To approve the accuracy of the Minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 26 February 2014.

RESOLVED:

That subject to the following amendment, the Minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 26 February 2014 be confirmed as a correct record:

Minute No. 24 – Police - ‘Couple with a Copper’ be replaced with ‘Cupper with a Copper’.

Members are asked to consider whether they have any disclosable pecuniary or non pecuniary interests in connection with any item(s) on this agenda and, if so, to declare them and state the nature of the interest.

Councillors C Muspratt and W Smith declared non pecuniary interests in Item No. 6 on the agenda – Wirral South Health and Wellbeing Fund Update by virtue of them being friends of Mayer Park, a community group who had made an application for a funding contribution and were listed in Appendix 1 to the report.

The Committee will be updated on the progress made in relation to the most recent recruitment drive (open from 23 May – 13 June 2014).

The Constituency Manager reported that a recruitment process for co-opting community representatives onto the Committee had run from 23 May to 13 June 2014.  A Selection Panel had met on 19 June 2014 to consider the applications received and had recommended that the following community representatives be co-opted onto the Committee:

Lin Longshaw Parr

Dave Johnson

Kevin Sutton

Mal Wright

Mark Anthony Craig

Warren-Andrew Ward

The Committee was informed that Mr Sutton had been unable to attend this meeting and had sent his apologies.

RESOLVED:

  That those recommended for co-option by the Recruitment Panel and listed above be co-opted onto this Committee with immediate effect and be invited to join Elected Members at the table.

The newly Co-opted Members indicated that they had no interests to declare.

This report by the Constituency Manager provides the Committee with an update on the proposed Priorities for Wirral South, its confirmed allocated budget and any spend so far in 2014/15.

A report by the Constituency Manager detailed the proposed priorities for the Wirral South Constituency Committee for 2014/15 and beyond. This report also detailed the confirmed budget for 2014/15 and progress on spend so far.

At its meeting on 25 February 2014, the Council had agreed to allocate £50,000 to each of the four Constituency Committees. This had been done to “enable the new approach to Neighbourhood Working to be further developed.”

On 13 March 2014 the Cabinet had approved recommendations set out in a report that covered the greater Local Transport Capital Funding and the Integrated Transport Block (ITB) programme for 2014/15. The report had proposed an allocation of £77,750 for each Constituency Committee. Recommendation 13.1 had requested that discussion take place and a decision made by the Constituency Committee on how this fund would be allocated.  Appendix 1 to the report provided examples of the various ways this money could be spent and approximate costs of any such schemes.

It was reported that £50,000 in total had been allocated to this Committee from the Wirral Health and Wellbeing Fund.  An update on this was provided in a report elsewhere on the agenda.  (Minute No. 32 refers.)

The Committee at its second meeting held on 18 December 2013, had approved a funding allocation of £10,000 to each of the five wards (Minute No. 12 refers). The agreed £10,000 per ward had to be spent on a number of improvement ideas developed by Elected Members. Members noted that as of 31 March 2014 £38,720.50remained to be spent of this £50,000. This amount had been carried over into the 2014/15 financial year and those Elected Members with a balance were currently working with the Constituency Manager to deliver various projects utilising this funding.

The Constituency Manager informed that ‘Your Wirral’ funding had been devolved to the Constituencies Committees for 2014/15.  This was a small grants programme that had been in operation since 2007.  It was a strand of the Community Fund that came into being as a result of the Value Added Tax (VAT) return generated by the housing stock transfer from Wirral Council to Wirral Partnership Homes, now Magenta Living.  From November 2007 to October 2012 a total of £1,835,585.85 had been spent supporting 783 groups, projects and activities across Wirral.  Members noted that the fund had lain dormant during the last financial year. 

The Committee was informed that grants were available to voluntary and community sector (not for profit) groups across Wirral.  The Fund rested with Magenta Living.  A Joint Working Group acted as an accountable body for the Fund and was composed of Elected Members and Magenta Living Board members.  Previous applications had been evaluated by representatives from Magenta Living and Wirral Council and then payments had been either signed off to successful groups or withdrawn by the Joint Working Group. 

A total of £250,000 was available for 2014/15.  The amount allocated had been determined by the number of Magenta Living housing units within each Constituency.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

The Constituency Manager will provide an update on progress made since 26 February 2014.

The Constituency Manager reported that Members had met in a number of Panels to consider how the Constituency Committee Handbook would be drafted.  This had now been accomplished and each Member of the Committee had received a copy of the Handbook with their agenda for the meeting.

RESOLVED:

That the progress made in producing the Constituency Committee Handbook be noted.

This report by the Constituency Manager provides the Committee with an update on the progress of and the response to the above grants programme. The report also outlines the decisions made regarding successful applications.

A report by the Constituency Manager provided the Committee with an update on the funding allocation of £50,000 from the Wirral South Health and Wellbeing Fund.  Appended to the report was Appendix 1 which contained the detail of the selection process used and the recommended successful projects.

The Committee was informed that on 10 December 2013 the Director of Public Health had presented a report to the Cabinet recommending a further £100,000 be “...administered through the Constituency Committees” aimed at supporting the voluntary sector in Wirral (Cabinet Minute No. 120 refers). Therefore, the Committee was now responsible for administering the original £25,000 provided by Public Health and the further £25,000 Voluntary Sector Support Funding.

Members noted that the Wirral South Health and Wellbeing Fund was aimed at increasing the healthy life expectancy of local residents and reducing differences in healthy life expectancy between communities.  Funding applications were able to be submitted between 1 April and 6 May 2014 and 51 applications had been received, bidding for a maximum of £3,000 per project.  A strict scoring criteria was set out in Appendix 2 to the report which had been used to score the projects that were the subject of the funding applications.  All Members of the Committee had been invited to the assessment session held for all the applications received on 28 May 2014.  Applications had been scored against:

·  Need (demonstrated need within the application rather than perceived/understood need)

·  Demonstrated impact upon public Health Outcomes (Set out in Appendix 3 to the report)

·  Partnership Working

Those Members who had declared pecuniary interests had left the room whilst the projects they had an interest in had been under discussion.

The Constituency Manager reported that from the scores allocated 18 projects out of the 51 received were being recommended to receive funding within the £50,000 budget. This would then leave a surplus of £1,881.03. This could be allocated by the Committee in line with its proposed themes of work, provided they matched the Public Health Outcomes. All spend would be reported back to the Public Health Department in order to satisfy its audit processes.

RESOLVED: That

(1)  funding be awarded as set out in Appendix 1 to the report; and

(2)  the £1,881.03 under spend be allocated in line with Wirral South’s agreed priorities during 2014/15 ensuring all spend satisfies the criteria outlined in Appendix 2 to the report  (Public Health Outcome Framework Indicators).

This report by the Director of Public Health/Head of Policy and Performance outlines the changes underway to the way in which residents are identified on the electoral register.  The report provides a brief overview of the work associated with the changes and what it means for the residents of Wirral.

The introduction of Individual Electoral Registration (IER) was a Government initiative to transfer the existing property-based electoral register to a new register which would rely on individuals registering themselves. 

The Committee considered a report by the Director of Public Health/Head of Policy and Performance that had been written for consideration by the Policy and Performance Co-ordinating Committee at its meeting on 15 January 2014.  The report provided a detailed account of a Scrutiny Review that had considered the Council’s preparations for the introduction of IER in 2014. Attached to the report as Appendix 1 was the Scrutiny Review Final Report. 

The report set out the formal process for transferring to IER in summer 2014 and the preparations the Council had made so far.

It was noted that the Scrutiny Review Panel consisted of the following Members:  Councillors Jean Stapleton (Chair), Moira McLaughlin, Denise Roberts and Steve Williams.  It was also noted that the review had provided an opportunity for Members to gain a good understanding of the work being undertaken to mitigate the risk associated with all voters on the register successfully transferring to the new one.

The report informed that the Panel’s assessment was that overall the Council was in a strong position and was likely to have a relatively smooth transfer to IER in 2014.  However, Panel Members were concerned that in some wards, notably those with higher levels of known deprivation, there would be higher proportions of voters not automatically transferred.  It was noted that additional work would have to be undertaken to ensure these voters were successfully transferred.

It was also noted that the Panel was also concerned that these same locations tended to have higher numbers of people not on the electoral register. As such, Members were keen for the IER process to be used as a vehicle to promote electoral registration more generally to encourage those not registered to register.

The Senior Electoral Services Officer was in attendance at the meeting and informed that the Council was in a strong position to implement this scheme, it had been possible to register online since 10 June 2014 and take up had been high.  He also informed that there would be a national publicity campaign which the Electoral Commission would launch in an attempt to boost registration figures.

Members had a number of questions on IER which the Senior Electoral Officer answered as appropriate.  It was noted as a consequence of this that:

·  People who were already on the Electoral Register would be transferred automatically to the new one and would receive individual letters confirming that this had been done and that no further action was required.

·  People who were not on the Electoral Register often had difficulty in opening bank accounts etc.

·  There would also be a local publicity campaign involving the local media.

(Free Newspapers, radio announcements, publications in One Stop Shops and the Council’s website.)

·  Schools, Sixth Form Colleges and interest groups e.g. Magenta Living and other Housing Associations would be informed of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

At its meeting on 26 February 2014 the Committee was asked to consider a report in relation to parking on pavements and grass verges (Minute No. 22 refers). It was resolved:

‘That this Committee looks forward to working with Highway Officers to tackle the problem of parking on pavements and grass verges and they be invited to attend the next meeting to progress this’.

As such relevant Officers have been invited to outline any progress/future projects in relation to this matter.

At its last meeting held on 26 February 2014 the Committee had been asked to consider a report in relation to parking on pavements and grass verges (Minute No. 22 refers). It was resolved:

‘That this Committee looks forward to working with Highway Officers to tackle the problem of parking on pavements and grass verges and they be invited to attend the next meeting to progress this’.

Consequently, the Group Leader (Road Safety) was in attendance at the meeting to outline any progress/future projects in relation to this matter.  He reported that pavement parking was a vexatious issue nationally.  There was a blanket ban on it in the Greater London area but the rest of the country was left to implement restrictions. To do this involved the introduction of a Traffic Regulation Order plus appropriate signage.

The Group Leader (Road Safety) informed that legislation regarding pavement parking was very complex.  Action could be taken if the Council could prove that damage had been caused as a result and so witnesses who saw the damage being done were required.  The Police had powers to deal with pavement parking but it was a witness able offence and Police Officers had to see it happening before taking action.  If they witnessed an obstruction they could act. Members noted that grass verges were constantly being damaged but it was difficult to prove who had caused the damage.

The Group Leader (Road Safety) informed the Committee that he was willing to speak to the Task and Finish Group about warning people and encouraging them to be better community minded and not park on grass verges and pavements.

The Group Leader (Road Safety) was then asked a number of questions which he answered as appropriate.  Matters discussed included the following:

·  There was a problem of unseated kerbs on Kings Road by Sunnybank because motorists parked on the kerb.  The damage had been caused by a serial offender and there had been 50/60 complaints from residents about it.  The person concerned had not been invoiced for the damage caused.  The answer to this could be a Traffic Regulation Order but the cost of this would be an issue.

·  The offenses being committed needed to be determined and then Officers should take them forward with the Parking Enforcement Contractor.

·  Some Members had not heard of motorists being prosecuted for parking on verges and pavements but they were aware that recently, a person had been prosecuted for placing stones on the grass verge to deter motorists from parking there.  Under the Highways Act stones should not be placed on verges.  If damage was caused to vehicles as a consequence of this the Council was legally obligated to take action because stones should not be there.

·  Preventative measures should be taken where there was a particular issue.

·  The Council needed to work with the community as much as possible to bring about improvement.

RESOLVED: That

(1)  the Group Leader (Road Safety) be thanked for his report and attendance at the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

To receive an oral report from the Neighbourhood Inspector, Ross Meredith.

The Neighbourhood Inspector Wirral South reported on current Policing issues including the following:

·  Merseyside Police Authority was 40 years old this year having come into existence in 1974.  To commemorate this there was to be a Grand Exhibition at the Museum of Liverpool between 10am and 5pm on Saturday, 28 June 2014 and admission was free. This would include displays from the Fire Arms Unit, the Mounted Police and the Dogs Sections.  There would also be a fly past by the Police helicopter.

·  A mobile Police Station borrowed from St Helens Policing Division was currently on trial on Wirral and the general consensus from the public on this had been very positive so it was intended that two mobiles would be purchased for Wirral West and for Wirral South’s use.  People could use these to speak privately to Police Officers.

·  Statistics in respect of reported crimes and burglaries.  Nationally Merseyside suffered more crimes than the national average but Wirral suffered less.  In Wirral most crimes were carried out in Birkenhead and Wallasey.  Burglaries were two over target.  Some had been technical and some traditional.  The figures were significantly under target for auto crime e.g. stealing and criminal damage.  There was some retail theft.

Members then asked a number of questions which the Inspector answered as appropriate.  Issues raised included the following:

·  Bebington residents were concerned by a spate of burglaries where elderly people’s doors had been kicked in. 

·  It was important to get the message over to residents to ensure their homes were secure when they were out in their gardens.

·  The Police intended to send out leaflets to prevent burglaries and would inform the Constituency Manager which areas were being targeted and when.

·  The Police was actively promoting Home Watch again.  The information provided was brilliant but the way it was delivered was not.  The data base was not very user friendly.

RESOLVED:

That the Neighbourhood Inspector Wirral South be thanked for his report and his attendance at the meeting. 

To receive an oral report from Station Manager, Sean McGuiness.

The Station Manager Wirral South reported on current Fire and Rescue Service issues including the following:

·  Statistics for the period April to June 2014.  There had been seven accidental fires dealt with, six had been to do with kitchen and cooking and there had been 51 secondary fires.  Wirral South was not very high risk.

·  There had been an Open Day at Heswall Fire Station with the aim of attempting to reduce the risk of fire.

·  In respect of road traffic collisions advice had been prepared on how to drive safely.

·  The Fire and Rescue Service sent representatives into schools to target 15/16 year olds about being safe.

·  The second round of the Prince’s Trust Programme was underway and it was expected that there would be a third and fourth round this year.

RESOLVED:

That the Station Manager Wirral South be thanked for his report and his attendance at the meeting.

Although it is possible to forward pre-notified questions to the

Constituency Manager, questions will also be answered on the night via the

Chair.

Elected Members and members of the public in attendance raised the following questions, comments and requests.

Number 1

A member of the public requested that additional parking space be provided in Oakfield Road, Bromborough.  Residents who lived on that road had lots of vehicles and the parking of them was causing issues.  Neighbours were falling out as a result.  Buses had difficulty in getting by the parked vehicles.  This was also considered a health and safety issue because emergency vehicles could not get past.  The Committee was advised that additional parking space had been provided in other areas e.g. Bromborough Pool at a cost of £28,000 for a vast area and Oakfield Road was only half the size of that area.

The Group Leader (Road Safety) informed that he would look with the Task and Finish Group at the possibility of providing the requested additional parking.  However, similar requests had been received from elsewhere in the Constituency area and he had the details of them on file.

A Member informed that the green in Oakfield Road belonged to Magenta Living.  The Group Leader (Road Safety) informed that he would look into this and ascertain which was adopted highway and which was not adopted highway.

Number 2

A member of the public informed of a persistent offender who regularly drove a vehicle on the pavement in Eastham.  She asked if an Officer could make a site visit in an attempt to witness this.

The Group Leader (Road Safety) informed that he would discuss this with the member of the public after the meeting and take the details.

Number 3

A member of the public enquired about the makeup of the Committee that had made decisions in respect of the grants awarded from the Wirral South Health and Wellbeing Fund.

The Constituency Manager informed that an open invitation had been issued to all Members of this Committee and eight or nine Members had been able to attend the meeting where recommendations to allocate the funding had been made.

Number 4

A member of the public was concerned about having to walk children to St Peter’s C of E Primary School and back, along the lower part of Thurstaston Road where there were sandstone walls.  Whilst doing this she had been clipped by car wing mirrors because motorists drove onto the pavement.  She asked how motorists could be prevented from doing this.

The Group Leader (Road Safety) informed that the Council was constrained by the sandstone walls which were not in its ownership.  The Council could look at the possibilities of making this road one way but if this was to be done the speed of traffic on the road may then increase.  He agreed to look into it and take some details from the member of the public.

The Constituency Manager agreed to arrange a site visit with all interested parties including representatives from the School.

Number 5

A member of the public informed that in Bromborough where he lived there  ...  view the full minutes text for item 11.

Minute No. 26 (Resolution 1) of the Committee meeting on Wednesday, 26 February 2014 suggested that a discussion take place to decide if appointing a Chair for the pursuing Municipal Year was a more appropriate option rather than appointing a rolling Chair for each Committee meeting.

The Committee is invited to appoint a Chair and Vice-Chair for the next Committee (depending on the outcome of the above discussion) the next Committee meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, 8 October 2014.

It was proposed by Councillor Adam Sykes and seconded by Councillor Cherry Povall that instead of having a different chair and Vice Chair for each Committee meeting, a Chair and Vice Chair be elected for the Committee for the ensuing Municipal Year.  This was put to the vote and it was

RESOLVED: (Unanimously)

That a Chair and Vice chair be elected for the ensuing Municipal Year.

RESOLVED: That

(1)  Councillor Phil Gilchrist be elected Chair of the Committee for the ensuing Municipal Year; and

(2)  Councillor Jerry Williams be elected Vice Chair of the Committee for the ensuing Municipal Year.

(a)  Seating Arrangements

A Member proposed that as the Committee was large, in future only one Elected Member from each ward should sit at the table whilst the other two Members from each ward sat with the public in the seats at the side of the Hall.  There was little support for this proposal however, so the Member indicated that he wished to withdraw it.

(b)  Use of Microphones

Members of the public made representations that in future microphones be used at Committee meetings as it had been difficult to follow the debates and hear what was being said without them.  Members agreed with this and it was

RESOLVED:

That microphones be used at future Committee meetings.

The Committee is reminded that its next meeting will be held at 6pm on Wednesday, 8 October 2014 at Mayer Hall, Bebington.

The Committee Calendar for 2014/15 had been agreed by the Council.  However, Constituency Manager informed that it was not now possible to hold Committee meetings at the Mayer Hall on Wednesday, 8 October 2014 and Wednesday, 15 April 2015 because a Community Group had made a block booking for Wednesday evenings.  Consequently, he proposed that the Committee meet instead on Thursday, 16 October 2014 and Thursday, 16 April 2015 and that the Constituency Committee Handbook be printed with these revised dates in it.

RESOLVED:

That the proposal put forward by the Constituency Manager and set out above be agreed.

{NB Following the meeting it was noted that the Committee meeting scheduled for 21 January 2015 also needed to be rescheduled as it was due to be held on a Wednesday.  With the agreement of the Chair, it will now take place on Thursday, 22 January 2015.  This change will also be included in the Constituency Committee Handbook.}