Welsh Streets
CPO considered A PROPOSAL to compulsorily
purchase (CPO) the 8 remaining property interests needed for the
regeneration of the Welsh Streets is to be considered by Liverpool
City Council.
The Mayor’s Cabinet is being asked to give approval to acquire the
last of the 311 interests needed to deliver phases 1 and 2 of the
£15 million scheme.
3 of the 8 sites have already been cleared, 2 are residential
properties and 3 are commercial units. 5 of the sites are already
vacant.
It will enable the scheme; which is backed by the majority of local
residents; to move forward as quickly as possible if it is given
the go ahead at a forthcoming planning inquiry.
Under the plans, 280 homes will be demolished to be replaced by 150
new houses, and 37 terraced properties - including the former home
of Beatle Ringo Starr - will be refurbished.
Councillor Ann O'Byrne, Assistant Mayor and Cabinet member for
housing, said:- "Our plans were supported by more than 70
percent of local people following a thorough and detailed
consultation, so we are confident that we will get the green light
to proceed at the planning inquiry.
We want to make sure we are in the best possible position to drive
forward the regeneration at the conclusion of the inquiry.
Purchasing the small number of remaining properties will enable us
to do that.
The residents of the Welsh Streets have waited far too long for
regeneration. They have shown real determination and fantastic
community spirit, to fight for a future where boarded-up, derelict
properties are replaced by modern, family homes.
Some are living in damp, cold conditions and it is having a major
impact on their health. We owe it to them to make sure we deliver
this project as quickly as possible, if we get the outcome the local
community so desires."
Under the proposals, the new homes for the local community and new
residents will be built to a high standards and will be available
for affordable rent and sale, providing a diverse mix of housing for
the area designed to be energy efficient and spacious, with many
including gardens.
The Welsh Streets plans form part of the wider regeneration of the
Princes Park neighbourhood, with more than 80% of the 2,500
properties in the renewal area being retained.
The scheme was approved by the Council’s planning committee in
August 2013, but called in for public inquiry by Secretary of State, Eric
Pickles. No date has yet been set.
The CPO proposal will be considered by the Cabinet on Friday, 8
November 2013. |
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Callers' views
vital to drive service improvements in NWAS
EARLY next year, the North
West Ambulance Service (NWAS) NHS Trust will carry out a survey, to
find out what people who call 999 think about the care they receive.
The results will help NWAS see where they perform well and to
identify any areas where there is room for improvement.
The survey will focus on callers who have been treated or given
advice over the telephone, rather than those who received a visit
from the ambulance service. Callers may later be contacted by an
independent research agency by telephone asking for their views.
All
interviews will be short and undertaken in the strictest confidence.
Questions will cover the quality of care received, communication
with Ambulance Service staff, information and advice given and
overall experience of the service.
This is the first national survey of its type and almost every NHS
ambulance trust in England is included as part of a national
programme led by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
The survey is
part of a commitment to design a health service around the needs and
priorities of patients and service users, and to take account of
their feedback and views. It signals the value and importance of
listening to the people who use services to drive improvement.
The results of this survey will be published in 2014 on the CQC’s
website.
The results will not allow any individual person's
answers to be identified.
Sarah Faulkner, NWAS Director of Performance and Patient Experience
says:- "We hope that people will take the time to help us and
the Care Quality Commission with this survey, helping us to find out
how we are performing and how we can improve. This is an excellent
way for service users to help shape the services we provide in the
future."
If you do not want to be invited to participate, further details of
how to opt out for the survey will be signposted to the public,
closer to its launch.
If you have any general questions about the survey, please contact
researchers at the NHS Patient Survey Co-ordination Centre on:- 01865
208127.
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