Wishing you all a very happy Christmas and New Year. I will be signing off until after the New Year.

Cllr Steve Foulkes, the Labour leader of the Council, has taken it upon himself to chair ALL Area Forums that will ‘consult’ residents concerning the proposals to close leisure centres and libraries. Ignoring local councillors who represent the areas concerned and disregarding the local councillors who normally chair the forums. What type of consultation is this? There is a time limit of 2 hours, with three/four presentations by Cllr Foulkes and Council Officers. So much for listening, it seems that this Labour led Council want to do all the talking and yet again ignore the people of Wirral.

At Last nights Full Council meeting Conservative Councillors gave Labour/Lib Dems the opportunity to hold a referendum on closing Libraries and Leisure Centres and they turned us down. Ignoring the 24,000 signatures we presented that night ( including 4200 I presented on behalf of users of Woodchurch Leisure Centre and 2000 users of Upton Library), 24 councillors and 300 members of the public. Press reports can be read here.  Another sad day for democracy on Wirral and for Wirral’s culture. The fight continues. . .

With all the cuts to our leisure services it seems that some people may have forgotten that this Labour/Lib Dem Administration want to axe 18 loppipop men and women. At the next Full Council on Monday 15th December, my colleague Cllr Leah Fraser will be proposing and I am seconding a motion to prevent this from happening.

Last night Esther McVey and I attended the Christmas Lights switch on in Woodchurch. The Mayor was there and hundreds of people around Woodchurch came along. It was a true community event, with music and hot food.

Finally the Council have announced that they will call ‘Special Area Forums’ as part of the consultation process into the proposed cuts. The Dates and venues are:

1. Special Area Forum Conference for Birkenhead, Tranmere, Rock Ferry, Bidston, Claughton, Oxton and Prenton - this will be held at the Lauries Centre on 5 January 2009 at 7:00 pm.

1. Special Area Forum Conference for Heswall, Pensby, Thingwall, Bebington, Clatterbridge, Bromborough and Eastham - this will be held at Hulme Hall on 6 January 2009 at 7:00 pm.

1. Special Area Forum Conference for West Wirral (Hoylake and Meols, West Kirby and Thurstaston), Greasby, Frankby, Irby, Upton and Woodchurch – this will be held at West Kirby Concourse on 7 January 2009 at 7:00 pm.

1. Special Area Forum Conference for Leasowe, Moreton and Saughall Massie, New Brighton, Wallasey, Liscard and Seacombe – this will be held at the Floral Pavilion on 8 January 2009 at 7:00 pm.

I am angry that with 3 closures in Upton & Woodchurch (Library, Leisure Centre and Community Centre) that our consultation will be at West Kirby Concourse. Could it be that the council wishes to hold it as far away form the area that is affected most? I did request that there be a separate Area Forum for Upton to be held in the Leisure Centre, but was ignored by council officers and I was not even consulted on the venue!

Matthew Dodd, 19, has won gold medals in Bangkok and Canada in the World Transplant Games and trains at Woodchurch Leisure Centre. Matthew, who is on course to win more gold medals in Australia next year, fears the closure of his local swimming club may hinder his chances. Matthew said ‘It’s disgusting – I have been training at Woodchurch for years and now I’m told to join Total Fitness. I’m a student and can’t afford their prices.”

Matthew is an example to us all. Having a liver transplant at 13 and going on to train hard to compete and win in the World Transplant Games is a great achievement. I only hope that Matthew will not be prevented from achieving his best by the closure of Woodchurch Leisure Centre.

At a time when obesity is on the increase and the government is pushing for healthier lifestyles, its laughable that this council wants to close three leisure centres.

Cllr. John Hale is the Conservative Councillor for Hoylake & Meols and Chairman of the Council’s committee that scrutinises the work of the Cabinet Member for Culture.  He’s called a special meeting, open to the public, to look at the Council’s cuts to libraries, leisure centres… 

It takes place on Wednesday 10 December, 6pm, at Wallasey Town Hall.  You can email your questions to alisonmountney@wirral.gov.uk and, if you belong to any of the groups affected, also ask to be considered as a ‘witness’ to give evidence to the Committee.

On Saturday Esther McVey, Geoff Gubb (Action Team Leader) and myself  were at Upton Library and Woodchurch Leisure Centre to campaign against the dreadful cuts being imposed on us by Labour and Lib Dems. We were collecting signatures and speaking to a lot of concerned residents and community groups on what it will mean to them. I have to say not one person I have spoken to is in favour of these proposals, except of course, the Labour & Lib Dem councillors. In the run up to Christmas we will be out and about collecting plenty more signatures.

Last night’s Cabinet meeting of the Labour and Lib Dems saw the proposals for the closure of Wirral’s Libraries, Leisure Centres and Theatre ‘agreed in principle subject to public consultation.’

So far there hasn’t been any consultation. Last nights meeting was well attended by members of the public and not one person was allowed to speak. Even the Conservative Group leader, Cllr Jeff Green, was told he couldn’t speak! Conservatives are the largest party on the Council and yet Labour, propped up by Lib Dems, continue to ignore the democratic voice of the people of Wirral.