The Cabinet had regard to a report which informed that at its meeting on the 23^rd June 2015, the Policy and Performance Co-ordinating Committee had agreed to undertake a scrutiny review into the potential for developing a Cumulative Impact Policy.  This was due to concerns raised about negative public health and public order impacts in localities with high concentrations of off-licences and fast food outlets.

The scope of the work was widened during the review process to incorporate other powers and approaches at the Council’s disposal to mitigate the harmful impacts of over-concentration of these premises.  Members were keen to establish what powers and tools were at the Council’s disposal and to what extent these are being fully realised.

On 8 September 2016, a report on the findings of the review had been presented to the People Overview and Scrutiny Committee.  The Committee had endorsed the findings and recommendations set out in the report and had referred them to the Cabinet for approval.  The report of the Scrutiny Review Panel was attached as Appendix 1 to the report.

The report outlined the actions being undertaken in response to the Scrutiny Review.  These were attached as Appendix 2 to the report.

The Cabinet noted that the report linked to the Wirral Plan Pledge to support Wirral residents to lead healthier lives and supported the actions that were being developed to deliver that pledge.

Councillor Moira McLaughlin was in attendance at the meeting and informed that the Scrutiny Review Panel’s report was the result of the work of a Task and Finish Panel that had been initiated following discussion at a meeting of the former Policy and Performance Co-ordinating Committee during which Councillor Paul Hayes made the observation that Wirral had a problem both in terms of public health and with crime and disorder related to excessive alcohol consumption and the question was asked – are the existing policies to help reduce the impact of this sufficiently robust and if they are, are they applied rigorously enough.

The Task and Finish Group had been established to address that.  The objectives had been to understand the profile for Wirral of the prevalence and density of licensed premises, to understand the impact of excessive use of alcohol on the health of people living in Wirral and to examine the powers, policies and initiatives available to the Council to mitigate against the negative impact of high levels of alcohol consumption.

Councillor McLaughlin informed that over the period of time that evidence was gathered, the Panel had heard from officers from Planning, Licensing, the Police  ...  view the full minutes text for item 54