Q  The Council’s litter picking team do a good job, but as soon as they have gone the roads, especially The Wiend, are full of litter again, and the biggest culprits are from Prenton High School.  Someone should go and give them a lecture

A  (Street Scene Manager):  I will take the details at the end and get someone to come   along and see what we can do to educate them.

Q:  Are you doing a consultation on Integrated Care?

A  (Paul Edwards):  There are two issues with regards to emergency and unplanned care. There have been a number of reports which have prompted the PCT to take action.   My suggestion is at the next meeting, I bring a full report and address some of the issues.

In terms of Integrated Care at Home Programme.  There has been a real drive to get as   much care as possible in people’s homes. Again it might be worthwhile giving you an update. We have put significant investment in that, about integrated care, community   matrons etc.

Q:  I was born in Prenton, and I have lived and worked in Prenton for a long time.  Woodchurch Road concerns me terribly.  I am saddened to see it lacking in TLC, shops with shutters closed down, and the possibility of parking restrictions. I know it is a route for emergency vehicles, as is Prenton Dell Road, but why are we stopped from parking by the shops?  The shops are dying.  Prenton is losing its place on the Wirral.  It is   shared by Oxton and Prenton, on two sides of the road. Odd Bins has left. Prenton and Oxton needs input.  It needs litter bins, bollards, hanging baskets outside the shops.

A  (Chair):  I walked along Woodchurch Road with Councillor Bridson, both sides, the Prenton side and the Oxton side, and the concrete planters were planted with plants as a result.

Q  You can’t park in Curzon Road and Cambridge Road at peak times. You can’t park and you can’t stop.

Q  Why are there parking restrictions on Prenton Hall Road? 

Q  (Chair):  Can I ask you to make a list of all those concerns?

Cllr Holbrook: I will try to address some of the questions.  Parking and traffic issues in and around your area have been an issue with one group in one street  and getting the balance right in terms of what you do and don’t do is difficult.  There is some evidence that some of the side roads without parking restrictions s are used as a ‘park and ride’ to commute to Liverpool.

I understand that Woodchurch Road is the second busiest road in the Borough, the other being the A41, and this is an area with shops and I believe having traffic restrictions does encourage short stay rather than long stay, and that is the right way in terms of Woodchurch Road.  In the side roads, people complain about access-clogging on their street and there are lots of different conflicting and different pressures in that area.

Perhaps the Council can do more in terms of Woodchurch Road shopping centre but I would like to see the traders do more.  We have two really big traders as anchor stores for the whole of the area –Sainsbury and Aldi.  Surely companies of this size and stature could take a leading role in supporting the smaller traders in getting the business community to work with us.  It is not always the Council that as to fund this kind of thing, but perhaps the Council could take a bigger role in encouraging these shops to do something.

Q  Parking has become a problem since Sainsbury put a three-hour limit on their car   parking.

Q  Residents who leave their cars in front of their own houses will have a fine.

Q  I was reliably informed that the site of the former petrol filling station is to be a car park. Sainsbury don’t mind if people park on it but people park near the store and the bus stop. 

Q  Throughout the Prenton area, traffic will not keep its speed down.  One of the worst is Prenton Lane, right along.  Pine Walks is used as a high speed cut through and Reservoir Road North, but you don’t see anyone.

Cllr Kelly:  I have listened to the discussion, and it raises three issues –

1)  The environment, and the congestion in the area from Sainsbury to the Halfway House. That is something we could possibly pick up in the meeting next Tuesday evening to see if we can put in place further environmental improvements for other parts of the area and consider these with the “You Decide” allocation.

2)   Parking restrictions. My understanding is we are not talking about side roads, but the main road from where the urban clear way finishes to the Halfway House, raising concerns about the type of restrictions in place.  What I would like to ask the Forum to do to ask Mark Smith to show a map showing exactly what the restrictions are and whether and why they are necessary on that main road. Look at the restrictions at the next meeting. If he cannot justify to our satisfaction, eg it can impact on the commercial viability of the area, then ask him to go away and consider other options. If he can justify that, we will have to accept that. 

3)  The issue of speeding. Mark Smith had referred to the Accidents Down to Zero initiative. That is currently in place in Oxton Village, but it is now leaving Oxton Village and will move around. I cannot promise it will go in the roads you suggest, but I suggest that the roads you have suggested are put forward to see if the scheme, or another campaign of that nature would be effective. 

Q  Storeton Road is used as a cut through.  Motorists try to beat the lights at the top of the Mount Estate. A major issue at Mellor Road, they keep speeding along Mellor Road and   there are children playing out.  People have been brought up but nothing will be done until someone is killed.

Q  Speeding cars on Borough Road, from the junction of Mount Road, Borough Road to Tranmere Rovers.

A  (Inspector Bell) We prioritise the places where traffic enforcement is introduced by the number of accidents.  Some roads were mentioned two years ago.  I said I would go   back and I did and carried out some enforcement.  I will do the same again.

Chair  The Community Speed Watch Initiative is working with the Police and Highways. Anyone may volunteer to be involved in that.

Q  I went to ring Upton Police Station and told it is now back in Well Lane.  Brian Griffifths was commissioner for the past four years and thank him for all his help and support.

A  (Inspector Bell): The Police Station has only moved to Well Lane for part of the Prenton area.  Parts are still at Upton Police Station.

Robbie Bell:  In the past there was a neighbourhood watch scheme where communities took responsibility for their area.  Speed watch is a good way and there should be more things like that where the community takes responsibility for itself.  Any other initiatives to help the community help itself is useful, and I think money should be diverted in that direction.  There should be major investment in refurbishment.  I would suggest that Home and Bargain, local traders, should have some responsibility for keeping the area smart, it should not be the Council’s responsibility.  At some point or other, people in Prenton have to take the initiative to do things on their own, residents’ associations.etc.

Q  Prenton do have a Tenants and Residents Association.  It is mentioned in the Area Co-ordinator’s report.

Robbie Bell  You have to start to use Alan Dollery.  You can’t keep expecting the Council to solve everything.  June gets things done on the Mount Estate.  Her involvement in the community is recognised.

Q  Local community groups play a really important role, but it is not their responsibility to do   the Council’s job. The environment is one of the Council’s responsibilities, and this area   is going downhill. You are failing the community in not bringing in new businesses.  Sainsburys spends millions on their site and they contribute an enormous amount to WBC in business taxes.  It is a joint thing, a partnership.

Chair  We could do with a representative of local business on this area forum.

Q  Outside Lloyds bank there is an area that could be converted to a short stay car park. You could park six cars at an angle.

A  (Cllr. Holbrook): You would have to reverse into Curzon Road, but we will look at that and have an update at the next meeting.

Q  Has anything been done about parking at Swan Court?

A  (Cllr Holbrook): We have approval for double yellow lines but I don’t know when those lines will be painted.

Q  There is a problem with people stopping to use the hole in the wall outside Sainsbury.   HSBC and HBS, and in some cases driving vehicles on the pavement to use it.

Chair:  There is also a problem in Oxton Village with people parking close to the machine and   blocking the bus stop, so you cannot get on as bus to Woodchurch Road.  Double yellow lines does not deter people.

Minute decision: Resolved that:

(i)  Request Mark Smith, Technical Services to produce a report showing parking restrictions and reasons for these on Woodchurch Road.

(ii)  Inspector Bell to investigate speeding traffic on Mount Road, Borough Road to Tranmere Rovers.

(iii)  Area Co-ordinator to liaise with Parking Services regarding parking outside Lloyds Bank.

(iv)  Garry Cummings, Streetscene Manager to consider environmental improvements in the Woodchurch Road area.

(v)  Garry Cummings to liaise with Prenton High School and offer advice on waste and recycling in school.

(vi)  Paul Edwards, Wirral PCT, to provide a full report at the next area forum around Integrated Care.