David Green, Director of Technical Services, explained that in the 2007/08 financial year, two of the eleven Area Forums had opted to have a share of the Integrated Transport Block at their disposal to fund local schemes. The improvements for Heswall/Pensby/Thingwall included the construction of a pedestrian refuge, and for Bromborough/Eastham, a contribution to a traffic calming scheme, direction signing and a lowered kerb crossing.

The Council’s Cabinet had received very positive feedback on the success of the scheme in the two areas and is now inviting each area forum to consider whether it wishes to receive de-centralised funding in 2009/10. The money can be used to provide lowered kerb crossings, modest local signposting and road lining schemes.  Officer input will be available to all area forums to guide them in the decision-making process. The total budget for the Integrated Transport block is £180,000 which, apportioned across the eleven Area Forums, would equate to around £16,300 per Area Forum. The alternative would be to administer the funding centrally. 

The Council’s Cabinet wishes to receive feedback on the consultation at its meeting on 19 March.

The 20’s Plenty Initiative is related matter and the views of area forums are being sought on areas for inclusion in next year’s programme.  The pilot has operated successful in other areas, and suggestions are invited for roads in this locality that would be suitable for the scheme.

Mark Stevenson, Woodchurch Neighbourhood Board, commented that £16,000 is a very minimal sum and is insufficient to meet the needs of the areas covered by this very large area forum. In addition, the timescale for a reply is too short and does not allow sufficient time for the priorities to be identified.

David Green explained that about £6.5 million is available to Wirral in the structural maintenance programme.  Within that there is some local discretion to devolve £180,000 through the Integrated Transport block, and give local people, through area forms, the opportunity to use the money creatively. The purpose of the consultation this evening is to ask the area form if it wishes to receive an equal proportion of the money to use at its discretion to improve the local area, or whether it would prefer the money to be managed centrally and allocated to schemes on a Wirral-wide basis. 

Councillor Gardiner added that the money can be used to fund schemes that may not be included in the Council’s list of priorities.  Area Forums that opt to receive an allocation have the opportunity to say, ‘These schemes are important for this area, and this is the way in which we wish to spend the money’.

Mark Stevenson persisted in his view that an equal division of the funding was unfair to this area forum, because it covers such a large geographical area.  David Green accepted that the argument was a valid point. He gave a commitment that he would convey the comments back to the Cabinet as part of the consultation.

The Chair explained that only Councillors and community representatives on the area forum are eligible to vote. She suggested that there is a general consensus that this area forum would wish to receive a decentralised share of the Integrated Block Allocation. The Chair asked if any members of the area forum disagreed with that view.  No response was received.

Minute decision:  Resolved – To

(i)  note the type of traffic management traffic management schemes that can be funded through the Local Transport Plan Integrated Transport Block allocation.

(ii)  confirm that this area forum wishes to receive a decentralised one-eleventh share of the Local Transport Plan Integrated Transport Block equating to approximately £16,300 carry out scheme(s) of a traffic management/road safety nature in the local area.