Proposed by Councillor Geoffrey Watt

Seconded by Councillor Jeff Green (in the absence of Councillor John Hale)

Council welcomes the support given by HM Government to develop more than 100 radical plans to boost growth, jobs and prosperity in the United Kingdom’s coastal communities and supports the inclusion of New Brighton in this programme.

Council notes that more than 11 million people live in coastal communities, from major cities to seaside villages. The tourism industry alone accounts for the employment of 250,000 people across 150 seaside resorts, and contributes £4 billion to the UK economy.

Council believes this Government support for ‘local coastal community teams’ to help revive towns and, last year, the creation of 118 Coastal Community Teams.

Council notes the £120 million Coastal Communities Fund, established in 2012, has money going to projects in every region and country of the United Kingdom, creating nearly 14,000 new jobs and more than 10,000 training places and, in December, support to illuminate New Brighton’s iconic lighthouse.

Council welcomes the additional £1 million coastal revival funding that will be available in 2016 to 2017 for further projects.

An amendment which had been circulated in advance of the meeting was submitted in accordance with Standing Order 12(1) and (9), as follows:

Proposed by Councillor Bernie Mooney

Seconded by Councillor Pat Hackett

Delete paragraphs 1, 3, 4 and 5 and add the following:

‘Council welcomes any support given to develop and boost growth, jobs and prosperity in our local coastal communities. Council recognises that during the floods of December 2013 the authority had to find emergency funds to assist New Brighton with repairs and recovery of £250K from its own budget. The Government offered initial support through a grant system and also the Bellwin Scheme, but later said that the nature of the assets damaged meant that the Council could not utilise these grant schemes.

Government (DCLG) did eventually allocate a Repair and Renewal Grant of £88K for New Brighton but this left a significant short fall for the Council of £162K. Also, at the end of August 2015, 100 homes in Wirral were flooded, with some of them being part of coastal communities, but once again the Government refused to allow any of these households to apply retrospectively to the £50m Flood Relief Grant made available to households in Cumbria, saying that the Wirral floods did not justify widening the scope of the Flood Relief Fund.

This shows that once again this Conservative Government says one thing and does the complete opposite.

Council believes that we should support our coastal communities, but the Government has failed to give the coastal communities of Wirral a fair and equal opportunity.’

Having applied the guillotine in accordance with Standing Order 9 the Council did not debate this matter.

The amendment was put and carried (40:19) (One abstention).

The substantive motion, as amended, was put and carried (40:19) (One abstention).

Resolved (40:19) (One abstention) –

(1)  Council notes that more than 11 million people live in coastal communities, from major cities to seaside villages. The tourism industry alone accounts for the employment of 250,000 people across 150 seaside resorts, and contributes £4 billion to the UK economy.

(2)  Council welcomes any support given to develop and boost growth, jobs and prosperity in our local coastal communities. Council recognises that during the floods of December 2013 the authority had to find emergency funds to assist New Brighton with repairs and recovery of £250K from its own budget. The Government offered initial support through a grant system and also the Bellwin Scheme, but later said that the nature of the assets damaged meant that the Council could not utilise these grant schemes.

(3)  Government (DCLG) did eventually allocate a Repair and Renewal Grant of £88K for New Brighton but this left a significant short fall for the Council of £162K. Also, at the end of August 2015, 100 homes in Wirral were flooded, with some of them being part of coastal communities, but once again the Government refused to allow any of these households to apply retrospectively to the £50m Flood Relief Grant made available to households in Cumbria, saying that the Wirral floods did not justify widening the scope of the Flood Relief Fund.

(4)  This shows that once again this Conservative Government says one thing and does the complete opposite.

(5)  Council believes that we should support our coastal communities, but the Government has failed to give the coastal communities of Wirral a fair and equal opportunity.