current parking problems I feel, nevertheless, that this is far outweighed by the benefits that this development would bring to the Wirral in wider terms.

It is high time that our politicians stopped looking over their shoulders at re-election in their respective Wards and started considering the interests of the Wirral as a whole

DAVID KIRWAN Independent Councillor, Wirral Council

Lack of faith

I AM very glad that Richard Landon wrote his moaning carping letter to the News.

I need people like this to remind me of why I rejected Christianity.

HOWARD WHITE, Bebington

Keep library

YOUR caption below the photograph of Earlston Library “one reader says it should move” is probably factual.

Of all the residents that have been canvassed all year around in Wallasey constituency, everyone who mentioned Earlston Library wanted it to be retained

This has to be the first time I have heard the opposing view, except of course from the Labour/Liberal Democrats Cabinet.

Your writer’s argument that “parking is difficult” is a red herring and libraries are not meant to be visited by shoppers clutching bags of butcher’s mince and sausages.

Earlston Library or its official designation, Wallasey Central Library is just that, central.

It’s well used in a very pleasant setting.

I am also exploring what activities, not already taking place, could or would be wanted by the community in the future.

Possibly your correspondent is a builder because you could erect a massive block of flats on the library site if the library moved.

Of course this would mean the council would achieve its government targets for new builds, but colleagues in both New Brighton and the larger Conservative Party will oppose any attempt to close this community asset.

BILL DUFFEY, Conservative Councillor, New Brighton