THE “CALL IN” PERIOD FOR THIS SET OF MINUTES ENDS AT 12 NOON ON WEDNESDAY 11 MARCH 2009. MINUTE NOS. 74-78 AND 80-85 ARE NOT SUBJECT TO “CALL-IN”.

FORMBY AREA COMMITTEE

MEETING HELD AT THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CENTRE, ROAD, FORMBY ON THURSDAY 12 FEBRUARY, 2009

PRESENT: Councillor Platt (in the Chair) Councillors Cuthbertson, Doran, Griffiths, Ibbs and Storey Parish Councillor R.J. Cawley representing Formby Advisory Group Member Mr. P. G. Thornton Area Commander, Ian Pilling – Police Sergeant Simmons – Merseyside Police Constable Holmes – Merseyside Police 7 members of the public.

74. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

Apologies for absence were received from Parish Councillor R. Jenkins (representing ), Parish Councillor Ms. P.M.Starkey (representing ), Advisory Group Member Mrs.B.Yorke and Inspector Jim McLoughlin.

75. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

No declarations of interest were received.

76. MINUTES

RESOLVED: That

(1) Subject to (2) below, the Minutes of the Meeting held on 8 January 2009 be confirmed as a correct record;

(2) Minute No. 67(a) (1) (Open Forum) be amended to read as follows;

“consideration of the request to contribute towards the replacement barriers to be installed in front of Waitrose supermarket along Three Tuns Lane at a cost of £11,250 be deferred and the Formby Parish Council be requested to submit a formal written report to be considered at the next meeting of the Area Committee”.

32 FORMBY AREA COMMITTEE- THURSDAY 12TH FEBRUARY, 2009

77. MINUTE NO. 66 UNAUTHORISED FELLING

Further to Minute No. 66 of the meeting of the 8 January 2009, the Committee Administrator read out the following response received from the Leisure Director.

“At it’s meeting on the 8 January 2009, the Formby Area Committee discussed tree felling by Leisure Services adjacent to Albert Road, . The minute recorded that this work was unauthorised.

The work in question was fully authorised and formed part of the work programme for the Sefton Coast Woodlands Forest Plan. It was agreed in advance through the Sefton Coast Woodland Owners Group of the Sefton Coast Partnership.

The work was undertaken by the Leisure Services department under the auspices of the Cabinet Member for Leisure and Tourism and was supported by a Forestry Commission grant.

Mr David Adams Chair of the Formby Area Committee Woodland Monitoring Group reported that this work was unauthorised even though the detail of this work was given in response to his initial enquiry on the 12 th December 2008. It was unfortunate that a decision was made to report to the Area Committee without further discussion, which would have dealt with any misunderstanding. It was also unfortunate that there was no opportunity for Leisure Services to respond at the committee meeting.

The report by Mr Adams also implied that after making contact with the Leisure Services Department work ceased. This was inaccurate and work to complete the clearance of this coupe ready for replanting was completed in late January – (replanting would be undertaken before the end of March).

It should be noted that it does not fall under the purview of Formby Area Committee’s Woodland Monitoring Group to authorise such tree work. The Leisure Services Department will seek to keep Members updated and informed of such activity wherever possible. However there may be times due for example to pressing health and safety needs that this was not possible”.

The Chair gave Mr Adams the opportunity to respond to which he indicated that this response he felt was in reply to the report he had made to the Area Committee’s previous meeting. He explained that the group enquired about work being undertaken in what appeared to be compartment 18C as indicated within part one of the Woodland Plan and were informed that no work was taking place in that area. Further, it had been indicated that the land in question may have been in the ownership of Shorrocks Hill. Numerous attempts were made to contact Leisure

33 FORMBY AREA COMMITTEE- THURSDAY 12TH FEBRUARY, 2009

Services for further clarification, however these proved fruitless and Councillor Griffiths was then informed who contacted the office of the Leisure Director requesting immediate cessation of felling pending further clarification. Subsequently, the Woodland Monitoring Group was advised of the ambiguous nature of the maps within part one of the Woodland Plan and were informed that the correct positions were shown in parts two and three. Mr Adams further indicated that the group undertook a site visit on 11 December 2008 and identified that felling work had ceased, subsequently full clarification regarding these works had been provided by the Leisure Department. In relation to the Formby Golf Club, Mr Adams indicated that the matter remained outstanding and the group continued to receive reports claiming that significant numbers of healthy trees had been felled. Investigations were still on-going by the Monitoring Group and it was the intention of the Group to feedback to the Area Committee in due course.

78. OPEN FORUM

No questions or representations were received from members of the public.

79. POLICE ISSUES

Sergeant Sue Simmons reported on the drink driving figures for Sefton from 1 December 2008 – 1 January 2009, which were as follows;

• 110 breath tests undertaken – following spot checks ,24 – were • refused or gave a positive result • 43 – breath tests undertaken following collisions, 2 – gave a positive result of failed to provide. • 5 arrests - Section 4 – unfit through drink/drugs

In relation to Members request for information regarding incidents at Elbow Lane, Sergeant Simmons reported that there had been five reported incidents since October 2008, and a recent report of youths sitting on a resident’s wall, a PCSO had been in attendance but no youths were present at that time.

Sergeant Simmons indicated that at the last Police Community Forum, concerns were raised regarding the Formby Pool and Dukes Way, these two areas had now been made a priority for the neighbourhood team to deal with within the next three months. Incidents had been reported of people gaining access to the pool via Dukes Way, it was hoped that a meeting with the residents and a planned site visit might assist in resolving the problems. Councillor Doran who was a local resident offered to help the officers resolve the issues as he and his neighbour had had damage caused to their properties.

Councillor Griffiths asked questions in relation to graffiti at Long Lane Ditch, about youths hanging around by the High School, drivers using

34 FORMBY AREA COMMITTEE- THURSDAY 12TH FEBRUARY, 2009 mobile phones and access to contact numbers for the neighbourhood team.

In response Sergeant Simmons indicated that both incidents at Long Lane Ditch and the High School would be investigated. In relation to drivers using mobile phones, this was policed on a weekly basis along with seatbelt and speeding checks. She further indicated that contact numbers had been made available to Members and were listed in the circulated newsletter.

The Committee welcomed Area Commander Ian Pilling who took over in Sefton in September 2008, Mr Pilling indicated that he was pleased that issues regarding areas of concerns were regularly reported to this Committee and he was happy with the current crime figures for the area, and his focus would now be on tackling criminal damage in the area.

In relation to anti-social behaviour he encouraged his officers to work with young people to divert them off the streets and find them somewhere to go, he also wanted officers to spend more time in schools talking to young people to try and modify their behaviour, he felt that this would a way of breaking down the barriers so that young people feel they could approach officers.

In relation to the officer levels in Formby he reiterated that there was no change to the number of Officers on foot patrol or in regular Police patrol cars; and that in Formby, currently Officers are briefed at and then dispensed to patrol between and Formby. Since the new arrangement had been in place all attendances at incidents had been monitored and shown not to have adversely affected the Formby area, however, this would be carefully monitored and if response times were impacted upon on in Formby, the current arrangements would be reviewed.

Patrol cars had been installed with a monitoring system to record attendance levels; this would also be carefully monitored and reviewed on a regular basis, at present, targets showed that officers were performing well under this arrangement.

Councillor Cuthbertson asked about the G.O fencing system and requested a visit to the station to see how it worked.

Councillor Doran raised concerns in relation to the decision to parade officers in Southport and indicated that this had not worked when tried in the past and asked that the arrangements be monitoring and reviewed regularly.

RESOLVED:

Sergeant Simmons and Area Commander Ian Pilling be thanked for their presentations.

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80. RAMPWORKS PROJECT

The Committee received a presentation from Constable Mike Holmes regarding the Rampworks project.

Constable Holmes indicated that a major part of his role was youth intervention, and following reports of anti-social behaviour at the Formby Pool, he and a fellow dedicated officer had been working in the area with the young people.

He indicated that the Pool area had attracted young people especially at weekends and school holidays. Following reports of damage caused by BMX bikes and in-line skaters, he and a fellow officer had been working with the young people to tackle the issue, and although it was perceived that it was this particular group of young people causing concern, it was highlighted that the reasoning behind their being at the pool was due to a lack of facilities elsewhere to ride their bikes.

As part of the diversionary works with the young people, Constable Holmes indicated that he had previously taken twelve young people from the Pool area that had a keen interest in bikes to Rampworks. This was an indoor bike facility. The twelve were taken in the December half-term for six hours, it was a very successful project and over 450 young people were in attendance with no reported incidents.

Constable Holmes indicated that he hoped to take a further twelve young people from the Pool area during the summer holidays, once every two weeks. In return the young people would be given a civil task, i.e. maintaining pool planters, litter picking.

Constable Holmes concluded by asking Members for a contribution towards the project and suggestions for possible civil tasks.

RESOLVED: That

(1) Constable Mike Holmes be thanked for his presentation;

(2) a contribution of £1000 be given from the Formby Area Committee’s devolved budget towards the Rampworks Project;

(3) Members be requested to forward suggestions of possible civil tasks to the Committee Administrator; and

(4) the Finance and Information Services Director be advised of the expenditure referred to in (2) above.

36 FORMBY AREA COMMITTEE- THURSDAY 12TH FEBRUARY, 2009

81. ERECTION OF A STRUCTURE ON A PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY

Further to Minute No. 69 of the 8 January 2009, the Committee considered the report of the Planning and Economic Regeneration Director seeking approval for the erection of two gates at the access point to the claimed Public Right of Way to be known as Formby Bridleway No. 51 at the junction of Wicks Lane and Larkhill Lane, pursuant to the provisions of Section 115b of the Highways Act 1980 (as amended by the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982).

Val Hough, Principal Engineer (Rights of Way and Cycling), Traffic Services Department indicated that following an objection received, a meeting had been held between the objector, the landowner, the Planning Department and a local Councillor, following which the landowner agreed to relocate his boundary fencing to comply with dimensions described in the proposed Order, subject to a suitable width remaining for his access. The Landowner also asked that an access control mechanism be retained at the start of the path in order to prevent its misuse by motorised vehicles and to prevent parked cars from blocking the entrance to his development.

RESOLVED:

That the erection of two gates on the claimed Public Right of Way to be known as Formby Bridleway No. 51 at the junction of Wicks Lane and Larkhill Lane to prevent unauthorised vehicular use as shown on Plan No. DC0299 be approved.

82. HIGHWAYS MAINTENANCE PROGRAMME 2009/2010

The Committee considered the report of the Strategic Director of Regeneration and Environmental Services advising of those locations which had been identified for inclusion in the Highways Maintenance Programme 2009/10.

The report indicated that following the format adopted in previous years, the 2009/10 Highways Maintenance and Street Lighting Renewals/ Refurbishment Programme was being shared with Area Committees for comment, prior to it being referred to the Cabinet Member – Technical Services for formal approval on 11 March 2009; and that following previous requests by Members, the Highways Maintenance Programme also included an indicative list of locations, which currently justified consideration for inclusion in a three year rolling programme for specific highway treatments, namely Major Reconstructions, Carriageway Resurfacing, Micro-Asphalt Carriageway Surface Treatments and Footway Reconstruction/Relay.

37 FORMBY AREA COMMITTEE- THURSDAY 12TH FEBRUARY, 2009

In each category of treatment identified in the annexe to the report, the initial thick black line denoted the extent to which the Programmes were likely to be completed during 2009/10, based upon anticipated budget allocations and preliminary cost estimates.

Mr Alan Hogan, Highways Manager indicated that data for the carriageway anti-skid surface treatment was still under analysis and consultation and that once completed the outcome would be reported to Members under a separate report at a future meeting.

RESOVED: That

(1) the report on the Highways Maintenance Programme 2009/10 be noted;

(2) the Strategic Director of Regeneration and Environmental Services be requested to provide Members with a definitive Highways Maintenance Programme 2009/10 once approved ;and

(3) the Strategic Director of Regeneration and Environmental Services and his officers be thanked for their excellent report and their work in relation to the installation of dropped kerbs at Bushby’s Lane and Smithy Green.

83. BUDGET MONITORING REPORT

The Committee considered the report of the Finance and Information Services Director indicating that the balance of the budget available for allocation during the remainder of 2008/09 amounted to £6,835.92 and that the Strategic Director had not received any requests for allocations from the devolved budget since the last meeting.

RESOLVED: That

(1) the balance of the Committee’s budget of £6,835.92 be noted;

(2) the expenditure as agreed in Minute No. 33 of the meeting of 28 August 2008 for £5,084 be added to the allocations and the remaining budget total be amended accordingly; and

(3) the Finance and Information Services Director be advised of the expenditure referred to in (2) above.

84. PREVIOUS QUESTIONS RAISED IN THE OPEN FORUM

The Committee considered the correspondence relating to items previously raised in the Open Forum.

38 FORMBY AREA COMMITTEE- THURSDAY 12TH FEBRUARY, 2009

In relation to the response from the Leisure Department regarding the condition of the facilities at Duke Street Park, Members requested a more detailed report to be submitted to the next meeting.

RESOLVED: That

(1) the correspondence be noted; and

(2) the Leisure Director be requested to submit a more detailed report in relation to the facilities at Duke Street Park to the next meeting.

85. DATE OF NEXT MEETING

That the next meeting be held on Thursday 9 April 2009 at the Professional Development Centre, Park Road, Formby commencing at 7.00 p.m.

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