Vote for Allerton Oak as European Tree of the Year

LIVERPOOL'S Allerton Oak is vying to become the 1st UK tree to be crowned European Tree of the Year. The tree, which stands in Calderstones Park, received an impressive 34% of more than 11,000 votes cast in the Woodland Trust's annual competition; and is now entered into the wider European competition, with voting opening at the start of February 2020.  To add your vote please visit:- TreeOfTheYear.Org.  Cabinet member for environment and sustainability, Councillor Laura Robertson-Collins, said:- "The Allerton Oak is a much loved and cherished tree in the heart of 1 of our beautiful parks and is hugely popular with visitors. It is fantastic it has received UK recognition and our thanks go to the many people who voted for it; and we're now asking for them to vote for it as European Tree of the Year. We're committed to planting thousands of trees over the next few years and our hope is that at least 1 of them may last as long as the Allerton Oak."

Did you know that the Allerton Oak...

► Legend has it that in medieval times the Local Court, known as a:- 'Hundred Court' would meet under the branches of the tree, as they lacked a Courthouse.

► Today the tree is fenced off to protect it, and its heavy boughs are supported by metal poles.

► Liverpool City Council has been working in partnership with The Mersey Forest to preserve the lifespan of the Allerton Oak, with a new propping mechanism with built in flexibility to adapt as the tree continues to grow, and sustain it long term.

► The value of the tree is conservatively estimated at over ₤500,000.

Formby residents are still worried about Pinewood Park development

FORMBY residents worried about Barratt Homes' Pinewood Park development that has started to be build on a regularly flooded field on the South East side of the Village, backing onto the Formby By Pass. Work has now started to make the area ready for building on and some residents have told us that they are also extremely worried that this development will lead to more flooding, traffic accidents and increasing the problems with overloaded local health services along with bringing in even more congestion to the area. Many say Sefton has not listened to them and shocked as applications to build on areas like this have been rejected many times before, including on this site! As we have had quite a few comments, we reported that we have been getting them on Twitter and Labour Party, Ravenmeols Ward Councillor, Nina Killen, replied with:- "Flood prevention measures are part of development. Standing water is common on site now because it is a field. Residents concerns are always considered. House building is needed and the infrastructure to go with it. Road improvements are planned plus new Liverpool Road pelican crossing." So what are your thoughts on this? Please email us to:- News24@SouthportReporter.Com and let us know.

Charity urges people to take test during Raynaud's Awareness month in February

DO your fingers change colour in the cold or are they numb, tingling or painful? Are you struggling to do up the buttons on your jacket? Or unzipping your purse by the frozen aisle of the supermarket? Discomfort and sensitivity in fingers and toes to even the slightest drop in temperature; as well as colour changes; could be a sign of Raynaud's, which can develop into a more serious condition called scleroderma. Raynaud's is a little known and often poorly understood condition, which affects up to 10 million people in the UK. February is:- 'Raynaud's Awareness Month,' during which Scleroderma and Raynaud's UK (SRUK), is asking people to take their quick and simple online test to give those affected by the condition the chance to better understand, and manage, their symptoms. SRUK is the only charity dedicated to improving the lives of people affected by Raynaud's phenomenon and scleroderma. If you, or someone you know, are displaying any of the following symptoms, which could be a sign of Raynaud's, take SRUK's online test today at:- SRUK.Co.UK/TestMe. For more information about Raynaud's and Scleroderma, go on their website or call the charity's free helpline:- 0800 311 2756.

Symptoms can include:-

► Unusually cold fingers and toes.

► Colour changes in the skin in response to cold or stress.

► Colour changes in the affected area to white, then blue / purple and then red.

► Numbness, tingling or pain in the fingers and toes.

► Stinging or throbbing pain upon warming or stress relief.

Why landlord had to repay tenant 1 penny

A landlord has been forced to pay back a single penny to a tenant because of the introduction of new legislation. However, another lucky renter was handed a bumper ₤4,880.89 refund under the Tenant Fees Act which came into force in June 2019. The legislation states a refundable tenancy deposit must be capped at no more than 5 weeks' rent where the total annual rent is less than ₤50,000, or 6 weeks' rent where the total annual rent is ₤50,000 or above. It also says that any existing deposit above the cap should be refunded on a new fixed term tenancy which is created on, or after, 1 June 2019. The average deposit repayment made to tenants on a renewal has been ₤317.06. Tenancy deposits have dropped since the legislation was brought in, helping renters across England make an average saving of ₤163.08, according to new figures. In London the saving is even greater with rental deposits having fallen by an average of ₤300.96.  According to the Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS), a Government approved tenancy deposit protection scheme, deposits have typically fallen from 5.5 weeks rent in April to 4.76 weeks, in December 2019.

Steve Harriott, Chief Executive of TDS, said:- "Handing over a penny to a tenant might seem a bit pointless, but we're pleased to see that landlords are adhering to the new legislation, no matter how small the refund is. The aim of the Act is to reduce the costs that tenants can face at the outset, and throughout, a tenancy. The legislation now means tenants can easily see what any given property will cost them with no hidden costs. Our figures clearly show that since the cap was introduced in June last year, it has had an immediate impact, with deposits dropping and the average renter saving ₤163.08 (or 11.35%)."

TDS is the only not for profit tenancy deposit scheme in the UK, which means it continuously invests surpluses into raising industry standards with excellent service levels, quicker call response times, user friendly technology and faster tenancy dispute resolutions.  For more information about TDS, visit:- TenancyDepositScheme.Com.