Latest news with #LiverpoolCityRegionCombinedAuthority
Daily Record
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
BBC Breakfast viewers get emotional over 'hard to watch' segment
Fans were emotional whilst tuning in to the BBC show. Jon Kay and Sally Nugent returned to screens on Wednesday morning on BBC Breakfast, which featured a tear-jerking segment. On the BBC programme hosts were interviewing the parents of the victims of the Southport knife attack. Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, Alice Aguiar, nine, and six-year-old Bebe King were killed in July 2024 at a Taylor Swift themed dance class. Plans for Southport's Town Hall gardens to undergo a major £10 million makeover inspired by Elsie, Alice, and Bebe have now been unveiled, with the new space set to act as a "thank you" to the residents of Southport for their support. Family members of Elsie, Alice, and Bebe appeared in a pre-recorded segment, where they discussed the plans and expressed thanks to everyone involved. "I think we'll all have a part to play to make sure the girls are represented how we remember them as their parents, in our own way," Jenni, Elsie's mother, said in the interview. Speaking about working with Alice and Bebe's families, she emotionally added: "I never want to do anything without them standing by my side, to be honest. We come as a team. There are only three families in this country who know how it feels to have been through what we've been through." Viewers watching at home flocked to social media to praise the "brave" families, with some branding the interview difficult to watch. "Incredibly brave people, the parents of the Southport victims #BBCBreakfast," one person wrote on X, while a second BBC viewer said: "That was a hard watch. Incredible bravery to do that #BBCBreakfast." A third said: "It's a beautiful and fitting gesture that Southport town hall gardens are going to remember Elsie Dot, Alice, and Bebe in their new revamp. It will be a place for their families and friends to visit." "I can't wait to go there, what a lovely idea," another added, with somebody else agreeing: "That's such a super idea." Sefton Council and Liverpool City Region Combined Authority have both contributed £2.5 million to the project, while the government will provide £5 million. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner met the families at Downing Street to discuss the project, writes The Express. The Prime Minister thanked the families for their "continuing courage and resilience", and revealed Angela will "personally oversee" the implementation of the Town Hall project. "We sit here as Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, we sit here as human beings with families of our own, and we sit here on behalf of millions of people who would love to see the plans and to say well done for bringing them forward and getting to this point," Sir Keir told the families. BBC Breakfast airs on weekdays from 6am on BBC One Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
New £100m Merseyrail train station for Liverpool is approved
A new £100m Merseyrail train station will be built in Liverpool after plans were approved by city councillors. Liverpool Council's planning committee has given the green light to proposals to construct the new station on the edge of the city centre in the Baltic Triangle district. The station plans were formally submitted to the local authority by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority last November. The station will be created by redeveloping the disused former St James Station, which lies below the Baltic Triangle - an area of creative businesses and residential buildings that lies between the city centre and the south of the city. READ MORE: Friedkin Group chief hints at next steps for Everton Stadium development amid £60m claim READ MORE: Live updates after man shot in 'targeted attack' The application site involves an existing cutting to the Northern Line of the Merseyrail network, located midway between Liverpool Central Station and Brunswick Station, where an underground train station once stood but was closed in 1917 during the First World War. With plans approved today, it is hoped that work could begin on the construction of the new station as early as the end of this year. Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram, who first announced the station plan in 2022, hopes passengers will be able to use the new station by late 2027. It is hoped development of the station could support hundreds of jobs and deliver 17,000 journeys per day once open. Last September, members of the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority approved £96m of funding for the project. The new station - Liverpool Baltic - will be made up of an overground single-storey building with a tall wraparound parapet, a mezzanine level, new widened underground platforms and four lift/emergency exit shafts. The station's ticket lobby and staff facilities would be located at ground floor level. The proposed development is envisioned by the Combined Authority as a 'modern, accessible transport hub of civic importance, significantly contributing to the revitalisation of the Baltic Triangle neighbourhood and surrounding areas.' The construction phase is projected to generate around 330 jobs at a region level with £155m in benefits over a 60-year period upon completion. At Liverpool Town Hall on Tuesday, councillors on the planning committee said they welcomed the plans for the new station, although concerns were raised about the impact in terms of parking for local residents and businesses. One business that says it will go out of operation with the plans in their current form is Ashwell Motors - a garage which has been based in Ashwell Street close to the site of the planned new station for 40 years because of the impact on customer parking. Speaking through a representative at the meeting, owner Paul Garrett said: "After 40 years of hard work, employing local people and being proud of my city, I am distraught that no workable solution has been found. This decision will result in the catastrophic collapse of a 40-year business." Councillors expressed concerns about the impact on parking in the areas around the new station and were told by highways officers that while a residents' parking scheme is not considered necessary at the moment in the area, this could be changed once the station is operational and problems are raised. The Combined Authority says it is open to looking at such schemes in the future. The plans for the new Liverpool Baltic Station were unanimously passed by councillors on the committee. Speaking after the permission was granted, Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram said: "Planning permission was another major milestone for the Liverpool Baltic station scheme and I'm delighted we are now passed that and ready to get work underway. "This is another step in our vision to build a fully integrated London-style transport system. We're extending Merseyrail to more communities with future stations already planned in Daresbury, Woodchurch and Carr Mill. I believe good quality public transport is a right, not a privilege. "For decades there were no new stations built on our network, so this is another major milestone in the development of the expansion of rail services in our region. It's not just about improving connectivity – it's about creating new opportunities, connecting our communities to jobs, education, and each other, and contributing to a healthier, greener Liverpool City Region. 'Investing almost £100 million at the heart of one of the UK's most vibrant areas, will help to make this part of the city more accessible to all while easing congestion and helping us achieve our net-zero targets."
