News

Halewood Town Council has today published its specification for Grounds Maintenance Services from 1st April 2024 (for a 3-year period).

The full Grounds Maintenance Notification and Specification can be found here:

Invitation to Tender: Halewood Town Council Invitation to Tender Grounds Maintenance

Specification: Grounds Maintenance Specification 2023 APP A

The notice on the government’s ‘Contracts Finder’ service can be found here: Halewood TC Notice of Tender

Halewood Town Council, and the residents of Halewood, were outraged to see contractors cutting down and removing trees from the car park at Halewood Shopping Centre. In addition to the environmental vandalism of removing perfectly healthy trees, this decision will also have a negative impact on the plans the council is developing for a Festive Lights Switch-On next month. Residents will recall that the trees in the car park were a feature of the lighting display in the past two years, and this had been well-received by many residents, especially children.

The Mayor of Halewood, Cllr Iain Hamilton, has joined the Town Manager, Gerry Allen, and council staff in seeking answers from LCP, the owners of the land and retail units at the site. In his conversation with the company, Cllr Hamilton laid out the serious objections of the council and residents to the act of removing the trees and sought reassurance that any further work to remove trees will be halted until the legality of their actions is investigated. The representative of LCP understood the objections and agreed further actions with the trees would cease for the time-being.

The Mayor has joined forces with Halewood borough councillors in seeking the support of Knowsley MBC to express our anger at the decisions made by LCP and seek clarity on whether their actions are legal. Many residents will know Knowsley MBC has a legal responsibility for woodland management employing a Tree Specialist to deal with such matters, and it is widely known that the removal of trees is generally subject to planning approval. The Mayor has also personally contacted the office of Maria Eagle MP, and other MPs in the area to seek support with this matter.

Halewood Town Council will continue to work with its partners in addressing this serious matter. It is also the council’s intention to continue with a Festive Lights Switch-On event next month. Please watch out for further announcements on the Town Council website and social media platforms.

Halewood Town Council is aware of the actions taken this morning to remove trees in the Halewood Shopping Centre car park. It is our understanding this decision has been taken by the owners of the retail units and land at the Shopping Centre, LCP (London & Cambridge Properties).

We have contacted LCP seeking information about the decision to remove the trees, expressing both our concerns as a Town Council, and the concerns of many local residents. We will send a further update when we have more information.

Halewood Town Council is inviting tenders for its Grounds Maintenance Contract.

The tender specification will be available from Tuesday 24^th October 2023. The council is requesting the commencement of the service from 1^st April 2024.

It is the responsibility of all Tenderers to ensure their tender is delivered no later than 12 noon on Thursday 7^th December. The Town Council will not consider tenders received after that time.

Tenderers should note that the delivery of tender documents should be either hand-delivered or by post clearly marked ‘Confidential – Grounds Maintenance Tender Document’ in a sealed envelope to:

The Town Manager and RFO

Arncliffe Sports & Community Centre,

Arncliffe Road,

Halewood,

Knowsley, L25 9PA

If you would like more information, please email the Town Manager at gerry.allen@knowsley.gov.uk  with your query or to arrange a discussion.

Gerry Allen                                                                                        13^th October 2023

Town Manager

HOLLIES PLAYGROUND

Residents are advised that from this day through to Saturday 29th October 2023, Hollies Playground will be closing by 6.00pm each evening. This is to take account of the shorter days through the autumn period.

From 30th October, after the clocks go back one hour, it will be closed each day by approximately 4.30pm.

PLAY FACILITY AT HOLLIES FIELD (in front of St. Nicholas Church)

Residents are advised that work is underway to improve the facilities on the play area immediately in front of St. Nicholas Church on Church Road, Halewood. The work is expected to take two weeks to complete. We apologise for the inconvenience, but hope the improved facilities at the conclusion of the work will be well-received by the children of our township

18 Hours Per Week Support Officer (12-Month Maternity Cover)

Halewood Town Council is looking for an enthusiastic and hard-working individual to strengthen our team and perform a vital role as a ‘Support Officer’ at its two settings, Hollies Hall and the Arncliffe Centre.

The role is for a minimum 12-month period covering the Maternity Absence of a colleague. The role may therefore be extended beyond that initial 12-month period. This work will predominately consist of evening shifts and weekend work.

Responsibilities

• To act as a Support Officer covering the activities at Hollies Hall and the Arncliffe Centre. This includes onsite support to hirers, dealing with enquiries and acting as part of our team.
• To be part of the team offering support and supervision to Bar Functions, a vital part of the work at Halewood Town Council.
• Deliver and maintain consistently high standards of service to ensure an unrivalled customer experience.

Key Characteristics

• Able to perform under pressure and make decisions.
• Excellent problem solving skills.
• Strong interpersonal and organisational skills.

Salary and Benefits

• NALC Scale Points 5-6 starting at £21,575 (pro-rata) with a pay award pending
• 25 days paid annual leave, not including Bank Holidays (pro-rata)
• Job Type: Part-time, Fixed-Term (following satisfactory completion of probation)
• Closing date for applications: 10.00 am Wednesday 13^th September 2023.

For an informal chat, please contact the Town Council Development and Operations Manager, Dave Murphy on 0151 428 1929 during usual office hours (Monday to Friday, 9.30am-5.00 pm).

An application form, full job description and person specification can be found here:

JOB-APPLICATION-FORM Halewood Town Council

SUPPORT OFFICER Job Description

SUPPORT OFFICER Person Specification

Please Note: Applications will only be taken through the receipt of a completed town council application form: **Do Not** send CVs.

At the council meeting of 17^th August 2023, Halewood Town Councillors voted to object to the proposed closure of the Ticket Office at Halewood Train Station. This objection was formally and unanimously agreed by members at the meeting.

The letter of objection can be viewed here: Halewood Train Station Ticket Office Closure

There is an important update regarding significant roadworks on Higher Road through the 5th and 6th of August 2023. This is the communication received by Halewood Town Council.

For your information, essential carriageway surfacing works, are planned on a section of Higher Road, Halewood from Saturday 05^th August 2023 to Sunday 06^th August 2023 between the hours of 8:00 and 18:00. In order that the works can be undertaken quickly and safely the road will be closed, shown on the link below: 

one.network

The diversion route associated with this closure is via Leathers Lane, Baileys Lane and vice versa. 

The Town Council’s support to the Holiday Activities programme, SNAP (Sport-Nutrition-Active Play), commenced its four week run on Monday 31st July. The project will take place from Mondays to Thursdays at the Arncliffe Centre, and will be a positive experience for scores of participating children and families from across Halewood.

SNAP is a collaborative project between organisations across the borough of Knowsley led by ‘One Knowsley’ and Knowsley MBC. Funding for the projects comes from the Department for Education.

We are advising residents/parents that Hollies Playground must be closed each evening no later than 7.30pm. However, to support the work of our keyholders who open/close the park on behalf of the council, we further advise the closing time may be undertaken earlier than this on occasions between 6.30pm and 7.30pm (dependent upon weather and other factors).

We appreciate this may be disappointing to some families who would use the park in the early evenings, especially when the weather is nice in our township. However, the playground and the area around Hollies Park has once again been beset by incidents of anti-social behaviour causing stress to local residents and requiring the attention of the Police. The council has also been required to fund repairs to equipment in the playground because of damage caused through this anti-social behaviour.

It is always a difficult balance between the needs of children/families in accessing free, stimulating play experiences and the peace and security of residents who live near the park. We know we get this right most of the time but, when problems arise, they are understandably stressful for those living close to the issue and costly in terms of interventions from the Police, Council staff or local Councillors. Halewood Town Council therefore makes a further plea to the young people involved in causing these problems, and their parents/carers, to be mindful of the impact of their behaviour.

We hope residents understand the reasons for this communication and will support our decision.