Month: March 2011

Cabinet – 17th March 2011 – Part 3

The Cabinet went onto consider the draft Corporate Plan for 2011 to 2014. The four key themes were “Your Family”, “Your Neighbourhood”, “Your Economy” and “Your Council”. It would be implemented from the 1st April 2011. Cllr Green thanked Emma Degg and her team. He said it built on work done before and he believed … Continue reading “Cabinet – 17th March 2011 – Part 3”

The Cabinet went onto consider the draft Corporate Plan for 2011 to 2014. The four key themes were “Your Family”, “Your Neighbourhood”, “Your Economy” and “Your Council”. It would be implemented from the 1st April 2011. Cllr Green thanked Emma Degg and her team. He said it built on work done before and he believed in the power of plans. He said the plan itself followed the budget and the consultation. He said it linked action to resources, however they were left with a difficult challenge financially. They faced the option of a managed decline or rejuvenating local government and the work of the Council. Rejuvenating local government would make it more open, honest, accountable and transparent. Help from the voluntary sector would help Wirral Council. 1,100 had left Wirral Council and he wished them well. He felt they treated people fairly. There were 5,000 left, they would work with people on their training and skills to relate to the people they serve.

Cllr Holbrook thanked people for their hard work. He said it had been a twelve month process that had grown as a result of Wirral’s consultation. He said it was ambitious, forward-looking, optimistic and aspirational. He referred to the commitment to address inequalities. He said the new elements were working with people and for people. He said it was the way he wants the Council to continue. He said it reflected people’s priorities and there was no reduction in frontline services.

Cllr Green said it stated Wirral Council’s purpose. He said he wanted a bigger and stronger society. He was pleased there were solid actions regarding inequality, keeping neighbourhoods clean and safe and dealing with gross inequalities. He said it was shameful that there was a different in life expectancy between Seacombe and Heswall after 13 years of growth. The Corporate Plan was then agreed.

Cabinet – 17th March 2011 – Part 2

The change to the bank signatories was agreed. In relation to item 6 Cllr Green asked for greater scrutiny and transparency regarding the Council’s traded services. He asked for the annual profit/loss accounts for traded services to be published on the website. This was agreed.

Fiona Johnston introduced item 7 on NHS reform and public health. She detailed a number of changes that would occur ranging from the transfer of some public health functions to Wirral Council, the setting up of a Health and Wellbeing Board in shadow form and GP commissioning. She also referred to Appendix B, which contained a response to the Health White Paper.

Cllr Green referred to a letter that accepted Wirral Council as an early implementer. He thanked Fiona regarding the work she had done. He said it was a major piece of work and they had to make sure they got it right. He referred to the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment and a conference the previous day with the voluntary, community and faith sector. He thanked Kathy Doran, the Cheshire Wirral Partnership, Arrowe Park Hospital and the GP consortium. He said it was early stages and there was a degree of suspicion. He said it was tribute to the work of the joint appointment.

Cllr Holbrook said there was change and uncertainty, however the shadow Health and Wellbeing Board would bring accountability which had been absent until now. He thought local government was the natural place for public health to reside. He said the Department of Health was not as slick as the Department of Communities and Local Government when it came to consultation. He felt it hadn’t been promoted very well. He referred to the Healthy Lives, Healthy People consultation. He said the interim Chief Executive would consult with Cllr Green and himself regarding the responses. The report was agreed.

Cabinet – 17th March 2011 Part 1

Cllr Green welcomed people to the meeting and asked for any declarations of interest. Cllr Holbrook declared an interest in item 18 by nature of his employment with the Environment Agency. Cllr Green an interest in item 22.

Cllr Green then gave an update on the judicial review (which was regarding the closure of Fernleigh Resource Centre). He said the claim had been withdrawn and there was no injunction. He thanked Bill Norman.

The Cabinet then considered the transfer of various community centres. It was agreed that Vale House in New Brighton be transferred to Vale House
Community Centre Limited. The decision regarding Delamere Community Centre was delayed to give time for the three ward councillors, Cllr Holbrook and Bill Norman to go over possible misunderstandings in the report.

The transfer of Noctorum Community Centre to Ridgeway High was agreed, extra finance was needed for the transfer of Heswall Hall/Alexander Hall which was agreed. The transfer of Overton Community Centre to Overton Community Centre Ltd was also agreed.

The budget projections for 2012-2015 were agreed. Item 4 ( the creation of a Revenues Section from merging the Council Tax and Miscellaneous Income Sections in Finance with the Personal Finance Section in Adult Social Services led to a question from Cllr Green about quality assurance. He was assured the quality of service would be the same after the merger. This item was then agreed.

Asda Development Birkenhead – When do the public have a say?

I read with interest Frank Field’s piece in the local paper about the new Asda store in Birkenhead.

I agree with Frank and many other local residents that it has caused massive problems with parking (including a reduction in Blue Badge spaces). What he fails to mention was that a few days before the local elections it was a Labour-led Cabinet (with a built-in majority) of Cllr Foulkes, Cllr Davies (Phil), Cllr Davies (George), Cllr Stapleton and Cllr McLaughlin that met behind closed doors without the press and public present to agree to the price Wirral Council got for the car parks.

Generally in the month leading to an election or election period, apart from decisions that have to be made within a certain time limit (eg Planning, licensing etc), no decisions of a political nature are made. This is called purdah and it means they refrain from taking decisions or making policy announcements which are significant and may be politically contentious.

So what was the decision that was made? Well Asda (Walmart) wanted to only pay £500,000 for the car parks rather than £2 million. Asda have changed the original plans a number of times. You can search here using the postcode CH41 6EB in the address box to see things like the current planning application for signage for the store and carpark. You can leave comments online if you wish.

To finish, I welcome new jobs in Birkenhead, however there are concerns the existing businesses and stall holders at Birkenhead market have that once the new Asda store opens it’ll affect the viability of their businesses. A number of shops have already closed down. The new Tory/Lib Dem run Wirral Council believes in consulting with the public before making major decisions. The previous Labour led council had a “decide, announce, defend” strategy that led to the fiasco and public inquiry over the library closures and a very divisive, macho-style of politics that managed to cheese off large sections of the voting Wirral public.

I have seen many Walmarts in America and heard from local people about the effect it has had on local shops. I hope Birkenhead keeps its character and doesn’t turn into another Walmart clone town after the Asda store is opened in November. I hope the Asda doesn’t just end up employing people who currently work at the existing shops but also takes on people from Birkenhead who are long-term unemployed. Wirral Council is committed to supporting jobs and helping people keep their jobs or find new ones.

Councillor’s amounts for being on outside bodies

Councillor’s amounts for being on outside bodies

                                                

Following a comment on the previous post, I thought I would demonstrate how easy (or otherwise) it is to get this information and whether it’s as easy as Councillor Chris Blakeley claims because it is on the website.

Let’s start with Merseytravel. So like most people you do a search on Merseytravel’s website.

The first result is their publication scheme, which states they publish “PTA Members Allowances” and “PTA Members Allowances paid” (PTA stands for Passenger Transport Authority). This states it’s only published on paper, not electronically or on the website, but then this document was written eight years ago and not updated.

So you change the search for Members Allowances. Eventually you find this page on the website which only has the details for 2007/2008 and 2008/2009. With a bit of digging you’ll find they call the amounts for 2009/2010 “Members Year End Figures” and that you can get figures for 2010/2011 under “Members Allowance” but this only has a list of amounts and titles (no names).

As Merseytravel don’t publish online the minutes of their meeting at which they decide who does what there is no easy way to find out what Merseytravel councillors are currently being paid. My personal experience of Merseytravel is that they don’t make it easy to get information. For example this report showing how Merseytravel charged the disabled and elderly on Merseyside £48,000/year in 2007 if they lose their pass (and that was before they doubled the charge!) was subject to a “public interest test” before they would release it! Since they doubled the charge it’s now probably nearer £100,000/year. Perhaps this is how they plan to finance the hundreds of millions they’re spending on Merseytram’s “Line One to Nowhere”! The Mersey Tunnels Users Association has had similar problems getting information out of Merseytravel.

Cllr Blakeley is right, Merseytravel do publish the information, but it took me a good ten minutes to find it. Merseyside Police Authority’s was easier to find (however the Merseyside Police Authority has since been abolished so I have removed the link) and simpler, but again has no names. They currently pay councillors ~£11,000, + ~£4,000/chair + ~£14,000 as Chair of the MPA.

Mersey Fire and Rescue Service do publish the information, in part 5 article 28, page 206 of their constitution. However once again it is a list of amounts, job titles and other allowances (travel etc) with no names.

I gave up trying to find the information on the Merseyside Waste Disposal Authority site, but the above took a total of twenty minutes. There is no easy way to answer the question “What was X councillor paid for being a councillor this year”? This information is (sadly) still a secret to me and (apart from the councillors themselves and the taxman) a secret to the members of the public who pay them.