The Chair, Councillor Tom Harney, welcomed forum members and 120

members of the public to the meeting.  Cllr Harney asked that Peel Holdings give their presentation first due to time restraints and explained that once presentation was concluded the forum would move onto ‘You Decide’.

Ø  Have Your Say where money should be spent in Your Neighbourhood

PEEL HOLDINGS: AN OVERALL STRATEGY FOR THE MANCHESTER SHIP CANAL

David Thompson Development Planning Manager for Peel Holdings and Dean Hammond for Manchester Ship Canal introduced themselves to the forum then David gave a presentation which is summarised below.

SUMMARY OF PRESENTATION

1.  An introduction to the Peel Group companies and Peel’s main interests in the North West.

2.  An outline of two concepts being promoted by Peel, these being Ocean Gateway (related to a number of strategic development proposals along the River Mersey / Manchester Ship Canal corridor) and SuperPort (relating primarily to Peel’s Port and Airport interests i.e. the Port of Liverpool, the Manchester Ship Canal and Liverpool John Lennon Airport).

3.  An introduction to Peel Ports interests, including the Port of Liverpool and the Manchester Ship Canal and details as to how both facilities are now combined within Peel Ports and are operated efficiently together.

4.  Further background information on the Manchester Ship Canal itself including the dates of its construction, key products transported, other functions of the canal, together with a brief explanation of Peel’s review of the canal’s current infrastructure, future operator and site accessibility (road, rail and canal) requirements.

5.  The identification of 4 new key infrastructure projects along the Canal (which are Port Salford, Port Warrington, Port Ince and Port Wirral) which are proposed to address the need to upgrade and modernise certain existing port facilities.  Details of the nature and function of each of these proposed facilities was given.  The illustrative proposals for Port Wirral (on land between the QEII Dock at Eastham and Booston Wood, Ellesmere Port) were broadly described.

6.  The benefits Peel expect to arise from its proposals for the Manchester Ship Canal (which include the more sustainable transportation of freight) and the importance of these proposals to the North West Region was summarised.

7.  A summary of Peel’s anticipated timescales for preparing more detailed proposals for Port Wirral was given along with commitments to consult with the community again in due course. Timescales for further consultation were estimated to be around late 2010 / early 2011.

8.  The presentation concluded with an invitation for questions from the audience.

Further information on the Ocean Gateway concept and Peel’s port investment proposals can be found within Peel’s Ocean Gateway Prospectus (October 2009) which can be downloaded via the following web site link: 

www.peel.co.uk/group/page.aspx?ID=66 or via Peel’s overall web site at: www.peel.co.uk

Questions raised by members of the public:

Q1   Are you going to use resources from Wirral if you are claiming to improve Wirral?

We don’t want employment going to outside areas, are you going to use

local traders and workers

A   We would encourage the use of local services and local recruitment as much   as possible however we cannot absolutely guarantee it in every case.

Q2   Can you assure us that it will not increase traffic in Eastham?

A    The main areas for development in Port Wirral scheme are accessed via West and North Road will link  ...  view the full minutes text for item 2.

Ø  Election of Chair

Mark Parkinson( CYPD) explained that members of the community are invited to take part in the You Decide Survey 2010 to indicate where £20,000 of additional council services could be spent. He explained the voting process and then gave a short presentation.  Results will be taken back to the office and information will be collated and reported on at the next forum and on the website. 

Q (Public Member) – what if you want something that is not there?

Mark Parkinson – write it at the bottom of the card.

Louise Harland – Davies, Area Co-ordinator highlighted information in her report:

• Pg 3 partner updates. 

• Matters arising: Sefton Road, New Ferry – parking problems still ongoing
• Integrated Transport Block Funding: The area forum has £18,200 of funding for road safety schemes such as dropped kerbs etc.  Public to complete suggestion and location forms
• Winter Resilience funding: £5000 had been made available for additional grit bins so public to complete location forms.

Ian Maxwell (Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service) informed the forum that there will be a fire exercise in Eastham tomorrow so not to be alarmed. 

Liz Hawkins (Youth Outreach Worker) then read out a letter on behalf of young people who live in the Bromborough and Eastham area thanking the area forum for the additional activities provided which were funded through last year’s You Decide money.

The Chair thanked the area co-ordinator for the report and minutes were agreed as a true record.

Q (Public Member) – with regards to the youth service, in the previous minutes the You Decide update refers to  ‘all Wirral young people’ however this only targets 13 – 19 year olds.

Liz Hawkins – We really mean all young people

Q (Public Member) – Is the play rangers scheme coming back to Eastham?

Liz Hawkins – We can’t confirm this at the moment.

Q (Public Member) –The sessions that Roz does are for age range 5 – 11 years, the children won’t use it because it is too far away.  We have nothing this side of the Estate.

Liz Hawkins – I take my services to where the people are, that is my role – outreach, it would be good to have a meeting with you so we can do a plan of action.  I will get your details at the end.

Ø  An overall strategy for the Manchester Ship Canal

AREA FORUM BUSINESS: ELECTION OF CHAIR

Cllr Gilchrist proposed to re-elect Cllr Tom Harney as Chair – this was agreed by all forum members.

Q (Public Member) – it should be the people who elect a chair, not you.  We make the effort to be here so put it to the public vote.

Cllr Gilchrist– if you write in with your suggestions we will look into it.  When this system was set up it was agreed that we needed a chair to attend every meeting all year round.

Minute Decision: Cllr Tom Harney re-elected as area forum chair.

Mark Parkinson informed forum members that Children and Young People’s Department was successful in a bid to the Central Government co-location fund in June 2009 for a sum of £927.000. The purpose being to co-locate multi-disciplinary professionals together in area based teams to ensure children’s needs are met. The Delamere Centre could be a potential site in line with the council’s Strategic Asset Review for co-locating a team. As the neighbouring Children’s Centre was growing and expanding its services. Catherine McCormack on behalf of the Headteachers for South Wirral had requested that area team staff, working with local children and families, should be located in the area as apposed to West Wirral where they are currently based.  Space is also needed for more supervised contact for children and their families. 

Children and Young People’s Department are aware that a community group in Eastham were keen to look at taking over the running of the centre. The Department has had a number of meetings with the group in order to see if the needs of both parties can be met within one building.  These discussions are currently ongoing.

Lewis McDonald – Secretary for Eastham Community Group – explained how Eastham Community Group was involved in ‘Help save the library’ in February 09 and were keen to save the Delamere from potential closure as a lot of local groups would lose their base. 

Liz Hawkins – (Youth Outreach Worker) informed the forum that the youth hub will be launching one week from Thursday.  It will be open Monday – Saturday.  Young people can access various activities and Margaret Ellard will be the manager.

Lewis McDonald – regarding the Strategic Asset Review, the Conservatives have said they would overturn it if they won.  Has there been any changes in the policy?

Cllr Tom Harney – the Strategic Asset Review is on the agenda and will be discussed at the next Cabinet meeting due to be held next week.

Ø  Monday 4^th October 2010 – venue to be confirmed

The chair thanked everyone for attending and closed the meeting.  The next area forum will be Monday 4^th October, venue to be confirmed.