Proposed by Councillor Jeff Green

Seconded by Councillor Lesley Rennie

Council notes the following key national growth statistics:

·  GDP growth: 0.7 per cent in Quarter 2 2015. Growth in Q1 2015 was 0.4 per cent.

·  Employment up 354,000 on the year. There are now 31.03 million people in work.

Council realises that a growing economy means more businesses, creating more good jobs – which means more families with the security of a regular pay packet.

With Britain growing faster than any other major advanced economy, and wages rising at the fastest rate since 2007, it’s clear that the Government’s economic plan is delivering security for families across Britain.

Council further notes that many Wirral businesses are benefitting from the improving economic outlook and reporting growth and expansion. These include:

·  Apollo Care, a care company set up by a former Council employee who took early voluntary redundancy in 2011. With initial guidance from Invest Wirral in just 4 years Apollo Care has franchised and employs over 50 people.

·  Sovex, the Prenton-based materials handling specialist is the fastest growing company on Merseyside and was listed number 82 in the 2014 Virgin Sunday Times Fast Track Top 100. It recently announced it was expanding into the American market.

·  Recruit Right, an industrial and commercial recruitment agency, who have seen their highest ever numbers of temp placements rise from 260 to 409 per week in September. The company started in 2012 and has recently announced a further 4 permanent employees have joined their team.

·  Daisy and Jake Nurseries who will be opening their fifth nursery at a new site in Woodchurch shortly following the successes of their operations in Spital, Moreton, Irby and Prenton.

·  Park Group plc announced at its AGM in September that sales are 15% ahead of the same period last year.

·  Progress to Excellence, who recently moved its HQ operation into the newly refurbished Pacific Road Business Hub, has acquired Education and Youth Services Ltd to extend their training offer across the spectrum of lifelong learning.

·  The Contact Company who will be expanding their operation into the Tower Wharf building, a development made possible by Homes and Communities Agency funding.

·  Elegant Steps, which has grown from operating from the owner’s house, to a small village shop in Oxton, to an international company with a large warehouse shipping all over the world.

Council acknowledges that this is just a small snapshot of the commercial successes in Wirral and wishes to place on record its thanks and admiration for all Wirral’s workers, entrepreneurs and business owners for their contribution to growing the British economy, 

Furthermore the whole Council welcomes the success of the Government’s economic plan and calls on the Leader of the Council to ensure effective co-operation with Her Majesty’s Government to lock in and increase Wirral residents’ prosperity.

With the agreement of the Council two amendments on this motion were withdrawn and with Council agreeing to suspend Standing Orders 12(1) and (9), a composite amendment was circulated around the Chamber for Members to consider, as follows:

Proposed by Councillor Pat Hackett

Seconded by Councillor Phil Gilchrist

Delete paragraph 3 beginning: “With Britain growing faster than any other major advanced economy….”.

Delete the final paragraph.

Add the following:

“Council recognises that the developments listed above together with many others such as new retail development off junction 1 of the M53 and new retail investment at Croft Retail Park, are the result of the hard work of Council officers in partnership with agencies such as Wirral Chamber of Commerce and thanks all concerned. We are well placed to achieve the pledges in our 2020 Plan to create and safeguard 5000 jobs and attract £250m of private sector investment to the Borough.

Council recognises the important contribution that all businesses in Wirral – along with those to which residents commute – make to the regional, national and European economy.

Council also believes that there are now many Wirral residents facing financial difficulty as the Government has not created a path that properly cushions the introduction of the National Living Wage and the consequent changes in the Tax Credit System, the latter leading to many Wirral families being worse off in the initial years.

Council is extremely concerned about the Government’s decision to cut tax credits for low paid employees and believes that this makes a mockery of the Conservatives’ claim to be the party of working people.”

During the course of moving of his motion, Councillor Green paid tribute to Kevin Adderley, Strategic Director Regeneration and Environment, who was attending his last Council meeting before leaving the Authority, and thanked him and his team for all their work in growing the Wirral economy.

Councillor Hackett, the Leader, Councillors Andrew Hodson, Alan Brighouse, Adam Sykes, Phil Gilchrist and Lesley Rennie echoed the sentiments expressed by Councillor Green in his thanks to Kevin Adderley.

The Mayor also expressed his thanks to Kevin Adderley for all his work with the Authority and wished him well for the future.

Following a reply to the debate by Councillor Green, the amendment was put and carried (37:18) (Two abstentions).

The substantive motion as amended was put and carried (37:18) (Two abstentions).

Resolved (37:18) (Two abstentions) -

Council notes the following key national growth statistics:

·  GDP growth: 0.7 per cent in Quarter 2 2015. Growth in Q1 2015 was 0.4 per cent.

·  Employment up 354,000 on the year. There are now 31.03 million people in work.

Council realises that a growing economy means more businesses, creating more good jobs – which means more families with the security of a regular pay packet.

Council further notes that many Wirral businesses are benefitting from the improving economic outlook and reporting growth and expansion. These include:

·  Apollo Care, a care company set up by a former Council employee who took early voluntary redundancy in 2011. With initial guidance from Invest Wirral in just 4 years Apollo Care has franchised and employs over 50 people.

·  Sovex, the Prenton-based materials handling specialist is the fastest growing company on Merseyside and was listed number 82 in the 2014 Virgin Sunday Times Fast Track Top 100. It recently announced it was expanding into the American market.

·  Recruit Right, an industrial and commercial recruitment agency, who have seen their highest ever numbers of temp placements rise from 260 to 409 per week in September. The company started in 2012 and has recently announced a further 4 permanent employees have joined their team.

·  Daisy and Jake Nurseries who will be opening their fifth nursery at a new site in Woodchurch shortly following the successes of their operations in Spital, Moreton, Irby and Prenton.

·  Park Group plc announced at its AGM in September that sales are 15% ahead of the same period last year.

·  Progress to Excellence, who recently moved its HQ operation into the newly refurbished Pacific Road Business Hub, has acquired Education and Youth Services Ltd to extend their training offer across the spectrum of lifelong learning.

·  The Contact Company who will be expanding their operation into the Tower Wharf building, a development made possible by Homes and Communities Agency funding.

·  Elegant Steps, which has grown from operating from the owner’s house, to a small village shop in Oxton, to an international company with a large warehouse shipping all over the world.

Council acknowledges that this is just a small snapshot of the commercial successes in Wirral and wishes to place on record its thanks and admiration for all Wirral’s workers, entrepreneurs and business owners for their contribution to growing the British economy, 

Council recognises that the developments listed above together with many others such as new retail development off junction 1 of the M53 and new retail investment at Croft Retail Park, are the result of the hard work of Council officers in partnership with agencies such as Wirral Chamber of Commerce and thanks all concerned. We are well placed to achieve the pledges in our 2020 Plan to create and safeguard 5000 jobs and attract £250m of private sector investment to the Borough.

Council recognises the important contribution that all businesses in Wirral – along with those to which residents commute – make to the regional, national and European economy.

Council also believes that there are now many Wirral residents facing financial difficulty as the Government has not created a path that properly cushions the introduction of the National Living Wage and the consequent changes in the Tax Credit System, the latter leading to many Wirral families being worse off in the initial years.

Council is extremely concerned about the Government’s decision to cut tax credits for low paid employees and believes that this makes a mockery of the Conservatives’ claim to be the party of working people.