Members of the Cabinet are asked to consider whether they have any disclosable pecuniary or non pecuniary interests in connection with any item(s) on this agenda and, if so, to declare them and state the nature of the interest.

All Cabinet Members were also School Governors and therefore declared personal interests in the following agenda items:

Item No. 12  Admission Arrangements for Community and Voluntary Controlled Primary and Secondary Schools and Co-ordinated Scheme for 2015-2016

  (Minute No. 170 refers.)

Item No. 13  School Meals and Universal Free School Meals for Infants

  (Minute No. 171 refers.)

Councillor P Davies declared a non-pecuniary interest in agenda Item No. 5 - Local Welfare Assistance Scheme as the report made reference to food banks and he was a Trustee of Wirral Food Bank.  (Minute No. 164 refers.)

Councillor G Davies declared a non-pecuniary interest in agenda Item No. 14 – Child Poverty Budget Option as he was a member of the Birkenhead Foundation Years Trust and its  "Springboard" initiative was referred to in the report.  He left the meeting whilst this item was under consideration. (Minute No. 172 refers.)

Councillor C Jones declared a pecuniary interest in agenda Item No. 19 – The Implications of the Francis Report for Wirral – Scrutiny Review Report by virtue of her employment with the Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust which was mentioned in the report. (Minute No. 177 refers.)

Councillor A Jones declared a non-pecuniary interest in agenda Item No. 6 – National Non Domestic Rates Discretionary Relief – Retail Policy by virtue of being a member of Wallasey Lions. (Minute No. 165 refers.)

The minutes of the last meeting have been printed and published.  Any matters called in will be reported at the meeting.

RECOMMENDATION:  That the minutes be approved and adopted.

RESOLVED:

That the Minutes of the meetings of the Cabinet held on 12 February 2014 and the Special Cabinet meetings held on 24 February 2014 and 10 March 2014 be approved as a correct record.

At its meeting held on 15 January 2014, the Policy and Performance Coordinating Committee considered a report from the Director of Public Health / Head of Policy and Performance on a detailed account of a Scrutiny Review which had considered Wirral’s preparations for the introduction of Individual Electoral Registration (IER) in 2014.

The Committee had agreed to refer the report to Cabinet. The minute and report are attached.

The Cabinet received a report that the Director of Public Health/Head of Policy and Performance had written for consideration by the Policy and Performance Co-ordinating Committee at its meeting held on 15 January 2014.  The report contained a detailed account of a Scrutiny Review which had considered Wirral’s preparations for the introduction of Individual Electoral Registration (IER) in 2014.  The Members who had undertaken the work were Councillors Jean Stapleton, Moira McLaughlin, Denise Roberts and Steve Williams.

The Committee had referred the report to the Cabinet for consideration. The Committee Minute No. 30 and the Scrutiny Review Report were appended to the Cabinet’s agenda for Members’ information.

Councillor Jean Stapleton, the Chair of the Scrutiny Review Panel was in attendance at the meeting and informed the Cabinet that the four Members had approached the review with some trepidation but had been pleasantly surprised by the preparation that had been undertaken by officers.  The quality of the work in advance of the scrutiny process had made the task easier.

Councillor Stapleton reported that the Panel’s assessment was that overall Wirral was in a strong position and was likely to have a relatively smooth transfer to IER in 2014.  From the preliminary work done to date, it was hoped that 89% of people would be automatically transferred to the new register.  The Council had achieved 83% positive matches with DWP data on the trial run (the national average was 75%; which increased to 89% following a further local matching exercise.  However, Panel Members were concerned that in some wards, notably those with higher levels of known deprivation, there would be higher proportions of voters not automatically transferred.  Significantly more work would have to be undertaken to ensure these voters were successfully transferred.  This review had also shown that these areas also had more people that do not register to vote.  This emphasised the need for the Council to take a targeted approach with the additional resources available.

Councillor Stapleton informed that the Panel was also concerned that these same locations tended to have higher numbers of people not on the electoral register.  As such, Members were keen for the IER process to be used as a vehicle to promote electoral registration more generally to encourage those not registered to register.

The review had provided a good opportunity for Members of the Policy and Performance Co-ordinating Committee to understand the changes that would be introduced next year. This was an issue that all Members needed to be aware of so that they could answer questions from constituents as the transfer to IER drew nearer.

Councillor Ann McLachlan welcomed the Scrutiny Review Report and congratulated the four Members concerned on an excellent piece of work on horizon scanning.  She informed that the government had provided funding to publicise IER so that people would register and ICT, local media and radio were being used for this purpose.  The Council was working with the other Merseyside Councils on this campaign.

RESOLVED: That

(1)  the six recommendations  ...  view the full minutes text for item 161.

Councillor Phil Davies produced a report by the Strategic Director - Transformation and Resources that informed the Cabinet of the Monitoring position for Month 10 (ending 31 January 2014).  There were separate appendices for Revenue (Appendix A) and Capital (Appendix B) attached to the report for Members’ information.

RESOLVED: That

Revenue

(1)  It be noted at Month 10 (January 2014), the full year forecast projects a gross General Fund underspend of £966,000, net £197,000.  Cabinet previously agreed to earmark £519,000 of any forecast underspend against future Council restructuring costs and a further £250,000 to replenish General Fund Balances used for the clean up and repairs to infrastructure from December’s exceptional weather events.  The remaining £197,000 available if the forecast is realised at the end of the financial year would be required to either contribute to the restructuring reserve or to raise the level of General Fund Balances to the required level for 2014/15.

Capital

(2)  the spend to date at Month 10 of £19.8 million, with 83.3% of the financial year having elapsed be noted;

(3)  the revised Capital Programme of £35.9 million (Table 1 at 4.1 Appendix B) be agreed; and

(4)  the re-profiling of a number of schemes into 2014/15, totalling £0.762 million be agreed.

Councillor Phil Davies presented a report by the Strategic Director – Transformation and Resources which provided the Cabinet with a proposal for transforming the Council during the next financial year, delivering the major savings targets which were required whilst ensuring that remaining, significant resources were used effectively to achieve the outcomes needed by residents and the Council’s priorities.

Contained within the proposal was an indicative timeline as well as a strategy for ensuring effective, meaningful and comprehensive engagement with Members, external experts and stakeholders, partners, people who use services, the Council workforce and Wirral residents.

Members noted that this was an opportunity to fully reconsider how the Council invested the remaining £250M to meet the vision of its agreed Corporate Plan, whilst ensuring the streamlining of the Council and its processes, ensuring value for money and targeting resources at those most in need.

The Strategic Director’s report informed that a “concordat” for a shared corporate service had been signed by Cheshire West and Chester Council and Wirral Council in July 2013.  This had been the first step towards exploring a shared service including HR, Payroll, Legal, IT, Procurement and Finance. The ultimate aim had been to establish a single corporate service for both councils which could enable both authorities to be more efficient which in turn would create cash savings and improved performance.

It was noted that in order to review whether setting up a shared corporate service between Wirral Council and Cheshire West and Chester Council would provide efficiencies and savings, a programme team on behalf of both councils, had come together to review their current operating model and identify opportunities for improvement that would result from the partnership.  A key element of this work had been to develop a business case, identifying the potential cost benefit of such a development.

In February 2014, a draft business case document provided by the joint team had been shared with the Chief Executive and senior representatives of both Councils.  However, the Cabinet was informed that, regrettably, the business case as it was currently articulated had not provided a sound basis to recommend that the Council proceed at this moment in time.  Whilst the level of eventual benefit (£4m estimated) was attractive, the level of investment (over £8m) meant that the payback period (three to four years) was not fast enough to meet the budget timescales.

The Cabinet noted that this had been an incredibly useful piece of work and had served to get the Council to this position as it would be vitally important for Future Council work.  It was logical that there must be a saving accrued when two organisations shared. However, at this point in time there remained too many assumptions that required further evidence. Generally, the return on investment and the ultimate payback period of up to four years reduced the scope for early savings.

The Cabinet was informed that Shared Services was an opportunity that the Council should still actively consider, especially around schools traded services and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 163.

Councillor Phil Davies presented a report by the Head of Business Processes which provided the Cabinet with an update on the local discretionary support scheme “Local Welfare Assistance” introduced in April 2013. (Minute No. 168 refers.)  Wirral’s scheme was approved by the Cabinet at its meeting on 24 January 2013 when a further report reviewing the scheme with recommendations for future years was requested.

The report recommended specific scheme amendments for 2014/15 which were made in light of this grant funding only being available for 2014/15 and that an authority had no statutory requirement to have a scheme and locally specified its own scheme. The draft Wirral Local Welfare Assistance Scheme Policy 2014/15 was attached to the report for Members’ information as Appendix 1.

RESOLVED: That

(1)  the policy with minor changes, as outlined in Appendix 1 to the report, as the Council’s Local Welfare Assistance Scheme for 2014/15 be approved; and

(2)  a further report be presented to the Cabinet in due course recommending what welfare assistance should be put in place for 2015/16 after the government’s funding ceases.

Councillor Phil Davies presented a report by the Head of Business Processes which sought approval to amend the Council’s discretionary rates relief policy for Non Domestic Rates to ensure Retail Relief could be appropriately awarded in 2014/15 and 2015/16.

RESOLVED:

That it be agreed that the Council’s Discretionary Rates Retail Relief Policy adopts the same eligibility criteria as set out by the government so that Retail Relief can then be appropriately awarded in 2014/15 and 2015/16.

Councillor Phil Davies presented a report by the Head of Business Processes which recommended the Cabinet to write off a range of sundry debts.  The report included £504,555.51 in outstanding Adult Social Services client contributions, £765,150.11 in miscellaneous Adult Social Service debt, £146,926.70 in outstanding overpayments of Housing Benefit and £1,795,347.67 in outstanding general sundry debtor accounts.

The Cabinet noted that this was part of the process of cleansing the long outstanding Department of Adult Social Services debt identified in the independent report considered by 23 May 2013 Cabinet.  (Minute No. 246 refers.)

RESOLVED:

That the report be noted and the debts be written-off as detailed within it.

Councillor Phil Davies presented a report by the Strategic Director – Transformation and Resources that confirmed the rationale behind the development of a revised Corporate Risk Management Policy for the Cabinet.  The report described the process followed to develop the Policy and identified further actions needed for implementation.  The Policy had been approved by the Audit and Risk Management Committee at its meeting on 28 January 2014.  (Minute No. 45 refers.).  The Risk Management Policy was appended to the report for Members’ consideration.

In accordance with Cabinet’s ultimate responsibility for corporate governance Members were invited to consider and formally adopt the Policy on behalf of the Council.

RESOLVED: That

(1)  the draft Risk Management Policy be formal adopted; and

(2)  Councillors Phil Davies and Ann McLachlan be nominated to participate in the proposed ‘risk appetite’ exercise set out in the policy document.

The Cabinet is requested to make nominations for the positions of Civic Mayor and Deputy Civic Mayor for the municipal year 2014/2015, which will be submitted to the Annual Meeting of the Council.

The Cabinet was requested to make nominations for the positions of Civic Mayor and Deputy Civic Mayor for the Municipal Year 2014/2015, which would then be submitted to the Annual Meeting of the Council.

RESOLVED:

That the following nominations be made for the Municipal Year 2014/2015 at the Annual Meeting of the Council in June 2014:

·  Councillor S Foulkes for the role of Civic Mayor

·  Councillor L Rowlands for the role of Deputy Civic Mayor.

Councillor Adrian Jones presented a report by the Head of Universal and Infrastructure Services that recommended that the Council enter into a Deed of Surrender of land included in the present agricultural tenancy at New Hall Farm, Hoylake, which was required for the proposed Hoylake Golf resort.  The report also recommended that the Farmhouse and outbuildings were contemporaneously sold to the present tenant and that the residual land be leased back to the tenant for him to manage until such time as it was required for the resort.

Appended to the report was a plan of the site.

RESOLVED: That

(1)  the Council enters into a Deed of Surrender of land included in the present agricultural tenancy at New Hall Farm, Hoylake, which is required for the proposed Hoylake Golf resort;

(2)  the Farmhouse and outbuildings be contemporaneously sold to the present tenant with deductions to be made as outlined in the report in respect of the compensation agreed and the outstanding repairs; and

(3)  the residual land be leased back to the tenant for him to manage until such time as it is required for the resort.

Councillor Tony Smith presented a report by the Director of Children’s Services invited the Cabinet to determine the Authority’s admission arrangements for community and voluntary controlled primary and secondary schools and the co-ordinated schemes for 2015-2016.  Members noted that this was a statutory requirement.

Appended to the report was:

·  Appendix 1 - The Scheme for the Co-ordination of Admission Arrangements for Maintained Primary Schools in the Wirral Area for the Academic Year 2015-2016; and

·  Appendix 2 - The Scheme for the Co-ordination of Admission Arrangements for Maintained Secondary Schools in the Wirral Area for the Academic Year 2015-2016.

RESOLVED:

That the proposed admission arrangements for community and voluntarycontrolled schools and the Wirral co-ordinated schemes for 2015-2016 be agreed.

Councillor Tony Smith presented a report by the Director of Children’s Services that sought the Cabinet’s approval for an increase in the price of all paid school meals provided by METRO services to £2.30 with effect from 1 September 2014.  In addition the report set out the arrangements that would need to be put in place in order to implement the new statutory requirement for universal free schools meal for infants from September 2014.

Attached to the report at Appendix A was the School Meals Service Trading Account 2013-14.

RESOLVED: That

(1)  the price of a paid school meal be increased to £2.30 from September 2014 in primary schools where services are provided by METRO Services and this increase be recommended to governing bodies of primary and special schools;

(2)  Subject to the Council’s approval, the capital grant received to implement universal free school meals for infants in maintained schools totalling £623,802 be included with the capital programme for 2014-15 and be used to progress the range of schemes described; and

(3)  METRO school kitchen staffing number be increased to take account of additional meal numbers, with costs funded by schools and a Department for Education revenue grant based on £2.30 per additional free meal served.

Councillor G Davies left the meeting whilst the next item of business was under consideration.

Further to Minute No. 87 (27 September 2012), Councillor Tony Smith presented a report by the Director of Children’s Services that made recommendations in relation to releasing £250,000 funding previously committed by Cabinet to the Birkenhead Foundation Years Trust initiative (referred to in previous reports as the ‘Springboard’ project).

The Cabinet noted that Appendix 1 to the report presented a summary of the Foundation Years Trust project business plan.  The aim of the Trust was to test the ideas that underlay the report “The Foundation Years: how to prevent poor children becoming poor adults”.  This report set out a proposed new evidence-based strategy to abolish the inter-generational transfer of poverty, shifting the emphasis to a focus on improving children’s life chances.  The Trust’s task was to pilot the recommendations made in that report and on the basis of the findings, help shape the Wirral’s anti-poverty strategy, as well as providing a model to roll out the strategy nationally.

RESOLVED:

That £250,000 of the child poverty funding being held in reserve be allocated to the Foundation Years Trust on the basis of the business plan at Appendix 1 to the report.

Councillor G Davies returned to the meeting.

The Cabinet is requested to consider recommendations from the Policy and Performance Coordinating Committee held on 27 February 2014, in respect of the following call-in notices:-

·  Cabinet 16 December 2013 (Minute 129) – Report Seeking Approval to Consult on the Closure of The Lyndale School

·  Cabinet 16 December 2013 (Minute 140) – Proposals for Changes to School Top Up Payments for Students with High Needs

Minutes to follow

The Cabinet was requested to note the recommendations of the Policy and Performance Co-ordinating Committee held on 27 February 2014, in respect of the following call-in notices:-

·  Cabinet meeting on 16 December 2013 (Minute 129) – Report Seeking Approval to Consult on the Closure of The Lyndale School

  RESOLVED:

That the Committee upholds the Cabinet’s decision to go out to consultation on the closure of the Lyndale School.

·  Cabinet meeting on 16 December 2013 (Minute 140) – Proposals for Changes to School Top Up Payments for Students with High Needs

  RESOLVED:

That the Committee upholds the Cabinet’s decision and it be ensured that consultation is meaningful, informed and transparent.

RESOLVED:

That the recommendations of the Policy and Performance Co-ordinating Committee set out above be noted.

Councillor Chris Jones presented a report by the Director of Adult Social Services which set out a revised proposal to develop an alternative Wirral based delivery organisation to be co-designed with key stakeholders including staff and parents/carers.

The report superseded the previous Cabinet report recommendation setting out the proposed development of two separate business cases as follows:

(1)  The Director of Adult Social Services be requested to further explore Option 2 with the neighbouring Local Authorities, and submit a final report in February 2014 setting out the full business case; and

(2)  Parents/Carers Group be authorised to develop a business case in relation to their proposal to develop a social enterprise model.

The Cabinet noted that the revised proposal was to build a single business case to develop a Local Authority Trading Company (LATC) model that incorporated the best elements of the above options into a cohesive single Wirral based model.  It would include design principles that were presented through the Heswall Carers’ business case.

Attached to the Director’s report were:

(1)  Review of New Service Delivery Model for Day Services and Day Opportunities by V4 Services as Appendix 1;

(2)  Shared Service model with Cheshire West and Chester Council as Appendix 2; and

(3)  Co-design Principles as Appendix 3.

Councillor Phil Davies informed the Cabinet that he was delighted that a proposal that included the best of the two previous options had been put forward and it was great that the Council was working closely with parent carers around this model. He was looking forward to seeing how it was developed.

RESOLVED: That

(1)  the development of a Wirral Council Local Authority Trading Company model be agreed;

(2)  officers be requested to progress the development of the Co-design Project Group with key stakeholders including staff and parent/carers;

(3)  a further progress report that includes the full project plan and implementation timeline be presented to the Cabinet in June 2014;

(4)  the work undertaken to date that has enabled us to take this work forward be acknowledged; and

(5)  the findings of the feasibility study carried out by V4 be noted along with the fact that this is a working document which will be refined and completed to accompany the report to be presented to the Cabinet in June 2014.

Councillor Chris Jones presented a report by the Director for Adult Social Services that set out the outcome of consultation with care home providers on the 2014-15 care home fees and proposed the fee levels for 2014-15

The rates offered in the proposal were summarised in the table below:

Attached to the report was:

·  Appendix 1 - Detailed calculations; and

·  Appendix 2 – Fee comparisons.

Councillor Phil Davies informed that a huge amount of work had gone into this report and he thanked those officers who had led on it.

RESOLVED: That

(1)  the content of the report and the proposed Fee levels for 2014-15 as detailed above be agreed;

(2)  officers be requested to give consideration to the ongoing nature of year on year fee setting and the need for continued provider engagements, so that the Council remains in focus in relation to this important aspect of service provisions; and

(3)  the outcome of engagement with mental health and learning disability care home providers be reported to the June 2014 Cabinet meeting.

Councillor Chris Jones presented a report by the Director of Adult Social Services and Chief Clinical Officer, Clinical Commissioning Group that updated the Cabinet on the Better Care Fund submission put together on behalf of Wirral Council and Wirral Clinical Commissioning Group.

The Cabinet noted in relation to performance that a baseline assessment had been developed, along with a new performance dashboard template. It was also noted that the dashboard had been developed in order to monitor progress against key areas of activity that were critical to performance related elements of the Better Care Fund from 2015.

RESOLVED: That

(1)  the draft submission be noted and the role of the Health and Wellbeing Board in signing off the final submission be recognised; and

(2)  the performance baseline and dashboard, along with monitoring requirements be noted.

At its meeting held on 28 January 2014, the Policy and Performance Families and Wellbeing Committee considered a report from the Chair of the Francis Report Scrutiny Panel.

The Committee had agreed to refer the report to Cabinet. The minute and report are attached.

In June 2010, Robert Francis QC was asked by the Secretary of State for Health to undertake a public inquiry into the failures of Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust.  The Francis Report was published on Wednesday 6 February 2013.

The Cabinet noted that the report had exposed the appalling suffering of patients at Stafford Hospital. It further recognised that what happened in Mid Staffordshire was a system failure, as well as a failure of the organisation itself and concluded that a fundamental change in culture was required to prevent such a failure from happening again. It stressed the importance of avoiding a blame culture and proposed that the NHS should develop a learning culture aligned with the needs and care of patients.

The report had also concluded that the Trust Board did not sufficiently listen to its patients and staff and failed to tackle a negative culture involving tolerance of poor standards and disengagement from managerial and leadership responsibilities.  Performance management systems designed to identify poor practice showed on many levels that Mid-Staffordshire was a successful Trust, whilst in reality it was failing patients.

In November 2013, the Government formally responded to the Francis Report, accepting the vast majority of the 290 recommendations, placing particular emphasis on compassion and care for patients; culture and standards of care; openness and transparency; and the importance of leadership in an organisation.

The Cabinet received Minute No. 42 – The Implications of the Francis Report for Wirral of the Policy and Performance Committee - Families and Wellbeing from its meeting on 28 January 2014.  Members noted that the Committee had approved the Francis Report Scrutiny Review Report and resolved that the implications of the Francis Report for Wirral be referred to the next appropriate Cabinet meeting.

Attached to the Minute was a report of the Chair of the Francis Report Scrutiny Panel and The Implications of the Francis Report for Wirral - Scrutiny Review Report.  The Scrutiny Review Report contained 17 recommendations.

The Members of the Scrutiny Review Panel were Councillors Cherry Povall (Chair), Alan Brighouse, Mike Hornby, Moira McLaughlin and Denise Roberts.  They had reported that they were satisfied that, at this particular point in time, that there did not appear to be any immediate risk to the people of Wirral.  They were assured that the Clinical Commissioning Group had a robust system in place for the monitoring of Wirral University Teaching Hospital and were assured that the Care Quality Commission, in its evolving role, would have a more in-depth inspection regime over the next few months.

Overall Members considered that the hospital was facing challenges but was fully aware that the patient needed to remain at the centre of what it did and the pursuit of tick boxing should not be allowed to cloud that central issue.

Councillor Phil Davies told the Cabinet that this was a hugely important piece of work and that the Francis Report had been very important.  He congratulated the Members of the Scrutiny Review Panel and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 177.

Councillor H Smith presented a report by the Strategic Director – Regeneration and Environment which informed the Cabinet that in 2011, the Department for Transport (DfT) had set out Integrated Transport Block (ITB) capital allocations for 2011/12 and 2012/13, along with indicative figures for 2013/14 and 2014/15.  On 17 January 2013, the Integrated Transport Authority’s Strategy and Finance Committee had agreed the allocation and distribution of the ITB for 2013/14 and 2014/15, subject to final confirmation from the DfT.  On 30 December 2013, the DfT wrote to the Integrated Transport Authority (ITA) confirming the Merseyside ITB allocation for 2014/15. This confirmed allocation was the same as the ‘indicative’ amount reported to the ITA’s Strategy and Finance Committee in January 2013 and confirmed the allocation to Wirral as £1,653,000.

The Strategic Director’s report sought the Cabinet’s approval to accept the £1,653,000 ITB funding and allocate it as outlined in the report. Schemes and projects within the proposed 2014/15 Capital Programme and the proposed allocation of ITB were prioritised in line with the Council’s Corporate Plan, and specifically supporting the priority for ‘driving growth and aspiration’.  The provision of sustainable transport measures would open up travel choices for people and help them to access employment sites and job opportunities. The schemes and projects identified in the report would help to tackle the negative impacts caused by road casualties and traffic congestion on the economy.

The schemes detailed within the report that formed the ITB Capital Programme directly addressed the Council’s Statutory Duties as set out in the Highways Act 1980, Road Traffic Regulations Act 1984, Road Traffic Act 1988, Local Government Act 2000 and the Traffic Management Act 2004.

Attached to the report was:

·  Appendix A - LTP Capital Programme – 2014/15;

·  Appendix B - 2014/15 Walking Strategy – Pedestrian Improvements – Dropped Crossings, New Requests; and

·  Appendix c – Traffic Calming Criteria.

RESOLVED: That

(1)  the proposed allocation of the Local Transport Plan Capital programme 2014/15 Integrated Transport Block between the four identified headings of ‘Improving Road Safety’, ‘Promoting Active Travel and Health’, ‘Reducing Congestion & Carbon Emissions’ and ‘General Transportation’ as detailed in this report be approved;

(2)  detailed programmes of schemes and projects under each of the four identified headings of the combined Integrated Transport Block (ITB) Capital Programme for 2014/15 set out in Sections 3 to 6 of the report (and summarised in Appendix A) of this report be approved; and

(3)  authority be delegated to the Head of Service (Environment and Regulation), in conjunction with the Cabinet Member for Streetscene and Transport Services and Party Spokespersons, to make necessary adjustments to the priorities within the programme should the need arise due to financial conditions or other factors.

Councillor Harry Smith presented a report by the Strategic Director – Regeneration and Environment which sought Members’ approval of the ‘Key Component’ and ‘Major’ programmes of the 2014/15 Local Sustainable Transport Fund (LSTF). 

The report also sought authority from the Cabinet to accept and commit £215,000 of additional ‘Major’ revenue funding which had recently been secured from Merseytravel to expand the existing successful projects.

The Cabinet noted that The LSTF aimed to assist the Council to support Wirral residents to access employment opportunities, as well as encouraging the use of sustainable transport and contributing to reducing carbon emissions in the Borough.  The schemes and projects identified in the report may also help to tackle the negative impacts caused by road casualties and traffic congestion on the economy.

RESOLVED: That

(1)  the acceptance of £215,000 of additional revenue funding from Merseytravel for 2014/15 be approved;

(2)  the delivery of the 2014/15 Local Sustainable Transport Fund Capital programme as set out in Section 3 of the report be approved;

(3)  the delivery of the 2014/15 Local Sustainable Transport Fund Revenue programme as set out in Section 4 of the report be approved;

(4)  authority be delegated to the Head of Environment and Regulation in conjunction with the Cabinet Member – Highways and Transportation and Party Spokespersons, to make necessary adjustments to the priorities within the programme should the need arise due to financial conditions or other factors; and

(5)  authority be delegated to the Head of Environment and Regulation in conjunction with the Cabinet Member – Highways and Transportation to accept any additional funding that may be made available for 2014/15 as a result any re-profiling that may take place across the Merseyside programme, and approve allocation across the programmes as appropriate.

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.