Bill Esterson MP calls for urgent action over:- "unsightly Crescent" in Thornton

SEFTON Central MP Bill Esterson has asked Sefton Council to clear up outside shops in The Crescent in Thornton, which is far too often strewn with litter and blighted by weeds. He is also calling for the uneven pavement to be repaired as a priority. Mr Esterson was contacted by concerned constituents about The Crescent in Thornton. Residents reported litter strewn across the floor, weeds growing in the gaps in the pavements and in the planters, and a footpath that caused prams and wheelchairs to tip. Mr Esterson visited the site and met with Thornton Parish Councillors James O'Keefe and Bob McGill.

Mr Esterson said:- "The area unfortunately has become unsightly and it needs to be sorted. here was litter strewn everywhere during my visit even though there are a number of bins outside the shops. Some of the paving slabs are broken and uneven which makes it difficult for prams and wheelchairs and is a trip hazard. Weeds are knee high, there are weeds in one planter and the other 1 is in disrepair. I have asked Sefton Council to look at all these issues. Residents tell me that some of the shops leave their huge bins out at the end of the road for weeks at a time which attracts rats and mice and there are problems with anti social behaviour. There is also a huge issue with drivers using The Crescent as a cut through to avoid the lights. This is completely unacceptable and thoughtless. I was delighted to see that James O'Keefe from Thornton Parish Council was collecting litter when I visited and Council chairman Bob McGill was also there to talk to me. They along with the borough Councillors have asked for work to be done and I am asking that it be made more of a priority by Sefton Council for Thornton residents. A big thank you to the Thornton Parish Councillors for their work and to Sefton Councillors Claire Carragher, John Kelly and Steve McGinnity for supporting the parish Council. James comes down to do a litter pick every few days. This is real community spirit in action. He is a great representative for the area. I will continue to press Sefton Council to address the pavement and planter issues and to help James with keeping the streets tidy."
 

Bill Esterson MP describes "bitter blow" as Government refuses to fund flood defences for Maghull

ON Friday, 18 June 2021, within a meeting with local MP Bill Esterson, the Flooding Minister Rebecca Pow MP refused to commit funding to protect Maghull residents from flooding. The meeting was held to discuss proposals from the Environment Agency to build flood defences at Dovers Brook, after hundreds of people in Sefton were minutes away from having to evacuate their homes earlier in the year as a result of flooding caused by Storm Christoph.

The Minister, who is responsible for flooding in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) said in a follow up letter that she could only commit less than a third of the ₤1.7 million needed for the works at Dovers Brook and offered no solution despite acknowledging:- "opportunities for partnership funding from other sources are limited and present substantial challenges."

Commenting on the refusal to commit funds, MP for Sefton Central Bill Esterson, said:- "In January, 400 homes and businesses including my Constituency Office, were minutes away from having to evacuate because of the threat flooding posed to them and their families. After cancelling my meeting 3 times, the Minister finally met with me to hear why flood defences are so urgently needed in Maghull. Yet the Minister is still refusing to release funds that would protect my constituents, their homes and their families. People in Maghull deserve to have a Government which makes sure they have a safe place to live. We owe a debt of gratitude to the Environment Agency, emergency services, Local Councils, and every volunteer who stepped up in January. But this refusal by ministers is a bitter blow. I will continue to work with the Environment Agency to find a solution beyond the current temporary fix. I will continue to press the Government to whatever is needed to protect my constituents."

Neighbouring MP for Southport, the Conservative Damien Moore, was due to attend the meeting in his capacity as Parliamentary Private Secretary at DEFRA, but did not turn up.

Commenting on Conservative MP Damien Moore's failure to take part, Bill Esterson said:- "It is very strange that Southport Conservative MP Damien Moore didn't turn up to a meeting with his own minister about flood defences that could have an impact on his own constituency. He voted against free School meals, he voted against providing an 80% furlough scheme for workers in his own constituency and he voted against pay rises for NHS staff. And it has not gone unnoticed that he is too busy to make the case for vital flood defences that would benefit his constituents who are in the same borough as the people of Maghull."