Councillor Don McCubbin welcomed 31 members of the public to the area forum meeting.  Apologies were received from Cllr Andrew Hodson.

Ø  Minutes of the last meeting and matters arising

Ø  Grit Bins

The minutes of the meeting held on 7th October 2010 were tabled and agreed as a true record, there were no amendments and no matters arising.

Grit Bins - Tracey Smith, Senior Community Engagement Officer advised the meeting that the forum had been given £5,000 to spend on grit bins for the Heswall Pensby Thingwall & Barnston area, there were cards available for people to suggest where they would like grit bins. The cards can be handed in at the end of the meeting and the suggestions will be put forward to Technical Services.

Q. Greg Vogiatzis Pensby Resident - How are the cuts going to affect the area.

A.  Cllr McCubbin advised it was a balanced budget that was agreed at Cabinet and will be going to full Council the following Tuesday. Early Voluntary Severance has been taken by staff however front line services will be maintained. Sure Start, Libraries not affected by cuts, school investment is still going ahead. Area Forums have been given extra funding.

Q. How are the cuts going to impact on our vulnerable and disabled people?

A.  Cllr Bob Wilkins - Respite care services will continue to be offered but may be provided differently. There is a statutory duty to provide services.

Mark Johnston - There has been a positive political idea called Localism - there is a budget decision for next years funding for area forums to be increased.

Q. Mike Sullivan - Pensall Residents Association - 5 respite homes are getting closed - 380 police officers losing jobs - 170 fire officers losing jobs how can Councillors sit there and say there are not cuts when homes are closing.  Cuts have been made with no discussion in the Town Hall with other Councillors

A. Cllr Bob Wilkins - Task force looked over provision in Wirral, its cost two and a half times more for Council t run homes than the private sector. Value for money should be followed; care and services will be provided.  The opposition have not been gagged; they have been given every opportunity to voice their point of view. Budget proposals have been scrutinised and all Officers answered questions on the proposals.

Cllr Les Rowlands added that the Borough Solicitor signs off the Council budget and he can only do that when all figures have been checked so it is legal

Q. Pauline Sutton - will the budget be in the public domain.

A. Cllr Rowlands advised that it would.

Steve Hall - Merseyside Police. The Police haven’t escaped the cuts. There has been natural wastage with Officers leaving and posts being deleted. There are cut backs financially however resources are available for other excellent policing projects. The Police Force has had a restructure and centralising non frontline services has resulted in a reduction of staff. Police who serve in this area have been put on permanent contracts so no direct cuts to this area. 

Myles Platt - Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service.  Over the next 2 years the Fire Service will need to save 9 million. For Wirral there will be no reduction in fire cover for any resident. There will be no changes to staff at Heswall an Upton Fire Stations. There are no compulsory redundancies and we are looking at back office functions to streamline them. There are extra resources for Wirral. We work in partnership with colleagues to tackle arson, antisocial behaviour and hate crime.  There has been some creative thinking on how we can address challenges, and we will be looking at scrutinising services in future years

Rita Waters  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

The Chairman said that in view of the time, he would introduce Jim Lester, Head of Cultural Services to explain about the Parks & Countryside Procurement Exercise:

Jim Lester said that he wished to give a run-down on a Major Procurement Exercise of those services within the Parks and Countryside Area – this means the playing fields, cemeteries etc., with a gross value of £14,000,000 per annum.

The exercise started in 2008, and we have reported to Cabinet in July 2010 when we asked them to agree the report by Capita Symonds, and Cabinet agreed that we should go forward with one single contract to one single Contractor, and included with that should be the roads and the verges etc., which is already delivered by external contractor.  Since July we have decided that some of the works could not be included in the Contract  - The Crematorium at Landican and the management of our buildings, such as those in Birkenhead Park.  The contract will still be of substantial value of between six and eight million pounds.  In April we shall be putting that contract out to tender, it should be back in by September, and by next January we should have a Contractor.  Over 200 staff are involved in this service.

There are, in fact, thirty six Friends of Parks Groups and Open Spaces Groups.

Another range of the public meetings is coming up, and if you are interested, there are meetings on 3rd March, 8th March, 15th March and 23rd March at Wallasey Town Hall.  These are all open meetings, and everyone is welcome to come to them.

People sometimes ask who should they telephone - we are setting up a Call Line so that we understand better what the problems are.  We are interested in what people want to see and what they want to improve.  This will be at the heart of this new Contract – the Council at the centre as still being the owners of all the Parks, the Contractors who will be delivering the services, and the Users.

West Cheshire, Sefton and Liverpool are doing similar things, and we wish to improve our service and deliver the same sort of service, to generate savings and deliver value for money.  The Contractors will be big Contractors, and we know that there are twelve contractors who are interested.  We shall probably come down to about six, and this contract will be for ten years.  Technical Services are working on the tender documents.

Man – does this tie in to the Ranger Services?  I am talking particularly about the Ranger from Hilbre Island, who is extremely good.

Jim Lester -  it will be tied up with this.  I would like the Council to make it part of the Contract that any Staff who transfer must have the same salary and contract.  With reference to terms of sub-contracting, we have already built into this contract that we will not accept sub-contract.  The Contractors have met  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

He apologised that Deborah Morgan, Census Manager was not able to attend, but that he would give a very brief report.  The Census was first taken in 1801, and then held every ten years, except for 1941.  The population of residents has remained about 94% compared to the 2001 Census national average.  It could be completed before the 27^th March, but it should be figures that will relate to that date.  All the information gathered in the Census is not shared with any other Government department, and if kept confidential for one hundred years.  It will be posted out in early March, and you have the option of returning it by post, or on-line.(www.census.uk)  There will be a help line, and there will be a facility for anyone who wants an individual appointment with someone who will come to the house and help you complete the form.  Local charities are helping out, and local Drop-in sessions to help and answer questions. The website should be live from 4^th March.  It is estimated that a single person could complete the form in ten minutes.

Q. Bob Williams – they will be mailed out to each house.  What is going to happen with large blocks of flats etc?

A. Keith Caulder – they will be sent to everyone who has an individual address.  If anyone does not receive one, they can call the Helpline, and there will be people in the area to try and help out and deliver the forms.

Q. Cllr. Rowlands – obviously, all this is reported to the Government?  What kind of percentage is given to – say travellers or people who move around the country?

A. Keith Caulder – those who move around, I am not sure, simply because they move around.  As I said last time it was 94%, and there will always be an element missed.

Q. is it true that this will be the last Cencus?

A. Keith Caulder – that is so.

Q. Ray Squires – are there any contentious questions?  Seriously, are there fines if you do not fill everything in?

A.  Keith Caulder – the only non-compulsory question is what religion you follow.

Q. will it be cost effective?  Is it first or second class?  Is it confidential if I do it on-line?

A. Keith Caulder – you will have a special paper to enable you to do it on-line, and we will be using second class.  There will be people chasing, politely, to ask if you have filled in the form.

• NHS Wirral
• Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
• Merseyside Police/Community Safety
• Fire Service
• Older Peoples Parliament

NHS Wirral:

Kathy Doran said that a Report was available in the area co-ordinators report and that she would answer any questions.  No questions were asked.

Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation:

Russell Favager reported that the he would like to highlight some of the information in the area co-ordinators report, which include the money being invested, in a dedicated Women and Children’s Hospital at Arrowe Park, the installation of a second MRI Scanner and the news that the Renal Dialysis Unit has become the first unit of its kind in the country to become an accredited Practice Development Unit for delivering clinical excellence. He reported that, over the winter months, there has been extra work for the people who staff the hospitals, due to flu etc. He apologized that David Steel could not be present, but that he could be contacted if there are any queries.

Q. Ray Squires – can you say Arrowe Park is clear of Novo Virus?

A. Russell Favager – I cannot say it is clear, because there are people walking round with it, but we are trying to get anyone with it into isolation.  Last night, there were no closed wards.

Q. Sue Proudlove – why have the car parking charges gone to £2.50?

A. Russell Favager – half and free and half you have to pay for.  There has been no increase since 2006, and the cost of maintaining the lighting and the running of this, the repairs, the money to pay for the security etc. has to be found, otherwise direct patient expenditure would be reduced to pay for these services.  As I said, there are 50% of spaces which are free.

Q. where are they?

A. Russell Favager – drive up towards A and E, and I apologize if a barrier has been put there, but I do not know if they have now installed one.

Q. the parking is a nightmare.  The barrier is there to control a congestion problem and stop people driving round and round.

Cllr. Wilkins – there is an exemption scheme if you have to visit regularly over a long period of time, and a serious illness.

Merseyside Police:

Steve Hall reported that Merseyside have made a marked reduction in the crime and anti-social behaviour.  It is always more about behaviour over Christmas. 

Without being alarmist, we are aware there has been an increase of burglaries, and thefts from motor vehicles.  I should like to send out a questionnaire, and ask people “Are you leaving your house not very well protected?” as we have reason to believe that these who walk round try doors of houses and cars, and they tell us that the amount they find open is alarming.  DO NOT leave keys in the porch or the hallway.

Q. Is a visible alarm a deterrent?

A. Steve Hall – one is – exterior lighting, particularly if it has a sensor.

Q. to locate information on Police statistics in Wirral seems very difficult to find.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

Next meeting will take place on Wednesday 22^nd June 2011 – venue to be confirmed.