Report of the Constituency Manager detailing the impact of the Wirral South Constituency Committee’s various funding and priority activities so far throughout 2015/16.

A report by the Constituency Manager provided the Committee with progress on its priorities and allocated budget.

The Constituency Manager then took the Committee through his report which set out in great detail the progress being made on South Wirral’s Priorities - Improved Open Spaces (Dawstone Park (Heswall), Torr Park (Eastham) and New Ferry Park (Bromborough), the Gaps in Youth Provision and Social Isolation and on other Funded Work Stream Proposals – Your Wirral, Anti-Social Behaviour, Community Clean-Ups and Love Wirral.

Councillor A Hodson thanked the Constituency Manager and everyone else who had been involved with the Dawstone Park works to improve its aesthetics, safety and accessibility.  He reported that this was an excellent achievement for all those concerned.

It was noted and agreed that the Eastham Community Group would be involved with the Torr Park project.  It was expected that some of the funding for this would be via a s106 agreement once the new Bridal Road housing estate was completed and sold.

The Committee agreed that it was important to involve the Community Representatives in the Love Wirral initiative and Ward Members and Community Representatives would discuss this.

The Committee was reminded that an Engagement Officer for South Wirral was now in post and a list of some of the community development projects she had been involved in were detailed in the report for its information. Her contact details were as follows: e-mail: shannonkennedy@wirral.gov.uk  phone direct on: 07771 938 871 or via Twitter @wirralsouth

Members noted that this was the final year of the Your Wirral funding and that it had been used to support community groups.  They queried when there would be some real development for although lots had been achieved the original idea was to devolved to the Committee responsibility for Council services.  Members proposed lobbying the Council’s Administration and the Government for more funding. 

Councillor P Gilchrist drew attention to the Notice of Motion he had submitted to the Council meeting held on 14 December 2015 and which had subsequently been referred to the Cabinet meeting scheduled for 22 February 2016 for consideration.  He informed that the capital receipt from the sale of Acre Lane would be one of the most substantial receipts received since the Borough was created and that he had proposed that the Cabinet should place a sum of £4 million from the sale of Acre Lane into a fund to be accessed by the four Constituency Committees and that this should be regarded as a dowry to give them resources to make a greater impact with their work. He had also proposed that the Cabinet should consider allocating £1m from this asset sale into each Constituency Committee; in line with the Council’s 2020 Vision and in the spirit of devolution to Constituency Committees, they should be enabled to determine the use of these funds.

RESOLVED: That

(1)  the Constituency Manager continues to work with colleagues in parks, the Friends of Dawstone Park and the Wirral South Parks Task and Finish Group to progress the improvement works in the chosen location as expediently as possible;

(2)  the ‘One to One Counselling Request for Quotes’ document be released via ‘The Chest’ as soon as possible; and

(3)  the progress outlined in the report be noted.