Council blasts DfT's claims that port road is linked to housing

LEADING Sefton Councillors have blasted claims, made by the Department for Transport (DfT) in a letter to Save Rimrose Valley, that its controversial Port of Liverpool Access Road is being driven partially by local housing developments. In its own letter to the DfT, Sefton councillors have refuted this claim and have demanded that the DfT publicly retract this assertion. The road proposal is deeply unpopular locally as it would result in a dual carriageway being built down the middle of Rimrose Valley Country Park, linking the motorway network at Switch Island to the port.

Deputy Leader Cllr John Fairclough and Cabinet Member for Planning, Cllr Daren Veidman jointly wrote:- "… We would wish to reaffirm in the strongest terms that to suggest that anything other than the Port and its expansion is the main driver of congestion and therefore the suggested need for a new road through the Rimrose Valley is untrue."

They point to the Council's own Local Plan which identified no requirement for new road infrastructure as a result of proposed housing developments. Instead, Council Leaders suggest that the port's expansion and the pursuit of Freeport status for the Liverpool City Region are the driving force behind a new road. They highlight that the recent relocation of 5,000 employees from HMRC and Santander has reduced commuter traffic in the area.

They go on to say that the Council is seeking:- "improved outcomes for all communities" and that the pursuit of:- "alternative modes of transport and technological solutions are vital to the future of logistics associated with the port, and that a new road is not the solution to this challenge." They conclude by requesting that the DfT's claims be:- "retracted, in writing" and shared publicly.

Commenting on be˝ of Save Rimrose Valley, Stuart Bennett said:- "This was a bizarre and cynical attempt by the Department for Transport to shift the blame for its damaging road proposal onto a council which has consistently opposed these plans. It follows a pattern whereby both they and National Highways are trying to hoodwink the public into believing that the road proposal has little to do with the port. We believe they are attempting to rebrand it as:- 'The A5036 Princess Way Scheme' while Peel Ports have had the nerve to call it the:- 'Sefton Relief Road.' Our communities won't be fooled by these word games. They are in no doubt as to what is behind this proposal; access for HGVs to an ever-expanding port. We urgently need the DfT to start taking these issues seriously and to stop trying to bulldoze through this outdated road. Only this week, Stockport Council rejected a similar road proposal on environmental grounds, branding it an:- 'old world solution' to traffic problems. Exactly the same logic can be applied here which is why we need to pursue viable alternatives, for all our sakes."

Edge Hill University awarded for response to Primary School fire

EDGE Hill University's quick thinking response to a blaze that almost destroyed a local Primary School has been recognised with an industry award for demonstrating real community spirit. In June 2021, Asmall Primary School, in Ormskirk, suffered a blaze which threatened to disrupt the education of children who had only recently returned to School from lockdown. Within 24 hours, plans were being laid at Edge Hill, to accommodate the pupils and less than a week later, the School was up and running in a new temporary home on campus. The University's response has been recognised with the Reaching Higher Award in the Association of University Directors and Estates (AUDE) Awards.

Adrian McGillion, Director of Facilities Management at Edge Hill University, said:- "There's a well developed sense of civic responsibility at the University. It's a close knit community here, many of our own staff had children at the School, and people worked hard from the very next day, rallying round, with an attitude of:- 'anything we can do, we will do.' There were so many aspects to the work that was needed; identifying buildings that could be used, repurposing them, finding furniture that worked for children, the IT aspect, insurance, safeguarding. But there was a real willingness to make it happen. It was a fantastic joint effort between the School, our Estates and Facilities, IT and Faculty of Education colleagues who pulled out all the stops to provide them with all the essentials they needed so that the children could carry on their learning. The work made a real difference; to us as well as to them."

Speaking on be˝ of the judges, Jane White, AUDE Executive Director, said:- "To turn a campus into a School within a week is a massive effort. We all know the degree of disruption our children have faced during Covid, and on the day of the fire it must have seemed the very worst luck on top of an already awful period. The extent to which the University community set out to fix this really speaks of strong civic pride, but also of the ability to roll sleeves up and practically deliver whatever is necessary, something we've seen more than ever from our estates and facilities teams during the Pandemic."

Deputy Vice Chancellor at Edge Hill University, Steve Igoe, said:- "I'm so proud of the University's fantastic response to the fire at Asmall Primary School. Teams pulled together at short notice to do whatever we could to help. To have the children on campus, to see that we'd been able to help gave us an immense sense of pride and kept the children together. We even held a 'graduation ceremony' for them and parents said a taste of University education at a young age could only help their child's aspirations. The AUDE award is a testament to the incredible efforts of everyone involved and such a real achievement after a tough year for everyone working on this project."

To discover more about our courses at Edge Hill, please visit:- EHU.AC.UK/Study.