From Liverpool Echo
- no public consultations
- false assurances / fobbing off by a senior member of staff and council leader
- huge amounts of public money being squandered unnecessarily
- developers being courted, feted and shielded, whilst dodging the bullets
- lack of openness and transparency
- deep duplicity concerning the construction of a new access road
- rocketing air pollution in West Wirral
Sent: 11 November 2017 13:51
To: gillianwood@wirral.gov.uk; janwilliamson@wirral.gov.uk; jerrywilliams@wirral.gov.uk; irenewilliams@wirral.gov.uk; stuartwhittingham@wirral.gov.uk; warrenward@wirral.gov.uk;joewalsh@wirral.gov.uk; thomasusher@wirral.gov.uk; paulstuart@wirral.gov.uk; mikesullivan@wirral.gov.uk; jeanstapleton@wirral.gov.uk; christinespriggs@wirral.gov.uk; waltersmith@wirral.gov.uk;tonysmith@wirral.gov.uk; louisereecejones@wirral.gov.uk; deniserealey@wirral.gov.uk; matthewpatrick@wirral.gov.uk; tonynorbury@wirral.gov.uk; christinamuspratt@wirral.gov.uk;berniemooney@wirral.gov.uk; chrismeaden@wirral.gov.uk; juliemcmanus@wirral.gov.uk; moiramclaughlin@wirral.gov.uk; annmclachlan@wirral.gov.uk; anitaleech@wirral.gov.uk;briankenny@wirral.gov.uk; tonyjones@wirral.gov.uk; christinejones@wirral.gov.uk; adrianjones@wirral.gov.uk; treenajohnson@wirral.gov.uk; pathackett@wirral.gov.uk; pauldoughty@wirral.gov.uk;billdavies@wirral.gov.uk; georgedavies@wirral.gov.uk; angeladavies@wirral.gov.uk; phillipbrightmore@wirral.gov.uk; ronabbey@wirral.gov.uk
Subject: Hoylake Golf Resort – Hoylake By-pass / Saughall Massie Link Road – Open and Transparent?
Dear Councillors,
I have been made aware that the Council have spent approx £200,000 on a feasibility study and business case for the Hoylake By-pass / Saughall Massie Link Road and have requested funding of £1.65million to help fund the road.
At the Golf Resort Council Call In meeting on 7th December 2016, Members were asked to approve an additional £595,695 of spend on Consultants fees on top of £237k which had already been spent. Phil Davies and David Ball were both asked if this would be the end to requests for monies. Phil Davies responded “I hope it is…there may be a requirement for further funding but we dont know at this stage”.
David Ball stated that he did not envisage the requirement for the Council to put any more money in for consultants or legal fees and if the Funding and Viability Assessment was agreed then all costs for the next stage onwards would drop over to the developer”
https://democracy.wirral.gov.uk/mgAi.aspx?ID=35945
What David Ball and Phil Davies both failed to mention in this call in meeting was that, in March 2016, the Council had approved £200,000 for procurement of Consultants Services for a feasibility study and business case for the Saughall Massie Link Road / Hoylake By-pass. This Bypass is described as “essential to guarantee the success of the proposed golf resort”. The Developers will NOT be funding this link road, contrary to what Mr Ball stated.
Why, at the Call In meeting in Dec 2016, did they fail to mention the £200,000 already approved for Consultants for the new road? This Call In meeting was to discuss funding for the Golf Resort and the new road is intrinsically linked to the Golf Resort Project.
Why has the Council committed to spending £200k so far, with potentially many £millions to come on a major new road across West Wirral when they have undertaken absolutely no public consultation on the new road. The only information released to the public has been an extremely misleading plan of the Golf Resort which shows what appears to be a tree – lined access track!
I feel that the Council are not acting in an Open and transparent manner about this Link Road / Bypass. This is going to be a significant road project across the West Wirral Green Belt, it is to have an 11m wide carriageway and it will have major impacts on traffic and pollution.
You are aware, I am sure that the air in Birkenhead is classed by the World Health Authority as too dangerous to breath, yet the Council is now trying to build a large by-pass scheme which will bring 1000s of cars on to already congested roads around Hoylake. What effect will all these cars queuing at Hoylake level crossing have on air pollution in West Wirral?
http://www.itv.com/news/2017-10-31/air-pollution-uk-who/
Please can you ask that a representative of the Council to provide a full explanation of the proposed link road in detail. eg. costs, route, layout, traffic impact, effect on pollution etc.
It is absolutely shocking that the public have not yet been made aware of this scheme when plans are already so well advanced. The Council is not acting in an Open and Transparent manner
Kind regards
It will likely be ignored, like all the emails sent to them asking awkward questions about this personal vanity project of the council leader. I know people still waiting for replies from months ago!
I live in Carr lane hoylake & have not received any information of there plans. If they think they can just use the railway crossing they are living in cookoo land. It is congested as it is with trains going through every 15 mins. It is also dangerous as it is . If the gates fail we can not leave. The industrial estate creates a lot of traffic, without construction vehicles as well.
I would love to add my name to your e mails
This does not surprise me They seem to forget they are put in office to work for the people of Wirral More like please themselves