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Pavement parking hotspots list drawn up
WORK is to start in the new year
cracking down on pavement parking in parts of Liverpool. A list of hotspot wards
where drivers place their vehicles inconsiderately regularly has been drawn up
with the help of Councillors and staff to help prioritise areas where action
needs to be taken.
The areas are:-
► Riverside.
► St Michaels.
► Greenbank.
► Kensington.
► Old Swan.
► West Derby.
The City Council is to secure an experimental
Traffic Regulation Order to give it the powers to prevent parking on pavements
on roads where there aren't already double yellow lines. The work will be
carried out by an enhanced team of Civil Enforcement Officers, with the number
set to increase by a ⅓ up from 43 to 60.
Councillor Steve Munby, Cabinet member for highways, said:- "Pavement
parking makes life extremely difficult for wheelchair users, parents using
buggies and prams and puts pedestrians in danger.
We have been doing a lot of preparatory work looking at where the problems to
make sure we target the right areas and have the maximum impact.
Our ambition is to eventually be able to cover all areas of the City where there
are issues, but we want to trial it in some areas and then gradually build up so
we aren't spreading ourselves too thinly.
We aren't going to be rigid about ward boundaries and if there are areas of
overlap we will target them too.
But this doesn't mean a free for all elsewhere as we will still be targeting
other known problem areas in Liverpool.
We know the public want us to act and by increasing this team we can minimise
the confrontations, disruption, inconvenience and upset these practices cause.
It's important to stress that we won't be targeting those narrow terraced
streets where pavement parking is required to maintain access for emergency
service vehicles, such as fire engines."
The enhanced team will be supplemented by a new team of 5 Permit Officers who
will be hired to specifically tackle the fraudulent misuse of the Blue Badge
scheme and illegal selling of residential permits. This will free up much needed
space for people with disabilities, and reduce the fraudulent use of pay and
display bays by people misusing the blue badge scheme simply to avoid paying for
their parking.
RMT welcomes key Rail North
representatives' opposition to Driver Only trains on Northern Rail services
THE Rail Uunion RMT has welcomed
support from West Yorkshire Combined Authority, which covers:- Leeds Council,
York Council, Bradford Council, Calderdale Council, Kirklees Council and
Wakefield Council for RMT's campaign to keep the Guard on Northern Rail
Services.
The Chair of the combined authority's transport committee, Cllr Keith Wakefield,
has written that:- "The West Yorkshire Combined Authority has supported
RMT's concern for passenger safety under the proposed driver only operation.
Given the disruption to passengers we have urged that the Government intervenes
to bring about a fair settlement like they have in Scotland, which gives
assurances to vulnerable passengers."
The deal in Scotland kept the guarantee of Guards on new modern trains and
resolved a long running dispute.
RMT General Secretary Mick Cash said:- "We welcome this latest round of
political support for our campaign to keep the Guard on the train in the North.
There is also now opposition to driver only trains in the North from Councils in
the vast majority of Rail North areas. In fact, we are not aware of 1 Council in
the North that has voted to support driver only trains on Arriva Rail North
services. To protect safety, security and accessibility the Welsh and Scottish
Government have already said there will be no expansion of Driver Only Trains on
their services and passengers in the North should be treated no differently. It
is time for Chris Grayling and the government in London to stop blocking a
resolution of this dispute in the North."
What are your views about these claims by the RMT? Please email us at:-
News24@SouthportReporter.com with your thoughts and views on this
issue...
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Solicitor joins fight for cohabiting
couples law
A Merseyside lawyer is calling for a
change in the law, claiming the current system is preventing him from helping
warring cohabiting couples. Paul Hunt from Kirwans law firm, which has offices
in Hoghton Street in Southport, is a member of family justice group Resolution
and said he sees many clients who wrongly believe they are automatically
entitled to financial rights from their former 'common law' spouse.
Now he is backing the growing number of campaigners demanding legal changes to
protect those who choose to set up home together, but not to marry.
He said:- "Cohabitation is an increasing form of family arrangement, and,
on the face of it, appears to barely differ from the set up of a married couple.
However, the law falls woefully behind when it comes to this area, which means
that solicitors assisting ex-partners battling the division of assets tend to
have to focus on property ownership and trust law rather than on any formal
rules governing cohabiting couples.
I am seriously concerned that many cohabiting couples are unaware that they have
very little in the way of financial rights should they split.
The limitations of the law mean that these families are extremely vulnerable to
severe financial hardship in the event that the relationship breaks down. On
splitting up, many people are left adrift, having been under the mistaken belief
that they would be entitled to a share of the home and having also assumed that
they would be in much the same position as other people they know who have gone
through divorces."
Paul has spoken out about the realities facing unmarried couples after a poll by
Resolution found that ⅔ of people in cohabiting relationships are
unaware that there is no such thing as 'common law marriage' in this country.
The same poll found that 79% of the public agree that there is a need for
greater legal protection for unmarried couples upon separation, and that 84%
believe that the Government should take steps to ensure unmarried cohabiting
couples are aware that they do not have the same legal protection as married
couples.
Paul said:- "There is an argument that people may have chosen not to marry
because they had a very definite view about not wanting to make legal
commitments to each other.
However, even when there is no separation there can be other unintended sad
consequences for cohabiting couples if, for example, the property owner has not
made a will providing for their partner. The intestacy rules do not protect
non spouses.
While there are no specific laws regarding this type of relationship, there are
some measures lawyers can take to avoid a legal battle on behalf of their
clients. The best way for cohabiting couples to protect themselves is to enter
into a cohabitation agreement, and be clear about what they would expect to walk
away with should the relationship come to an end."
Bennetts wins contract for Ainsdale
Station revamp
ALUMINIUM glazing specialists Bennett
Architectural have been chosen to supply and install glazing and curtain walling
for the upgrade and refurbishment of Ainsdale Train Station in Southport.
Working with main contractor Morgan Sindall, Bennetts will provide and install
Kawneer AA100 curtain walling systems as well as Pilkington Planar bolted
glazing.
The ₤2.5m investment in the Merseyrail station comes from the Government's
National Stations Improvement Programme and Network Rail.
Additional features for the new station include a passenger waiting area with WiFi, improved information screens, increased seating and new waiting shelters.
Lionel Grant, Managing Director at Bennett Architectural commented:-
"We're delighted to support the transformation of Ainsdale Station and provide
our wealth of experience.
The improved facility will greatly benefit users of the station."
Liverpool based Owen Ellis Architects will provide designs for Ainsdale Station.
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