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Liverpool sets out 15 year plan for
growth
LIVERPOOL City Council is on the brink
of publishing a new 15 year plan that will meet the need to create 35,000 new
homes and develop 370 acres of land for new jobs.
Following various consultation exercises Liverpool's Local Plan is set to go
before the Council 's cabinet on Friday, 19 January 2018, setting out the key
priorities to grow the City's economy up to 2033.
The Local Plan, which includes a new policy for controlling developments in the
City Centre, will also be scrutinised at a special Regeneration Select Committee
on Wednesday, 17 January 2018, and at the 1st Full Council meeting of the year on
Wednesday, 24 January 2018.
The document, which also sets out a new robust process to limit conversions of
properties into homes in multiple occupation (HMO's), will then go out to final
public consultation before being submitted to the Secretary of State for
inspection.
Liverpool's population is expected to rise from 470,000 to 517,000 people by
2033 and the plan, which has been in development with numerous agencies since
February 2013, has identified 100 detailed policies to manage this growth.
Consultation on the draft Local Plan occurred in early 2014 and in October 2016
and the feedback, which was garnered more than 2,100 comments from local
residents, community organisations and business organisations, has been
incorporated where possible.
Key to the plan is to focus future development on brownfield land and making
sufficient provision for regeneration projects and job creation in the City's
key employment areas.
Liverpool currently has ₤14bn worth of regeneration projects on site or in the
pipeline and in 2018 ₤1bn worth of schemes will be completed for a record fourth
consecutive year.
The Local Plan is the key, statutory planning and development policy each local
authority is obliged to produce. It will shape Liverpool's development needs
until 2033 by:-
► Allowing the build of nearly 35,000 new homes
to meet the needs of a growing population.
► Providing the places to work for an estimated
growth in jobs of nearly 38,000; on nearly 150 hectares (370 acres) or nearly
250 football pitches in area.
► Protecting and managing developments affecting
open space and the natural and historic environment of the City so that it is
not significantly affected.
► Promoting better quality new homes that are
wheelchair accessible, meeting residents needs throughout their lifetime if
necessary.
► Increasing the supply of affordable homes.
► Managing the over concentration of developments
such as hot food takeaways and homes in multiple occupation (HMO's')
Promoting key development areas especially
within the City Centre; protecting the key assets and role of those areas while
encouraging and enabling more growth from Baltic Triangle in the South to Ten
Streets in the north and the waterfront in the west to Paddington Village in the
East.
Once submitted to the Secretary of State,
Liverpool's Local Plan will be considered by an independent inspector who will
decide whether or not it is 'sound.'
To be found sound, the Local Plan must comply with all necessary legal
requirements and pass the tests of 'soundness', which require that it should
have been positively prepared so that it meets the future development needs of
Liverpool and it must be justified, effective and consistent with national
policy.
Any comments, whether of support or objection to the soundness of the Local
Plan, will be considered by the Inspector at an Examination in Public in the
summer this year.
Once approved the Local Plan will then replace the existing Unitary Development
Plan 2002 on all planning matters.
Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson, who recently announced a new housing company is
being set up to deliver 10,000 new homes, said:- "Liverpool is undergoing
unprecedented growth and this Local Plan sets out the framework on how and where
this will continue and flourish. This is a hugely vital document and
demonstrates our commitment to building new affordable homes and attracting new
jobs. Everyone living and seeking to invest in Liverpool will be affected by
this Local Plan which is why we've been consulting with businesses and residents
for the past three years before it is submitted to the Secretary of State, to
get their views. The feedback we've had has been extensive and it has
helped shape many of the policies which will all help to create a healthier and
more prosperous City."
Council lor Ann O'Byrne, Deputy Mayor of Liverpool, added:- "This Local
Plan sets out to determine what type of City Liverpool wants to be and how we
accommodate a growing and changing population over the coming decades. The
adoption of the policies within it will be a great step forward for the City
because they address the issues that affect our daily life and will give the
Council the means to act on issues and areas that simply didn't exist when
the last plan was adopted 15 years ago. It's impact will be huge because it
examines all the fundamental questions like what type of homes should people
live in, what type of jobs we can provide, what type of high street we shop in,
how do we enjoy our parks and green spaces and how do we travel between them.
The over-riding message is that people want to see Liverpool grow in a
sustainable way and this Local Plan provides the tools for us to achieve exactly
that."
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Merseyside Fire and Rescue
Service introduces blood pressure checks as part of 'Safe and Well'
visits
THE British Heart Foundation (BHF) has
funded Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service (MFRS) to offer blood pressure (BP)
checks, advice and signposting as part of the 'Safe and Well' visits
carried out within the community, from 15 January 2018.
The Safe and Well programme builds on the fire service's established Home Fire
Safety Check initiative and supports local health needs by delivering recognized
health interventions with specially trained fire service advocates.
Undertaken in conjunction with the NHS, fire service staff can provide advice on
how to avoid a trip or fall in the home, the benefits of quitting smoking or
reducing their alcohol consumption and awareness of the National bowel cancer
screening programme.
The inclusion of free Blood Pressure checks into the scheme is a result of a
partnership with Champs Public Health Collaborative following their successful
bid for a BHF grant to support a community based project aimed at preventing,
detecting and managing cases of high blood pressure across Cheshire and
Merseyside.
The initial 3 month pilot, which launches, on Monday, 15 January 2018, will see the
'Safe and Well' visits include BP measurement, advice and signposting. The BHF
funding has also enabled the relevant MFRS teams to be equipped with standards
compliant BP machines, and to receive appropriate training.
BP checks will be offered to residents over 65 and other at risk groups
determined by MFRS.
It is estimated that there are 163,000 people in Merseyside with undiagnosed
high blood pressure. High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a silent and
potentially deadly condition that significantly increases a person's chance of a
heart attack or stroke. This initiative will increase opportunities for blood
pressure testing and monitoring outside of GP practices as many people are
unaware that they have high blood pressure.
Dr Muna Abdel Aziz, Director of Public Health (DPH) for Warrington, and the
Cheshire and Merseyside DPH Lead for Blood Pressure said:- "We are
delighted to have our Fire and Rescue colleagues on board to include blood
pressure checks in the Safe and Well Checks. As a trusted and respected public
service organisation, the Fire and Rescue service will help us reach people who
might otherwise have slipped the net. Our collaborative work on blood pressure
in Cheshire and Merseyside is exemplary, as a whole system partnership; and the
addition of these services with Merseyside Fire and Rescue will enhance our
achievements and improve the health and wellbeing of our communities."
Phil Byrne Station Manager for Community Risk Management with Merseyside Fire
and Rescue Service said:- "It is fantastic that we are now able to include
the offer of a blood pressure check as part of our Safe and Well visits. Fire
and
Rescue staff have the unique ability to access homes and engage with vulnerable
members of the community that other agencies may not. This places us in a strong
position to support our mission of making our communities safer and stronger, at
the same time as supporting the wider health needs of residents.
Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service advocates have been specially trained to
deliver the checks and working with our health partners we are able to refer
those with high blood pressure to receive the correct help and support. In
addition we will be providing advice on how to maintain a healthy Blood
Pressure. The Safe and Well programme aims to engage with 10,000 homes in the
1st year."
Jenny Hargrave, Director of Innovation and Health Wellbeing at the British Heart
Foundation, said:- "High blood pressure is one of the biggest risk factors
for cardiovascular disease. With 16 million people diagnosed in the UK, and many
more undiagnosed, there is an urgent need to address this growing epidemic
through more research, better detection and treatment. It is essential that we
have more opportunities to test for high blood pressure in alternative places to
GP surgeries, especially in areas where people are more likely to be at risk. We
are pleased to support this collaboration and are hopeful the project will allow
more people to be detected and monitored, which will undoubtedly save lives."
For free fire safety advice or to request a home fire safety check, call:- 0800
731 5958.
Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service also provides free smoke alarms for Merseyside
residents aged 65 or over.
Interim Chief Executive
appointed
SOUTHPORT and Ormskirk Hospital NHS
Trust has named Ann Farrar interim Chief Executive ahead of a permanent
appointment to the role in April.
She succeeds Karen Jackson on 17 January and will remain with the Trust until
Silas Nicholls joins as permanent Chief Executive.
Ann was interim Chief Executive of North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust
from 2012, until early 2016, when she returned to work with the NHS in the North
East.
The Trust announced Silas Nicolls' appointment in December 2016.
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