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Sensational
Garden
A new ‘Sensory
Garden’ is to be created in Calderstones Park, one of
Liverpool’s best loved parks. The garden will have something for
everyone but is particularly designed to stimulate the senses of
young children and those with a disability.
It will bring together carefully selected plants and landscape
features to create an area in which visitors will be encouraged to
utilise all their senses through sound, water, air, wildlife and the
texture and smell of plants.
There will also be other sensations beyond the familiar 5 senses
which will be incorporated into the garden including gravity,
temperature change, space and enclosure.
Councillor Tim Moore, cabinet member for the environment and climate
change, said:- "Natural environments such as parks are already
recognised as being beneficial to our health. Creating a special
sensory garden in the park will give this effect an extra boost and
will be of particular benefit to disabled people."
The Sensory Garden will replace a derelict greenhouse at which has
been closed for 2 years as it had fallen into a state of disrepair
and become unsafe. Where possible, the plants in the greenhouse have
been moved to other locations in the city. The design and layout
will be designed to meet its users' needs with disabled children and
their families having their say on these issues.
Construction of the Sensory Garden is a significant contribution
towards Liverpool's Decade of Health and Wellbeing 2020, a
collaborative initiative to create a healthier region through
encouraging and developing healthier lifestyles.
Access for public back into the garden is expected in Spring 2012
and it will also be free, with improved access to the area included
in the plan.
The project, which will cost £30,000, has been funded by Short
Breaks, a fund provided by the Government’s Aiming High for Disabled
Children programme to enable and enhance facilities for disabled
children.
It follows the positive reaction to the successful completion of
special ‘Changing Places’ facilities now open at
Croxteth Country Park and Calderstones Park, which were also funded
by the scheme. Changing Places facilities provide special toilets
with changing rooms for people with complex needs. Installing these
facilities has removed barriers for children and other visitors with
complex or multiple disabilities and allowed them to spend longer
periods of time in Liverpool’s parks.
MFH - SCOTT FLETCHER
 FURTHER
Appeal as Family Faces Christmas without Son.
Cleveland Police are appealing for
further information regarding missing Scott Fletcher as his family
faces Christmas without him, and his daughter faces her first
Christmas without her Dad.
27 year old Scott was last seen on
11 May 2011, at around 8.20pm, in the lay-by opposite the Jet garage
on the A181 at Wheatley Hill in Durham.
The search for Scott has extended
to the Durham, Cumbria and Liverpool areas, as it is believed he has
connections there. Scott’s family, Mum and Dad, Julie and John
Fletcher, 4 year old daughter Lucie, and Scott’s ex-partner Shelley
Marshall, who is Lucie’s mother, have been distraught since his
disappearance.
Detective Chief Inspector Jon
Green said:- "I have seen first hand the turmoil Scott’s
family have suffered since he went missing and as Christmas draws
closer, it is going to be even more distressing for them as his
whereabouts remain unclear. As time passes, we are increasingly
concerned about where Scott may be and we cannot rule out the
possibility of him having come to some harm. I am certain that
people locally can help to unlock the answers in relation to Scott’s
whereabouts and I would appeal to them to contact us, in confidence
if necessary, and help end the suffering his family are going
through." Julie
Fletcher, Scott’s mother, said:- "I cannot describe how
difficult it has been since Scott went missing, especially because
we don’t know what to tell his daughter; we don’t know ourselves, so
what do we say to Lucie when she asks where her Daddy is? What do we
tell her on Christmas Day when she is opening her presents and asks
where her Daddy is? It is even harder to cope with the situation now
that Christmas is here, not knowing where Scott is and knowing that
he won’t be with us and Lucie, at a time when families should be
together. We have lived with this every minute of every day for the
last 8 months on; we just want to know where Scott is. I would plead
with anyone who may know something; anything, in relation to Scott,
to contact the police and help to end this nightmare for all of us."
Anyone with information regarding Scott’s whereabouts
is asked to contact Detective Chief Inspector Jon Green of
Hartlepool Police on:- 01642 302110.
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HAVE A FESTIVE &
FAT FREE CHRISTMAS
THE Consumer Council for
Water has some words of warning about the dangers turkey fat could
pose to your pipes this Christmas.
Tipping left over fat and grease from the Christmas turkey down the
kitchen sink or toilet could cause some unwelcome woes this holiday,
and people might want to think twice before dumping fat, oil or
grease down the drain.
Tony Smith, Chief Executive of the Consumer Council for Water,
said:- "Having your home flooded with sewage is very
unpleasant and water companies should provide the best customer
service possible to prevent it from happening in the first place.
Everyone has a role to play too by disposing of fat, oil and grease
responsibly, especially at Christmas."
It is all too easy to simply rinse the fat and oil from greasy pots
and pans down the sink with soap and hot water, but as the fat cools
it will thicken again, building up to a level that could cause a
blockage and eventually cause wastewater and even sewage to back up.
Fat, oil and grease should be poured into an empty container with a
lid or wiped out of the tray with kitchen roll and put in the bin.
Most water and sewerage companies provide ‘fat traps’
free of charge to collect kitchen waste which can then be thrown
away.
There are around 200,000 sewer blockages throughout the UK every
year, and three quarters of them are caused by fats, oil
and grease clogging up pipes. Clearing these blockages costs
millions of pounds a year; costs which are passed onto customers in
their annual sewerage bills.
The costs of pouring fats, oils and grease down the drain can
quickly add up for companies and customers.
SEWER FLOODING FACTS:-
Drains from the home are normally no wider than 100mm
(4 inches).
If you find it difficult to flush your toilet or notice that water
begins to drain away slowly or bubbles come from the bottom of your
toilet, contact your sewerage company and clearly explain the
symptoms. Do not try to flush the toilet again as this could cause
internal flooding.
If the problem is due to a blockage or fault in your private drain,
you will need to hire a drainage contractor to clear the blockage or
repair it. Sewerage companies are only responsible for unblocking
and maintaining public sewers.
If sewage has entered your property from a public sewer, the company
will send someone to visit you as soon as possible and help clean
your property.
You are entitled to a rebate of your annual sewerage bill (up to
£1000) to cover damages to the inside of your property caused by
flooding of a public sewer. Also don’t forget to check to see if
your household insurance covers sewer flooding.
Dog Control Order Takes Effect
AN order which will
introduce controls on dogs in North Liverpool will be enforced from
the New Year. The Order was approved following a month long
consultation period and will apply to the Anfield, County and
Kirkdale wards.
It means:-
► Dogs will be banned from cemeteries, school play grounds and
playing fields, children’s play areas and sports pitches in parks.
► Dogs must be kept on leads on pavements and when owners are
directed to do so by an authorised officer if dogs are causing a
nuisance or annoyance in outdoor public places
► Owners will still be able to exercise their pets, without a lead,
in general areas of parks
► Assistance dogs for people with disabilities are exempt from the
order.
It comes into force from 1 January 2012.
Councillor Tim Beaumont, assistant cabinet member for the
environment and climate change, said that:- "This order is
aimed at encouraging responsible dog ownership. There has been
overwhelming support in the area for this initiative from teachers,
friends of parks groups and local residents This is a pilot scheme
and if it proves successful then we will look at extending it
throughout the city. It is about dog-owners showing pride in their
neighbourhoods and acting responsibly."
The Dog Control Order specifies 5 offences:-
► Failing to remove dog dirt
► Not keeping a dog on a lead
► Not keeping a dog on a lead when ordered to do so by an authorised
officer
► Allowing a dog to enter land from which they are excluded
Breaches of the order would result in a fixed penalty or
prosecution. As well as the order it has also been agreed that
the fixed penalty for failure to clear up dog dirt be increased from
£50 to £80. This applies across the city. Councillor
Beaumont said:- "There is a lot of public feeling about this
issue and residents want us to take action. We’ve listened to what
they have said and are introducing some of the toughest penalties in
the country." |
