The Chair opened the meeting and reminded everyone that the meeting was being webcast and a copy is retained on the Council’s website for two years.

Councillor Tony Smith gave apologies for absence and was substituted by Councillor Jerry Williams.

Councillor Cherry Povall gave apologies for absence and was substituted by Councillor Max Booth.

Councillor Karl Greaney gave 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 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 minutes of the meeting of the Economy, Regeneration and Development Committee held on 29^th September 2021, attached.

Resolved (by assent) –

That the minutes of the meeting of Economy, Regeneration and Development Committee held on 29 September 2021 be approved and adopted as a correct record.

No questions, statements or petitions from the public or Councillors had been received.

The Director of Regeneration and Place presented his report on the breadth of the Council’s regeneration programme for about the next 4 years, which was one of the largest such programmes in the country. New staff had been appointed to drive forward the programme. The Wirral Growth Company, a partnership between the Council and Muse Developments, had begun the programme in March 2019. The Government’s Housing Infrastructure Fund provided £6 million which started the housing developments in the previous industrial areas in Nov 2019 as part of a ‘brownfield first’ strategy. Extra funding, including the Future High Street Fund, helped drive the regeneration agenda and enabled possibilities for regeneration where Council funding alone would be insufficient, including removing the flyovers to the South of Birkenhead. In total in 2021 £88.71 million funding had been secured for over 130 projects, and additional funding of £130 million had been applied for. There were challenges from increasing costs of all materials, the expectations of sustainable development including the developing guidance and the changing property market following the Covid-19 pandemic.

It was intended that the physical development would enable communities to connect and develop themselves and improve quality of life, community cohesion and the environment, with low carbon developments and housing where active and public transport was encouraged. 

Councillor Hodson raised concerns regarding the LGA Planning Peer Review Update report, produced in July 2020 and referred to in the presentation slides, and read out passages from it, which included the statement that “There appears to be a lack of support from Legal Services which has the potential to de-rail the growth agenda. The investors and partners describe … the attitude, tone and approach of the Council’s Legal Service is combative and inefficient”.

The Director of Law and Governance, in answer to Members’ concerns, explained that the comments in the report about legal services being a potential risk to the progress of the projects had been accepted and acted upon as later presented to Members. This had included the implementation of investment and a restructure going through at the time, including the appointment of a Lead Principal Lawyer who is the advisor to the Committee normally present plus a programme the ongoing training of post-graduates to develop the in-house expertise and capability. There had been commissioned a review of the service conducted by external advisors over the summer of 2020. This had led to a procurement exercise to appoint a strategic legal partner for the regeneration portfolio of legal work. This had recently been completed with the appointment of Trowers and Hamlins. There remained, however, a recruitment issue within the Planning and Property Law Team which was operating at 60% vacancy levels, which had proved difficult to overcome despite HR recruitment best efforts over the intervening months and resulted in additional costs as expertise was purchased.

Councillor Tony Jones suggested having a standing item on future agendas to note the progress of legal services improvement plan.

Councillor Dave Mitchell requested a report to a  ...  view the full minutes text for item 45.

Director of Regeneration and Place introduced the report of the Chief Executive which presented the Wirral Plan 2021-26 Draft Delivery Plans. The Plans had been approved at Council on 6 September 2021, together with the recommendation that engagement and discussion with relevant Committees would take place to further shape the underpinning delivery plans and work programmes required to implement the Wirral Plan. Updates would be provided via the dashboard, with a ‘traffic light system for monitoring progress and reporting by exception.

Resolved –

That the draft Delivery Plans, as they relate to the Economy, Regeneration and Development Committee set out in Appendix 1 to this report be noted.

The Economy, Regeneration and Development Committee was responsible for proposing and delivering an annual committee work programme. This work programme was to align with the corporate priorities of the Council, in particular the delivery of the key decisions which are within the remit of the Committee.

Resolved – That the content of the Economy, Regeneration and Development Committee work programme for the remainder of the 2021/22 municipal year, as set out in Appendix 1 to the report, be approved.