The Chair welcomed attendees and viewers to the meeting and reminded everyone that the meeting was webcast and retained on the Council’s website for two years.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Andrew Gardner, Tony Cox and Leah Fraser who were deputised by Councillors Ian Lewis, Cherry Povall and Tracy Elzeiny.

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

Members were asked to declare any disclosable pecuniary interests and any other relevant interest and to state the nature of the interest. There were no declarations of interests.

To approve the accuracy of the minutes of the meeting held on 30 November 2022.

Councillor Naomi Graham clarified that in minute 49, the decarbonisation plan was not yet in place but was in the process of being developed.

With this correction it was –

Resolved – That the minutes of the meeting held on 30 November 2022 be approved and adopted as a correct record.

Notice of question to be given in writing or by email by 12 noon, 25 January 2023 to the Council’s Monitoring Officer (via the online form here: Public Question Form) and to be dealt with in accordance with Standing Order 10.

Please telephone the Committee Services Officer if you have not received an acknowledgement of your question/statement by the deadline for submission.

The Chair indicated that 3 questions had been received. The first question was received from Verity Smith, but as they were not in attendance, the Chair reported that a written response would be sent directly to the questioner.

The Chair read out the second question from Derek Holmes which was in relation to why Christmas lights and installation costs in Liscard were funded by the Council when other areas did not receive any funding and responded that the work local communities and traders do across Wirral was appreciated by the Council. The Council sought to support these activities where it can in terms of paying for the electricity for the light and where able, the Council used external funding to support the main retail centres. Liscard Town Centre had regeneration proposals and to support this, the Council made a small on-off contribution from its own regeneration resources towards the cost of putting up lights in Liscard in 2022. Local councillors and traders would continue to work together, and it was hoped that for 2023 the traders in Liscard would be able to raise funds themselves to provide lights.

Julie Hunter submitted a question which was read out by the Chair. The question was about the spread of Spartina and a new vegetation removal programme. The Chair outlined that removal of future vegetation between the beach management areas of Kings Gap and the Lifeboat Station was considered in the development of options and would be considered in the further development of two options as directed by the Environment, Climate Emergency and Transport Committee in November 2022. No beach management was considered to the east or west of these boundaries.

Statements

Notice of representations to be given in writing or by email by 12 noon, 25 January 2023 to the Council’s Monitoring Officer (committeeservices@wirral.gov.uk) and to be dealt with in accordance with Standing Order 11.1.

Petitions

Petitions may be presented to the Committee if provided to Democratic and Member Services no later than 10 working days before the meeting, at the discretion of the Chair. The person presenting the petition will be allowed to address the meeting briefly (not exceeding three minute) to outline the aims of the petition. The Chair will refer the matter to another appropriate body of the Council within whose terms of reference it falls without discussion, unless a relevant item appears elsewhere on the Agenda. If a petition contains more than 5,000 signatures, it will be debated at a subsequent meeting of Council for up to 15 minutes, at the discretion of the Mayor.

A petition has been received in relation to a crossing needed on Spital Road.

A second petition has been received in relation to twinning Birkenhead Park with Central Park, New York.

Please telephone the Committee Services Officer if you have not received an acknowledgement of your statement/petition by the deadline for submission. For more information on how your personal information will be used, please see this link: Document Data Protection Protocol

The Chair informed the Committee that a petition had been received in relation to a crossing needed on Spital Road. Brenda Ashton presented the petition with over 300 signatures calling for the Council to install a crossing between Spital station and Spital dam.

A second petition had been received in relation to twinning Birkenhead Park with Central Park, New York. The petitioner was not present at the meeting and the Chair agreed to defer this to the March Committee meeting.

Questions by Members to be dealt with in accordance with Standing Orders 12.3 to 12.8.

There were no questions by Members.

The PDF file below may not be suitable to view for people with disabilities, users of assistive technology or mobile phone devices. Please contact carlamos@wirral.gov.uk if you would like this document in an accessible format.

The Assistant Director for Highways and Infrastructure introduced the report of the Director of Neighbourhood Services which considered objections and comments of support submitted during the statutory consultation period for Phase 1 of the 20mph speed limit implementation project, which consists of 15 zones. The proposed 20mph speed limits applied to areas that were predominantly residential, retail, or educational. 

It was anticipated that bringing in more 20mph speed limits on roads in the borough would help perception of improved road safety for all road users. 20 mph speed limits also reduced greenhouse gas emissions contributing to the Council’s net zero objectives as part of its Climate Emergency declaration and could help make residential streets more pleasant and attractive places to live. The proposed scheme addressed the priorities of the Liverpool City Region Road Safety Strategy, the Council’s Road Safety Working Group, Wirral 2021-26 Plan and climate emergency declaration.

In response to Member’s comments about the disappointing number of responses to the consultation, The Assistant Director for Highways and Infrastructure outlined that due to the nature of the scheme and the zones encompassing large residential and business areas, it was agreed with Legal Services colleagues that the most effective consultation would be via publication of press releases, social media alerts, public notices and Wirral Council’s engagement tool ‘Have Your Say’ website, which satisfied the consultation requirements listed under Section 7 of The Local Authorities’ Traffic Orders (Procedure) (England and Wales) Regulations 1996.

A discussion ensued with Members querying the plan to dispel scepticism about the project and whether Wirral would be able to able to analyse collision data before and after the implementation of 20mph zones as other local authorities had done previously, it was clarified that Wirral did have access to such data and would be able to demonstrate the impact of the implementation. Furthermore, officers intended to utilise education and engagement initiatives and work with local policing teams for a shared approach to the rollout as well as identifying spokespeople and role models in the communities to be ambassadors of the scheme.

On a motion by Councillor Liz Grey, seconded by Councillor Steve Foulkes it was-

Resolved – That the proposal to introduce 20mph speed limits on all of the roads listed in Appendix B to this report be approved and officers be thanked for their hard work that went into the planning of this and future phases.

The Director of Neighbourhood Services introduced the report which allowed the Committee to consider feedback and outcomes from the Budget Workshops which had been held in recent months. The workshops enabled officer and member liaison on proposed budget options, to facilitate discussion and allow direction to be obtained on further analysis required. The Budget Workshops also provided an opportunity for alternative proposals to be considered.

Engagement with local residents and businesses had been undertaken as part of the budget setting process. The outcome of this consultation for Street Cleaning and Parks was included at Appendix 4 and 5 and would be presented to Policy and Resources Committee on 15 February 2023, alongside the outcomes of the other service-specific consultations.

Members acknowledged that the budget workshops were an opportunity to speak freely and work beyond political boundaries. The Chair noted that although no options had been rejected or agreed in these workshops, detailed comments were made which would be shared with Policy and Resources Committee.

Resolved – That

(1)  the Budget Workshop feedback and outcomes, as detailed in Appendices 2 & 3, be reported to Policy and Resources Committee for consideration.

(2)  the latest budget information provided to Policy and Resources Committee in January be noted.

(3)  the outcome of the public consultation for Street Cleaning and Parks as detailed in Appendix 4 & 5 to the report be noted.

The Chair introduced the report which provided the Committee with an opportunity to plan and review its work across the municipal year and requested an update on how Sat Nav companies directed traffic through residential areas and an update on Car Free Day which would be held in September.

Resolved – That the Environment Climate Emergency and Transport Committee work programme be noted.

The following items contain exempt information.

RECOMMENDATION:  That, under section 100 (A) (4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined by paragraph 3 of Part I of Schedule 12A (as amended) to that Act. The Public Interest test has been applied and favours exclusion.

Resolved – That under section 100 (A) (4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined by paragraph 3 of Part I of Schedule 12A (as amended) to that Act. The Public Interest test has been applied and favours exclusion.

Resolved – That the content of the appendices be noted.