Councillor George Davies presented a report by the Chief Executive which detailed the progress made by the Neighbourhoods Programme, established in July 2013 to ensure that every community, group and resident had the opportunity to influence Council resources in their neighbourhoods, across the four constituencies of Wirral.

The Cabinet noted that it was the Council’s intention to continue to drive forward this approach, empowering Members as community leaders to fully utilise the devolved powers and responsibilities given to Constituency Committees to maximise public resources in their areas, and increase community resilience within neighbourhoods to encourage greater independence.

The Council had embarked on a significant agenda of strategic and operational change.  Together with its partners it was committed to new ways of working and service transformation based on the principle of finding local solutions to local problems.

The Council was devolving decision making to Constituency Committees wherever it made sense to do so, and Members would inspire communities to come together to find the right solutions to address local need and improve residents’ lives.  This approach would not just deliver more cost effective services; it would deliver better outcomes for local residents.

Councillor George Davies informed the Cabinet that Sunderland City Council had devolved £15m of its budget to its Constituency Committees and this was important in respect of Wirral’s future.  He was excited over the way the Wirral Neighbourhoods Programme was developing.

Councillor Phil Davies reported that the culture and mind sets were changing.  The Constituency Committees would provide the Council with a platform during this massive, radical change.  It was all about what people could do for their communities.  There were examples were people were doing things for themselves and the Council would encourage this and help lead communities through unprecedented change and devolve services for their benefit.  The Constituency Committees were now embedded and the challenge was to devolve more and involve Members in determining priorities for their areas.

RESOLVED:

That the progress of the Neighbourhoods Programme be noted.