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£169 million
Liverpool schools plan to be approved
MULTI-MILLION pound plans
to deliver 12 new schools in Liverpool are set to be approved by the
Mayor's Cabinet. It is one of the key pledges of Mayor Joe
Anderson, and will see £135 million invested between now and 2017 on
a dozen primary, secondary and special schools.
A further £34.2 million will be spent on major investment of other
schools most in need that have not previously benefited from
investment through PFI or Building Schools for the Future - bringing
the total spend to £169 million.
Mayor Joe Anderson said:- "Our children deserve the very best
education, and this investment will deliver huge improvements in the
quality of the buildings they are taught in.
We have already seen the first spade going in the ground at Notre
Dame, and over the next few years thousands of pupils will benefit
from the investment we are making. I am also determined that we also
make sure the project benefits local firms and their workforce as
well and we are working to make sure that these new schools are
truly made in Liverpool."
Work is already well underway on
the first of the schools – Notre Dame Catholic College in Everton –
which is set to open in September 2013.
The other 11 schools to benefit are:-
► Archbishop Beck Secondary – start on site at former Long Lane
Depot in Fazakerley in April 2013 and opening September 2014
► St John Bosco Secondary and Our Lady of St Swithin's Primary in
Croxteth - rebuild on existing St John Bosco site starting in
April 2013, opening September 2014
► Archbishop Blanch Secondary near the
City centre – rebuild on
new site (TBC), opening September 2015
► St Hilda's Secondary in Aigburth – rebuild on new site (TBC),
opening September 2015
► Holly Lodge Secondary in West Derby – rebuild on rear of
existing site, opening September 2015
► Bank View Special School in Fazakerley – rebuild on existing
site, opening September 2015
► New Park Primary in Kensington – rebuild on existing site,
opening September 2016
► Northway Primary in Childwall – rebuild on existing site,
opening September 2016
► SFX Secondary and St Julie's Secondary in Woolton –
relocation of St Julies to former Lower Lee site on Beaconsfield
Road to create a Catholic boys/girls campus with new buildings at
SFX - opening September 2017
The Department for Education have
also granted funding through the Priority Schools Building Programme
which will enable Redbridge and Aigburth High Schools (special
schools) to be rebuilt.
Councillor Jane Corbett, Cabinet member for education, said:-
"This is fantastic news for schools in Liverpool. We have come
a long way since the Government axed wave six of the Building
Schools for the Future programme was cancelled in 2010.
By working creatively with our schools we have been able to come up
with alternative proposals which will transform education for
thousands of pupils."
The City Council is aiming for 60% of the spending on the projects
to be made with firms employing labour from Liverpool, rising to 70%
across Merseyside. It is hoped that up to 400 apprenticeships
will be created, with a minimum of 250, through the life of the
programme.
Councillor Malcolm Kennedy, Cabinet member for regeneration, said:-
"Schools are at the heart of life in a community, and can play
a major role in the regeneration of an area by attracting families
and providing community facilities. We are determined to make sure
that the investment we are making delivers benefits not just for
school pupils but also drives improvements in the areas in which
they are based."
Funding for the project is coming from a mix of capital funding,
receipts from the sale of surplus school sites and Council
resources. The report will be considered by the Cabinet on
Monday, 19 November 2012.
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Euro MP calls
for tough action on great gas rip-off!
RESPONDING to shock claims
that Britain's £300bn wholesale gas market may have been manipulated
by the big power companies, Euro MP Arlene McCarthy has called for
action including a full EU wide investigation into energy market
manipulation.
Local Euro MP, Arlene McCarthy is Vice Chair of the European
Parliament's Economic & Monetary Affairs committee and has been
leading the European Parliament's calls for tougher EU laws to
combat market abuse following the Libor scandal.
Arlene said:- "Following the revelations on the Libor crisis
this is another case of apparent market abuse and manipulation in
gas prices, which demonstrates the culture of chasing short term
profits and gains in financial and commodity markets has not
changed.
For some time I have feared there is an extensive cartel culture of
market rigging and price fixing in the commodities markets.
Companies guilty of abuse must face the full force of penalties and
sanctions and jail for criminal behaviour.
The FSA must take action but as UK gas is the benchmark for gas
traded at EU level I will be asking European Commissioners Almunia
and Barnier to take urgent action on cartels and price-fixing and
introduce tough rules on the setting of benchmarks and indices in
the commodities markets. Only last week Barclays were fined
$470millon for alleged rigging of US wholesale energy markets. We
must now ask the question has this also taken place in Europe?"
On the impact on consumers, Arlene added:- "It would be
cynical and callous if energy companies cite the rise in wholesale
prices as the reason for retail price increases and in the end
wholesale prices are being manipulated to increase the profits of
the energy companies. Consumers will end up the victim of this great
gas rip-off.
The North West region has one of the highest rates of fuel poverty
in the UK at 20.3%, that's a 1/5 of the population experiencing fuel
poverty. Families have seen gas and energy prices rise by between 6
and 9% this year adding on average £200 to their bills energy bills,
this type of market manipulation is abuse which must be urgently
tackled. Centrica, the parent company for British Gas, saw its
operating profits for its domestic heating and power division rise
by 23% in the first half of this year. Yet fuel poverty caused by
escalating fuel prices and the squeeze on household budgets will
mean pensioners are at risk of losing their lives from hypothermia
this winter."
Tis' the Season to be Jolly at R
local fundraising Christmas Concert
THE Royal Liverpool University Hospital is
holding its first ever Fundraising Christmas concert on Wednesday 5
December.
The concert, which takes place in the stunning surroundings of one
of Liverpool's most iconic buildings, St Georges Hall will feature a
wide range of Christmas tunes and carols performed by Liverpool
Community Choir, the hospital choir and Booker Avenue Juniors.
All funds raised will go to the new Royal appeal with the
development set to begin in early 2013. R Charity has launched its
new fundraising appeal to help provide the very best facilities at
the new hospital.
Judith Greensmith, chair said:- "We are all really looking
forward to R Christmas Concert; this will be a fantastic & memorable
event for the City and the hospital. All money raised from the
evening will help to ensure we have the very best facilities in our
new Royal."
Solicitors Brown Turner Ross are sponsoring R Christmas Concert,
David Bushell from BTR said:- "We are proud to be supporting R
Christmas Concert raising vital funds for such an integral part of R
City's future."
The event is also supported by Joe Anderson, Mayor of Liverpool and
Liverpool City Council, as well as Spindles Health and Leisure, The
Olive Press and ISS.
The concert starts at 7.30pm, with doors opening at 7pm. Tickets are
priced at £8 adult, £6 concession and £20 family ticket (2 adults
and 2 children under 14). Tickets are available by calling:- 0151 706
3150. For the latest information visit
Facebook
or go to:-
rlbuht.nhs.uk/fundraising.
Alexei Sayle to host Liverpool
Arabic Arts Festival's 'Funny Arabs' event
THE Liverpool born
comedian, author and actor Alexei Sayle has been confirmed to host
the 1st in a ground breaking new series of comedy events from
Liverpool Arabic Arts Festival.
The 1st outing of Funny Arabs
brings acclaimed New York based Arab comedienne Maysoon Zayid to
Liverpool for the first time later this month. Maysoon will perform
at the Epstein Theatre (formerly the Neptune), on the afternoon of
Sunday, 25 November 2012, introduced by Alexei Sayle.
Alexei will also announce a nationwide competition organised by LAAF,
who are seeking new Arab comic talent. Stand up, funny scripts,
plays, films, shorts, animation, songs or social and political
satire; whatever the style of comedy, LAAF want to hear from anyone
of Arab origin who thinks they can make people laugh! From marriage
to politics, food to democracy, romance, education and celebrity
culture; all topics are welcome.
Actress and professional stand up comedian Maysoon Zayid has
featured on Comedy Central's The Watch List and PBS's America at a
Crossroads; Muslim Comics Stand Up.
Maysoon, who lives with Cerebral Palsy, draws on her experience of
disability and the trials of being a female American born to
Palestinian parents for her comedy act. She has been quoted as
saying:- "comedy is pain plus time."
To highlight the announcement of the nationwide competition and a
series of workshops, LAAF is inviting anyone of Arab Origin to send
in their funniest jokes or video clips to the following email
address:-
funnyarabs@arabicartsfestival.co.uk.
The best selections will receive a pair of free tickets to the Funny
Arabs show on the afternoon of Sunday, 25 November 2012, introduced
by Alexei Sayle.
Razanne Carmey, Director of Liverpool Arabic Arts Festival said:-
"Do you have 14 friends or relatives called Mohammed but each of
them spelt a different way? We've been laughing about being an Arab
living in the West for a long time, now it's time to share the
jokes."
A great night of laughter from 2 renowned Arab comics. Find
out more at:-
maysoon.com. |
