PUBLIC QUESTION TIME

The following questions / issues were raised:

Member of the public: Has there been a planning application submitted for the re-opening of Sorellas in Moreton with a music license until 12am weekdays and 1am Friday and Saturday?

Chair: Yes there has been a planning application submitted as Tesco have applied to build a new store on the current site where the Plough Inn stands the owners have decided to open ‘Cross Bar’ on the old Sorella’s site. The license request is for music and alcohol to be served until 11.30pm on a weekday and 12.30pm at weekends. If any residents have concerns and wish to object to the application a letter must be given in writing to the council by the 1^st of July to the licensing committee. A letter will be distributed to the surrounding residents this week to ask for their views on the application.

Member of the public: Will supersaver be closed as part of the new Tesco site?

Chair: No, Supersavers will not be affected by the Tesco site.

Member of the public: Residents in Sunningdale flats in Moreton received a visit from Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service (MFRS) insisting the building must be sterile and everything must be removed from the hallways, including small pot plants. Why is this all of a sudden?

MFRS: Incidents nationally which have led to deaths has prompted the review of certain policies and MFRS have advised Wirral Partnership Homes (WPH) who own Sunningdale flats to carry out a risk assessment on the flats. WPH must have deemed the potted plants to be a risk on the assessment and this is why they will have been removed. If residents still have issues with this they must ask WPH to re-do their risk assessment of the building and maybe downgrade the level of risk attributed to small pot plants.

Member of the public: There was a drain cleaning machine on Hoylake Road during the early hours and the machinery made huge amounts of noise disturbing residents in the area. No notification was given and neither United Utilities nor Wirral Council will admit to sending the machine.

Carolyn Curr: This issue will be taken back to the Streetscene department and an update will be provided at the next meeting.

Member of the public: Why do kids who do bad things get rewarded with treats to try and get them to become good kids when kids who don’t do anything wrong don’t get anything?

Inspector Peter Kolokotroni: A few years ago all the funding given to the Police to treat kids was for the children who were on the brink of offending but now there is also funding out there to reward good kids who haven’t done anything wrong. The money is used in hotspot areas for both good children and children on the verge of offending.

Member of the public: The pigeon droppings previously reported outside Sayers in Moreton has not been dealt with and it is still there.

Tracey Smith: Will follow up with Streetscene and report back at the next meeting.

Member of the public: There is a grid missing by Moreton station and it could cause an accident as a small child’s foot could easily get stuck down the gap.

Response: There was a phone number left by United Utilities for issues like this to be flagged up so this will be done as soon as possible.

Member of the public: The parks and play areas around Leasowe and Moreton always get refurbished and then vandalized again by the teenagers who rip up the rubber surface.  What can be done about this?

Response: The Parks team is to meet with the Councilors to see if a solution can be reached and explore the possibility of using a different type of material for the surface of the play areas.Also, if any particular community groups have anything they would like to do to the play areas they can put a bid into the area forums via the Community Initiatives Fund.

Member of the public: There are too many children playing on the War Memorial Cenotaph in Moreton cross and it should be fenced in.

Response: The area is an open public space and unfortunately a favourite spot of free-runners due to its height. It is seen as a gathering area.

Member of the public: In the winter when the snow and ice was causing huge problems there was no gritting around the Sunningdale flats and shopping area, as this is for elderly residents this was extremely dangerous.

Tracey Smith: Explained to the area forum about the yellow slips which they had received to allocate the £5,000 for grit bins to be place in certain areas, and that this was most certainly one of the locations that had been mentioned in the Moreton area. Tracey advised the group to make their selections and hand back the slips at the end of the meeting.