The Chair informed the meeting that a number of questions had been received in advance of the meeting and these were listed below with the name of the questioner and the respective response given.

QUESTION 1 (Form reference: AF88897)

Mr Johnston, Moreton

What, if anything, is being done about parking of vehicles in inappropriate, illegal, or dangerous places, including on pavements or partly on pavements?

QUESTION 2 (Form reference: AF89235)

Mr Saul, Wallasey

What is going to be done about cars parked fully on pedestrian pavements making it almost impossible for people to pass without stepping into the road.

I have every sympathy with trying to avoid receiving damage to your car when parked but not at the expense of safety for pedestrians some of whom may be disabled. A typical example of many roads locally like this is Winchester Drive where the pavements are now treated by some residents as personal car spaces even though they have driveways, which when I walk down there in the evening is almost impassable on some sides.

Officer response (David Rees, Road Safety Manager):

Wirral Council has introduced waiting restrictions on many roads and at junctions to restrict inappropriate or potentially dangerous parking. We do not condone illegal or dangerous parking and consider that drivers should obey the Highway Code.

Pavement parking is a complex issue, and unless there is a specific traffic regulation order (either a yellow line in operation or a separate verge/pavement parking Traffic Regulation Order), the Council doesn’t have any specific powers to take direct action against drivers. The current approach aims to warn drivers causing an obstruction of the pavement parking aims to make drivers more aware of the problems that it can cause. In these instances we may issue a warning notice to the vehicle. Where we find repeated problems we may pass this information to the police to see if they wish to undertake enforcement (prosecutions).

Instances of obstructive or dangerous parking can of course be reported directly to the police too. The Council undertakes a significant number of prosecutions every year where drivers contravene the (yellow line) waiting restrictions. We will continue to prosecute such offences both to improve road safety and keep traffic moving.

Highways Officers have taken a note of the location raised (Winchester Drive) and will visit the road and assess the matter further.

QUESTION 3 (Form reference: AF88906)

Mr Edgar, Wallasey

When will something be done about the dreadful state of the pavement in Grove Road, Wallasey Village particularly the stretch between the village (traffic lights) and St. George's Road. At some lengths the road surface is higher than the pavement!

Officer response (Chris Jones, Streetscene Team Leader):

We are aware of the issues in Grove Road. A safety inspection is carried out each year to identify actionable defects these are noted and instructions issued to repair. The footway will be consider for inclusion in future programmes in phases due to the length of the road this of course will be subject to priority and resource we will continue to monitor for safety and take action when necessary.

QUESTION 4 (Form reference: AF88933)

Mrs Lockwood, Moreton

Can you please tell me how we can get speed humps in our lane to stop the speeding cars?  We have had problems for years people using Acton Lane as a cut through.

Officer response (David Rees, Road Safety Manager):

The Council continues to receive many requests for speed reduction measures such as traffic calming (humps; cushions, etc). In recommending measures to be funded from our centralised road safety programmes we consider it important to introduce such measures in road or areas that demonstrate ongoing poor road safety records as a priority.

Investigations indicate that Acton Lane has a good overall road safety record with no recorded injury crashes over the last 3 years. The Constituency Committee have also looked at a number of local road safety issues that have been brought to the attention of Members and allocated some (limited) funding to address these. Action Lane has not been prioritised within the current 2014/15 programme, however we will keep this request on file and (along with other locations) assess this location again should additional funding for speed reduction or road safety measures become available in the future.

QUESTION 5 (Form reference: AF88935)

Mrs Moor, Wallasey

As a local mum of three children who have benefitted enormously from our local libraries, Wallasey, Seacombe and Earlston can I ask why they are now cutting the funding for a specialist children's librarian and indeed, have plans to close the specialist children's library at Earlston Road as it reaches its 100th birthday?

I urge you to review the cuts and instead engage with the community work that such libraries do for children and their families. The ingenuity and passion for literacy and love of reading that is fostered within those four walls is impressive. Please reconsider the closure in such an important and historic building.

Officer response (Future Council Project Team):

Our library and children’s centre services are both going through extensive redesigns at the moment to achieve the savings which are required of us. These changes involve redesigning what services are available where, and at what times. We have approached it in this fashion to limit, as much as possible, the total removal of services and closing buildings.

Consultation regarding both of these service areas is ongoing and we are currently working with friends groups of libraries and families and users of children’s centres to ensure we make the changes, and savings, required in partnership with the people using the services.

QUESTION 6 (by email)

Mr Leckey, New Brighton

I would like it verified or denied that parking meters are to be introduced in New Brighton. If they are to be introduced. Where? When? Cost?

Officer response (Future Council Project Team):

Introducing car parking charges to the Fort Perch Rock Car Park in New Brighton was a budget proposal for the coming financial year which was consulted on with residents from September to December 2014. This proposal was accepted by Councillors on December 15th and, as such, parking meters will be installed at Fort Perch Rock over the coming months.

This proposal will generate in the region of £35,000 income every year against a one-off investment in the car park itself of around £20,000.  The parking charge will be in line with the rest of the borough.

QUESTION 7 (Form reference: AF88901)

Mr Kinnear, Moreton

Wirral Council has loaned £35,000,000 to other Labour Councils at interest rates of about 1%,some as little as 0.75%. The various Labour Councils in receipt of more than thirty five million pay Wirral less than £350,000 a year in interest.  They have lending schemes for their ratepayers at 6% to 9% interest bringing a return on Wirral cash of more than £2,000,000 a year.  They make a profit of at least £1,650,000. That's more than one million, six hundred and fifty thousand pounds a year which should belong to Wirral Taxpayers.

£35,000,000 in Barclays Bank pays 3%, which would bring £700,000 more than we are being paid by Doncaster, Lancashire, Stockport, Fife, Halton, Hull, Newcastle and Northumberland. Who authorised this, and why will local councillors not respond to my requests for information?  Foreclose on those creditors and put the cash back in Wirral.

The Chair responded that while there is money in the budget waiting to be spent this is loaned out short term and helps out other local authorities. Mr Kinnear attended the meeting and asked why the Council was lending money out when there are cuts and jobs being lost? Councillor Adrian Jones responded that this was not a political issue and was carried out by officers, money laying idle was better used as a short term loan – the rates of interest was a matter left to professional officers. Councillor Matt Daniel commented that the loans were for very short term only. The Chair informed Mr Kinnear that he would be given a more detailed response regarding the low rates of loan.

QUESTION 8 (Form reference: AF88899)

Mr Kelly, Moreton

In these times of austerity why it is that only the constituents have felt the pain. Why have there been no cuts in MPs or local councillors? There are far too many of both, all earning big wages and generous expenses.

The Chair responded that this was not a political issue most Councillors would not be claiming expenses for attending this event for example – expenses were in the public domain and new figures would be released in April. Councillors themselves were residents of Wirral and they themselves were going through the cuts in services. Of the 4 MP’s none had been singled out for excessive use of expenses. Councillor Paul Hayes commented that there was ongoing debate as to the necessity for the number of Councillors to sit in the Borough.  Councillor Leah Fraser she had submitted a motion to Council on the need for 66 Councillors as she believed this could be reduced by one third. Councillor Bernie Mooney commented that it was a myth that Councillors were paid the same as MP’s and noted that given the amount of work involved Councillors would effectively be below the minimum wage. Most Councillors had a second job and whilst acknowledging that there may currently be anti-politician feeling the Councillors considered themselves to be Community Representatives who work very hard for the Borough and she would like perceptions to change. Councillor Adrian Jones echoed this and highlighted the number of hours spent per year and the time and effort spent on personal workloads on behalf of residents. The Chair noted that all expenses could be viewed on the Council website.

The Chair then invited questions from the audience.

A member of the public from the Newland Drive – Liscard/Wallasey wards referred to the structures at the ‘gateways’ into Liscard Way. The medallions at the top of these structures now looked very shabby and he asked whether something could be done given that Chris Jones, Streetscene Team Leader, had informed him that the artwork was still available.

The Chair responded that this enquiry would be looked into.

A member of the public said that residents had not been made aware of bin collection dates this year and she had been informed that this information was only available on the Council website which was unfair to those without computer access and the elderly.

Councillor Bernie Mooney responded and advised that the information had been given to the local press and if necessary libraries would print out the information for residents with no computer access. This measure would result in a saving of £31,000 which would be used to retain other services.