'KEEPING THE DREAM ALIVE'

With work about to start on the exciting redevelopment of the Floral Pavilion Theatre the Council's 'Arts Vaagen' mobile exhibition bus will be visiting various locations during the Summer and New Brighton residents have the opportunity of seeing the plans when the bus will be on the promenade each Tuesday up to the 11th September from 11am until 4pm......it will be located either on the promenade just down the steps from the 'Floral' or on Fort Perch Rock car park.

General Manager Paul Holliday says
"More than anything we want people to be aware of what is happening...that we haven't gone forever.and that we will be back bigger and better towards the end of next year"

The 'Floral' closed in April for its long awaited and much anticipated facelift and work will be starting very soon......Whilst the 'Floral' might not currently have a stage of its own, Pacific Road Arts Centre in Birkenhead has very kindly stepped in and will be staging a number of 'Keeping the Dream Alive' shows over the next few months....including its very first pantomime 'Dick Whittington' starring Louis Emerick from 'Brookside'

More than anything we want people to be aware of what is happening...that we haven't gone forever....and that we will be back bigger and better towards the end of next year"

For information about 'Keeping the Dream Alive' shows including the pantomime at Pacific Road please go to -

www.pacificroad.co.uk or telephone 0151 647 0752

New Brighton Waterfront Regeneration Phase II

Neptune Developments have submitted a new application for Phase II of the regeneration of New Brighton Waterfront. The new scheme has been improved from the previous one by: locating the development on the site of the former lido; reducing the amount and scale of development; removing the residential apartments; retaining the Marine Lake; and preserving the key public views from Marine Park towards Fort Perch Rock and Perch Rock Lighthouse.

Phase II includes the following main elements:

New and Improved Tourism, Leisure and Retail Facilities

The new development will offer a mixed range of tourism, leisure and retail facilities including:

• An all-year indoor and outdoor leisure facility including a lido and spa, together with health and fitness.
• Indoor leisure space for uses such as a cinema, bingo, casino or nightclub.
• Smaller units for use as restaurants, café bars or coffee shops.
• A dedicated unit to provide changing and administration facilities for users of the Marine Lake, including replacement public toilets.
• The Marine Lake will be dredged to allow water sports to continue. New pontoon structures will be provided to improve access to the lake.
• The current model boating lake will be replaced and new access, parking and viewing arrangements provided.
• A new waterfront hotel of approximately 60 bedrooms.
• A new food retail store.

Attractive Public Spaces

Publicly accessible areas will be improved, including the seafront promenade along Kings Parade between the Coastal Drive roundabout and the Marine Lake.

There will be an outdoor performance space which could be used for community events and exhibitions and provide a direct link between New Brighton, the new development and the seafront.

As part of the flood protection works, a low level wave overtopping containment wall will be built approximately 15 metres back from the existing seawall which will help protect New Brighton.

Key Benefits

• New leisure facilities for residents and visitors
• Enhancing the image of New Brighton
• Increase spend of £25 million per year in leisure and tourism economy creating 525 new full time jobs
• Maintenance of New Brighton's historical assets

Useful Information

Full details of the planning application can be viewed at the Cheshire Lines Building, Canning St, Birkenhead or at www.wirral.gov.uk/planning. Please quote planning application reference APP/2007/6508 in all correspondence. If you wish to express support or comment on the application, then please send comments to:

The Planning Department
Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council
Cheshire Lines Building
Canning Street
Birkenhead
Wirral
CH41 1ND

Copies of the Non-Technical Summary of the Environmental Statement (ES) are available free of charge and can be requested by writing to: NJL Consulting, Adamson House, Towers Business Park, Wilmslow Road, Manchester, M20 2YY. Email: info@njlconsulting.co.uk. Copies of the full ES (two volumes) will be charged at £100 per hard copy and £5 for a copy on CD. For copies of the NTS or ES, please contact NJL.

The following reports are available for download as PDF files:

• Non Technical Summary presents a summary of the proposed development, its main environmental effects and the measures that are proposed to ensure that the development will not have unacceptable impacts on the local environment or community.
  The Phase I proposals included the redevelopment and extension of the Floral Pavilion theatre and conference facilities, together with a complementary leisure and apartment development on a site to the east of the theatre overlooking Town Square. It is due for completion in August 2008.
  This Phase II scheme aims to encourage further regeneration of New Brighton. It will provide a range of tourism, leisure and retail facilities that will serve the existing community in New Brighton and attract additional visitors to the area.
• Conservation Area Statement of the Wellington Road Conservation Area and the Application Site.

Response from NJL Consultants

In response to the useful comments you made at our public meeting on Thursday 26th July and subsequent telephone conversation, I am writing to allay your concerns regarding the delivery of the regeneration benefits envisaged as part of the New Brighton Waterfront Regeneration Phase II.

NJL Consultants and Neptune Developments Ltd recognise that the previous planning application was criticised in the Secretary of State's report for not guaranteeing delivery of the regeneration benefits envisaged as part of the proposal. In order to address this issue in the new application, Neptune and Wirral Borough Council have entered into a Supplementary Agreement to the Development Agreement which includes the following clauses:

13.3 (a) Neptune shall not commence any works on the development of the superstructure of the supermarket (but may commence work on the hotel) unless a substantial Start Certificate has been issued in respect of the works to develop the Public Realm Facilities and the leisure elements within Phase 2.

13.3 (b) Neptune agrees that the supermarket shall not be permitted to open for trade until the Marine Lake has been dredged, the site has been levelled to allow for the overall Phase 2 Development and the flood defence containment wall, the main car park and the public realm to the south of the main car park and supermarket have all been completed.

The above clauses represent a legally binding commitment made by Neptune with Wirral Borough Council and address the concerns with the previous application. This is explained in more detail on page 12 of the Summary Planning Statement.

In addition, we will be recommending that the above clause is included as a planning condition attached to the grant of outline consent for the avoidance of doubt and so that the planning authority are satisfied as to the details at the reserved matters stage of the full planning application.

I hope you find this meets with your approval. If you have queries relating to the above please do not hesitate to contact me on the number provided above.

Yours sincerely,

Russell Adams

Planning & Development Consultant
www.njlconsulting.co.uk

If you want to comment on-line this is the way:

Click on www.wirral.gov.uk

Scroll down to "Planning Applications"

Search for application no. APP/20076508 (Neptune)

Click on application number from list

Click on "comment on this application"

Fill in on-line form

Click submit

Reclaim Our Quarry

We are working with the Police, Community Patrol, the Parks and Countryside department and local residents to RECLAIM OUR QUARRY. We have had considerable success - things are much better at the moment.

Thank you to everyone who has helped in any way.

Please continue to keep an eye on the Quarry and report any problems to the Police - 709 6010 or Community Patrol - 666 5265. Thanks.

Magazines Conservation Society

Members of the Committee met with Mr Matthew Crook, Conservation Officer on Wednesday 1^stAugust at Vale House. Mrs C. Hibbard, Head of N.B. Primary School also attended at Mr Crook's request.

The controversial boundary issue was discussed. Mr Crook willnow present a report to Cabinet suggesting 3 options. Briefly, these are

Option 1 excludes the School, some properties nearby and Fort Street.

Option 2 includes the School, but excludes Fort Street.

Option 3, our original proposal, excludes the School but includes thye Historic Fort Street.

Forgotten Treasure

Funds raised by the New Brighton Carnival organisers more than 10 years ago are to benefit the children of New Brighton.

The Funds were put in a Building Society account when the group ceased to operate and have been forgotten until recently.

They will be shared between the newly formed Friends of the Tower Grounds, Vale Kids Summer Playscheme and New Brighton Carnival's Junior Soccer Tournament.

ABSEILING FOR CHARITY

On Saturday 16^thJuly two young members of our community abseiled down Leasowe Lighthouse to raise funds for local charities.

Collette - one of the waitresses from Vale house Café - undertook the venture to raise funds for guide Dogs for the Blind.

Anthony - our youngest Walrus deliverer - made his descent in aid of St John's Hospice.

Photographs of both descents can be seen in Vale House Café and on the Walrus website. Well done to both of you!!

GREEN FLAG AWARD

Vale Park has been awarded the Green Flag for a sixth year.

The new flag will be raised on Sunday 2^ndSeptember by the Mayor of Wirral at 2.30 pm before the Massed Brass Band concert which is the finale of the Vale Park Summer Band Festival. Come and join us.

PHOTOGRAPHIC EXHIBITIONS

The Bird family, of New Brighton, will be staging photographic exhibitions during September to commemorate the 60 ^thanniversary of Bob Bird starting up as a photographer in New Brighton.

Demobbed Bob and wartime colleague Keith Medley took photographs of day trippers to the resort.

Fort Perch Rock will be hosting an exhibition based on Bob's wartime pictures which include unique images of captured German aircraft and helicopters.

This exhibition has previously been at the National Exhibition Centre Beaulieu and the National Helicopter Museum.

Bob Bird pictures of old New Brighton and Wallasey will be on display at New Brighton Railway Station.

The Bird family plans to build a replica of Bob's photo kiosk which stood outside the Queen's Royal in 1947.

Fairtrade on Wirral

As we all know buying Fairtrade products supports farmers in poor countries to get a fair price for their produce, which means they and their families have better access to water, health and education. So when you are enjoying a barbeque this summer, why not try a bottle of Fairtrade wine from the local Co-op, Threshers,Victoria Wines or other supermarkets. Look out for the logo - Fairtrade really does make a difference.

To find out more information check out www.fairtrade.org.uk.

For a local guide to œFairtrade on the Wirral contact Alison at Wirral LA21 Network 639 2121 or www.la21.net

FRIENDS OF BIRKENHEAD PARK

Since the last Forum meeting, Birkenhead Park has received two national awards - a Green Flag Award and a Heritage Award. We are grateful for this favourable assessment of our Park and to the people who have made great efforts to maintain it and promote its use.

A major HLF project has been initiated by Prof W. R. Lee, the Chairman of the Friends, which employs two full time staff to promote awareness of the Park. Great efforts are being made to enable schools to include various aspects of the Park in their curriculum (history, botany etc.) and to encourage them to bring their pupils to tour the Park. Active Drama Company have created a play about the Park to entertain the children as they go round. Efforts by the Project Staff and the Park Rangers have ensured that there have been more events in the Park this summer than for many years - and there are still more, so ring the Park Rangers (652-5197) to find out details.

Volunteers are encouraged to help with the upkeep of the Park - e.g. they congregate outside the Pavilion at 10.30am on the first Saturday of each month to be allocated appropriate tasks.

To promote the heritage of the Park, the Friends are desperately searching for photographs of the Park and events in it, especially during World War 2 and at any time before then - if you know of anything of this type that we can copy ring Mike Fox (652-1266).

Finally, to encourage enjoyable visits to the Park, I can announce that the café in the Visitors Centre in Lower Park (on the edge of Park Road North) is fully operational and a relaxing location to entertain friends and visitors before you walk round the Park. Do come and try this out!

Mortgage Problems?

Aldcroft Burrows Mortgage Services Ltd may be able to give you the green light!

• First time buyers / remortgages / secured loans
• Self employed with or without accounts
• CCJ’s, defaults, bankruptcy, iva’s, mortgage or rent arrears
• Council R.T.B – plus additional cash
• Capital raising / debt consolidation

Adding existing debts to your mortgage will both extend the repayment term and increase the overall cost of the debt. Early repayment charges may apply. They will vary depending on the mortgage you choose. We do not charge fees. We receive a commission from the Lender you take out your mortgage with. The overall cost for comparison is 7.5% APR. The actual rate available will depend on your circumstances. Ask for an illustration. APR variable and based on a usual case.

Think carefully before securing other debts against your home. Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.

Email: ali@aldcroft.co.uk Aldcroft Burrows Mortgage Services Ltdis registered with the Financial Services Authority under reference 303632; Consumer Credit Licence Number 518720

208 Pensby Road Heswall Wirral CH60 7RJ

For an immediate decision call Alison at Aldcroft Burrows Mortgage Services on :

0151 639 0971

24 hour messaging service

Photos of Old Wallasey

WALRUS