IRRAL NEWS W WALLASEY EDITION
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Doddy raises the roof at new Floral
SANTA BABIES
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X FACTOR NIGHT OUT Win tickets to see stars of TV show
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WAR ON COCAINE Campaign launch to beat drug abuse See page 10
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● The Floral Pavilion audience awaits Ken Dodd (right)
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THE Squire of Knotty Ash took to the stage of the new Floral Pavilion on Saturday night for a tattyfilarious show. Around 400 invited guests gathered in the New Brighton theatre to see Ken Dodd fulfil his pledge to be the first act to grace the new stage after the Floral’s multi-million pound revamp. And his jokes at the expense of many of Wirral Council’s guests about proposals to close libraries across the borough - gained some of the loudest laughs of the night. Before the show architects, developers and council workers took applause for their work in seeing through the redevelopment. ● Read a full review of Ken Dodd at the Floral Pavilion on our website, www.wirralnews.co.uk
PUBLIC VOTE IS REFUSED
By LORNA HUGHES
DEMANDS for a referendum on plans to close libraries and leisure centres were defeated at a meeting of all 66 Wirral councillors on Monday.
Council leader Steve Foulkes and Councillor Bob Moon, cabinet member for culture, tourism and leisure, were repeatedly shouted down by members of the public sit-
Anger at meeting on leisure closures
ting in a packed public gallery as they defended plans to invest £20m to develop a network of “multipurpose complexes”.
Members of the public were allowed to ask questions on the council’s controversial strategic asset review and other issues like school crossing patrols. Responding to a question from Peter Dickinson, of West Wallasey Village Residents’ Group, Cllr Moon admitted users of Wallasey Village Lib-
rary would have to travel further if the library was closed. But, in a comment jeered by members of the public, he insisted: “The distances involved are still reasonable. “For example it’s one mile from Wallasey Village to Earlston Road.” A series of petitions protesting about plans to close buildings like Guinea Gap Baths were handed in before the meeting started, containing around 24,000 signatures in
total. Speaking for his party’s motion, which included the referendum proposal, Wirral Conservative leader Jeff Green said: “This would have the biggest impact on local services for a generation and we believe there should be a referendum of the public of Wirral.” Speaking in favour of the closures, Liberal Democrat leader Simon Holbrook said: “There are times when we are all called upon to do difficult
things - the question is whether we rise to the challenge.” Council leader Steve Foulkes was booed as he repeated his claim that “doing nothing is not an option”. He said: “This is the start of a consultation and people are engaging, people are making their point of view known, they are asking questions. “Wirral’s population has declined by 40,000 since 1974 - to say that nothing should be done is plain stupidity.” The referendum proposal was defeated by votes from Labour and Lib Dem councillors.