The new norm can be rather bewildering and frightening. In a way, it depends on how you feel. You may have watched the television and found yourself shouting in exasperation at the presenter or you may have glanced at the headlines in your daily newspaper and thought it better to wait until you are in a better mood to fully absorb what is written. Facing up to the future could be an anxious experience but at the same time, it is now, more than ever, that we need to have confidence in our Government to help lead us out of the situation in which we find ourselves. We have to be optimistic, play our part in helping shape both the local and national economy.
One cannot escape the fact that we are the generation that has witnessed a pandemic. Unlike any other time in history, we have fought an unseen enemy, which has had an incredible impact on the way in which we live.
We have been inundated with data, information, and advice. Our knowledge of scientific terms has increased tenfold and now as we face the new norm, we wonder, what will be the cost to our lifestyle, our economy, our very existence. We may have our face masks, our gloves and our social distancing rules but have we the resolve to face the challenges that lie before us?
Let us look what the Conservative Government has done so far.
The main aim was of course to save lives and livelihoods and to protect the economy. No Government in history has had to face the challenge of closing down the economy, with the exception of key services in order to save lives. What else could they have possibly done?
Now, the rebuilding programme will begin as we leave the year 2020 behind. Below is a list of the 10 biggest Government programmes that the Government financed and of course, the cost. The costs are eye watering and cannot be ignored. Every one of us has benefitted in some way from this expenditure. Now we have to face the task of repaying that money. To meet this challenge will require some bold and creative thinking by the Government. This is the moment that history could be made as we begin the road to recovery from Covid-19 and rebuild our economy and infrastructure, we cannot go back to how it was before. We have to embrace the challenge of doing things differently, thinking about things in a different way and building a community which is sustainable for us and for future generations.
10 biggest government programmes
Scheme Cost in 2020-21
Coronavirus job retention scheme £42bn
Small business grant schemes £15bn
NHS historical debt write-off £13bn
Self-employment income support scheme £10bn
Welfare £7bn
NHS emergency response funding £6.6bn
Coronavirus business interruption loan scheme £6bn
Rail emergency measures £3.5bn
Local authority funding £3.2bn
Devolved administration public service funding £2bn
Data compiled by CPS from OBR and other sources
The Government has pledged an infrastructure revolution in the context of levelling up of regional economies and, as a consequence, living standards. This in turn will place pressures on the Government not only to allocate funding but also to monitor expenditure and keep costs affordable.
Once allocated to the regions, local councils they must be held accountable for this expenditure. Decision makers must get things done and address the challenges that impact upon the community. They have to be creative, inventive and be prepared to broker relationships with the private sector.
Is our local council in Sefton ready for the challenge?
Will they be able to write successful bids that help bring new monies to our locality?
Are they flexible enough to bring about transformational change in the work they do and the outcomes needed?
We must demand that our council starts to move on the projects that they have debated upon for far too long……. There has been too much delay and not enough action. The council needs to prioritise projects that can be completed which bring about impact and can be completed swiftly.
Let us look at some local issues that impact upon us all:
CROSBY COASTAL SCHEME
In November 2018 the Council reported to the Regeneration Scrutiny Committee that they had appointed consultants to develop a business case for a project of £15-20m to safeguard and enhance the coastline through Crosby. The report stated that they hoped to obtain planning permission by autumn 2019 and start on site during summer 2020.
We now find from the Council’s Forward Plan that the project should have been submitted to Cabinet in October 2019 but is now not likely to be submitted until September 2020. No reason for the delay has been given.
Meanwhile, warnings have been given that the coastline is eroding at an alarming rate and that a major sewer could be at risk.
Our Government is keen to support forward looking Councils who have progressed “oven-ready” schemes, especially in the north of England. Yet again Sefton have failed to rise to the challenge and procrastinated over a key project which will safeguard and enhance the coast and provide opportunities to support the tourist economy in Sefton. Why is this Council turning its back on £15-20m of funding?
HIGH STREETS
In May 2020 the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government launched a £50m support programme to enable local authorities to safely re-open high streets and other retail spaces.
Sefton has been allocated £244,167 from this fund, but we have not been told how this is to be spent, how it is allocated, or which parts of the borough will benefit.
PREVIOUS HIGH STREETS FUNDING
Sefton’s commitment to supporting our high streets is poor, even when funding has been provided by the Government.
In February 2013 the Cabinet announced they had been allocated a grant of £100,000 from the Government’s Future High Streets Fund Initiative. £17,000 was allocated to Crosby and a similar sum for Maghull and Waterloo.
The same Cabinet announced that Crosby, Maghull, Southport and Waterloo had been awarded £10,000 each from the Government as part of the Porta’s Pilots initiative.
This funding was never spent, yet this Labour Council continues with its mantra of austerity and insufficient funds. The money was there but they couldn’t be bothered to spend it on our local communities.
The permanent impact and response to Covid19 will affect us all but, at the very least, it will undoubtedly speed up by two to three years changes associated with distance working .There will be demand for locations for working and for housing and these need to be utilised, especially brownfield sites, which in many cases have the utilities ready for use. Is Sefton Council ready to meet these challenges… they have at long last compiled a list of brownfield sites across the borough. Will they market these effectively to bring much needed new investment to our locality?
The new pledge from the Government aims to avoid carbon emissions completely by 2050, or have the capability to remove it safely from the atmosphere, known as 'carbon offsetting’. This will require us all to change aspects of our lifestyle quite dramatically.
But, let us look what simple things our council could start to do now by small incremental steps. Sefton needs to develop transport networks that enable people to walk or cycle safely for leisure or to reach their place of work. Our road networks are in a deplorable state. Pot holes, poor road junctions and four roundabouts in Crosby alone do little to make it safe to either cross the road or use a cycle as a safe mode of transport.
We need our council to place electric charging points in their car parks to encourage customers to return to the town and to stimulate the retail and hospitality and catering industry.
No idling zones need to be enforced outside schools, to reduce pollution for our children and teaching staff.
The council should insist that all new developments including commercial, retail and domestic homes should have photovoltaic cells fitted to their roofs in order to provide power or heating of a sustainable source and at the same time generate demand for green engineering.
We need our Councillors to be more proactive in ensuring the simple things are completed. How long does it take to ensure that the approach to the subway at Blundellsands Station is repaired after the damage in November 2019? When is the bollard which was broken at the junction of Warren Road and The Serpentine North to be replaced? These are just small repairs, how will they be able to deal with more significant projects?
We need the Council and our Councillors to reduce the defensive rhetoric. The electorate needs them to be open and transparent. What Government Funds have they bid for and, if they were not successful, what were the reasons for the failure? Neglecting to bid for funding is indicative of failure and deprives the community of the much needed opportunities it needs and deserves.
