Meeting documents
Area Forum (Bebington and Clatterbridge)
Wednesday, 27th June 2007
Present
Chair
WW Smith
Ward Councillors
S L Clarke, AT Jennings, IM Moon, K J Williams
Community Representatives
R Johnston
Older People's Parliament Representative
Brian Cummings, Frank McCoy
Lead Officer
Stephen Rowley (Assistant Director of Finance)
Area Service Co-ordinator
Michelle Gray
Street Scene Manager
Phil Miner
Primary Care Trust
Glenn Coleman
Merseyside Police
Inspector Andy McKeown
Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service
Myles Platt
Wirral Hospital Trust
Pat Higgins
Council Officers
Steve Chan (Youth and Play Service), Jim Thompson (Community Safety Team)
Apologies
Councillor CM Teggin
Index to Minutes
- Minute 1 - Welcome, introductions & apologies
- Minute 2 - Minutes & matters arising from previous February forum
- Minute 3 - Area Co-ordinators report - Area plan update
- Minute 4 - Older peoples parliament
- Minute 5 - The play strategy
- Minute 6 - Wirral hospital trust – engagement strategy
- Minute 7 - Partner updates - Merseyside Police - Merseyside Fire & Rescue service - Wirral Primary Care Trust
- Minute 8 - Public open forum
- Minute 9 - Date of next meeting Wednesday 31st October 2007 venue to be confirmed
- Minute 10 - Any other business
Minute 1 - Welcome, introductions & apologies
Minute Text :
Councillor Walter Smith addressed the Area Forum. As everyone is aware the Area Forum covers the Wards of Bebington and Clatterbridge and elected members from both Wards are represented at Area Forum meetings. Agreement had been reached amongst the Area Forum that in future the elected members from both Wards will chair Area Forum meetings, on a rotating basis.
He asked members of the public if they had any objections to him chairing this evening’s meeting. No objections were raised.
Councillor Moon proposed a vote of thanks to Councillor Clarke for chairing meetings of the Area Forum in 2006/2007.
A vote of thanks was proposed to Councillor Teggin for chairing meetings of the Area Forum in 2005/2006.
The Chair, Councillor Walter Smith, welcomed forum members and 12 members of the public to the meeting of the Area Forum in Bebington. Apologies were received from Councillor Chris Teggin.
Minute Decision :
Resolved: That –
i Councillor Walter Smith be elected Chair for this evening’s meeting;
ii Councillor Sheila Clarke be thanked for Chairing meetings in 2006/2007;
iii Councillor Chris Teggin be thanked for Chairing meetings in 2005/2006.
Minute 2 - Minutes & matters arising from previous February forum
Minute Text :
Matters arising: There were no matters arising. Updates had been appended minutes on the Police Surgery at Bebington One Stop Shop, Pennant House, Bebington, on the first Tuesday of each month when Police and Community Support Officers will be available to discuss neighbourhood concerns of local residents, and on the arrangements for work to start on the roof of the One Stop Shop on 7 May 2007.
Minute Decision :
Resolved: That the minutes of the Area Forum meeting of 13 February 2007 be confirmed as a true and accurate record.
Minute 3 - Area Co-ordinators report - Area plan update
Minute Text :
Parking on grass verges: Prior to introducing her report, Michelle Gray, the Area Co-ordinator, reported that in response to ongoing concerns expressed at Area Forum meetings across Wirral, Elected Members have agreed to introduce a pilot scheme to prohibit parking on grass verges in identified areas of the Borough. If the pilot scheme is successful, other areas will be introduced on a rolling programme.
Copies of a report which includes the roads in the pilot phase, are available, on request, from the Area Co-ordinator.
The Area Co-ordinator presented her report. Section 2 contained information on new initiatives, copies of Press Releases and Cross Cutting themes. Section 3 contained progress reports from organisations who have been awarded Community Initiatives Funding in the past, Section 4 referred to the local area plans developed by each Area Forum. Work has been completed on refreshing and updating the plan for this Area Forum. 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. Area plans will develop and evolve over time as issues are addressed and new priorities emerge. 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. Section 5 – a report to the Area Forum on Streetscene and Waste, and Section 6 is a new section on equalities and diversity had been included.
Copies of the area plan for Bebington and Clatterbridge Wards are available, on request, from the Area Co-ordinator.
Copies of the Area Co-ordinator’s report can be downloaded on the Internet at www.wirral.gov.uk.
Minute Decision :
Resolved: That the Area Co-ordinator be thanked for her report.
Minute 4 - Older peoples parliament
Minute Text :
Frank McCoy reported people over the age of 50 are eligible to join the Parliament and each Area Forum is entitled to elect four delegates, two from each Ward. He had been elected to represent this Area Forum simply by filling in a form. He had attended a couple of meetings and is the only representative from this area to be elected to the Executive Committee.
The Executive had set up a number of committees and agreed to form another committee for Education for Older People. The Parliament had agreed to meet four times a year on the first Friday in March, June, September and December.
The Executive will meet when required, approximately two weeks prior to Parliament meetings, and an annual general meeting will be held in March.
The Health and Safety Committee had received a report at the June meeting on parking at hospitals, social services and health, and a comprehensive report on transport. The issues raised had been directed to the appropriate Authority for attention.
The Parliament receives an annual allocation of £15,000 from Council funds. £13,000 had been allocated to employ a part-time Secretary and to cover stationery costs. A finance co-ordinator, Sandy Brown, has been elected. The Chair is Jack Cuffe and Tony Cameron from Heswall has been elected Press Officer.
Mr McCoy suggested that an item is included on the agenda of the next Area Forum meeting to advise people on the process for election to the Parliament.
Minute Decision :
Resolved: That Frank McCoy be thanked for the report on the Older People’s Parliament.
Minute 5 - The play strategy
Minute Text :
Steve Chan, Youth and Play Service, gave a presentation on the Development of a Play Strategy for Wirral for Wirral Play Partnership.
The development of a Play Strategy for Wirral, which is aimed at children between 5 and 14 years, has come a long way in recent months and is now very close to completion.
Tasks completed so far include the preparation and distribution of a detailed discussion paper, the formation of the Wirral Play Partnership, undertaking an audit of public playgrounds, local neighbourhood audits and a mapping exercises with children and young people.
The audits and mapping exercises have provided valuable information on where children and young people play and how they use the outdoors. A number of consistent themes have emerged which are:
-Closeness to home – this suggests that priority should be given establishing and protecting places for play that are as close to home as possible;
-Tolerance by Adults – this suggests that the imbalance of adult attitudes between what is considered ‘nuisance’ and the safety aspects of playing close to home must be addressed directly; and
-Mediation of Conflict – this suggests that the existing play ranger scheme in Wirral should be expanded in role and capacity.
Draft recommendations have been produced, based on the data analysed to date.
Big Lottery Funding of £155 million is available nationwide for Children’s Play Initiatives. Wirral Council has produced the Play Strategy and a portfolio of Play Projects to support a bid of £881,000 from the allocation. A Play Champion is to be appointed to promote children’s play within the Wirral community.
Steve Chan responded to questions from members of the public on Council liability for play areas and equipment, ‘no ball game’ areas and children playing football in the street.
Brian Cummings congratulated Steve Chan and his team for the opportunities for play they give to the children of Wirral, often with very little funding.
Minute Decision :
Resolved: That Steve Chan be thanked for the presentation.
Minute 6 - Wirral hospital trust – engagement strategy
Minute Text :
Pat Higgins 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 will be notified of the outcome of its application for Trust status in early July.
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 is aiming to have 13,000 public members – currently it has 6,000.
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.
Pat Higgins responded to questions from members of the public on the plans for using vacated wards at Clatterbridge following the transfer of some services to Arrowe Park Hospital; the balance between high dependency and intensive care beds; and on staff training. The PCT is exploring the possibility of introducing a medical injuries/walk-in facility and an out-of-hours service on the Clatterbridge site.
Minute Decision :
Resolved: That Pat Higgins be thanked for the presentation.
Minute 7 - Partner updates - Merseyside Police - Merseyside Fire & Rescue service - Wirral Primary Care Trust
Minute Text :
Police:
Inspector McKeown reported a slight seasonal rise in crime in June; although the rise this year is not as high as in the previous two years. The risk area still causing concern across the whole of south-east Wirral is criminal damage, mainly repeat offences with some motiveless crime such as breaking windows in houses and cars and damaging cars for no apparent reason. An analysis of locations of crime has shown that about two-thirds of these offences are committed during late evenings within a half-mile radius of a club or public house.
Other causes of concern in June were anti-social behaviour and low level assaults, mostly domestic related. There is a zero tolerance policy towards domestic violence, all complaints are investigated, and there is a 90% detection rate for offenders.
On an average weekend, between 27 and 35 crimes are recorded for the whole of SE Wirral between 7 am Friday, to 7 am Monday. In the Bebington and Clatterbridge Wards, 14 crimes have been recorded in the same time scale, indicating that this is a low crime area.
The area is now considered to be a ‘non-problematical anti social area’ in terms of anti-social behaviour such as youths causing nuisance in the street, inappropriate gatherings of young people, use of fire works, inappropriate use of vehicles etc.
In summary, the report for the area is good – seasonal crime has increased, but people in this area live in one of the safest areas in the North West.
Fire and Rescue Service:
Myles Platt reported that fire safety checks have been carried out in over 1,000 properties in the past three months, compared with 740 in the previous three month period. 570 smoke detectors have been fitted in homes in the area, an increase of 25%.
There have been four domestic fires in the area , none involving serious injuries or loss of life to occupants, and 29 small fires, in the same three-month period. The Service continues to work with the Community Safety Team and with the rangers in raising awareness to prevent grass fires on open land.
The service’s high volume pumping appliance has been deployed to South Yorkshire to help with the flooding in those areas, as part of a regional and national response to emergency situations.
Wirral Primary Care Trust: Glen Coleman advised that Dr Jim O’Connor, the PCT representative for this Area Forum, has moved to take up a post with Liverpool PCT. His successor, Dr S Roohi, a Practice GP, will take up the post towards the end of August.
Glen Coleman reminded the Forum that the smoking ban starts in England on 1 July. There are a wide variety of Smoking Cessation Services available which can be accessed through GP surgeries and pharmacies in Wirral.
Community Safety:
Jim Thompson, Community Safety Team, reported that the burglary level in Wirral is relatively low. He offered general advice on the precautions that people should take to prevent opportunistic and distraction burglaries, particularly when windows and doors are left open in the warm weather. The number of assaults has reduced by 600; assaults are usually alcohol-related and happen near clubs and pubs. Jim Thompson reiterated that the area covered by this Area Forum is one of the safest places in the Wirral.
Minute Decision :
Resolved: That Inspector McKeown, Myles Platt, Glen Coleman and Jim Thompson be thanked for the updates.
Minute 8 - Public open forum
Minute Text :
Distribution of wheelie bins. A member of the public identified a number of locations in Thornton Hough where three wheelie bins have not been issued, and enquired whether the contractor has an obligation to deliver bins to properties on un-made roads. – Phil Miner, Streetscene Manager, undertook to check the addresses and respond to the residents concerned.
Speed Alert Trailer – In response to a request, Phil Miner agreed to add Brookhurst Avenue, Clatterbridge, to the list of locations for the deployment of the trailer.
Litter bins in Bebington – The Chair, Councillor Smith, undertook to check progress on the issue of additional/replacement litter bins in the shopping and other areas.
Kevin Sharkey, Member of Stanton Estate Residents Association, had submitted questions in writing on –
Condition of roads in Bebington – The condition of roads in Bebington have been allowed to deteriorate. Bromborough Road from its junction with Quarry Road East to Spital Road is in a very poor condition and urgently needs re-surfacing ; Quarry Avenue [full length] and Stanton Road from its junction with Cross Lane to Peter Prices Lane. One of the roads has been included on the annual programme for the past four years.
Pennant House – the reason why the tiled roof is being repaired but no work appears to be taking place in the first instance on essential repairs to the tower.
Phil Miner undertook to progress the queries and to reply directly to Mr Sharkey.
Minute 9 - Date of next meeting Wednesday 31st October 2007 venue to be confirmed
Minute Text :
Minute Decision :
Resolved That the next meeting be held on WEDNESDAY, 31 OCTOBER 2007 at a venue to be confirmed.
Minute 10 - Any other business
Minute Text :
In bringing the meeting to a conclusion, the Chair expressed the view that there had been too much focus on presentations this evening and this had restricted the amount of time available for Public Question Time. He proposed that there should be only one presentation at future meetings.
There was an exchange of views, but no consensus view was reached on the proposal.
The Chair thanked those involved for their presentations, members of the public and the area forum for their attendance and contribution, and Michelle Gray, the Area Co-ordinator. He closed the meeting at 9.00 pm.
(Minutes Published: 23 July 2007)