Latest news with #MarionAtkinson
BBC News
7 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Emergency Sefton Council meeting calls rejected after disruption
A council leader has rejected calls from opposition parties for a full emergency meeting despite the previous one being scrapped due to a Sefton Council's leader Marion Atkinson said an extra meeting was not needed, even though some items on the agenda at last month's meeting had been left were called to Southport Town Hall on 10 July after reports of "people shouting from the public gallery".Sefton Mayor June Burns halted proceedings after one of the protestors shouted at a councillor to "shut up". One of the decisions due to be taken at that meeting concerned plans for Southport's Town Hall Square and Democrat group leader John Pugh requested an extraordinary meeting of the council to pick up issues which were not debated or agreed said they included money for pothole repairs, road resurfacing and funds for children with Special Educational next full council meeting is scheduled for September. 'Baffling decision' "I cannot understand the logic of letting a disturbance in the public gallery lock up council business," said added that he found it "baffling" when he compared his life as the MP for Southport between 2001-2017 with life in the council chamber."During my time in the [House of] Commons I witnessed chemicals thrown into the chamber and terrorist attacks that cost lives, but the democratic process continued as normal."Sefton has keeled over because of a bit of shouting in the public gallery and let it mess up business as usual."Atkinson accused Pugh of "petty political posturing" and said the mayor's decision to halt the meeting on safety grounds had been "sensible".She said some of her female colleagues had faced misogynistic abuse from protestors."Aggressive and bullying behaviour must and will be met with a zero-tolerance approach," said added that Pugh "should not belittle the genuine fears that councillors and staff had about their safety, in addition to the fact children were also in the gallery on the night." 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.
BBC News
17-07-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Southport Pier could reopen next year says council leader
Southport Pier could reopen next year if repair works get underway in the coming months, a council leader has Victorian structure has been closed over safety fears since December 2022 and has an estimated repair bill cost of £ Rachel Reeves confirmed last month the pier would benefit from cash from a new fund aimed at speeding up "forgotten" local Council leader Marion Atkinson said: "We're ready to go within six to eight weeks." Ms Atkinson told BBC Radio Merseyside she was "delighted" at the funding announcement and was awaiting further said: "We're absolutely wanting to get on with it."I think it will probably take between 12 to 14 months for it to go from start to finish."We'll be looking at ways in which, if we can, to get it done as quickly as we possibly can, but it does take a lot of time because there's a lot of work."Southport Pier was shut by the council in 2022 on the advice of structural closure has had a significant impact on the town's leisure and tourism industry with many residents and local business owners keen to see the pier Reeves described the pier as "an iconic symbol of coastal heritage" when she announced the funding boost in June, and said the investment would create jobs and new business Atkinson said lessons will be learned from a previous unsuccessful attempt to repair the pier and the authority will ensure the right materials and construction methods are used. 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.
BBC News
07-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Councillor Marion Atkinson sees off leadership challenge in Sefton
Councillor sees off leadership challenge 9 minutes ago Share Save Claire Hamilton BBC Political Reporter, Merseyside Share Save Local Democracy Reporting Service Marion Atkinson saw off the leadership challenge just over a year after she was elected to the role A Merseyside councillor has seen off a leadership challenge just over a year after she was appointed to the role. Sefton Council leader Marion Atkinson was challenged by Sudell ward councillor James Hansen at a meeting on Tuesday night, with just five votes between the Labour politicians. Atkinson became Sefton's first female council leader when she was elected in January 2024, and has been the only female leader on Liverpool City Region Combined Authority. Meanwhile, Labour's Paula Basnett was elected as new Labour leader of Wirral Council and is set to become council leader at a meeting later this month. As leader of Sefton Council's largest party, Marion Atkinson is set to continue to lead the authority. She has overseen investment in Bootle's Salt and Tar venue as leader, and she was relatively new in the role when she led the council's response to the Southport stabbing attack in July 2024. Basnett, who represents the Rock Ferry ward, is set to take over from previous Wirral Council leader Paul Stuart after he stood down, and she will become leader at a full council meeting on 21 May. As the authority has no overall control, any leader needs the support of at least 34 councillors from a minimum of two political parties. Basnett will therefore be seeking support from opposition parties in the council going forward. Her election follows weeks of speculation about an internal battle within Wirral Labour over the top job. Wirral Council Paula Basnett is set to become the new leader of Wirral Council Basnett, who was elected two years ago, said she would look to restore trust in the council's finances, speed up regeneration and housing projects, and focus on building cleaner, safer neighbourhoods. Before she entered politics, she worked as an investment manager at Wirral Council before taking over the Wirral Chamber of Commerce following a funding crisis in 2013. She remains the organisation's chair. The Chamber of Commerce has historically had a close relationship with Wirral Council, with the organisation receiving funding for a business support service contract as well as receiving £1.4m of Town Deal money to support the purchase and refurbishment of Egerton House in Birkenhead. The building was sold in 2024 to the Chamber of Commerce for £1.9m. However, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said the Chamber publicly criticised the council last year about a high turnover in the local authority's regeneration department and alleged lack of engagement with the business sector. Though Basnett was copied into an email at the time, a representative for the Chamber said she had remained independent over the matter. 'Future direction concerns' Commenting on the election, leader of Wirral's Conservatives Jeff Green said: "Wirral's Conservative councillors are not interested in the internal politics of the Labour Party but we are worried for the future direction of the council. He said that over the last two years they had "worked constructively with all the parties to 'right size' the council, while tackling the issues inherited from previous Labour administrations". Green said that while they waited to hear from the new leader of the Labour Group, "I can assure her, and the taxpayers of the borough, that our position has not changed". "If it's good for the residents of Wirral and improves the performance of the council, we'll support it," he added. 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.
BBC News
03-03-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Fight to save Southport Pier 'will continue after funding blow'
A council leader has said she will not stop fighting for funding to fix a Victorian pier, despite being told a National Lottery Heritage grant would not be available for the project "at this time".Sefton Council leader Marion Atkinson told a council meeting on Thursday that the authority had made an expression of interest to the funding body for £10m to fix Southport pier, but had been "politely" told the organisation would not be inviting the council to make an application to the fund at the pier has been closed since December 2022 due to health and safety National Lottery Heritage Fund has been approached for comment. Earlier this year, the council secured listed buildings consent for the repairs to be made to the said despite the response from the National Lottery Heritage Fund the council would "apply again when the time is right" and added the council had done "all within our power to be ready to replace the pier when the money becomes available, we have a plan. We have commitment."She said the council would continue to apply for funding and speak to interested parties and "continue to raise the profile of the pier"."Let's be clear, the bottom line is the need for money, which the council does not have," she of the Liberal Democrat opposition and former Southport MP John Pugh said the National Lottery response was a "hammer blow" to the council's ambitions to get funding for the he added the council had found £20m of its own money to help pay for the new conference centre next to the pier, £32m to buy the Strand, £8m to loan to its own housing company and £54m over the last five years to bail out its failing Children's said: "Sefton can clearly fund the repair by appropriate use of revenue and capital resources. It just does not want to do so."The BBC understands Sefton Council submitted an expression of interest to the Heritage Lottery Fund for the maximum £10m which would require development and delivery over a number of council could submit a revised expression of interest, perhaps for a smaller amount, later in the year. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on BBC Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram, and watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer.
