David Green explained to the Forum members about why Parks & Open Countryside will be taken over by a private company.

The section in the department is quite disjointed and is a massive service and it needs to improve the level of its service. Consultants have been engaged and looked at the various options and the decision was to opt for a Single Service Provider. 

The option to put it in one package and offer it to an external contractor can save the Council approx £1.5 million per year.

The tender will be a European advert, looking to get the contractor approx September 2011 and start mobilising around December 2011 – January 2012.

An external contractor can provide a better service.

There will be public consultations in November

3^rd November - Sports

8^th November - Golf

10^th November - Bereavement Services

11^th November - Parks & Heritage Groups

Q.  All staff are accountable and managers are accountable.  If the Golf Courses and Beach Patrol were costed properly, there would not be a need to sell off.  The services this section provides are specialist.

A.  Dave Green: Lots of contractors can provide this service.  We are confident that this can be done.  There has been extensive research with 5 other councils, who have done this.  The option of the external contractor is £1.5 cheaper than it would be with the existing staff.  An advantage of a private contractor is that they can invest in the service, whereby the council has not got the money to invest.

Q.  Where is the £1.5 million saving coming from?

A.  An external contractor is better a managing staff and can react to changes in services than it is sometimes possible for a Local Authority.

Q.  Will the staff be sacked and they bring in new people?  Working on a Golf Course is specialised.

A.  200 members of staff will be transferred over.  The new contractor does not have to keep the staff and they can change their conditions of service.  The bins were transferred over to BIFFA.  They have invested in plant machinery, staff have retained their jobs and had pay rises and they are happy.  Their work practices have changed. One contractor will provide the specialist service and will be better at managing staff.

Q.  Is it possible to block pave around the roundabout at Ackers Road as it gets flooded and muddy?  Also could the grass be cut at the football pitches at Arrowe Park as it is so long?

A.  Yes, this will be looked at.

Q.  Parks and Gardens stores equipment at Woodchurch Leisure Centre – Could this be moved as it will free up the stores for the Boxing Club

A.  This will be looked at.

Q.  Beach Patrol and the Rangers do an excellent job, will the staff be looked after.

A.  Staff will be transferred over to the new contractor.

Q.  Why were the Managers not allowed to submit a tender?

A.  They do not have the knowledge to construct a bid and would have cost them £200k more than other tenders.  A private contractor will save £1.5million per year.

Q.  When it goes over to a single contractor, could it be noted that they don’t damage the trees with the strimmers.  It is putting the trees at risk.

A.  Will put this in the tender.

Q.  Would it be possible to take note that along the Wirral Way and in Arrowe Park, the wooden posts are too narrow and make it inaccessible for wheelchair users? 

A.  This will be looked at.

Q.  How can one company run all this section as it is so varied and specific?  Would it be better to sub-divide?

A.  It is impossible to talk about this, it will be a single provider and this will have greater savings.

Q.  Work has taken place on Pemberton Road, Woodchurch by COLAS on 29^th July 2010.  It has been 11 weeks and the road has still not been finished off.  What is going to be done about this?

A.  Brian Smith, Street scene apologised for the delay in the completion of the road.  The road needs to be planed and the areas to be repaired marked out.  The repairs will be done and then re-surfaced.  The work will commence 8^th November 2011.

Q.  Are there plans to do Hoole Road?

A.  Due to a bad winter the roads have deteriorated.  This road is not included in the maintenance programme.  It will need to be planed, repaired and re-surfaced.

Q.  At a Public Meeting on 7^th October it was announced that the work on Pemberton Road would be completed.

A.  Apologies were given for the delay in completion; the delays were due to previous jobs running over.

Q.  On Moreton Road, the barriers on the paths are too close together and cause a problem for bikes with trailers and tandems.  This is also the case on the Wirral Way.

A.  This will be brought to the attention of the Cycle Forum.

Q.  Due to the recent road works and new traffic lights on Woodchurch Road by ASDA, cars are now avoiding the lights and driving through Woodchurch Estate.  This is causing a problem of increased traffic on the estate.

A.  Investment has been made in this area due to the number of accidents in the past few years.  ASDA asked and paid for the traffic lights outside the shop to be changed so traffic could turn right after leaving the store, reducing the amount off traffic on the roundabout.

Q.  With the additional lights on Woodchurch road and cars now cutting through the estate, this will cause more accidents on the Estate.

A.  The road works have caused people to divert onto the estate, but this should cease when the road works have been completed.

Q.  How much did it cost for the appointment of the Consultancy Agency that looked into the options for Parks and Open Countryside?

A.  £130k – netted off as it has been built into the savings that will be achieved

Councillors should take a 5% cut in pay.