Cllr Green said the cherry on the cake had been improvement of half a million pounds to improve shopping services. Cllr Lewis said a package of measures was still in place. Ian Coleman (Director of Finance) replied. Bill Norman (Borough Solicitor) said it was still there. The Chief Executive Designate said it was still there.
Cllr Kelly said he thought when rubbish leaflets came through the door he felt like he was in an alternative universe. He was pleased senior officers had woken him up from a Labour alternative reality.
The recommendation was amended by Cllr Hodson, seconded by Cllr Elderton as follows:-
“2.3 Cabinet notes that a Participatory Budgeting process was used to allocate this funding and that the event was well attended and over-subscribed; and that all the projects which were recommended for funding will provide support for Wirral’s Coastal Towns.
Re-number existing 2.3 as 2.4”
The amendment was agreed and the Cabinet went on to item 3. Ian Coleman introduced the report saying that the Chancellor’s budget was following the same course as the emergency budget of June 2010. However Enterprise Zone status had been awarded which would lead to small business rate relief. The government was taking the Hutton report on pensions’ recommendation as one. Cllr Green said the Cabinet would be adding to the initial recommendation by adding the following:
“2.1 That Cabinet notes the implications contained in the Chancellor’s Budget, in particular, the subsequent announcement to create a Local Enterprise Zone at Wirral Waters. Cabinet welcomes the opportunity for Wirral to attract additional, private sector investment to help rebalance the local economy and provide jobs and training for local people and believes this has the potential to act as a catalyst to start the economic transformation of the Borough and will help accelerate positive opportunities to attract new business into the Wirral.”