Monday, March 26, 2007
Role of Registered Social Landlords in HMRI
The purpose of this report was to ask Members to approve an approach to engaging Registered Social Landlords (RSL’s) via the establishment of a new Partnership for the delivery of the Regeneration Strategy for Inner Wirral in line with housing market restructuring through the Housing Market Renewal Initiative.
http://www.wirral.gov.uk/minute/public/cabhep040204rep2_11824.pdf
Friday, March 23, 2007
M.O.T. FOR WIRRAL MEN AT TRANMERE ROVERS

A free football-themed health event – for men who don’t want to be left on the subs bench – will kick off at Tranmere Rovers at 2.30 p.m. on Thursday, 26th April. The programme includes:
An opportunity to meet Eric Nixon
Football skills competitions
Display of superbikes and cruisers (courtesy of Marriott Motorcycles)
A close-up of the Vauxhall VXR range (courtesy of Lookers, Wirral)
Live broadcast from the radio Merseyside BBC bus
A win-a-new-bike competition
A roller cycling challenge
A display of army vehicles
Giant Genga
Plus a team of health professionals offering free health assessments and general advice on men’s health issues
The event – aimed at all ages - is being organised by Wirral Primary Care Trust’s Health and Wellbeing Team to encourage local men and youths to be more pro-active about their health.
Said Joint Director of Public Health, Jane Harvey, “We wanted to offer something a little bit different to get them through the door so that we can help them see what they could be doing to improve their self-care”.
According to the Men’s Health Forum, which exists to improve men’s health in England and Wales, 1 in 3 people in the UK live with a long-term medical condition and a significant proportion of this number will be men.
However, health promotion campaigns often fail to take account of the need for 'gender-sensitivity' in reaching male audiences. Men may be unaware that they are living with a chronic condition. For example, an estimated 3% of men aged 35 and over have undiagnosed diabetes and many men also live with long-term mental health problems such as anxiety or depression
And more than 30,000 men in the UK are diagnosed each year with prostate cancer, many of whom live with it for many years with or without treatment.
For more information please contact Carol Howard, Health Improvement Projects Manager, Health and Wellbeing Team, Wirral Primary Care NHS Trust on 0151 630 8383.
Friday, March 09, 2007
Wirral Weight Wise - new classes

Wirral Weight Wise will offer the new low impact exercise sessions in Wirral Tennis and Sports Centre, Valley Road, Bidston every week starting:
Tuesday, 20th March: 9.30 -10.30 a.m.
Wednesday, 21st March: 5.45 - 6.45 p.m.
Weight Wise has proved very popular in *Guinea Gap Recreation Centre (Riverview Road, Wallasey) since being launched last September. The programme offers structured, low impact exercise with qualified instructors who have had special training to deliver the most appropriate type of exercise.
The latest additions to the Weight Wise programme coincide with National Obesity Awareness Week (from 12th March). Recent data from GP practices shows that just over a quarter of Wirral adults are clinically obese.
Said Marie Armitage, Joint Director of Public Health with Wirral PCT: “Weight Wise exercise sessions are designed to get overweight people, who may not have exercised for some time, back into being active without embarrassment.
“Ideally people with serious weight problems should aim to exercise for at least forty-five minutes on five days a week, but lack of motivation and limited ‘gentle’ exercise provision can make it a difficult goal to achieve, which is why these dedicated sessions are proving so popular and why we are extending them.”
Participants can just turnn up and GPs, practice nurses and other will point suitable candidates in the direction of the centres. There is a charge for each session and new participants are advised to turn up ten minutes beforehand to complete a health questionnaire. To find out more about Weight Wise please call 0151 606 2244.
People who are really concerned about their weight should ask their GP or practice nurse if they can also access the free NHS weight management programme, the Lifestyle and Weight Management Service.
*Existing Guinea Gap sessions are held every Tuesday from 2 – 3 p.m. and every Sunday from 10.30 – 11.30a.m.
Thanks to Lin Danher at Wirral PCT
Thursday, March 08, 2007
Demolition on Thompson Street


Minutes of United Communities Group Jan 07
MINUTES 25TH JANUARY 2007
PRESENT: Hazel Roberts Chair, T A G, Ann Adams T R A C, Marilyn McDougall MRA, Terry Neill WAMA, Andrew Wilson WAMA, James Kay TRACE, Les Neish CPRA, John Steele UCG
APOLOGIES: Malcolm Birchall, Rev. John Chesworth, Steph Reid.
MINUTES : The minutes of the previous meeting held 16th November 2006 were
approved as a correct record of the meeting.
MATTERS ARISING :
The meeting would like to thank Colin Clayton for all he has done and would like to invite him to the next meeting to follow up the issues that he had passed on to other departments.
James reported that most people in the H M R I assessment area have accepted the 50/50 grant.(up to £30,000 00 is available), the work must be started after April 2007 and the money spent before March 2008.
It is understood that 20 Seymour Street, if they accept the grant, will be fast tracked through the system.
RESIDENT GROUP REPORTS :
Terry Neill (W A M A) said that they have had a better response from T C P. the children are behaving better. Meetings are being arranged for every two months between the W A M A and T C P. Terry thanked all that had been helping with their problems.
T R A C E James would like the U C G to write to the Post Office and complain about deliveries. H e said that the postman is frequently putting letters in the wrong houses. He has recently had a letter returned to the sender saying that he had left the property. John said he is often taking letters that have been put through his door by mistake and posting them in the right address.
M R A Marilyn was welcomed back after a period of illness. She reported that all was going well with the play area in St, Paul’s Road, they now have two investors and it should be ready in April.
The young people from Yellow House are making a film about themselves. They have 24 8-12 year olds on a Monday night but have not been successful in getting the next age group off the ground.
James invited Marilyn to get in touch with him if any of the young people would be interested in acting in a live show he said that there are many opportunities for young people in the Drama Groups.
C P R A Les reported on a meeting that had been held with three Birkenhead Councillors and the residents about the Mosque at Beechcroft.
The main issues were Parking and Security. It was a very good meeting with an agreement made between the residents and the Moslem Council to have monthly meetings and an invitation to look over the building when it has been refurbished.
T R A C Ann said that they will be looking for more funding from the Discretionary Fund next year for chiropody service, as they will need to put on another session to cope with the amount of people that want to use the service. At present it is booked up for 3 months in advance.
T A G The Trampoline club continues to be popular with up to 40, 8 to 12 year olds from 5:15pm to 7:15pm and an average of 18, 12 to 16 year olds from 7:30pm to 9:30pm, we now have nearly 40, 12 to 16 year olds registered.
Bag a Bargain is running well, we do have a problem with the quality of the veg it is not always as fresh as it should be. We have another supplier coming to see if he can provide better quality fresh fruit and veg for the same price.
HMRI James gave an update on the Church Road Developments. More delays in the start of the redevelopments they are now looking at September or October before anything will start to be built.
Hazel said that T A G is looking to contact Frank Field and will be having an open meeting in the near future.
ANY OTHER BUSINESS :
Tranmere Alliance Charity Night Friday 23rd February at Gladstone Liberal Club tickets £4:00 each.
Courses at Trafford Hall. Marilyn said that there is another 2day course. Make Yourself Heard on the 12th to 14th of February that she is going on.
John and Hazel would like to go on the Neighbourhood Regeneration on the 26th to 28th March.
NEXT MEETING :
Thursday 5th April 10:30am at Prospect House .
ACTIONS
Ring Colin Clayton to attend next meeting
Contact Royal Mail residents problems
Thursday, March 01, 2007
Violent youth gang in Tranmere
If you have any information or have witnessed any intimidation, threatening or anti-social behaviour, vandalism or violence - please contact TRACE by phone or email or phone the police locally on
Lets come together and stop this nonsense before it gets seriously out of hand.
Birkenhead/Tranmere Forum Report
Some of you will have this information already, indeed some of you were at the meeting - but most were not - so these notes might be interesting to you.
Click below
http://www.wirral.gov.uk/minute/public/area%20co%20report%206%20feb_23086.pdf
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Seymour Street tidier now
I don't know by whom or exactly when but the gardens wall debris shown below was moved very quickly and this part of the street is now safer than it was.
I assume that the Wardens or Street Scene maybe working together cleared this away - but who ever it was - well done and thank you.
Saturday, February 24, 2007
Seymour Street - gets worse and worse
The vandals have moved in to start the process of demolishing the fronts of empty houses on Seymour Street. Within days of the residents in number 1 moving out the garden walls were being demolished and it is only a matter of time before these bricks become missiles.You cannot leave a place like this as an open invitation to the more intellectually challenged to start wrecking things. I have complained to the HMRI team and the Housing Wardens and it will be interesting to see how long it takes to get the walls removed.

Monday, February 19, 2007
Tranmere Alliance Bash - sold out!
Just in case it is missed by some - I have pasted it in again here at the top of the blog.
She said ...
This event is now sold out but look out for our next night of entertainment. The next community extravaganza will be the Tranmere Show in Victoria Park on Sunday 24th June 11am-6pm free to all.
Our thanks to all who have bought tickets.
Stephanie Reid
Community Development Officer
Tranmere Alliance
Tel:644 1100
So - Well done Tranmere Alliance!
University paper on Merseyside's HMRIs
Merseyside Social Inclusion Observatory (MSIO) has produced a research report that offers a detailed insight into the extent to which ‘socially excluded’ communities, including Black and Racial Minority (BRM) communities, are able to engage with the development and regeneration policy initiatives at local area / neighbourhood level.
It is an 8 page report in .pdf format. It is written reasonably clearly although there is a mixture of bureaucrat speak and plain English. The plain English comes in the quotes from residents and the bureaucrat speak comes whenever the researchers are 'analysing' what the residents have said. Here's an example of both, which as far as I can see means exactly the same; it's just that the bureaucrat needed twice as many words to 'explain' what the resident had said.
Resident said ...
‘If they’d start from the point of view of saying ‘We want to… what do YOU think?’ and take it from there, we’d have better outcomes. They’d be upfront about their intentions and we’d know from the start what we were dealing with.’
Bureaucrat's analysis of the above ...
(v) Defining the parameters of community engagement
A further joint message to emerge was a need for local delivery agents to be clear as to the parameters of community engagement in respect of policy development and implementation and for this to be communicated at the earliest opportunity to individuals and communities being targeted in order to help define realistic expectations of the outcomes of consultation and participation.
Oh dear!
Anyhow if you want to see the whole report it is the following URL
http://www.liv.ac.uk/civdes/msio/Briefing_Papers/Briefing_Paper_7_-_HMRI.pdf
Friday, February 16, 2007
Health issues - breast screening
Breast screening provides an opportunity for women to be assured that they do not have any of the early signs and symptoms of breast cancer. Every year some women find that they have small lumps that they would not have noticed if they had not attended for their breast screening appointment. This then allows them to get prompt treatment and have excellent chances of a full recovery.
The PCT recently carried out a project to try to increase breast screening uptake in areas of Wirral where it was low. Women who had not taken up the offer of attending for breast screening were sent a questionnaire. The womens feedback was used to design new posters and promotional materials, new invitation letters and various small changes were made to the way the service was provided. Interviews on radio were also given and PCT staff visited womens groups to try to explain the process for breast screening, answer any questions and motivate as many women as possible to attend when they received their appointment.
Evaluation of the project found that so much was already being done to encourage women to attend (such as provision of public transport information, ability to claim back travel expenses, ability to change appointments to any time to suit) that the most likely reason for women to have not attended was a fatalistic attitude to developing cancer.
A lot of women felt that getting cancer was down to chance and therefore, they would rather not know. Of course this is not true as some people are more likely to develop cancer than others and screening aims to pick up very early signs and symptoms which could not be detected just through self examination. Once detected early, the chances of treatment leading to a full recovery are very high whereas the longer breast cancer is left untreated, the poorer the outcome is likely to be.
The survey found out that women were embarrassed about taking off their clothes in front of others. Now invitation letters sent to women explain that they will be dealt with by female staff and their dignity and confidentiality is respected.
If you would like more information about breast screening, how it works in your area and how to examine yourself - go to talk to your GP.
Sunday, February 11, 2007
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Lees Residents Newsletter Feb 07


We owe a huge debt of gratitude to the staff of Tranmere Alliance for their assistance in completing the application forms. Without their help the application may not have succeeded. Thank you all at Tranmere Alliance, in particular Stephanie Reid.
The kangoo classes are proving to be a great success, they are good fun, an excellent form of low impact exercise and ideal for weight loss. So why not come along and have a go? You never know you may like it. The classes are held on Monday nights from 7pm until 8pm and Wednesday nights from 6.30pm until 7.30pm.
The next meeting will be held in the school sports barn on Thursday 8th February at 7.30pm. Please come along and tell us what you want for your area. We need your input to improve things, so come along and have your say.
As usual there will be free tea, coffee and biscuits available to anyone who wants to have them.contractors carrying out the work.
Friday, February 02, 2007
New Housing signs to go up in Tranmere

This is an example of signs that are to go up in Tranmere over the next few weeks.
There are two very similar designs. This one will be used near Holt Hill and on the Abakan site.
A similar one which just says "New Housing Development" will go up at Hillside Court and Whitford Road. The artwork has now been approved by the various partners - see the HMRI notes below for a note of our grumbling about these delays a few weeks ago.
I am told that the signs are 4ft x 3ft and along Church Road these will be placed as chevrons (2 signs together at an angle so that pedestrians and traffic in both directions can see them clearly.
What do you think?
Bebington Dramatic Shortlisted for Award
If you want to see some still photographs of the play and read some of the great reviews it got - go to http://www.bebingtondramaticsociety.co.uk/Accrington%20pals%202006.htm
Or you might want to have a look at the next BDS production at the Gladstone Theatre in the first week of March. It is Alan Bennett's The Madness of King George the 111rd and it's going to be excellent - which I know of course because I am in it!
Seriously it is well worth a trip to the Gladstone. Go to
http://www.bebingtondramaticsociety.co.uk/Madness%20of%20King%20George.htm
for more information about the play dates and tickets.
Is this a typo - or did she really mean it?
Dear Colleagues
>
> Apologise for any incontinence I may have caused but the Children and
> Young Peoples plan that I sent to you on 1st Feb was not complete. I
> have attached the relevant one for the Children and Young Peoples
> Thematic Group meeting on Tuesday 6th Feb 3pm, Lairdside room, Royal
> Standard House.
Some of these documents are quite distrubing but I was surprised to see that they had that sort of impact!
Thanks to John Chesworth for pointing this out.
What young people think about Tranmere
If you want the full document - 18 pages long but actually quite interesting - email me on jameslkay@ntlworld.com and I will send it to you. After some chilling statistics about the high levels of deprivation that affect the 5,500 children and young people aged between 0-19 who live in the Tranmere/Rock Ferry area, the report goes on to document what some of these children have themselves told the researchers.
" Children have told us that they like living in the area and generally find people in the area friendly. They like being near the shops in Birkenhead and they use the local facilities, especially the swimming pools and the football cages. Children in the Bedford Drive area appreciated the local parks (Victoria and Mersey) and are aware of attractions further afield, eg the museums in Wirral and Liverpool. Many of them used local clubs and activities. They feel safe in the area during the day and when they are with their parents but they do not feel safe in the evenings.
Most of their immediate concerns revolve around not feeling safe in the evenings and about the rubbish including broken glass left lying in public places and the parks; about drug dealing in the area (primary age children reported that they had seen this happening); about being bullied; and about teenagers being drunk and behaving in a threatening manner. Young Moslem children felt particularly intimidated by young men who called them names and threw stones. In a survey of young people in Victoria and Mersey parks in 2006, two-thirds said that the streets are dangerous and 7 out of 10 felt that young people hanging around drinking alcohol is a serious problem in Tranmere. They are also concerned about cars speeding on the main roads although they appreciated the traffic calming measures in the side roads. Teenagers are concerned that the police are interpreting their Section 30 powers too rigidly and breaking up small groups of young people who are doing no harm.
They are aware of what is meant by a healthy lifestyle and healthy food. They are concerned that healthy food often appears to be more expensive than less healthy alternatives. They enjoy games and sports and would like more opportunities to play football, netball, badminton, skateboarding and so on, and to take part in dance and drama activities. They asked for toilets in Mersey and Victoria Parks.
They would like to see the area cleaner with fewer outlets for the sale of alcohol; more security (specifically more police and CCTV) and better lighting; and more sports facilities close to the area. Teenagers asked for an attractive and stylish coffee shop preferably with internet facilities."
quote ends ...
Thursday, February 01, 2007
Minutes of January HMRI meeting
In the minutes below I have deleted the numbering from the original minutes but left the text intact. Where I have added a comment I have highlighted my comment in bold - like this.
Present
Hazel Roberts Together
James Kay TRACE
John Steele Together
Bruce Lister Lovell
Steph Reid Tranmere Alliance
Lesley Gibbons Together
Cllr Phil Davies Wirral Council
James Hurley Wirral Council
Emma Foley Wirral Council
Apologies
Chris Bowen Wirral Council
Jill Quayle TCP
Anne Keggin TCP
Minutes of Last Meeting
Agreed. There were no matters arising.
HMRI Programme Update
JH advised that due to additional funding received by the North West Development Agency (NWDA), further acquisitions on Church Road have been able to be agreed including the gym and SRT Motorcycles premises.
Development Update
BL reported on the development timetable. It is hoped that the outline planning application will be submitted next week. This has been delayed from just before Christmas due to the need for further clarification from the planning department about the procedure for making working amendments to the application once it has been submitted. It has also been delayed to continue negotiations with local property owners.
JK asked how long it would take to make a decision once the application has gone in. JH said that 13 weeks is the usual timescale for applications of this scale. Cllr. Davies suggested speaking to the Planning Department to see if it was possible to fast-track the application. EF commented that the amount of documentation supporting the application is considerably higher than for most planning applications, and would consequently take longer to process.
JK was keen to influence the time frame and asked if there was any other ways of speeding up the process. BL said that once the outline application has been submitted, if early feedback is positive, then it may be possible to start work on the detailed design for the scheme – even before a formal decision has been reached on the outline planning application. BL said the revised start date was now looking like September. (Highlighted in this blog only)
Project Update
JH said there have been a number of meetings on 15th November 2006, with surveyors from Legat Owen acting on behalf of Atmore, with Hursts, the Chemist, Hairdresser and Post Office. Further meetings would be beneficial with a couple of other retailers.
It was agreed that Atmore appeared to be cautious in their approach to the Co-op and it was difficult to open negotiations at this early stage in the development process. JK said that if it is likely to take 6 months to negotiate an agreement, we should be opening negotiations now.
JS said that he and HR were planning to visit a convenience store in the Beechwood Estate which he believed to be considerably cheaper than the Co-op.
JH reported that at the meeting on 15th November all the retailers in attendance seemed to indicate that the rental figures suggested were reasonable.
JK asked when the Waterloo Bathrooms building would be coming down. JH confirmed that their lease was due to expire on 31st March, but they may move sooner, subject to fitting out their new premises. EF said that service disconnections couldn’t be organised until we have vacant possession of the building, [JK comment - So we could be looking at May/June before the buildings are demolished. [this blog added the comment]
EF reported that demolition contractor is currently on site in Thompson Street and that the vacant properties would be coming down over the next 4 weeks.
It was reported that some old furniture had been dumped in the front of a property in Seymour Street. EF said that the Environmental Warden Scheme has been set up to provide a fast response to such issues in the Church Road area; while their number has been widely published it would be useful to remind residents. Their phone number is 638 5888 and residents are urged to use the service. If problems persist EF will invite Dave Morrell, the Wardens Manager, to the next meeting.
JS said he had seen pigeons flying into 30/32 Seymour Street. EF said she would follow it up with the Empty Property Team.
EF said that letters had been sent out to all eligible properties who were eligible for a 50/50 improvement grant. Out of almost 50 properties, 30 possible responses have been received. Dave Newman will be visiting people in their homes over the coming weeks to get a more accurate picture of the likely grant take-up for budget planning purposes.
It was agreed by all that site signage would improve local morale and confidence in the scheme and needed to be actioned as a priority. Cllr. Davies suggested a target to get them erected before the next meeting. EF will do everything possible to organise this.
A.O.B
HR asked EF to find out in time for the next meeting what has happened to the CCTV which used to be on the Post Office.
EF mentioned the Strictly Regeneration Awards for successful regeneration projects, and asked if anyone would like to be on the Judging Panel to represent Wirral, to let her know.
The Art Regeneration Project has been a great success with over 400 local residents getting involved. An Exhibition to view the work will be held at 35-37 Church Road from 1st-3rd February, but all present were invited to a private viewing on Thursday 25th January, 6:15-8pm.
Cllr. Davies asked if progress had been made finding alternative premises for AJ Motors. HR said there have been problems with AJ Motors causing a nuisance to adjacent residents for years. All residents present agreed that the proximity of a garage business to houses and shops must not be replicated in the new scheme, especially not the Abakhan Site where the new retail units and bungalows are to be sited. JH said that the Council would be undertaking an Options Appraisal process to try to resolve the issue of relocating AJ Motors as soon as possible.
Date and Time of Next Meeting
Wednesday 7th March at 2pm.
Tranmere Alliance February Bash

Friday 23rd February 2007
7.30pm until midnight The Gladstone Liberal Club Church Road, Tranmere
Credit Union, 172 Bedford Road, Rock Ferry 0151 645 2111
Prospect House, 175 Church Road, Tranmere 0151 644 7002
Prenton Residents Partnership, Dickens Avenue,off Prenton Dell Road, Prenton 0151 608 0077
