ITPAS-TheWarrensUpdate

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Professor Stephen Harding

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The Warrens update

April 2008

The latest on this issue is that the PCT have amazingly appealed the WBC planning decision to revoke this application!

An awful lot of what can only be tax payers money, appears to be being wasted on this project. Why, when there is so much opposition to The Warrens site being utilised for this project, then are the PCT/PFG pursuing this site? We are quite confident if they chose to direct the public funding for this project into a different plot of land, they would be met with hardly any opposition at all.

Our forum still has updated comments being posted, so take a look and leave your views here.

You can write to the Planning Inspector with your objections. These are the people who will now be dealing with the matter, so don't waste your time and energy writing to WBC or even the PCT.

The Planning Inspectorate,

Room 3/18A

Temple Quay House

2 The Square

Temple Quay

Bristol

BS1 6PN

You must write your objection/comments in triplicate and quote the Reference number APP/W4325/A/08/2064809 and marked for the attention of The Inspector no later than 8th May 2008.

If you would like to say something at the appeal hearing, you only need write to say so, but you must be confident you will be able to attend, bearing in mind a date has not yet been set!

Copies of the application and grounds of appeal are available for inspection at the following locations:-

Heswall One Stop Shop

WBC Technical Services Dept, Cheshire Lines Building, Canning Street, Birkenhead.

If you require any further information regarding the appeal, you should contact the Technical Services Dept, Development Control Section on 606 2000

Finally, we were disappointed to have had passed on to us a leaflet endorsing the proposals with the full backing of Dr Vine. One would have thought the Doctors would have taken a more professional low key stance!

"Your Voice"? post a comment here or you can email us

August 2007

If you are new to this topic, you may need to read our earlier report, (June 2007), our video report , and our initial report on the proposed new medical centre. You may also like to have a look over the comments left in our forum.

By way of update, we can tell you there has been lots of activity behind the scenes by ITPAS and numerous other groups on The Wirral who are opposed to the plans purely on the basis of the major application that is proposed AND may succeed, on Green Belt land. Some may say its only a small isolated corner of our green areas - maybe so, but it IS still Green Belt and a lot is at stake if the application is allowed - "first they went for the Jews...."

The Council planners have to demonstrate that exceptional circumstances exist if they were to accept this matter. This will also need to be demonstrated to central Government and a transport plan will have to be in place. Now bearing in mind a similar application was made by the PCT some years ago and refused, very little has changed. In fact, traffic has increased and the proposed entrance is hardly ideal.

Another point some people seem to lose sight of is the fact a new medical centre is not necessarily what is being opposed here!

We have been disappointed at the subterfuge and skullduggery that has been going on. Our local journalists appear to have been hood-winked as they printed a heavily weighted article for the proposals with quotes from Stephen Hesford MP referring to the site as "disused" as if alluding to the lower site with the buildings on (this is NOT the proposed site!). He has also quoted surveys reporting 9 out of 10 residents in favour - what surveys? Again, reference is made to 22 sites having been investigated. We know of the sites, but how much time was spent investigating them? How much money was spent reviewing such sites? How much money was spent reviewing The Warrens site? This IS public money that our 'public servant' is referring to isn't it?

Finally, Mr Hesford is quoted referring to the objectors... "...(they) have misguided concerns... are not genuine and are simply out to make mischief". Such comments merely show the sum of the man and are not worthy of a formal response - election time will tell.

As if that were not enough bullying, the Friends of Arrowe Park group had been using the noticeboard at the entrance to The Warrens for many months, with permission of the Parks & Gardens Dept, and had placed some clear signage highlighting the issues for locals to see. A 'dawn swoop' by local authority officials was conducted recently who removed all the signs and contents of the noticeboard. Such action can only be treated as a clear threat to all local Societies and Friends Groups around The Wirral, whom for sometime have enjoyed good relations with the local authority. Of course, such actions demonstrate a blatant threat to free speech and local democracy!

Given all this, I think the following poem would be appropriate.....

In Germany they came first for the Communist,

and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist.

Then they came for the Jews,

and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew.

Then they came for the trade unionists,

and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Catholics,

and I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant.

Then they came for me, and by that time no one was left to speak up.

Martin Niemoeller