Meeting documents
Area Forum (Bromborough and Eastham)
Wednesday, 4th July 2007
Present
Chair
T Harney
Ward Councillors
GD Mitchell, SAM Niblock, A Taylor
Community Representatives
Mark Craig, Mrs M Hall (Eastham Community Representative), Ms J Smith (Eastham Community Representative)
Lead Officer
John Carruthers, Department of Finance
Area Service Co-ordinator
Louise Harland-Davies
Street Scene Manager
Phil Miner
Wirral Primary Care Trust
Marie Armitage , Glenn Coleman
Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Lynn Benstead
Merseyside Police
Inspector Andy McKeown
Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service
Myles Platt
Council Officers
Jim Thompson (Community Safety Team)
Index to Minutes
- Minute 1 - Welcome, introductions and apologies
- Minute 2 - Minutes and matters arising from previous February forum
- Minute 3 - Area Co-ordinators Report • Area Forum Plan
- Minute 4 - Future Activities
- Minute 5 - Public Question Time
- Minute 6 - Older People’s Parliament
- Minute 7 - Wirral Hospital Trust - NHS Engagement Strategy
- Minute 8 - Partner Updates • Merseyside Police • Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service • Wirral Primary Care Trust
- Minute 9 - Any other business
- Minute 10 - Date of next meeting Tuesday 23rd October 2007 venue to be confirmed
Minute 1 - Welcome, introductions and apologies
Minute Text :
The Chair, Councillor Harney welcomed area forum members and 18 members of the public to the meeting in Eastham. Apologies were received from Councillor PN Gilchrist, Councillor RK Moon, David Smith, Marie Stacey and Geoff Bell.
Minute 2 - Minutes and matters arising from previous February forum
Minute Text :
The minutes were approved as a true record.
Matters arising:
Sefton Road – Car Parking near Health Centre: It was understood that the PCT were prepared to fund some parking restrictions in Sefton Road. An update will be given at the next meeting.
Out-of-hours medical facilities at Clatterbridge Hospital: Glen Coleman reported that the PCT is developing a business case to develop services on the Clatterbridge site. He was confident that some progress would be made on the proposal for out-of-hours medical provision in the next couple of months.
Home Zone Initiative in Winstanley Road: Quotations have been received from MANWEB and from Technical Services Department. A report will be submitted to Elected Members in the next few months.
Shorefield Road/Mayfield Road, New Ferry: A public consultation was recently carried out in order to establish a site for the proposed play area however local residents can’t agree on an area so no progress has been made.
Minute 3 - Area Co-ordinators Report • Area Forum Plan
Minute Text :
The Area Co-ordinator, Louise Harland-Davies, highlighted the following issues –
Wirral Federation of Tenants and Residents Association are holding an anti-social behaviour conference at Tranmere Rovers Football Club in September. Anyone interested in attending should contact the Association on 0151 666 1770 or email wirralfed@hotmail.com.
Community Initiatives Funding: The closing date has passed for bids from this year’s allocation. Progress reports from organisations awarded grants from last year’s allocation are shown pages 27/28 of the report.
An update on Streetscene and Waste Update is on pages 30/34.
Integrated Transport Block: The area forum has received 1/11th of the Integrated Transport Block allocation to fund schemes identified by the forum.
The Area Co-ordinator invited information on any roads where there may be an issue. She would put forward the proposals received and distribute a list at the next meeting. Two requests have already been received and these will be included in the list. The Area Co-ordinator’s email address is louiseharlanddavies@wirral.gov.uk.
Councillor Niblock raised an issue concerning signage and other traffic measures. His understanding was that Geoff Bell would indicate which measures will work and will be taken forward. He was aware that the funding has to be spent by March 2008, but because the Area Forum would not meet again until the Autumn, there would be no opportunity to approve schemes in sufficient time to achieve that; leading to the possibility that the money would be withdrawn. There was an urgent need for the Area Forum to consider the schemes it wishes to progress.
Area Forum Plan: The purpose of the area plan is to identify local issues, priorities and needs and to support and guide forums in working towards addressing these throughout the year. The area plan gives an understanding of the local area in which residents live and statistical information about the needs of the local population. It identifies local issues that have been raised through the forums and contributes towards achieving local area agreement priorities and outcomes.
Area plans will develop and evolve over time as issues are addressed and new priorities emerge. Work has been completed on refreshing and updating the plan for this Area Forum. An update will be given at each area forum meeting and issues highlighted will be incorporated into the plan.
Limited copies of the area plan for Bromborough and Eastham Wards were available at the meeting. The document will be available shortly on the Internet.
A member of the public suggested that copies of the plan are made available in each local library.
The Chair commented that the plan is in two parts. The first part contains factual information about the area that does not change, and it would be appropriate for Libraries to hold copies of this part of the plan. The second part sets out priorities and does change as issues are addressed and new priorities are identified.
He asked the Area Co-ordinator to liaise with Wirral Library Service on the best means of publicising the plan.(www.wirral.gov.uk)
Minute Decision :
Resolved: That the Area Co-ordinator be thanked for her report.
Minute 4 - Future Activities
Minute Text :
The Chair advised the Council’s policy is that each Area Forum meets three times a year and as this area forum covers the three areas, Bromborough, Eastham and New Ferry, a meeting is held once a year in each of these three areas. The feeling of some forum members is that they need to meet together to plan and exchange views to ensure that the formal meeting is useful for everyone.
The Chair proposed that the area forum gives power to a group of members to meet informally between formal meetings and find ways of involving and consulting with the public in a wider range of issues than has been the custom in the past. A written report on the outcome of the consultations would be presented at the next area forum meeting when further views would be invited.
The Chair formally proposed that –
‘This Forum agrees to consultation exercises on the following: (a) the Mill Park area – community consultation (b) youth provision in the area, (c) other activities identified by members of the Forum. That this be subject to (1) reports on activities be reported to each meeting of the Forum (2) that any recommendations arising out of these activities will be reported to the Forum for decision (3) that the source of any resources needed be identified before the commencement of an activity.’
The proposal was seconded by Councillor D Mitchell.
A member of the public stated that he would not expect to receive such a proposal from members of the Area Forum, but that any such proposal should come from the floor.
The Chair explained that the Area Forum comprises the group of people present this evening, and one of the purposes of the Forum is to co-ordinate the agencies that work in an area. Being a local government body, the group meets in public but there needs to be informal meetings to become interactive and to co-ordinate activities. The Forum needs to be empowered to meet informally to achieve that.
Members of the public signified that they were happy with the proposal.
Minute 5 - Public Question Time
Minute Text :
A member of the public raised the issues -
I was not informed of this meeting and only found out this afternoon from the neighbours. Homes in my neighbourhood do not receive free newspapers.
Where I live, there are complaints about youths breaking in to properties.
The maisonettes have interconnected doors, and the neighbours have keys which can open the doors; it is meant to be a fire escape. I think it is a hazard because someone can enter my property because they have a key to get in. I live on my own with my children and I do not feel safe that someone can come into my house.
All the trouble in Clifton Avenue at the moment seems to be coming from the Rake public house. The previous landlord allowed ‘yobs’ in and they caused trouble in the street at night. The problems are spiralling out of control and there needs to be a small police station or a mobile police station in the area.
There had been a fight in the Rake, and that Police attended, but it is still happening. This week someone was left unconscious on the floor.
I fell down the stairs when I was pregnant and have applied for priority re-housing on medical grounds but was told the priority is insufficient and I have not been given ‘urgent need’ status by the Council. I am still applying every week. I have reported my concerns to Wirral Partnership Homes, the Health Visitors and my GP and I have been trying to contact the child protection team because there is a 40 ft drop outside the living room door. I have asked for a copy of the policies and the legislation but was told Wirral Partnership Homes have not got a copy.
I have made complaints and have not received replies.
The Chair, Forum members, and a representative from Wirral Partnership Homes, responded and offered advice to the member of the public as each issue was raised.
The Chair asked the member of the public to provide full details of all the points raised at the end of the meeting. He would ensure that a response is given to each issue.
Other members of the public raised questions on –
The future of the No.146 bus to Eastham railway station, which plays a valuable role in getting people to the Treetops surgery.
Litter in the road outside South Wirral High School [a reply was given that the Headteacher is trying to persuade young people not to drop litter along Plymyard Avenue.]
The state of the underpass on the A41 near Thorburn Avenue and Eastham Road – [an elected member replied that Biffa seldom omit that particular underpass, and at the time of a recent inspection there were only three pieces of litter on the site].
Susan Nicholson: Pavement cafes: Two premises, one in the Bromborough Ward and one in Eastham Ward, have street café facilities, and it would appear that the people involved were unaware that they needed to gain permission from the police and from two separate council departments before they opened the facility. There needs to be an application for a change of use to the Planning Department, and the application then goes through the normal planning procedures, which involves the publication of notices. It is a matter of concern that the public are not alerted initially to the proposal and that pavement cafes can just appear without anyone knowing. In some instances, the applicants are not sure whether the piece of pavement they are using is within their curtilage, or not. There is a concern that matters appear to take a long time to resolve. There is someone here who is very concerned about the facility sited near Bromborough Cross. There is an anomaly in Allport Lane, adjacent to The Cross, where a café licence has been granted prior to the planning application going through.
The Chair gave reassurance that the planning application will highlight all the matters raised.
Marjorie Hall explained that she had made a request at a previous meeting for the removal of the Westbury home sign on the A41 near Eastham Village. The sign had been erected to direct contractors’ lorries to the building site, but now construction work has finished there is no longer a need for the sign.
Marjorie Hall passed on the views expressed by local residents that many complaints submitted to Wirral Council are not acknowledged or responded to. She cited an example where residents in Eastham Village had complained about the track in Hooton Park on the grounds of public safety and nuisance in an industrial zone. The conditions attached to granting permission for the use of the track are not being adhered to and the noise levels for local residents are unbearable.
Equally, at meetings of the Area Forum, people frequently raise issues or complaints but they just disappear and there is no outcome for people.
The Chair indicated that he wished it to be minuted that the go-karting issue is a ‘live’ one. It does not affect people on this side, but for people who live on the other side the noise is dreadful at times. There was a restriction placed on the kind of activity, but this is ignored. The site is not in Wirral area, it is in Cheshire’s area, the corner at the end of North Road. The arrangement had been that an enforcement officer would attend when events are being held. Hopefully that will happen, but it was not known whether it would happen. Clearly, the matter needs to be monitored before it gets worse.
Traffic in Allport Lane: Allport Lane is now gridlocked at Bromborough Cross corner traffic lights where the shops are. Cars enter the ‘access only’ section from the wrong direction. This has been the situation for about 2/3 years now and no action has been taken. There is a ‘no entry’ sign which motorists completely ignore and drive in and park their cars. The number of traffic wardens have been increased but they just walk passed and ignore them.
The Chair noted the views expressed. He requested that issue of Allport Lane as a one-way street is taken up and a response is given to the Area Forum.
Heygarth Junior School, Eastham. The school was used as a polling station on 3 May and the female polling clerk had to leave the polling station in the dark at 10.pm. and walk through an unlit area at the back of the school. The Chair undertook to bring the matter to the attention of the Electoral Section.
Minute 6 - Older People’s Parliament
Minute Text :
Sheila Williams explained that the Older People’s Parliament is a newly formed Parliament for older [aged 50 plus] people of Wirral to attend meetings and air their views and concerns on local issues that affects people in this area and in the Borough. As a member of the Older People’s Parliament Sheila was invited to attend the forum to provide some background information. She invited any members of the public are interested in joining the Parliament to ring Tracey Smith at Wallasey Town Hall for an application pack.
Councillor Niblock recalled that each Area Forum is allowed to have two nominated representatives from each Ward to serve on the Parliament.
The Chair replied that nominations had been invited at an area forum meeting about a year ago, but no one had come forward.
Sheila Williams continued that the dates of meetings of the Parliament will be announced in the local Press.
Minute Decision :
Resolved: That Sheila Williams be thanked for the information.
Minute 7 - Wirral Hospital Trust - NHS Engagement Strategy
Minute Text :
Lynn Benstead gave a presentation on Wirral Hospital Trust Engagement Strategy. The development of the Engagement Strategy marks the second phase of the Trust’s commitment to engage more closely with the communities it serves.
The first phase in February 2006 involved a major consultation programme, A Change for the Better, in relation to the Trust’s application for Foundation Trust Status. The consultation laid out service plans for the following five years. The Trust has just been notified that it has been granted NHS Foundation Trust status. Arrowe Park Hospital has been renamed Wirral University Teaching Hospital.
In the coming months the Trust will be talking – and listening – to Area Forums and community groups throughout Wirral on ways in which hospital services are changing.
The focus of the presentation this evening would be on Who we are, Why we are changing, and How we are changing. The responses from the consultation will be feed into the strategy.
Unlike current NHS trusts, Foundation Trusts have Members and Governors. Members elect Governors to represent them and to set direction for the organisation. The membership and Assembly of Governors is a key part of the engagement strategy.
The Trust values the contribution made by members and encourages members of the public to become public members or attend Assembly meetings – application forms were available at the meeting. Further information can be obtained from www.whnt.nhs.uk. Read your hospital.
Members of the public raised the issues –
A&E Facilities are Clatterbridge Hospital: Are there any plans to re-open A&E at the weekends? The matter has been ongoing for four years and there has been no outcome.
Glenn Coleman – Consideration was being given to an out-of-hours service, not an A&E unit, but a decision has been made not to open a new out-of-service on the grounds that it would be uneconomical and unsustainable to maintain that service.
Councillor Mitchell - Car Parking Charges at Arrowe Park Hospital. The concession to people who are disabled to reclaim parking charges is not advertised anywhere.
Lynn Benstead – My understanding is that disabled car parking is free. There are about 15/20 designated spaces.
Councillor Mitchell - People with disabilities have to pay to use the main car park in front of the hospital. People with relatives in intensive care who visit on a regular basis use have to pay an exorbitant amount. Is there a scheme for reduced charges? If there is, it is not advertised and no one knows about it.
Lynn Bensted - I will take the query back and feed the response back to the Area Forum.
Member of the public - You have to walk a long way to get reimbursement. It would help if it were closer to the main entrance.
Councillor Mitchell - The people who live in the southern end of the peninsular are isolated. There is Arrowe Park and Wallasey, but there is nothing for this end. One of the questions we are constantly asking in this Area Forum is the ability to have an out of hours service in this part of the Wirral. The GPs surgeries are packed with patients on Monday mornings. If there was a more local service people would go there at weekends instead of waiting to Monday morning. There is an ageing population on the Wirral and they are expected to travel longer distances.
Glenn Coleman - What we are looking to do is build a business case around extended hours. We have looked at the activity in out of hours for this end and looked at the average number of attendances. The figures are average. People can make their way to the out of hours service on other sites and use those effectively. The out of hours service is an urgent service and if they can wait for treatment it is more appropriate for them to access their normal GP surgeries.
The out of hours and A&E activity is increasing and we are trying to manage that better. It is not unusual for surgeries to be particularly busy on a Monday morning across the Borough, not just in Bromborough.
Secretary of Wirral Pathfinders Monitoring Health Support Group – the number of beds for mental health problems at Clatterbridge has been halved. People suffering from anxiety and depression are not seen by a psychiatrist; to do that they have to be classed as having a severe and enduring mental illness.
Lynn Benstead – The mental health services come under Cheshire & Wirral Partnership Trust – not Wirral NHS Trust.
[Glenn Coleman asked the member of the public to provide details and he would raise the issue with Cheshire & Wirral Partnership Trust and provide a response].
Minute Decision :
Resolved that :
Lynn Benstead be thanked for the presentation
(i) Lynn to report back to the Area Forum regarding reduced parking charges at Arrowe Park Hospital
(ii) Glenn Coleman to provide a response to the secretary of Wirral Pathfinders Monitoring Health Support Group regarding reduced service for patients with mental health problems at Clatterbridge Hospital
Minute 8 - Partner Updates • Merseyside Police • Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service • Wirral Primary Care Trust
Minute Text :
Merseyside Police: Inspector McKeown, Neighbour Inspector for Bromborough introduced himself and reported -
March and April had been particularly good months in Bromborough and Eastham with low levels of crime and high detection rates. The figures for June show a steep rise in low level damage and anti social behaviour, but the past seven days have seen a decline in the number of offences.
Terrorist activity is significant and all Police Officers in Wirral have been working compulsory 12-hour shifts since 30 June. MI5 are confident that they have identified all the suspects in the most recent attacks. Two or three people identified as leaders have been under surveillance for some time and six of the eight suspects have been arrested. Further searches of premises in Liverpool 8 have taken place. The National Council of Islam and Islamic Leaders in this area have joined together to condemn the activities which are completely against the teachings of their faith.
Inspector McKeown read out a statement issued by Merseyside Police. Extracts from the statement are given below -
‘A major UK counter terrorism investigation is underway following attacks in London and Glasgow. The country is on critical alert and the Merseyside Force has to be more vigilant. High visibility police activity is taking place across Wirral and Merseyside as a precautionary measure to ensure that the public at large are kept safe and are reassured.
(subject to this statement being read out on the night of the forum the security alert status was lowered from critical to severe late on the 4th July 2007 . Two weeks ago this was then reduced further to high alert.)
Merseyside Police is doing everything possible to ensure the safety of the public of Merseyside. We ask that all our communities continue to help us by remaining calm but vigilant and report any suspicious behaviour directly to us or to the Anti-Terrorist Hotline on 0800 789 321, or to report incidents of hate crime anonymously via the Crimestoppers hotline on 0800 555111.’
Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service:
Myles Platt then gave an update on fire service activities. In the past three months, fire crews have carried out 550 home fire safety checks in the area. There have been four fires in domestic dwellings with no deaths or serious injury resulting from those fires. There have been 113 fires in Wirral in the same three-month period. Secondary fires, nuisance fires etc, totalled 22 against a total of 744 across Wirral.
The high volume-pumping appliance has been mobilised on four occasions as part of the national response to the flooding in South Yorkshire and Humberside. The specialist water rescue team has also been sent to Humberside to help rescue people trapped by floodwater.
All senior fire officers are on standby and can be recalled at any time to respond to the terrorist threat. There are crews of firefighters on Merseyside who are fully trained in the use of the specialist equipment that enables them to respond to all kinds of threat.
Before the end of this financial year, there will be a specialised hazardous materials response unit based at Bromborough Fire Station to respond to incidents at the Eastham Oil Refinery and the various industries in the area.
Wirral Primary Care Trust
Glenn Coleman reminded the Forum that a smoking ban had been introduced in enclosed places in England on 1 July 2007. He reiterated that there are excellent smoke-cessation services that can be accessed through GP surgeries, in pharmacies across Wirral, and from the Health and Lifestyle wellbeing service in Hamilton Square.
The PCT is consulting on a proposal to redevelop the Orchard Surgery in Bromborough by constructing a purpose-built surgery on the land behind the current cramped and out of date facilities. Two drop-in sessions have been arranged to allow members of the public to view plans of the proposed development and to share their views with representatives from the practice, the developers/architects and the primary care trust.
Both events will take place in St Barnabas Church Hall on Wednesday, and Thursday, 11/12 July. Comments can be emailed to TheOrchardDvt@WirralPCT.nhs.uk. by the closing date of 20 July 2007.
Minute 9 - Any other business
Minute Text :
In an addition to the agenda The Chair then invited Paul Loughnane from New Ferry Butterfly Park to address the forum
Paul expressed his personal thanks for the grant of £750 for a display board from the Community Initiatives Fund for the New Ferry Butterfly Park. The Mayor of Wirral had recently attended an open day and unveiling ceremony. The park is open on Sunday afternoons in the summer and other times by appointment. Visitors are welcome and admission is free. Details are on the website - www.wildlifetrust.org.uk/cheshire look under reserves.
The Chair thanked everyone for their attendance and closed the meeting at 8.50pm.
Minute 10 - Date of next meeting Tuesday 23rd October 2007 venue to be confirmed
Minute Text :
That the next meeting of the Area Forum be held on 23 October 2007 in Bromborough.
The Chair invited members of the public to use the feedback forms available at the meeting and especially to put forward their ideas for agenda items at future meetings.
(Minutes Published: 7 August 2007)