With over a thousand children coming into two schools every weekday morning in term time down their little road, Norwood Crescent residents can have a tricky time of it. Parents using cars to drop their children also have to be particularly careful. And to cap it all, there is not enough car parking within the schools for the teachers and teaching assistants.

When controversial plans for making the present informal one way system for parents compulsory came before the Southport Area Committee, Dukes Ward Independent Tory David Barton brought the meeting to silence with a proposal that the congestion-causing parents should be 'on your bike'. Or, to be more exact, 'On your bus'.

Although Councillor Barton could not say where the funding for the bus would come from or how it would be organised, he believed his idea, drawn perhaps from his own Merchant Taylors Schooling would solve the residents and school's problems.

No other councillor was prepared to second Councillor Barton 's proposal.

That pic made me laugh. He loves any photo opportunity so he will be loving that.

A school bus is a good idea the problem is so many would want someone else to pay for it.

One would imagine that most of the kids have functioning legs. Let me introduce a novel concept: walking to school.

To be fair he could have a very good idea an no one would second it due to how disfunctional and political our council is....they just don't work as a unit which I feel is very much to our towns detriment. I'm sure we pay them to represent us and not their rosettes, hope at least we've saved the money from caseworking and councillor allowance for Cllr Dawson whilst he's been "working abroad".

If it could be funded I don't see why a bus is a bad idea unless our other electives think an endless car park/traffic is better or why whether he went to Merchants adds to the story. He should however roughly costed the idea and had some ideas to fund rather that just float the idea as he must know his "colleagues " would never try and help

Originally Posted by Username2016

To be fair he could have a very good idea ...

Any chance you could explain why you think it could be a "very good idea".

Sounds completely barmy to me.

Originally Posted by Username2016

... no one would second it due to how disfunctional and political our council is

Or maybe no-one (not even his fellow Conservative councillors) seconded it because they thought it was a bad idea.

Did that not occur to you?

Originally Posted by Username2016

If it could be funded I don't see why a bus is a bad idea

So who do you think should fund it?

Cllr Barton?

The School?

The Council tax-payers?

Originally Posted by Username2016

... or why whether he went to Merchants adds to the story.

It certainly adds something for me.

It helps me understand Cllr Barton's psychology to some extent. It suggests that:

1. Because Cllr Barton went to Merchants Taylors School (MTS) in Crosby, and
2. Because MTS attracts pupils from miles around it operates school bus services in to Crosby from places like Wigan, South Liverpool, Ormskirk, and Formby as well as Southport, Cllr Barton thinks that's what all schools should do
3. He doesn't appreciate that most Norwood Primary School pupils live within walking distance rather than 10, 15 or 20 miles away

Originally Posted by prasnee

Any chance you could explain why you think it could be a "very good idea".

Sounds completely barmy to me.

Or maybe no-one (not even his fellow Conservative councillors) seconded it because they thought it was a bad idea.

Did that not occur to you?

So who do you think should fund it?

Cllr Barton?

The School?

The Council tax-payers?

It certainly adds something for me.

It helps me understand Cllr Barton's psychology to some extent. It suggests that:

1. Because Cllr Barton went to Merchants Taylors School (MTS) in Crosby, and
2. Because MTS attracts pupils from miles around it operates school bus services in to Crosby from places like Wigan, South Liverpool, Ormskirk, and Formby as well as Southport, Cllr Barton thinks that's what all schools should do
3. He doesn't appreciate that most Norwood Primary School pupils live within walking distance rather than 10, 15 or 20 miles away

Do you have a better idea councillor and why is it so "barmy"?

As for "very good idea" I know you like your editing to prove a point but this could refer to any idea he has or had, you'd never support it. The libs also are famous for their "magic money tree" ideas so you could come across as hypocritical?

I'd say the merchants reference was some bitter slight at someone going to private school rather than anything deep as you're trying to steer the reader towards.

You do realise a lot of these articles come across as lib dem press releases which makes the libs seem even more childish as do you as a probable councillor make the libs seem like they're incapable of working with anyone locally or wider...if they can't work together in the local area how do we expect anything from Sefton? It's not like the libs have achieved anything locally in decades other than noise and division.

Why would anyone vote Lib Dum ?

Its a waste of a vote, Barton is our only hope for a Councillor with some connections likely to get anywhere.

Its not much of a choice granted but who else is there ?

Presuming he is "free" to do it that is ...............

Originally Posted by Username2016

Do you have a better idea councillor and why is it so "barmy"?

Dav gave one much better idea.

As to barmy, how about:

• Costly
• Unfunded and nil chance of it ever being funded
• Unnecessary
• Inflexible - if you live the best part of a mile from the school and just miss this school bus, what do you then do?
• Potentially dangerous - in terms of introducing large vehicles into a narrow road at a time of day when there are lots of children milling around

As I've answered your question, how about you answer mine (although you never do), which was could explain why you think it could be a "very good idea"?

Originally Posted by prasnee

Dav gave one much better idea.

As to barmy, how about:

• Costly
• Unfunded and nil chance of it ever being funded
• Unnecessary
• Inflexible - if you live the best part of a mile from the school and just miss this school bus, what do you then do?
• Potentially dangerous - in terms of introducing large vehicles into a narrow road at a time of day when there are lots of children milling around

As I've answered your question, how about you answer mine (although you never do), which was could explain why you think it could be a "very good idea"?

You only read what you want:

"To be fair he could have a very good idea an no one would second it due to how disfunctional and political our council is"

Refers to any idea rather than just this one.

As for your reasons, 1 and 2 are probably duplicates and as for dangerous, do you not think lots of cars making "parking spaces" wherever is safer?

Originally Posted by Username2016

You only read what you want:

"To be fair he could have a very good idea an no one would second it due to how disfunctional and political our council is"

Refers to any idea rather than just this one.

You really are an idiot, aren't you.

If you really mean that, what did you then say "If it could be funded I don't see why a bus is a bad idea".

In other words you are keen on the bus idea.

So why don't you explain why you think it could be a "very good idea" or (alternatively) why you think it is "not a bad idea" - after all, there's not a lot of difference between the two.

Originally Posted by Username2016

As for your reasons, 1 and 2 are probably duplicates and as for dangerous, do you not think lots of cars making "parking spaces" wherever is safer?

1 and 2 are similar, but they are not duplicates. For example few would deny that houses are "costly" to buy, but they are still relatively easy to "fund".

As to cars, yes they are dangerous, but rather less dangerous than a large bus.

Maybe that's why I said before that I supported dav when he talked about his "novel concept: walking to school".

Originally Posted by prasnee

You really are an idiot, aren't you.

If you really mean that, what did you then say "If it could be funded I don't see why a bus is a bad idea".

In other words you are keen on the bus idea.

So why don't you explain why you think it could be a "very good idea" or (alternatively) why you think it is "not a bad idea" - after all, there's not a lot of difference between the two.

1 and 2 are similar, but they are not duplicates. For example few would deny that houses are "costly" to buy, but they are still relatively easy to "fund".

As to cars, yes they are dangerous, but rather less dangerous than a large bus.

Maybe that's why I said before that I supported dav when he talked about his "novel concept: walking to school".

I'd say it was an idea worth investigating but my point still stands, the Libs (and possibly his ex tory colleagues) wouldn't agree with any idea he has and is why I've previously said maybe he needs to stand aside with Cllr Dawson for the good of the town if he's not able to make change. Cllr Dawson is everything wrong with local politics.

Originally Posted by Username2016

I'd say it was an idea worth investigating but my point still stands, the Libs (and possibly his ex tory colleagues) wouldn't agree with any idea he has and is why I've previously said maybe he needs to stand aside with Cllr Dawson for the good of the town if he's not able to make change. Cllr Dawson is everything wrong with local politics.

Have you any idea how big The Bus would have to be to hold 1000 children. Surely the idiot and you obviously mean 20+ buses, which to anyone with common sense is not viable. Perhaps as someone has pointed out getting the little bleeders to walk would be better.

Originally Posted by Little Londoner

Have you any idea how big The Bus would have to be to hold 1000 children. Surely the idiot and you obviously mean 20+ buses, which to anyone with common sense is not viable. Perhaps as someone has pointed out getting the little bleeders to walk would be better.

I'd never expect one bus as it's not my point here with the councillors and their inability to work cross-party and that this was probably a rejection before it was even made. But obviously walking would be better for shorter distances, maybe a "walking bus" could be tried.

Originally Posted by Little Londoner

Have you any idea how big The Bus would have to be to hold 1000 children. Surely the idiot and you obviously mean 20+ buses, which to anyone with common sense is not viable. Perhaps as someone has pointed out getting the little bleeders to walk would be better.

They would have plenty of room, the school only has just over 400 pupils.