Cabinet meeting – 14th April 2011 – Election Special Edition – Part 6 – Support for Wirral Council’s Coastal Resort Towns, Chancellor’s Budget

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. … Continue reading “Cabinet meeting – 14th April 2011 – Election Special Edition – Part 6 – Support for Wirral Council’s Coastal Resort Towns, Chancellor’s Budget”

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.”

Cabinet meeting – 14th April 2011 – Election Special Edition – Part 5 – Support for Wirral Council’s Coastal Resort Towns

Cllr Green said a series of lessons had been learnt, the key lesson being regarding how and why regarding the opportunity to get involved. Allsop’s letter had asked the Cabinet not to go forward. He was not minded to do so as they needed to move forward. The controversy was around the criteria and issues regarding money going direct to companies to spend. He asked Kevin Adderley about this.

Kevin said there was wide ranging support for the seaside towns. Support for business needed to comply with EU State aid rules. For example if they gave money to one retail business it would be unfair on competition grounds, the same would go for a local manufacturer of kitchens. He said they need to ensure that officers look at any proposals before they are recommended to Cabinet.

Cllr Green asked about helping the unemployed to work in the tourism sector. Regarding the ideas that had not been successful, what support would be given or would these ideas be lost? If the recommendations were accepted, would Wirral Council speak to all applicants including the unsuccessful ones?

Kevin said there was work in the town regarding the Open golf tournament. £1.4 million was being spent to support worklessness. Environmental improvements were being made and there was funding for empty shops. Cllr Lewis referred to a Labour leaflet of Cllr Dodd’s in Liscard that said the support had been cancelled and that there was no money for empty shops.

Kevin said that Cabinet had agreed £14,500 to each Area Forum above the three areas and original allocation. Cllr Lewis said the three pilot areas had been Bromborough, New Ferry and Egremont. The agreed budget meant an equivalent sum went to each of the twenty two wards. This meant some areas had received double.

Cabinet meeting – 14th April 2011 – Election Special Edition – Part 4 – Support for Wirral Council’s Coastal Resort Towns

Kevin Adderley introduced the report referring to the special Area Forums concerned to decide and score the proposals. He said for the Hoylake and West Kirby area that the top five successful projects had been chosen, but that Wirral Council would work with those unsuccessful applications to try and find alternative funding. He said there was a risk regarding council owned assets and that it was a significant risk. The health and safety implications were also referred to and he said they had “learnt a lot” and a further report would be coming to Cabinet on the participatory budget process.

There had been some disagreement with the proposals, stories in the local press, email and a letter from a Caroline Allsop which had been circulated to Cabinet members. Cllr Green and Cllr Elderton declared a personal interest as they had attended the West Kirby area forum. Cllr Green said letting go and inviting people to make decisions meant they had to live with the public’s choice. There had been clear guidance and presentations, however lessons would be learnt. More opportunities need to be taken to delegate decision to residents in their neighbourhoods. It was important to learn the lessons. He thanked Kevin and the engagement team.

Cllr Holbrook noted that both Area Forums chose the participatory budget route. The Cabinet resolution had not specified the method, but evidence showed it was the right decision and went well.

Cllr Lewis referring to community engagement said there had been a good attendance at the special Area Forums, however if there was no real offer at Area Forums and people there just heard the Council drone on it led to lower attendances. Involving residents in deciding how money was spent was a way to encourage them to come along.

Cabinet meeting – 14th April 2011 – Election Special Edition – Part 3 – NHS questions

Cllr Elderton said he was asking about the other end of the age spectrum. He said his experience of Arrowe Park Hospital was rare and brief. It had been excellent regarding recent surgery he had had. In the media there had been reports regarding respect and consideration for older people with the suggestion that some were not looked after properly. How did Wirral University Teaching Hospital check on this issue.

Mr. Richards answered that they monitor quality. Cllr Elderton asked if there were any glitches regarding food and water. The Chief Executive said that ward audits were carried out and that the Director of Nursing Tina Long made unannounced weekly inspections in which they talked to patients and staff. Complaints through PALs or written complaints were also looked at. Also pressure sores, falls and adverse outcomes were investigated to resolve hotspots that could be caused by staff sickness, poor leadership or problems with management. The Biz will in the postgraduate education centre published the data.

Cllr Green referred to a discussion of the Local Strategic Partnership, who agreed with this approach.

The minutes of the meeting held on the 17th March was agreed.

Bill Norman informed the Cabinet that in respect of the Delamare Centre, ward councillors and the leader had been consulted and that it would be transferred soon.

The agenda was then reordered to take item 27 (Support for Wirral’s Coastal Towns) first.

Cabinet meeting – 14th April 2011 – Election Special Edition – Part 2 – NHS questions

In conclusion he said that change was the only constant, stressed the importance of the Health and Wellbeing Board, said that there was a constant focus on interagency working and that the footprint (meaning the population a hospital served) would be changing.

Cllr Green spoke about the partnership work and referred to his role as a hospital governor. He asked in regards to a cottage hospital why a large footprint was required to provide a quality service? Mr. Richards replied that a sufficient population base with the right amount of patients was required for a higher quality of outcome. He said unlike decades ago that general physicians were not employed now by a District General Hospital. Instead doctors were cardiologists, gastroenterologists, specialist diabetic doctors etc. Even in cardiology, doctors focussed on certain types of heart conditions. In order to keep up their level of expertise these doctors needed to see numbers of patients that were more if a hospital served a population of greater than 250,000 for example the Wirral and Cheshire population. Wirral and Cheshire share a renal and dermatology service. Looking at specialist cardiology, there had to be a balance between access to services at a local level and quality of service. In this area the vast majority were seen in an outpatient setting.

Cllr Rennie asked about the high number of stillbirths reported in the media and what WUTH was doing about this. The answer was that they employed CHKS to compare their clinical data to a peer group of other hospital trusts of a similar size. WUTH was in the top quartile and the issues they were not performing as well on compared to other trusts were organisational things. For example the length of hospital stays and their rates of day cases were lower. He said the Maternity Hospital was in the top 10.