Several months ago now, we were invited to suggest ways of improving the area using funds from the City Council's TENS ('The Empowering Neighbourhoods Scheme') budget. We pointed to the recommendations of the Living Streets audit of Wavertree High Street, undertaken in 2005/06, which highlighted the problems of unattractive and often redundant items of street furniture which clutter our pavements, especially in the area around the Picton Clock. We drew up a list of what we considered to be the top priorities: painting or removing guardrails, replacing concrete bollards with the slimmer metal 'conservation' type, and repairing or removing various poles and bent cycle stands. Having had this work costed by the Council's contractors, Enterprise Liverpool, we found that it came to substantially more than the £5,000 which was available - so the list was further trimmed back. Finally, a list of jobs was approved, and we hope to see the work carried out by the end of this month.

Planning and listed building consent applications - ref 08F/0482 and 08L/0481 - have recently been submitted to reconstruct the west wing of the Lamb pub, which collapsed last August (Newsletter 166). The submitted drawings confirm that the building will look just as it did before, thanks to the use of reclaimed brick, sandstone and slate. We look forward to the work commencing in the near future.