Meeting documents
Area Forum (Bidston and Claughton)
Wednesday, 2nd February 2005
Present
Chair
Cllr Denise Roberts
Ward Councillor
JR Cocker, George Davies, Ann McLachlan, H Smith
Community Representatives
Graham Cole (Business representative), Pat Landsborough (Claughton Community Group), Collette McDonagh , Alison Moulder (Bidston Community representative)
Lead Officer
Kevin Miller
Area Service Co-ordinator
Michelle Gray
Birkenhead & Wallasey PCT
Dr Shymal Mukherjee, Medical Director, Birkenhead and Wallasey PCT, J South (Director Primary Care and Modernization)
Merseyside Police
PC Tony Buckman, Sgt Paul Naybour, Jim Thompson (Crime and Disorder Project Officer)
Council Officers
Gary Cummings (Area Streetscene Manager), Lindsay Davidson (Acting Principal Youth Officer), Jan Johnson (Minute Taker), Jim Lester (Head of Branch, Cultural Services) , Maureen McDaid (Wirral Youth Service), Tracey Smith , Rod Tann (Emergency Planning Officer), Mike Withy (Active Communities)
Apologies
Rev P Billsborrow, Cllr Steve Foulkes, Inspector Mark Smith
Index to Minutes
- Minute 1 - WELCOME AND INTRODUCTIONS
- Minute 2 - AREA CO-ORDINATOR'S REPORT
- Minute 3 - AREA PLAN UPDATE
- Minute 4 - PRESENTATION ON EMERGENCY PLANNING
- Minute 5 - QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ON THE ABOVE
- Minute 6 - PROVISION FOR YOUNG PEOPLE ON THE BEECHWOOD ESTATE
- Minute 7 - QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ON THE ABOVE ITEM
- Minute 8 - PRIMARY CARE TRUST UPDATE
- Minute 9 - OPEN SESSION
- Minute 10 - NEXT MEETING
Minute 1 - WELCOME AND INTRODUCTIONS
Minute Text :
The Lead Officer and Councillor Davies provided an explanation to the public for the misunderstanding of the advertisement for the Master Plan meeting and confirmed that a written apology would be provided from the Regeneration Department.
The Chair, Councillor Denise Roberts, then welcomed members and public to the Area Forum for Bidston & Claughton, being held in Our Lady’s Social Club, Park Road North, Claughton.
Area Forums were set up to consider the needs and priorities of the local community and the agenda included presentations from two speakers, with opportunities for questions.
130 members of the public attended this meeting.
Minute 2 - AREA CO-ORDINATOR'S REPORT
Minute Text :
Michelle Gray, Area Co-ordindator, updated on this document which was an ongoing report highlighting activities in the area covered by this Forum. The report aimed to be informative and useful and contained details about the Communities Initiative Fund and where to apply, also on the development of our Area Plan. This was a local plan that identified priorities and needs of the area and helped to identify future presentations on areas of interest. The report contained a section on youth forums. A Street Scene update was also included, covering things such as skip prosecution, recycling and litter campaign. Section 5 highlighted recent local information/press releases.
Minute 3 - AREA PLAN UPDATE
Minute Text :
Michelle Gray indicated that the key task for each of the Area Forums was to develop an Area Plan representing the local needs and priorities of each area. Area Forums have now changed from 9 to 11 in number, with 5 Area Co-ordinators drawing together the Area Plan for Wirral. This should be finished by end of February and would be brought to the next meeting in June.
Minute 4 - PRESENTATION ON EMERGENCY PLANNING
Minute Text :
Presentation by Rod Tann, Emergency Planning Officer.
This presentation covered Wirral Council’s role in emergencies and included:
§ - the Council’s responsibilities
§ - what those responsibilities involved
§ - how the Council carries out its responsibilities
§ - what incidents had affected Wirral. RT briefed on situations that take time to develop, e.g. Millennium Bug and Fuel Crisis and significant incidents of the 1989 and 1990 Mersey Oil spills. Smaller scale incidents included evacuation after unsafe church spire found at Oxton (!998), chemical leak at Eastham (1998), serious fire at Rock Ferry High School (2003). Rod also drew attention to 2 incidents that happened within the last 5-6 years involving gas leaks in Conway Street and Park Road North, in which the Council had supported the Police.
§ - Terrorism Threat.
Minute 5 - QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ON THE ABOVE
Minute Text :
Q - In light of the recent Tsunami, what happens in the event of storm surges.
What sort of protection/awareness do the Council provide in such circumstances?
A - Flooding is a serious issue. Environmental Agency have responsibility for investing money in wall defences. The other big problem that could arise is from river flooding and the Council have recently undertaken a series of measures to warn people of what might happen should there be such a threat. Council would provide support, equipment and staff to look after people.
A member of the public commented on an idea to set up a public simulation exercise in Bidston Observatory to raise awareness for people.
Q - Does the Council have a regional plan that links together all the various personnel?
A - Wirral Council has its own co-ordinated plan and also liaises with neighbouring authorities. There are also legal requirements for all local authorities and emergency services to look at co-ordinating their arrangements.
Q - The water level came right over to Bidston Hill in the 1950’s and there are dozens of people living there now. Is it safe?
A - Much work has been done on Wirral since then to address that sort of problem.
Q - What difference do windmills make in the bay?
A - Not aware of there being any problems. The Council, in considering any application would have looked at all aspects including effects upon the tides etc.
The Chair thanked Rod Tann for his presentation.
Minute 6 - PROVISION FOR YOUNG PEOPLE ON THE BEECHWOOD ESTATE
Minute Text :
Jim Lester (Cultural Services) and Maureen McDaid from Community and Youth Services were in attendance for this presentation.
Maureen briefed the Forum on the five outcomes that services for children and young people will be judged on performance against:
§ - Staying Safe
§ - Being Healthy
§ - Enjoying and Achieving
§ - Making a Positive Contribution
§ - Achieving Economic Well Being
Maureen briefed on play and youth provision in Beechwood for children and young people and provided statistics on attendance. The Youth Green Paper would set out what the Government expects in services for young people and measured how they contributed to the five outcomes. Work with partners and the voluntary sector would also form part of that.
Minute 7 - QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ON THE ABOVE ITEM
Minute Text :
Q - Beechwood Trust tried to engage youth services to get involved but got no response.
A - Jim Lester responded. As with any provision there is a limit to resources that are available. Maureen has illustrated what the youth service was doing on Beechwood. No time for detailed debate here, but want to work together for young people on Wirral. Much provision is also made in the voluntary sector in different ways and we need to work together to continually improve links.
Q - We have had dialogue for 18 months and no action.
A - Mike Withy reported that on Saturdays at Beechwood Recreation Centre an average of 30 young people participated in sportsnight between 5-7 each week doing a variety of activities. Going to be attending tomorrow’s meeting at St Oswald’s Church to pick up links.
Q - Have you any services for Bidston/Claughton wards.
A - MM was asked to provide name and contact numbers and she would come back with information.
The Chair thanked Maureen and Jim for their presentation.
Minute 8 - PRIMARY CARE TRUST UPDATE
Minute Text :
PCT deals with health and everything before you reach hospital which in this area would include, Miriam Health Centre, GPs, Claughton Medical Centre, North Clinic etc. It also covered, health visitors, district nurses, community services attached to those organisations. The main current issue was planning for the next 3 years and producing a Local Delivery Plan projecting 3 years ahead what are finances are going to be and how we are going to put in services to support people at home. PCT has been working closely together with Social Services. Its aims are to tackle prevention of ill health and reduce health inequalities to enable people to come out of hospital with support at home. Targets are being managed and stats starting to show changes.
Q - Have to travel to Arrowe Park Hospital to get batteries for hearing aid why can’t I get them locally?
A - John South asked for name and contact and he would follow up.
Q - A member of the public suffering with Emphysema phoned his local GP in Claughton for a repeat prescription this morning and told he would have to get in touch with their chemist.
A - PCT would take it up with GP, but stated that they were trying to set up a process with chemists so people don’t have to go to doctors for repeat prescriptions. This would be with a chemist of your choice.
Q - There are excellent facilities in Bidston and Claughton area but don’t have the services to match the facilities. After hours services presently run at APH and VCH. Why can’t local facilities be used as after hours services?
A - GP out of hours is actually an emergency service not routine. For people who cannot get their PCTs' they operate a taxi service and John South agreed he would check details.
Q - Make sure chemists can deliver.
A - Some do, some don’t.
Minute 9 - OPEN SESSION
Minute Text :
Q - Anti social behaviour problems and concerns over perceived non-policing of areas. Community Support Officers are in place in certain areas of the Borough such as Prenton,and are very successful. We have problems right across this area and we need to sort them out. What is the present position now on starting Community Support Officers to bridge that policing gap?
A - There are no Community Support Officers based in Prenton; they are based in Wallasey covering New Brighton, Seacombe, Egremont, Moreton, Hoylake and the original 6 based in Well Lane. Another traunch of officers is being recruited and will be deployed across the Wirral. Police accepted there were anti social behaviour issues in this neighbourhood and concerns would be taken into account. Police were trying to manage most effectively the resources available to them.
Q - People living in this area have lost all confidence in their local police. People are regularly breaking the law every day in our streets.
A - Police responded that they took issue with that because if something is reported to them it was acted upon.
Q - How long does it take you to come out?
A - Police officers cover Wirral 365 days/24 hours and, with resources available, have to prioritise crimes into urgency of issue and grade responses.
Q - What is the point of having Police when they arrive considerably after the time that the vandalism has taken place?
A - If you don’t report it the Police cannot do anything about it. We may not be able to respond straight away and sometimes we can get priorities wrong but we are working to improve that.
Q - A query was raised over the proposed cutback for the ERIC service and the Forum challenged that this would only increase fly tipping in the area.
A - This was one of the savings proposed in this year’s budget set by the Council, when Councillors have some very difficult decisions to make regarding choices with the money available. This was one of the initial options that would be debated at Council in February and was not a final decision. This was one of the aims of Area Forums, enabling the community to put their views,
Q - An article in the press mentions withdrawing management of the Unitary Development Plan, can you confirm this?
A - What you have seen in the paper is the fact that although work had begun on reviewing the UDP it ran into problems because of European and National agencies. The process is starting again under new legislation.
Q - Problems with waste, last week the entry by Carrington Street was completely clean, this week its full of rubbish.
A - We will fine people who tip, if we find evidence in the rubbish. We do clear the rubbish away as soon as we can. Councillor Smith would report it.
Q - Environment and Transport Select, minute 105, one of decisions was that Director of Highways be requested to carry traffic calming in the area in consultation with the residents. This took from February to September to get actioned. Can we know what resources are?
A - Agreed that this would be looked into.
Q - Can we have the opportunity to redress the committee in question to resolve the petition that was submitted?
A - We could redress Highways priorities at another Area Forum and could request the Director to come along.
Q - Private residents association applied for CIF submitted last week. We understand that our request was out of date, could the Committee give some urgent consideration to this bid rather than money being carried forward to next round in April next year?
A - Area Co-ordinator responded that she had spoken to you today about the way the fund operates. The closing date was the middle of December for bids which would be considered at Cabinet on 16 February. Your bid would be considered in the next round but procedure was to carry any excess funding over to next financial year.
Q - Local newspapers were not perhaps the ideal media. Does Council does have a complete list of all tenant associations?
A - Yes, and we also advertise on the website and at all council establishments, libraries, One Stop Shops, GPs, dentists, etc. Every Forum member would have an advert to distribute.
We have to stick to strict audit guidelines. We do have details of the associations and you can be included in the mailing list when it is put together.
Q - Part of our rates are for Police why don’t we get a rebate?
A - The Police Authority have to make difficult decisions over resources. They are providing the best services they can for the amount of money available. One of the things that the Area Forum strives to do is assist the Council in making the right resource decisions.
Q - Shouldn’t you have asked for more money?
A - We have asked our MP's to refer to the Government.
Q - How many more new empty buildings are we going to have on Wirral before anyone is working in them?
A - The buildings you’re referring to are industrial development around docks system in response to people saying they had no modern buildings to work in. They were almost immediately taken up and used. Wirral is trying to cater and encourage people to come here and the majority will be taken up in short period of time.
Q - On behalf of people who are still here and worried about Master Plan. Will our request be taken forward?
A - The Lead Officer, on behalf of the Forum, would talk to the relevant chief officer to ensure the 2 correct dates are advertised and a large enough venue arranged.
Q - The company delivering leaflets were not reliable, worried about distribution.
A - The Council are aware of the company's failing and we would reflect back the points already made. We will ensure leaflets are given to key people, residents associations, etc. and are looking to advertise on local radio.
Minute 10 - NEXT MEETING
Minute Text :
The next meeting of the Bidston & Claughton Area Forum will be held 6 June 2005, at Our Lady’s Social Club, Park Road North, Claughton, Birkenhead.
The Chair thanked everyone who attended the meeting, Our Lady’s for the use of the room and the speakers for their presentations.
(Minutes Published: 4 March 2005)