Proposed by Councillor Jeff Green

Seconded by Councillor Simon Holbrook

(1)  Council notes that the ‘Wirral’s Future – Be a part of It’ consultation generated more responses than any previous Council consultation – 2,972 on paper and 2,687 online, including 276 employers. 

(2)  Council thanks:

(a)  All residents who participated and gave their views.

(b)  The community groups and employers who hosted and welcomed visits from staff, as part of the 123 events and activities held across Wirral.

(c)  The independent members of the four task forces, from a wide variety of organisations, who gave their time, freely and willingly.

(d)  The members of the Consultation Project Team.

(e)  The staff who engaged with the public at roadshows, events and meetings and who collated the responses from the public.

(3)Council requests that:

(a)  the results of the consultation form the basis of a refreshed Corporate Plan, informed by the people’s priorities as expressed during the consultation. 

(b)  an annual consultation is carried out, to review all services and to enable residents, employers, Council employees, voluntary, faith and community groups to influence future Council policy and that the process for 2011/12 should start in January.

Amendment submitted in accordance with Standing Order 7(2):

Proposed by Councillor Phil Davies

Seconded by Councillor Adrian Jones

Delete existing text and replace with the following:

Council believes that the ‘Wirral’s Future – Be a part of it’ consultation was fundamentally flawed for the following reasons:

1.  It failed to go through the Council’s democratic procedures. Key decisions were taken by the Leader of the Council and announcements were made via press releases;

2.  The Administration chose to ignore completely the Council’s overview and scrutiny committees which were designed to undertake this type of work;

3.  Members of the Task Forces were selected by the leadership, with no opportunity by opposition members to influence who sat on these bodies or the recommendations they put forward;

4.  The questionnaire used in the exercise was of poor quality – it was too long and complicated; it used leading questions on issues such as the out-sourcing of Council services; and many of the questions contained confusing and ambiguous wording;

5.  The response to the questionnaire represents only 1.8% of Wirral’s population;

6.  No evidence has been produced which demonstrates that all on-line versions of the questionnaire were completed by Wirral residents and that multiple copies of the questionnaire were not completed by one individual;

As a result of the above, Council agrees that it would be extremely unwise to base decisions about the budget and a new Corporate Plan on the outcome of this flawed consultation.

Council asks the Interim Chief Executive to report to a future Cabinet meeting on how a more rigorous, robust and representative consultation process can be carried out in the future.

Having applied the guillotine in accordance with Standing Order 7(8) the Council did not debate this matter.

The amendment was put and lost (24:40) (One abstention).

The motion was put and carried (40:24) (One abstention).

Resolved (40:24:1) -

(1)  Council notes that the ‘Wirral’s Future – Be a part of It’ consultation generated more responses than any previous Council consultation – 2,972 on paper and 2,687 online, including 276 employers. 

(2)  Council thanks:

(a)  All residents who participated and gave their views.

(b)  The community groups and employers who hosted and welcomed visits from staff, as part of the 123 events and activities held across Wirral.

(c)  The independent members of the four task forces, from a wide variety of organisations, who gave their time, freely and willingly.

(d)  The members of the Consultation Project Team.

(e)  The staff who engaged with the public at roadshows, events and meetings and who collated the responses from the public.

(3)Council requests that:

(a)  the results of the consultation form the basis of a refreshed Corporate Plan, informed by the people’s priorities as expressed during the consultation.

(b)  an annual consultation is carried out, to review all services and to enable residents, employers, Council employees, voluntary, faith and community groups to influence future Council policy and that the process for 2011/12 should start in January.