The following questions / issues were raised:

• Mrs Moss (Southwick Road) – the proposed flats to be built on the site of the old cinema are to be higher than the surrounding houses and will block out the light. Do not want three-storey flats like those built in Grove Road. 
• Councillor Meaden – the application was approved several weeks ago, there was a petition but it did not have enough names on it. I did not see the application before it went to the planning committee, but had asked for bungalows originally but ended up as flats.
• Alan Stennard requested that Mrs Moss pass on her details at the end of the meeting and agreed to get someone from the planning team to contact her directly to discuss this matter.
• Roy Dennett added that the proposal was published in the press.

• Gaynor Hilliard– when is the plot of land at Duke Street / St Anne Street / Price Street (by Birkenhead Park railway station) due to be built on?
• Chair – agreed to look into this and requested that contact details be passed on at the end of the meeting.

• Hugh Langford – has there been any progress on Byrne Avenue Baths and will the Council do all it can to help the Trust  to obtain additional monies required, as there are a lack of youth services in the area?
• Alan Stennard – immediate works were carried out to resolve the health and safety matters re: structure and asbestos, costing £10’s of £1000’s, but £100’s of £1,000’s of work still required. The Council stopped proceedings, but the Trust still needs to raise the money for the additional work. The Council handed the building over to the Trust as trusts can often get funding where a council can’t. The council is continuing to work with and help the Trust and is looking at facilities. The Oval is due to be opened next month.

• Member of the public – could off-road parking be set up, by removing pavement at Old Chester Road, to ease congestion and provide more parking at Devon Gardens?
• Councillor Meaden – have tried to resolve this problem, which will be made worse by additional traffic resulting from additional flats being built. The problems are particularly bad from 5pm onwards when leisure facilities are being used, the Police and Wardens patrol the area and the Council’s Engineers have been contacted, but say that this is not a problem.  She agreed to go back to the Engineer’s to see if there are any more solutions available for this area and will report back on this at the next meeting. Peter Exley added that the Engineer’s may just put in double-yellow lines in which will make matters worse.

• Jack Wilson – requested progress report on what is happening with field at St Peters Mews. The field is overgrown and used by people drinking and taking drugs, and have tried to contact the owners to solve this. A lottery grant was obtained earlier this year and the field was cleared and a meeting was held with Ian Jones from Tranmere Together on 27^th February where it was suggested that the shrubbery be removed and seating and play equipment be installed for the young people. I have written to several Councillors and contacted Neil Collins from the Council but have received no replies on this.
• Councillor Meaden – confirmed that she had spoken to Mr Wilson about this and been in contact with Ian Jones. The problem was keeping up the maintenance, but Dave Green’s department agreed that this would be maintained and had been informed that the work had been done and the community were pleased with this.
• Chair added that Ian Jones agreed to have the shrubbery removed to make it safer and more open. A gravel path has been put in, which is not suitable for play area, and the field is overgrown and being used by dogs.
• Jack Wilson added that if a rubberised path was put in it could be used by young people on bikes etc. If benches were installed they could be used by carers. Progress on this is slow.
• Councillor Meaden agreed to follow this up and respond directly to Mr Wilson. The Chair thanked Mr Wilson for his contribution on this.

• Jim Cadwallader – what is happening with Rock Ferry High School.
• Chair – confirmed that this was part of the Secondary School’s Review to be reported to the Council’s Cabinet on 6^th November, a public meeting, at 6.15pm in Wallasey Town Hall. The report was still being completed and details of this would be on the Council’s website next week.

• Andrew Wilson (Whitfield Street, Tranmere) – what is happening with Whitfield Court, Whitfield Street. It is empty and youths congregate there, and at the garages that are up for sale over the road, in the evenings drinking?
• Alan Stennard – Whitfield Court is owned by Wirral Partnership Homes, and the proposal is that this will be demolished once all of the residents have been re-housed and be redeveloped in the longer term.
• Chair – is there anything that can be done to alleviate the problems in the meantime?
• Inspector Blease – the Police are aware of the issues and are giving this area extra attention and trying to find out, via Neil Collins, who owns the garages.
• Alan Stennard – the garages are privately owned so there is not much the Council can do about them.
• Chair – requested that the Area Co-ordinator contact Neil Collins re: progress on contacting the owners of the garages and finding out their plans for them.

• Roy Dennett – what is the latest re: Church Road Development ?
• Alan Stennard – financial pressures have slowed down the development, and it will probably be re-phased until the market picks up. If the project has to be extended then will try and improve the look of the site.
• What is happening about the retail development?
• Chair – this is due to go ahead and should start next Summer.

• Fred Jones - When will the crash barrier at Downham Road / Old Chester Road / Union Street be replaced / what is happening with the Southend Social Club site / what is happening with the Fairfield PH?
• Councillor Meaden – agreed to contact Streetscene re: repair of the crash barrier. An insurance investigation is taking place into the South End Social Club (as it may have been arson. The Fairfield PH was closed due to problems with the foundations, will find out what is happening and report back directly on these. There are many derelict public houses in the area, causing an eyesore.

Roy Dennett added that an application had been submitted to convert the Queens PH into six flats. The Chair thanked Roy for this information.

·  Jim Cadwallader – the scrap yard at ?????? is an eyesore and should be re-located to a more suitable site, such as near to McCoys (New Chester Road / By-pass / Ebeneezer Street).

·  Alan Stannard – it is a trading business and the Council does not have the resources to move such businesses. Chair added that nobody wants these type of businesses near their premises.

Resolved that:

(i)  Alan Stennard to arrange for a member of the planning team to contact Mrs Moss re: flat development on former cinema site

(ii)  Chair to look into development proposals for land at Duke Street / St Anne Street / Price Street and contact Gaynor Hilliard

(iii)  Councillor Meaden to report back on possible solutions to parking problems at Devonshire Road flats / Old Chester Road

(iv)  Councillor Meaden to follow up issue re: field at St Peters Mews and contact Mr Wilson directly re: this issue

(v)  The Area Co-ordinator to contact Neil Collins re: ownership / future plans for garages opposite Whitfield Court.

(vi)  Councillor Meaden to contact Streetscene re: repair of crash barrier at Downham Road and report back to Fred Jones directly on issues raised re: Southend Social Club and the Fairfield PH.