Residents, commuters, school pupils and their parents could hardly believe their eyes…the Blundellsands and Crosby subway, after many years of neglect by Sefton Council, was being painted in December 2023.
This remarkable event has come about after prolonged and sustained campaigning by a number of residents who have had to endure passing through this disgustingly dark and dirty public footpath on a daily basis.
Slipping on leaves and trying to avoid stepping through the dirty brown effluent emerging from the drains has been a common occurrence for many of us over the years. Many of our elderly and residents have spoken about alighting from the train in Waterloo and crossing over the line to catch a returning train, rather than subject them to trying to navigate the inhospitable subway.
What took our local Ward councillors so long to action this state of woeful neglect? Is everything decided by those who sit in cabinet? Has the money box finally been prised open to secure this funding?
Funding for such work is available from a variety of sources. Has the money been secured from our local Ward budgets, or perhaps Section 106 funds which lie unspent as a result of the massive housebuilding projects in our neighbourhood? Perhaps our councillors have spoken to the Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner who successfully secured £912, 766 as part of the fifth round of funding form the Government to aid the Safer Streets Campaign. This additional funding now means there has been a total of £4million awarded to Merseyside to make our streets safer.
Additionally, the drainage system continues to flood. United Utilities have told us that the drains in the subway are the responsibility of our local Council. Perhaps our Labour Councillors can now address this important issue as a matter of urgency so that parents with children do not have to wheel prams, bikes and scooters through this odious liquid.
The new decoration has certainly made the subway brighter but the surface is worn and uneven and lighting needs improving to aid public safety. Will this be tackled by our Councillors?
In addition to this much welcomed redecoration (which will no doubt feature on election leaflets in the New Year), could we have a sign which states that Blundellsands and Crosby is The Home of The Ironmen? Formby is the home of the red squirrel and Ainsdale, Birkdale and Hillside all advertise their golf courses, but we have nothing to illustrate our much admired art work. Even the beach is difficult to find for those visitors to our neighbourhood.
And finally, lets us say “well done” to the painters who completed the work in such a cheerful manner. You have made many people very happy.
