WALLASEY MP Angela Eagle has told Wirral Council leader, Cllr Steve Foulkes the strategic asset review “doesn’t look like regeneration, it looks like losing services”. The Labour leader faced a cacophony of broadsides from members of the public, trade union leaders, a Conservative councillor and his Labour colleague, Angela Eagle MP, at a packed Floral Pavilion last night. Around 1,000 people squeezed into the new £11.5m venue to hear a presentation from the report’s author, council officer, Alan Stennard, who was joined on stage by Liberal Democrat leader, Cllr Simon Holbrook, at the meeting chaired by Cllr Steve Foulkes. The anger in the room was palpable and jeers broke out from the crowd within minutes of commencing. The first question came from UNISON representative Jeff Bradfield, who warned cuts in leisure provision could cost 1,000 jobs and told Steve Foulkes “you have failed in your job”, to huge applause. Angela Eagle was then given the opportunity to make her views known, after a member of the audience urged her “to stick up for the people of this borough”. The Treasury minister said: “The overwhelming response to the strategic asset review from constituents has been opposition, that’s what I’m hearing.” She told those on stage she understood part of the aim was to “encourage regeneration in the poorest areas”, but said Seacombe, which fits that description, “faces losing swimming baths and a library”. Ms Eagle added: “This doesn’t look like regeneration, it looks like losing services. “The replacement services would be welcome, but seem to be distinctly aspirational and vague and years in the future, while we’re looking at cuts now.” She urged the council to “reconsider some of the proposals”, particularly with regard to Guinea Gap Baths, and suggested the library could be moved to Wallasey Town Hall “so it is still available to local people”.l For a full report on Thursday’s meeting, see next Wednesday’s Wirral News Read
