Meeting documents
Area Forum (Oxton and Prenton)
Thursday, 11th October 2007
Present
Chair
FM Doyle
Ward Councillors
A Bridson, SA Holbrook, PM Southwood, Mrs P M Williams
Community Representatives
Alan Dollery (Prenton Tenants & Residents Assoc.), June Foster (Mount Estate Residents Association), Patrick Toosey (Oxton Society)
Lead Officer
Bob Beresford (Deputy Director of Housing & Environmental Protection)
Street Scene Manager
Gary Cummings
Area Service Co-ordinator
Louise Harland-Davies
Wirral Primary Care Trust
J South (Director Primary Care and Modernization)
Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Gary Docherty
Merseyside Police
Inspector Brian Griffiths, Inspector Paul Harrison
Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service
Jo-Anne Seddon
Council Officers
Robert Jones (Waste Minimisation and Recycling Manager), Mike Walker (Community Safety Officer)
Apologies
Cllr SE Kelly, Reverend Wayne Lautenbach, Myles Platt (Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service), Alan Stennard (Director of Regeneration)
Index to Minutes
- Minute 1 - Welcome, introductions and apologies
- Minute 2 - Minutes and matters arising from previous June Forum meeting
- Minute 3 - Area Co-ordinator’s Report
- Minute 4 - Presentation : Blaze Project - Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service
- Minute 5 - Recycling update
- Minute 6 - Public Question Time
- Minute 7 - Partner Updates - Older People’s Parliament, Merseyside Police, Community Safety, Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service, Wirral Primary Care Trust
- Minute 8 - Any Other Business
- Minute 9 - Future meeting : Woodchurch Road Primary School, on Wednesday, 13 February 2008
Minute 1 - Welcome, introductions and apologies
Minute Text :
Cllr Doyle welcomed approximately 45 members of the public to the Area Forum meeting and drew attention to the loop system in operation and the emergency exits.
Minute 2 - Minutes and matters arising from previous June Forum meeting
Minute Text :
The Chair then asked if anyone had any issues or unanswered queries relating to the minutes of the last meeting, that they raise them at public question time. The minutes were then agreed as a true record.
Louise Harland-Davies then introduced herself and gave details of how she can be contacted. She highlighted matters arising on pg 10 of her report and confirmed local residents in Holmlands Drive had been sent questionnaires regarding use of the grassed area and the forum was waiting for an update from Technical Services.
Minute 3 - Area Co-ordinator’s Report
Minute Text :
Louise then highlighted items of particular interest in her report, including local news issues, Wirral Older People’s Parliament, Wirral Youth Service and an appeal for public views on the Licensing Act 2003 Policy. News also from the Oxton Society, the Local Transport Plan and the Community Initiative Fund which gives details of how funding has been spent and the progress of groups which have received funding in the past. Louise drew attention to the Local Area Forum Plan update containing issues which may require public feedback, together with the Streetscene update and issues relating to the council’s new equalities and diversity policy.
She ended her report saying that community representatives are due for election shortly and anyone wishing to be considered can apply to do this and should contact her. Cllr Doyle thanked her and drew attention to the Highway Structural Maintenance Programme leaflet as help was needed from the forum to provide a shortlist of roads and pavements in the area which require repair or reconstruction. Clearly, from the information given in the Area
Co-ordinator’s Report, either Oxton and Prenton had the best roads and pavements in the borough or local residents were not reporting in sufficient numbers those areas in need of attention.
Minute Decision :
Resolved that Louise be thanked for the Area Co-ordinator’s report.
Minute 4 - Presentation : Blaze Project - Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service
Minute Text :
Jo-Anne Seddon, representing the Fire Service and the Anti-Social Behaviour Team, gave a presentation on the Blaze project which took place over the school summer holidays for which the Forum had commissioned money from the Community Initiative Fund. This project had taken place at Birkenhead Fire Station with the aim of encouraging and promoting relationships between firefighters and young people and to reduce incidents of anti-social behaviour. There were a variety of photographs of the young people learning about the work of the fire service and Jo-Anne had brought along three of these young people to answer questions from the floor. There was great interest from the floor and very positive feedback from the young people and it is hoped that money can be secured in order to fund similar projects in the future.
Cllr Holbrook added that he felt this had been a success and a constructive way for the young people to spend their summer holidays as there had been numerous problems during the Easter holidays including youths setting fire to litter bins and targeting firefighters. Evaluation showed that there had been a drop in youth crime in the areas involved and many of the young people who took part were going on to do their Duke of Edinburgh Awards.
Minute Decision :
Resolved that Jo-Anne be thanked for her presentation.
Minute 5 - Recycling update
Minute Text :
Rob Jones began by asking what the public needed information on and he would tailor his update around these specific queries. There were numerous questions from the floor, mainly around what exactly can and cannot be recycled, how recycling affects people living in flats and if pressure is being put on local supermarkets and fast food outlets to reduce the amount of packaging and waste which cannot be recycled.
Rob reported that green and grey bins are collected on an alternate weekly basis with a few exceptions such as flats and rural areas. Compost and food waste originally used to go in the brown bins but should now go in the green bins as the machinery involved was unable to process this type of waste. A particular area of concern for many people was different types of plastic such as yoghurt pots, however Rob stated that only plastic bottles can be recycled. Another query concerned silver foil, which again Rob said cannot be recycled due to machinery and there is currently no enterprise collecting silver foil – this must therefore go in the green bin. There may be a possibility however of tendering out to local companies and charities for collection of silver foil.
Cllr Holbrook pointed out that some labelling on products can be misleading as certain products may be recycled however certain restrictions may apply due to the technology being used locally. Rob reported that Wirral Council is currently recycling 36% of household waste but to get this figure to about 40% will require more education for the public. His department are currently working with all the large supermarkets on the Wirral as well as the smaller ones regarding recycling. Tesco are recycling much of their waste and are displaying posters and messages in their shops to encourage people to use their grey bins. A member of the public pointed out that when grey bins were first issued, they had a sticker informing people what could go in them but that this had since changed; Rob replied that this was the pilot scheme and all residents involved in this scheme should have received a letter revising what can go in the grey bin. Many residents at the meeting said they had not received such a letter and the confusion appears to have arisen from people who took part in the trial.
Wirral Council have also been working with fast food outlets such as McDonalds and Rob reported that they have changed from using plastic to cardboard which can be recycled. A member of the public raised the point that we appear to lag behind other European countries but Rob replied that we are treating all different types of waste and by 2012 plants will be built and developments in place so that hopefully we will be recycling approximately 70% of our waste. A member of the floor questioned the amount of packaging used for simple food items and felt that pressure should be put on food manufacturers to reduce this and Rob replied that large companies are obligated to recycle a percentage of their packaging.
Cllr Doyle thanked Rob for his update and appreciated that many of the issues raised were at a national rather than a local level and therefore beyond the council’s control. He asked if anyone had any further issues to speak to Louise at the end of the meeting. Cllr Bridson added her view that the residents of Oxton and Prenton are committed to recycling and these areas were chosen for the pilot schemes; she felt we should be patient and stated that Oxton and Prenton are doing better than other areas of the Wirral and offered to take any questions after the meeting.
Minute Decision :
Resolved that Rob be thanked for the recycling update.
Minute 6 - Public Question Time
Minute Text :
Only one question had been received in advance from Mr David Hughes who read out his complaint about the parking around Broxton Avenue, Northwood Road and Layton Avenue in Prenton. Problems have arisen due to the employees of Wirral Renault (formerly Lewis Reed) parking in these roads and leaving their cars there all day and sometimes into the evening. Mr Hughes reported these cars are restricting the highway to a single carriageway and people have difficulty in pulling out onto Woodchurch Road. He also wondered how the emergency services can gain access due to the obstruction and why garage employees cannot park in the car park opposite The Swan public house.
Cllr Bridson informed the forum that she was well aware of this problem. Mr Hughes felt that double yellow lines would not solve the problem as these cars would just park further down the road and create problems for other residents. He stated local residents experience difficulties when they have visitors and they only get respite from these problems at the weekends and in the evenings. There have been site visits and photographs taken but nothing has been done. Alan Dollery (Chair of the Prenton Tenants and Residents Association) has known about this for two years and is aware of the problems people are experiencing. He feels that this situation has gone on too long.
Mr Hughes also stated that mechanics have been seen leaving customers’ cars in the local roads. Cllr Bridson informed that she has had a letter from a resident of Tilstock Crescent who is concerned about the danger of vehicles backing out and fears there is likely to be a serious accident. Cllr Bridson proceeded to read out a section of The Highway Code in connection with parking near junctions and double parking. A member of the public then asked why the police have not been informed.
Brian Griffiths introduced himself as the new Inspector based at Upton Police Station. He stated that any vehicle which is parked on a road is an obstruction however he proposes to go and visit the manager of Wirral Renault and will report back. He intends to instruct his officers to look at cars which are parked too close to a junction and will also report back on this. Cllr Pat Williams said there have been similar problems on the Oxton side of Woodchurch Road with refuse vehicles having difficulty accessing side roads. She said that the Manager does understand the problems but has previously said that he can only encourage his staff to find other ways of getting to work such as car share. A local resident complained that they are being denied street cleaning services as the roadsweepers cannot access roads due to the volume of parked cars. Cllr Bridson stressed that police assistance is needed with this problem. Cllr Holbrook asked Rob Beresford if there is anything in the licensing regulations which would prevent the mechanics from parking customers’ cars out on the road. Rob replied that he did not think it was a trading standards issue but that there could well be planning issues they could look at.
The next discussion followed queries by Alan Dollery regarding the chimney on the Durley Drive Industrial Estate, the land for sale in Prenton Village Road and the land behind Glenavon Road. Cllr Bridson replied that she would not be able to answer these queries as fully as she would like as she was still awaiting information. Cllr Holbrook stated that regarding the chimney in Durley Drive, he may have a conflict of interest between his day job in the environment agency and his role as a local councillor. He has been asked to investigate this following a complaint about noise; a planning application has been received regarding the chimney and there will shortly be a decision about whether they can or cannot keep it. The other issue is what is actually taking place on the site and it appears that the company is taking in and dismantling industrial machinery, similar to a scrapyard. If this is the case, they should be licensed for waste management and Cllr Holbrook has checked this and found that they don’t have a licence. More information is needed to establish what the company does, however due to a conflict of interest, Cllr Holbrook may not be able to become involved in this and has asked Cllr Bridson to take it up for further investigation.
The matter of the playing fields behind Glenavon Road was then discussed. Cllr Bridson confirmed there is an application to build a nursing home on a site designated for leisure and sport and she has received a number of letters from residents who are against the idea. Unfortunately, the council officer dealing with this is away on holiday which will delay her investigations. If it goes ahead, it would mean a change of use of the playing fields so Cllr Bridson will be sending copies of letters received so that the Planning Committee will be aware of the number of people who are opposed to it.
Finally, the issue of the piece of land attached to the doctors’ surgery in Roman Road was discussed. This land belongs to the G.P.’s surgery and there are proposals to extend the current surgery into the car park and make it a two storey building. They are hoping to turn the green belt land at the back of the surgery into a car park. Cllr Bridson reported that there has been no notice of this officially; she tried to contact the Planning Officers about this but a planning application has not yet been received. She will try to get information which she can share with the public.
Cllr Doyle (Chair) then drew public question time to a close due to shortage of time.
Minute Decision :
Resolved that:
(i) Inspector Griffiths to investigate the parking situation at the Wirral Renault garage.
(ii) Rob Beresford to contact the planning department in respect of the parking situation.
(iii) Cllr Bridson to establish the situation regarding the chimney on Durley Drive Industrial Estate.
(iv) Cllr Bridson to inform the Planning Officer of local resident’s concerns regarding proposal to build a nursing home on the playing fields behind Glenavon Road.
(v) Cllr Bridson to contact the Planning Department regarding the proposed extension of the doctors’ surgery in Roman Road.
Minute 7 - Partner Updates - Older People’s Parliament, Merseyside Police, Community Safety, Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service, Wirral Primary Care Trust
Minute Text :
Older People’s Parliament
Jack Cuffe reported that the Parliament is now nine months old and they have over fifty volunteers. They meet quarterly with occasional extra meetings. They are being contacted by all the authorities on issues which affect older people, for example, social services, transport, housing, etc and have been involved in issues such as the blue badge parking scheme. He said that extra volunteers could well be needed and issued an invitation to join them.
Merseyside Police
Inspector Paul Harrison from Laird Street police station introduced himself. He reported that there is a lot of work being done with the three major areas of concern: vehicle crime, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage. In the fourteen weeks since the last forum meeting, he has set up teams in each ward consisting of one police officer and two community support officers, all of whom are doing a good job. He has a log of how they make a difference in their ward and how they improve community life. The community support officers will be using bicycles to travel around the area and once they have completed their training, they will be covering Oxton and Prenton. They are supported by a further nine support officers plus three sergeants and other officers. Surgeries are up and running around the area and teams are currently undergoing training to set up Homewatch schemes. Schemes are currently being rolled out to address local problems and issues.
Inspector Harrison also mentioned the Respect Week initiative and the work that has been done through this, solving local issues, and which will soon be coming to Oxton. He reported that in Oxton there has been a rise in vehicle crime and burglaries, probably due to the fact that Oxton has darker areas with poor lighting and houses with large gardens. He has also put in a bid for plain-clothes police officers regarding problems around The Arno and so far has had some success. He reported success regarding visits to local off-licences to test for the selling of alcohol to people under-age. In the run-up to Halloween Night, his teams are working on diversionary tactics with local youths across the area and are actively going into schools to educate children on the impact of anti-social behaviour. He then reported on how crime is being solved in the area since the last forum meeting and how crime has reduced in comparison with the same time period last year. He ended his update by offering to help anyone who needs police assistance and stressed that both Inspectors are here to help.
Brian Griffiths introduced himself as the new Inspector at Upton Police Station and reported on effective working relationships with other agencies to identify at an early stage the youngsters who are causing problems and getting them into intervention programmes. He reported a problem with police community support officer coverage in Prenton and Tranmere, however this has now been addressed and two new police community support officers have been appointed so the area is now covered.
A member of the public asked if the War Memorial in Prenton could be better lit and reported that there are always youths around it, which she finds intimidating. Inspector Griffiths agreed to deal with the issue of the youths but the lighting is a Council issue.
Community Safety
Mike Walker reported on the DVLA project which is making people aware of the risks of leaving valuables in their car. Wardens are noting cars which have valuables on display and owners will receive a letter. He also reported on a project where young offenders who, as part of their community service, are refurbishing areas of the community such as painting public railings.
Wirral Primary Care Trust
John South introduced himself and his team as being responsible for primary care, i.e. healthcare services before going into hospital – G.P. surgeries, health clinics, etc. and drew attention to the Primary Care Trust update on Pages 26 & 27 of the area co-ordinator’s report. He reported that the PCT have put in some money for the small grants programme to support community projects and initiatives and if anyone is interested, they can contact the community engagement team at Wirral Council as indicated in the report.
Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
An additional item not featured on the agenda was an update from Gary Doherty, representing Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. The trust is now joining the area forum so will have a representative at each meeting. The team is responsible for the care patients receive whilst in hospital. He had put some information packs out before the meeting containing general information on the Trust including recent improvements made following feedback from patients, an update on some of the positive things which are going on at the hospital and information on new services being offered. He stressed that Wirral Hospital Trust have very low rates of MRSA compared to other hospitals and are continually striving to reduce their rates of infection., action includes spot-checks on cleanliness. He concluded his report by stating his intention to attend future forum meetings.
Cllr Bridson wished to add that she is on the Scrutiny Committee for Social Care which is currently looking at hospital discharge and she would welcome people’s views and experiences, whether good or bad, to be sent to her.
Minute Decision :
Resolved that:
(i) All partners be thanked for their updates.
(ii) Inspector Griffiths to look at the situation of youths gathering at the War memorial.
Minute 8 - Any Other Business
Minute Text :
Cllr Doyle informed the forum that following previous suggestions for future presentations, Neil Scales from Merseytravel had agreed to come to a forum meeting and will therefore be invited next time to give a presentation. Cllr Doyle asked Gary Doherty if he would like to give a presentation and Gary confirmed that he would be happy to do this. There were no other issues and the meeting concluded at 9.00 pm.
Minute Decision :
Resolved that:
(i) Gary Doherty from Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust to give a presentation at the next meeting.
(ii) Cllr Holbrook will invite Neil Scales from Merseytravel to attend the next meeting.
Minute 9 - Future meeting : Woodchurch Road Primary School, on Wednesday, 13 February 2008
Minute Text :
The date of the next meeting is Wednesday 13th February 2008 at Woodchurch Road Primary School.
(Minutes Published: 17 December 2007)