Southport Reporter (R) Online Nespaper for Merseyside

Read our Tracking & Cookie Usage Policy

 

Terms and Conditions

Southport and  Mersey Reporter -  Your free online newspaper service covering the Merseyside region - (Greater Liverpool).
Covering the news in and around Merseyside

MERSEY REPORTER

Click on here to email our news room today!

Email

 

 
Your free online newspaper for Merseyside
   
This website is licence to carry news from Vamphire.com and UK Press Photography.

  RSS

 

Latest Edition

Archive

Shop

Order Photos  Help Client Admin Advert Options

Updated news stories weekly.  Published online only, every Thursday,

Your online newspaper.   Your words.

Issue:- 31 October 2013

Bill must be fair to the victims of HS2 compulsory purchase, says CLA

"THE High Speed Rail Preparation Bill to be debated in parliament on Thursday, 31 October 2013, must be fair to those facing compulsory purchase of their properties." the Country Land and Business Association (CLA) told the press on Wednesday, 30 October 2013.

CLA President Harry Cotterell said:- "HS2 has become a political football with yards of controversial media coverage. Yet all the while, farmers, other land managers and rural businesses along the proposed route are really suffering. With the huge level of uncertainty, they simply can't invest in their businesses. The best the victims of compulsory purchase along the route can expect is derisory compensation, often paid late, on which they will be taxed. We've been promised fairness by the Government and want to see a proper property bond scheme, a duty of care by the acquirer and guarantees of mitigation measures put in place by this Bill."

Former Government Minister Caroline Spelman, MP for Meriden which is on the proposed HS2 route, said:- "As the paving Bill reaches its final stages in the Commons, with the help of the CLA I have tabled amendments with the aim of securing compensation which is fair and generous, as the Government has promised it should be, for those living along the route of HS2. These include the property bond to underpin sales, help for businesses and landowners, mitigations which offset the loss of green space and measures to ensure [compensation] payment is prompt and just."

CLA Chief Surveyor Andrew Shirley said:- "If HS2 is to be the modern face of public transport, it should be matched by a 21st century compulsory purchase system, not one that harks back to the Victorian era and is in a terrible state of disrepair. Owners of rural property and businesses close to the proposed HS2 route are already suffering blight, and the Government needs to act quickly to resolve the issues that affect them. This can only be done with an effective property bond scheme which provides property and business owners with assurances they will receive the promised fair compensation so their businesses can continue to invest with certainty."

Transport reviews set to start!

REVIEWS are set to start for 800 people in Liverpool who get Council transport to social care services. At the moment, social care assessments assume that everybody who travels to support services, such as a day centre, needs transport to get there. This is regardless of whether or not they are able to use public transport or have access to a mobility vehicle.

Under the new proposals, transport will only be provided where an individual is deemed eligible following an assessment, and after public transport, concessionary passes, motability vehicle and Disability Living Allowance mobility component (DLA) have been considered and deemed inappropriate. Where it is identified that direct transport is the only safe method, it will continue to be provided, subject to an annual review.

It will bring the City Council into line with many other neighbouring and comparable local authorities who have done, or are doing, the same thing. Following consultation, an appeals process has been introduced to the policy to make sure people who receive the DLA mobility component do not have the whole allowance used up by travelling to day centres which could impact on other aspects of their social life.

Deputy Mayor and Cabinet member for adult social care, Councillor Roz Gladden, said:- "This is about making sure that we consider everyone's individual circumstances rather than simply imposing a universal service on them. We have a situation at the moment where we simply treat everyone the same. In some cases we are providing transport for them to get to social care services when for the rest of the week they are using mobility vehicles or public transport. We know that service users can benefit massively by making their own way to and from services as it gives them a huge sense of independence. We fully appreciate that any suggestion of a change to the current system will inevitably cause some concern among some services users and their carers, but they should rest assured that we will not be withdrawing the service unless they are able to use an alternative form of transport. This is about making sure that we target resources at those people who actually need it."

All of the existing 800 services users will be reviewed over the next 4 months, but no transport service will be removed without a social worker fully reviewing their individual circumstances. Full support and training will be given to people where necessary. Letters have been issued to the people affected to inform them that the reviews are set to start in November (2013).

Click on here to go back to this week's home page!

Our radio station phone in message line...   Call us now!

Click on this section to see last weeks edition of Southport and Mersey Reporter!

Sign up today for our daily email news service!

Sign up to our Daily Email News Service by clicking here now...

Southport and Mersey Reporter  July at  leading the way for local news.
We where the UK's first online only newspaper!

All email addresses and information is held under the UK's Data Protection Act.

 
Highlighted events that are taking place this month:-

If you have an event and want to get it noticed, let us know by emailing us to:- news24@merseyreporter.com

Click on the event title displayed above to find out about lots more events, as well as dates & times!

Our websites in our online series.   Group navigation, information and useful none group links...
Southport TV - Our online video archive. Liverpool Reporter - Our online music station. Mersey Reporter - OUR HUB WEBSITE.
Southport TV Liverpool Reporter Mersey Reporter Formby Reporter

Add to Google

This is what the moon is doing tonight.  Click on to find out why.

See the view live webcamera images of the road outside our studio/newsroom in the hart of Southport.

Our live Southport Webcam.  To see click live, click on image.

SOUTHPORT CHAT

Show us your location
Please sign our map and let us know where you are  from....

.

News Room Phone Number

(+44)  08443 244 195
Calls will cost 7p per minute, plus your telephone company's access charge. 

Calls to this number may be recorded for security, broadcast, training and record keeping.

This online newspaper and information service is regulated by IMPRESS, the independent monitor for the UK's press.

How to make a complaint

Complaints Policy  -  Complaints Procedure  -  Whistle Blowing Policy

© PCBT Photography & PBT Media Relations Ltd. - Southport Reporter® is the Registered Trade Mark of Patrick Trollope