Nina's Letters

Nina has also made a freedom of information request regarding what services Sefton Council are legally obliged to provide.

Nina's letter to The Chief Executive:
"Dear Mrs Carney
I am writing as secretary of the Southport Anti-Cuts Coalition. The
Southport Anti-Cuts Coalition is a group of people who oppose cuts to
vital jobs and services and we want the council to be held to account
over the budget cuts they have announced.
Please can you explain how the council came to a decision about the
closure of the Botanic Gardens nursery and museum? It seems to me to
be very short-sighted to close a successful nursery and museum in
order to save money, but then to pay contractors to grow and plant
flowers around the town in future. What are the savings and costs
involved? Has the council taken into account the personal situation of
the staff who are being made redundant? It is a personal tragedy for
anyone losing their jobs in the current economic climate.
Council leader Tony Robertson says there is no alternative to savage
cuts - has the council really investigated the alternatives? Have
council members looked at their own costs, whether the number of
councillors could be cut or their expenses scaled back? Have you
looked at your own salary package - are you willing to lose some of
your salary like you are expecting the dedicated public servants of
Sefton to lose theirs? Has there been value for money from the
contracts with Capita and Arvato, and what is the council doing about
those organisations failing to create jobs?
Has the council looked at the ways that other councils are managing
their cuts? Other councils seem to going a lot further to protect jobs
and services.
Vulnerable people in Sefton should not have to pay for the economic
situation the country and the council finds itself in. The Southport
Anti-Cuts Coalition will do all we can to fight cuts and hold the
council to account for the decisions they make.
Yours sincerely
Nina Killen
Southport Anti-Cuts Coalition"
Nina's Letter to The Visiter:



"Sefton Council leader Tony Robertson says there is no alternative to
savage cuts in frontline services, jobs and support for the area’s
most vulnerable people, but has the council really investigated the
alternatives? 
Have council members looked at their own costs, whether the number of
councillors could be cut or their expenses scaled back? Has the chief
executive Margaret Carney looked at her own salary package – is she
willing to lose some of her salary as she is expecting the dedicated
public servants of Sefton to lose theirs?
How did the council come to a decision about the closure of the
Botanic Gardens nursery and museum? It seems to me to be very
short-sighted to close a successful nursery and museum in order to
save money, but then to pay contractors to grow and plant flowers
around the town in future. What are the savings and costs involved?
Has the council taken into account the personal situation of the staff
who are being made redundant? It is a personal tragedy for anyone
losing their jobs in the current economic climate.
Other councils seem to going a lot further to protect jobs and
services. Has the council looked at how other councils are making
cuts? I have written to the chief executive Margaret Carney to ask
these questions and look forward to her reply.
Vulnerable people in Sefton should not have to pay for the economic
situation the country and the council finds itself in. A new group has
been formed called the Southport Anti-Cuts Coalition – we are an open
group and urge the people of Southport and the wider area to join us.
We will do all we can to fight cuts and hold the council to account
for the decisions they make. Our next meeting is at the Windmill Pub
on Seabank Road on Monday January 17 at 8pm.
Nina Killen, Southport Anti-Cuts Coalition"