Warrington Joins Forces AND WILL GROW

[Dizzy]

There was a comment on another thread about the Mid Mersey Growth Point. Just had a gander and it's quite scarey so.....

 

DO WE NEED IT, HOW WILL WE AS A TOWN AND MORE IMPORTANTLY RESIDENTS REALLY BENEFIT FROM IT and more importantly CAN WARRINGTON (in particular it's roads, schools, medical centres, and other infrastructures COPE WITH IT and DO WE HAVE ANY SAY IN IT

 

Seems that Warrington, Halton and St Helens are now 'as one' in terms of status and applying for government funding etc etc

 

Here's a cut and paste from one of the documents....

 

Halton, St. Helens, Warrington

?Our vision is to make the mid Mersey area a key economic driver for the NorthWest with a balanced, good quality housing market with a strong focus on affordability.

 

Our aim is to link areas of future opportunity with those of need to

strengthen existing regeneration and deliver sustainable communities. We will work in partnership to deliver this vision while reducing overall environmental impacts and minimising our contribution to Climate Change.?

 

Cllr Tony McDermott, Leader, Halton Borough Council

Cllr Brian Spencer, Leader, St Helens MBC

Cllr Ian Marks, Leader, Warrington Borough Council

 

The Mid Mersey Authorities of Warrington, St Helens and Halton cover an area of over 400 Sq Km in England?s North West. Located midway between the regional poles of Liverpool and Manchester the Mid Mersey area is home to almost half a million people.

 

The area has a unique locational advantage that provides direct access for freight and passengers to north-south routes to London and Scotland and east-west, trans-Pennine routes between the Irish Sea and North Sea ports, on the main North European Trade Axis (NETA) corridor.

 

The area also enjoys access to a number of strategic greenway networks ranging from local to national significance.

 

There are over 210,000 local jobs with growing employment opportunities in Manchester and Liverpool within easy commuting distance.

 

Economic forecasts indicate that the Mid Mersey Area will continue its role as a key regional economic driver with the potential to generate an additional 24,000 new jobs up to 2016.

 

Each authority has successfully used development over recent years to help deliver much needed regeneration and restructuring in addition to tackling problems of deprivation.

 

Despite the successes to date, much work remains to be done. All three individual Mid Mersey authorities are faced with the challenge of ensuring balanced housing markets particularly in relation to ensuring an appropriate supply of family and aspirational housing. At the same time, housing affordability is a growing problem across the Mid Mersey area and is already acute in Warrington.

 

In designating the Mid-Mersey area as a New Growth Point, Government is entering into a partnership with the three constituent boroughs to use growth positively to help sustain regeneration efforts, tackle housing affordability and to link areas of future opportunity to areas of need thus balancing the need for growth and regeneration.

 

Growth Point Status will:

 

? realise the potential for the delivery of an additional 6,500 to 7,700 dwellings over current policy levels (in Adopted Regional Spatial Strategy) in the period to 2016

? provide new housing opportunities close to areas of concentrated economic development to maximise the opportunity for people to live close to their place of employment thereby minimising the increase in the 60,0003 daily commuter flows into the Mid Mersey Area and the resultant stress on strategic transport routes

? facilitate the redevelopment of the Runcorn Docklands as an aspirational residential community of around 4,000 dwellings enjoying attractive views across the Mersey with fully integrated community facilities without impacting on other housing priorities elsewhere in the Borough

 

 

Time to finally move out me thinks

[Peter T]

I wonder if the Neighbourhood Management scheme is part of all this.

They have divided Warrington up into 5 areas, that makes any future policies easier to implement.

[wolfie]

enjoying attractive views across the Mersey

 

I seem to remember that a few years ago the leader of Halton tried to sever the links with Cheshire police and fire brigade and put Halton under Merseyside he got shot down then, but maybe this is another route to get what he wants

[Dizzy]

I wonder if the Neighbourhood Management scheme is part of all this.

They have divided Warrington up into 5 areas, that makes any future policies easier to implement.

 

Maybe but I guess that's something else I'll have to google as I don;t know anything about it

 

What are the 5 areas any idea?

 

Would be interesting to know who will be/or is responsible for the Neighbourhood Schemes you mention and how they get/got on board in the first place

 

Maybe lots of little pockets are now being created internally within the larger suitcase so that some items can then slip through unnoticed or perhaps unquestioned

[Bazj]

This will all no doubt be just another way that these self serving, self-important councillors get their kicks.

 

It is about time these people stopped trying to build legacys for them selves and actually ask the people who vote for them what we want.

 

Cllr Marks seems to be of the opinion that he is always right and to hell with what everyone else thinks. We are not part of Widnes nor St Helens

 

God these people make my blood boil. Self serving trough snuffling politicians that only have their own interests at heart and are longing for the day when they can get that little bit more power from Westminster to satisfy their cravings for more power....

[observer]

Think you'll find this is a "national" Government initiative, with the EU at the back of it - with these Councillors being carried along with the current. To the centralists, big Gov is cheaper, so to them more cost effective. The irony is, that Regional Planning Guidance specifically avoided identifying the Mid-Mersey belt as a "growth point" in order to avoid it over-heating and draining the peripheries of the Region of economic activity - alas that was proper strategic planning - this is yet more knee jerk Governance.

[Peter T]

I wonder if the Neighbourhood Management scheme is part of all this.

They have divided Warrington up into 5 areas, that makes any future policies easier to implement.

 

Maybe but I guess that's something else I'll have to google as I don;t know anything about it

 

What are the 5 areas any idea?

 

Would be interesting to know who will be/or is responsible for the Neighbourhood Schemes you mention and how they get/got on board in the first place

 

Maybe lots of little pockets are now being created internally within the larger suitcase so that some items can then slip through unnoticed or perhaps unquestioned

 

There is a presentation at St. Johns (Causeway) 7pm Thursday night.

As for the areas, Warrington South consists of the two Latchfords, St Heath, Appleton, Hatton, Grappenhall, Thelwall and Lymm.

It is based on the Stronger Together experiment and as obs says, is "another" gov. directive.

[Sha]

Obs, said;

Think you'll find this is a "national" Government initiative, with the EU at the back of it -with these Councillors being carried along with the current."

 

The EU is certainly the main funding source, some funds being directed straight through central Govt, some via the NWDA and other cash imput (from Europe) through other less obvious sources.

 

I certainly wouldn't agree that Councillors are being 'carried along with the current' though!

The linking up with Halton and St Helens has been locally contrived, probably mostly because by merging areas they can fit the criteria needed to obtain the funding.

Whatever, they most certainly would have had to have applied for

the Geld in the first place! together with those at the NWDA of course.

Their plans to 'regenerate' Warrington, in fact the whole region, are MASSIVE.

 

Our Councillors must have been working towards these ends for years, make no mistake ALL THREE MAJOR PARTIES, must be aware of and backing these plans.

[observer]

Wouldn't be too hard on Councillors though, everyone knows the current lot are said and led by their Officers, and arn't there ex-officers in charge of NWDA?!

[Peter T]

I have serious doubts about NM working. It is that top heavy with Parish Cllrs, that it will replicate what already happens in the Town Hall where pc's are fighting for the biggest slice of the pot rather than what is most required.

[observer]

Has it ever been different; it's like a load of wolves at the kill, with a pecking order; it's difficult for the porkys to see the big picture when their snouts are firmly in the trough!

[Sha]

Peter T,

you seem to have some concerns about neighbourhood management.

I actually have real fears about how we are all being manipulated and the damaging long term effects on our quality of life.

 

The unelected 'Community Councils' will eventually replace our elected parish and town councils,- so bad as it is now, it is going to get a lot worse!

 

It seems they are being set up locally to fulfil the obligations of 'community involvement' in local and regional decisions.

I believe that each local community council will have 48 members, of which only 12 are members of the public.

None of the members will actually be elected, even the 12 'members of the public' will be chosen for us.

 

The 'Community Council' will vote for us on local and regional issues.

What a weird form of Democracy is that?

[Dizzy]

 

How will that work then

 

If none of the members are voted in (regardless of wether they are council or public) then who on earth decides who is on the Community Councils

 

Surely such a system couldn't work as I would magine that the only people to be 'chosen' to be members of the groups would be those who have the same opinion of the regional 'agenda' and policy makers minds.

 

'Weird Democracy' is an understatment if of course it is true

[Peter T]

I think you have got that wrong Sha, It won't replace the status quo but add to it, by giving the communities greater input with regards to their areas.

Th political members of the area board are elected, ie cllrs and parish cllrs.

 

The community members are selected from those that express an interest.

 

My concerns are that the areas are too big and therefore could be un-manageable. And they all have diverse communities who have little in common.

But we have to give it a go and see how it evolves.

As with most things these days, apathy rules and people are not interested unless it affects their cosy way of life. (I'm all right Jack!!!)

[Sha]

Peter, I really wish I had got it wrong.!

From your previous posts I have gathered that you have a very genuine interest in and are active in community affairs.

On the surface, the 'stronger together' initiatives appear to be beneficial to the community, and I could understand people genuinely interested in improving things welcoming what appears to be a chance to do so.

If you can become aware of the true set-up you should still be able to use it to some advantage. There will be opportunities to get funding to set up projects which could really benefit your area. However, be aware that these are the 'sweetners'.

 

I have done some research on this and have realized that this is all part and parcel of the Regional development plan.

If you check out the funding, you will find that it is directly linked to other local 'developments' and all can be traced back to the same basic source The European Regional Development funds.

[observer]

Sounds like the dictatorship of the Brussels Gravy Train!

[Sha]

'Regional Development' is a much used term these days as there is much confusion (which I think is purposely generated) about whether it relates to regional as in 'local area' or Regional as in Region of Europe.

These community initiatives are part of the process of strengthening the regional identities of the Regions of Europe.

 

I have previously mentioned the Mid-Mersey Partnership.

The Omega Developments, and the new Runcorn bridge are crucial to the development of the NETA corridor, which is to be part of the European Union's trade routes network. This will form a direct link with Warrington and the Eastern European Regions.

 

This in it's self could actually have been good for the North West.

However the way our local/regional leaders have chosen to develop it, I think has been driven by greed for power and profit and not in the interests of the people.

The Omega site will provide a few very well paid employment opportunities, which will probably be taken by people relocating from outside the region. These will be the people for whom the 'aspirational' housing developments are planned.

The majority of employment opportunities will be low skilled, low paid warehouse jobs and probably some call centre sweat shops.

I wouldn't be surprised if a giant waste disposal operation also appeared.

With less greed, better planning and a little effort there could have been the opportunity of a better future for our young people.

[Peter T]

Peter, I really wish I had got it wrong.!

From your previous posts I have gathered that you have a very genuine interest in and are active in community affairs.

On the surface, the 'stronger together' initiatives appear to be beneficial to the community, and I could understand people genuinely interested in improving things welcoming what appears to be a chance to do so.

If you can become aware of the true set-up you should still be able to use it to some advantage. There will be opportunities to get funding to set up projects which could really benefit your area. However, be aware that these are the 'sweetners'.

 

I have done some research on this and have realized that this is all part and parcel of the Regional development plan.

If you check out the funding, you will find that it is directly linked to other local 'developments' and all can be traced back to the same basic source The European Regional Development funds.

 

Very perceptive. As you are probably aware, this is yet another gov. initiative that is the next stage after Community Development.

(Same thing but up a stage, WHY they couldn't have built on what they had, I will never understand).

I do agree about what is happening behind the scenes, and am always suspicious. I believe it is a good policy in all things to fathom out why and who benefits.

As for the NM, it could be a good thing, providing people don't get focussed on the money side of it( which is a pittance anyway, but concentrate on get communities official bodies etc. working together to improve the status quo. But I will not hold my breath.For that reason, I will see how it goes and try to have some input. The interesting thing will be whether the politicians are self-minded or community beings.

As you say, it is all part of the bigger "grand plan" that the peasants will find sneaking up on them and we get the new words for consultation thrust at us. It is called "Fait accompli".

 

I do believe that the local politics will remain in place though. Whether I think that is good or not, should be a different topic.

[observer]

Sounds like a plan (if plan is the right word) for profit, rather than a plan for people?!

[Dizzy]

Well that's me completely out of my depth and stuck for a reply to something I started

 

Seems that there is definately a lot more going on behind the scenes than we (the normal people) are not supposed to be aware of and definately not expected to understand

 

These people were voted in to 'work on our behalf and to represent us'..... seems more likely that the votes were based on false promises giving them the right to go behind our backs and do whatever they like within their power crazy and money grabbing dream world

 

And if it all goes wrong then someone else may be voted in next time but will then find themselves stuck with the consequences of illconceived and badly thought out plans but by then it will be too late and we will all be stuck with it anyway... sounds familiar

[Peter T]

Isn't that what politics is all about?

[observer]

All rather sordid you mean?!

[Tilly]

It's all PIFFLE!

 

Heavens above, they don't know what they're doing or what they need to do or how to do it, like Obs said, time to move AWAY........ and DON'T say "it's the same everywhere", because it isn't.

 

Warrington is in a mess, the Council is a mess, I have no faith what so ever in this current Council and I "currently" work for them, please let something come along soon.........., it's like camping out at your grannies, they're just lurching from one fix it idea to the next

[wolfie]

Warrington is in a mess, the Council is a mess

 

I thought this was a 4 star council

[Peter T]

Anyone can tick boxes, it doesn't mean they can deliver.