Today my colleague, Cllr Steve Williams attended the latest in a series of meetings between Wirral Partnership Homes (WPH) and the shopkeepers who have businesses in Town Meadow Lane. WPH clearly want to redevelop this site and drawings have been made, planning officers and the Council spoken to and everything seemed to be moving quite nicely. Now it transpires that a couple of Senior Officers at WPH have left the company and that linked with the financial crisis has forced WPH to put everything on hold for six months in order to re-evaluate their options. Whilst I fully understand their reasoning, it is a setback not only to the traders, but to the wider Moreton community. We will keep pushing this issue, after all we really have had to wait long enough!
Tag: Town Meadow Lane
Shops and Maisonettes, Town Meadow Lane
Earlier this afternoon, along with Cllr Steve Williams I attended a meeting with Steve Eaves from Wirral Partnership Homes (WPH) and the three shopkeepers who are trading in Town Meadow Lane. The meeting was the third in a series of meetings over the re-development of this site. Since our last meeting WPH have got ‘in principle agreement’ from Wirral’s Planners for the development of the site, as well as ‘in principle agreement’ from the Council to release the land to the front of the property. WPH are meeting later this week with a prospective developer, and if those talks go well we could see a planning application being submitted within the next three months. Whilst it appears everything is moving along nicely there are still many hurdles to jump, including the need for some sort of grant funding from the Government. We will keep our fingers crossed. We are meeting again in early July, and hopefully we will be in a position to report further progress.
Good News – Council Will Say NO to Vodafone
Last month we blogged about the planning application by Vodafone for a telephone mast, cabinet and ancillary equipment to be installed adjacent to Linear Park on Town Meadow Lane. The response from the public in opposing the application has been tremendous with over 30 individual objections and a petition of 136 signatures being submitted to Wirral’s Planning Department.
In addition to the residents objections, Cllr Simon Mountney, Leah Fraser, Cllr Steve Williams and me have been supporting local residents to convince planning officers that this application, for a mast, in an inappropriate location, should be refused.
We are delighted to inform you that yesterday the Councils Development Control Manager, Matthew Davies, informed us that the application will be refused under delegated authority, which means that residents do not have to attend the Planning Committee meeting on the 22nd April. See below for a copy of Mathew Davies email to me.
We are very happy with this outcome, however the applicant does have the right of appeal to the Planning Inspectorate. Should an appeal be submitted we will let people know as soon as possible. We would like to thank to all those people who objected, those who collected signatures on the petition, as well as those who signed the petition. This really is a victory for common sense.
From: Davies, Matthew W.
Sent: 07 April 2010 17:44
To: Blakeley, Chris (Councillor)
Cc: McDougall, Alexandra K.; Julie Carr; Williams, Stephen M. (Councillor); Mountney, Simon R. (Councillor)
Subject: RE: ANT/10/00325 – Telecom Mast at Town Meadow Lane, Moreton
Dear Councillor Blakeley,
I have the application and will authorise the refusal as soon as the last date for comment has expired on 16 April 2010. I will ensure that you are forwarded a copy of the Decision Notice for your records and that Mrs Carr, lead petitioner, is also sent a copy of the decision.
Matthew
Matthew Davies, Development Control Manager, Technical Services Department, Cheshire Lines Building, Canning Street, Birkenhead, WIRRAL CH41 1ND
Telephone Mast, Update
Earlier today I spoke with Wirral’s planning officer who is dealing with the Vodafone telephone mast application in Town Meadow Lane, near to Linear Park. She told me that up to now there had been 32 individual letters/emails opposing the application, that really is a substantial amount and demonstrates the public opposition to this inappropriate application. I am told that the report that is going to committee on the 22nd April has been written, and I hope that we won’t be disappointed by the officers recommendation! I will blog more as further information becomes available.
Another Telephone Mast Application for Moreton
A couple of months ago we were made aware, through a pre-application consultation document that Vodafone were considering submitting a planning application for a telephone mast near to Linear Park. I objected, as did many local residents. Despite those objection we have learned today that Mono Consultants has submitted a planning application on behalf of Vodafone for a ‘Telephone Mast, Antennae, Cabinet and Ancillary Equipment’ on the footpath adjacent to the Linear Park Area. Application number: ANT/10/00325.
We have asked that the application be taken out of delegated authority, which means that the decision to approve or refuse the application will be made by Wirral’s Planning Committee on Thursday 22nd April in a public hearing, at Wallasey Town Hall, Brighton Street, Wallasey CH44 8ED. The meeting starts at 6pm and is open to the public.
We think its a crazy application in a totally inappropriate location. The Council is spending £81,000 on refurbishing the childrens play area, and along come Vodafone who want to stick a mast and other equipment close to it.
We have already submitted our objections to the application. If you want to object you can do so by sending an email to the planning officer dealing with the application, alexandramcdougall@wirral.gov.uk or, by writing to her at Cheshire Lines Building, Canning Street, Birkenhead, ensuring you quote: ANT/10/00325. All objections must be submitted by the 16th April.
Shops and Maisonettes Town Meadow Lane
Yesterday I attended the third in a series of meetings with Wirral Partnership Homes (WPH), shopkeepers and architects to discuss the way forward in the much needed redevelopment of this site. Since our last meeting the architects have met with shopkeepers to ensure the new shop units would meet the needs of the existing businesses, that done, the next stages are for WPH to meet with the Council to negotiate the purchase of the land to the front of the shops, whilst the architects will be having pre-application discussions with Wirral’s Planning Officers. I understand both those meetings will be taking place next week. I am delighted that after many promises and false dawns WPH appear to be committed to the redevelopment of the site. We have already put a date in the diary for the next meeting in Early May. Watch this space.
Linear Park, Update!
Last night I attended the Brooke Residents Association meeting at Moreton Community Centre, Maryland Lane. The Brooke has incorporated the Friends of Linear Park Group into its organisation and is working alongside the Friends group and local Councillors to bring about the refurbishment of the childrens play area. This is something that Me, and my colleagues, Cllr Simon Mountney, Leah Fraser and more recently Cllr Steve Williams have been working on since the Council decomissioned the play area in Summer last year.
Having first being told there was no funding, we are delighted that the Council has finally listened, and has identified £81,000 to refurbish the play area, and in addition they are enhancing the grassed area adjacent to the play area. You can see the plans for the refurbishment by clicking HERE. The work on the play area is due to start on the 15th March, and is expected to take about five weeks. Once complete, we hope that it is maintained to a good standard, and is not abused.
Shops and Maisonettes Town Meadow Lane
Earlier today, along with the shopkeepers who trade on Town Meadow Lane in Moreton, I met with Brian Simpson, Chief Exec of Wirral Partnership Homes (WPH), Steve Eaves, Regeneration Manager (WPH) and Maria Killick of Ainsley Gommon Architects to look at some early options for the long overdue redevelopment of this site.
The meeting, the second with the shopkeepers looked at various possible layouts for redevelopment. Lots of discussion was stimulated about the potential locations of the shops, parking and size of units and whilst it is moving the issue forward still leaves a lot of work to be done. However I really believe that this time WPH are serious about doing something positive on this site. I will do all I can to make this happen.
Vodafone Mast to be Installed In Town Meadow Lane?
I have received a pre-application consultation letter from Mono Consultants, who are acting on behalf of Vodafone. It seems Vodafone wants to extend its 3G coverage in the area and has identified a site on the footpath in Town Meadow Lane (to the north east of its junction with Millhouse Lane.) What that means is close to the grassed area by the Arrowbrook and adjacent to the childrens play area at Linear Park.
I have responded to Keith Johnson at Mono Consultants, telling him that I believe the site is unsuitable because it is too close to where children play. Lets see if they are taking note! If you want to comment to the consultants you can do so by clicking HERE If Vodafone do submit a planning application I will make sure people are informed.
It’s A Fact!
Plans have been announced by the Conservatives to give a boost to Sure Start. The service helps mums and dads with the early years of their child’s life. Our plans will see the service boosted with several thousand new, qualified health visitors. The Conservative plans would also see Sure Start centres funded by the Government, to stop councils raiding their budgets. It was revealed last year that Wirral Council has recently taken £300,000 from Sure Start!
CHRIS BLAKELEY 