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Consultation to launch over Birkdale School for the Hearing Impaired

8 March 2018
Ollie Cowan
No comments
Categories: Front Page, Latest News, Local Consultation

A consultation into a proposed redevelopment of the former Birkdale School for Hearing Impaired Children in Southport is to launch following discussions between Sefton Council and Octopus Healthcare Group.

 Octopus Healthcare Group will run the consultation in the coming months regarding their multi-million pound investment proposal to redevelop 40 Lancaster Road, Birkdale into an Extra Care accommodation site.

 Their proposals includes the conversion and remodelling of the listed school building, construction of communal facilities, extra care accommodation and improvements to the grounds.

 The proposal is now subject to a community consultation before applications for planning and Listed Building Consent are submitted to Sefton Council’s Planning department.

A document from Octopus Healthcare Group about their proposed plans can be viewed here

 Cllr Daren Veidman, Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member for Planning and Building Control, said: “It has long been the Council’s aspiration to work to secure a sustainable and sensitive use for the former Deaf School.

 “Over the last seven years the Council has directed significant resource trying to secure the site and to prevent the further deterioration of the building.

 “The beneficial future use of the building will secure its removal from the Council’s listed buildings at risk register while also contributing to the removal of West Birkdale conservation area from the national ‘at risk’ register.

“We have had intensive and detailed discussions with Octopus Healthcare over the last year and I would encourage the community to engage with their consultation, so that there is a strong local input into the proposals before formal applications are submitted to the Council.”

 A spokesperson for Octopus Healthcare added: “We are delighted to present our exciting proposals to the community at which will include an exhibition of the scheme at Southport Town Hall on March 15, 2018.

 “We would welcome the opportunity to introduce our concept to conserve, restore and develop this fantastic site.”

 Andy Baddeley, who leads the project for Octopus Healthcare said “This scheme presents a wonderful opportunity to safeguard this iconic building for future generations, yet provides a much needed retirement and extra care facility for people to really enjoy this unique place.”

 â€œThrough these types of schemes we will be better placed to cater for the ageing population ensuring that there are suitable homes which will help downsizers retain their independence in later years.”

 The proposal is to create up to 120 extra care apartments and associated facilities to include a bistro, residents lounge, library and hair and beauty salon as well as providing on site care.

 The site at 40, Lancaster Road was originally opened as Terra Nova, a private boarding school in 1901 before it became the school for the partially hearing in 1948.

 It remained as such until 2003 when it was sold to developers and has remained vacant ever since. The building was made a grade II listed building in 1999.

Weather Update: Refuse collections, Schools & Gritting

8 March 2018
Ollie Cowan
No comments
Categories: Front Page, Latest News, Waste & Recycling

Weather Update: 08/03/2018

Our highways teams have been gritting since 2.30am this morning (Thursday March 8) and continue to do so.

However the unexpected intensity of the snow, a number of schools have taken the decision to close. 

For a full list of school closures click here

We’re encouraging residents to take extra care when out and about in the borough.

All cleansing waste services have been suspended for today and will start up again tomorrow (Friday March 9) working a day late, collecting today’s waste , while working on Saturday to collect Friday’s Waste.

For any more information, residents should consult our website, www.sefton.gov.uk, and social media channels, which are being regularly updated throughout the day.

Sefton Council encourages residents to crack down on smoky vehicles

7 March 2018
Ollie Cowan
No comments
Categories: Front Page, Health, Latest News

Sefton Council is asking residents to work with them to help reduce the air

pollution caused by taxis, HGVs and buses.

Traffic places a considerable threat on the quality of Sefton’s air, so if vehicles are polluting more than they should be, they are causing a serious threat to the environment.

Sefton Council wants to wants to enlist the support of communities to make sure that vehicles which are producing excessive smoke are reported to the appropriate authorities so that the fault can be rectified.

Residents can report overly-polluting taxis to Sefton Council’s licensing team by making a note of the taxi driver number which usually appears on a small plate above the license plate and should have the Sefton Council logo on it. Taxis can be reported online at www.sefton.gov.uk/taxi

Smoky HGVs and buses can be reported to the driver and vehicles standards agency (DVSA) online via https://www.gov.uk/report-smoky-vehicle or by calling the DVSA on 0300 123 9000 (select option 7).

The information required is:

  • Type of Vehicle (HGV heavy goods vehicle or PSV public service vehicle)
  • Vehicle Registration Mark
  • Company Name (if apparent)
  • Road Name/Number where vehicle seen
  • Date & Time of sighting

 Well maintained vehicles should produce very little smoke from exhausts except when they are starting up, accelerating hard or climbing steep hills.

 

However, some vehicles emit dense plumes of smoke and may not meet legal emission standards.

These vehicles will undoubtedly create higher levels of pollutants which in turn can have an adverse effect on people’s health and the surrounding environment.

Cllr Paulette Lapin, Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member for Regulation and Compliance, said: “We don’t want vehicles that emit plumes of smoke to be welcome on Sefton’s roads. Our taxi licensing team will review any vehicles that are reported to them to ensure they have an up to date MOT.

“We are working hard to keep Sefton’s air clean and in the past few years, the council has implemented a number of measures to reduce pollution across the borough resulting in improvements in air quality”.

Cllr Ian Moncur, Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing, said: “Air pollution can have major health consequences and micro-pollutants such as PM 2.5s are small enough to travel into the respiratory system.

“With many Sefton roads providing a route to the docks, HGV traffic can be high and if these are releasing excessive fumes they can have a detrimental effect on people’s health and the environment. By reporting smoky HGVs and buses to the DVSA, we can all help to protect Sefton’s air.”

Council responds to Green Paper on improving mental health support for young people

7 March 2018
Ollie Cowan
No comments
Categories: Front Page, Latest News

Sefton Council has responded to the Government’s Green Paper which has been asking people for their views on measures to improve mental health support for children and young people.

The green paper, ‘Transforming Children and Young People’s Mental Health Provision’, focuses on earlier intervention and prevention, especially in and linked to schools and colleges.

Cllr John Joseph Kelly, Cabinet Member for Children, Schools and Safeguarding, said:
“Providing quality emotional and mental health support is vital for children and young people so that they can look forward to a bright future.

“Therefore, we welcome the core proposals in the Government’s green paper which focus on earlier interventions, such as all schools and colleges being supported to train a designated lead to oversee the approach to mental health, and that teams will be set up to locally to address the needs of children and young people with mild to moderate mental health issues.

“Whilst we agree that the green paper is certainly heading in the right direction, the context of where we are starting from in terms of funding, skills and whether this is aspirational enough are just not evident.

“First and foremost, it’s important that these proposals are fully funded and sustained to include an integrated pathway from school to community services to specialist services.

“We think that training provision is crucial for all school staff on emotional wellbeing and mental health and to support them to be able to work with our most vulnerable pupils – not just designated leads and teams.

“Also, we believe that there must be huge efforts to ensure that the views of children and young people are heard in any future development of services and support.

“We truly want to get the best for children and young people and hope the Government addresses these issues.”

Sefton’s female leaders celebrate International Women’s Day

7 March 2018
Ollie Cowan
No comments
Categories: Front Page, Latest News, Sefton Council

Sefton Council is proudly supporting International Women’s Day on Thursday, March 8, advocating for gender parity.

To celebrate the annual event, Sefton Council is highlighting the work and efforts of the authority’s female leaders, including Chief Executive Margaret Carney, Executive Director Sarah Kemp and Cabinet Members Cllrs Marion Atkinson, Trish Hardy and Paulette Lappin.

Margaret Carney, Sefton Council’s Chief Executive, said: “I’m really proud to be a woman in a senior leadership position in local government.

“I started my career at 16 and believe it or not my first job was Post Girl! Some forty years later, nine of which as Chief Executive of Sefton Council, I’ve been really proud and privileged to work with some wonderful and inspiring people who have given me the opportunity to grow and develop.

“International Women’s Day is really time for us to celebrate the massive contribution that women make but it’s also a real opportunity for us to press for the change that would make equality a reality for everyone. It is after all a basic human right”

Cllr Trish Hardy, Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member for Communities and Housing, added: “Women are more than 50% of the population so why wouldn’t women be at the table making decisions for Sefton Council?

“Having women in the council chamber is really important because we put things on the council agenda that wouldn’t naturally be there and have recently talked on key issues and services that women predominantly use.

“That’s massively important and I don’t think we’d be in that position if women weren’t part of that discussion.”

Throughout International Women’s Day Sefton Council will be sharing videos through our social media channels to inspire and educate future generations of influential female leaders.

 

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