·  Development of plans for the local area

Lucy Beed gave an update on Neighbourhood Plans – a vision for your community.

• 11 area forum meetings for Wirral
• Established in 2001
• Engage with local residents
• Since 2003 forums have distributed over £1,470,707 funds to local community and voluntary groups through initiatives such as Funds for You and Big Lunch
• Next few months each area forum will develop a neighbourhood plan
  • Reflect the real challenges for the area based on engagement and consultation with local communities
  • Set the vision for the community
  • Identify local priorities
  • Influence the way the Council invests resources and delivers services
  • Determine the future distribution of forum funding
• Community Consultation will be at the core of developing the neighbourhood plans
• We will engage with local residents and community groups in a number of ways:
  • Community Events
  • Community and residents group meetings
  • One Stop Shops
  • Libraries
  • Leisure Centres
• Timescales
  • Launch of neighbourhood plan consultation   June 2011
  • Programme of community consultation events  July/Oct 2011
  • Findings to be collated  October
  • Findings reported to area forums and local

action plans  Oct/Nov 2011

• • Local Plans in place  December
• Funding Available for Forums
  • Empty Shops Fund £17,500
  • Funds for You £15,500
  • Public Health Fund £4,577
  • Community Energy Efficiency Fund (£110,000 across Wirral)
• Advertisement
  • 1^st July to 9^th September 2011
• Other funding available
  • You Decide £20,00 for additional council services
  • Improving Road Safety & Promoting Active Travel and Health £20,000
• How YOU can get involved
  • Let us know of any community events and meetings we can attend
  • Register your interest
    • email: engage@wirral.gov.uk
    • tel: 0151 691 8391
    • website: wwww.wirral.gov.uk/area forums

Q: any Wirral core strategy on such matters is second fiddle. Only national strategy can overrule one cap does not always fit all. 

A: Cllr A Jones – concerned of dilution

A: Lucy Beed – we are working closely with Richard Lewis.  Core strategy will not impinge.

Q: John Drew – shops fund concerns me.  £17k is to cover that many empty shops, I don’t think it will do anything. 

A: Cllr James Keeley I had questions like you and I met an Officer in King Street perhaps looking at window dressings etc.

Update: Cllr Steve Foulkes informed the forum that he was going to attend as many area forums as possible to introduce himself, promote the neighbourhood plans and to hear the views of those attending. He informed forum members that he was ‘here to help’ and is very ‘approachable’.  He gives his backing to the neighbourhood plans and how they are about evolving power and resources, to re-invigorate and to get the community involved with the area forums and for residents to play a huge part in developing our neighbourhood plans.  Steve also explained that the objective is to have plans approved by December 2011. These plans will also influence our budget thinking.

Comment: Cllr Chris Jones – Brighton Street and King Street, 6 or 7 years ago were planned to be demolished.  We are wasting money as the majority of these premises especially the top floors are full of pigeons and a lot of work is needed to be done.

Comment: Cllr Steve Foulkes – facts are last year we had to take out of our budget £51 million and a further £8 million this year.  If we have reduced our budget then we have to do best we can.  By creating own neighbourhood plans you can let us know your priorities and develop ideas further.  It is an attempt for you to paint a picture of your area.  We want people to engage and believe they have an input in what the money has been spent on.  We want to improve the quality of our citizens’ lives.