AS 2018 draws to a close, St Helens Local Democracy Reporter Kenny Lomas looks back at some of the most significant stories that he has covered over the the past year.

  • In March residents were delivered the disappointing news that the custody suite at St Helens Police Station – which had been out of use since August 2017 – would not be re-opening.

The news came out during a meeting of St Helens Council’s safer communities overview and scrutiny panel, who were told that prisoners would be instead taken to the custody suite in Wirral and the facility in St Anne Street, Liverpool.

Cllr Lisa Preston, the then-cabinet member for community safety, told the panel St Helens' custody suite was “not safe” and required around £700,000 investment to upgrade its IT facility.

The Police and Crime Commissioner's office said the decision had been taken following a review of custody arrangements across Merseyside Police.

  • March also saw Whiston Hospital’s A&E department log its busiest day on record.

St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust said freezing weather led to a “huge increase” in attendances to A&E departments.

Ann Marr, chief executive of the trust, told members of the board the rise in attendances since the new build hospital opened in 2009 has been “stratospheric”.

Director of operations Rob Cooper said the A&E department was starting to push towards 500 attendees in a single day, with the department seeing around 40 people per hour at its peak.

  • April saw the shock resignation of St Helens Council leader Barrie Grunewald.

Cllr Grunewald stepped down as leader of the Labour-run council at a late-night meeting following allegations of a possible data breach on WhatsApp.

A police investigation was launched into the allegations and Cllr Grunewald was also suspended from the Labour Party.

Merseyside Police later confirmed in June that it was not pressing any charges, with Labour subsequently lifting its suspension.

  • Councillors from across the political spectrum were vying to be elected during May’s local elections.

While Labour maintained its strong grip on the town hall, winning 13 out of the 16 seats, one decision sent shockwaves around the council.

Labour lost Rainhill by a landslide to independent candidate, James Tasker, who campaigned heavily on opposition to green belt development.

Days later the new council leader Derek Long vowed the authority would take a “balanced approach” to its Local Plan as part of a “brownfield first” policy.

  • June saw some welcome news after it was revealed that St Helens’ park rangers had finally been told their jobs were safe.

A public consultation was launched by St Helens Council in January on the future of the borough’s open spaces, which proposed axing the Ranger service.

And after months of uncertainty, council leader Derek Long told councillors in May the service would be protected.

This was confirmed in June when Peter Yates, honorary secretary of the Friends of Taylor Park, revealed the remaining four park Rangers had been informed that their redundancy notices had been cancelled.

  • In August Ofsted published a damning letter highlighting “entrenched cultural, management and social work practices” within children’s services in St Helens, following a focused inspection in July.

The watchdog also said a “systemic failure” to address weaknesses had exposed children in St Helens to “significant risk of harm”.

Ofsted ordered St Helens Council to take “swift and decisive action” in three priority areas.

The council quickly set about producing an action plan and set up an Improvement Board, to oversee delivery of the plan.

  • New figures released by the Office for National Statistics in September revealed that St Helens had the highest rate of suicide in England and Wales.

This was after the Local Democracy Reporter Service reported in June that St Helens had the fourth highest suicide rate in England, based on suicides per 100,000 population.

Four months later and the new data revelaed there were 29 recorded suicides both in 2017 and 2016, with 25 recorded 2015.

This showed that between 2015 to 2017, St Helens had a suicide rate of 17.9 – more than 80 per cent higher than the 9.6 national average.

  • After the plans were pulled in February to allow for further scrutiny, St Helens Council finally confirmed in October it was to press ahead with plans to pilot three-weekly brown bin collections and a revised weekly recycling service.

Cabinet members approved the pilot, which will see the council carry out a collection trial at approximately 1,000 properties, across two areas within the Town Centre ward.

The controversial plans are estimated to save £1.4 million over seven years.

The trial, which aims to boost the borough’s recycling rates, will begin from February 2019.

  • Spirits were high in October after Spanish Train manufacturer Talgo’s named Parkside in Newton-le-Willows as one of six sites shortlisted for its new UK base.

Thirty sites had originally been put forward by towns and cities across the UK for the development, which could create up to 1,000 jobs.

Shortly after, St Helens Council secured £24 million from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority to fund a link road to boost the major employment site.

However, the council was dealt a blow in November when Talgo narrowed down the list of sites to a final two, with Parkside missing the final cut.

  • After two years since it was showed to the public, residents finally got to see the revised St Helens Local Plan in December.

The draft submission plan, which covers development in the borough from 2020 to 2035, proposes less houses than the previous version and proposes to release less green belt land than before.

However, after passing through cabinet, opposition councillors rejected the Local Plan at a full council meeting in the week before Christmas.

Despite this, Labour support was enough to push the plan through, with an eight-week publication period scheduled to start on January 14 before being submitted to an independent inspector.