Latest news with #KnowsleyCouncil
Sky News
3 days ago
- General
- Sky News
Hundreds face imminent eviction as Merseyside tower blocks condemned by firefighters
Hundreds of people are facing imminent homelessness after their Merseyside flat blocks were condemned by the fire service as being unsafe. Residents of Beech Rise and Willow Rise in Kirkby, Merseyside - consisting of 160 flats in total - have been told they need to find somewhere else to live "immediately". Sky News understands a meeting took place this morning involving the government to discuss the situation, although one source described the circumstances as a "waiting game" to see what other parties do next. Due to the worsening condition of the buildings, Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service issued a notice saying a round-the-clock "waking watch" - a fire safety system where trained personnel continuously patrol a building - was required as a safety measure. However, the money to pay for the waking watch has run out, and with no money for repairs, the fire service has told inhabitants to leave using a rarely employed power known as a prohibition notice. Among the issues are broken lifts, poorly fitted doors and malfunctioning fire alarms. Knowsley Council says it is funding a short-term extension to the watch - understood to cost thousands of pounds per day - while people search for accommodation, but only has the money to do this "for a short period". Anneliese Midgley, the MP for Knowsley, says she is working with the council and government to support the impacted families. She said the situation is "nothing short of a scandal". But there remains the prospect of an "emergency evacuation" if a watch is not in place. There are allegations of mismanagement against previous owners and management firms, including around finances, made by the buildings' current managers, the Parklands Management, in which residents are shareholders. Dempster Management, the most recent firm appointed to run and maintain the buildings, is understood to be continuing to help with operations as Parklands has run out of money. Graham Morgan, the leader of Knowsley Council, said the residents have been "let down and neglected for years" by private owners of the blocks. 3:10 Vulnerable residents have been contacted by the council, and some could receive emergency rehousing if necessary. Mr Morgan added that the council has asked the government for help with funding - and help potentially going after the private companies "to recover costs". The buildings were previously council properties but were taken over by the private sector in the mid-2000s. Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service said: "MFRS officers have worked tirelessly alongside Knowsley Council for several years to engage with successive management agents to ensure responsible persons fulfil their obligations under fire safety law, including issuing enforcement notices requiring remediation work to be carried out. "A waking watch has been in place in both Beech Rise and Willow Rise to ensure the safety of residents while works are carried out, however, it has become evident that the work required has not progressed and is unlikely to be carried out. "The management company would not fund the waking watch beyond 21 May 2025. The funding of the waking watch has been extended by Knowsley Council for a short period at their cost, despite them not owning the buildings, but this is not sustainable. "This means the buildings will no longer be safe for residents to live in after the current waking watch ends, and MFRS will have no choice but to issue a prohibition notice. When the prohibition notice is served, residents must leave immediately, and they will need to be rehoused. "We understand that this is disruptive and unpleasant for residents, however, all other options have been exhausted and the safety of residents is of paramount importance." Parklands Management told Sky News: "The situation at Parklands has become appalling for all involved. Residents and leaseholders are facing an unprecedented and deeply distressing crisis that stems from years of systemic neglect and mismanagement." They added: "The scale of investment now required to bring Parklands up to standard is in the multi-millions, and yet those bearing the burden are ordinary leaseholders, many with no financial capacity to contribute further." Dempster, who took over the management of the towers in late 2023, told Sky News: "Upon our appointment, we inherited a development that had suffered from years of serious neglect. The scale of disrepair was significant, requiring substantial investment that could only be funded through service charges payable by leaseholders" The statement added: "Despite our brief tenure, we have faced exceptionally difficult circumstances, largely due to the dire financial position and structural issues left behind by previous directors and managing agents." The decision of Dempster to resign in April 2025 was a "commercial" one because conditions were "impossible". "We remain hopeful that the residents and leaseholders of Parklands will find justice and a lasting resolution. In today's society, no one should be left to face the threat of homelessness, especially due to failures beyond their control," the company added. A spokesperson for the head lessor, the Virgin Island registered company Rockwell FC100, said the requirement to keep the buildings safe rested with Parklands Management, and said it was "extremely disappointing that due to a combination of factors including their non-collection of significant essential funding, the buildings have been allowed to deteriorate to the extent which they have". They added they were "investigating how best to move forward". Parklands said they have spent more than £170,000 on safety works and service charge arrears are at more than £700,000, with £250,000 also owed to creditors. They claim that, because post-Grenfell cladding work has not been completed, recovering service charges is "virtually impossible" and, due to disrepair, flats can be worth as little as £10,000.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Shakespeare North seeks naming partner for funding
Shakespeare North Playhouse says it is looking for a naming rights partner in what is believed to be the first deal of its kind for a regional theatre in the UK. The venue, a replica Shakespearean theatre that opened in Prescot, Merseyside, in 2022, said it wanted a deal similar to those for many sport grounds to "support the theatre's ambitions over the next decade". It said the partnership could "exceed £300,000 annually" against a "challenging" financial backdrop, after an 18% fall in core funding nationally. The theatre's chief executive Lisa Allen told BBC Radio Merseyside there was no risk of the theatre closing down "but I would say that we are very reliant on Knowsley Council". "I would like us to be less so - so we should find alternative funding streams," she added. Ms Allen said that in her 30-year career in the arts, Knowsley Council had "been the most supportive council I have ever worked with". "It would be nice to not have to rely on them for as much support because Knowsley is the second-most deprived area in the country." Prominent actors such as Sue Johnston, Ricky Tomlinson and Stephen Graham have appeared at the theatre, which cost £38m to build and has hosted more than 300,000 visitors - 10% of whom had never visited a theatre before, the venue has said. The venue received £10.5m during its development from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, with mayor Steve Rotheram recently saying: "In a short space of time, it's made an incredible impact on the local community and it's my hope that it will continue to inspire, educate, and bring people together for generations to come." Ms Allen said they hoped to confirm a naming partner in 2026 in what theatre publication The Stage called "a significant shift in arts funding". Prescot is believed to have been the site of the only purpose-built Elizabethan theatre outside London, which is thought to have existed in the 1590s. The original theatre hosted performances of works by William Shakespeare and was made possible by the Earl of Derby, who lived at Knowsley Hall. Knowsley Council leader Graham Morgan said he wanted residents to benefit from "access to culture and the arts". He called the potential naming rights deal a "really innovative project and something that in time we think could also help to support the future of other regional theatres too – which can only be a good thing". Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram and watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230. Struggling English museums get rescue funds Big drop in plays staged by theatres over past decade Shakespeare theatre given architectural award Shakespeare North Playhouse
BBC News
01-05-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
Licence delays 'leaving Merseyside taxi drivers out of work'
A private hire taxi driver has told how he has been left without any income due to delays in a licensing who has been a taxi driver in Knowsley, Merseyside, for nearly 40 years, said he was told he would have to wait almost 10 weeks after his licence expired in said the problem has come from a change in the law in 2015, which allows private hire drivers to get a licence from any local authority, regardless of where they live, swamping demand.A Knowsley Council representative admitted there is currently a high demand for mandatory MOT tests and advised taxi drivers to book "in good time". Tony said he had tried to book a test the week before his licence expired in April, but was told the earliest date for a test and renewal was 23 also have to undergo routine medical checks and background checks. 'Unfair' "I know there are people where taxi driving isn't their full-time job but mine is a full-time job," he said."To me it's unfair to drivers who are operating legitimately in the area that they're licensed to operate in."He said he was having to find other work while he is waiting for his Council currently has three test bays and three full-time testers for taxi authority said drivers are sent a reminder giving 90 days notice of their vehicle's licence expiry date."There is high demand for tests, which make it more difficult for drivers to get availability at short notice."But our figures indicate that there is enough capacity in the system, provided drivers book in good time and vehicles are well prepared ahead of their test," a spokesman driver unable to work as a result of being unable to get a test has been advised to contact the council. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Yahoo
'My shot daughter's friends wouldn't help police'
The mother of a woman who was murdered in her own home has told how her daughter's friends refused to help detectives after her death as she urged other people to give police information or "it's never going to change". Ashley Dale, 28, was killed by men who were involved in a drug feud with her boyfriend Lee Harrison in her Liverpool home in the early hours of 21 August 2022. Her mum Julie said after "some soul-searching" she had "put herself in those girls shoes" and realised they were scared to speak up. But she said there were "ways to give information" and urged others to co-operate with police . Four men were jailed for life for Ms Dale's murder. James Witham, 41,who fired the Skorpion sub-machine gun, Joseph Peers, 29, Niall Barry, 26, and Sean Zeisz, 28, were convicted at Liverpool Crown Court. Harrison, now 27, who was jailed in February for drugs trafficking, had also been "totally uncooperative" with the murder inquiry, the trial heard. The jury heard Ms Dale's own voice describing the falling out between her partner and Barry, as voice notes which she recorded and sent to friends in the two months before her murder. The WhatsApp voice notes that helped solve a murder But Julie Dale said the same close friends had not been willing to go to court. "People held back on stuff and it's difficult because I've had to - again after soul-searching – try and put myself in those girls' shoes and I know people are scared," she said. "But there are ways that you can give information because if we don't do that, it's never going to change." Ms Dale has been working with Knowsley Council – where her daughter worked as an environmental health officer - to launch the Be the Change scheme to help steer girls and women away from those involved in serious crime. It involves sessions, funded by the Violence Reduction Partnership, which aim to empower women to reclaim their communities. Francine McKeown, crime and communities manager at the authority, said: "In and around violence and organised crime, there's always a mum, a daughter, a sister, a girlfriend. "And actually most people want to live peaceful, happy lives – free from violence." Some of the women who attended sessions were asked by BBC Breakfast about speaking up. "It feels safer almost to hide away and not speak out and just keep yourself to yourself, " one woman said. Another added: "I think it's just because you feel like you protect your family by not speaking out." Fitness instructor Lauren Ruane said: "You look around the community, there's 100% more good people than bad, but it's when the bad dominates through fear and we're trying to break that cycle. "When you bring women and mums together, I genuinely do believe that magic happens - a real ripple effect goes back out into the community." Ms Dale has been sharing her daughter's experiences with young women and girls to deter them from making poor relationship choices, saying: "I can't let her death be in vain." "Ashley was just a totally normal woman – she had never been involved with the police, had a job, had been to university, got a degree, had just been promoted. "Yet she wasn't immune to this." Councillor Shelley Powell said: "We've all got to be the change - steer people in a different direction to give people the confidence to not tolerate the bad things going on." Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230. 'My girl chose a boy involved in serious crime' How boyfriend drug feud led to Ashley Dale's death Murder victim's mum calls killers 'monsters' Four guilty of murder after row at Glastonbury How WhatsApp voice notes helped solve a murder
BBC News
10-04-2025
- BBC News
Ashley Dale: 'My murdered daughter's friends wouldn't help police'
The mother of a woman who was murdered in her own home has told how her daughter's friends refused to help detectives after her death as she urged other people to give police information or "it's never going to change".Ashley Dale, 28, was killed by men who were involved in a drug feud with her boyfriend Lee Harrison in her Liverpool home in the early hours of 21 August 2022. Her mum Julie said after "some soul-searching" she had "put herself in those girls shoes" and realised they were scared to speak up. But she said there were "ways to give information" and urged others to co-operate with police . Four men were jailed for life for Ms Dale's murder. James Witham, 41,who fired the Skorpion sub-machine gun, Joseph Peers, 29, Niall Barry, 26, and Sean Zeisz, 28, were convicted at Liverpool Crown now 27, who was jailed in February for drugs trafficking, had also been "totally uncooperative" with the murder inquiry, the trial jury heard Ms Dale's own voice describing the falling out between her partner and Barry, as voice notes which she recorded and sent to friends in the two months before her WhatsApp voice notes that helped solve a murderBut Julie Dale said the same close friends had not been willing to go to court. "People held back on stuff and it's difficult because I've had to - again after soul-searching – try and put myself in those girls' shoes and I know people are scared," she said."But there are ways that you can give information because if we don't do that, it's never going to change." Ms Dale has been working with Knowsley Council – where her daughter worked as an environmental health officer - to launch the Be the Change scheme to help steer girls and women away from those involved in serious involves sessions, funded by the Violence Reduction Partnership, which aim to empower women to reclaim their communities. Francine McKeown, crime and communities manager at the authority, said: "In and around violence and organised crime, there's always a mum, a daughter, a sister, a girlfriend. "And actually most people want to live peaceful, happy lives – free from violence." Some of the women who attended sessions were asked by BBC Breakfast about speaking up. "It feels safer almost to hide away and not speak out and just keep yourself to yourself, " one woman said. Another added: "I think it's just because you feel like you protect your family by not speaking out."Fitness instructor Lauren Ruane said: "You look around the community, there's 100% more good people than bad, but it's when the bad dominates through fear and we're trying to break that cycle."When you bring women and mums together, I genuinely do believe that magic happens - a real ripple effect goes back out into the community." Confidence boost Ms Dale has been sharing her daughter's experiences with young women and girls to deter them from making poor relationship choices, saying: "I can't let her death be in vain.""Ashley was just a totally normal woman – she had never been involved with the police, had a job, had been to university, got a degree, had just been promoted. "Yet she wasn't immune to this."Councillor Shelley Powell said: "We've all got to be the change - steer people in a different direction to give people the confidence to not tolerate the bad things going on." Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
