What decisions are being made where this coming week?
Plus: liver birds, legal letters and a missing portrait
Welcome to the Monitor’s packed weekly digest including our diary of local democracy related meetings and events coming up across Merseyside this week.
We’d firstly like to apologise that this regular email has arrived a little late to your inboxes. It’s been a difficult few days here at the Monitor. It all started one sunny morning earlier in the week …
As our team were munching down on some tasty pastries, suddenly a rather sternly-worded letter threatening legal action arrived through the post.
The letter had come from an infamous and expensive law firm and came just days after we refused to publish anonymous claims that the liver birds were, in fact, giant cat heads.
A few weeks earlier, an email had been sent to the Monitor’s inbox signed by ‘interested parties’ contending that the liver birds’ wings are ‘clearly cat ears.’ When the editor declined to agree with this obviously absurd claim, more anonymous emails turned up accusing us of accepting the ‘official narrative’ without sufficient scrutiny.
The emails said there are serious unanswered questions to be, well, answered - not just of the local council but of the Monitor itself. The editor of our team (more than half of which is made up of cats as it happens) of course rejected all such allegations in their entirety.
Despite repeated requests, Paws and Claws Esq., the fearsome firm which sent the legal threats, has yet to produce a single witness statement from any liver bird to back up the allegations. The evidence appears to largely consist of photos taken at awkward angles and anecdotal gossip from unnamed figures in alleyways.
This morning, there was another development. The Monitor‘s cat caucus suddenly emerged from wherever they’d been for much of the week, stating pointedly that further unpleasant revelations may be imminent which would ‘set the cat among the pigeons once and for all’.
What it all means we‘re not entirely sure, but we will definitely keep you updated as we try to figure it out. We kindly ask for your support to cover our legal bill in the meantime, which so far appears to include ten boxes of tuna, a small water fountain and a scratching post.
Now we’ve got all that unpleasantness out the way, onwards to this week’s edition...
A few years ago, Sefton Council revealed its most-read webpages were those involving bins. It came as no surprise at the time, and it’s a thought that often comes back while trying to force one more pastry wrapper into an overflowing recycling bin while waiting for the next fortnightly collection.
It is also one of the biggest spends local councils make. On the Wirral, negotiations over a new bin contract that could run for up to 16 years have revealed a total cost of around £350m, which works out at roughly £22m a year.
Among the more curious twists in the deal, which cleared a major hurdle this week after being recommended by one committee for consideration by another, is how Wirral Council ended up deciding to buy the depot of the company it now plans to award its bin contract to in the first place.
Why would a council buy the depot of its contractor? There’s more than one answer to that, and you can find out more below.
Lisa Rand
This week the Monitor has also been looking at Wirral’s looming new local plan. If that feels like déjà vu, that’s because Wirral’s current local plan was only adopted 15 months ago after years of wrangling.
The problem is that the government has more than doubled Wirral’s assessed housing target, from around 800 homes a year to more than 1600. The council must now work out where those homes could go, raising questions about what it could mean for the borough’s green belt. You can read more on this key issue below.
Lisa Rand
It’s not just Wirral facing these battles, with Sefton’s arrangements for their local plan refresh up for discussion later in the week. There are other planning changes too making their way through our local authorities, which could also have a significant impact on how planning decisions are made.
New government rules coming into force this autumn will mean many more planning applications are decided by officers rather than councillors. The changes would also scrap the current system that allows applications to be called in by councillors or brought before planning committees through petitions, for example.
A report about it discussed by councillors in Sefton earlier this week noted that almost half the applications considered by the planning committee there last year reached councillors through one of those routes, so this could significantly impact what applications are heard.
The government says the reforms will speed up decision-making. Will it, though, not also make it harder for local people to get controversial developments discussed in public? It‘s an issue we’ll be keeping an eye on here at the Monitor.
And finally, one of the more mysterious things we came across last week came courtesy of former Liverpool lord mayor Anna Rothery.
Rothery has appealed for help locating a portrait she says was painted to mark her becoming Liverpool’s first Black lord mayor and the only person to serve two consecutive terms in the role.
According to Rothery’s post, an unnamed artist had approached her about creating the portrait and, although reluctant at first, she did agree to sit for multiple sessions. But when the painting was completed, she says, the artist didn’t hand it over, scuppering plans to have it put up in St George’s hall. There was also mention of a donation.
‘If you know where it is please help to bring it back’, she wrote. Do you have any information about the current whereabouts of the missing Rothery portrait? Do let Anna know (and us for that matter) if you’ve got any leads on that one.
As always, if you’ve spotted something odd in your area, found a report nobody seems to have noticed, or think there’s a local issue we should be looking at, let us know and we’ll take a look.
Following urgent legal advice just received after our lawyers were able to track the IP address of yet another suspicious email …
…to a cat tree located at the top of the stairs. We can confirm the cats will not be responding to any emails on behalf of the Monitor for the foreseeable future due to an internal investigation into their conduct.
We’d also like to apologise to all local councils in England, which appear to have received the same deranged FOI purporting to be from the Monitor. This was an unauthorised use of our name, we know you’re not hiding any giant cat heads, please disregard the request.
Enough tall tails, without further delay, here’s this week’s diary …
Decisions, decisions, decisions
This guide is not exhaustive, but we would like to be as comprehensive as possible, so if we’ve overlooked something important, please do get in touch and we can add it to this live diary. You can email themerseymonitor@outlook.com or drop us a text on 07442 402 023.
Just click on an event to see more details, including any booking links. All events listed are free to attend. We have not verified the information in the events listings, so please do get in touch if something appears amiss.
Eagle-eyed readers may have noticed a few amendments last week - we will also update this page if we discover new information, so do let us know if we don’t spot it first.
Monday 22 June
Sefton employment procedure committee, 10am, Bootle town hall
What’s being discussed: Recruitment for the assistant director of highways and public protection.
How to get involved: It’s not a public meeting, so can’t be attended in person or watched online. Details here.
Wirral pensions committee, 6pm, Wallasey town hall
What is being discussed: All things Merseyside Pension Fund, agenda items include external audits, how councillors and mayors can now join the scheme, budgets and significant government rule changes.
How to get involved: You can ask questions at this one or send in a petition, but you’re too late for this month if you haven’t already - this needs to be done around a week in advance. You can watch in person though and also online. Details here.
St Helens children and young people scrutiny committee, 10am, St Helens town hall
What’s being discussed: Reports about young carers and schools place.
How to get involved: Can be viewed in person or online, details here.
St Helens place services scrutiny committee, 5.30pm, St Helens town hall
What’s being discussed: A review of the borough’s library shake-up, which started last year. Also, a report about economic inactivity due to illness.
How to get involved: You can watch online and in person. More info here.
Gardening in the city, 6pm, Blundell Street
What is it: Part of Liverpool architectural festival, there will be digging and hoeing, with the promise of gloves and tools provided.
How to get involved: More info here.
Tuesday 23 June
Sefton regeneration and skills overview and scrutiny committee, 6.30pm, Bootle Town Hall
What’s being discussed: Climate emergency annual report and cabinet updates, mainly.
How to get involved: You can watch in person, agenda here.
Wirral constitution and standards committee, 6pm, Wallasey town hall
What’s being discussed: Revisions to the constitution, appointments and a summary of standards complaints.
How to get involved: You can submit questions, statements and petitions in advance (too late though for this one) and can attend either in person or watch online. Details, including agenda, here.
Liverpool licensing committee, 10am, Liverpool town hall
What’s being discussed: a review of Shizy’s off licence on Picton Road following a request by Merseyside Police,
How to get involved: You can attend in person, more details here
Liverpool North, 1pm, City of Liverpool College Vauxhall road
What is it: Part of Liverpool Architecture Festival, the event is billed as ‘an event filled with in depth thought and discussion regarding the future of Liverpool North.’
How to get involved: Book here.
Wednesday 24 June
Knowsley employment and appointments committee, 10am, Huron municipal building
What’s being discussed: The appointment of three directors - education and inclusion, children’s social care and add social care and commissioning
How to get involved: You can’t. The meeting is not held in public. Details though here.
Local pension board, 10am, Mann Island
What’s being discussed: Not to be confused with the pension committee, which was held earlier this week, although it’s easy to see why one might - much of the agenda appears to be the same, with a few additions, including investment strategies and risk registers.
How to get involved: That would involve heading to Mann Island, more details here
Wirral audit and risk management committee, 6pm, Wallasey town hall
What’s being discussed: It’s a fulsome agenda this month, including annual reports and governance statements, audit activity, risk management plans and an update on the Birkenhead town centre management action plan.
How to get involved: Parts of the meeting involve space for public questions, statements and petitions, but it’s too late to submit any now, this had to have been done by Friday. You can however watch in person or online. Agenda here.
Liverpool hackney and private hire licensing committee, 10am, Liverpool town hall
What’s being discussed: License applications and renewals for drivers.
How to get involved: You can’t, it’s closed to the public due to personal information being discussed. Details here.
Back to business: Pride in leadership, 9.30am, Clockwise offices Liverpool
What is it: Part of Pride month, the event is billed as ‘celebrating LGBTQ+ leadership through conversation, connection, and networking.’ Includes speaker panel. Free hot desking available for the rest of the day.
How to get involved: Find out here.
Thursday 25 June
Sefton cabinet, 6pm, Bootle Town Hall
What’s being discussed: Quite a packed agenda for this meeting - the climate report has been making its way through committees the past couple of weeks and will now sit before cabinet. There’s also a joint health and wellbeing strategy, Sefton’s own impending local plan issues, an article 4 directive about shopping parades in Bootle, financial reports and the marine lake events centre.
How to get involved: Looks like some of this might exclude press and public, but most of this is open to the public, who can attend in person. Agenda here.
Wirral planning committee, 6pm, Wallasey town hall
What’s being discussed: Apart from committee appointments, there’s just one item - a double garage conversion in West Kirby, called in by a councillor over conservation concerns.
How to get involved: You can watch in person or online. Details are here.
Wirral strategic applications sub-committee, 6.30pm, Wallasey town hall
What’s being discussed: Another piece of Wirral Waters and plans for a new industrial unit at MEA Park. The scheme would bring a large warehouse or manufacturing building to former refinery land at Wallasey Bridge Road.
How to get involved: In person, online, find out more here.
Liverpool improvement committee, 5pm, Liverpool town hall
What’s being discussed: Resident surveys, chief executive’s progress report and social care transformation.
How to get involved: This committee has space for public questions, which must be submitted two days before the meeting. It can be attended in person or watched online, Details here
Liverpool street traders sub-committee, 10am, somewhere in Liverpool
What is being discussed: The renewal of one street trading licence.
How to get involved: You can’t. More here
People’s emergency briefing, 6.30pm, Future Yard
What is it: A screening of the People’s Emergency Briefing - ‘an eye-opening film bringing together nine leading UK scientists and experts’ on issues including extreme weather, food security, health and cost of living
How to get involved: Book here.
Atlas of Multivocal Kitchens Symposium, 10am, John Lennon art and design building
What is it: This made the shortlist initially because of its baffling name, quite frankly, and on closer inspection, the subject looks interesting too: ‘a symposium exploring how everyday kitchen practices such as cooking, sharing food, and organising domestic space shape experiences of home, memory, and belonging in contexts of migration.’
How to get involved: This is both in person and online. More here.
Friday 26 June
Liverpool community network breakfast, 11am, Bronte youth and community centre
What is it: There will be a presentation and tour of the refurbished Bronte centre. Part of a regular community networking event.
How to get involved: All the details are here.
Saturday 27 June
New horizons conference, 10am, Archbishop Beck
What is it: This one day conference is about ‘hope for prison leavers beyond the gateway’ organised by Together Liverpool.
How to book: Online, here.
before you go …
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