Wirral News letters, October 26

Oct 26 2011 Birkenhead News

Proud of showcase

IN RESPONSE to the letters (Your Views Oct 19) from Ron Wakley and Proud Wirralian.

Can I advise the following: As mentioned by Councillor Harry Smith in the reply, all planning and consultation that was required was undertaken in the weeks and months prior to the event.

Around 70,000 community magazines were distributed around the course (by post) Šand a community meeting was arranged at Wallasey Town Hall shortly before the event.

All media outlets were advisedŠ and advance warning signs were placed along the course.

It is unfortunate that some people found themselves unaware of the event and every effort will be made to ensure a higher profile awareness campaign is put in place next year.

With regard to the naming of the event it is actually called the RUNLIVERPOOL MARATHON.

This being the name of the company that delivered the event.

The fact of the matter is the marathon event strives to attract visitors to the region and it is acknowledged that the further away from the region you go the less understanding there is of either the Mersey or Wirral titles.

Whether you like it or not, in the context of a marathon event, Šit is Liverpool that attractsŠ people. In the first year the race attracted many people from across the world.Š

The start in Birkenhead Park and first 11 miles of the event are well-served by the Wirral and I personally planned and devised the course to ensure that Wirral played a major role.

Wirral is a credit to the region and IŠacknowledge the first-class role played by the borough. I know the region wellŠ as I live in West Kirby.Š

The alternative was to allow the entire event to take place in Liverpool to which there would be no benefit to WirralŠ at all.

Wirral is a great place to live, work and enjoyŠ and I am pleased we were able to showcase the area.

Alan Rothwell

Race Director, RUNLIVERPOOL MARATHON.

Let’s be positive

CAN I thank the letter writer for his complimentary views (Oct 19) regarding the Neptune New Brighton development titled ‘Backwater Fear’.

My experience over the years has been that a lot of people wish to see development but they can never make up their minds; I found there to be a mixture of those that are happy with the present development, people with their own agendas personal and otherwise, apathy and downright opposition to anything ever happening in New Brighton.

Yet the facts speak for themselves we have a £70m investment with close to nearly 1,000 jobs created when it’s finished, all this by the way in the current economic downturn. We will have attractions, amenities and services that will also benefit the community as well as visitors.

This includes a mixture of shops, leisure and entertainment in fact something for everyone with restaurants, a digital cinema, a casino with show bars, cabaret and food, an ice cream parlour, outdoor performance areas, hotel and much more to come.

We have free parking and excellent transport links, train, bus and motorway all very near.

It will be a lovely place to bring your familyjust like you would in any seaside resort up and down the country.

As a result of the continuing regeneration New Brighton will now be able to offer packages to coach operators just like it did in years gone by.

So let’s be positive as investment comes in as a result of this development let’s look to bring a swimming pool, similar to the one that was part of the original plans and also let’s continue to explore the possibility of bringing back the much missed pier!

All in all we are on the first rung of New Brighton’s revival as we start to bring the changes that will make it a first-class seaside resort fit for the 21st century.

Councillor Pat Hackett

New Brighton Ward

Legal aid slashed

IT IS REPORTED that the Government plans to increase its foreign aid budget by a staggering 35% to countries like Pakistan, Nigeria, Ethiopia and Burma where international aid officials concede that fraud and corruption have been endemic for years.

It is plainly the case that these regimes persistently channel the generous bounty of our government into the private coffers of a few and little if ever actually reaches and succours the starving on the front line.

Yet back home a Legal Aid budget which is tiny in comparison is being savagely cut back and thousands will be denied access to justice in this country.

Where is the justice in that?

David Kirwan

Former Wirral Borough Councillor