The Chair, Councillor Jean Stapleton, welcomed forum members and 23 members of the public to the forum meeting. Apologies were received from Myrtle Lacy and Councillor Bill Davies. The Chair informed the forum would comprise of the Area Co-ordinators report; a presentation on You Decide 2010 voting followed by group session, public question time, voting results, and partner updates.

Andy Brannan, the Area Service Co-ordinator, thanked everyone for attending and informed them that copies of the report were available which included minutes from previous meeting starting on page 5 and matters arising from the previous meeting starting on page 8. He added that he would be happy to deal with any queries at the end of the meeting or alternatively his contact details are included on the report. 

Minute Decision update: Lead Officer, David Ball reported that the update on disabled access at Hamilton Square and Rock Ferry train station was still being completed, as there were still many issues to be agreed re: the improving of the access to stations within the forum area, an confirmed that a detailed report would be brought to the next forum meeting.

Andy Brannan mentioned an issue, raised in advance of the meeting, re: overhanging bushes at Argyle Street roundabout and Rock Ferry. Brian Smith, Technical Services, confirmed that bushes were to be cut and agreed to contact the person that raised the issue directly. He also informed the forum of the following:

Integrated Transport Block (ITB) Funding – £18,200 of funding was available for road improvements in the forum area, and views on improvements were requested. Forms were available at the meeting and everyone was requested to complete these and hand them in at the end f the meeting.

Winter Resilience Activities – following the severe winter weather the Cabinet passed a resolution to give an additional £5,000 per forum area for winter resilience measures, such as grit bins. Details of the locations of the grit bins were available at the meeting, and suggestions for locations for further bins were requested.

Minute Decision - Resolved that:

(i)  David Ball to bring a detailed report re: the improving of the access to stations within the forum area to the next forum meeting

(ii)  Brian Smith, Technical Services, to arrange for the overhanging bushes at Argyle Street roundabout and Rock Ferry to be cut and to contact the person that raised the issue directly on this

Ø  Come along and choose how you would like to spend £20,000 in your area

David Ball informed the forum that the scheme gave local people the opportunity to make a difference in how council funding was spent in this area. Each area forum has £20,000 to spend on additional wide-ranging council services that could be delivered in this forum area, from a list handed out at the meeting.

The members of the public at the meeting were invited to work in groups to talk through areas and priorities for investment, then to fill in individual forms with their individual top 5 choices from the list of activities available and preferred locations. 45 minutes was set aside for this. The forms would then be summarised and reported back on after public question time.

The Chair confirmed that there was a lively debate within the groups and David Ball thanked everyone for participating in this. He announced the following results:

Priorities

1. Litter Bins
2. Activities for Young People
3. Temporary use of CCTV
4. Adult Learning Courses
5. Three joint choices: Household Security, Foot Patrols, and Community Environment Day

David confirmed that this information, along with the specific locations comments, would be discussed with the relevant departments and the results would be posted on the Council website www.wirral.gov.uk and can be sent to anyone interested if they pass their details to the Area Co-ordinator, Andy Brannan. Work would take place on this over the next few months and a report on the priorities would be brought to the next forum meeting.

The following questions / issues were raised:

1.  What was the timescale for the disabled access proposals at the train stations?

David Ball – confirmed that this would be covered within the detailed report to be brought to the next meeting.

2.  Clint Agard – would there be any consultation with / feedback to communities around proposed planned local cuts in spending announced by Central Government?

David Ball – confirmed that the new Government had already made announcements on budget reductions for this financial year, and that more cuts were expected to be announced in next week’s budget. The Government Review would set out further proposed cuts over the next three years and a comprehensive picture on this would probably be available around November. The following changes to funding have been announced / made:

• No more Future Jobs Funding
• Six month job scheme for the unemployed to be stopped by September 2011
• £1m cut to £30m fund for tackling economic issues
• £3-4m fund for housing schemes suspended
• Budget reduction to Supporting People Project
• £7-8m budget reductions within Housing and Regeneration
• Removal of ring-fencing from a variety of Government Funding sources.

David confirmed that a report was being put together to identify cuts but that he was not sure how this was going to be communicated.

Councillor Phil Davies added that the councillors at this forum were not the best people to ask as they were Labour Councillors, but confirmed that there were to be £9.5 m Council cuts. The biggest being Education (£3m), but was not sure where the cuts would be made, but possibly from positive action for young people, social care, child protection, commissioning for service for young families. The cuts to take place in this financial year were affecting the agreed budget, such as cuts to the working neighbourhoods fund and housing market renewal. The cuts would have serious consequences for a lot of people living in the forum area, but he assured the forum that the councillors would be doing their best to put forward arguments for reducing such proposed cuts. The next cabinet meeting was to be held on 24^th June 2010 and would cover budget issues and he invited people to come along to the meeting.

3.  Jim Cadwallader - - was the HMR Funding Fiveways Project still to be completed?

David Ball – confirmed that the project was being moved forward and would be completed. The national budget was cut and the pro-rata 16% reduction for Wirral amounted to £1.4m from Wirral’s £9.5m programme.

4.  Jim Cadwallader – has any progress been made re: New Ferry Tip, Bromborough Landfill Site and Rock Ferry Park?

Councillor Moira McLaughlin – confirmed that this was still in the early stages. The Landfill Site scheme was signed up by the North West Development Agency (NWDA) last year. The Mersey Coastal Park project was still being worked on, the budgets were constrained but this was still being driven forward by the ward councillors as they fully  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

The Chair invited the partners to give brief updates:

NHS Wirral:

Paul Edwards informed the Forum that a detailed briefing was available in the Area Co-ordinator’s report and highlighted the following:

·  GP health check / MOT – this was available to everyone aged 40-74 and he urged people to take up this offer.

·  Drop-in dementia café – volunteers were being sought for this service available for carers of people with dementia. Café details can be given at the end of the meeting to anyone interested.

·  New Health Centre at Laird Street – centre opened last week and can treat minor emergencies, further details included in the briefing

Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust:

Lesley Metcalfe informed the Forum that a detailed briefing was available in the Area Co-ordinator’s report and further information available at the meeting, and highlighted the following:

·  The Trust was facing a financial challenge as needs to make £14m efficiency savings – further details were included in the information available at the meeting.

·  New surgical admissions lounge was opened last month. Developments at Arrowe Park were detailed in the Public Membership Newsletter available at the meeting.

·  Retirement of the Trust Chair, Eryl Hoskins and appointment of the new Trust Chair, Michael Carr, on 1^st July 2010 – further information on this and public membership were detailed in the Public Membership Newsletter.

The Chair thanked Paul Edwards and Lesley Metcalfe for their updates and the following questions / issues were raised:

Leonora Brace – raised concern over an embarrassing incident following emergency surgery. Lesley agreed to discuss this in more detail at the end of the meeting.

Jim Cadwallader – asked if the Trust was satisfied with the standard of nursing in the hospital and raised concern over the effects of reduction in standards due to proposed cuts.

Lesley confirmed that the Trust was satisfied with the standard of nursing and that the Trust would be aiming to work smarter so that the high standard of services could be maintained.

Member of the public – raised concern over the difference in the life expectancy of people form Central Birkenhead in comparison to that of people from Heswall (11 years below).

David Ball – agreed that this was an important issue and added that at the Health Summit held early this year one of the key issues raised was the difference in life expectancy between people from the west and east side of the Wirral. Further work was being carried out on this and meetings were taking place with the Director of Public Health to look at this issue.

Hugh Langford added that the disparity in life expectancy was tending to increase rather than decrease. He suggested that the reason could be that people in west Wirral were more likely to follow health messages and that those that needed to most did not take on board suggestions for improving their health. David Ball agreed to discuss this in more detail at the end of the meeting.

Paul  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

There was no further business and the meeting closed at 9.00p.m.

Ø  Tuesday 5^th October 2010 – venue to be confirmed

The Chair confirmed that the next meeting was to be held on Tuesday 5^th October 2010 at venue to be confirmed.