JOINT STATEMENT ON LIVERPOOL FOOTBALL CLUB’S NEW STADIUM

THE redevelopment of Liverpool Football Club’s new stadium will start in May.  Top level talks between the club’s new owners George Gillett, Tom Hicks, and Chief Executive Rick Parry with city council Leader Warren Bradley and Director of Regeneration John Kelly gave the go-ahead to the multi-million pound redevelopment.

Work on the final legal agreements between the city council and club is almost complete which will allow work on the new stadium to start next month under the existing planning permission granted last year. A Joint Venture Company will be set up by the end of this month to deliver the comprehensive regeneration of Stanley Park and the new Community Partnership Centre.

Tenders for the refurbishment of Stanley Park will go out in April with a contractor to be appointed and work starting by the end of July, with the work completed by the end of 2008.  A review of the 60,000 capacity of the new stadium is being carried out by the Club and consultations with fans are already underway.

Councillor Warren Bradley said:- “It has long been the dream of fans, and the ambition of the club, to build a fantastic stadium to rival the best anywhere in the world. Today, the decisions are now on place to turn the dream of a new Anfield into a reality.  We have worked tirelessly with the club and its new owners, and the final agreements are now almost in place to allow the work to start in a matter of weeks. A world-class stadium, fit for a world-class club and a word-class city, is now a real prospect.  The benefits will reach out much further than football. Our agreement will secure the massive regeneration of the Anfield area and the transformation of Stanley Park. Today will go down as a significant date in the history of the club and the city.”

Liverpool FC’s Chief Executive Rick Parry said:- “We have been working for many years with the city council and the community to deliver not just a new stadium but also the regeneration of north Liverpool.  Our new owners have taken the sensible decision to review the plans to enable us to create an even better stadium that will serve the needs of the club and the fans for the next 50 years. Already, some very exciting ideas are emerging and we are working closely with the city council on the best way forward.  We are all endeavouring to ensure that the plans can be implemented, as soon as possible while at the same time ensuring there is no delay in the regeneration process.  We are delighted with the working relationship we have with the city council. Our goals are the same: to create an incredible facility that the whole city can be proud of.”

The announcement has effectively ended the possibility of a joint stadium for the city’s 2 Premiership clubs. Despite full and frank talks between the city council and the 2 clubs, the proposal had too many unknowns and would have created significant delays which could have put the entire new Anfield and Stanley Park project at risk.

Tenants Vote Yes for Housing Stock Transfer

LIVERPOOL City Council today announced that tenants had voted in favour of transferring the authority’s remaining 15,500 homes to a new landlord.  11,129 tenants voted in the month long ballot, 8,653 (78%) of whom voted yes.

The Council will now move forward with preparations to transfer their remaining properties to Liverpool Mutual Homes (LMH), a newly formed tenant led housing association.  LMH will provide improvements such as central heating, double glazing, new kitchens and bathrooms to homes that need them and will have access to nearly £300 million in the first 5 years after transfer and nearly £900 million over 30 years to keep homes in tip top condition once improvements have been completed.

Cath Green, Assistant Executive Director for Housing and Neighbourhoods said:- “I am delighted with the response from tenants who have voted overwhelmingly to support the transfer proposals.  There is an urgent need for major investment in Liverpool’s housing stock. This transfer will facilitate the largest programme of investment in social housing seen for generations”

With a mandate from tenants LMH are anticipating a rosy future ahead for tenants. Bill Lacey, chair of LMH’s Shadow Board, said:- “This is fantastic news, LMH has been working hard on setting up the organisation and getting it ready for the transfer. Now that tenants have resoundingly supported LMH we can continue confidently to ensure we are ready to start improvements as soon as the stock transfers”

With the approval of the Secretary of State the Council proposes to transfer homes to LMH by January 2008.

LIVERPOOL NAMED 3RD WORST CITY FOR MOBILE PHONE THEFT

A SURVEY by CPP, finds out the worst cities for phone theft crime.  Liverpool is the 3rd worst city in the UK for mobile phone theft, according to new research.  29% of Liverpool residents have been a victim of mobile phone theft – with 1 in 10 cases involving phones being snatched from bags.

The study showed thieves are most likely to strike in the evenings – 12% Liverpool folk admitted falling victim to phone theft while out in one of the city’s night spots.  And April and August had the highest rates of phone theft in the city.  The poll of 3,500 people by CPP, the UK’s leading life assistance business, revealed that Glasgow is the worst place to live when it comes to mobile phone crime, followed by Belfast.

31% of Glaswegians have been a victim of mobile phone theft – with 17% of cases involving phones being snatched from bags.  29% of Belfast residents polled had experienced mobile phone theft – with 1 in 10 cases involving thieves grabbing the phones or handbags from the victims in the streets.  But the Irish are more vigilant than Glaswegians, being twice more likely to report the theft straight away.

John Walkley, Head of Mobile Phone Security at CPP Phonesafe said:- “It’s alarming how common mobile theft is becoming. A recent study from the Metropolitan Police revealed as many as 10,000 mobile phones are stolen every month.  Most people rarely leave home without their mobile phone, so it’s vital to always be on guard for opportunists – especially if you are talking on the phone whilst walking in the street, or have it on show in a pub or club.  The study also showed almost 2/3rds of people in the UK fail to insure their mobile phone despite the fact that the average handset would cost more than £200 to replace and airtime abuse can run into several hundreds of pounds.”

12% of mobile phone theft victims in Liverpool confessed they had not bothered to insure their handsets.  Chelmsford and London also appeared in the top 5 of place where people need to be more vigilant with their mobile phones.  Aberdeen and Norwich are the cities which experienced the fewest incidents of mobile phone theft.

TOP 10 CITIES FOR MOBILE PHONE THEFT

1. Glasgow (31%)
2. Belfast (29%)
3. Liverpool (29%)
4. Chelmsford (25%)
5. London (24%)
6. Bristol (23%)
7. Manchester (21%)
8. Leeds (21%)
9. Sheffield (19%)
10. Cambridge (19%)

LIKELIEST LOCATION FOR THEFT

1. Pub (22%)
2. Club (15%)
3. At work (10%)
4. High street (9%)
5. The home (9%)
6. Bus (7%)
7. Car (4%)
8. Supermarket (3%)
9. Train (3%)
10. On holiday abroad/ Shop (3%)

CPP top tips to help keep your mobile safe:-

1. Note down your IMEI number – printed on the inside of your handset’s battery case – if your phone goes missing your service provider can use this number to blacklist your phone.

2. Log an ICE number - Store the name and number of someone who should be contacted in case of emergency in your phone book, adding the letters ICE in front of their name.

3. If your phone has a security code, remember to activate it. This means only your SIM card will work on your handset.

4. Be aware of who’s close to you if you need to make a call in public.

5. Use your phone's vibrate facility if it has one, so you can decide whether it's safe before answering a call.

6. To help avoid abusive or bullying mobile calls or messages avoid giving out phone numbers to anyone other than close friends and family.

7. Try to keep your phone as close to you as you would your iPod or keys. It only takes a moment to be swiped by an opportunist.

8. Register your handset on the National Mobile Phone Register (www.immobilise.com).  It increases the likelihood of lost and stolen phones being retuned to you.