Agenda and minutes

Venue: Committee Room 1 - Wallasey Town Hall. View directions

Contact: Anna Perrett, Principal Democratic Services Officer  Tel: 0151 691 8564 Email:  annaperret@wirral.gov.uk

Media

Items
No. Item

42.

WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION

Additional documents:

Minutes:

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

43.

APOLOGIES

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Apologies for absence had been received from Councillor Mike Collins who was deputised by Councillor Tracy Elzeiny.

 

44.

MEMBERS' CODE OF CONDUCT - DECLARATIONS OF 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.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

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.

45.

MINUTES pdf icon PDF 321 KB

To approve the accuracy of the minutes of the meeting held on 25 October 2022

Additional documents:

Minutes:

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

46.

PUBLIC AND MEMBER QUESTIONS

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

Additional documents:

Minutes:

There were no questions, statements or petitions from the public or Members.

47.

Quarter 2 Budget Report pdf icon PDF 468 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Senior Finance Business Partner introduced the report of the Director of Neighbourhood Services which set out the financial monitoring information for the Tourism, Communities, Culture and Leisure Committee as at Quarter 2 of 2022-23. It was reported that there was a forecast adverse position of £3.948M, a portion of this related to an adjustment for the proposed 2022/23 pay award and was mitigated in part by the proposed National Insurance reduction from November 2022. The report gave a summary of progress on the delivery of 2022-23 savings with £1.403M actual savings delivered to date.

 

In response to Member queries about the £3M contingency fund which was set up for non-achieved savings by the end of the year, it was outlined that this fund sat with the S151 officer, and a bid would have to be made to access this if necessary.

 

Following a discussion on the impact of the sea wall at West Kirby on footfall at the leisure sites, it was reported that outdoor water sports had become increasingly popular and were not as affected as the catering offer.

 

Members noted the energy pressures and queried whether this could be brought down by reducing energy usage and referenced the Climate Emergency policy and action plan as well as behavioural changes needed to achieve the net zero by 2030 target.

 

 

Resolved – That

 

(1)  the forecast revenue position presented at Quarter 2 be noted.

 

(2)  the progress on delivery of the 2022-23 savings programme at Quarter 2 be noted.

 

(3)  the forecast level of reserves at Quarter 2 be noted.

 

(4)  the forecast capital position presented at Quarter 2 be noted.

 

48.

Tourism, Communities, Culture and Leisure Committee Performance Report pdf icon PDF 221 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Chair reported that the appendix to the report was exempt and if the Committee needed to refer to the appendix in their discussions, the press and public would have to be excluded from the meeting for the duration. The Chair noted that only part of the appendix needed to be exempt and requested that the information be presented separately in future to ensure transparency with the public.

 

On a motion by Councillor Helen Cameron, seconded by Councillor Tony Smith it was –

 

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 item 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.

 

The Tourism, Communities, Culture and Leisure Committee considered the report of the Director of Neighbourhood Services in its entirety.

 

Resolved – That the report be noted.

 

 

 

49.

Liverpool and Wirral Coroner Area Annual Report 2021 pdf icon PDF 463 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Coroner presented his report. The Coroner was an independent judicial office holder, appointed by the local authority. They investigated deaths reported to them if it appeared that: the death was violent or unnatural; the cause of death was unknown; or the person died in prison, police custody or another type of state detention. The report was the full annual report of the Liverpool and Wirral Coroner Area for the period of 2021.

 

It was reported that 2021 had the highest number of deaths reported to coroners nationally since 1995 and 24% of deaths in Liverpool and Wirral had resulted in an inquest. The Coroner highlighted the pressures of the additional post mortems and stated that Arrowe Park Hospital only had capacity to perform 6 autopsies a week which meant a forensic pathologist had to be brought in to provide cover and extra resources, in response to a Member query on the subject, the Coroner outlined that it was a matter for individual trusts to employ sufficient pathologists to meet the needs of residents.

 

The coroner addressed queries around contingency planning and noted that if there was a mass fatality disaster which required a temporary mortuary to be set up and staffed, the duty to fund this would fall on the Local Authority. The national emergency mortuary arrangements were detailed, and the coroner emphasised the importance of these arrangements as the North West did not have the facilities to deal with mass fatalities.

 

The Chair noted the importance of this and asked that the risks highlighted by the coroner be brought to the upcoming risk workshop.

 

On a motion from Councillor Helen Cameron, seconded by Councillor Ivan Camphor

 

Resolved – That

 

(1)  the report be noted.

(2)  the reputational risk highlighted by the coroner’s report be considered at the upcoming risk workshop.

 

 

 

 

50.

Work Programme Report pdf icon PDF 382 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Consultant Lawyer introduced the report of the Director of Law and Governance which provided the Committee with an opportunity to plan and review its work across the municipal year.

 

The Chair noted that an item on the third sector was missing from the work programme and asked that this be brought as soon as possible.

 

In response to a request from a Member, the Assistant Director of Parks and Countryside agreed to circulate a briefing note on emergency planning.

 

Resolved – That the report be noted.