As we’ve commented earlier in this Advent adventure we’re lovin’ the emergence of a seemingly increasingly questioning Wirral public. It would seem that Wirral politicians relying on the supine,docile and uninformed seem to be over……and they don’t like it! Witness yesterday’s public meeting organised by Wirral West MP Margaret Greenwood about the Hoylake Golf Resort proposals. An increasingly exasperated Wirral Council leader Cllr Phil ‘ Power Boy Pip’ Davies was told to ‘stop sulking’ by a member of the public when he was repeatedly forced to halt his oft-repeated stream of BS. It’s called public accountability Pip – get used to it and quit with the titty-lip!
And we don’t know what superannuated Cllr Gerry Ellis is putting in his Horlicks – but can we have some? We couldn’t have done better than describe the dodgy housing development on the Green Belt masquerading as a ‘golf resort’ as ‘Phil’s Folly’
And apparently there’s more to come as tomorrow’s full Council meeting at Wallasey Town Hall which features more pesky members of the public wanting answers to various questions . We anticipate the BS quotient from Pip & Co will be through the Wallasey Town Hall roof. We’d like suggest that people might be better off making Freedom of Information requests but let’s face it , they probably wouldn’t be – life’s too short.
We are also breathless with anticipation as to whether Cllr Louise Reecejones actually turns up and offers a grovelling apology to rest of the council chamber and the public gallery for previously failing to make an acceptable apology for conduct unbecoming an elected member as well as being , well Cllr Louise Reecejones and therefore not one of the protected Labour Party cabal. Fortunately there are a number of attendees in the public gallery who’ve promised us some feedback on events as they unfold – so we look forward to reporting all the gory details.
Until then we’ll leave you with the petition organised by the Hoylake & West Kirby Campaign Group which has forwarded to us. And finally remember – when it comes to Wirral Council – question everything!
A few days ago the petition, below, was delivered to Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council, signed by 600+ people. The Council will now go through its ‘validation process’ which means excluding any signature which was not accompanied by a full address.
People are still waiting for Margaret Greenwood, the Wirral West MP, to oppose Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council’s plan to devastate the NW England Greenbelt at Hoylake and West Kirby.
SAVE WIRRAL’S COUNTRYSIDE.
STOP THE HOYLAKE GOLF RESORT.
STOP THE URBANISATION OF WIRRAL’S GREENBELT.
To – PHIL DAVIES, Council Leader, Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council, Wallasey Town Hall, Brighton Street, Wallasey, Wirral, CH44 8ED.
We are opposed to Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council’s plan to build the exclusive ‘HOYLAKE GOLF RESORT’ on 285 acres of the Birket Valley, which is publicly owned greenbelt land.
The Council’s plan includes: the construction of roads; car parking; a luxury housing estate; a 250 bedroom, exclusive hotel; a spa; and a conference centre. The Hoylake Municipal Golf Course is to be relocated. There are already 17 golf courses in the Wirral Metropolitan Borough. Most Wirral residents do not play golf. Hoylake already has two golf courses, one privately owned and one publicly owned. There is no need for another, private golf course in the Hoylake/West Kirby area.
The Council has failed to act in an open, transparent and fair manner, in connection with the Hoylake Golf Resort project. . A Freedom of Information request (FOI request 827270), of August 2014, revealed that the Council had paid £237,012, of public funds, to consultants, in connection with the Hoylake Golf Resort project.
The Council failed to allow members of the public to participate at an early stage in the planning process, in an effective way, when ALL options were open. There is no evidence that the Council allowed members of the public to propose any alternative plans for the 285 acre area or for the area to remain as it is.
There is no guarantee that the exclusive Hoylake Golf Resort would be an economic success. Golf resorts, all over the world, have gone bankrupt, including several in the USA and one in Northern Ireland. The proposed, private Hoylake Golf Resort would have a detrimental impact on the Hoylake and West Kirby landscape. It would urbanise a rural area.
We, the undersigned, call on Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council to cancel its exclusive ‘Hoylake Golf Resort’ plan. Housing should be built on ‘brown field’ sites, not on valuable, much appreciated, ‘green belt’ land, in the borough.
We believe that the remaining Wirral greenbelt countryside should be protected.
The construction of the Hoylake Golf Resort would not be in the interest of the local community.
NAME SIGNATURE ADDRESS DATE
…………… …………………… ……………….………… ……
Published by: Hoylake and West Kirby Campaign Group.
Wirralleaks 
With respect to the comment contained in the cut & paste objection letter, to wit: “There is no evidence that the Council allowed members of the public to propose any alternative plans for the 285 acre area or for the area to remain as it is”; I would like to point out that the draft Hoylake Neighbourhood Plan did contain an alternative proposal for the area in need of landscape renewal in the greenbelt to the south and east of Carr Lane Industrial Estate. The proposed alternative was a wildfowl and wetland centre that would have been funded by developer contributions gathered from planning applications on the industrial estate. This proposal would have achieved landscape renewal (consistent with existing adopted Unitary Development Plan policies) without requiring the building of houses in the greenbelt. However, following late, vociferous and ill-informed opposition from The Wirral Society/CPRE, the Examiner removed this policy from the neighbourhood plan. Had the Wirral Society/CPRE not objected, there may well now have been a viable alternative scheme that would have been a part of the adopted development plan for Wirral. The Wirral Society/CPRE needs to accept that, if the Golf Resort does become a reality, then it must share the blame for the harm to the greenbelt that it will cause. Opposing this draft Hoylake Neighbourhood Plan policy is potentially a very costly folly.
This nonsense below is in a message from the leader of Wirral Council. Why nonsense? Because, yes, nationally and locally the Labour Party is pledged to oppose the STP.
BUT Wirral Council is working with the CCG to implement it!!! And until Angela Eagle had a word with him a year ago Phil Davies was attending meetings where the STP was discussed and where he lauded its close alignment to the Council’s own plans.
It’s no good reviewing the damn thing. It’s the Tory plan to slash, trash and privatise the NHS and Wirral is complicit.
http://mailchi.mp/0d412609e707/could-you-be-a-labour-councillor-1340089?e=6007ee6529
“In addition, Labour Party policy nationally is to halt and review the NHS ‘Sustainability and Transformation Plans’ (STPs), which are looking at closing health services across England, and this is fully supported by the Labour Group in Wirral. It is the Wirral Labour Group who have already led the fight to reinstate Eastham Walk-In centre after its closure.”
And as for the claim about Eastham we can let the Friends of the Centre speak for themselves.
G’day Leaky
“Philly “Fucking” Liar” member for Tranmeredre.
Has he ever been there where my dad was proudly born.
Why doesn’t he build his fucking massive golf resort there and not in his near suburb.
Why is this mamby pamby mummies boy from Caldy the biggest MEMBER thats visited Tranmeredre?
Cos they wouldn’t vote him in for anything in his home suburb.
Ooroo
James
The same reason the arsehole that is Clowncillor Jones puts on a Santa suit.
Cos he is a phoney like the Davies’ and Foulkes.
Please don’t leave us Lordy XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Wirral “Funny” Bizz.
All things end my dear friend James and like you I’m going to miss the mighty and legendary, history making, earth shaking, fear creating, piss taking and illuminating writing that’s been lovingly cascaded down to us from the Leaks to us the bottom feeding dregs of the blogging community. But, I sense that ‘The Man’ has reached the bottom of his ink well and despite recent surges in his creative output, he’s debilitated and knackered up and he’s about to walk away.
What would be nice for me and probably you and others would be a fare thee well get together in some Wirral Ale House where we could gather, greet one another, group together in an intimate manly embrace where I could spend time talking to you all about me. And then, when I become weary of talking about me, I could rest, sit back, sup my ale, drag on my fag and listen on whilst you all took time talking about me.
A merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of you who read and comment upon these pages. I wish you all the very best.
I’m in.
XXXXXX
‘Tis such a shame that, when you have so valid a point to make, you have to resort to such language.
Nobody takes such a post as seriously as one without the gratuitous expletives.
You could make your point so much better.
G’day Davey
“Highbrow” ties them up in knots in the most beautiful prose proving 100% that they are cheats, liars and in some cases criminals and
It does absolutely no fucking good whatsoever.
They are as “Highbrow” puts it a mob of CANTS.
Ooroo
James
Mercy please don’t waste the ink replying you must have some clowncil work to do or clowncillor to suck up to.
X