News reports located on this page = 3.

Documents expose Peel Ports' influence in Highways England road project

DOCUMENTS obtained via a Freedom of Information request, by the campaign group,  Rimrose Valley Friends, have allegedly reveal the level of Peel Ports' influence in Highways England's A5036 Port of Liverpool Access Scheme, despite previous claims to the contrary. Draft meeting minutes and emails exchanged between members of staff from both organisations over the past 2 years show the level of access the Government owned company is offered to Peel Ports' customers in efforts to build support for its unpopular road project.

The group say that the documentation shows how:-

► Peel Ports "worked tirelessly to secure the Government funding" for the scheme.

► Peel Ports offered tours of its facility to "relevant opinion formers and decision makers" and senior members of Highways England's staff.

► Peel Ports advised Highways England on its strategy to identify "key stakeholders" and secure their support.

► Peel Ports requested sight of information gathered by Highways England's former sub contractor, detailing other stakeholders' views on the scheme.

► Peel Ports offered to arrange introductions to its customers, including:- shipping operators, haulage operators, scrap metal exporters, commodity dealers, manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers.

► Peel Ports offered Highways England as much support as needed to progress the scheme, including:- in relation to 2018's legal challenge.

► Peel Ports received frequent, detailed updates and analysis from Highways England on the status of the project.

► Peel Ports was instrumental in plans to arrange a joint presentation with Highways England to the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) to promote the scheme.

Speaking on behalf of the campaign, Stuart Bennett said:- "This documentation confirms what many people already suspect; that the driving force behind this road is Peel Ports. What is surprising is the frequency of the contact it has with Highways England and the content and tone of the communications. This is because Peel Ports has previously told us that the road project is little or nothing to do with them. Similarly, Highways England distances itself from the Port of Liverpool in its communications. However, the bigger story here is the documentation Highways England isn't sharing with the public. There are large gaps in what has been provided and hardly anything at all in 2019, which we find hard to believe. It raises many questions: Who are the 'opinion formers and decision makers' Peel Ports is so keen to influence? How many meetings, joint presentations and tours of the port have taken place? 0hat is it Highways England wishes to hide? We have serious concerns about the lack of transparency surrounding Highways England's road building plans and how information is shared between a Government owned company, paid for by us, and private companies; particularly when, in this instance, the latter is the single biggest beneficiary of the project. We have complained to the Information Commissioner about Highways England withholding documents on the grounds that it is not in the public interest. We don't believe that for 1 moment, given the huge outcry against this road. It is more likely that it is not in Highways England's or Peel Ports' best interests. That is another matter entirely and their embarrassment is not a reason for withholding this information."

 We would love to hear your views on this very controversial project, sop please do send our newsroom and email on the topic to:- News24@SouthportReporter.Com or drop us a letter via the Post, to:- Your Views, Southport and Mersey Reporter, 4a Post Office Ave, Southport, PR9 0US, UK. To be published you must give us your full name and contact information for validation of your letter/email.

We have contacted Peel Ports' and Highways England for a comment about the allegations made by the campaign group.

Wirral based charity receives Heart Research UK grant to help improve the heart health of their BAME community

A community charity working to support BAME people in the Wirral has been awarded a ₤10,000 grant from national charity, Heart Research UK with a view to empowering BAME community members to take control of their heart health. Wirral Multicultural Organisation (WMO), which aims to support some of the more vulnerable members of the BAME community in the area, has been awarded the grant to deliver their:- 'Great Taste No Waste' project to around 75 participants. The project offers 5 weeks of culturally sensitive, practical cooking sessions, including:- accessible information around food labelling, followed by 4 weeks of health and wellbeing workshops. Activity sessions including:- Bollywood dance classes, Yoga and women only swimming will also be provided, with participants' blood pressure and fitness levels monitored throughout. A cultural recipe book will then be produced featuring recipes from BAME participants of the sessions, adapted with a healthy twist, in both English and community languages. The project will end with a 'cook off' competition and celebration of reaching personal goals. Research shows that the BAME community are more prone to heart related conditions, including:- the nation's single biggest killer, coronary heart disease (CHD), due to a number of cultural, social and biological factors.

Sarah Mirfin, Healthy Heart Coordinator at Heart Research UK said:- "We are delighted to be supporting this exciting and practical project. It's so vital that we reach every part of our community and ensure that our most vulnerable members are not overlooked when it comes to education and life skills in keeping healthy. The 'Great Taste No Waste' project is a great way of enabling more isolated members of the BAME community to cook, eat and exercise their way to better heart health and a healthier lifestyle. Thank you to Subway® customers across the Region for their in store donations that have helped make this grant possible."

Aline Macready, Centre Manager, said:- "We are so excited to be receiving this funding from Heart Research UK and Subway. This project is really going to help to break down some of the barriers that exist in our community and inspire everyone to think more seriously about their heart health. The 'Great Taste No Waste' project will allow us to reach people in the Wirral who are at risk from heart disease and help them make positive changes to their lifestyles, not only benefitting them, but their families and communities as well. A huge thanks to Heart Research UK and Subway for allowing us to deliver this project."

To find out more about the WMO and what they are doing in the Wirral area, visit:- WMO.Org.UK.

Firwood Waterloo Ladies v DMP Sharks at The Memorial Ground
Report by Christine Braithwaite.

THE clouds cleared and the sun shone on a perfect December day, on Saturday, 21 December 2019, at The Memorial Ground, Liverpool, for the 1st round of the 2nd ½ of the Tyrrells Premier 15's season. The 2 Northernmost clubs meeting in the Live Streamed game were keen to show a wider audience what they had been working on. Elz Isaac opened the scoring for Waterloo with a long range penalty kick. DMP quickly responded to level the score with a penalty from Beth Blacklock 3 to .3 Firwood Waterloo then broke away from a mid field scrum from Lauren Delaney who beat 4 defenders to score on the right hand side in a score to rival her Trylights winning effort from round 9. Elz Isaac stepping up to add the extras. 10 to 3 DMP then had a period of sustained pressure playing through the phases. They rumbled over just before the ½ hour mark with open side McLachlan dotting down. The subsequent conversion levelled the scores. 10 to 10 The pressure continued from the restart and only dogged defence from Firwood Waterloo denied any further scores. Unfortunately, repeated infringements led to Captain Rachael Thomas been shown yellow just before the ½, which finished level at 10 to 10. When play resumed DMP had the wind at their back and capitalised on the fact that Waterloo were down to 14 players and Cowan scored their 3rd try with only 3 2nd ½ minutes on the clock. Waterloo continued to defend strongly, but good use of the elements by DMP meant that a lot of their work was done in the shadow of their posts. Finally the resolute Waterloo defence was breached by full back Blacklock who couldn't convert her own score. DMP closed out the scoring with a Try on 72 minutes when Cooksey finished off out wide after persistent forward drives created the space for her to exploit. Blacklock added the extras to leave the final score 10 to 27. DMP will go into the Christmas break rightly happy with their midtable standing whilst Firwood Waterloo are further adrift at the foot of the table.