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DO
NOT FLOG OFF OUR WATERWAYS MILIBAND URGED
UNISON, the
largest public sector union in the UK, today called on Environment
Secretary David Miliband to protect British Waterways from being
sold off to private contractors.
In a strongly worded letter to Mr Miliband, the UNISON leader
committed to campaigning to oppose privatisation of British
Waterways and said:- "We will do everything we can to prevent
the disaster of railways privatisation being repeated on our
waterways."
The letter was sent following reports of a widespread internal
review by the Government agency.
UNISON General Secretary Dave Prentis said:- "It will be a
scandal if, after record public investment in our waterways, British
Waterways is flogged off to private investors. Investors whose
hareholders will cream off the profits from BW property
developments.
Profits that can now only be realised because of record public
investment. And profits that should go back into the canal network
and not in share dividends."
Press reports last Thursday on the 24 May 2007, claimed that the
Government is considering selling off British Waterways, the public
body that manages our canals and inland water network.
BW is a public corporation that manages and cares for more than 2000
miles of canals and rivers in England, Scotland and Wales,
specifically governed by acts of Parliament. It is also the
custodian of more than 2500 listed structures and more than 70
scheduled ancient monuments.
The Government has invested record amounts of money into the canal
network over the last decade. This investment has seen a massive
maintenance programme which has been the engine for inner city
regeneration, including in London, Birmingham and Manchester.
The largest BW regeneration scheme is Wood Wharf, a proposal to
build about 5.5 million square feet of Dockland housing and offices
next to Canary Wharf. Once built the scheme could be worth more than
£4 billion. BW is said to have a 50 per cent share in Wood Wharf
with the rest owned by Canary Wharf Group and Docklands developer
and Ballymore House.
UNISON is also concerned that private companies will only be
interested in the profits that they can cream off from the property
portfolio, and that they will also not have the same concern for the
environmental impact of property developments that BW as a public
body currently has.
Big
Band Tea Dance
A Tea Dance
with the Northern All Stars Dance Orchestra will be held on Saturday
9 June 2007, 2 to 5pm, at the Prescot Methodist Centre, Atherton
Street, Prescot... So get down and swing to the big band sound!
Admission £5, incl. refreshments!
See
www.prescotfestival.co.uk for
more information. |
Liverpool To Host 2008 Dunlop British Open
TENGLAND
Squash and sports management company internationalSPORTgroup
have announced that the 2008 Dunlop British Open Squash
Championships will be staged in Liverpool, from 6 May 2008 to 12 May
2008, as part of the city's European Capital of Culture 2008
portfolio of events.
First staged in 1922, the British Open is the world's most
important, prestigious and longest established squash championships
- considered the sport's blue riband event and the Wimbledon of
Squash.
The Dunlop British Open Liverpool 2008, supported by the Liverpool
Culture Company and the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA),
will feature the world's leading male and female professional
players and will be run alongside the sport's most successful annual
Masters Championships, comprising 13 age-group events from O35 to
O70.
Councillor Warren Bradley, Leader of Liverpool City Council, said:-
"We're delighted to be staging the Dunlop British Open in our
Capital of Culture year – it's a major boost to our 2008
celebrations. Welcoming the world's finest squash players to
Liverpool for such a prestigious tournament will attract thousands
of sports fans to the city, and further cement our position as a
world class sporting venue.
Over the last two years, events supported by the Northwest Regional
Development Agency have resulted in 1.2 million visitors and
contributed 40 million to the regional economy, and the NWDA's
support of the Dunlop British Open Liverpool 2008, in partnership
with Liverpool Culture Company, will see the world's premier squash
championships staged in Liverpool for the first time in the event's
illustrious eighty-five year history."
Peter Mearns, NWDA Director of Marketing & Communications, said:-
"Securing the Dunlop British Open is a major coup for Liverpool,
which is building an impressive reputation for hosting major
sporting events. We are especially pleased to be welcoming visitors
to the region in 2008, when we will also be able to showcase the
fantastic cultural assets of this world class city."
England Squash Chief Executive Nick Rider added:- "This
announcement emphasises our desire to see the continual development
of our flagship event. 2008 is a big year for Liverpool, I'm sure
that the addition of the Dunlop British Open to the calendar in this
great city will contribute greatly to the programme of sporting and
cultural events, world class squash in a world class city will be
fantastic to watch."
Paul Walters, of internationalSPORTgroup, concluded:- "This
latest announcement demonstrates the high regard in which the
British Open is held, and being able to confirm the championships so
far in advance, demonstrates the progress that has been made in
delivering a solid framework for the future of the championships. We
look forward to announcing details of an exciting new venue in the
near future which will further reinforce the standing of the
championships as well as enhancing Liverpool's profile as a venue
for international sport."
For further information regarding the Dunlop British Open Liverpool
2008 visit
www.iSPORTgroup.com. |
