All in attendance at the meeting stood for one minute in silence, as a mark of respect for former Councillor Rob Gregson, who had passed away recently.

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

No declarations of interest were received.

RESOLVED:

That the Minutes of the meeting of the Cabinet held on 4 September 2017 be confirmed as a correct record.

Councillor Phil Davies reported that this item of business had been deferred as more work was required on it. Hopefully, it would be considered at the next meeting.

Key Decisions – taken under delegated powers. Period 25 August, 2017 (date of publication of last Cabinet agenda) to date. At the time of agenda publication, no key decisions have been taken under delegated powers.

The Cabinet noted that no Key Decisions had been taken under delegated powers during the period 25 August 2017 to the date of agenda publication (21 September 2017).

Councillor Phil Davies introduced a report, which informed that The Wirral Plan set out a vision for Wirral; a set of 20 Pledges which would be achieved over the next five years to improve the lives of Wirral residents.  Driving economic growth was a key theme of the Wirral Plan and the Strategic Regeneration Framework (SRF) would support the following pledges:

·  Greater Job Opportunities in Wirral

·  Thriving Small Businesses

·  Increase Inward Investment.

The SRF provided a strong vision for regeneration across Wirral over the next 10-15 years and set the scene for shaping future investments.

Councillor Davies reported that driving regeneration, creating jobs and ensuring sustainable, long-term growth in the local economy was critical.  The opportunities set out in the SRF were based on an assessment of what was realistically deliverable but would require focused energy and resources from a range of partners including the private sector if they were to be achieved.

The SRF had been subject to public consultation to gain the views of residents and businesses and these had been consulted when finalising the document.  The next stage of work would be to produce a series of place making plans for priority areas to help shape future development in line with the SRF to support the setting up and proposals of the Wirral Growth Company.

Councillor Davies told the Cabinet that by the end of the year all the pieces would be in place so that the Council could forge ahead with an exciting regeneration agenda that would ensure the growth of the local economy and generate additional income. 

Councillor George Davies informed that the SRF was an exciting document for Wirral.  Since the 1980s Birkenhead had been in decline and was now in need of a face lift.  The SRF would provide the stimulus to do that and to bring Wirral back to its former glory.

Councillor Matthew Patrick informed that he was very pleased with this positive partnership approach that would utilise the Council’s resources and influence with private sector help and investors.  He considered the SRF to be an attractive opportunity for investors to invest in Wirral and that it was very important to bring extra funding into Wirral.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 41.

Councillor Chris Jones introduced a report and appended Annual Report of the Director of Public Health (DPH).  The Annual Report was the professional statement of the Director about the health of the local population. 

The 2017 Annual Report focused on avoidable deaths and was titled Expect Better.  It supported the delivery of the Wirral 2020 Plan and the pledge ‘Wirral Residents Live Healthier Lives’.

The Cabinet noted that the Annual Report aimed to inform the public and local services of the principal causes of avoidable deaths in Wirral and demonstrated the inequalities that existed across the Borough.  It also advised local services and residents on actions to improve health and prevent avoidable deaths.  To aid awareness, this year’s report was accompanied by a short animated film.  This displayed and explained much of the data contained in the report and aimed to improve understanding of the problems and suggested solutions. 

Councillor Jones highlighted the inequalities in life expectancy across Wirral which showed that this could be partially explained by differences in avoidable mortality – deaths which might be prevented through public health interventions or better healthcare provision.  Rates of deaths due to conditions considered avoidable varied by as much as five times in men and three times in women across the Borough.

Councillor Jones informed that people living in Wirral’s more deprived areas tended to live shorter lives with a greater proportion of their lives spent in poor health. The early onset of illnesses or disability could place a greater burden on the health and social care system than when people lived longer in good health.  Around a quarter of deaths in Wirral were from conditions considered avoidable e.g. diseases related to smoking, poor diet, high blood pressure and alcohol. It was noted that taking action at any age was very important.

The Cabinet noted that there was a marked variation in the uptake of immunisations, NHS Health Checks and cancer screening tests across the Borough and these inequalities needed to be addressed. Improving rates of uptake could have significant health benefits to Wirral’s residents.  It would save lives.

How people perceive their symptoms and the likelihood of developing serious diseases could have a big impact on how they reacted to them.  If people saw illnesses as unavoidable or untreatable, they may be less likely to attend screening appointments, consult for symptoms or take up offers of treatment.

There were many reasons why people might have lower  ...  view the full minutes text for item 42.