Billy Butler of Radio Merseyside visited Northwood Houses alleged 'community garden' and spoke to a number of people. The people interviewed were: Susan 'I don't answer my email's' Smith, Community Development Officer, her sister Linda Smith, involved with the Northwood Residents Association, Richard Wishart, a community worker, and Keith Hassle, the boss of Kirkby Environmental Task Team. We look at the comments they made below and it seems that the people interviewed were given an easy ride by Billy Butler, who was more there to slap them on the back for a job well done. Billy Butler is opening the 'community garden', and we are informed he did not charge for this service.

First person interviewed was Richard Wishart. Richard was asked by Billy Butler what the actual grounds were like before the environmental task team stepped in. Kirkby Times has reported that a beautiful decades old garden was actually situated there; it was the Priests former garden. Richard forgets all this when interviewed and this is what is said…….

Billy Butler: What was it (the community garden area) like before the environmental team came in?

Richard Wishart: "It was like, a waste ground, like, loads of rubbish on it, stones, glass, trees falling down, they just had to be dug up, roots and that"

Richard seems to suffer from memory loss as to what was actually there before the old garden was ripped up. Who was it who tore the old garden up? Maybe the Council hired someone other than Keith Hassle's crew? The truth of this matter is that the previous garden had taken decades to establish. The 'tree's falling down' that Richard informs us 'just had to be dug up' were actually ripped up by people. They didn't just 'fall down'. Its possible Richard doesn't know that he has not told the truth; in that case he will be grateful to Kirkby Times for informing him. His description of what was there was articulated very poorly.

Next interviewed was Susan Smith who mentions how much the 'community garden' is to cost. She tells us the "Main factor was the cost and we managed, to get it down to £10,000" Hmm, not quite correct. Susan Smith incidentally has already ignored emails off Kirkby Times questioning the wisdom of a previous scheme Susan fronted which gave free cable TV to people in Northwood. The first people to get this service were Kirkby's political players and their friends and families. Many in Northwood were never told of the scheme which has just been extended for another year. If you live in Northwood and have somehow missed out on 2 years free Telewest cable TV - go to Northwood House and ask why only a select few got this free cable TV.



Last person interviewed was Keith Hassle who had a number of interesting points to make. Keith sits on the SRB committee and is the lucky recipient of a lot of money to fund what he calls a 'community business'. This business tenders for work such as gardening/landscaping and fencing and paving. Last year the team was awarded a £55,000 contract off Knowsley Council. The Council already has gardeners; maybe it won't need as many if the Task team gets more Council contracts. This would tie in nicely with Knowsley Councils privatisation of Council services. This website mentioned that one of the terms for starting a new business was that it did not take work off businesses or organisations doing similar work. However, so far, a lot of the work done seems to be work the Council used to do. The environmental task team has an unfair advantage in tendering for contracts as they are subsidised, and therefore can offer lower quotes and presumably pay workers less. Land once cared for by Council workers is being tendered out to sub contractors. This is privatisation.

Keith told Billy Butler that the team "Started 6 years ago - an idea that came from the community - some said it wouldn't last 6 months" Actually, one of the main reasons it has lasted more than 6 months is due to massive subsidies to keep the 'business' afloat. Keith also tells Billy "we have a board of directors were answerable for", Keith is actually on the SRB 'Partnership Board', only 4 or 5 on this board are actually local people - all are involved with SRB funded schemes. One point made is true when Keith Hassle says - "two years ago it was decided we'd had enough funding - we've had all this funding in the Northwood area - we don't want to have to turn around and say we've achieved nothing" If the £14,000 garden is anything to judge them by, the orders won't be exactly flooding in. It'll take more than a few flowers, paving slabs and fencing to change the environment in Kirkby. Truth is, Keith Hassles environmental past is not one where he was some kind of 'eco warrior'. The Country is full of people who have discovered that using the word 'Environmental' seems to attract grants.

Quotes of up to £44,000 were given

The Northwood House beurocrats garden was built by Keith Hassles Team. The SRB committee claimed that they had "quotes of up to £44,000" to build the small garden. Apparently Keith Hassles team saved the day and said they'd do the job for '£11,000', then actually spent £14,000 building what can only be described as what looks like less than £1000 worth of garden. Another statement concerning how many people were employed full time had Keith Hassle answer "we have 8 full time workers' Yet in the Northwood report 'Northwood in a nutshell'; it claims the Environmental Task team have 'safeguarded 26 jobs'. Absolutely no figures are given for funding and the funding for 6 years must be a fairly high figure.

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