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

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

The Chair reported that 8 public questions had been received.

Chris Capstick attended the committee meeting and asked a question about the parking crisis in the Oakfield Road area. The Chair responded that there was more to the issue than constructing an extended parking area and that officers would need to bring a report to the Environment Climate Emergency and Transport committee seeking a decision and the formulation of a policy for converting verges to a parking area.

A supplementary question was asked on whether the option for parking permits was being explored. The Chair informed Mr Capstick that he would receive a written response detailing the options available.

A question had been received from Nick Bower regarding the implementation of blanket 20mph zones in Pensby. The Chair advised that  the Council was not implementing blanket 20mph speed limits and that this Committee in March 2021 approved the recommendation of the Road Safety Working Group to request that 20mph speed limits are introduced in all areas that are predominately residential, retail, or educational and resolved a motion that this Committee recognised that a lower speed limit would help reduce the actual and perceived danger on our roads and encourage more people to walk and cycle.  Furthermore, the wide-spread 20mph speed limits across the borough would address the priorities of the Liverpool City Region Road Safety Strategy and the Wirral Council Plan 2023-27. 

David Byrne submitted a question about the West Kirby Sea Defence breach and results of the enquiry. The Chair confirmed that the Council had been working in partnership with the Environment Agency to understand the magnitude of the storm in April and would be able to publish the investigation once it had consulted upon its finding with relevant Risk management Authorities.

Jackie Gray attended the meeting and asked a question about street cleaning operations and maintenance in the Rock Ferry area. The Chair responded that the Council's environmental maintenance resource was allocated across the borough based on demand. As part of this, the Rock Ferry ward received comparable levels to other similar wards and the same frequencies of street cleansing, weed treatment and gully sucking operations. The Council also monitored levels of cleanliness and the performance of the street cleansing operation across the borough and the standards in Rock Ferry were similar to other parts of the borough.

Sean Martin asked a question about whether the impact of proposed parking charges in New Brighton on the local economy had been considered by the Committee. The Chair advised that as proposed parking charges were still under consultation, the report had not yet been before Committee but that there had been research and evidence which demonstrated that carefully coordinated pricing charges did not negatively impact businesses.

Councillor Graeme Cooper attended the meeting to ask a question as a resident which queried the level of communications sent to residents regarding proposed changes to parking permit charges. The Chair thanked Councillor Cooper for highlighting the issue and reported that resident permit charges had never been part of the formal traffic regulation or the consultation taking place on the Have Your Say site. However, the Council had received a considerable number of comments from residents regarding the notice of variation that was erected in residential areas in respect to the permit charge. As such, it was officers' intention to report this to the Environment, Climate Emergency and Transport Committee and seek approval to formally consult on a proposal to increase will standardize the charges for residents parking across all areas.

A supplementary question was asked on whether steps were being taken to ensure that residents received the correct information, and the Chair confirmed that she would request a communication would be made to residents to rectify the incorrect information.

Don Naylor asked a question about the Tree, Hedgerow and Woodland Strategy and whether the Council would look for opportunities to align the strategy with Healthy Streets indicators such as 'Shade and Shelter' and 'Clean Air. The Chair responded that whilst the Tree Strategy did not explicitly reference Healthy Streets indicators, the strategy's overarching goals naturally align with those of Healthy Streets and many other frameworks and that the Council recognised the importance of engaging with local communities, including Tree Wardens and residents.

A supplementary question was asked on whether the Council could provide a position statement regarding government subsidies for Drax and share such a statement with local MP’s. The Chair confirmed that a written response would be provided.

A question was received from Gillian Homeri about the expected benefits of parking charges with particular regard to air pollution. The Chair reported that the link between poor air quality, the climate emergency, and emissions from vehicles was widely accepted. An effective car parking charging regime would encourage modal shift away from the private motor car towards cleaner, more sustainable modes of transport would have a positive environmental and climate change impact. Any car parking and transport strategy would link to the Council's climate emergency declaration and active travel agendas

The Chair reported that a supplementary question arising from a question asked at the Tourism, Communities, Culture and Leisure Committee fell within the Terms of Reference of this Committee. The Chair invited Charlotte Smith to ask her supplementary question regarding the state of Kings Gap slipway and other slipways on Hoylake Beach and responded that a written response would be provided.