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Local campaigner and Moreton resident: Debbie Caplin Debbie lives in Moreton and grew up here with her family. Debbie previously campaigned in the EU Referendum, opposing Labour’s attempts to ‘remain’, ignoring the views of so many Labour supporters. Then, following work with former & Moreton East Councillor Ian Lewis, Debbie was put forward to be our new, truly local councillor. First 32,000 Inside: Ditton Local Nature Reserve:

Debbie is campaigning vaccinated with residents for this site to be classed as a new ‘Local Green Space’ in the Council’s Local Plan. More locally details on Page 2 By the end of February, 31,749 people in the Wallasey Supporting the least well off: Constituency had received the first dose of the vaccination. The National Minimum Thanks to a huge effort this includes 4,381 people aged Thanks also to the Government’s Wage will rise to £8.91 over 80 in our area as well as Vaccines Taskforce, 400 million by the NHS staff and frontline health and social care doses have been ordered. from next month. The extra volunteers, 20 million workers. £20 a week for Universal people across the UK Patients require two doses of the Credit will continue for a Here in Wirral, vaccination centres vaccine for the vaccine to be at its have had their jab of the have been set up at Clatterbridge, most effective. further six months. new coronavirus vaccine. Leisure Centre and The Oval in Bebington as well as Vaccination is only available from The vaccine roll-out in care GP centres. the NHS and is free. Wirral’s GPs Relocating homes in England began a week and hospitals are now vaccinating Castleway: before Christmas. Since then, the While the UK leads the way in the thousands each week. rate of vaccination has increased vaccination effort, the NHS The Council has as more doses become available. continues to expand the supply to More details can be found on our help everyone get back to normal www.wallaseyconservatives/ announced Castleway The vulnerable and most at risk in the coming months. coronavirus Primary is to be relocated are being given priority. So far, to the Early Years Centre, with the land sold for All rough sleepers homed housing. See Page 3 When the pandemic The instruction was backed up with A further 774 people have been Road and hard cash - as part of more than found short-term or permanent started, councils, £170 million given to Wirral Council housing, including people at risk of pavement repairs: including Wirral, were by the Government to help with the becoming homeless instructed by the effects of the pandemic locally. Debbie and the team have Government to provide It has also emerged that the usual submitted a further list of This enabled some of the local grant the council receives for road and pavements for accommodation for all housing associations, homeless supporting homeless and rough those who were homeless charities and the Council’s housing sleepers will be increased again - repair, following last year’s or sleeping rough. staff to ensure all rough sleepers from £301,000 last year to campaign that saw £10m were found accommodation. £513,000 this year. used for works: Page 4

Copyright © 2021 Ian Lewis. Promoted by Margaret Kalil on behalf of Debbie Caplin all at 9 Victoria Parade, Wallasey CH45 2PH and printed by DC Thomson & Co. Ltd, Discovery Print, 80 Kingsway East, Dundee DD4 8SL Reporting (Finally) getting the lights back... fixed at Leasowe Rec More allotments: While the Council invests especially late at night or in the Caplin said: “Let’s hope this is Following a campaign by winter months. sorted once and for all. The Rec residents and Wirral in new street lighting and the Community Centre will be Allotment Society, the around the Borough, it’s Former local Councillor Ian Lewis back in use soon - it would be (and mask) seen here with Debbie council has agreed to invest been revealed that not all great to having the lights by then.” £127,000 to provide more council lighting has been allotment plots around the run by the Council’s Borough. street lighting department. New members: Welcome to those residents Following requests from residents, who have joined us over the we discovered that different last 12 months. Every new departments have been managing member makes us that bit different street lights, depending on where the lights are. stronger. It costs just over £2 a month and details are at The lights on the approach road to www.conservatives.com/join Leasowe Recreation Centre and Leasowe Community Centre have New Freeport on been faulty for years. the way: The Street Lighting Department The Port of Liverpool is to be has now agreed to take on the one of eight new freeports responsibility of lighting here, and set up now we’ve left the EU; to replace the current lights with more modern units. attracting more international trade, creating new jobs. This will help those residents who visit and use either centre, 372 more police: Police Force has so far recruited 372 new police officers, as part of the national plan to put 20,000 Special Report: draft Local Plan published soon additional police on the beat.

The Force has also seen an additional £19 million awarded for its budget this year by the Home Office. Ditton Nature Future High Streets: The Council has, so far, been Reserve update awarded £3.2 million for New Ferry and £24.6m for Many residents will be developers that it’s off limits.” town centre One part of the plan includes improvements from the aware that the council designating some land as ‘Local The Council will, shortly, start Government’s Future High Green Space’. consulting with residents on the has been in breach of a Streets Fund. We are also 2004 Act of Parliament, Debbie and local campaigners draft Local Plan, including this pushing for cash to be used have nominated the privately- site. It’s important for residents to passed by the previous give their backing to it. to improve Liscard and owned Ditton Local Nature Moreton, both of which have Labour Government, Reserve for protection. requiring a ‘Local Plan’ to been left behind by the The site was first initially up for Council for too long. be produced. sale with estate agent Clive Every council is required to Watkin & Partners, before being New CCTV: produce a Local Plan, to consult withdrawn by the owners, Clapped out and faulty residents and to then have it following opposition from people council CCTV cameras at approved by an independent living nearby on Ditton Lane and various places around the inspector. Reeds Lane areas, backed by Borough are set to be Debbie. replaced, whether on council The plan designates how land in each area should be protected or Debbie said: “We can’t leave this buildings or in public areas. developed, where houses should important local green space at As well as helping to make the mercy of the property be built or new industrial sites Debbie said: “Too many green communities safer, the move located. speculators. will also help to reduce the spaces, especially on the flood Since Labour lost their majority in “The long-delayed Local Plan plain, have been built on. Ditton running costs of the old gives us the opportunity to give equipment. the Town Hall, all parties have Nature Reserve must not be the been working together to produce this site the added protection of next one.” a draft Local Plan for residents to becoming a Local Green Space - read and is due out soon. sending a clear signal to

Councillors vote to relocate Local issues, local action...

Castleway Primary to the Rubbish along the Birket: Following complaints from residents, Debbie has asked the Early Years Centre Council to remove accumulated litter along the River Birket.

On March 1, Councillors for some years, but rumours had Local campaigner Debbie Caplin New litter bins: always been denied by the said: “So far, there has been little Many of our local litter bins are voted to move Castleway council. consultation with residents about Primary School to the damaged or worn and look a this proposal. mess. We have urged the Early Years Centre on Now, the Council’s budget for 2021/22 includes spending £1.2 “Relocating a school always Council to apply for a share of a Twickenham Drive. million to make the move possible. causes disruption to children and new Government fund to install The costs are likely to be easily their families, while the neighbours new litter bins. The plan would see the existing of the current site will be site on Castleway North released recovered from the sale of the land to a house builder. concerned about the impact of Grass verges: for new housing. Following redeployment of the more housing in an area that Residents living nearby have been The three current councillors for already suffers from flooding.” crew to Covid-related work in asking about the future of the land this area voted for the plan. the summer, many of our local grass verges became a bit of a mess.

Better deal for tenants of As the cutting got back on track, Debbie has asked for ‘spade edging’ to verges in the housing associations on the way following roads:

Last year, before the following concerns that their detect fires and carbon monoxide • Pasture Road, housing association was not in social housing. Debbie and the • Murrayfield Drive pandemic started, Debbie acting on issues and complaints. team have responded, backing the • Ravenhill Crescent and the team met with proposals. • Castleway North tenants about some of Now, the Government is proposing • Farmside tougher standards for housing Last month, Debbie wrote to 1,500 • Blackheath Drive the issues they were associations and a better deal for residents and tenants of housing having with their social residents. associations, to ask for their views. • Reeds Lane You can also take part online at • Leasowe Road landlords. The Ministry of Housing is also www.wallaseyconservatives.com Several had been in touch consulting on better measures to Some of the work has already /housing. been carried out - we expect the rest to be completed soon.

Boost for local mums: Mums in Leasowe and Moreton are set to benefit from the national new Health and Wellbeing Fund.

A project in the borough is one of 19 around the country to help to promote nutrition, learning, Leasowe Road is language development and mental health during pregnancy one of the roads in and post-birth.

our area that has Wirral-based Koala North West, been planted with working with The Foundation Years Trust, will deliver services new trees - 15 targeted at 0-2 year olds until Himalayan Birch March 2023. Koala’s current services will expand to target trees and 15 Leasowe and Moreton and Cockspur Thorn provide support to improve wellbeing, reduce isolation and trees - in case you support children to thrive. New trees wanted to know! Last year, Debbie and the The Council has now started Debbie Caplin welcomed the planting at many of the sites planting: “The trees not only help Action Team asked suggested, including 30 new trees to improve the local area, they will residents to nominate on Leasowe Road; 10 off also help to reduce flooding and areas in our community Blackheath Drive; 10 on Castleway air pollution. for new trees, following North; 20 in Meadowside and 20 along Twickenham Drive. “More than 200,000 extra trees an extra grant from the are going to planted in Wirral and Government. Thank you The trees are a mix of varieties, I’m delighted Leasowe and to everyone who replied. designed to be suitable for the Moreton will be getting a share of roadside. them.”

Covid-19: help is Road repairs: a lot available!

So far, Wirral Council has done, a lot to do been given more than £200 million extra by the One of the top complaints Government to support from Leasowe and those residents and local businesses that have been Moreton residents when hardest hit by the the one-party ‘Cabinet’ pandemic. ran the council was road repairs. Coronavirus has affected the financial situation of many of Too often, it seemed that roads, our residents. street lights and pavements in Birkenhead were given priority, while our area was left behind.

The 'Ask Us Wirral' service Now, following the scrapping of the run by Citizens Advice Wirral Cabinet, the way in which money is can help if you need allocated is decided by all-party specialist benefits, debt or committees. housing advice. Debbie and the team have been Call 0808 278 7848 and if pushing for a fairer share of the Council’s highways budget to be the line is busy, leave a message for the team to get spent in Moreton and Leasowe. Following our request, pavements that are agreed. back to you. Roads and/or pavements we Inspectors from the Highways Work can take place anytime are asking for in the 2021/22 Department will now visit each from April this year until March You can also get advice if programme include: one to see if they meet the next year. you have become criteria for being repaired or unemployed, or are self- Murrayfield Drive, Ravenhill resurfaced. This will then go to a Thanks to everyone who employed and this has Crescent, Castleway South, committee of the Council for contacted us - it’s not too late resulted in changes to your Farmside, Wakefield Drive, approval, with work then to ask for repairs, go to: income. Call the Citizens Blackheath Drive, Birket Avenue scheduled for those roads and www.wallaseyconservatives. Advice Wirral 'Help to Claim' and Leasowe Road. com/roads team on 0800 144 8444.

Scramblers: Helping businesses to A tale of two wards: survive, and protect jobs, is a three more priority for the Government Last year, with the impact of the pandemic, and the Council. arrests more people than ever were needing help A package of financial and support. measures to support businesses during the COVID The latest figures released by 213 requests for -19 outbreak has seen more the Town Hall under the than £50 million worth of help for local grants issued by the Council, Freedom of Information Act residents made show that, here in Leasowe as well as national schemes by the three such as furlough, self Inspector Bernard McHugh said: and Moreton East, your three local employed income support “Through Operation Brookdale, Labour Councillors made 46 Conservative scheme and bounce back we will continue to work to requests for help on behalf of councillors in loans. eradicate the illegal use of these residents.* bikes, and I would like to next door Further information is emphasise how important the In next door Wallasey Ward, Wallasey Ward available from Wirral help of the public is in doing this. Chamber of Commerce If you know of where these bikes the three local Conservative which has opened a are being ridden or stored, let us Councillors made 213 requests. Business Support Helpline on know so we can take action. 0151 650 6982 or by email to See the [email protected] Anyone with information on the difference? 46 requests for anti-social and nuisance use of help in 2020 off-road bikes or knows where * Requests made via the off-road bikes are being stored Councillor.Net system. made by your illegally is encouraged to keep Source: What Do They three Labour Know. com - reporting incidents to call the Councillors police on 101 or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111