Lisa Rand is editor of The Mersey Monitor and its main contributor, covering councils, planning and community life across Merseyside, with a focus on exploring how decisions are made and what they mean in practice.
New takeaways could be stopped from opening up near primary schools in Sefton under new planning rules due to be discussed at the council’s cabinet next week. The changes would extend existing restrictions around secondary schools and colleges to include areas around primary schools for the first time. A
Less than half of staff within a regional NHS body responsible for planning health services across Cheshire and Merseyside are confident using official internal whistleblowing processes because of fears concerns won’t be acted on or could even lead to reprisals, according to a report due before regional health bosses
Larks in the Park is being ‘reimagined’ this bank holiday weekend. What made the original so special? by Lisa Rand A ‘reimagining’ of Larks in the Park will come to Sefton Park’s bandstand this bank holiday weekend, over 40 years after the events became part of a ‘moment’ in
North Park Lodge was built in the late 19th century but is now deemed surplus to council requirements having been unused for some time. by Lisa Rand A historic building in a popular Bootle park could be sold at auction after a decision by Sefton Council to dispose of it
Sefton’s outgoing mayor said she was ‘at Buckingham Palace with 8,000 people‘ when she found out she had lost her council seat. Outgoing Sefton Mayor, former Cllr June Burns, who represented Park ward before losing her seat in the new Maghull East ward at the recent local elections,
The Mersey Monitor was founded on a pretty simple belief: that people taking part in local public life is crucial to a thriving democracy, and further, that people are better able to take part in that public life when they understand how the places they live actually function (or don’
A 15 year old takes on the pomp and ceremony of an historic council meeting Last night both Liverpool and Wirral councils kicked off the annual council meeting season with events at their town halls. In the coming weeks it will be Sefton and Knowsley’s turn too. If you’
Significant changes to the council’s rule book were agreed by councillors Councillors in Liverpool have agreed to rewrite the local authority rule book in a move that hands more powers to council officers. Significant changes to the council’s constitution were approved at an annual meeting of the council
Delays in fixing the issue has already resulted in lost income according to a council report by Lisa Rand A major Wirral car park is at risk of having its ticket machines stop working forever as the council agrees £130k of investment. The car park, at the Pyramids in Birkenhead,
The site has a fascinating history by Lisa Rand Plans have been submitted to convert a historic former care home in Maghull into a private clinic. A planning application lodged with Sefton Council earlier this month is seeking permission to change the use of Harrison House on Liverpool Road South
Our take on last week’s local elections in Merseyside by Lisa Rand We haven’t exactly been living under a rock at the Mersey Monitor this past week, so yes, we are aware there have been some fairly significant local elections across parts of Merseyside. The plan had been
Plus: Mersey Monitor ‘really good’ says council leader by Lisa Rand Liverpool Council is facing an overspend of around £40m this year, with the local authority expected to draw on reserves to balance the books. Financial reports brought before cabinet at Liverpool town hall yesterday set out a difficult financial