• At a public inquiry into the Civic Centre project, planning department chief Francis Amos citicises the building's design. Other designs could be "a much better neighbour" for St George's hall and the neo-classical buildings in William Brown Street, he says, adding that because of its scale the proposed Civic Centre "does tend to dominate the area." Privately, he has described it as "a bloody awful building" (page 2). The planning department had previously warned that it would not support the council's plans if there was a public inquiry (issue 3, pages 5 and 6).

• Property developers Galliford Estates have made about £150,000 profit in two months by re-selling land in Belle Vale which they bought from Liverpool Corporation. Galliford sold the 12.4 acres intended for new housing to controversial builder Derek Barnes. Barnes had been trying to buy the land earlier by the council rejected his bid because of problems with his housing proposals (page 1).

• The "Women at Work" series takes a look at the newly-opened Croft Seafoods in Netherley. The firm hired 300 women and initially paid them £14 a week for shelling queenies (small shellfish resembling oysters). It then switched to a casual piecework system, paying them according to the weight of queenies shelled and often turning them away if there was no work for them (page 4).

• Page 4 has a round-up of campaigns against rent rises by various groups of council tenants. Some are on rent strike. Others are withholding the increase.

• Sludge containing heavy metals is accumulating in the Liverpool Bay dumping area because the tides there are not strong enough to disperse it (page 6). If this continues it will seriously affect marine life and ultimately humans (through eating seafoods).

• An article on pages 6 and 7 argues in favour of free public transport.

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