Merry Xmas And A Happy New Year

West Park's Labour Team would like to wish all local residents best wishes for Xmas and the New Year. You can contact us any time regarding any local issue of importance to yourself.



West Park Labour Team

Recycle your Xmas trees

You can take trees along to local parks in St. Helens on Sunday 7th January where Council Rangers will take them off your hands between 10am and 3pm. The parks are Mesnes Park (Naylor’s Wood car park), Bankes Park in Billinge, Sherdley Park, Victoria Park in Windle, Ashtons Green open space at Parr and Clinkham Wood at Moss Bank. Alternatively, take them to one of the following waste sites: Ravenhead at Burtonhead Road, Rainhill at Tasker Terrace, Newton at Junction Lane and Rainford at Southerns Lane.

Small trees - a maximum of 4ft tall - can be placed at the side of your green bin on the relevant collection day. Residents are also reminded that Christmas cards can be recycled by putting them into your green bin or taking them to WH Smith, Tesco or TJ Hughes between January 2nd and 31st.

Work well underway at St Helens Hospital

Labour Campaigner Marlene Quinn has unreservedly welcomed the £85 million pound investment in St Helens Hospital.

Marlene commented commented” The £85m investment in St Helens Hospital will provide state-of-the-art diagnostic services and day and overnight surgical facilities at St Helens and Whiston Hospitals. With the new NHS Walk-in Centre complimenting services at our local hospitals "

The new facilities include: six operating theatres and 65 beds. And an expanded out-patient centre will be created which will have the capacity to deal with up to 200,000 out-patient visits every year.

Winter Heating Allowances

Elderly residents should be receiving their winter heating allowance by now. Call 08459 15 15 15 if you need more information.The payments vary beyween £100 to £300 depending on your age.Many residents will remember the Tories freezing winter heating allowances at £10 for many years.The very same Tories now run the local council with their Lib Dem pals.

Lib Dem Axe Sharpened For Care Homes

Ashtons Green Care Home in Parr is under threat from the Lib Dem Axe. Unions say staff have already been told that they will lose their jobs in March 2007 and elderly residents and their families face an uncertain future. Furious Labour Councillors confronted the Council’s Lib Dem leadership about the home's future. Labour had planned for the home to be redesigned to provide high quality accommodation and respite care.

In a further blow to local elderly residents and carers the Lib Dem Led Council has announced the closure of Larchfields Care Home in Newton .Labour's Marlene Quinn said " This announcement came just a couple of weeks before Xmas.The Lib Dems axed 6 care homes in Liverpool so we know all about Lib Dem rhetoric and Lib Dem reality when it comes to vulnerable residents". One local resident said "The residents of Larchfields are an elderly and frail group of people who have contributed to our society for many years. It is now time for us to repay and thank them for what they have done.Larchfields is their home where they are comfortable, familiar and cared for. The staff have become their extended family."

Marlene Slams Child's Play Delay

Labour Campaigner has slammed the Lib Dem led regime at the Council for the constant dithering and delays over children’s play facilities in the ward.

Marlene said “Last spring we informed local people that Labour had set aside £1 million to be spent on children’s play facilities. Some of this money was to be used to install new children’s play equipment in Thatto Heath Park,Taylor Park, Dodd Ave and Queens Park. Sadly, the Lib Dems did a deal with the Tories to take control of the Council in May and the play facilities that should have been in place for the summer holidays have been constantly delayed by dithering within the new regime”

“It now looks like our local kids will get their new play equipment just in time for next spring. You can rest assured that West Park’s Labour Team will fight for these facilities. Because we are the only all local campaign team we are fighting for OUR community.”

Leslie Road

Marie Rimmer has asked the council to include Leslie Road in the round of roads to be gritted during bad weather. Marie said “The steepness of the road makes it especially dangerous. So far the council have not agreed to grit Leslie Road but I intend to keep pressing on behalf of local residents.The council have agreed to an
extra grit bin for Leslie Road follwing requests from your Labour Team”

The Big Lib Dim Lights Out

The Lib Dem Led Council in St Helens are raiding the Labour government’s Neighbourhood Renewal Fund to pay for routine street lighting replacement schemes. These funds were intended for improvements to deprived areas above and beyond normal council spending.

Street lighting is also being ‘prioritised’ and all routine council revenue replacement schemes have been shelved for this financial year.

Labour’s Marlene Quinn said” Labour provided Neighbourhood Renewal Funds to help improve deprived communities, not to replace council spending on street lighting. And if your street isn’t lucky enough to be thought of as a ‘priority’ it’s tough luck. Good street lighting is an important factor in fighting crime”

What do you think? Let us know at labour@westpark.org.uk

Taylor Park Car Parking

Cllr Marie Rimmer commenting on this issue said ”I have received many questions about the extra car parking that was planned at the Grosvenor Rd end of Taylor Park. The plans were ready to submit to planning some time ago and it was intended extra parking spaces would be ready by summer 2006.Like everything else it appears to have vanished into a quagmire of delay and dither. I will continue pressing for action on behalf of residents and have written personally to all residents who have contacted me about this matter”.

Residents rap increase in dog fouling

A big increase in dog fouling was by far the biggest concern of local residents in our recent survey. Labour Campaigner Marlene Quinn said “There is a definite feeling that this problem has got much worse in recent months. Residents from Hewitt Av, Cambridge Rd, Silkstone St, Chamberlain St ,Mulberry Ave, Marsden Ave, Oliver Rd and users of Queens Park have all made their feelings known to us on this issue. West Park’s Labour Team will be urging the Council to concentrate on the issues that matter most to local people. The vast majority of dog owners are perfectly responsible but this council needs to do more to target the irresponsible owners”

Labour successfully campaigned for extra dog bins in Queens Park and responsible dog owners are using them. Overflowing dog bins are a health hazard and this Lib Dem led Council needs to act...NOW!!

pictured:
Marlene Quinn at an overflowing dog waste bin in Queens Park.

A Load Of Old Rubbish

Your Labour Team inspect a growing pile of rubbish in our area.It was reported for clean up.

Labour’s Marlene Quinn said “This huge pile of fly tipping in has been allowed to grow and a 3 piece suite was recently added for good measure. Is this the ‘improved environment’ the Lib Dems promised us at election time? Labour’s Council budget last spring provided an extra £1 million for the local environment and so far only 400k has been spent. Your Labour team has pressed for this mess to be cleaned up”

How is the Lib Dem led council dealing with rubbish in your area? Let Marlene know at labour@westpark.org.uk

Why are we waiting?

Queens Park Lesiure Centre.
Still waiting for planned improvements.







Cllr Marie Rimmer has urged the Lib Dem Lead Council to get their act together and make some progress on the Council’s leisure strategy that was agreed in April.

Marie said “ Since the LD/Tory alliance took control of the council in May things have gone quiet on the proposed new soccer centre at Queens Park and the plans for the Boundary Road swimming pool. Residents can rest assured that I intend to keep asking the questions on behalf our community until firm answers are provided”

Another Labour Success

Following feedback from our Old Eccleston survey Labour's Marlene Quinn pressed the council to replace the missing railings in the fence surrounding Dodd Avenue playing fields.This has now been done. Marlene Quinn informed local residents in the area via a Labour action flyer.

Marlene is pictured inspecting the missing railings.

Taylor Park Boathouse Cafe

St John’s Centre will shortly be opening the Boathouse tea Rooms in Taylor Park. The Café will provide refreshments and afternoon teas . Labour Campaigner Marlene Quinn suggested that the people at St John’s should be involved with managing the Boathouse café last year. Marlene said “They do a great job at St John’s Centre and I am certain they will make a success of the boathouse café too” Hopefully the café will be open 7 days a week for park visitors during winter and summer.

Monday and Fridays at St John’s Centre, Crossley Road is dining day ,meals are served at 12.15. West Park Labour Councillor Marie Rimmer said “The food and company at the centre is excellent ,it’s a real asset to our community in West Park”

pictured are Marie Rimmer and Marlene Quinn with centre staff.

Thumbs Up in Newtown

Cllr Marie Rimmer and Labour Campaigner Marlene Quinn met with local residents and a representative of Arriva to discuss the latest bus news in Newtown.Marlene said "The feedback from our recent survey has been fantastic and we have passed all your views onto Arriva. We have informed local residents of the new bus routes and the response has been very positive"

Arriva Bus Petitions

West Park Labour Team joined forces with residents in the Newtown area to press Arriva to change some of their planned bus routes.

Campaigner Marlene Quinn said "We've had several meetings with local residents and Arriva and they have all been constructive.We helped collect petitions from the streets to be affected by the new service and Arriva have agreed to look at alternative routes put forward by residents and West Park's Labour Team.The important issue is to retain a bus service that takes into account local schools and the narrowness of some streets"

Grange Park Clean Up

Labour Campaigner Marlene Quinn joined a local residents group on a clean up day in Grange Park.A local alley-way was cleared of rubbish and overgrown shrubs.Marlene said"It was hard work but well worthwhile, all the residents were pleased with the end result"

Taylor Park Kite Day

Marlene Quinn and Cllr Marie Rimmer attended the recent Taylor Park kite making day.


"A great community event and very well attended" said Marie. Marlene and Marie are pictured with a local youngster and hand-made kite.

End Of The West Park N.E.Ws

The Neighbourhood Environmental Wardens that had helped local people clean up our area have now been moved to another part of St Helens. Cllr Marie Rimmer said” We campaigned to get these wardens in our area and we were very saddened to hear they are now being moved elsewhere. If you have any problems with rubbish of fly tipping in your area please contact your local Labour Team on 600025”

Lib Dems increase charges

The new ‘Lib Dem lead’ administration at the Town Hall has hit local youngsters and pensioners with a double the rate of inflation price increase to use local sports pitches. Cllr Marie Rimmer said “ We warned of this sort of thing during the local elections. The Lib Dem council in Liverpool were found to be operating a ‘profit not people’ leisure service by the Audit Commission and
it looks like their St Helens Lib Dem pals are going down the same route. These increases of 6.25% to use the pitches and 6.25% to use the changing rooms are utterly unwarranted “

Latest West Park Rose delivered

The latest edition of our West Park Rose is being delivered to all homes in West Park right now. The West Park Rose is published and delivered by our local Labour Team who all live in West Park Ward. Working with and for the local community on issues that matter to you.....because we are the only all local campaigning party in West Park.

Bus Campaign Success

Many residents have contacted Labour Campaigner Marlene Quinn expressing their dismay at Arriva's changes to local bus routes. Thanks to Marlene and Cllr Marie Rimmer's lobbying Merseytravel agreed to fund the number 170 (off peak) every 65 minutes.This was something but clearly not enough. After further lobbying Arriva agreed to meet Marie and Marlene on site after which they agreed to re route the 10C from 3rd Sept, this would once again provide a half hourly service along Dunriding Lane, Crossley Rd and Stafford Rd.

The 10C has now been renumbered the number 39 and the service has been extended to Broadgreen Hospital. Arriva apologised to Marie for inadequate advance notification of
the change in bus numbers.

Marlene Quinn said "The withdrawal of buses from Dunriding Lane, Stafford Rd and Crossley Rd had left a lot of residents stranded, particularly the elderly who struggled climbing Stafford Rd and Dunriding Lane, thank goodness our campaigning finally paid off “

Horace St/Rivington Rd Bus Campaign

Labour Campaigner Marlene Quinn and Cllr Marie Rimmer are very concerned that the 31 bus service along Horace St is inappropriate due to the narrowness of the space available at the junction of Horace St and Rivington Rd, facing Queens Park School.

“Hazardous junction”

Marlene, who is a Governor at Queens Park School, said “I saw 3 buses attempting to negotiate the junction at the same time , the buses had to be re-routed amid traffic chaos and children crossing the road. This situation cannot continue and we have raised this matter with Arriva to ensure the bus is re-routed while still serving the local community.

Peter Street Centre plaque

Marie unveils the plaque celebrating 100 years of the Peter Street Centre.

Peter Street Centre

Marie Rimmer has welcomed the news that Peter Street Community Centre has won the national award for the best public /voluntary working partnership . Marie said "We have kept the public up to date with news on the progress at Peter Street for over 2 years and it's a great achievement by the community"

Marie is pictured with Audery Twiss ,Chairwoman of the Peter Street Steering Group at the Peter Street site earlier this year.

Ravenhead Urban Village- Plans Rejected

We are pleased to report that the Council’s Planning Committee rejected the revised plans to build 388 new houses in the Ravenhead area. Marlene Quinn spoke at the Planning Committee, representing the views of local residents who had objected. Marlene, who is a Ravenhead resident, said “This decision is a victory for local residents and for common sense. The plans would have ensured traffic havoc for Ravenhead, with additional traffic lights adding to the congestion on Prescot Rd and a huge increase in vehicle traffic along Crossley Rd, Whittle Street and Stafford Rd.


The proposed area was totally unsuitable for so many new houses. I’d like to thank all the residents who objected and the many residents who contacted me about this very Important local issue. We will keep you informed of any further developments”

Borough Road Speeding Action

The police are continuing to target speeding vehicles driving along Prescot/Borough Rd . In the latest actions they issued 30 fixed penalty notices, one man was arrested for failing to stop when instructed ,5 vehicles were removed from the road for not having insurance and a car reported as stolen from Manchester was stopped.


Labour Campaigner Marlene Quinn said "We support this continued police action without reservation.There have been several tragic accidents on this stretch of road and we hope speeding drivers get the message"

Scrambler Nuisance

Residents living in the Elm Road/ Thatto Heath Park area contacted West Park Labour Councillor Marie Rimmer regarding scrambler bike nuisance in the area. Marie contacted the police and several bikes were seized, in addition Community Warden patrols were stepped up in the area. Marie said “Contact your Labour Team at labour@westpark.org.uk if your area suffers from this problem”

St John's Centre Ravenhead

St John’s Centre will shortly be opening the Boathouse tea Rooms in Taylor Park. The Café will provide refreshments and afternoon teas with a Victorian theme. The café will be open 7 days a week for visitors to enjoy during winter and summer.

Monday and Fridays at St John’s Crossley Road is dining day ,meals are served at 12.15. Marie Rimmer said “The food and company at the centre is excellent ,it’s a real asset to our community in West Park”

Social exclusion - Join the debate

One of this Labour government's proudest achievements has been to lift 800,000 children out of poverty and the building of a stable economy. This success has been built on significant investment in public services and sound financial management of the economy. Despite this success Labour ministers want to go further in reducing inequalities. We want to know where you think the government has got things right and where you think they could be doing things differently.

Join the debate here

Beating Bogus Callers

You may have seen our free ‘Bogus Caller’ warning cards displayed in many windows in the West Park area. These cards can act as a deterrent to conmen and sneak thieves who trick their way into homes. Sadly this is still a problem in our area.


If you would like a ‘Bogus Caller’ warning card, or would like a new card to replace your old one please e mail us at labour@westpark.org.uk and we will post one to you.

Labour Campaigner Marlene Quinn holding one of our cards.

Marie Rimmer's New Surgeries

Cllr Marie Rimmer now has a monthly surgery at St Luke’s. This replaces her Horace Street Library Surgery following the Library’s relocation to Peter Street.






Marie’s Surgeries are:
Thatto Heath Library
First Friday in the month
5pm until 6 pm.
St Luke’s Church Hall
Knowsley Rd
First Friday
in the month
6pm until 7pm.