Agenda item

Public Questions

Notice of question to be given in writing or by email by 12 noon, Friday 3 March 2023 to the Council’s Monitoring Officer via this link: Public Question Form and to be dealt with in accordance with Standing Order 10.

 

For more information on how your personal information will be used, please see this link: Document Data Protection Protocol for Public Speakers at Committees | Wirral Council

 

Please telephone the Committee Services Officer if you have not received an acknowledgement of your question by the deadline for submission.

Minutes:

The Chair indicated that 9 questions had been received.

 

Sue Percy asked if the Council had a requirement for a volumetric assessment of water needs as part of the submission process for planning applications for new developments. The Chair stated that an answer would be given in writing within 10 working days of the meeting.

 

Peter Milner asked a question relating to the proposed Active Travel Scheme on Birkenhead Road in Seacombe, he stated that there was already a cycle lane in place and that it was not heavily used. He felt that by removing parking spaces on the road, it would have an adverse effect on older and less physically able customers of the Soccer Dome business. He queried why the proposal was deemed necessary.

 

In response, the Chair explained that the current cycle path was not compliant with current design guidance, and that the promenade route was a leisure route and not suitable for year round use as it was not lit. He also noted that the proposed route would provide a key link between Birkenhead, Wallasey and New Brighton that would encourage less car use to key destinations. By way of a supplementary question Peter Milner suggested other sites that would be more suitable for a cycle path and queried why the money for this scheme could not be used on additional cycle paths elsewhere. The Chair stated that he would ask officers to respond in writing.

 

Piara Miah asked a question relating to the site at 92 Grange Road in Birkenhead and queried how the Council would ensure that any new delivery partners would work collaboratively with the Council to give priority to local jobs, supply chains and with housing offered to those that need it the most.

 

The Chair responded that the procurement process used required all prospective developers to complete a statement on Social Value. This included local labour recruitment and local supply chain opportunities. He noted that the Draft Birkenhead 2040 Framework set out the potential for over 9,500 new homes over the next 15 years. Prospective developers were required to demonstrate how their proposed housing would contribute to meeting local housing needs.

 

As a follow-up question, Piara Miah asked how many jobs had been created from this project. The Chair stated that a written answer would be provided.

 

Frank Brennan asked a question related to the proposed Active Travel Scheme on Birkenhead Road in Seacombe. He was concerned that the proposal would threaten employment opportunities in the vicinity and increase congestion. He queried how the scheme met with the Wirral Local Plan objectives.

 

The Chair explained that good active travel infrastructure encourages people to move from driving to cycling. He noted again that the current cycle path was not to current standards. There would be no change to the road layout itself so there would be the same capacity for motor vehicles.

Mr Brennan asked a supplemental question querying what consideration had been given to the loss of employment opportunities that the scheme would cause. The Chair stated that a further response would be provided to Mr Brennan in writing.

 

Becky Biddulph asked a question related to the proposed Active Travel Scheme on Birkenhead Road in Seacombe. She asked what consideration the Council had given to the vulnerable users of the Soccer Dome business on Birkenhead Road and stated that the number of car parking spaces that would be removed due to the scheme would be 24 and not 9.5 as claimed by officers.

 

The Chair explained that currently there was 354 metres of available parking space on Birkenhead Road and that under the proposed scheme, this would be reduced to 297 metres with a loss of 57 metres, this equated to 9.5 car parking spaces based on a 6 metre average vehicle parking length. He noted that there was free and unrestricted parking available on various streets in the immediate vicinity. He indicated that the Council would be happy to explore the possibility of providing disabled parking bays outside the Soccer Dome and stated that Disabled Badge holders could park on double yellow lines for up tot 3 hours where safe to do so and that patrons who wished to load/unload could do so on double yellow lines where it was safe to do so.

 

Becky Biddulph asked a supplementary question regarding whether being asked to park further away was safe for customers with large groups of children, especially during the winter with dark evenings. The Chair stated that he would ask officer to respond to her in writing.

 

Sarah Christmas asked a question related to the proposed Active Travel Scheme on Birkenhead Road in Seacombe. She stated she ran a physiotherapy and massage business from the Soccer Dome and asked what consideration had been given to her patients with mobility issues being able to easily access her treatment room.

 

The Chair responded that the Council would be happy to explore installing disabled parking bays outside of the Soccer Dome and noted that Disabled Badge holders can park on single or double lines for up to 3 hours where it is safe to do so.

 

As part of her supplemental question, Sarah Christmas noted that most of her patients were not registered as disabled but injured through sport. The Chair noted that he would ask officers to respond in writing.

 

Alister Brace submitted a question related to the proposed Active Travel Scheme on Birkenhead Road in Seacombe. Mr Brace was not in attendance and his question was read out by the Lead Principal Lawyer. In the written question Mr Brace asked how the proposed scheme supported the Council’s ambitions to offer Brighter Futures, an Inclusive Economy and encourage Active and Healthy Lives as described in the Wirral Plan.

The Chair responded that sustainable travel was at the heart of the Birkenhead 2040 framework. He noted that Seacombe had one of the lowest car ownership levels in Wirral and therefore provision of safe active travel routes was essential. He noted the physical benefits of active travel compared to journeys by car.

 

Nicola Porter asked a question related to the proposed Active Travel Scheme on Birkenhead Road in Seacombe. She wished to know how the scheme would benefit her and her children if she could not park close by to the Soccer Dome.

 

The Chair responded that there were a number of roads near to the Soccer Dome with free and unrestricted parking available. He also noted that as part of the scheme, all existing street lighting would be reviewed and repaired where necessary.

 

Graham Owen asked a question related to the proposed Active Travel Scheme on Birkenhead Road in Seacombe. He wished to know how the expense of the scheme could be justified while the Council was looking to save money elsewhere.

 

The Chair responded that the funding for this scheme had been made available by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority via the Department for Housing and Levelling Up and the European Regional Development Fund. He noted that this funding could only be used for active travel projects and could not be spent on other matters.

 

As part of a supplementary response, Graham Owen stated that he felt the Council were putting this scheme before the wellbeing and mental health of those that use the Soccer Dome, he asked why this was being done. The Chair responded that he would ask officers to respond in writing.