Huyton Freeman - Lawful Rebel
Showing posts with label Knowsley Council. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Knowsley Council. Show all posts
Tuesday, 6 September 2016
Knowsley residents protest over blacklisting and green space disposals.
On Mon 5th Sept, a group of local residents protested at the Knowsley Council meeting over plans to dispose of a number of green space sites in Knowsley for development, in addition to the 51% disposal of Knowsley's greenbelt.
The residents were also protesting over the permanent ban of six Knowsley Residents, who were banned for expressing their views over the greenbelt destruction at the Council meeting in Jan 2016.
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Friday, 27 May 2016
Knowsley Council refusing Freedom of Information requests.
£34 an hour charge
My FOI request for information about the local plan. Knowsley Council said it would take 20 hours work, at a rate of £34 per hour, a total of £680. Nice work if you can get it.
Contradictions
An FOI request for information about 'Knowsley Youth Mutual', the company that delivers youth services on behalf of Knowsley Council, and which is 85% funded by Knowsley Council, and is made up of 'previous employees' of Knowsley Council.
The Council refused the request by giving this very contradictory response:
"Knowsley Youth Mutual is a public benefit company jointly run and owned by the former staff and youth so is not a public authority and therefore its activities are not subject to the statutory provisions set out under the Freedom of Information Act. I am not aware of any provision that as they receive funding from the Council, this places the Council “under a legal obligation to supply the requested information” so can you please point me to this obligation so that I can consider this matter further.
You may wish to direct your request to Knowsley Youth Mutual, although as they are not a public benefit company they are under no legal obligation to provide this detail. If you would like me to forward your request to KYM for their consideration please advise."
So, KYM are a public benefit company when delivering services on behalf of the Council, BUT, they are NOT a public benefit company if you want information about them.
CCTV Information - EXEMPT
The Council got rid of CCTV that covered the shopping areas in Huyton village, but they still have CCTV cameras on and inside their own buildings. So, I asked, "what are the current annual costs of the 'existing resources' that are used in monitoring all of the Council's CCTV cameras?
The Council's response:
"Having considered what information we hold in relation to your request I am advising that some/or all of your request may be subject to an exemption.
S43 Commercial Interests
We are allowed additional time in which to consider these exemptions and you will receive a further response once a decision has been made. You will receive a response by 22 June 2016."
So, there you go, if you want to know about how your money was spent on the Local Plan, Youth services or CCTV cameras, well, erm, you can't, because Knowsley Council say so.
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Friday, 8 April 2016
A tale of the Knowsley Greenbelt 2000 to 2016
Sixteen years ago Knowsley Council sold off 6 acres of the King George V playing fields in Huyton. Despite telling residents that they would not sell them, under any circumstances.
Sixteen years on, Knowsley's Labour Councillors vote to release 1000 acres of greenbelt, and the Council insist on banning residents who protest and oppose this madness.
It's time the one party state in Knowsley had some opposition in place. The Labour Councillors in place do NOT represent the views of Knowsley Residents.
Knowsley Labour Councillors SAY one thing, and DO another. No different from your current Conservative Government.
This video attempts to show this, and tell the story of how Knowsley Labour are destroying Knowsley's Green space.
Stock photography by Huyton Freeman at Alamy
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Wednesday, 9 March 2016
Knowsley Council's unacceptable, oppressive and intimidating behaviour.
These people are quite clearly dressed like Police Officers.
Together with Knowsley Council staff they surround and intimidate me, ordering me to leave the building as I am, they say, 'trespassing'.
They call the Police, yes, they call the Police because I refuse to wait outside in the cold for less than 30 minutes, and the Police turn up within 10 minutes to support them.
Where do I live again? Russia?, Korea? Iraq? Syria?
No, Knowsley 2016.
Unacceptable, oppresive and intimidating behaviour? yes I would say so.
How do I go about banning THEM?
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Saturday, 6 February 2016
Merseyside Police Inspector says, "Anyone, can ban anyone, from anything"
Asking a Merseyside Police Inspector, under what law or power of exclusion, can Knowsley Council prevent members of the Public from attending Public meetings.
Bearing in mind, "The Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012":
Regulation 4 (5) which states "Without prejudice to any power of exclusion to suppress or prevent disorderly conduct or other misbehaviour at a meeting, the decision-making body is not to have the power to exclude members of the public from a meeting while it is open to the public."
Inspector Rankine says, ""Anyone can ban anyone from doing anything"
Before you all start 'banning' things, what the Inspector says is not true.
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Bearing in mind, "The Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012":
Regulation 4 (5) which states "Without prejudice to any power of exclusion to suppress or prevent disorderly conduct or other misbehaviour at a meeting, the decision-making body is not to have the power to exclude members of the public from a meeting while it is open to the public."
Inspector Rankine says, ""Anyone can ban anyone from doing anything"
Before you all start 'banning' things, what the Inspector says is not true.
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Thursday, 5 March 2015
Video: Knowsley Council Budget meeting - 4th March 2015
The 'budget' meeting of Knowsley Council on 4th March 2015.
Items on the agenda include:
2- Corporate Plan 2013 - 2016: Year 2 Refresh.
3 - Robustness of estimates and adequacy of Financial reserves.
4 - Treasury Management strategy 2015/16.
5 - 2014/15 Revenue Budget Monitoring Position
6 - Medium Term Financial Strategy
7 - 2014/15 and Future years capital programme monitoring update
8 - 2015/16 Fees and charges
9 - 2015/16 Budget strategy - Phase 2 savings opitons
10 - 2015/16 Revenue Budget
11 - Council Tax levy 2015/16
Please note: I too, agree with filming of Council meetings, in line with the fact that the Council Building is a public building and therefore a Public place and there are no laws or legislation that explicitly prevents or prohibits filming in a Public place.
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Items on the agenda include:
2- Corporate Plan 2013 - 2016: Year 2 Refresh.
3 - Robustness of estimates and adequacy of Financial reserves.
4 - Treasury Management strategy 2015/16.
5 - 2014/15 Revenue Budget Monitoring Position
6 - Medium Term Financial Strategy
7 - 2014/15 and Future years capital programme monitoring update
8 - 2015/16 Fees and charges
9 - 2015/16 Budget strategy - Phase 2 savings opitons
10 - 2015/16 Revenue Budget
11 - Council Tax levy 2015/16
Please note: I too, agree with filming of Council meetings, in line with the fact that the Council Building is a public building and therefore a Public place and there are no laws or legislation that explicitly prevents or prohibits filming in a Public place.
Follow @HuytonFreeman
Monday, 1 December 2014
Video: Knowsley MP George Howarth gets angry at being filmed.
I visited Knowsley MP George Howarth at his surgery in Huyton, to ask him why he was making untrue comments about me in emails to constituents. George immediately became angry, before I had even spoke, at the fact that I had a video camera with me. I commenced filming George once he became angry and threatened to call Police. Here's the full story and exactly what happened.
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Friday, 2 August 2013
Litter Enforcement Officer in Huyton
Whilst at a Public meeting in Huyton, we became aware of a Pensioner being 'issued' a £70 fine for allegedly dropping a cigarette. Now whilst I do not agree with anyone dropping litter, I and members of the Public felt it to be way over the top to bully a pensioner and try to extort money from him, rather than asking him to simply pick it up.
Here's what happened.
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Here's what happened.
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Monday, 22 July 2013
Thursday, 2 May 2013
Bedroom Tax/Council Tax - Walk of shame Protest Huyton
BEDROOM TAX/COUNCIL TAX. Peaceful Demo & Walk of Shame - Tues 7th May 2013 @12.30pm in Huyton Village.
"If you have had enough of this Government's attacks on decent people, if you have had enough of Council's silence and lack of support for the people, putting their masters in London before the vulnerable and suffering residents of their own Borough. Then please show your support and join us for a walk of shame to Knowsley Council.
Let's show this Council and this unelected Government, that we will not stand for these vile attacks and persecution.
Please, put everything to one side, we cannot let this go on any longer. Let these smug Councillors know, that if they don't stand up with us the people, against the millionaires in Government, then they will not be representing us come May 2014!
Please show your support, we are meeting at Huyton Post Office at 12.30pm.
We are all in this together. :-)"
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"If you have had enough of this Government's attacks on decent people, if you have had enough of Council's silence and lack of support for the people, putting their masters in London before the vulnerable and suffering residents of their own Borough. Then please show your support and join us for a walk of shame to Knowsley Council.
Let's show this Council and this unelected Government, that we will not stand for these vile attacks and persecution.
Please, put everything to one side, we cannot let this go on any longer. Let these smug Councillors know, that if they don't stand up with us the people, against the millionaires in Government, then they will not be representing us come May 2014!
Please show your support, we are meeting at Huyton Post Office at 12.30pm.
We are all in this together. :-)"
Follow @HuytonFreeman
Wednesday, 1 May 2013
Statement from KHT's Bob Taylor
A statement from Bob Taylor OF Knowsley Housing Trust.
"I was fortunate to meet a group of anti-bedroom tax and welfare cuts protesters we had invited to our KHT offices on 25th April 2013. The group included tenants and others affected by the bedroom tax, council tax and other changes such as rising fuel and food prices.
Our meeting was positive but a real cry for help from people terrified for how friends, family and those they care for will cope with the cuts and bedroom tax and how it has taken away any hope for the decent life they aspire to.
I have said this before but will say again that the bedroom tax cannot in any shape or form be right. To reduce payments for people who have already been assessed as in need – and in areas where jobs are in short supply – just makes no sense at all. Suddenly thousands of people are being asked to find upwards of £15-20 per week and over £30 per week for many more – just where can this come from?
KHT has over 3,000 homes (around 7,000 people) affected by the bedroom tax alone and when council tax and other changes are taken into account that figure is much higher. We are already hearing that as people with no other sources of income try to come to terms with the enormity of what’s happening they are struggling to eat let alone deal with how they are going to keep the roof over their head.
Thousands of people are desperately worried and at their wits’ end with how to pay their rent, how to eat and how to live. The human and social costs are significant. There will be a huge strain on health services and organisations striving to provide support. Significant numbers of people are already resorting to food banks and other means to survive.
When you combine that with Knowsley (and most other areas of the North) being hit with the highest government cuts per head of working age population in the country, at £800 per head, the economic and social costs are immense.
If we all truly believe that it is the right of every individual to have a decent home, decent food and a decent life, sucking the life out of places like Knowsley through all these cuts is not just wrong but immoral. It’s not good for people, it’s certainly not good for businesses and in the absence of any economic stimulus the future is indeed bleak.
What people on the lowest incomes, in the most unfortunate positions in life need is hope and not to be characterised as spongers or scroungers, insulting phrases which do not apply to the vast majority of the millions of people affected by these policies.
The key point for me is HOPE. If we do not give people a feeling that there is hope – hope to get a job, hope that society cares about people who, through no fault of their own, can’t work, hope to live a decent life, hope to be able to feed themselves and their families – then what is left?
My call to anyone who has influence over the Government and policymakers and can understand the simple mechanics, if not the human cost, of what I and all at KHT are starting to witness is that it’s not too late to put it right. It’s not too late to recognise what is going to happen and to do something now to stop it.
If you agree and feel as strongly as us, write to your local MP, to Mark Prisk the Housing Minister or your local newspaper telling them how you feel and how it’s affecting you and the community you live in.
At KHT we will be doing much more work over the next few weeks to act on what our tenants, partners and others in our communities are telling us now that the harsh impact of these cuts are being felt in Knowsley .
The old adage – ‘you’ve got to invest to save’ – is something I subscribe to but it doesn’t appear that the Government feels this should apply to Knowsley, Merseyside and the North."
Source: KHT Website
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"I was fortunate to meet a group of anti-bedroom tax and welfare cuts protesters we had invited to our KHT offices on 25th April 2013. The group included tenants and others affected by the bedroom tax, council tax and other changes such as rising fuel and food prices.
Our meeting was positive but a real cry for help from people terrified for how friends, family and those they care for will cope with the cuts and bedroom tax and how it has taken away any hope for the decent life they aspire to.
I have said this before but will say again that the bedroom tax cannot in any shape or form be right. To reduce payments for people who have already been assessed as in need – and in areas where jobs are in short supply – just makes no sense at all. Suddenly thousands of people are being asked to find upwards of £15-20 per week and over £30 per week for many more – just where can this come from?
KHT has over 3,000 homes (around 7,000 people) affected by the bedroom tax alone and when council tax and other changes are taken into account that figure is much higher. We are already hearing that as people with no other sources of income try to come to terms with the enormity of what’s happening they are struggling to eat let alone deal with how they are going to keep the roof over their head.
Thousands of people are desperately worried and at their wits’ end with how to pay their rent, how to eat and how to live. The human and social costs are significant. There will be a huge strain on health services and organisations striving to provide support. Significant numbers of people are already resorting to food banks and other means to survive.
When you combine that with Knowsley (and most other areas of the North) being hit with the highest government cuts per head of working age population in the country, at £800 per head, the economic and social costs are immense.
If we all truly believe that it is the right of every individual to have a decent home, decent food and a decent life, sucking the life out of places like Knowsley through all these cuts is not just wrong but immoral. It’s not good for people, it’s certainly not good for businesses and in the absence of any economic stimulus the future is indeed bleak.
What people on the lowest incomes, in the most unfortunate positions in life need is hope and not to be characterised as spongers or scroungers, insulting phrases which do not apply to the vast majority of the millions of people affected by these policies.
The key point for me is HOPE. If we do not give people a feeling that there is hope – hope to get a job, hope that society cares about people who, through no fault of their own, can’t work, hope to live a decent life, hope to be able to feed themselves and their families – then what is left?
My call to anyone who has influence over the Government and policymakers and can understand the simple mechanics, if not the human cost, of what I and all at KHT are starting to witness is that it’s not too late to put it right. It’s not too late to recognise what is going to happen and to do something now to stop it.
If you agree and feel as strongly as us, write to your local MP, to Mark Prisk the Housing Minister or your local newspaper telling them how you feel and how it’s affecting you and the community you live in.
At KHT we will be doing much more work over the next few weeks to act on what our tenants, partners and others in our communities are telling us now that the harsh impact of these cuts are being felt in Knowsley .
The old adage – ‘you’ve got to invest to save’ – is something I subscribe to but it doesn’t appear that the Government feels this should apply to Knowsley, Merseyside and the North."
Source: KHT Website
Follow @HuytonFreeman
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