The Best Guide for the Neston Area

Strike Action on November 30th - What's Affected

National strikes predicted to take place on Wednesday 30th November could affect a range of public sector services in the UK, as the trade unions and central Government continue to discuss pension reforms.

Discussions between the trade unions and the Government on the issue of Pension Reforms are on-going, but it is likely that the day of action will go ahead.

We will endeavour to keep you updated as to how you may be affected in and around the Neston area, provided we have been given the information by the relevant organisations/local authority departments.

Assuming the action goes ahead, we have so far been informed of the following:

Schools

Those that will be closed are:

Neston High School
Bishop Wilson Primary School
Neston Primary School
St Winefride's Primary School
Woodfall Primary School

Opening as usual are: 

Parkgate Primary 
Willaston CE Primary

CWAC's school meals service anticipates that meals will be provided for all children attending school and sandwiches will be available if canteens cannot provide food.

Other Cheshire West and Chester services

The authority's Children's Centres will all be open, with the exception of those normally closed on Wednesday.

Leisure centres across the borough are expected to be open but members of the public are advised to ring before setting out.

All day centres for older people will be open as usual and Domiciliary Social Care services will be unaffected. However, day centres for adults with learning disabilities at Chester, Winsford, Ellesmere Port and Northwich will be closed.

Clients thought to be at risk will be cared for in their own homes or driven to an emergency centre to be established in Canal Street, Chester.

Waste collection will suffer minimal disruption but any collections missed will take place the following day.

Whilst no burials or cremations will take place on the day of the strike action, the public will still have access to cemeteries and the crematoria.

Cheshire Archives public search room at Chester will remain closed as will all Libraries with the exception of Winsford which will function normally.

But Council Customer Access Points and Registry Offices will all be operating as normal.

Adult mental health teams will be responding to emergencies only.

Benefits offices in Winsford and Ellesmere Port will be operating at 40% and Ellesmere Port Housing Management Service will only be carrying out emergency maintenance repairs.

Public transport information during strike action

Merseytravel have issued the following statement:

Mersey Tunnels - Kingsway and Queensway tunnels will be closed to the public, however volunteer trade union members will staff the Kingsway tunnel for access to emergency service vehicles and authorised critical partner agency staff, donating their wages to the Merseytravel staff charity - Clatterbridge, your cancer centre.

Bus Services - As a result of Mersey Tunnel closures, Wirral cross river bus services will run to Hamilton Square, where passengers can use Merseyrail to Liverpool connection by train. Merseyrail will accept cross river bus tickets and Solo tickets.

Trains - Merseyrail services will operate as usual.

Bus Stations and Travel Centres - Buses will continue to call at bus stations but there will be no staffed ticket offices open during the strike action. The Traveline and Merseylink services will not be available on the day.

Mersey Ferries - There will be no Ferry service on the day but the terminals will be open for concession operation.

Merseytravel apologise for the disruption that industrial action may cause to your journey.

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Comments

,

At 19:54 on 29th November 2011, , commented:

For anyone who has to get to Liverpool by car I noticed today that diversion signs are already up on the M56 sending everyone down as far as the M6, then over Thelwall Viaduct and back down the M62 on the Liverpool side.

The M62 also has roadworks so limited to 50mph and very slow on a normal day, so this journey is going to be very difficult.

Runcorn Bridge is expected to be gridlocked \ standstill for all of the rush hour hence the diversions are sending everyone via the M56/M6/M62.

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Size 9's

At 11:52 on 30th November 2011, Size 9's commented:

I do not approve of the strike today, for the impact on those who pay these people, the legal but minority voting used to call the strikes and the false arguments used to garner support.

That said, whilst the tunnels are closed, can somebody in the private brick them up please?

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wirral blue

At 08:52 on 1st December 2011, wirral blue commented:

the mersey tunnels should be part of the national road system and toll free

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,

At 23:05 on 1st December 2011, , commented:

While I agree the increases in tunnel tolls in recent years have been disproportionate, if you made the tunnels free there would be utter gridlock every single day in the tunnels and around them. Merseyrail and bus services would suffer badly and that's without discussing the environmental issues.

What we need is better pricing on trains and bus services to encourage people to use these rather than drive through the tunnels - again bus & train fares have risen a lot more than inflation (and wages) in recent years

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