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Sefton Council

Sefton Council is reminding residents to make sure they dispose of disposable barbecues or hot coals safely.

16 July 2020
Bridie Finnan
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Categories: Front Page, Latest News, Sefton Council

Disposing of the ash after using a charcoal or disposable barbecues, can be a headache and nobody wants a bin fire outside their home. Similarly, Sefton Council doesn’t want still-smouldering barbecues setting fire to its waste collection vehicles, which is what happened in Southport yesterday (Wednesday 15 July).

The Coastal Road was closed temporarily between Woodvale and after a fire broke out in a council waste disposal vehicle. The cause of the fire was found to be a barbecue that had not been properly extinguished.

Cllr John Fairclough, Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member for Locality Services said: “We would like to remind our residents not to put disposable barbecues or hot coals in their waste bins because, as we discovered yesterday, they can cause a fire inside our refuse collection vehicles.

“As well as causing extensive and expensive damage to our vehicles this also puts our collection crews at serious risk.

“Disposable barbecues and hot coals can take up to 48 hours to fully cool. Please leave these items in a safe place to cool or soak them in water before you put them in your waste bin.”

Disposable barbecues are not currently recyclable so cannot be put in recycling bins.

Find out more about our Bins & Recycling services.

Young people in Sefton tell decision makers about their lives during COVID-19

24 June 2020
Charlene Smith
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Categories: Front Page, Health, Latest News, Sefton Council, Sefton CVS, Young People

Young people from Sefton came together with key decision makers in the first ever virtual SYMBOL meeting which involved 50 participants.

Being a member of SYMBOL (Sefton Youth Making Better Opportunities with Leaders) means a young person plays an active role in their community, with a direct line of communication with leaders such as councillors and senior managers at Sefton Council, and also with partners including representatives from Public Health.

At the meeting young people talked about their experiences and some of the issues that they faced during the Coronavirus pandemic. This included feelings of isolation, worries about falling back on school work, being able to adapt when returning to school and concerns about family members and how the pandemic is affecting relatives.

As part of the discussions participants also took part in a survey which gave an overall view of how the group had been coping during the lockdown, what positives could be taken out of the experience and what support is needed.

Jo Lee, Sefton Young Advisors Team Lead and SYMBOL Coordinator said;

 “Although lockdown restrictions meant joining in person was not possible, it was still so important, now more than ever that the meeting went ahead in order to understand what impact the Coronavirus pandemic is having on young people and to listen to their views about how it is affecting their lives.

“With a survey telling us that 75% of the young people in our meeting alone, feel that COVID has had a negative impact on their mental health, it is important that we listen to the challenges they are facing, so we have a better understanding of how we can support them.

“It’s also really encouraging to listen to the positives young people are taking from this experience including improvements to the environment and learning new hobbies”

If you or anyone you know would like any support or advice during this time, please visit our website where there is guidance for children and young people on how to maintain good health and wellbeing.

A popular historic building in Crosby is set to be brought back into community use.

11 June 2020
Charlene Smith
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Categories: Business and Economy, Front Page, Latest News, Local Consultation, Regeneration, Sefton Council

Sefton Council recognises the importance of the Grade II listed Carnegie Library building and late last year advertised it to try and identify the right opportunity that benefits the community and local residents.

The competitive process looking at bids for the future of this important asset has been completed and options around next steps are now being considered.

A report highlighting the potential use of the College Road building as a sustainable business hub with an emphasis on social value has been approved by Cllr Paulette Lappin, Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member Regulatory, Compliance and Corporate Services.

Cunard Construction Limited will facilitate the repair and refurbishment of the Library in line with its status as a Grade II listed building.

 Cllr Paulette Lappin, Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member Regulatory, Compliance and Corporate Services, said:

“Carnegie Library is a valued asset for both the Council and the local community and its heritage status is widely recognised.

“The successful business plan submitted for the premises reports on the development and operation of a create a flexible business hub for start-up and smaller businesses, a community cafĂ© in the centre of the building within the heart of Crosby.

“This is exciting news for Crosby and the wider borough as we bring a much-loved building back into use serving our valued communities. Further details will be released in due course.”

James Flannery, Construction Director at Cunard Construction, said;

“We are delighted to be chosen as the preferred bidder for the iconic and much-loved Carnegie Library in Crosby. We as a business have a track record of refurbishing historic buildings across the Liverpool City Region and the North West.

“We aim to work in partnership with Sefton Council, and the immediate community in Crosby, to create a stimulating business hub, focusing on start-up and smaller businesses who want to work more locally to where they live rather than the more costly city centre office environments. We also have plans to work with other partners, including the Combined Authority, on this and other exciting schemes in the future.

“We as a business will be operating from the new space as we want to demonstrate the transition from start-up, to a more established business operations and the building will be designed to allow this growth.

“We feel the integration of a central bistro / café to compliment the flexible office working environment will enhance a new way of working post Covid-19. Furthermore, we will aim to extending the welcome to this unique building to the local community with internal and external seating space”.

Discretionary funding support for Sefton Businesses

9 June 2020
Jo Dwyer
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Categories: Business and Economy, Front Page, Latest News, Sefton Council

Sefton Council has just announced its plans to administer the Discretionary Business Grant Fund as part of the wider government support response to the coronavirus outbreak. This will be a small grants fund to support struggling local businesses who have fixed property costs that can be evidenced by a commercial lease, commercial rent or commercial  mortgage agreement.

The process to administer the ÂŁ2.2m fund will be open towards to the end of the week commencing 8 June and allowing businesses to apply online.

The window to apply for a discretionary grant will be strictly limited, with the process closing once the anticipated funding levels have been met. The grant funding has a government guided eligibility criterion for businesses to check if they are eligible before they apply.

To support the grant process, rigorous checks will be undertaken to ensure businesses meet the firm eligibility criteria. A systematic assessment method will be employed to determine need and funding award levels.

Due to financial constraints and to maximise distribution, grants will be capped with most grants expected to be less than ÂŁ7,500. The Government has asked local authorities to give priority to groups of small businesses that are ineligible for current support, namely charities in receipt of charity rate relief, B&Bs which pay council tax, businesses in shared workspaces and regular market traders. Of course, other small businesses, not in these highlighted groups, will also be welcome to apply where eligibility is met.

Once the business has completed the online form, applicants will be given 7 days to submit all the required supporting information.  The date of application will be the date when all supporting information was received.  Businesses will be notified within 2 weeks from this date as to whether their application has been approved.

The application form will be live by Friday 12th June 2020 but the eligibility criteria and FAQs can be viewed here.

Home food facts on World Food Safety Day (June 7)

4 June 2020
Charlene Smith
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Categories: Front Page, Health, Sefton Council

In the current circumstances more of us are cooking and eating at home, this World Food Safety Day (June 7) we want to help you make the most of the contents of your cupboards and fridges in a safe way.

The Food Standards Agency have lots of information which will help answer some of the safety questions you may have.

Peter Quigley, Head of Chemical Safety Policy at the Food Standards Agency, said:

“Food safety is everyone’s business. As part of my role, I answer all sorts of questions about food safety, so we’ve pulled together some of the ones we get asked most frequently.

“We hope that our home food facts, help you to avoid throwing away good food unnecessarily.”

Here are five of your top food safety questions answered, to help you make your food go further:

When eggs float are they bad?

Don’t use the egg float test to determine safety. Eggs are safe to eat for a couple of days after the best before date, as long as they are cooked thoroughly.

Is food safe if the can has a dent in it?

If the dent on the can is shallow and there are no other obvious signs that the can is damaged (such as the can expanding or leaking) your food should remain fit to eat.

How long can you safely eat rice for after cooking?

Keep rice in the fridge for no more than one day. When you reheat rice always check the dish is steaming hot all the way through.

Can you eat potatoes when they start to sprout?

Remove any sprouts on potatoes before using them and remember and cut off any green or rotten bits.

Can you eat brown bananas?

Fruit or vegetables that are a bit overripe, such as wrinkly carrots, brown bananas and slightly mushy strawberries can be eaten normally (providing they are not mouldy). Alternatively, they can be used in cooking, baking or smoothies.

For more information, please visit our home food hygiene page.

 

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