Every spring, things get even more political on our social media pages as the local elections loom.
As a campaign linked to a charity, we must be politically neutral. We've said many times that we're willing to work with any party to find a way out of our situation and we continue to make approaches to politicians across the spectrum.
With 2024 being such an important one for the wider country with the expected general election, we wanted to do the hard work for you and get statements from each of the main political parties; starting here, in Sefton.
We asked them for their views on the road proposal and port access and we're sharing each statement received here for you to consider. These statements are from party leaders/spokespeople, not Ward candidates, so if you want to know the views of candidates in your Ward, we recommend contacting them directly.
We're in the process of gathering statements from Metro Mayoral candidates for the Liverpool City Region and will be sharing these soon.
In the meantime, please read each statement we've received for Sefton in full. We've listed parties in alphabetical order.
22/03/24: Liberal Democrats have been approached for comment but, as yet, no statement has been provided. We'll update this article if that changes.
"The Port of Liverpool is a huge economic driver for Sefton, the Liverpool City Region and the North West. The opportunities for increased global trade via the port are clear and this will lead to more jobs and prosperity for local people.
However, there is no escaping the increased volumes of traffic that such economic activity brings to the area and the pressures this places on local people and our environment. The Port of Liverpool Access Road Proposal seeks to address this.
We all want to see our green spaces protected and available for all to use and enjoy.
Equally, we in Sefton Conservatives also feel it is important to stand up for residents directly affected by air and noise pollution along the current route (Dunnings Bridge Road/Church Road). Their campaign for improved quality of life and wellbeing is, in some respects, becoming lost in the campaign to protect Rimrose Valley, both causes are equally important.
As someone who grew up in the area and attended a local school I know how much of an impact that the high volumes of traffic can have on the lives of local people.
Our preference would be for an alternative plan to be put forward that protects Rimrose Valley and reduces traffic volumes on the existing route for local residents, this could include freight moving by rail or the use of road tunnels.
The current proposal is the only one on the table at present and we are not aware of any alternatives put forward by Labour or any other political party. It is easy to criticise but much more difficult to offer up solutions.
We want to see a solution that protects our green spaces and benefits residents and we await the outcome of the further traffic impact assessments and public consultation."
Councillor Mike Prendergast - Conservative Group Leader, Sefton Council
"Sefton Green Party has opposed the construction of a new access road to the Port of Liverpool through Rimrose Valley Country Park from the outset. The proposal on offer does nothing to improve the dire state of air quality in South Sefton and the grave threat this poses to public health.
We believe that the plans put forward would simply replicate the air pollution seen on our existing roads. This would impact homes, schools and places of work in the immediate vicinity of the route and remove a vital green space that the people of South Sefton use to escape today’s dangerous levels of pollution.
Building a road through Rimrose Valley would not only destroy its natural beauty and diverse range of wildlife; it would also deprive the local community of a valuable resource for physical and mental well-being. It is the Green Party’s view that we must prioritise the preservation and enhancement of Rimrose Valley, and places like it, which are increasingly rare in our rapidly urbanising world. Ripping up green space and replacing it with roads and HGVs flies in the face of the action needed to reduce our CO2 emissions and the urgent steps needed to tackle the climate emergency at a local level.
If elected, Green Party Councillors would demand that the Council be more vocal in its opposition to these plans, and more transparent in its work on alternative solutions which would promote sustainable growth of the Port of Liverpool, whilst respecting the health and wellbeing of local people and the local environment. For too long, economic growth has been prioritised over our health and wellbeing and our environment. The Green Party would change this."
Neil Doolin, Spokesperson for Sefton Green Party
"As Leader of Sefton Labour and the Labour-led council, our position on National Highways' proposed Port of Liverpool Access Road remains the same as when it was announced in 2017.
We strongly oppose the scheme, not just because it would destroy Rimrose Valley Country Park which was created and funded by our own council, but also because building more roads simply does not address the issues experienced by our communities in the south of the Borough.
We will continue to campaign to find better alternatives which not only preserve our essential green spaces, but also remove as much port traffic as possible from our existing roads, tackling air, noise and light pollution and protecting our environment. Rail, water and other solutions are the way out of this problem and under my leadership, we will work with our MPs and Metro Mayor to demand a better deal from central government."
Marion Atkinson – Sefton Council Leader, Labour Party