Southport Town Dealâs consultation and engagement process has been shortlisted for a prestigious Planning Award.
âA Whole-Town Engagement: Southport Town Investment Planâ has been shortlisted in the Award for stakeholder engagement in planning (plan-making or pre-application) category.
Engaging with thousands
In partnership with Turleyâs, Sefton Council led the largest recorded response to a single consultation in the town, engaging with thousands of local people, securing thousands of pieces of feedback. Much of the consultation was successfully delivered during 2020 with Covid-19 requiring an innovative approach to virtual engagement, through partners such as Stand Up For Southport.
The feedback generated formed a significant part of Southportâs Town Deal Bid, resulting in ÂŁ37.5 million being awarded to Southport.
Town’s biggest conversation
Dwayne Johnson, Chief Executive of Sefton Council, said: âThe Plan we submitted was informed by the biggest conversation that the town has ever had about its future.
“We had 7,000 pieces of individual feedback from residents, business and visitors; over 1,000 young people from the town also put their ideas forward. The breadth and quality of consultation and engagement with all ages no doubt helped us to secure one of the largest Town Deals that the government has agreed nationally and across 101 towns.â
The Awards presentation will take place on Wednesday 9 & Thursday 10 June.
As we enjoy the easing of lockdown restrictions and better weather, Sefton Council alongside Merseyside Police are reminding residents and visitors to enjoy the outdoors safely this weekend.
Under the latest Covid regulations, people are allowed to eat and drink outdoors while seated, but outdoor gatherings are still limited to six people or two households. The mixing of households indoors is still not permitted.
Those looking to head to the coast are asked to explore travel options such as walking or cycling to avoid traffic jams and delays. If they do decide to take the car, they are reminded to park safely to respect local residents, pedestrians, cyclists and road users.
Donât forget the basics â rule of 6, hands, spaces and face
Margaret Jones, Sefton Councilâs Director of Public Health, said: âMany of our residents might be planning garden gatherings or trips to the coast as the good weather persists, so I would just remind everyone to ensure they take extra precautions and stick to the rule of six or two household limit on meeting outdoors.
âYou are less likely to catch Covid in the open air but itâs not impossible and we should try to follow the basics of hands, face and space when meeting with others and not sharing things like picnic or BBQ equipment. Our priority is to ensure the rate of transmission in our communities continues to fall and we can all play our part in that by following the guidance.â
Sefton Councilâs Environmental Health Team has been reminding the Boroughâs businesses and their customers to follow the guidelines.
Peter Moore, Sefton Councilâs Head of Highways & Public Protection said: âWith another busy weekend expected for our popular hospitality sector, we are reminding business owners and managers of their obligation to following Covid-19 regulations. Weâre really pleased to see our high streets open once again with the vast majority following the guidance in place to protect us all from the virus. Itâs also important to remind customers and visitors to Sefton businesses to be considerate and to follow the requirements that are there to keep both them and the people serving them safe.â
People eating and drinking outside in Southport
Among the latest requirements for people visiting bars and restaurants that are open because they have outdoor facilities, is the need for them to be seated while drinking and eating. The volume of any music or TVs should be kept to background levels so people donât have to raise their voices to chat.
Also, the national regulations now mean everyone visiting a bar or restaurant needs to âcheck inâ by scanning the QR code at the entrance, for Test and Trace purposes. Previously, it was just one person from each group.
Help and support for businesses available from Sefton Councilâs Environmental Health team who can be contact at ETSContact@sefton.gov.uk or by calling 0345 140 0345.
Also, the Government has produced 14 guides to help businesses keep their employees and customers safe. They cover a wide range of different types of work and workplace, which can be found at http://gov.uk/workingsafely.
Plan ahead when visiting the coast
Mark Shaw, Sefton Councilâs Green Sefton Service Manager, said: âWeâre working with our partners across our stunning 22-mile coastline to ensure that our beaches donât get overcrowded and that facilities like toilets, bins and extra car parking are available to ensure we can all enjoy spending time at these locations.
Mark Shaw Green Sefton Service Manager at Ainsdale Beach
âOur advice is that people should plan ahead before coming to any of Seftonâs coastal gateways â respect other beach users and follow the guidance of our rangers or other partners keeping you safe.
âIf these areas get busy then people might want to consider a trip to a park or other outdoor attraction instead, now that more places are open for us to enjoy spending time with friends and loved ones outdoors.
âAnd whatever you bring to the coast with you, please take home â leave nothing but your footprints and help us to look after our protected coastal landscape and wildlife.â
Anyone still planning a visit to the Sefton coast should visit www.sefton.gov.uk/beaches to find out about travel options and facilities at its beaches and to read the Visitor Action Plan for 2021.
Police to patrol and reassure across Merseyside
Chief Inspector Peter Clark said: âWe expect outdoor areas to be getting busier, especially as the temperature goes up, but would like to ask people to continue respecting the latest Covid guidelines by not gathering in large groups.
“Officers will continue to be out on patrol across Merseyside this weekend to offer guidance to the public and ensure people are adhering to the guidelines both inside and outside.
“While eating and drinking outdoors is a safer way to socialise, it also helps to support local businesses and reduce the risk of parks and outdoor spaces overcrowding. Now there are a wider number of outdoor settings and attractions open, we hope people who are able to will consider enjoying these, taking the pressure off our local beauty spots.
“Police will be working with partners to ensure seating rules are being followed at venues with outdoor seating areas.
âWe want everyone to enjoy the latest stage of relaxed guidelines, however I want to reiterate the importance of following the guidance that remains in place to ensure that we can continue with the progress that has already been made.
“Lastly, I’d like to thank the vast majority of residents and businesses for supporting the latest stage of the Covid roadmap and helping Merseyside to move forward safely.”
The UKâs Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation advses pregnant women should be offered COVID-19 vaccines.
The UKâs national Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) is advising that pregnant women should be offered the COVID-19 vaccine.
In its statement, the Committee said that there have been no specific safety concerns identified with any brand of coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines in relation to pregnancy. This means  the vaccines should be offered to pregnant women at the same time as the rest of the population, based on their age and clinical risk group.
JCVI member Dr Maggie Wearmouth has made a video to provide advice about COVID-19 vaccination and pregnancy.
No safety concerns
The statement said:
Real-world data from the United States shows that around 90,000 pregnant women have been vaccinated, mainly with mRNA vaccines including Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, without any safety concerns being raised.
Based on this data, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advises that itâs preferable for pregnant women in the UK to be offered the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines where available. There is no evidence to suggest that other vaccines are unsafe for pregnant women, but more research is needed.
The advice, published in Public Health Englandâs Green Book, a clinical professional guide for vaccinators in the UK, still advises that pregnant women should discuss the risks and benefits of vaccination with their clinician, including the latest evidence on safety and which vaccines they should receive.
Any brand
Professor Wei Shen Lim, COVID-19 Chair for JCVI, said: âWe encourage pregnant women to discuss the risks and benefits with their clinician â those at increased risk of severe outcomes from COVID-19 are encouraged to promptly take up the offer of vaccination when offered.
âThere have been no specific safety concerns from any brand of COVID-19 vaccines in relation to pregnancy.
“There is more real-world safety data from the US in relation to the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines in women who are pregnant â therefore, we advise a preference for these to be offered to pregnant women.”
All vaccines being used in the UK have undergone robust clinical trials and have met the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)âs strict standards of safety, effectiveness and quality.
Confidence
Dr Mary Ramsay, Head of Immunisation at Public Health England (PHE), said: “The available data on the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines provides confidence that they can be offered safely to pregnant women.
“The COVID-19 vaccines continue to save thousands of lives and it is important that we encourage as many people as possible to take up the offer when it is their turn.”
Evidence
Dr Edward Morris, President of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG), said: “We are grateful to the JCVI for taking into consideration our evidence and updating the guidance around the COVID-19 vaccine in pregnancy.
“Vaccination offers pregnant women the best protection from COVID-19, which can be serious in some women.”
“We believe it should be a womanâs choice whether to have the vaccine or not after considering the benefits and risks and would encourage pregnant women to discuss with a trusted source like their GP, obstetrician or midwife, or a healthcare professional in a vaccination centre.
“This move will empower all the pregnant women in the UK to make the decision that is right for them, at the same time that the non-pregnant population in their age group receive protection from COVID-19.”
Effective
Data shows that vaccines are effective in protecting people from serious illness from COVID-19. Though uncommon, severe illness due to COVID-19 is more likely in later pregnancy. Pregnant women who do get symptomatic COVID-19 infection are 2 to 3 times more likely to give birth to their baby prematurely.
The greatest risk factor for severe outcomes from COVID-19 is age, which is why pregnant women should be invited for vaccination along with their age or clinical risk group.
Women who are planning pregnancy, are in the immediate postpartum, or are breastfeeding can be vaccinated with any vaccine, depending on their age and clinical risk group.
The JCVI will continue to closely monitor the evidence on COVID-19 vaccination in pregnancy and will update its advice as required.
Huge success
The COVID-19 vaccination programme has been a huge success, with recent PHE analysis showing the vaccines have prevented 10,400 deaths in those aged 60 and older in England up to the end of March.
The JCVI advised last week that, as a precaution, it is preferable for people under the age of 30 with no underlying health conditions to be offered an alternative to the AstraZeneca vaccine where possible.
At the full Council meeting on Thursday 22nd April 2021, the reintroduction of a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) to promote responsible dog ownership across Sefton was given approval.
The measures are based on the previous Dog Control PSPO which saw a reduction in dog related complaints across the Borough during its three-year implementation from July 2017 to July 2020.
The revised Order has been formulated by Sefton’s Legal and Public Protection teams in conjunction with Green Sefton, the Council service responsible for its parks and open spaces. Failure to comply with the Order will result in a Fixed Penalty Notice of ÂŁ75.
When drawing up the order, the Council took account of input from nearly 1,200 residents, dog related organisations and interested groups, gained through a public consultation, that took place in two parts last year owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.
As well as it still being an offence to not remove dog fouling, the PSPO:
Restricts the number of dogs that can be walked by one person to a maximum of six;
Prohibits dogs from entering enclosed playgrounds and fenced sports pitches, including multi use game sport facilities;
Prohibits dogs from entering marked sports pitches during specified periods;
Ensures dogs are kept on a lead of no more than 2m within defined picnic sites and family areas, all public roads and footways and all cemeteries and crematoria;
Allows authorised officers to direct a dog owner to place their dog on a lead to prevent a nuisance or behaviour likely to cause annoyance or disturbance to others.
Peter Moore, Sefton Councilâs Head of Highways & Public Protection, said: âThe majority of dog owners across the Borough already understand and do most of the things in the Order anyway, so the reintroduction of these measures will have very little or no impact on them at all.
âWhat the Order will do is continue to encourage greater responsible dog ownership and promote a cleaner and greener environment across Seftonâs parks, open spaces and neighbourhoods.
âWeâll be reviewing the existing signage at our parks, playgrounds and picnic areas to ensure that those who use our brilliant outdoors spaces to spend time with their four-legged friends are aware of their responsibilities.â
Over the coming weeks, there will be a focus on raising awareness of the reintroduction of the PSPO and the rules that need to be followed.
A Public Space Protection Order is an official measure that is an enforceable part of the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014.
PSPOs can be used to protect the public from behaviour that is having or is likely to have a harmful effect on the quality of life of those in an area.
Further detail about the PSPO will be added to the Councilâs website in the coming days and weeks at www.sefton.gov.uk/dogs
Liverpool City Region Taxi Grants: Round two closing Sunday 25th April
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