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

There were no apologies for absence.

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 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. No interests were declared.

To approve the accuracy of the minutes of the meeting held on 25 January 2024.

Resolved – That the minutes of the meeting held on 25 January 2024 be approved and adopted as a correct record.

Notice of question to be given in writing or by email by 12 noon, Monday 4 March 2024 to the Council’s Monitoring Officer via this link: Public Question Form and to be dealt with in accordance with Standing Order 10.

For more information on how your personal information will be used, please see this link: Document Data Protection Protocol for Public Speakers at Committees | Wirral Council

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

Cathy Roberts from New Brighton Costal Community Team spoke about the visitor economy of New Brighton, its dependence on the visitor economy and the difficulty for permanent businesses when temporary businesses set up.

The Chair replied that the events were not organised by the Council and queried if the matter needed to be looked at by the Economy, Regeneration and Housing Committee. The Chair also indicated that she believed that the wider policy on the visitor economy was the remit of the Combined Authority at the Liverpool City Region. A response was promised once these details were established.

A supplementary question was asked which was why it was not this Committee as it was firmly a Tourism issue.

The Chair replied that she will clarify where it sits and would respond. 

Notice of representations to be given in writing or by email by 12 noon, Monday 4 March 2024 to the Council’s Monitoring Officer (committeeservices@wirral.gov.uk) and to be dealt with in accordance with Standing Order 11.1.

Petitions may be presented to the Committee. The person presenting the petition will be allowed to address the meeting briefly (not exceeding one 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. Please give notice of petitions to committeeservices@wirral.gov.uk in advance of the meeting.

There were no statements or petitions received.

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

There were no questions by Members received.

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

The Lead Lifeguard Supervisor for Wirral and Denbighshirepresented the report of the Report of Director of Neighbourhood Services which set out the end of year report from the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) regarding the service levels and provision of the RNLI Lifeguard Service in Wirral and includes a review of the Service. It was noted that the RNLI provides the equipment and training and that 95% of the work was prevention, through educational talks. There had been no fatalities during the year.

Members thanked the Institution for their work and cited individual incidents of bravery. Members also queried the recruitment and statistical techniques involved and measures to limit abuse.

Resolved: That the report by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) as attached as Appendix 1 to this report be noted.

The Assistant Director – Leisure, Libraries and Customer Engagement presented the report of the Director of Neighbourhood Services which provided an update and information on the proposed short term and medium to long term operational proposals for the future of the Floral Pavilion Theatre & Conference Centre in New Brighton following concerns expressed at the July 2023 meeting of this Committee at the estimated budgeted out-turn for the Floral Pavilion of circa £1.4m. The forecasted net cost of provision for the Floral Pavilion at year end 2023/4 was estimated to be circa £803k. The operational net subsidy for the 2024/5 financial year had been set at £500k, with plans in place for monitoring of the budget.

Members asked questions about the actions taken and opportunities to increase revenue and praised the more diverse programme of events being offered.

Resolved: That the Director of Neighbourhoods be authorised to:-

1. Continue to operate the Floral Pavilion as a Council asset for the 2024/5 financial year the within a net operational budget of £500,000, whilst continuing to identify and implement any efficiency or operational savings as are required to remain within this budget.
2. Implement the immediate efficiency measures identified in the Section 4.2 to 4.4 of this report; and

3.  Continue with the process of market engagement to establish an alternative operating model to protect the future provision and retention of the venue including the appointment of a commercial operator or the establishment of a charitable trust.

The Senior Manager, Environmental Health, and the Environmental Health Officer presented the report of the Director of Neighbourhood Services which requested approval to revoke all existing Smoke Control Orders (SCOs) and replace them with one consolidated order that covers the whole of the Local Authority area, including the two areas which had not been covered by any SCOs. It was noted that it would aid in consistent enforcement.

Members queried the practicalities and promotion of the new Order.

Resolved: That

1.   the revocation of the existing Smoke Control Orders which affect the Council’s administrative area be approved, subject to such revocations   (listed in schedule 1 of the draft order) being subject to formal consultation and confirmation by the Secretary of State; and

2.   the making of a single Smoke Control Order for the whole of the Council’s administrative area in accordance with the draft order set out in Appendix 1 to this report be approved, and also that such order be subject to formal consultation and confirmation by the Secretary of State;

3.   that any objections to the orders referred to in recommendations 1 and 2 be referred to a future meeting of this Committee.

The Consultant Lawyer, Contracts and Commercial, presented the report of the Director of Law and Governance which included the work programme for future meetings of the Tourism, Communities, Culture and Leisure Committee.

A number of items were suggested to be added, which were:

• A workshop to discuss the future of Floral about options of revamping offer and capital raising;
• a training session regarding what our event policy is;
• Liverpool Visitor Economy Partnership update and progress;
• Customer contact performance and strategy to come back annually and incorporate the issue of consultation bias;
• Heritage strategy including the Battle of Brunanburh site;
• The impact of hosting Open Golf Championship in 2023 – Mark Camborne as a briefing note or other way.

Resolved: That, subject to the addition of the items identified at the meeting, the Tourism, Communities, Culture and Leisure 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 exempt appendix be noted.