The Chair informed the meeting that Councillor S Quinn was not in attendance as she had declared a prejudicial interest by virtue of her employment with Wirral PCT.

The Chair informed the meeting that Councillor M Redfern was unable to attend due to work commitments.

Councillor Bob Wilkins – Ward Councillor

Responding to questions from the Committee Councillor Wilkins stated that he supported the Cabinet decision. Although he was not happy to declare greenbelt land in general surplus to requirements, he was happy for this piece of greenbelt land to be declared surplus. The condition of this site was very bad, like a post industrial wasteland and not a virgin green area.

He had been contacted by about 50 residents since January 2008 with many different opinions. On the PCTs previous proposal to build on the ‘demonstration gardens’ site, representations had been evenly divided for and against.

Rod Tann – Wirral Society and Wirral District Council for the Protection of Rural England

Responding to questions from the Committee, Mr Tann stated that the selling off of this land would send out a message that the Council’s overriding aim was to make money from the selling off of land and that it was alright for greenbelt land to be built on. The site should be cleared and revert to open space or, with Wirral so short of allotments, it would make an ideal location for allotments.

The Wirral Society had approximately 400 members, 2 of whom had expressed disagreement with the Wirral Society’s stance on this matter, although all 400 had not been consulted members were kept well informed. If any members had had serious concerns about the Society’s views he would have hoped that they would have contacted the Society.

Stuart Dodd – local resident

Responding to questions from the Committee Mr Dodd stated that he used the site for dog walking and had done for the last 25 years. He, along with others, had been encouraged by staff at the Warrens to use the land for dog walking.

Roz Lightfoot – Friends of Arrowe Country Park

Responding to questions from the Committee Ms Lightfoot stated that it would be a crime to build on the land where wildlife could often be seen.

Sandra Tripp – Friends of Arrowe Country Park

Responding to questions from the Committee Ms Tripp agreed that building on the site would adversely affect residents as they regarded it as part of the park. The site could be used for allotments. She commented that she wouldn’t have a problem with the site being used for a horticultural training centre.

Mrs V Curtis – Chair of Friends of Arrowe Country Park

Responding to questions from the Committee Mrs Curtis circulated a number of maps including the Council’s own tourist map of the park which showed the Warrens as being within the boundaries of the park. She had always walked in the area and the Council had encouraged the public to act as unpaid security staff. The land had always been considered a community resource and any development would be totally inappropriate. If the land were to be used for a horticultural training centre she would be happy to assist in its development.

Kate Noonan – Local resident

Responding to questions from the Committee Ms Noonan stated that as a resident of Irby she opposed the selling off of the land. The wildlife would not remain if a building was put up on the site.

Ann Hamilton - Friends of Arrowe Country Park

Responding to questions from the Committee Ms Hamilton said that the land should remain as greenbelt for all the wildlife there.

Ken Conchie - Local resident

Responding to questions from the Committee Mr Conchie stated that he enjoyed walking his dogs on the site and objected to any trees being cut down.

Iris Stubbs - Friends of Arrowe Country Park

Responding to questions from the Committee Ms Stubbs stated that the area of land was still used by the public for walking and the enjoyment of wildlife. The land could be used for allotments or an agricultural facility.

Archie Galloway – Local resident

Responding to questions from the Committee Mr Galloway stated that the area was open land and should remain as such. He supported its use for allotments or horticulture. The buildings there now were not really intrusive.

Barry Lello – Chair of Wirral Footpaths and Open Spaces Society, Member of Wirral Greenbelt Council and Vice-President of Merseyside and West Cheshire Ramblers Association

Responding to questions from the Committee Mr Lello stated that although buildings on the site could be declared surplus to requirements the Cabinet should not and probably could not declare the land, which was part of Arrowe Park and greenbelt, surplus to requirements. He had no problem if a horticultural training centre were to open on the site as he thought it was probably a false economy for the Council to buy plants in.

Les Poole – Friend of Arrowe Country Park

Responding to questions from the Committee Mr Poole stated that he had previously been employed in the parks and cemeteries section of the Council and was opposed to the proposed sale of the land. He suggested it could be used as a horticultural training centre for young people and used to grow food to supply the hospital.

Sandra Billington – Local Resident

Responding to questions from the Committee Ms Billington stated that she used the land to walk her dogs as it was a beautiful place for wildlife. She would like to see a horticultural use for the land.

Peter Okell – Local Farmer

Responding to questions from the Committee Mr Okell voiced his objection to the proposed sale of the land and said that it could not be treated as a brownfield site as then every person within a mile of the site could put in for planning permission to build.

Peter Hallet – Friends of Arrowe Country Park

Responding to questions from the Committee Mr Hallet expressed his fear that if the PCT were to build on the land it could be turned into a mini Arrowe Park Hospital.

Gary Mellor - Friends of Arrowe Country Park

Responding to questions from the Committee Mr Mellor stated that the area of land provided a valuable corridor for a variety of wildlife.

Margaret Campbell – Allotments Group

Responding to questions from the Committee Ms Campbell put forward the case for allotments on the site. She said that she had been on the waiting list for an allotment for the last two years and gave statistics of numbers waiting for allotments in a variety of areas on the Wirral. There were no allotments in Irby, Thingwall, Pensby or Clatterbridge. The Council had a statutory duty to provide allotments if they felt there was sufficient demand and people should have access to one near to where they lived.

The Council was currently awaiting the results of an open spaces audit and now was not the right time to be selling off land. She also stated that she had no objection to the land being used for a horticultural training centre.

David Hall – Wirral Local Agenda 21 and Tree Warden

Responding to questions from the Committee Mr Hall expressed his fear at the number of trees which could be lost if the site were developed by the PCT. The Council should be encouraging its use as a private horticultural enterprise as this could be a valuable educational resource.

The Chair adjourned the meeting at 8.45pm for a 10 minute break.

The Committee resumed at 8.58pm and in the absence of Mr G Sandland, Mrs V Curtis agreed to be questioned on the Warrens Cottage. She was unable to give an answer on the tenure of the property though she did state that the building was within the curtilage of Arrowe Country Park.