The Chair, Councillor P Williams, welcomed Area Forum members and 25 members of the public to the meeting.  A microphone was available for anyone wished to use it.

The Chair welcomed new members/representatives Sandra Shannon, Wirral University Teaching Hospital, Sheila Hillhouse, NHS Wirral, Sergeant Mark Roberts and Sergeant Sam Parker, Merseyside Police and Terry Murphy, Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service.

Apologies for absence were received from Inspector Roy McGregor, Merseyside Police.

·  Winter Resilience Fund: New requests for Grit bins

The minutes of the October Forum were included in Section One of the Area
Co-ordinator’s report.

Minute decision:  That the minutes of the meeting of the Area Forum of 19 October 2010 be confirmed as a true record, subject to the inclusion of Cllr Denise Realey in the list of those present.

Matters arising:  The Area Co-ordinator drew attention to page 11 of her report and the response received to a query raised by Patrick Dowling on Street Lighting Equipment in and around Oxton Village.

Section Two of the Area Co-ordinator’s report contained local updates.  The attention of the Area Forum was drawn to the progress report on the Council’s consultation programme ‘Wirral’s Future:  Be a part of it’.  The decisions will feed into the Council’s new Corporate Plan in due course. 

Information was given on the availability of funding from Your Wirral.  The Area Co-ordinator will send application forms, on request, to local groups and organisations who wish to apply for funding.  The closing date is 25 April.

The area forum has been asked for suggestions for the siting of grit bins funded from the Winter Resilience Fund.  Cards showing locations of bins already requested in 2011/12, and asking for precise locations of additional bins, were available at the meeting.

Minute decision:    To thank the Area Co-ordinator for her report.

·  Findings from the review

The Chair welcomed Jim Lester, Head of Cultural Services, and invited him to talk about the review of the Parks and Countryside Service Procurement Exercise.

Jim Lester explained that his responsibilities include Art Galleries and Museums, in addition to Parks and Countryside services.

The review of services started in June 2008 and a report taken to Cabinet in July 2010 included an outline business case prepared by independent consultants looking at various options for the Council to consider.  At the meeting in July, elected members decided that, with some exceptions, all the services should be kept together and provided by a single contractor. 

The scope of the exercise was to look at all the points of work and consider which services should be kept in scope and those that should be excluded.  In January 2011, the Director of Engineering Services reported to Cabinet on the areas that should not be included, namely the Landican Crematorium and Bereavement Services, the Tam O’Shanter Urban Farm, schools’ grounds, the Lifeguard Service, golf pavilions [but not the day to day management of the golf courses] allotments and charges for allotments.  These services would transfer to Asset Management.

The contracts for grounds maintenance, grass cutting, management of the Parks’ Ranger Service, maintenance of hedges, trees and grass verges and areas of open space associated with that will be brought into the single contract.

The contract will be worth between £6 and £9 million.  Research into what neighbouring local authorities are doing indicates that the contractor brings innovation and different ways of working and that considerable savings can be made with a single contract.  Biffa manages the bin collection service and Highway Maintenance recently transferred to Colas, and both services are doing well.

Currently, Wirral Council employs between 150/160 staff to deliver the services, although the numbers have reduced by a recent voluntary exercise.  The remaining staff will transfer to the new contracted and their existing pay and conditions will be protected under TUPE regulations.

Consultations and regular discussions have taken place with the staff and representatives from groups including user groups, specialist user groups, [eg people representing golf clubs, football and bowling clubs, Friends’ groups and people involved with heritage and the arts.

The next round of meetings will take place in March 2011 in Wallasey Town Hall.  The Parks workshop will be on 3 March, bereavement service focus session on 8 March, the golf session on 15 March, and the sports session, particularly on bowls and football, on 23 March. The main purpose of the sessions will be to provide more detailed information on the services and the feedback received will be used to inform the new contract.

Efforts have been made to identify all the representative groups of Friends across Wirral.  New groups are welcome and details of any group that has not already been approached would be appreciated from members of the public to ensure they are included in the process.

The specification will be completed by the end of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

·  Support and advice available from Community Foundations for Merseyside, Wirral Council’s National Lottery Project Manager and Voluntary Community Action Wirral (VCAW)

  Support and advice available from Community Foundations for Merseyside.

Graham Batey gave a presentation on a range of funding programmes currently administered by the Community Foundation for Merseyside and the themes they target.

The foundation works closely with a range of donors and partners to help them connect with local voluntary and community groups across Merseyside.  The foundation undertakes an annual Local Needs Analysis with input from grant applicants, donors, staff and volunteers, to help identify the issues which most need addressing on Merseyside.

Six themes have been identified as the issues most affecting Merseyside this year.  These themes feed into the grant programmes on offer and can help make a difference in local communities.

Funds are available for projects which target children and young people, the local community and wider environment, seek to engage the community and increase community participation, tackle worklessness and related problems through training and employment, improve all aspects of people’s lives physically, emotionally and socially, and projects based around arts and cultural activities which improve wellbeing and increase community participation.

To be eligible to apply, the organisation must have a Constitution, Accounts, a Bank Statement and, where applicable, a Safeguarding Policy.

Information on the themes is available on the website www.cfmerseyside.org.uk.

Application forms were available at the Area Forum.

The Chair thanked Graham for the presentation.

  NATIONAL LOTTERY

The Chair welcomed Peter Riley, Wirral Council’s National Lottery Project Manager.

Peter explained that for every £1 spent on a national lottery ticket, 28p goes to good causes and funding is distributed to Arts, Heritage, Sport England and the Big Lottery.  His role is to help groups in Wirral obtain some of that money.

The Awards for All programme gives grants ranging from £300 to £10,000, and is available to every group provided they have a constitution, a bank account with two signatories, a committee with at least three members, a Chair, Secretary and a Treasurer.  Registered charities automatically qualify but this is not a requirement.

Although Lottery regulations do not allow him to write applications for groups, Peter Riley is prepared to look at applications and advise on ‘Lottery speak’ etc.  He urged any community group that is properly constituted and has an idea they want to run with, to contact him and he would offer advice.  If a group has had an application rejected in the past, he would be willing to advise how it can be turned around.  If he felt that an application did not meet Lottery requirements, he would advise accordingly.

Hundreds of groups across Wirral have bid successfully for grants up to £10,000, receiving in total about £2.5 million just from Awards for All.  There are  fifteen different programmes that groups can apply for.

Peter would welcome requests for information and would leave his contact details with the Area Co-ordinator.

Peter responded to the questions:

Q  [Cllr Brighouse].  You do a fantastic job, the money goes to all sorts of groups, but how do you monitor what it is  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

·  Outlining plans for Census Programme on March 27

Frank McGinley explained that he was one of eleven area co-ordinators working under one Census manager for the whole of Wirral.  He was co-ordinator for Neston, Claughton and North Prenton. 

He began his presentation with a quiz on when the census started, the population of Wirral in 2001, the percentage of returned census forms.  All the questions were answered correctly by members of the public.

The census day, 27 March 2011, will be publicised in the media and reminders and information will be given to coincide with popular TV programmes.

The census will provide a snapshot of the population on 27 March 2011 and the information will be used to fund local councils.  There is a legal requirement to fill in the census form and non-compliance can lead to a £1,000 fine.

Census forms will be sent by Royal Mail to each address in early March.  Returns can be returned via Royal Mail or can be filled in on line.  Householders must show everyone who was resident at the address on 27 March.

A collector will call to addresses where the form has not been returned, and this will be followed by a second visit if the form has still not been returned.

Help is available by the helpline 0300 0201 101, by texting 18001,0300 0201 160, via local authorities’ support and information services, and local drop in centres.

Cllr Holbrook emphasised the importance of people completing the census because it impacts on the amount of grant that local councils receive.

Frank McGinley responded to questions

Q  Will help be available for the elderly and vulnerable, and people who will not open the door etc and need help?

A  If there is a situation where people know where these people are, they should contact us and we will go in and help in that way.  We have a specialist group who will try to access the ‘hard to reach’.  We also liaise with wardens, etc.

Q  Is anything available to support the Polish community?

A  We have leaflets in Polish and we have a translator.  We do on an area basis where we know pockets of people live.

Q  What happens if you are abroad on the day?

A  It is the normal place of residence.  I will find the answer to that separately.

Q  Is information passed on?  I know private companies can obtain this information from the Census and Council and then send their literature.

A  The Census does not deal with individual properties.  No-one will be told the number of bedrooms and gardens etc.  It is not broken down.  What the Council do I don’t know.

A  [Bob Beresford]:  I’m not sure what you are referring to but I am not aware we would generate any information, and certainly not on a commercial basis.  I will discuss the issue separately with you after the meeting, or leave your name and address with the area co-ordinator and you will be contacted.

The Chair thanked Frank McGinley for  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

[Richard Neale]:  There is a suggestion that there is a planning application in the Townfield shopping area that might result in a Tesco store, and there are concerns about the validity of the application.

A  [Bob Beresford]  I am aware of an application made by a land owner in Townfield Close to vary an existing planning permission.  I understand planning permission was given for four small units and the application is to vary that for one larger unit.  The application will be going to the Planning Committee at the end of March.  People are being consulted on the application and that will be open until the March meeting.

  If you have any views you can make representations.  Details of the application are on Wirral’s website.

A  [Cllr Kelly].  I spoke to the Planning Officer this week and she told me she has informed the agent that the Council would expect an application of this sort to be a full application, and not an exchange of conditions.

  The name Tesco was in the frame because the agent also deals with Tesco’s planning applications.

I have spoken to Claughton councillors so that ward members have a joint approach in reviewing the impact of the proposal on the existing parade.  I understand that the Planning Committee is at the end of March but the consultation process is now over.

Q  [Paul Haywood]:  Are people in the area aware of this application?  People often don’t find out what is going on until the construction starts.  The Oxton councillors should be putting a flyer out in the Townfield area to highlight the things going on.  I was the instigator of a playing field for children in that area.  I think it is a shame that you three people who represent this area are not going out and notifying local residents of Townfield, or the school, until after it is approved that there will be a supermarket that will overburden that road, and the school at the corner.

A  [Chair/Cllr Kelly]:  It is being done.  We are in the process of delivering information in the area of Hargrave/Townfield estates and currently people are being informed.  We have not yet been in contact with the school, but yes, we are informing the residents.  I have spoken to Councillor George Davies and I am sure he will be informing residents in the Claughton area.

  The owner of the post office is organising a petition, so it is unlikely that people who use the post office will be ignorant of the application.

Q  [Mr Dollery]  A new sandwich bar/cafe  has opened in Prenton Hall Road, and information has been given out about opening hours etc. but I can’t get much information other than it was taken over by the owners of the Premier shop.

A  [Cllr Bridson]  The premises are owned by Wirral Partnership Homes.  We have to find out whether they are setting the conditions or the Council’s Planning Department or Licensing Department.  The  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

The Chair drew attention to the information on Partner Updates and invited questions.

The Area Forum responded to a number of questions and comments on Grit Bins.

  Requests for grit bins to be re-located, removed or replaced will be actioned when bins are being installed in new locations. [When making requests for bins, it is important to specify the exact location where bins are required].

A definitive list will be drawn up at the end of the current programme. Ways are being considered of securing the bins and improving their appearance.  

Q  [Cllr Kelly].  Referring to the list of carriageway resurfacing, whilst Gerald Road was resurfaced to a high standard, the surface of Shrewsbury Road is very disappointing.  The process involved a substance being sprayed onto the carriageway and covered by grit which has since worn away.  The dust and chippings spread onto the pavements and are carried into people’s homes on their shoes.

Using a cheaper method is a false economy because it is likely to involve remedial work and more expenditure later on.

A  [Gary Cummings].  The process used is a cheaper option, but a more expensive option would probably mean that work would not be done.

The process involves sand and stone being driven down into the sprayed service, but loose chippings does not mean that the process has failed.  The contractor will be asked to look at Shrewsbury Road and if it has failed to decide what needs to be done to rectify it.

Q  A request was made some time ago for work on the pavements in Cambridge Road.  Why have all the paving stones been taken up in Woodchurch Road and replaced with tarmac?

A  There is constant vehicle override in Woodchurch Road and tarmac is the best material in these circumstances; it avoids the need to return time and time again to repair/replace paving stones

Q  [Cllr Realey]  People pay to park at Arrowe Park Hospital, but the car parks have so many holes they are dangerous.

A  [Gary Cummings]  Hospital car parks are not the responsibility of the Council

Sandra Shannon [WUTHT] offered to take back the matter.

Q  [Mr Dollery].  The island outside the post office and the library in Prenton.  If Gary looks at the records people are there every week putting the kerbstones back.  I had a letter from Gary twelve months ago stating he was looking into the matter.  Have you any thought on taking the whole island away?

A  [Gary Cummins]:  Some work will be done tomorrow morning to do with physically removing the island and re-aligning it.  The way forward is to remove the island.  Information is being collated on all the money spent on the island in the last two years to justify the expenditure needed to remove the island.  Hopefully, the island will be removed in the next financial year.

Q  [Cllr. Bridson]  Has anyone any comments to make on the new traffic lights on the island on the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

  The date and venue for the next meeting will be confirmed.

  The Chair thanked everyone and closed the meeting of the Area Forum at 9pm.