News in Heswall

Wirral residents are being asked to meet outdoors, get their jabs and stop the spread of COVID-19 as cases surge in the borough.

More than 2,000 infections were recorded in Wirral in the week up to March 12, a sharp rise of 62% from the week before.

Bosses at Birkenhead school are angry with the council over an alleged 'delay' in deciding whether to approve controversial plans for 33 homes on a field the school owns.

The independent school, on Beresford Road in Oxton, wants to sell off Noctorum Field and gain planning permission for up to 33 homes on the site. The proposal has faced fierce local opposition.

Fears that "dangerous" fracking could be allowed in Wirral have been raised in parliament, with a Wirral MP saying she is "extremely concerned".

The government paused fracking implementation in November 2019 due to concerns about managing "seismic activity". The pause followed numerous protests from environmental groups over several years, with worries about potential risks such as earth tremors raised.

A massive plan which will see huge numbers of homes built in Wirral has been approved.

Wirral Council's draft Local Plan, a document laying out plans for thousands of homes to be built in the borough between now and 2037, was passed at last night's meeting of the authority's cross-party Policy and Resources Committee.

A controversial plan for homes on an historic school field which has faced fierce local opposition is set for a crunch vote.

Birkenhead School, the independent school on Beresford Road in Oxton, wants to sell off Noctorum Field and gain planning permission for up to 33 homes on the site.

Above: Joe Cole as Harry Palmer in ITV's The Ipcress File. Photograph: ITV

When ITV Drama decided to reboot The IPCRESS File, a much loved spy movie based on a best-selling book and starring Michael Caine, writers and producers had no idea that world events would conspire to make its 1960s setting horribly relevant to a contemporary audience.

Wirral Council is sticking with plans to create a 1.2 metre flood wall along West Kirby promenade, despite campaigners arguing it will stop people coming to the town.

The plan for the wall was approved by a council committee last year. The meeting heard that over the next 100 years, approximately 26 people will be at risk of being killed if protections are not put in place, and that more than 70 properties would also be protected by a flood wall.

Charlotte House Care Home, in Bebington, has introduced a £1000 starting bonus as part of a major recruitment drive.

Part of the Lovett Care Group, Charlotte House is a modern, spacious and inviting care home offering exceptional residential, dementia, nursing, palliative and respite care.

Wirral Council has waived the normal charge for road closure applications to help residents celebrate the Queen's Platinum Jubilee.

On February 6, the Queen became the first British monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee, marking 70 years of service. Several events are taking place throughout the year to mark this historic milestone, ending in a four-day bank holiday weekend from Thursday, June 2 to Sunday, June 5.

There are more than twice as many people in Wirral's hospitals with COVID-19 as there were last week and cases have also risen sharply.

On March 8, the most recent day for which we have figures, 39 people were being treated for the virus in Wirral. That is a major increase on the figure of 15, recorded a week earlier.