Brushwood failings under scrutiny as council apologises after CQC inspection

In January the council was talking about ‘impressive results’ at its Speke care home, but just two months later its own internal inspection found widespread problems

Live: Padel, the ‘grey belt’ and a HMO thousands ‘don’t want’

The Monitor reports live from Sefton Council’s planning committee

Live: Aviary closure under scrutiny at Sefton council

The Monitor reports live from Bootle Town Hall

‘The impact could be catastrophic’: sounding the alarm at Sefton Arc

Mysterious websites, ‘financial leakage’, risks of ‘fraud’ - why are we only hearing about all this now? An elderly woman walks slowly along a path, carrying a large shopping bag and using a walking stick. A group of people wearing blue lanyards follow a short distance behind her, walking in sync.

Gone fishing - but not for long...

Just a quick note so you know we haven’t disappeared entirely. We’ve had to take a few days away but we will be back with some (hopefully) exciting updates for you before you know it… See you very soon!

We’re watching, we’re scrutinising - and this is why it matters

It’s also a good job too because there‘s plenty going on across Merseyside this week. Hello Mersey Monitoroos, You might want to grab a quick cuppa and get yourself comfy before you tuck in to this week’s digest. It‘s a bit of a bumper one, but

What happened at St Helens’ first Reform-led full council meeting?

Green spaces, flags (again) and some things the Monitor won’t repeat. St Helens‘ first proper full council meeting under Reform’s leadership took place on Wednesday at St Helens town hall, with the leader Cllr R. George Woodward appearing to take a few moments before it all kicked off

Want a flag flying over the town hall? Make sure you write to the leader

Curious things coming out of St Helens cabinet this month. Until this week, St Helens was one of many local authorities without a formal flag policy. That has now changed, following a meeting of the borough’s cabinet on Monday. The cabinet, made up of mostly relatively newly elected Reform

Are Your Party’s days on Liverpool council numbered?

Party‘s future faces fresh questions after deputy leader quits. Questions have emerged over the future of Your Party Liverpool on the city council after one of its councillors resigned from the party just weeks after the local branch was launched. The resignation from Your Party of Cllr Sam Gorst,

All kinds going on across Merseyside this week

Flags, finances, feathered friends and other funny business Good afternoon Mersey Monitorers, If you’re new here, thank you for signing up to the Monitor. We’re a little independent public interest news site operating on a not-for-profit basis and our aim, first and foremost, is to keep

Birds, budgets and transparency

A fiery four-hour meeting sees Sefton councillors spar over transparency in the sweltering heat Last night’s meeting at a sweltering Southport Town Hall for Sefton‘s first full council gathering since the May elections appears to have been relatively well attended by the public as well as councillors

Could Sefton Labour lose a key vote on Southport’s aviary?

We take a look at the maths ahead of a key vote over the controversial decision to close Botanic Garden’s aviary When Sefton Council announced plans last month to close the nearly 90-year-old aviary at Botanic Gardens in Southport, it didn’t just provoke a backlash among