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Letter to the
Editor:- "Why is the Post Office closured?"
"HELLO, I read your
article
today regarding the Post Office closure. I was walking past there
yesterday night and I didn't even realise that the Post Office was
closing/had closed.
From talking with your reporter I understand that it was because
they said it was closed because it wasn't busy enough. If they had
taken the time to even shop in there, they would realise that they
were wrong, the Post Office was very busy all the time, queues out
of the door and long waiting times, not the symptoms of a struggling
business.
I believe that it relocating to WHSmith is not about modernization,
but a deal with them. WHSmith now stands to gain increased footfall
from the business of that of the Post Office. Call me cynical, but
they don't care about the Post Office and it will be an adage on the
side, but more people means more impulsive buys, and WHSmith profits
rise. Money talks, obviously a deal has been made where they make
more money due to increased tourism, and developers are allowed to
do what they want with buildings.
 Regarding
the building of flats, what is going on? Where are houses these
days? Everyone is turning fantastic buildings into flats, these
buildings should be protected, the fantastic craftsmanship, and
built to last. We do not need more fancy, overpriced, modern
buildings. The history and character of Southport is being depleted
to make way for new 'stylish' and state of the art complexes which
there is no place for. What next, destroying perfectly good houses
like they have done in Liverpool?
I have a passion for history, and have just completed my history
degree, and to see this lack of forethought and lack of respect to
the Towns heritage is saddening that people are fueled by how much
money they can make.
I continue to shop in the Post Office at the bottom of Lords Street
and have shopped there for years, becoming quite friendly with staff
working there. I will continue to shop there before I ever step foot
in WHSmith. I
would be fascinated if you could do reports on the history of
Southport, something I covered when I was in High School, to educate
people and make them think twice about ruining what heritage we have
left." Charlotte Rogan.
Note from the Editor:-
"Thank you for your letter. Sadly we agree that Southport and the
area around is loosing is history and character. It is yet to be
confirmed as to what will happen to the shop area, that the Post
Office has been in, but we will keep you posted. As for the history
of the area, we are currently re-building our history section on
Mersey Reporter and we would welcome any input from you and our
other readers on our areas history. to see our history section that
is being redeveloped, please click on
here. Lets
just hope that Southport does not follow the same trend as Formby
and Crosby have over resent years, with the loss of so many
independent traders!" |
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Commissioner
signs up to Living Wage
A fair deal for workers in
Lancashire; that's what the County's Police and Crime Commissioner
has promised after signing up to the Living Wage.
The commitment means everyone employed by Lancashire Constabulary
and the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner will be paid the
Living Wage and, crucially, the commitment also extends to
contracted staff. And Clive Grunshaw has now called on the
Constabulary's partners to follow suit; and ensure all Lancashire's
residents get a fair deal when it comes to wages.
The Commissioner said:- "It is vitally important to all
Lancashire's residents organisations pay their employees the Living
Wage. That is why I have taken the step of officially committing to
Lancashire Constabulary being a Living Wage employer.
The Constabulary has already embraced the Living Wage, and we pay it
to all staff. However, this commitment is not merely symbolic. It
means when we enter into contracts and agreements with our partners,
contractors and agencies, we will make sure all staff working for us
as a result also receive the Living Wage.
Paying the Living Wage can make a real difference to people's lives,
and I would encourage other organisations across Lancashire to
follow in our footsteps and make the commitment."
The Living Wage is an hourly rate which is independently set and
updated each year, and is based on the basic cost of living in the
UK. In Lancashire it currently stands at £7.65, while in London the
figure is £8.80.
The Commissioner will now apply to the Living Wage Foundation for
formal accreditation, which will recognise the Commissioner and
Chief Constable as Living Wage employers.
For more information on the Living Wage Foundation visit:-
livingwage.org.uk.
North West MEP
welcomes cars success
NORTH West MEP Chris Davies
is celebrating a win for car drivers and North West jobs after the
European Parliament backed plans for higher fuel efficiency
standards this week.
New laws, backed by MEPs meeting in Strasbourg, have been passed to
require the amount of carbon dioxide pumped out by new cars to be
cut from the present limit of 130g/km to 95g/km in the next seven
years.
It means that the average new car should each year be able to
deliver at least 3% more miles to the gallon.
As a major car manufacturing hotspot, the North West of England will
also benefit from the jobs created by new environment friendly cars.
Davis said:- "By any measure the EU requirements to reduce CO2
emissions from new cars have proven a success. By improving fuel
efficiency standards they have reduced the cost of driving as well
as cutting our oil imports.
They have ensured that our car manufacturers, and the component
makers, have stayed as world leaders in technological development.
They have also reduced CO2 emissions from an average of 163g/km in
2007 to 130g/km today.
All credit to the whizz kids who design and engineer our vehicles in
the North West proving once again that the birthplace of the
industrial revolution can be the cradle of the green jobs
revolution.
Everyone recognises the competitive pressures faced by the car
industry but the EU single market provides it with a level playing
field and a degree of protection. If carmakers outside the EU want
to sell their cars to our citizens they have to meet our emission
standards. If only all our policies to combat global warming
could demonstrate such similar WIN-WIN results."
Relationships in the 21st Century
ON 26 February, 2014, the
relationships charity Relate Cheshire & Merseyside hosted an event
in Liverpool to celebrate 75 years of Relate. The event was based on
the theme of Relationships in the 21st Century, and took a look at
the ways in which relationships are changing and what that means for
society.
The event, held at the 151 Dale Street building, was well attended
by members of the public and professionals from the public sector as
well as from local businesses and the third sector. The Lord
Lieutenant of Merseyside, The High Sheriff of Merseyside, and the
Lord Mayor of Liverpool, were also in attendance. Relate Cheshire &
Merseyside Chief Executive, Sarah Hall, was delighted by the turn
out:- "We were really pleased that so many people came along
to find out about the work of Relate and the importance of
supporting the development of healthy relationships in our ever
changing world."
Guest speakers at the event included Relate Chief Executive Ruth
Sutherland, who talked about the ways in which relationships are
changing, and explained what Relate is doing to adapt to these
changes and to offer more support to more people in more ways. BBC
Radio Merseyside presenter Roger Phillips also spoke at the event,
stressing the value of healthy relationships in all facets of life,
and expressing his support for Relate. If you are
interested in finding out more about Relate's work and services
available in this area, visit:-
relatecm.org.uk or telephone:-
0300 330 5793. |
