Cromer Road residents' problems with badly-parked rail-users' cars should not be ignored just because a councillor had been inept, Southport Area Committee was told last night.

Conservative Councillor Harry Bliss identified that his suspended former Tory colleague, Cllr David Barton had submitted a report to the Committee on Cromer Road which tried to get Southport councillors to spend funds over which they had no authority. His assessment was confirmed by the Clerk to the Committee, Southport Neighbourhood Manager Graham Parry.

But Lib Dem Councillor Tony Dawson said that it would be wrong for the valuable bathwater to be thrown out with the baby on this issue. Cromer Road residents had a genuine long-standing grievance. Their road was narrower than other roads where Hillside Station rail users parked their cars, often in a skewed fashion. And residents could not get their cars out even if the commuters parked properly, due to the narrowness of the road and the steep bank opposite.



"Just because Councillor Barton's report was inept and inaccurate did not mean that there was not a problem here," he said. "It is unfortunate that Councillor Barton does not talk to other councillors when he wants something to happen."

"If residents approached the Council's in the proper manner with a clear unified idea of what they wanted," he said, " then it should be given proper consideration following a proper report by officers."

"But nobody," he continued, "not even the Sefton Council Cabinet Member who decided these things, could properly make any decision on this or any other subject based upon the say-so of a single councillor who 'bounced' them with a proposal which was different to that which the residents had previously sought."

Sefton Highways chief Dave Marrin informed councillors that the option of a residents' parking scheme at Cromer Road was, in his view, a 'non-starter' as it would simply join the other 140 requests which Sefton MBC had parked on the shelf for such schemes. Councillor Dawson declared that the Council's 'moratorium on such schemes was a "total disgrace" as the Council was discriminating in favour of the people who presently had schemes at the expense of those who might have a more pressing need.

Cromer Road resident Steve Sugden who attended the meeting was very disappointed with the continued lack of progress on a matter which he said he had been pursuing for 17 years, initially with former Dukes Ward councillors Sir Ron Watson and Les Byrom. Just that morning, he had been subject to being blocked in on his own driveway and reported this to police.

Councillor Terry Jones agreed with Councillor Dawson that Councillor Barton had gone totally the wrong way about this. The Committee declined to pursue Councillor Barton's report but agreed a proposal by Cllr Simon Shaw that it should be 'noted.'

Cllr barton does spout some drivel

Narrow road my a**e - you could get a Challenger tank with a side car on it down there!

To be fair, you can get a challenger tank to go most places

cant see what all the fuss is about myself

Cllrs Dawson and Barton should probably both step aside for the good of the town, Cllr Barton as he doesn't have the support of fellow councillors to make any changes whether inept, well thought out or other he's not going to be able to implement things if he'll be consistently blocked.

Cllr Dawson in the other hand seems to spend more time point scoring and he can't even see a Cllr Barton thread without jumping on it or I'm guessing publishing stories to change views of one party versus another. it's patently clear Cllr Dawson can only work with fellow Libs...which for Southport won't work and whether we like Cllr Barton or not the approach and attitude depending how you look at it could be seen as tantamount to bullying which is a bit surprising as the streets have hardly been paved with gold with the Libs representing at a local and national level...last major investment was probably the sea wall/ocean plaza since then keeping Sainsbury's seems to be our sole focus for the last stand before oblivion.

None of the above/hot air is worth our taxes or the opportunity we've given them to represent us.

Originally Posted by Username2016

Cllr Dawson in the other hand seems to spend more time point scoring ...

You reckon, eh?

If you care to refer to another local news site you will see that it is, in fact, Cllr Barton who is the one who wants to engage in "political point scoring".

Originally Posted by prasnee

You reckon, eh?

If you care to refer to another local news site you will see that it is, in fact, Cllr Barton who is the one who wants to engage in "political point scoring".

Yes, I do reckon, you're simply going by one story and you'll see I don't feel either are good for the town for different ways. You only have to look at the comments in most stories and Cllr Dawson features to try and undermine or turn it a shade of Lib Dem yellow. Maybe he should spend more time caseworking and "councilloring" than trying to point score as for both those jobs we don't pay him to force the political views of his local club down our necks. EVen you must see that their combined antics is a race to the bottom

Originally Posted by Username2016

Cllrs Dawson and Barton should probably both step aside for the good of the town, Cllr Barton as he doesn't have the support of fellow councillors to make any changes whether inept, well thought out or other he's not going to be able to implement things if he'll be consistently blocked.

Cllr Dawson in the other hand seems to spend more time point scoring and he can't even see a Cllr Barton thread without jumping on it or I'm guessing publishing stories to change views of one party versus another. it's patently clear Cllr Dawson can only work with fellow Libs...which for Southport won't work and whether we like Cllr Barton or not the approach and attitude depending how you look at it could be seen as tantamount to bullying which is a bit surprising as the streets have hardly been paved with gold with the Libs representing at a local and national level...last major investment was probably the sea wall/ocean plaza since then keeping Sainsbury's seems to be our sole focus for the last stand before oblivion.

None of the above/hot air is worth our taxes or the opportunity we've given them to represent us.

Well said.
Barton won't get in next time around as he is rubbished at every opportunity, most of the other councillors are on the missing list and Dawson shouldn't get in and shouldn't be in now as he's twice been investigated for election fraud, condones racist posts and was named in a full council meeting as an online troll for trying to whip up hatred against another councillor.
Hardly the best attributes for a councillor! All these councillors need to go if the Town is to have any prospect.

Originally Posted by Username2016

Yes, I do reckon, you're simply going by one story and you'll see I don't feel either are good for the town for different ways. You only have to look at the comments in most stories and Cllr Dawson features to try and undermine or turn it a shade of Lib Dem yellow. Maybe he should spend more time caseworking and "councilloring" than trying to point score as for both those jobs we don't pay him to force the political views of his local club down our necks. EVen you must see that their combined antics is a race to the bottom

Just so you are aware 'Prasnee' Is Councillor Dawson.

Originally Posted by RentARunner

Just so you are aware 'Prasnee' Is Councillor Dawson.

I did not know that, I thought they were more likely to be a different councillor as in the other site Cllr Dawson's grammar and typos are pretty sloppy whereas prasnee's yellow tinted pearls of wisdom aren't.

Either way if a councillor is commenting on council matters it shouldn't be behind a pseudonym.

We do still however have a disfunctional problem in that I can't see how our councillors can work together in southport let alone the wider Sefton.