Category: Cllr Gerry Ellis

Economy and Regeneration Overview and Scrutiny Committee 7th November 2011 Part 1 Declarations of Interest, Minutes, Invest Wirral presentation by Paula Basnett

Present: Cllr Mark Johnston (Chair) Cllr Simon Mountney Deputy Mayor Cllr Gerry Ellis Cllr Tony Cox Cllr Denise Realey Cllr Pat Hackett Cllr Stuart Wittingham Cllr Steve Niblock The agenda and reports for this meeting can be viewed by clicking on the link. The Chair, Cllr Johnston started the meeting by telling everyone that Cllr … Continue reading “Economy and Regeneration Overview and Scrutiny Committee 7th November 2011 Part 1 Declarations of Interest, Minutes, Invest Wirral presentation by Paula Basnett”

Present:

Cllr Mark Johnston (Chair)
Cllr Simon Mountney
Deputy Mayor Cllr Gerry Ellis
Cllr Tony Cox
Cllr Denise Realey
Cllr Pat Hackett
Cllr Stuart Wittingham
Cllr Steve Niblock

The agenda and reports for this meeting can be viewed by clicking on the link.

The Chair, Cllr Johnston started the meeting by telling everyone that Cllr Kelly had to go home as his daughter had banged her head. He asked for declarations of interest. Cllr Hackett declared a personal interest with regards to Reach Out. The minutes of the meeting held on the 5th September 2011 were agreed. Cllr Johnston said he wanted to raise a couple of things from page six, which would lead to the work program being amended.

Cllr George Davies (Cabinet member for Housing and Community Safety) arrived.

Cllr Johnston referred committee members to an email from Cllr Phil Davies and Cllr George Davies which he gave councillors a couple of minutes to read.

Once they had read the email, the Chair invited Paula Basnett, Head of Investment in the Department of Regeneration, Housing and Planning to give a presentation to the committee.

Earlier problems with the computer in Committee Room 1 meant a laptop had to be used instead for the Powerpoint presentation. Black and white paper copies of the presentation were handed out to councillors on the committee.

Paula Basnett, wearing something that reminded me of dazzle camouflage on ships, explained what the business support team does and that since September with more funding they had given extra business support they hadn’t previously. At the end of October Business Link North West had gone along with all its business advisers. Business support was given through five relationship managers. These managers had a target of contacting five businesses a week to make businesses aware of what support was available.

Wirral Council 17th October 2011 Part 2

Here is the next part of Monday night’s meeting.

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West Wirral Area Forum 6/10/2011, United Utilities roadworks (Hoylake), Merseyrail, PACSPE Part 4

A member of the public asked when the road works were starting. Peter Cummings of United Utilities responded by saying on the 17th October.

Deputy Mayor Cllr Gerry Ellis said the United Utilities road works had been delayed due to the disruption to rail services between West Kirby and Birkenhead North this week. He moved on to Dave Green, who he described as a “very busy man”. Deputy Mayor Cllr Ellis said he knew there were some questions [for Dave Green].

David Green said that the [West Wirral] Area Forum was “my favourite Area Forum” as it is the “best attended and lively”. Starting with PACSPE, he said it was long and complicated as politics had been injected into the parks. The important thing which he was happy to talk about at the end, was on the 22nd September a public report had gone to Cabinet. This report was on the council’s website and had started with a 2008 review of the £11 million of services provided in this area. There had been engagement, but [Wirral Council] didn’t know what was being delivered for the money. In 2008 the work for the review covered cemeteries, golf courses, infrastructure and buildings. There had been enthusiasm injected over the past year. In total the £11 million of services had been reduced by £4 million. In July 2010 the contract had been exposed to the markets with no in-house bid. The cost effectiveness had been reviewed and in July 2011 the scope had been agreed which covered £8.1 million out of the original £11 million. The crematorium and golf courses had been excluded.

West Wirral Area Forum 6/10/2011, Neighbourhood Plans, United Utilities roadworks (Hoylake) Part 3

Cllr Jeff Green started talking, but someone from the audience said they couldn’t hear him, so the wireless microphone was passed to him. He continued by thanking Tracey Smith and her team for the opportunities that local residents had been given to feed into Neighbourhood Plans. He wanted to make a point about the number of responses and the quality of responses. He said if you went to West Kirby Primary School, it would not be surprising if road safety especially speeding around schools was brought up. If they chatted to youngsters it was not suprising, however he was interested in the broader picture and not taking things for granted.

Resources were following the Neighbourhood Plans, which Cllr Green said were “only as good as the people who contributed” to them. He didn’t want a small number of people to set the agenda, as most people [present at the Area Forum] came to every one of the meetings. He asked Tracey if she agreed?

Tracey Smith, Senior Community Engagement Co-ordinator replied in the affirmative.

Deputy Mayor Cllr Gerry Ellis said that they should “take the opportunity” and that “the council would take some notice”. He said the “main attraction of the evening is Dave Green”. He also mentioned the display and that from Monday United Utilities would be digging up the road in Market Street and Birkenhead Road. There would be disruption to traffic.

Peter Cummings from United Utilities said the display illustrated the areas affected, but they would be working with Wirral Council’s Head of Traffic.

Deputy Mayor Cllr Gerry Ellis mentioned the work on the railway. Peter Cummings said the United Utilities work had been delayed. Deputy Mayor Gerry Ellis opened it up to the floor for questions.

West Wirral Area Forum 6/10/2011, Neighbourhood Plans Part 2

Cllr Ellis asked Tracey Smith for an update on Neighbourhood Plans. Tracey Smith gave a brief Powerpoint presentation detailing the timetable, responses so far and community engagement that had been done. Based on the responses so far, she detailed the aspects people liked about the area and the things people though needed improving. The latter covered a range of issues which included parking, tolerance of young people, street lights, transport, the provision of dropped kerbs, refuse collections, activities for teenagers, the signage of the one-way system in Hoylake and road safety at a local primary school.

She said the online questionnaire ended on the 7th October and the findings would be produced in October or November. A report would go to the Area Forums who would each produce an action plan by November, which would be agreed at an Area Forum meeting. There was a special Area Forum planned for the 26th October at 6pm at Westbourne Hall, which would discuss the action plan and allocate Area Forum funding to organisations who had bid for it.

Cllr Ellis asked if there were any questions. A member of the public called John asked how are the focus groups selected. Tracey Smith said they had asked people to get in touch, for those groups that had got in touch they had gone out to speak to them.

A member of the public asked with only fifty-one questionnaires returned for the whole of West Kirby and Hoylake, wouldn’t it just be a snapshot?

Tracey Smith said she didn’t know about how many had been completed online, but the online version was closing on Friday.