30 minutes will be allocated for this item / discussion.

The Constituency Manager (Wirral West) presented her report that provided an update on current projects and activities funded using the Committee’s 2015-16 budget allocations and budgets carried over from previous years.

A slideshow presentation, containing photographs of events funded by the Committee in celebration of HM The Queen’s 90^th birthday was displayed with a verbal commentary provided by the Constituency Manager. The Committee and members of the public were informed that a copy of the presentation would be made available online. .

The report informed on a number of key areas relating to constituency projects and activities, that included:

·  Community Fund 2015-16 core budget allocation - a summary detailed voting on specific projects (over 2,800 residents placed their vote, representing around 1,000 more people voting than the previous year) and a summary of grant allocations by ward. Members noted that the outcomes of the voting and projects funded had subsequently been published at www.wirral.gov.uk/wirralwest. 

·  Special Places Project (2014-15 Love Wirral budget allocation) following recommendations of the Wirral West Special Places Panel and subsequent work by the constituency team to establish final approvals and costings, the list of locations being taken forward as a priority at the current time was as follows:

o  Pump Lane Pond, Greasby;

o  Carr Lane Play Area, Hoylake;

o  Grove Park, Hoylake;

o  Ridgewood Park, Pensby;

o  Thingwall Road, Thingwall;

o  Outside St Bartholomew’s Church, overlooking the Village Green, Thurstaston;

o  Footpath 43, Grange Hill (Lang Lane / Grange Old Road), West Kirby;

o  Cubbins Green, West Kirby;

o  Hilbre Island;

o  Warwick Park, Upton.

·  Patron’s Lunch Small Grants (2014-15 Love Wirral budget allocation) - as referred in the Constituency Manager’s report to the Committee in November 2015, the remainder of the Committee’s Love Wirral budget following the Big Picnic event in summer 2015 has been used to encourage Wirral West schools and communities to organise events as part of HM The Queen’s birthday celebrations.

·  Tackling Anti-Social Behaviour (2015-16 ASB allocation) - The ASB Panel had met in September 2015 and reached a broad agreement on a number of proposals for utilising the Committee’s ASB which had been set out in the Constituency Manager’s report to the Committee in November last year.  A number of projects were now well underway:

o  Promoting Neighbourhood Watch in Wirral West

o  Youth Engagement in Woodchurch

o  Little Brothers Project

·  Environmental Budget (2015-16 allocation) - the aims of the project would be to focus on environmental issues in the constituency and:

o  Work with local businesses and community groups to engage them in the campaign, with a focus on the use of social media;

o  Undertake an audit of environmental issues at these locations and work with the Waste and Recycling team to tackle these using the budget available and any additional resources secured through working with local businesses and other partners; and

o  As part of the campaign, to identify and introduce localised, small scale behaviour change initiatives were possible.

·  Road Safety Budget – the report informed that Following a meeting of the Road Safety Panel on 26^th January 2016, work has been ongoing with colleagues in Regeneration and Environment to collate the information requested by the Panel in respect of a ‘shortlist’ of schemes.  The Panel will meet as soon as practicably possible to agrees its recommendations as to which schemes should be funded using the remaining road safety budget (amounting to £40,879).

The Constituency Manager (Wirral West) provided a verbal summary and update on progress for each item of report.

Members questioned the Constituency Manager for clarification on the timeline for the establishment of neighbourhood watch schemes. Members were informed that the constituency team have been working closely with Merseyside Police and the Wirral Neighbourhood Watch Co-ordinator to take this forward and had supported the delivery of an event at Woodchurch High aimed at community members currently acting as Neighbourhood Watch leaders across Wirral. This was to be followed up with a constituency campaign to encourage new schemes and target particular areas and neighbourhoods.

A Member questioned whether any restrictions may apply to the amount of funding allocated to each ward in relation to the environmental budget . It was agreed that the Constituency Manager consult with members of the Committee on developing the  proposal to use the budget for a the proposed project focused on the constituency’s key shopping / retail areas (i.e. West Kirby Town Centre, Upton Village, Irby Village, Greasby Village, Market Street, Hoylake, Pensby Road and Woodchurch – Hoole Road / Eltham Green).

Resolved – That the progress and updates set out in the Constituency Manager’s report be noted.