Oxton and Prenton Area Forum Area Co-Ordinator's Report 21 February 2007
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Oxton and Prenton Area Forum Area Co-ordinator’s Report 21st February 2007 Maxine Joynson, 0151 691 8266 or [email protected] Louise Harland-Davies, 0151 691 8695 [email protected] 1 Contact details: Maxine Joynson 0151 691 8266 Louise Harland-Davies 0161 691 8695 Insp. Mark Smith (Oxton) 0151 777 2320 Insp. Paul Harrison (Oxton) 0151 777 2320 Insp. Ian Shaw (Prenton) 0151 777 2452 Councillor Stuart Kelly 0151 653 9077 Councillor Frank Doyle (Chair) 0151 652 9488 / 07734 414 789 Councillor Simon Holbrook 0151 513 5656 / 07766 511 097 Councillor Pat Williams 0151 653 7166 Councillor Ann Bridson 0151 201 7310 / 07759 587 597 Councillor Paula Southwood 07718 582 397 Alan Stennard – Chief Officer 0151 691 8395 Bob Beresford – Lead Officer 0151 691 8208 Keith LePoidevin – M’side Fire & Rescue 0151 650 0422 2 Section 1 Minutes of the last meeting and matters arising Section One Minutes from the last meeting and matters arising Page 5 - 16 Section Two - Local Updates Safer & Stronger Communities Page 18 - 24 • New scheme for landlords • Council to enforce new street trading powers • Wirral’s POPIN scoops community safety award • The phones are red hot for Wirral's Empty Homes Team • Eaton Place • Help make your Community Safer • Prenton Tenants & Residents Association Healthier Communities & Older People Page 25 - 35 • Government inspectors recognise improving services for vulnerable people in Wirral • Council named as one of top training providers by Government watchdog • Residents warned against hard-sell sales • Older People's Parliament • Involvement in Wirral’s Department of Adult Social Services • Wirral NHS Engagement Strategy • Wirral Primary Care Trust Children & Young People Page 36 - 37 • Young people benefit from joined up thinking • Council links with Rovers to get young people playing for success • Floral Pavilion shines the spotlight on youth Economic Development & Enterprise Page 38 - 39 • Wirralbiz celebrates 350 business start ups Cross Cutting Page 40 - 45 • Wirral's new paper and packaging recycling collection starts this week • Wirral receives major American honour as new Heritage Trail is announced • New Bishop announced • Christmas waste and recycling collections and changes for 2007 • Wirral to get share of £36.5million Government funding 3 Section 1 Minutes of the last meeting and matters arising Section Three Forum Funding Page 46 - 52 Section Four Local Area Plan Page 53 Section Five Youth Update Page 54 - 57 Section Six Streetscene Page 58 - 66 Section Seven Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service Page 67 Section Eight Wirral 2008 Page 68 - 71 4 Section One Minutes from the last meeting and matters arising Minutes - Area Forum (Oxton and Prenton) - 17 October 2006 Present Chair FM Doyle Ward Councillors A Bridson , SA Holbrook , Mrs P M Williams Community Alan Dollery (Prenton Tenants & Residents Assoc.) Representatives Lead Officer Bob Beresford (Deputy Director of Housing & Environmental Protection) Area Service Co- Tracey Smith ordinator Primary Care Trust Dr Howard , Katy Kidd (Exec. Board Member) Merseyside Police Sergeant Graham Bell Merseyside Fire & Sara Lawton Rescue Service Council Officers Tara Dumas (Recycling Officer) , Russell Glennon (Head of Corporate Policy) , Steve McGilvray (Community Safety Team) , Mike Walker (Community Safety Officer) Apologies June Foster (Wirral Fed. of Tenants & Residents Assocs.) , Maxine Joynson , Cllr SE Kelly , Reverend Wayne Lautenbach , Councillor PM Southwood , Alan Stennard (Director of Regeneration) , Patrick Toosey Index to Minutes Minute 1 - Welcome Minute 2 - Public question time Minute 3 - Introductions / apologies Minute 5 - Correspondence Minute 6 - Area co-ordinators report Minute 7 - Primary Care Trust Update - Townfield Health Centre, Woodchurch Road Minute 8 - Partner updates (Community Safety Initiatives) - Fire Service - Police - Community Safety Minute 9 - Recycling Presentation Minute 10 - Older People's Parliament Minute 11 - Future meetings / Presentations Minute 12 - Any other business Minute 1 - Welcome The Chair, Councillor Doyle, opened the meeting at 7.00 p.m., welcomed 36 members of the public to the meeting. He apologised for the confusion over the entrance for the meeting, and confirmed that the adverts for the next meeting would identify clearly which road the entrance to the Belmont Suite was actually in. He explained that correspondence and public question time (agenda items 5 and 2) would be brought forward. Correspondence and written questions received in advance of the meeting 5 Section 1 Minutes of the last meeting and matters arising would be discussed first, followed by general questions form the audience. Minute 2 - Public question time The Chair asked if there were any matters to be raised from members of the public present. Q. - Mr Vidler, raised issue regarding the traffic lights on Mountwood Road, installed at the request of the bus companies. Local residents have found that these lights have led to drivers taking a shortcut through Mountwood and Pine Walks (to avoid these lights) and are being used as a “rat-run” at weekends. Local residents have been informed that no action will be taken, as there have not been any accidents. However there have been problems (skid marks, burnt-out cars and cars crashing into private garden fences) and would like the local councillors to do something about this situation, as he believes there will be a fatal accident if nothing is done. A. - The Chair, informed the forum that he has already attended a meeting on this issue. However whilst he fully sympathised with the residents there are many roads in the Borough where people feel there are problems and, unfortunately, priority has to be given to roads where a number of accidents have occurred, therefore this road does not meet the criteria. Q. - Ms. Jones, raised concern about the Merseyside Pension Fund investing in arms companies. She has sent two letters to Wirral Borough Council about this but has not received an acknowledgement, and would like to receive a response on this. A. – The Chair, informed the forum that he is on the relevant Committee (Pensions) and apologised that her letters had not been replied to. He explained that the Fund invests lots of peoples’ money, some of whom may not necessarily hold the same views on this. He offered to discuss this in more detail after the meeting and agreed to ensure that she receives a comprehensive response to her letters. Q. - Mr Tony Garrett (Transport Users Association) raised concern over the survey currently being conducted by Merseytravel, and feels that this may lead to some services being withdrawn, leaving bus-users without a service. He also raised concern that the decisions affecting the future of these services will be made without consulting transport users, and he would like the people who use the bus services to be more involved. A. - Councillor Holbrook, none of the Councillors at this Forum are members of Merseytravel, but recognise the difficulties under which Merseytravel operate. He explained that since the mid-1980s there has been a steady decline in bus services, but that there are campaigns for revisions to the legislation under which buses operate. Unfortunately this is an ongoing problem, but the Councillors will endeavour to do all they can to retain as many services as possible. However, because of the financial constraints under which Merseytravel operates, there can be no guarantees on which services will be retained. Mr Garrett pointed out that the concern is over the contracted bus services and not the commercial bus services. Councillor Holbrook confirmed that he was aware that it is the public services element that needs to be protected. Q. - Mr Murray Richards (resident of Moss Lane, Prenton) raised issues faced by local residents: 6 Section 1 Minutes of the last meeting and matters arising 1. Daily problems caused by youths and nuisance-drinkers (which has extended into the un-adopted lane leading off Moss Lane). This has been reported to the Police, but the response to these problems has been slow. He requested that a sign be placed in the area indicating that it is an alcohol-free zone, and that local shopkeepers be contacted and asked to refrain from selling alcohol to under-age children 2. Burglaries are a problem in the area, and most of the residents want to join the Alleygate Scheme (although there are a couple of people who are not interested). 3. The uprooting of sapling trees at the top of Moss Lane. He asked if it was possible to plant bigger trees on Moss Lane (rather than the small saplings). 1. Sergeant Graham Bell confirmed that many areas in Wirral are subject to an order banning the drinking of alcohol in public and offered to contact the Licensing Department with a view to erecting a sign outside the local off-licence. He stated there is general political pressure to ban the drinking of alcohol in public and the enforcement of this. 2. Mike Walker confirmed that the installation of alleygates had been objected to, therefore a satisfactory conclusion to this problem cannot be guaranteed. However, he offered to telephone Mr Richards on this subject. 3. The Chair promised that the local Councillors would look at the issue of the trees. Q. - Member of the Public, brought up issue, previously raised by Mr Vidler, regarding the traffic lights in Mountwood Road and the subsequent use of local roads as a short cut. A. - Councillor Holbrook, traffic calming measures could be introduced in the area, and suggested