The Chair, Councillor Cherry Povall, welcomed forum members and 10 members of the public to the neighbourhood forum being hosted at the Women’s WI. 

Mark Smith read Neighbourhood Working Statement:-

A report proposing a new approach for Neighbourhood Working was recommended by Cabinet in January, and will now be voted on by all Councillors in the coming weeks.

The new Neighbourhood Working Approach will create four neighbourhood teams in Wirral and devolve decision making and budgets directly to local communities.

It aims to tackle issues at source and target resources based on the needs of individual areas. Budgets and decision making would be devolved to local areas, to be designated according to need.

Multi-agency teams, made up of public services including the local authority, police, and health, would be based in communities.

The move will result in the abolition of the existing 11 Area Forums.

Instead, local committees, chaired by Councillors and working with residents, would have a key role in drawing down and allocating resources, based on a neighbourhood plan which would have strong input from local people.

The benefits of joining up services and sharing knowledge are already well documented, reducing costs, promoting good practice, and enabling early intervention to reduce the demands on public services. Not only can they result in better, more effective services, but they are the way forward in terms of working more closely and effectively with Members, partners, and local people.

Wirral’s budget deficit is well documented, and initial reports that this new way of working can not only reduce costs, but also result in better outcomes for local people, can only be welcomed.

Wirral still has a way to go in finalising plans for neighbourhood teams, but it is proposed that a neighbourhood team will be established in each of Wirral’s four Parliamentary constituency areas, with staff and services being located within them.

Each team will be report to its own Public Service Board, which includes public services such as the Council, Police, Health and Education. This team will co-ordinate the delivery of a Neighbourhood Plan.

The Neighborhood Plans will be produced by each area’s Constituency Committee, to be chaired by a Councillor and including councillors, community representatives, voluntary and community sector representatives, and - by invitation - the local MP. This plan will outline each area’s needs and priorities.

An over-arching Wirral Together Public Service Board wlll have overall responsibility for the successful implementation of the scheme and for the Neighbourhood Plans.

Should the proposal be agreed, teams will begin working in communities from May 1.

Q: Can you tell where exactly you will be based?

A: Mark Smith – my understanding is a clear intention to have neighbourhood hubs based in local communities but we are not yet at the stage where we have identified particular assets. 

Q: You are coming before us today to say this is going to happen but there is no meat on the bones – what is the cost?

A: Mark Smith –  ...  view the full minutes text for item 1.

Merseyside Police – Jim Steele – we have two major issues which are car crime and burglaries.  Issue is UPVC doors – people are not closing them properly so burglars are getting into houses, getting the car keys and taking the cars.  5 people from Liverpool were arrested and had 2 stolen cars from Bebington.  They are currently on remand awaiting trial.  A Wirral gang has also been arrested.  28 crimes in January and 14 of them were in unsecure vehicles overnight i.e. laptops, sat navs etc.  PCSOs have been out educating people about the dangers of leaving valuables in vehicles.

Q: There was a campaign to stop people using mobile phones whilst driving?

A: Jim Steele  We are running an operation each week were we have static road blocks and give tickets but there has been a vast drop in tickets. 

Cllr Jerry Williams – New Bargain booze going in over the road from the acorn pub, contractors have been there this morning causing mayhem blocking pavements.  I just want you to be aware of this.  Off-licences can just open anywhere now.  There is hardly anything we can do about it.  10 years ago I could – it just takes democracy away.

Cllr Cherry Povall – the law changed and you no longer have to establish need.

Cllr Walter Smith – it might be the law but what I find ridiculous is the ready availability of alcohol and you can open up an off licence wherever you want and there is nothing we can do. 

Jim Steele– we are trying to get an alcohol free zone in New Ferry so maybe we could get that in other areas. 

Q: Does the Police ever object to this?  We now have garages selling alcohol!

A: Jim Steele  – yes we do.  Licensing will make objections but unless there is evidence objection will be worthless.  Licenses can be called into review if there are problems. 

Comment: I don’t think the Government will do anything about alcohol as they make too much money.

Comment: Re: parking Teehey lane shops.  This is a no parking zone and you could make an absolute fortune here with people parking each day dropping off and collecting their children. 

Community Safety:

Jim Thompson re: burglaries below 1,000 per year over the borough for the past 3 years but I think we are not going to crack that barrier this year due to people not closing doors or windows.  Remember to leave light on at night when out and put alarm on.  We are a safe area. Domestic violence has one of the lowest repeat rates in the whole of the Northwest.  10% of criminals cause 80% of crime. 

Merseyside Fire and Rescue:

Natalie Hayes There has been a death in Eastham Village and one last night so urge people to let us know if they know anyone who is vulnerable or high risk so we can fit a smoke alarm. 

Q: How do you know  ...  view the full minutes text for item 2.

ANY OTHER BUSINESS:

Q: The safehaven at the top of Teehey Lane, bollards have been hit a number of times and are still yet to be repaired.

A: Phil Miner – I will be asking questions tomorrow and look into this.

Q: Re: Heath Road, there has been subsidence re drains then in the same area there has been more and it is still not resolved.

A: Phil Miner – we have had issues with united utilities about this and a lot of investment has been done.  We are awaiting united utilities to get camera survey done.  There are two pipelines on this road.

Q: Lamp post knocked down on Neston Road – is it being replaced?

A: Phil Miner – we must have connection issue – we will look into it.

Cllr Cherry Povall closed the meeting and thanked everyone for their attendance.