In April 2010 we posed questions to all the candidates for the Wirral and West Cheshire constituencies. Here are their responses.
1. Would you support a total ban on pavement parking except where there are signs or road markings permitting it?
| Candidate | Constituency | Party | Response |
| Tom Barker | City of Chester | Green | Yes |
| David Kirwan | Wirral West | Independent | Yes |
| Peter Reisdorf | Wirral West | Liberal Democrat | Yes |
| Peter Hampson | Weaver Vale | Liberal Democrat | I would support an investigation into the merits of banning pavemnet blockage by vehicles. It should, in my opinion be made illegal to completely block the pavement with road vehicles, but I am also aware that residential parking is insufficient in certain areas. |
| Paul Remfry | Weaver Vale | UKIP | I would like to see a total ban on pavement parking, however I think that we would have to address several major issues before this was possible as listed below. |
| Derek Snowden | Wallasey | UKIP | Yes I would support a total ban on pavement parking, except in very certain circumstances. As a dog walker I often get annoyed about the times I have to walk out into very busy roads to walk around cars illegaly parked on pavements. This is a far worse problem for the elderly or for young parents walking children, using pushchairs or both. Often these cars are illegaly parked because the selfish owner would not walk an extra few yards! The exception to this rule must be where disabled need access and the only option available is to park on the pavement. |
| David Scott | Wirral South | UKIP | I would have thought parking on pavements was illegal, but yes I would support a total ban. |
| David James | Wirral West | Common Sense | Provide it was legal, I would use commonsense to establish whether on road or pavement parking created the least hazard to traffic or pedestrians. |
| Steve Pitt | Wallasey | Liberal Democrat | Yes |
| Philip Griffiths | Wirral West | UKIP | Yes. |
| Andrew Miller | Ellesmere Port and Neston | Labour | In normal circumstances vehicles should not be parked on pavements as they would pose a hazard for the partially sighted and an obstruction to wheelchairs etc. I would say that the pavements should NEVER be completely blocked but a complete ban in all circumstances may not be the safest option. |
2. Why did you give that response?
| Candidate | Constituency | Party | Response |
| Tom Barker | City of Chester | Green | Because pavements are for people (as you know). Personally, I dislike playing pavement hopscotch between dog faeces, unclipped hedges and parked vehicles. Blind people, children and parents with pushchairs and toddlers are put at personal risk when forced into the road to get past a vehicle on the pavement. It can also seriously damage paving, which costs the local tax payer a great deal to replace. |
| David Kirwan | Wirral West | Independent | Common sense dictates that pavements ARE FOR PEDESTRIANS NOT VEHICLES |
| Peter Reisdorf | Wirral West | Liberal Democrat | Pavement parking is a hazard |
| Peter Hampson | Weaver Vale | Liberal Democrat | See above |
| Paul Remfry | Weaver Vale | UKIP | I believe that pavements are designed for walking and people shouldnt have to brave walking in the road because cars are blocking the walkway! However before pavement parking is banned we would need to create more free car parking spaces in all towns to alleviate the problem. Secondly we would need to relieve traffic congestion and make sure that all new houses have parking spaces for at least two cars and more for bigger houses. Thirdly this would have to be phased in sensibly with community consent. |
| Derek Snowden | Wallasey | UKIP | See q1 |
| David Scott | Wirral South | UKIP | I say that because cars could be a danger to walkers and are likely to damage the pavement. |
| David James | Wirral West | Common Sense | Because it is commonsense |
| Steve Pitt | Wallasey | Liberal Democrat | (see 8 also) my daughter is disabled and uses a wheelchair, parking on pavements causes obstruction and is dangerous. |
| Philip Griffiths | Wirral West | UKIP | Because parking would cause an obstruction. |
| Andrew Miller | Ellesmere Port and Neston | Labour | as [1] above |
3. Would you support the introduction of 20 mph speed limits on roads:-
a) Where there are schools
b) Where there is a high density of shops
c) In residential streets that are not major routes
| Candidate | Constituency | Party | Response |
| Tom Barker | City of Chester | Green | a) yes; b) yes; c) yes. This is Green Party policy. |
| David Kirwan | Wirral West | Independent | a) Yes, b) Yes, c) No |
| Peter Reisdorf | Wirral West | Liberal Democrat | a) Yes, b) Not sure, would depend on the individual location, c) Yes |
| Peter Hampson | Weaver Vale | Liberal Democrat | a) Yes, b) Yes, c) Yes |
| Paul Remfry | Weaver Vale | UKIP | a) Schools should be smaller and local which would lessen the need for driving to them at all! In this case I think that there needs to be a compromise between road users and school childrens needs. A system of flashing lights at school opening and closing hours could sensibly be enforced with a slower speed limit as conditions and time dictates. Road users should also be educated to drive at the speed that is safe for the road, whether near a school or not. If there were more police living locally they should be able to enforce better driving standards. Further mandatory speed legislation is not the way forward, but better driving skills and consideration is. In the same manner child discipline when dealing with road safety should be a practical part of schooling. b) The ideal solution would be wider roads and pavements, but where this is impossible each case should be judged on its merit and in the interests of safety lower speed limits imposed if necessary and enforceable. c) Again road conditions should dictate speed limits and dangerous (which includes too fast) and inconsiderate drivers should be educated or taken off the roads if necessary. To me the issue should be safe driving for both drivers and other road users which of course includes pedestrians. |
| Derek Snowden | Wallasey | UKIP | A) Yes, when schools are in place but only for the times the schools are in place. i.e. during the hours 7.30 a.m. to 7.30 p.m. I would like to see variable speed limits brought in so that current national speed limits apply (30 mph) when there is no immediate danger to the schoolchildren. (School holidays and weekends). b) Yes. c) Yes. |
| David Scott | Wirral South | UKIP | I have reservations about a 20 mph limit being applied widely - what matters is people driving sensibly and a 20 mph limit where not necessary will waste fuel as people will have to drive in third gear. |
| David James | Wirral West | Common Sense | a) No --- The law as it stands states that you must drive according to the conditions. 20mph signs would not stop drunks or fools speeding. Why 20mph ? 1 mph sometimes is too fast b) No --- being there is sometimes the problem. Our town planners have not looked after our high streets in favour of out of town centres. I do question why councilors permitted these Leviathans. Pedestrianisation with ample free car parking is essential to keep intact the identity of our towns. With regard to speeding, it would be criminally irresponsible to go quicker than safe for the conditions. If it is made so unattractive to shop locally those shops will disappear. It would be wonderful to return to the fifty's where women did not need to work and they could carry the shopping back on the pram. But it will not happen even if men really ruled! c) Bad driving causes accidents! Government statistics show that speed is a 5% cause of accidents. A careful driver would not travel as fast as 20mph in difficult conditions. But it is a good idea if you want to raise money through speeding fines. |
| Steve Pitt | Wallasey | Liberal Democrat | Yes for all |
| Philip Griffiths | Wirral West | UKIP | Yes to a and b but subject to residents views to c. |
| Andrew Miller | Ellesmere Port and Neston | Labour | a, 20mph outside schools during the times when children are going to and from school would be an excellent idea, but I would favour changeable speed limits as many schools during the holidays would not need to have 20mph maximum. b, Outside shops could certainly be considered for a 20mph limit. c, 20mph in residential streets could be introduced, perhaps depending on local consultation. |
4. Would you influence town planning to prioritise walkers over drivers?
| Candidate | Constituency | Party | Response |
| Tom Barker | City of Chester | Green | Yes, and have submitted plans and recommendations to do so in Chester. |
| David Kirwan | Wirral West | Independent | In village and town centers |
| Peter Reisdorf | Wirral West | Liberal Democrat | Yes, this is happenning already to some extent |
| Peter Hampson | Weaver Vale | Liberal Democrat | I feel that whilst pedestrians are often marginalised, to prioritise pedestrian access over drivers would potentially adversely affect the urban environment. I believe that a stronger emphasis on pedestrians should be addressed, but that a balance should be struck between the two to include more cycleways, pedestrian crossings and traffic calming measures in high-risk contexts. |
| Paul Remfry | Weaver Vale | UKIP | No. Town planning should make allowance for the need of all inhabitants and users, and not prioritise one over the other. Both, and all the rest, should be suitably catered for. |
| Derek Snowden | Wallasey | UKIP | As I stated earlier I am a dog walker and enjoy walking very much. I meet a lot of other dog walkers who often feel that they do not feel fully safe walking around parts of the Wirral, especially in the winter and the dark mornings and nights. However, any town planning must take into account the needs of essential services and how they can access properties and also the disabled and elderly. In other words, whilst walkers should and must have an input into town planning all other groups needs also have bto be considered. |
| David Scott | Wirral South | UKIP | Yes, planners should normally fit the needs of drivers around those of walkers. |
| David James | Wirral West | Common Sense | Yes and No, No where the transport of tradesmen, shoppers, deliveries or people getting to work was necessary. And Yes where a nice pedestrianised zone with a cafe culture could be created. |
| Steve Pitt | Wallasey | Liberal Democrat | Yes |
| Philip Griffiths | Wirral West | UKIP | That would depend on the issues. |
| Andrew Miller | Ellesmere Port and Neston | Labour | I certainly believe that pedestrians should be considered in town planning. |
5. What would be your commitment to encouraging children to walk to school?
| Candidate | Constituency | Party | Response |
| Tom Barker | City of Chester | Green | Safer routes for walking and cycling, fewer facilities for cars, a publicity programme to highlight walking and driving issues, including safety, enjoyment and climate change aspects, to try to educate the car-driving public. |
| David Kirwan | Wirral West | Independent | providing safety issues are addressed then most certainly |
| Peter Reisdorf | Wirral West | Liberal Democrat | If we could get all children to either walk, cycle or use public transport it would be a major benefit to the environment |
| Peter Hampson | Weaver Vale | Liberal Democrat | I would actively encourage children walking to school for environmental and health reasons. I currently work for the Cooperative bank who support the 'school walking bus' initiatives, whereby school childen walk to school together supervised, wearing 'high-vis' vests for saftety. |
| Paul Remfry | Weaver Vale | UKIP | I would like to see smaller schools so that walking to schools was a more realistic prospect for many parents and children. I would also like to see more walking buses which I think an excellent idea. |
| Derek Snowden | Wallasey | UKIP | I find it amazing that so many children are driven to school, often over small distances. I understand the time restraints on busy parents often neccessitate the need for this and security and welfare of children is a major concern. However, I believe that children (and parents) should be encouraged to walk to school and the first way in which I would do this is by having a 'no parking' zone' within 400 yards of schools during school times. |
| David Scott | Wirral South | UKIP | All in favour of children walking to school if it is within reasonable distance. |
| David James | Wirral West | Common Sense | Definitely ~Yes -- Even better if chaperoned with their parents as part of a fitness regime. |
| Steve Pitt | Wallasey | Liberal Democrat | I would certainly encourage the walk to school week, and ensure that local councils support the idea. |
| Philip Griffiths | Wirral West | UKIP | Yes, but subjct to distance and conditions. |
| Andrew Miller | Ellesmere Port and Neston | Labour | I have already taken part in 'walking buses' and will continue to encourage pupils to walk to school. |
6. What would you do to reduce fares on trains and buses to help more people travel by them?
| Candidate | Constituency | Party | Response |
| Tom Barker | City of Chester | Green | The Green Party has a manifesto pledge to reduce fares by 10%. We need to create and build more routes, which is expensive, and we would redirect the roads budget to a great extent. |
| David Kirwan | Wirral West | Independent | I would nationalize the train service. It should never have been denationalized. It was and still is a public service and in the interest of reducing traffic on the roads we must make rail and bus travel more attractive. I am not sure what we would do with buses at the next stage. That is something to consider. |
| Peter Reisdorf | Wirral West | Liberal Democrat | The only way really is subsidies, I think any further subsidies should be aimed at children and young people |
| Peter Hampson | Weaver Vale | Liberal Democrat | I am committed to the improvement of rail and bus routes and the reduction of rail and bus fares. The Liberal Democrats believe that buses and trains should be affordable and reliable so that people can travel, leaving their cars behind and thus cutting fuel emissions.The Liberal Democrats plan to put the passenger first, with plans to reopen closed railway lines and build new stations and by building a High-Speed Rail network, locally I hope to see the Halton Curve re-opened, allowing a link from Chester to Liverpool Airport to be created. I want local people to have a say on bus fares and routes in our local area. |
| Paul Remfry | Weaver Vale | UKIP | I believe that people have a right to readily available, frequent, reliable quality transport, both private and public, at an acceptable cost. To help in this I would remove bureaucratic government micromanagement from transport firms and taxes which would lower the cost of travel to users. I would also like to see the abolition of the penalty fares regime which too often persecutes honest rail users. |
| Derek Snowden | Wallasey | UKIP | As you are aware UKIP is committed to coming out of the EU, I personally feel that we could use some of the £40+ million that we could save each day by coming out of the EU could be put to better use, and public transport is one area I feel deserves the investment to bring it back to its former glory. Locally where I live, the public are crying out for a better and extended merseyrail train service and the opportunity is there, with good investment, to extend the current merseyrail from West Kirby through to Greasby and back to Upton. New stations on Noctorum, woodchurch and Beechwood Estates would encorage far more use of Merseyrail. |
| David Scott | Wirral South | UKIP | There needs to be a more rational and transparent approach to bus and train fares, and train fares in particular are crazy for people who can't book well ahead - the whole rail system needs a new approach. |
| David James | Wirral West | Common Sense | Make the fares so cheap and the trains and buses so frequent ( to every local destination) so that they run full. Also they must be comfortable with free and always available bike carriage. They must be so good that no one would ever need to own a car. |
| Steve Pitt | Wallasey | Liberal Democrat | Switch traffic from road to rail by investing in local rail improvements, such as opening closed rail lines and adding extra tracks, paid for by cutting the major roads budget. Liberal Democrats will give more power to local councils, which should lead to more investment, cheaper fares, and more local input into services. In London, where the Mayor already has similar powers, we have seen big rises in passenger numbers. |
| Philip Griffiths | Wirral West | UKIP | Introduce a simple form of bus and train franchising that would deliver better value to the taxpayer and stop unfair competive practices. Abolish penalty fares, which often persecutes the honest rail users. Allow councils to offer discount public transport cards. Rail and bus. |
| Andrew Miller | Ellesmere Port and Neston | Labour | I would continue the free bus travel for pensioners. Train and bus companies need to simplify their fare system, they currently receive subsidy from central government. |
7. Would you support a minimum response time for repair of potholes and uneven pavement once reported to the Council?
| Candidate | Constituency | Party | Response |
| Tom Barker | City of Chester | Green | I hadn't considered this one, but yes, I think that would be a good idea. I would prioritise repairs to pavements and other pedestrian routes and cycle routes over road repairs. |
| David Kirwan | Wirral West | Independent | I would impose swinging fines on the contractors for culpable delay. |
| Peter Reisdorf | Wirral West | Liberal Democrat | If there was funding to back it up, at the moment there isn't government funding to make this possible |
| Peter Hampson | Weaver Vale | Liberal Democrat | In principal, yes - I believe that potholes provide a potential source of danger and much frustration to both pedestrians and drivers alike. |
| Paul Remfry | Weaver Vale | UKIP | I think the whole road maintenance system needs revision to speed the process up. Fines for failure to keep the roads and pavements repaired are not the answer, for this is just taxing Peter to pay Paul - the taxpayer always picks up the bill! I would prefer to see the people and their council working together in greater unity to solve the problems. |
| Derek Snowden | Wallasey | UKIP | the state of our roads is terrible and as I have to travel all of the UK in my work, I can honestly say that the roads in Wirral are amongst the worst in the UK in terms of potholes not being repaired. Once again this council chooses to spend money on providing internet to local businesses (£1 million) rather than the safety of the public. |
| David Scott | Wirral South | UKIP | Not sure about this - sounds like more bureaucracy - councils should simply get on with things in good time. |
| David James | Wirral West | Common Sense | This is easy -- Have the road surface contractors place a 10 year indemnity for the work they have done. This will at a stroke remove shoddy workmanship, reduce the effect of "bribes" and give the council cost control for the next 10 years -- why is this not all ready in place? Repairs could be done the next day because the money is already in place. |
| Steve Pitt | Wallasey | Liberal Democrat | Yes, there should be a benchmark. |
| Philip Griffiths | Wirral West | UKIP | Yes. |
| Andrew Miller | Ellesmere Port and Neston | Labour | In general I would support a minimum times for repair of pavements, although more serious damage would need to have priority. |
8. Would you support the principle that footways and pavements should be free of obstructions up to 2m in width so that pedestrians can get along without any obstructions?
| Candidate | Constituency | Party | Response |
| Tom Barker | City of Chester | Green | As a general principle, yes, but these things tend to be site-specific. I would certainly be prepared to reduce road widths, even making sections one-way or single carriageway, to make way for better pavements. |
| David Kirwan | Wirral West | Independent | most certainly |
| Peter Reisdorf | Wirral West | Liberal Democrat | In principle yes, but I'm worried about being too restrictive as pavements and footways can be very varied |
| Peter Hampson | Weaver Vale | Liberal Democrat | I would like to see all footways unobstructed. |
| Paul Remfry | Weaver Vale | UKIP | I most certainly would. The problem of course is going to be our ancient town and road systems which do not allow for such width. New developments, however, should have this approach firmly in mind. |
| Derek Snowden | Wallasey | UKIP | I think that this is an excellent idea. My partner rides a horse and quite often she cannot get past obstructions in bridle paths. I am sure that other users have similar problems, especially on pavements which we need to maintain as safe for all users the elderley, young parents, runners, dog walkers, wheelchair users. Lets ensure that are pavements are used for what they where designed for. |
| David Scott | Wirral South | UKIP | Sounds reasonable - again without increasing the bureaucracy too much. |
| David James | Wirral West | Common Sense | The character of the area is more important than pedestrian super highways. |
| Steve Pitt | Wallasey | Liberal Democrat | There should be enough room for people, prams and wheelchairs to move freely without obstruction. |
| Philip Griffiths | Wirral West | UKIP | Yes, providing the pavement is wide enough in the first place. |
| Andrew Miller | Ellesmere Port and Neston | Labour | This would not be possible as many pavements are not 2m in width at present. |
9. Do you have any other comments?
| Candidate | Constituency | Party | Response |
| Tom Barker | City of Chester | Green | I would increase tree cover and green spaces (now called Green Infrastructure), so that journeys by foot and bicycle will be more pleasant, quieter, and less stressful. |
| David Kirwan | Wirral West | Independent | we must aim at creating an environment wherein it becomes a pleasure to walk in both town and countryside |
| Peter Reisdorf | Wirral West | Liberal Democrat | Keep up the good work! |
| Peter Hampson | Weaver Vale | Liberal Democrat | Keep up the good work and please let me know if I can be of any help to your organisation. |
| Paul Remfry | Weaver Vale | UKIP | As your excellent website says driver consideration is a major part of this. However enforcement can only be achieved against inconsiderate drivers by a return to a more local police force with personnel on the ground to deal with the problem. Personally I would like to see the reopening of all the old police houses in villages and estates. |
| Derek Snowden | Wallasey | UKIP | - |
| David Scott | Wirral South | UKIP | Keep up the good work. |
| David James | Wirral West | Common Sense | I did say "what planet are they on" when I first read your questons -- because I don't agree with the 20mph concept as per my letter in the Globe a few weeks ago : - Subject: 20 mph nonsense. Hello, As I understand it the council has diverted over a million pound for 20 mph road signs. I bet few of your readers could use a million pound to better effect -- ask them. Whilst I am aware of reader comments supporting a blanket side road speed reduction, I've not heard anyone promote better driving skills. Government statistics currently show that speed is less than 5% of the causes of accidents. So why try to reduce a minor cause of accidents rather than do something to reduce the biggest cause; bad driving? We all know 20mph is still a lethal speed in narrow side streets where children play, and any caring person would not even go that fast. So what difference would a sign do to slow down the reckless or make safe the drugged and incompetents? The law as it is states that a driver must drive according to road conditions and that surely is good enough as it stands. The elephant in the room is the wish to raise revenue by way of a stealth tax, see it for what it is! |
| Steve Pitt | Wallasey | Liberal Democrat | - |
| Philip Griffiths | Wirral West | UKIP | - |
| Andrew Miller | Ellesmere Port and Neston | Labour | - |
Other responses
Alison McGovern: Wirral South: Labour:
Thanks for your email. Unfortunately I am currently receiving a high volume of emails, so have to prioritise substantial replies to residents of Wirral South. I do support measures to improve safety for cyclists and pedestrians including 20 mph zones and stricter controls of pavement parking. I would be happy to meet to discuss this after the election.
Best wishes and apologies
Alison
National BNP office.
Please accept my apologies in the delay in responding to your email. As you can appreciate, we are in a very busy election period and are currently dealing with over 3000 calls per day and over 1000 emails per day. Therefore responding to all policy questions swiftly in detail is quite impossible. Therefore please find attached a copy of our 94 page 2010 General Election Manifesto, where there are all the official policy answers to all policy questions.
Should you require any further information please do not hesitate to get contact.
http://bnp.org.uk/pdf_files/BNP-Manifesto-2010-online.pdf
Yours sincerely,
Tom Gower BNP
National Enquiries Officer