To receive the Mayor's announcements and any apologies for absence.

The Mayor referred to the recent death of former Councillor Howard Morton, Conservative Councillor for Prenton ward between 1992 and 1996. He also referred to the recent deaths of four soldiers in Afghanistan, two of whom were from the Wirral, Privates Alex Isaac and Niall Halliday.

The Council stood in silent tribute to their memory and expressed sincere condolences to all their families.

With the permission of the Mayor, Councillor Knowles made a statement to the Council following the conclusion of an investigation into comments he had made on the social networking site, Facebook.

He had accepted the result of the investigation and stated that he would be attending awareness training on diversity and equality and he also offered a public and personal apology unreservedly for the offence his comments had caused.

He hoped that he could now move forward and concentrate on representing all the people of Seacombe whether gay or straight.

Whilst he accepted the sincerity of Councillor Knowles’ apology, the Leader of the Labour Group questioned the Leader of the Council as to his party’s policy on suspensions given that Councillor Knowles appeared to have been politically active whilst suspended.

The Leader of the Council stated that Councillor Knowles had been reinstated into the Conservative Group on Monday 5 July having received a report from Matthew Sephton, Chair of LGBTory. He stated that the Conservative Group had acted properly throughout having brought in someone independent of the Group to conduct the investigation with which Councillor Knowles had co-operated fully.

The members of the Council are invited to consider whether they have a personal or prejudicial interest in connection with any matter to be debated or determined at this meeting and, if so, to declare it and state the nature of such interest.

The members of the Council were invited to consider whether they had a personal or prejudicial interest in connection with any matter to be debated or determined at the meeting and, if so, to declare it and state the nature of such interest. The following declarations were made:

All councillors who had been appointed to outside bodies declared a personal interest in item 5 (iii) ‘Indemnities for Members and Officers’ by virtue of their membership of those outside bodies.

Councillors R Abbey and A McArdle declared a prejudicial interest in item 5 (iii) ‘Indemnities for Members and Officers’, by virtue of their membership of Leasowe Community Homes Management Board and left the chamber whilst the matter was considered.

Councillor G Davies declared a prejudicial interest in Motion 4 (Possible Academy Sites) by virtue of him being a school governor and left the chamber whilst the matter was considered.

Councillors D Roberts, T Harney, K Hayes and T Anderson declared a prejudicial interest in item 5 (iii) ‘Indemnities for Members and Officers’, by virtue of their membership of the Board of Wirral Partnership Homes and left the chamber whilst the matter was considered.

Councillor B Kenny declared a prejudicial interest in item 5 (iii) ‘Indemnities for Members and Officers’, by virtue of him being a Director of Birkenhead Market, a member of Wirral Multicultural Organisation and the Lauries Centre and left the chamber whilst the matter was considered.

Councillor A McLachlan declared a prejudicial interest in item 5 (iii) ‘Indemnities for Members and Officers’, by virtue of her being a member of the Beechwood and Ballantyne Community Housing Association Board and also a prejudicial interest in Motion 4 (Possible Academy Sites) by virtue of her son’s employment and left the chamber whilst these matters were considered.

Councillor C Meaden declared a prejudicial interest in item 5 (iii) ‘Indemnities for Members and Officers’, by virtue of her being a member of the Beechwood and Ballantyne Community Housing Association Board and left the chamber whilst the matter was considered. She also declared a personal interest in Motion 4 (Possible Academy Sites) by virtue of her being a school governor.

Councillor P Glasman declared a prejudicial interest in item 5 (iii) ‘Indemnities for Members and Officers’, by virtue of her being a member of the Merseyside Arts, Culture and Media Industries Board and left the chamber whilst the matter was considered.

Councillor P Hayes declared a prejudicial interest in motion 7 (“Ghettos of Unemployment”) by virtue of his employment and left the chamber whilst the matter was considered.

Councillor D Elderton declared a prejudicial interest in item 5 (iii) ‘Indemnities for Members and Officers’, by virtue of him being a member of the Egerton House Trust and Wirral Citizens Advice Bureau and left the chamber whilst the matter was considered.

Councillor I Lewis declared a prejudicial interest in item 5 (iii) ‘Indemnities for Members and Officers’, by virtue of his membership of Leasowe Community Homes Management Board and of Wirral Multicultural Organisation and left  ...  view the full minutes text for item 12.

The Leader of the Council reported upon the successful work of the current three ‘champions’, Councillors S Clarke, C Meaden and J Williams and that he would be appointing three more for a term of four years. Each of these would report annually to Cabinet and liaise as appropriate with the relevant Overview and Scrutiny Committees. The three new ‘champions’ would be:

• Councillor M Johnston – Fair Trade Champion
• Councillor P Kearney – Champion for Faith Based Organisations
• Councillor K Hayes – Sure Start Champion

To receive petitions submitted in accordance with Standing Order 21.

In accordance with Standing Order 21, the Mayor received petitions submitted by –

(a)  Councillor C Povall on behalf of 279 signatories requesting a recreation and play area at Dibbins Hey, Spital.

(b)  Councillor G Gardiner on behalf of 3589 signatories and 600 online signatories requesting improvements to Birkenhead Council Kennels.

(c)  Councillor D Dodd on behalf of 2 groups of petitioners, 67 adults and 38 children, requesting traffic calming measures and designation as an official play street in Wright Street, Wallasey.

(d)  Councillor S Clarke on behalf of 155 signatories concerned at the levels of anti-social behaviour and vandalism at the Queenswood access and egress to Kings Lane Playing field and to improve the gated access at Kings Road, Higher Bebington.

(e)  Councillor C Blakeley on behalf of 275 signatories requesting improvements to road safety and a reduction in excessive traffic speeds along Millhouse Lane, Moreton.

Resolved – That the petitions be noted and referred to the appropriate chief officer in accordance with Standing Order 34.

To receive as a correct record the minutes of the meeting(s) of the Council held on 17 and 24 May,2010.

The minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 17 May, 2010 adjourned to 24 May, had been circulated to members and it was –

Resolved – That the minutes be approved and adopted as a correct record.

To consider matters referred to the Council for determination. The relevant minutes are attached; copies of the related reports can be provided for Council members on request.

(i) Minute 36 Cabinet (24/6/2010) Insurance Fund Annual Report

(ii) Minute 43 Cabinet (24/6/2010) Integrated Regeneration Study for Birkenhead and Wirral Waters

(iii)  Indemnities for Members and Officers – To consider a report from the Director of Law, HR and Asset Management.

In accordance with Standing Order 7(1) a number of matters were submitted for approval by the Council.

On a motion by Councillor Green, seconded by Councillor Rennie it was –

Resolved – That the following matters be approved:

(i)  Minute 36 Cabinet (24/6/2010) Insurance Fund Annual Report

(ii)  Minute 43 Cabinet (24/6/2010) Integrated Regeneration Study for Birkenhead and Wirral Waters

The Council considered a report from the Director of Law, HR and Asset Management on indemnities for Members and officers and on a motion by Councillor Holbrook, seconded by Councillor Green it was –

Resolved (47:0 with 1 abstention) –

(1)  That Council agrees that Members, officers (and other persons appointed to or nominated by the Authority to outside bodies) be indemnified with immediate effect in relation to any claims brought after 12 July 2010 to the maximum extent permitted by law (including by virtue of the Local Government Act 2000, the Local Authorities (Indemnities for Members and Officers) Order 2004 and Section 111 of the Local Government Act 1972) subject in all cases to the limitations set out in Articles 5, 6 and 7 of the 2004 Order.

(2)  That the Director of Finance be given delegated authority to put in place such insurance arrangements as he considers to be in the Council’s best interest in relation to the Council indemnifying Members and officers (and other persons appointed by or nominated to outside bodies by the authority).

The following matter, determined by the Cabinet, is drawn to the Council’s attention in accordance with the Constitution (copies of the related report can be provided for Council members on request).

-  Minute 13 Cabinet (27/5/2010) Neptune Development, New Brighton (waiving of call - in) (minute attached)

Resolved – That the following matters be noted, as required by the Constitution:

Minute 13 Cabinet (27/5/2010) Neptune Development, New Brighton (Reason: waiving of call – in).

On a motion by Councillor Blakeley, duly seconded, it was –

Resolved –

(1)  That following the two questions, for which notice had been given, Standing Order 11 be then suspended and question time be dispensed with.

(2)  That Standing Order 7 (8) be applied from 8.30pm.

To deal with questions from councillors and from members of the public, in accordance with Standing Order 11.

Note: Questions from members of the public must be submitted in writing or by email by no later than 5.00pm on 5 July 2010

(a) Councillor Jerry Williams, having given the appropriate notice in accordance with Standing Order 11, submitted the following question:

“I note from minute 52 (Cabinet - 24/6/10) that the Chief Executive is consulting on options for the future assignment of the Cultural Services Division.

Can the Cabinet member for Culture, Tourism and Leisure please reassure the people of New Ferry that a home will be found rapidly in the Council’s organisation for this vital service and can he also explain to the people of New Ferry how it is possible for a landmark historical building of international significance, like the Great Eastern Public House, to be cavalierly demolished before any planning process was completed, destroying in the process part of Wirral’s cultural heritage with links to the great engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel and to the legendary Great Eastern vessel and weakening the tourist potential for the area. Will he guarantee that he personally will drive forward the completion of a register of historical buildings on Wirral which has already been agreed, working with the Wirral History and Heritage Association, in order to prevent further marginalisation of Wirral’s historic buildings and the potential for major destruction if the precedent set by the demolition of this building is carried forward to other, as yet unlisted, historic sites on Wirral and will he also speed up feasibility studies on potential conservation areas in Wirral ?”

Councillor David Elderton, Cabinet Member for Culture, Tourism and Leisure, responded as follows:

“Cllr Williams raised this issue at a planning and development control meeting on 6 July 2010. He was given a detailed explanation by officers of why we are where we are. And I thank him for raising this issue so that the explanations given can now be broadcast in greater detail to a wider audience.

In response to the first part of the question, I reaffirm that consultations are already taking place with officers and will take place with appropriate bodies in order to secure a home for the Cultural services.

I have spoken with the Director of Technical Services regarding the recent demolition of the Great Eastern Public House and I have been advised as follows:

The demolition of the building did not require the formal consent of the Council as demolition is not classed as development under Section 55 of the Town & Country Planning Act, 1990 (as amended) as directed by Circular 10/95, appendix 2. In addition to this, the building was not protected by any Statutory Listing nor was it located within a Conservation Area. There was, therefore, nothing to prevent the demolition of the building nor was there any duty on the developer to inform the authority prior to his/her actually demolishing the building.

Whilst the Council agrees with Councillor Williams that there were some elements of the building that had some architectural merit, on balance it was felt there was no evidence to demonstrate that collectively this building was worthy of protection.

With regard to the future, the Conservation Section  ...  view the full minutes text for item 19.

Pursuant to Standing Order 5(1)(m), and in accordance with Standing Order 5(3), to consider written comments, objections or amendments to minutes submitted under Standing Order 7(2), together with those motions, submitted under item 9 above, that the Council agrees to debate at this meeting and any minority reports submitted in accordance with Standing Order 35(4).

The matters listed for debate in accordance with Standing Order 5(2)(m) were dealt with as indicated in minutes 21 to 30 below.

Proposed by Councillor Steve Foulkes

Seconded by Councillor Phil Davies

This Council recognises that the previous administration left the Council’s finances in a healthy state and rejects any accusation that it built up unreasonable and unsustainable debts.

Amendment submitted in accordance with Standing Order 7(2):

Proposed by Councillor Jeff Green

Seconded by Councillor Lesley Rennie

Delete all after ‘This Council recognises’ and replace with:

that debts eventually have to be repaid and that the current level of Council debt is costing £11 million a year to service in interest. Such levels of debt make the Council vulnerable to fluctuations in market interest rates.

Council also notes that while the current Deputy Leader of the Labour Group has suggested that urgent action is required, as Wirral is ‘burning’, the current Leader of the Labour Group has stated that the Council finances are in a ‘healthy state’.

Amendment submitted in accordance with Standing Order 7(2):

Proposed by Councillor Simon Holbrook

Seconded by Councillor Stuart Kelly

Add to end of motion:

In particular Council notes that, over the 3 years of the previous Labour / Liberal Democrat administration, £37.5m was saved from the Council Budget and that the accounts for 2009-10 just closed indicate that the Council underspent its Budget by £315,000.

However, notwithstanding this success, Council acknowledges that following the former Chancellor Alistair Darling’s Budget of 2009; the Director of Finance has reported at various times the need for further savings of between £60m and £80m between 2011 and 2014, and that the Deputy Leader of the Council has consistently warned of the major challenges this poses.

Following the first Budget of the Coalition Government, Council now has the current Budget gap confirmed at the upper end of the previously reported range.

Council condemns the financial and regulatory mismanagement of the previous Labour Government, which in combination with the global financial crisis has resulted in the worst national debt crisis in living memory.

Council recognises that it is this failure which is the root cause of the public spending reductions which will now impact on local people and services.

Following a debate and Councillor Foulkes having replied, the Council divided as follows on the amendment proposed by Councillor Green:

For the amendment (27) - Councillors T Anderson, C Blakeley, E Boult, SL Clarke, W Clements, DM Elderton, GJ Ellis, JE Green, J Hale, K Hayes, P Hayes, AC Hodson, PSC Johnson, P Kearney, J Keeley, DT Knowles, I Lewis, D McCubbin, SR Mountney, C Povall, A Pritchard, Mrs LA Rennie, SL Rowlands, S Taylor, GCJ Watt, S Williams and Mrs K Wood.

Against the amendment (35) - Councillors RL Abbey, A Bridson, A Brighouse, JA Crabtree, G Davies, PL Davies, WJ Davies, D Dodd, S Foulkes, G Gardiner, PN Gilchrist, P Glasman, T Harney, SA Holbrook, M Johnston, AER Jones, SE Kelly, BM Kenny, A McArdle, ARC McLachlan, M McLaughlin, CM Meaden, GD Mitchell, RK Moon, SAM Niblock, PTC Reisdorf, DE Roberts, J Salter, PA Smith, WW Smith, S Whittingham, R Wilkins,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 21.

Proposed by Councillor Simon Holbrook

Seconded by Councillor Gill Gardiner

(1)  This Council welcomes the announcement by the Communities Secretary that powers to allow councils to charge households according to the amount of waste thrown out have been ruled out.

(2)  Council believes that local flexibility to operate household waste and recycling collection schemes according to what works best for that particular area is the best way to increase recycling rates.

(3)  Council is pleased to note the current high levels of bin collection rates in Wirral, the improvements to contract quality, service delivery and working practices that have been implemented over the last three years and congratulates the Director of Technical Services, the Waste Management Team and those councillors involved for their hard work in this area to achieve this.

(4)  Council also commends the positive response from Wirral residents and notes that our residents recycled more dry recycling than any other Merseyside district (2009/10).

(5)  However, Council also believes that more can to be done to divert waste away from landfill and further increase recycling.

(6)  Therefore, Council requests that the Director of Technical Services continues to examine new ways to reduce waste to landfill, such as through the introduction of food waste collections (taking account of existing work undertaken to date), the collection of recyclable material from businesses, increasing the range of recyclable material that can be taken to the council’s recycling collection points and working with MWDA to increase the range of materials that can be placed in grey bins.

(7)  The Director is also requested to investigate the feasibility and cost effectiveness of introducing a recycling rewards scheme to incentivise households to do more to recycle.

Amendment submitted in accordance with Standing Order 7(2):

Proposed by Councillor John Salter

Seconded by Councillor Denise Roberts

Insert new paragraph 7 – renumber current paragraph 7 accordingly.

Council stresses that any new ways of reducing waste to landfill, such as the collection of food waste, must not take place at the expense of any other front line services, nor must it be allowed, through reduction in resources or any other way, to reduce the present high standard and reliability of waste collection across the borough.

Following a debate Councillor Holbrook agreed to accept Councillor Salter’s amendment as a friendly amendment. Having waived his right of reply, the amendment was put and it was –

Resolved (unanimously) –

(1)  This Council welcomes the announcement by the Communities Secretary that powers to allow councils to charge households according to the amount of waste thrown out have been ruled out.

(2)  Council believes that local flexibility to operate household waste and recycling collection schemes according to what works best for that particular area is the best way to increase recycling rates.

(3)  Council is pleased to note the current high levels of bin collection rates in Wirral, the improvements to contract quality, service delivery and working practices that have been implemented over the last three years and congratulates the Director  ...  view the full minutes text for item 22.

Proposed by Councillor Phil Davies

Seconded by Councillor Steve Foulkes

(1)  This Council recognises that action needs to be taken to address the financial challenges arising from the global recession. However, it notes that according to the Institute of Fiscal Studies, the measures set out by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Budget on the 22 June, are “regressive” with cuts to public services which will hit “poorer households significantly harder than richer households”.

(2)  Council condemns:

(i)  The £5.5m of cuts in revenue which the Government has instructed this Council to find in this financial year, and the £4m loss of Capital. This is part of the £6bn of cuts which during the general election campaign the Liberal Democrats argued was unnecessary.

(ii)  The proposed increase in VAT from 17.5% to 20%. This will be profoundly regressive and breaks an explicit promise made during the election by both the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats.

(iii)  The proposed cuts of £11bn in welfare benefits which will hit the poorest members of communities the hardest.

(iv)  The proposed 25% cuts in departmental spending, which, if applied to Local Government grant, would leave Wirral needing to find up to £100m cuts over three years. Again, these departmental cuts will impact disproportionately on people in the poorest communities who rely more on public services than residents elsewhere.

(3)  Council notes that the motion passed by the Cabinet on the 24 June fails to identify a single penny of savings and proposes measures such as the ending of sandwiches for members which will realise a tiny fraction of the savings targets for the next 3 years. Furthermore, the announcement of 8 reviews of various issues indicates that the administration has no clear vision of the future.

(4)  Council calls on the ruling coalition to lobby their Government to reverse their cuts which will bring huge job losses and misery to hundreds of Wirral residents and adopt the more reasonable deficit-reduction plan proposed by the Labour Party which had already started to reduce the deficit and placed greater emphasis on asking those on higher incomes to pay more and avoided cuts to front-line services.

(5)  Council condemns the utter hypocrisy of the Liberal Democrats who, by agreeing to measures such as an increase in VAT, have surrendered any claims to be a Party of progressive values and are helping to deliver the ideological agenda of the right wing of the Tory Party. Council recognises that the Labour Party is now the only progressive Party in Britain and calls on all those who previously supported the Lib Dems to join Labour and help defend the attacks on public services and the poorest members of the community by the Coalition Government.

Amendment submitted in accordance with Standing Order 7(2):

Proposed by Councillor Jeff Green

Seconded by Councillor Lesley Rennie

Delete all after ‘(1) This Council recognises that action needs to be taken to address the financial challenges arising from the global recession’ and replace with:  ...  view the full minutes text for item 23.

Proposed by Councillor Stuart Kelly

Seconded by Councillor Ann Bridson

(1)  Council notes the decision of Cabinet of 27 May to ‘go the extra mile in identifying an alternative site for the new academy’.

(2)  Council considers that the sites identified below should not be further investigated for the stated reasons:

(a)  The site by Shaftesbury Youth Club playing fields – because the board of trustees have made it very clear that they would not be prepared to sell their land to the Council.

(b)  The site of Prenton High School - because the land is subject to a PFI contract until 2031.

(c)  The site of Bedford Drive Primary School – because there are no plans to close or relocate the School.

(d)  The site of Hind Street former gasworks - because it is within 150m of two large gasometers.

(e)  Land at Mersey Park Tranmere – because of the unacceptable loss of park land involved.

Amendment submitted in accordance with Standing Order 7(2):

Proposed by Councillor Jeff Green

Seconded by Councillor Paul Hayes

Delete all, other than:

Council notes the decision of Cabinet of 27 May to ‘go the extra mile in identifying an alternative site for the new academy’.

Amendment submitted in accordance with Standing Order 7(2):

Proposed by Councillor Phil Davies

Seconded by Councillor Chris Meaden

Delete everything and insert the following:

(1)  Council notes the resolution passed by Cabinet on 27 May, 2010 which instructed the Director of Children’s Services to explore further whether a suitable site and funding might be available to accommodate the Academy as a new build.

(2)  This Council believes that it would be inappropriate to reach a conclusion on specific sites until the Director has had an opportunity to provide a full report back to Cabinet on the pros and cons of all potential sites in order to ensure that an informed decision is taken.

Having applied the guillotine in accordance with Standing Order 7(8) the Council did not debate this matter.

Councillor Green agreed to accept Councillor Davies’ amendment as a friendly amendment and the combined amendments were put and carried (45:14) (One abstention) –

Resolved (45:14:1) –

(1)  Council notes the decision of Cabinet of 27 May to ‘go the extra mile in identifying an alternative site for the new academy’ and which instructed the Director of Children’s Services to explore further whether a suitable site and funding might be available to accommodate the Academy as a new build.

(2)  This Council believes that it would be inappropriate to reach a conclusion on specific sites until the Director has had an opportunity to provide a full report back to Cabinet on the pros and cons of all potential sites in order to ensure that an informed decision is taken.

Proposed by Councillor Darren Dodd

Seconded by Councillor Denise Roberts

(1)  Council condemns the decision of the National Con/Dem alliance to withdraw free swimming for children and pensioners.

(2)  Council further notes with dismay that Wirral’s Conservative / Liberal Democrat coalition has only guaranteed free swimming until September, despite the fact that free swimming both for children and for the elderly was agreed and paid for from within the Council’s own budget before any government subsidies were introduced and that this Labour initiative was a trail blazer for other local authorities and for the government.

(3)  Council agrees that any move to axe free swimming would be a false economy and work in direct opposition to the Corporate Priority of increasing Health and Well Being for all, and act against the agreed drive to reduce childhood obesity, and to keep elderly people as fit as possible for as long as possible in order to improve their quality of life and reduce the need for any early care interventions.

(4)  Council notes that the Coalition as part of their agreement together have signed up to the Corporate Plan and the Corporate Priorities.

(5)  Council further notes that being able to swim is also a matter of safety for Wirral residents who live on a peninsula surrounded on three sides by water and demands that the administration guarantees free swimming on a permanent basis.

Amendment submitted in accordance with Standing Order 7(2):

Proposed by Councillor David Elderton

Seconded by Councillor Denis Knowles

Delete all after ‘(1) Council’ and replace with:

believes it is difficult for a local authority to provide free swimming if it has closed and demolished its swimming baths and leisure centres, as planned by the previous Labour-led administration.

Amendment submitted in accordance with Standing Order 7(2):

Proposed by Councillor Bob Moon

Seconded by Councillor Mark Johnston

Delete paragraphs (1) (2) and (3) and insert new paragraphs (1) and (2)

(1)  Council congratulates the Cabinet for taking swift action to reassure the Wirral public that there would be no immediate end to free swimming following the announcement that funding for free swimming was to be withdrawn by the Coalition Government.

(2)  Council recognises that in these difficult financial times, many spending decisions already agreed will need to be kept under review and that the Cabinet has commissioned a report on the costs and benefits of free swimming and how to safeguard access for the most vulnerable before reaching a conclusion on this matter.

Amend paragraph (4) and renumber as (3), delete “notes” and replace with “welcomes”.

Delete paragraph (5) and replace with final paragraph (4):

Council therefore also welcomes the fact that the Cabinet has called for a report on the effectiveness of spending against these priorities of projects and programmes funded by the Area Based Grant, rather than make the type of arbitrary cuts that would have been the hallmark of the Labour Party.

Having applied the guillotine in accordance with Standing Order 7(8) the Council did not  ...  view the full minutes text for item 25.

Proposed by  Councillor Simon Holbrook

Seconded by Councillor Bob Moon

(1)  This Council welcomes the announcement by the Communities Secretary and the letter from the Audit Commission to Chief Executives and LSPs that all work on Comprehensive Area Assessment is to be ceased by the Audit Commission with immediate effect.

(2)  Council believes that Comprehensive Area Assessment was a wasteful, over-bureaucratic and ineffective way of assessing councils’ and other public bodies’ effectiveness and placed an unacceptable burden on councils in servicing the process.

(3)  Council welcomes the fact that resources now freed up from the inspection regime can be used more flexibly to ensure frontline services are delivered in the most effective and efficient way for local people.

(4)  Therefore, Council requests the Director of Corporate Services to:

(a)  Ensure that the Authority does not participate in any targeted inspections that the Audit Commission wishes to carry out in Wirral, unless a robust rationale that demonstrates value for money and improved service delivery from carrying out that inspection can be provided by the Audit Commission to the satisfaction of the Authority.

(b)  Review existing arrangements for policy and performance management across all council services and provide a report to Cabinet at the earliest opportunity on how capacity released by the ending of CAA might be harnessed more effectively.

Having applied the guillotine in accordance with Standing Order 7(8) the Council did not debate this matter.

Resolved (unanimously) – That the motion be approved.

Proposed by Councillor Ann McLachlan

Seconded by Councillor George Davies

(1)  Council is outraged but not surprised by the comments made by Ian Duncan Smith where he suggests breaking up “ghettos of unemployment” and moving the unemployed instead into areas across the country where work is more freely available.

(2)  Council is outraged because the policies of this government will increase these “ghettos” by targeting the largest share of cuts on precisely those poorest areas where unemployment is highest.

(3)  Council believes that the Government is fully aware of the fact that where the public sector provides a high proportion of jobs, the public and private sector are co-dependent and any cuts in the public sector will have a direct knock on to the private sector, creating major job losses across a region like Merseyside with little chance of recovery.

(4)  Council is outraged but not surprised that the Tory solution is then to move the unemployed away from their home areas, and their own support networks, which often provide valuable assistance in child care, and mutual support when times are hard, making it even more difficult for them to hold down jobs in a new place, presumably in the overcrowded South East where there is already a major housing crisis. This is simply the old, familiar Norman Tebbit “Get on your bike” Tory philosophy.

(5)  Council roundly condemns this crazy, ill thought out and ugly policy which demonstrates just how far removed from reality the current millionaire, Eton based Cabinet ministers are.

Amendment submitted in accordance with Standing Order 7(2):

Proposed by Councillor Andrew Hodson

Seconded by Councillor Tony Pritchard

Delete all after ‘(1) Council’ and replace with:

recognises the distress, anger and upset caused to people across Wirral, including some of the most deprived communities, by the failure of the previous Government to tackle youth unemployment and the growth in number of people claiming Incapacity Benefit.

(2)  Council notes the difference in real gross value added per capita growth rates between the Greater South East and all other English regions widened towards the end of the last decade.

(3)  Council therefore welcomes the Coalition Government’s determination that all parts of the UK benefit from sustainable economic growth, and that the private sector recovery is particularly strong in areas that are currently overly dependent on the public sector.

(4)  Council also welcomes measures in the Emergency Budget to promote job creation in Wirral and the wider Merseyside economy, including:

·  a reversal of the most damaging part of the planned increase in employer National Insurance Contributions.

·  the creation of a Regional Growth Fund to support increases in business employment and growth, and a scheme in which new businesses in targeted areas will get a substantial reduction in their employer National Insurance Contributions.

·  an increase in the Enterprise Finance Guarantee and the creation of a new Growth Capital Fund.

·  a reduction in the small profits rate to 20 per cent.

·  a planned reduction in the main rate of corporation tax from  ...  view the full minutes text for item 27.

Proposed by Councillor Stuart Kelly

Seconded by Councillor Alan Brighouse

Council requests the relevant Cabinet Members and officers to investigate the possible consolidation of waste land in the Oxton Road / Balls Road East area of Birkenhead, including the use of Compulsory Purchase Orders and then subsequent marketing for family housing development in the area and to report on progress to a future appropriate meeting.

Amendment submitted in accordance with Standing Order 7(2):

Proposed by Councillor George Davies

Seconded by Councillor Ann McLachlan

Delete all and insert:

(1)  Council notes that Minute 169 of the Cabinet meeting of October 15th 2009 Area Appraisal and Strategic Acquisitions, Belmont, Birkenhead, has already set in motion the action requested in the Notice of Motion and that acquisition of the relevant properties is already well under way and should be completed within the next month or so, thereby rendering the current Notice of Motion unnecessary.

(2)  Council expresses its amazement that a member of the Cabinet which took that initial decision, and a councillor for the neighbouring ward, should be unaware of the progress already made under a Labour Cabinet Member for Housing, and can only conclude that either the item passed him by, or that he has raised it again for purely electoral purposes in order to claim credit for action already taken in a desperate attempt to bolster the Liberal Democrats’ faltering chances in the next election, which he knows full well are already damaged by the coalition with the Conservatives nationally and locally.

Having applied the guillotine in accordance with Standing Order 7(8) the Council did not debate this matter.

The amendment was put and lost (21:41) (One abstention).

The motion was put and carried unanimously.

Resolved – Council requests the relevant Cabinet Members and officers to investigate the possible consolidation of waste land in the Oxton Road / Balls Road East area of Birkenhead, including the use of Compulsory Purchase Orders and then subsequent marketing for family housing development in the area and to report on progress to a future appropriate meeting.

Proposed by Councillor Brian Kenny

Seconded by Councillor Adrian Jones

This Council condemns the utter hypocrisy of the Conservative Liberal Democrat Alliance nationally and locally, which has initiated the most savage round of public sector cuts since the 1930s and then seeks ways of devolving the decisions on these cuts away from itself, both nationally and locally, either through a massive, tax payer funded, “consultation” exercise or by the new doctrine of “localism”, devolving decision making down to a very local level, as far away as possible from the real decision takers.

Council believes that:

(1)  The people of Wirral and the employees of the Council are, in reality, being asked to decide whether they wish to be hung, shot or guillotined. Whichever choice they make, they will undoubtedly be blamed for their own death.

(2)  Devolving power under the new doctrine of localism will turn out to be the classic Tory scam, (camouflaged in warm words about local democracy and involvement), of passing the buck while cutting the money available to do anything useful.

(3)  The local consultation exercise, as currently mounted, will only serve to delay urgent decision making which, in turn, will mean cuts have to be even more savage as time runs out to have decisions taken and implemented by April 1st, leading to only part year savings or the use of balances which both leave a hole in the next year’s budget, and also have to be replaced, doubling the impact.

(4)  Any form of meaningful consultation would mean producing carefully costed and detailed options for saving and budget setting and giving the public the opportunity to choose between those costed options. Anything less is simply a cover to shift blame onto the public for the decisions that are taken, and even that still leaves the public and staff implicated in taking decisions against their own interests.

(5)  The first victims of the Tory scam are the Liberal Democrats who have been lured into an alliance with promises of greater local involvement and democracy, only to find out that this cherished policy will go the way of the campaign against VAT increases, and prove to be just another cover for Tory ruthlessness which will hurt the poorest most, devastate the people of Wirral, and ultimately benefit the wealthy in the Tory heartlands of the South East, all in an ideological drive to reduce the size and influence of the State sector.

(With the permission of the Council, an amendment submitted by Councillor Green was withdrawn.)

Having applied the guillotine in accordance with Standing Order 7(8) the Council did not debate this matter.

The motion was put and lost (21:41) (One abstention).

Moved by Councillor Steve Foulkes

Seconded by Councillor Phil Davies

This Council expresses deep concern about the Constitutional and democratic implications of Cabinet Minute 50 and believes that in setting up the first two Commissions the Cabinet has paid scant regard to the current Constitution of the Council.

Council notes that:

·  The Commission is not a sub committee of Cabinet, as it comprises one member from each party.

·  The Commission is not a sub committee of any Overview and Scrutiny Committee, although the subject matter clearly comes under a relevant Scrutiny Committee and could have been referred to Scrutiny for examination and a report back to Cabinet.

·  There is no clear division between the Executive and Scrutiny Function.

·  There is a potential for real confusion and overlap between the role of the Commission and the role of Scrutiny. For example, the Children and Young People’s Overview and Scrutiny already has a review of Sure Start and under 5’s as part of its work programme.

·  Three people, outside any normal accountability structure, will in fact be conducting a wide consultation and advising the Cabinet on issues of local governance which will have huge financial and constitutional consequences, with any subsequent Cabinet decisions likely to require major changes across the Council’s Constitution.

·  This is a clear vote of no confidence in the Scrutiny Chairs of all parties who would normally be expecting to carry out this kind of work.

·  The consequence is there will be no clear structural audit or minute trail which sets out how the advice in the final report to Cabinet was reached.

·  This could be seen as a preliminary move back to the old committee system preferred by the Conservatives, but not yet allowed for in law, disguised for the time being as a working party without decision making powers (but with considerable influence on the Executive.)

For all these reasons, Council refers Minute 50 back to the Cabinet for further detailed consideration.

Having applied the guillotine in accordance with Standing Order 7(8) the Council did not debate this matter.

The objection was put and lost (21:41) (One abstention).

To receive nominations, in accordance with Standing Order 25(5), in respect of any proposed changes in the membership of the Cabinet and committees, and to approve nominations for appointments to outside organisations.

The Council was requested to deal with the following appointments:

COUNCIL COMMITTEES

§  Licensing Act 2003 Committee

Councillor Sue Taylor’s appointment as Chair, in accordance with the wishes of the Committee (minute 3 (25/5/10) refers) be ratified.

Councillor Alan Brighouse to replace Councillor Pat Williams

OUTSIDE BODIES

§  Housing and Community Safety

Wirral Partnership Homes Board

Councillor Stuart Whittingham to replace Councillor Brian Kenny

§  Regeneration and Planning Strategy

Liverpool City Region Boards

Environment and Waste Board - Councillor Gill Gardiner

Employment and Skills Board - Councillor Andrew Hodson

Housing and Spatial Planning Board - Councillor Chris Blakeley

Mersey Maritime Group Ltd,

Councillors Lesley Rennie and Gill Gardiner

·  Social Care and Inclusion

Wirral University Teaching Hospital Foundation Trust – Governors

Councillor J Green 

Councillor C Meaden  Appointed for 3 years until 16 September 2013

Councillor R Moon

Note: Council confirms that Councillor Elderton be the Authority’s sole representative on the Egerton House Trust Board.

Resolved – That the appointments be approved.