Front Page

A peaceful socially distanced protest is expected to take place in Southport on Saturday June 13, to join others in support of the Black Lives Matters movement and to show solidarity with black and minority ethnic communities.

Cllr Trish Hardy, Cabinet Member for Communities and Housing said: “We are aware of a peaceful protest planned for Southport and we are proud to see our communities coming together for change and championing equality and diversity.

“As a local authority we have a proud history of tackling all forms of racism, hate crimes, discrimination and abuse and continue to do so wherever it may be found.

“We urge all those who are joining the event to ensure they adhere to strict social distancing measures, wear face coverings where possible and avoid close contact with others.”

Last week the Council illuminated Bootle Town Hall and Crosby Library as a symbol of support for equality and diversity across the world.

After three days in Litherland, a Coronavirus Mobile Test Centre will be at Maghull’s Meadows Leisure Centre from Sunday 14^th to Tuesday 16^th June.

Once again, the site will be providing clinical diagnosis tests to tell people if they currently have the Covid-19 virus. Tests are available for anyone but they need to have made an appointment first at www.nhs.uk/coronavirus or by calling 119.  Essential workers still need to book through www.gov.uk/apply-coronavirus-test-essential-workers.

Key NHS and care workers can now attend the regional testing sites at Haydock and Manchester Airport without the need for an appointment.

Testing is vital to the ongoing work to overcome COVID-19 and enables key workers who test negative to return to that work. By the time Thursday, Friday and Saturday’s sessions in Litherland started around 3,200 people had already been tested at Sefton’s previous Mobile Test Sites .

The Government has said that through its NHS Test and Trace service, anyone who tests positive for coronavirus will be contacted and will need to share information about their recent interactions. This could include household members, people with whom they have been in direct contact, or within 2 metres for more than 15 minutes.

Those people identified as having been in close contact with someone who has had a positive test result will then be required to stay at home for 14 days. They must do this even if they do not have symptoms, to prevent them spreading the virus without knowing.

People in isolation who develop symptoms can book their own test at www.nhs.uk/coronavirus or by calling 119. If they test positive, they must continue to stay at home for 7 days or until their symptoms have passed. If they test negative, they must complete the 14-day isolation period.

With the news last week that the R- infection rate in the North West of England is around 1, Sefton Council is reminding people that if they do have to leave the house they should stay 2 metres (approximately 4 steps) away from those who aren’t members of their household. And the Government has announced that from next Monday, anyone using public transport will be required to wear a face covering.

Questions & Answers on Test and Trace and Antibody testing.

After these three days in Maghull, the next scheduled visit for a Mobile Test site to Litherland on Thursday 25th, Friday 26th and Saturday 27th June followed by further days in Maghull starting on Sunday 28th June.

Innovative practices, dedicated staff and new technology has allowed Sefton Council’s Planning team to remain working seamlessly throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Over 650 planning decisions and applications have been made in Sefton since March as Sefton Council continues to deliver this vital service without disruption.

Planning has been identified as one of the key factors in helping boost the borough’s well-being once the COVID-19 pandemic is over and work is now well underway to help kick start the economic recovery of Sefton.

To allow for this Sefton Council have implemented a number of both temporary and permanent changes to how the Planning process works to help support residents and businesses.

This includes:

Free pre-application advice
Refunding schemes which require a renewal of consent due to being impacted by COVID-19.
Issuing 5-year timeframes on all new consented schemes to help combat lost time due to COVID-19.
The news has been warmly welcomed by property developers and planning agents in the borough.

Rob Anderson from RAL Architects said: “During this pandemic I have not observed any difference in the high quality of service provided by Sefton Council, with the speed of decision making on planning application not noticeably affected, which is a real credit to the Council.”

While major borough investor Mike McComb of McComb Property Co added: “It is critical that during times like these that planning departments remain open for business and adopt flexible and innovative approaches that help build investor confidence and stimulate economic recovery, making it easier to attract funding.

“This is exactly what Sefton Council is doing and I will continue to invest in Sefton as a result of this, and no doubt many others will too.”

Cllr Daren Viedman, Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member for Planning & Building Control, praised the work of the Planning team, saying: “I am proud that we have excelled during these challenging times.

“It is vitally important that we do what we can to support the local economy and work to secure investment and opportunity across the borough and we are fully geared up to meet this challenge.”

“We also recognise that the Planning Committee must also does its part to ensure that decisions can continue to be made on some of the more complex and challenging proposals to compliment the proactive work of our officers. In this respect, we plan to meet more frequently than normal to ensure decisions on key proposals are made.”

For more information on Sefton Council’s Planning & Building Control services visit www.sefton.gov.uk/planning