18th November 2025 UPDATE
Council leader Paula Basnett’s Wirral Chamber HQ – Egerton House, Birkenhead – is having ££thousands more in public money 💰 lavished upon it…
…which doesn’t seem to fit with their response to my recent FOI request. See below …
16th November 2025 UPDATE. Things have gone a bit tits up!
Recently, I lodged a Freedom of Information request related to the subject matter of Sean Martin’s letter below addressed to Paula Basnett, which was sent on 5th March 2024, I believe, well before Paula Basnett became Wirral Council leader.
Here’s a link to that FOI request:
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/public_breakdown_of_funds_distri
Why has it gone tits up? Well, Sean Martin isn’t answering my Facebook messages. I asked some time ago, before my Facebook account was permanently disabled, whether he’d like to assist me with the FOI request.
There wasn’t any response, so I recently used another account and tried to contact him again, but without success.
I thought that was reasonable enough. Anyway, I will let the whole thing drop now because it’s just not worth pursuing and I don’t have the required knowledge.
But it’s just frustrating. I’m likely to be of a different mindset to Sean, who is a local business owner.
As a local council tax payer, and a former Wirral Council whistleblower who was forced out of the council, I’d like to see public money being spent FAIRLY between everyone and not just to a favoured few.
I’m sure Sean is as honest as the day is long. But the issue with many other businessman is that if they eventually get a fair crack of the whip, then they will stop pushing for what they regard as ‘fairness’. If somebody cuts you in, what’s the point of continuing your complaint?!
Sean has recently been very fortunate, having found himself a great, new business location at the very prestigious Hamilton Square, Birkenhead.
Here’s a map to indicate to readers the proximity of this location to Egerton House, where Princess Paula ‘works’.
27th May 2025 UPDATE
New Council leader Paula Basnett’s gaff at 60 Noctorum Lane, Birkenhead has appreciated in value!
23rd May 2025 UPDATE
14th May 2025 UPDATE
This evening at 7pm, a new Mayor was invested at Wallasey Town Hall. All the details are in the alleged ‘newspapers’.
I attended the meeting and arrived an hour early. I made myself busy, handing out some high quality 5G / Telecoms mast information leaflets. Initially, I gave them to persons arriving inside the Town Hall. For doing this, I was bundled out by two heavies, but I continued outside, handing leaflets to councillors / visitors as they arrived. I was very friendly and these leaflets were very gratefully accepted by most people, but there were a few exceptions.
Outgoing Labour leader, Paul Stuart, turned me down, along with Kaitlin Stuart. Incoming Labour leader, Paula Basnett, also turned me down, and accused me of being ‘nasty’ to her. I assumed she was referring to the blog post here (below). The people accompanying her also called me ‘nasty’. I responded by correctly stating that this post contains only factual information, which has been well-researched. My feelings were that I was the messenger here, and not actually the person being nasty. That label had been successfully claimed already by the eponymous person indicated in the title of the post.
7th May 2025 UPDATE
Councillor Paula Basnett recently triumphed in a process called to find a new Labour leader on Wirral. So she is about to become the new Wirral Council leader, but only if she gets endorsed by the fake ‘opposition’ parties. This will be confirmed in a meeting on 21st May 2025.
The ‘opposition’ parties will co-operate, guaranteed. Because this shitshow only stumbles onwards, and only functions, and only continues providing their allowances and expenses if they are seen to back each other up.
As I’ve said many times before … expect the worst, but in this particular case, expect the absolute worst.
Story from the captured Wirral Globe
The following letter has come into my possession. It was sent on 14th January this year to all 66 Wirral Councillors – including Labour’s Paula Basnett – by Sean Martin, CEO of Liberty Antiques, a Wirral business, based in New Brighton:
5th March 2024
STOP PRESS: Alan Evans’ successor at Wirral Council is stepping down
Wirral Chamber of Commerce
Open letter to all Wirral councillors by Sean Martin, Chair, New Brighton Coastal Community Team
Dear Councillors,
I wrote to you all in November regarding Wirral Chamber of Commerce and the Business Support Grant and the fact that nobody seemed to be aware of the availability of this Free Business Support. I say Free Business Support but of course it is not free as it is paid for with Taxpayers Money. In 2022 they received £396,000 to provide these services and in 2023 they received a further £396,000. Not once during these 2 years did Wirral Council or Wirral Chamber advertise the availability of this support on their social media channels. Since I highlighted this Chamber are advertising it every few days on their twitter feed and Wirral Council have posted it on their Facebook Page and Twitter Feed. Our own Councillors in New Brighton even took the trouble to invite Chamber down to New Brighton to cold call local businesses and reported it on their Facebook page. And low and behold the Liverpool Echo and the Wirral Globe have now joined in publishing the availability of this support and highlighting a good news story of a local business that apparently has thrived as a result of the support they have received. Isn’t it a shame that it took a community group highlighting this for any effort to be made to promote the service.
My own experience of looking for support through this service is not as positive. On October 18th 2023 I emailed the Chamber at the email address provided asking what support my business Liberty Antiques could receive. Three months later I have still not had a reply. A couple of weeks later myself and two of my colleagues in the New Brighton Coastal Community Team met two Wirral Chamber staff members to discuss what help our local independent businesses could benefit from and to ask could Chamber support us in our campaign to secure an Events Policy for New Brighton. This was something tangible we have been looking for as our established businesses suffer from out of town events rocking up every Bank holiday weekend and taking the money from our tills on what should be our busiest weekends. Despite a promise for them to get back to us promptly we have heard nothing. So that’s over 2 months ago and still no follow up from Chamber.
I had been chasing the performance Data provided by Chamber for this contract but twice I was refused with WBC stating that it was commercially sensitive information. Surprisingly just before Christmas it was sent to me and it showed that there are 10 different performance criteria with a set target for each. And Lo and Behold Wirral Chamber had exceeded expectations in each one!! I have attached this chart for your attention. I would love more detailed information but I doubt that I will get it and I would love to know if these figures can be substantiated or are they simply numbers provided by Chamber. For example, I wonder if the businesses cold called by Chamber in New Brighton are recorded as businesses helped even though they did not receive any support. Is my business down as a business helped even though they have not even replied to my email?
The business support contract has now been extended for another 2 years and Chamber will receive £438,050 for 2024 and a further £438,050 for 2025. Surely more scrutiny is needed to ensure these vast sums of money are returning good value for taxpayers money?
I also spoke about what looks like an incestuous relationship between Wirral Council and Wirral Chamber with staff leaving Chamber to take up positions in Council and them making decisions that benefit Chamber. Some would say that the fact that Paula Basnett is now a councillor adds fuel to that. As the companies and CIC’s she owns or represent get so much revenue from Wirral Council its probably not a good look.
The awarding of this contract to Wirral Chamber is a good case in point. Alan Evans was director of Regeneration and Place in Wirral Council until October 2022. According to his Linkedin Profile he was also a Non Executive Board Member of Wirral Chamber of Commerce. He had been in that position from January 2015 until he resigned in October 2021. Coincidentally also in October 2021 he put out the tender for the Business Support Contract. There were 3 tenders received, obviously one was from Wirral Chamber. On the 1st December 2021 Alan Evans signed off an Officer Decision Form awarding the contract to Wirral Chamber. Ironically he based his decision on a report by Ben Lavell, Economic Development Lead at Wirral Council who also joined WBC from Wirral Chamber. I’m not making any accusations but let’s be honest it’s not a good look.
As you will probably know there are several CIC’s and private companies run by the chair of Wirral Chamber Councillor Paula Basnett and / or Wirral Chamber and all seem to benefit from Wirral Council. I wrote to you regarding Egerton House CIC. As I mentioned then there are 2 directors of Egerton House CIC. They are Paula Basnett and Wirral Chamber and they are due to receive a further £1,241.530 this year from Wirral Council to repurpose the ground floor of the building as part of the Birkenhead Regeneration. As I reported at that time this building is in excellent condition and does not need money spent on it…
…but there are hundreds of other buildings in the Borough that would. Egerton House recently published their 2023 accounts which showed a Gross Profit for the year of £403,775 down from £611.657 the previous year. Operating Profit was £14,543 down from £87,869 the previous year. This years accounts also showed that Egerton House CIC is owed a staggering £345,963 from Wirral Chamber up from £310,916 the previous year. As you can see this CIC is awash with money. The main business on the top floor of Egerton House is a very tastefully decorated Party Venue called Dockside which is run by a company called Jaidan Events. This company has one director Sharon Stanton who is Paula Basnett’s sister. Is this company getting favourable treatment? I don’t know but again probably not a good look. Egerton House is owned by Wirral Council but there has been talk over the last couple of years that it will be transferred to Wirral Chamber of Commerce. Who in the council is pushing for this? Are they ex Chamber staff?
Another CIC linked to Chamber and Councillor Basnett is Woodside CIC. Again they receive large sums from Wirral Council. Paula Basnett was a director but resigned in 2021 and was replaced by Wirral Chamber of Commerce. The other 2 directors are Kate Eugenie, an employee of Wirral Chamber and a Dan Dooley who as far as I know has no relationship with Chamber. They recently lodged their latest accounts with Companies House which show they had revenues of £291,978 this year down from £522,172 the previous year. After expenses they actually suffered a loss of £74,999 this year and a profit of £61,666 the previous year. Incredibly they owe Wirral Chamber of Commerce £350,098 this year up from £271,395 the previous year. Money seems to be juggled around these companies like snuff at a wake. When we met the two employees of Chamber one of them told us that they were operating markets from Woodside even though their licence had not been renewed. He said that Council had written to them stating that they were aware Markets were taking place and it needed to stop. I see from their social media channels that they operated 2 markets in December. I was of the opinion that nobody within a certain distance of Birkenhead Market could be licenced to operate a market but I may be wrong. He also told us that the numerous Wooden Huts used for the markets at Woodside had been paid for by way of an EU grant. He said when they stopped doing markets they would have to pay to store these cabins for 10 years after they were funded in case the EU came to check on them. Is this value for money? One of the businesses that operate out of Woodside is a bar called Pausha. I have been informed that this is a collective name taken from Paula and her sister Sharon’s first names. According to companies house this company has only one director Paula Basnett. Is this company getting favourable treatment? I don’t know but again probably not a good look. Obviously, the more money that is given to Woodside CIC improves the prospects for this company. I have checked this companies’ website and its does not contain any of the company’s registered information. By law it should. And as the owner is chair of Wirral Chamber surely she should know this? Ironically the other bar she operates called The Library in Oxton also has none of this information on its website. Is this simply an oversight?
Every registered company that has a website is required by law to include certain key pieces of information. No matter what trade you are in, you need to have the following information on your website:
o Your registered company name
o Your company registration number
o The place of registration (usually written as a country or city)
o The office address the company is registered to
The other company in this web is The Lauries on Claughton Road in Birkenhead. This is a private limited not for profit company. You may remember that there was controversy in the past when in 2017 locals claimed that they had been locked out of the building by management. Paula was a director of this company since 2015 but resigned as a director on the 7th December shortly after we raised questions about the amount of council revenue these companies receive. She has replaced herself with Stephen McHardy, one of the Chamber employees we met before Christmas. The other directors are once again Kate Eugenie, a Chamber employee and Ema Wilkes whom as far as I know has no connection with Chamber. I think the building is owned by Wirral Council but is on a long lease agreement. The Lauries Limited rents out rooms and meeting space in the building. They also have a large 120 seat licenced function room upstairs which is available for hire for weddings, birthdays etc. According to the website this is operated by “Our Events management Company Jaidan Events” which is of course owned by Paula’s sister. Again is this company getting favourable treatment? I don’t know but again probably not a good look. This company takes advantage of the “Exemption of full accounts” which most companies of this size do. Again this company owes Wirral chamber £14,920 up from £10,267 the previous year. These are the only companies that are on Wirral Chambers accounts as owing or being owed money. No other company in Wirral benefits from this facility. I sent an FOI to Wirral Council asking how much The Lauries have received from the Council this year and I was sent a link to every single monthly payment Wirral council have made to every supplier and told to go through that as it contains the information I requested. I don’t have time to do this so I have no idea how much they have received.
And this brings me to the purpose of this exercise. £85 Million Pounds has been received by Wirral Council to regenerate the “Left Bank” and Liscard and every single town on the Left Bank is receiving money but New Brighton has not been allocated a single penny. We are a Day Resort yet our public realm is left to rot. Bins rusted away, benches not fit to sit on and we have to fight to keep our public toilets open. It’s a long time since our Seafront looked so tired. And we were told all along to wait for the Masterplan. And what did that deliver? A computer generated idyllic plan which local land owners will have to follow and not a single penny in funding to make it a reality. And companies like these linked to Wirral Chamber and its Chair are drowning in public money with what I believe is little or no scrutiny and often dished out by ex Chamber staff members who left to work for Wirral Council.
I would ask that our own ward councillors in particular stand up for New Brighton and demand that we get some financial help to regenerate our lovely town
Sean Martin
Chair
New Brighton Coastal Community Team
Commentary from Wirral In It Together…
Calling the good people of Rock Ferry. Did you vote for council candidate Paula Basnett at the 4th May 2023 local elections? After reading the above, are you sure you put your X in the right box and were not taken for a fool? Labour Councillor and Chair of the Wirral Chamber Paula Basnett is now in situ, and going nowhere for the next four years.
Perhaps you’ll be having serious misgivings?
I don’t blame you if you are!
Declarations at meetings
Register of interests
Gifts and hospitalities
Councillor Privacy Notice
Perhaps some of the senior elected people will step up, do the decent thing and call for an urgent investigation into what looks to us like rampant cronyism, nepotism, dishonesty, the chronic squandering of public money and the turning turtle of an already deeply, deeply rotten borough.
This Labour Party linked horror show looks like it’s been embedded for approaching two decades.
As we’ve been saying for a long time, the chance of turning all this around has been receding for many years. But we’re not about to abandon all hope.
Here’s a timely reminder of what we’re dealing with, taken from a wonderful, public-spirited and sorely missed outlet of yesteryear, Wirral Leaks:
https://themovemarket.com/tools/propertyprices/60-noctorum-lane-prenton-ch43-9ub
Nope. Not a good look...
Return to Bomb Alley 1982 – The Falklands Deception, by Paul Cardin
Amazon link
Wirral In It Together 
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