Public Document Pack ST. OSWALD AND NETHERTON AND ORRELL AREA COMMITTEE Date: Thursday 3rd July, 2008 Time: 6.30 pm Venue: Hub Nub Centre, 215 Linacre Lane, Bootle AREA COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP St Oswald Ward Netherton and Orrell Ward Councillor Councillor Mahon (Chair), Labour Brennan (Vice-Chair), Labour M Dowd, Labour Bradshaw, Labour P Dowd, Labour Maher, Labour Advisory Group Members Ms. M. Elson COMMITTEE OFFICER: Telephone: 0151 934 2068 Fax: 0151 934 2034 E-mail: [email protected] If you have any special needs that may require arrangements to facilitate your attendance at this meeting, please contact the Committee Officer named above, who will endeavour to assist. A G E N D A 1. Apologies for Absence 2. Declarations of Interest Members and Officers are requested to give notice of any personal or prejudicial interest and the nature of that interest, relating to any item on the agenda in accordance with the relevant Code of Conduct. 3. Minutes (Pages 5 - 12) Minutes of the meeting held on 22 May 2008 4. Open Forum Members of the public are invited to ask questions, raise matters, or present petitions on issues which are relevant to Sefton Council. The person asking a question will be allowed one supplementary question. (If a response to a question is required which cannot be provided at the meeting or if the question is not reached within the 45 minute period, the Chair will either refer the matter to the appropriate Service Department for a written answer or to the appropriate Cabinet Member for further consideration). Part “A” These items are for general discussion. Anybody attending the meeting is welcome to speak (subject to the Chair’s discretion). 5. Police Issues Part “B” These are formal decisions to be taken by Members of the Council. Only in exceptional cases will the Chair allow contributions from the public (Advisory Group Members may speak but not vote). 6. Cleansing Services Update (Pages 13 - 20) Report of the Environmental Protection Director 7. Parking Service Review (Pages 21 - 46) Report of the Strategic Director of Regeneration and Environmental Services. 8. Consolidation Of Traffic Regulation Orders (Pages 47 - 52) Report of the Strategic Director of Regeneration and Environmental Services. 9. Confirmation Of Status Of Highway And Options (Pages 53 - Relating To The Closure Of The Footpaths Adjacent To 62) The Feelgood Factory, Magdalene Square Report of the Strategic Director of Regeneration and Environmental Services. 10. Green Space Strategy For Sefton – Consultation Draft (Pages 63 - 70) Joint Report of the Planning and Economic Regeneration Director and the Leisure Director 11. Budget Monitoring Report (Pages 71 - 78) Report of the Finance Director 12. Previous Questions Raised in the Open Forum (Pages 79 - 82) Copies of correspondence relating to questions which have been answered since the last meeting are attached for information only. 13. Date of Next Meeting In accordance with the agreed programme of meetings for this Area Committee, the next meeting will be held on Thursday 28 August 2008 at the Netherton Park Community Centre, Chester Avenue, Netherton. This page is intentionally left blank Agenda Item 3 THE “CALL IN” PERIOD FOR THIS SET OF MINUTES ENDS AT 12 NOON ON TUESDAY 3 JUNE, 2008. MINUTE NO. 5 IS NOT SUBJECT TO “CALL-IN” ST. OSWALD AND NETHERTON AND ORRELL AREA COMMITTEE MEETING HELD AT THE NETHERTON PARK COMMUNITY CENTRE, CHESTER AVENUE, NETHERTON ON THURSDAY, 22ND MAY, 2008 PRESENT: Councillor Mahon (in the Chair) Councillors Brennan, Bradshaw and P Dowd Local Advisory Group Member Ms. M. Elson Inspector D. Formby, Merseyside Police 6 Members of the public in attendance 1. APPOINTMENT OF CHAIR AND VICE-CHAIR FOR 2008/09 RESOLVED: That (1) Councillor Mahon be appointed Chair of the Area Committee for the Municipal Year 2008/09; and (2) Councillor Brennan be appointed Vice-Chair of the Area Committee for the Municipal Year 2008/09. 2. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE Apologies for absence were received from Councillors M. Dowd and Maher. 3. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST No declarations of interest were received. 4. MINUTES RESOLVED: That the Minutes of the meeting of the Area Committee held on 10 April 2008 be confirmed as a correct record. 5. OPEN FORUM During the Open Forum the following matters were raised: (1) Local Advisory Group Member, Ms. M. Elson, asked whether the Council could consider introducing residents only parking in Netherton Grange/Manor Drive and Waterway Avenue. She stated that commuters who used Old Roan Station left their cars parked in the above roads all day which caused congestion and restricted access to refuse vehicles and other essential services. Page1 5 Agenda Item 3 ST. OSWALD AND NETHERTON AND ORRELL AREA COMMITTEE- THURSDAY, 22ND MAY, 2008 Ms. Elson also asked whether the Council and Merseytravel would consider utilising the car park at the rear of the Old Roan public house for commuters. She indicated that the car park could be extended into the landscaped area adjoining it and that a gateway be made to access the ticket office. Ms. Elson concluded by referring to problems caused by the number of commercial vehicles parked in the roads and that this caused an annoyance and congestion for residents. Mr. P. Fraser, Committee Administrator, advised that a letter had been sent to Ms. Elson by the Traffic Services Manager. The letter indicated that to remove commuter parking in Manor Drive, Netherton Grange and Waterway Avenue, the best option would be to introduce a Residents Privileged Parking (RPP) Scheme and following the submission of the question, all three roads were now included on the review list for the introduction of a RPP Scheme. However, all the existing RPP Schemes in the borough had been subject to review, further to the introduction of a £20 bi-annual charge for each permit. This process was ongoing and still subject to review due to continuing representations. As a consequence, requests for new schemes, of which there were over 100, could not be further considered. Furthermore, based on current criteria, priority was likely to be given to areas with high levels of non- resident parking and where there was no off-street parking available to residents. Manor Drive, Netherton Grange and Waterway Avenue, whilst meeting the criteria for the level of non-resident parking, did have a reasonable level of parking for residents within the curtilage of the properties and so therefore may be a low priority. As an alternative, following a complaint about commuter parking in Netherton Grange making refuse collection and emergency service access a problem on most weekdays, the Traffic Services Manager recently carried out a consultation with residents of Netherton Grange. The proposal was designed to remove commuter parking from one side of the road thus making access possible for large vehicles. Unfortunately, a majority of respondents were not in favour of this proposal and this would not now be progressed any further. Merseytravel had been consulted regarding the utilisation of the Old Roan public house for commuters and the following answer had been received: “Thank you for forwarding the question regarding Old Roan Station. If I can respond to the points regarding the Copy Lane area, and car parking at the station. It is now over six years since the station was rebuilt and I would suggest that this is really an issue for the highway authority to address. Page2 6 Agenda Item 3 ST. OSWALD AND NETHERTON AND ORRELL AREA COMMITTEE- THURSDAY, 22ND MAY, 2008 Secondly, the land at the rear of the Old Roan Public House is not owned by the M.P.T.E., but I understand by the Brewery.” The Traffic Services Manager concluded that the matter could not be easily solved in the short term. (2) Ms. J. Irvine asked: (a) which department of the Council had the financial responsibility for the grounds maintenance of the Urban Oasis in Netherton; and (b) who should members of the public contact if they had concerns regarding the condition of the grounds at the Urban Oasis. Mr. P. Fraser, Committee Administrator, informed that he had been advised by the Assistant Director - Technical Services that the Assistant Director was responsible for the construction of the Urban Oasis, the contract for which included three years maintenance of the soft landscaping; that this period had now expired; and that the ownership of the land was complicated and belonged to various Council departments and third parties including the Primary Care Trust. RESOLVED: That the Legal Director investigate the ownership of the land and respond to Mrs. Irvine in writing. (3) Further to Minute No. 99(2)(B) of 10 April 2008, Mrs. S. Millar complained about the anti-social behaviour of youths on the former BA/Leisure Time site on Orrell Lane. Mrs. Millar alleged that in the six weeks since her original complaint, to her knowledge, no action had been taken by the Council; that the field was a constant site of anti-social behaviour; that the Police were contacted on almost a daily basis and that their response was sporadic and mostly non-existent; stated that the site owners owed a duty of care to residents and should maintain the perimeter fencing; that fly-tipping occurred on the field and that this was an environmental health issue; and that waiting for a housing developer to build on the site was not a solution. Mrs. Millar also indicated that the gates to the adjacent MFI yard were constantly left open and that youths accessed the field from this area; that the field was regularly set on fire; and concluded by asking what was the Council gong to do about the problem.