This year's Council spending cutbacks seem to have had a particular impact on Wavertree Village. The Picton Clock roundabout. which should be the centrepiece of our Conservation Area, became a mass of weeds clogged with wind-blown litter. We had an offer of help from a local scout group - the 25th Picton - who were looking for a local community/environmental project, and we put them in touch with the relevant Council officers.

Meanwhile Councillor Warren Bradley had brought the problem to the attention of the official contractors, Enterprise-Liverpool, and asked them to give it priority along with a number of other 'grot spots' in and around the High Street. Local residents and business people - notably Mr Richie Jenkins whose premises overlook the roundabout - are pressing for further improvements, and we hope that, with the co-operation of all concerned, a lasting solution will soon be found.

The publication of our last Newsletter coincided with the release of a leaflet from Councillor Warren Bradley, announcing the proposed restoration of the former Manweb playing fields as a private sports club with community involvement. We understand that this project is being led by a present employee of Liverpool John Moores University, but - contrary to rumours that were circulating in the area - it is otherwise unconnected with the University. The hope is that funding will be obtained from sources such as the National Lottery and the Woodland Trust and that it may even become one of the 2,012 outdoor recreational spaces designated as a 'Queen Elizabeth II Field' to commemorate the Queen's diamond jubilee.

Meanwhile the owners of the land have told us that "our clients do intend to breathe new life back into the sports club by improving the current facilities and re-opening the club for football and cricket. At this time, plans are at an embryonic stage and it is unlikely that we will be able to provide further detail for another few months".