Policy & Resources Committee update

Wirral Council’s Policy and Resources Committee met at Wallasey town hall on Wednesday July 17.

The full agenda for this committee meeting is available on the council website. The meeting is also webcast and can be viewed online using the webcast link on the agenda.

Items on the agenda included:

Brackenwood Golf Course.

Members decided to allow Brackenwood Golf Club and Link Golf UK Limited the opportunity to submit a detailed business plan for the transfer of the course on the basis of the previously agreed Heads of Terms between Brackenwood Community Golf Limited and the Council, which had been approved at P&R on 27 July 2023. 

This detailed business plan must be submitted to the council by 31 October 2024. It will then be assessed by council officers and discussed with the chair and spokespersons of the P&R Committee.

Council’s Enforcement Policy.

Members of the committee approved the updated Wirral Council Enforcement Policy. The changes to the policy include the clarification that the council will take proportionate enforcement action to tackle environmental crime and legislation breaches.

The policy was last amended in 2020 and the update is to ensure it is in line with governance and subsequent changes in legislation. The updated policy presented to councillors can be read on the authority’s website.

Changing The Council Tax Reduction Scheme For Working Age Applicants With Effect From 1st April 2025

Members of the committee approved plans to consult on the introduction of a new income banded/grid scheme for working age applicants to take effect from 1 April 2025.

The aim of this is to reduce the administrative burden placed on the Council by the introduction of 

Universal Credit while also maintaining the overall level of support for the lowest income families, and also improve the level of Council Tax collection.  

In addition it is intended that the proposed scheme will address the issues faced by the Revenues and Benefits Service in administering the current scheme.

The report outlining the proposals is on the committee agenda on the council website.

Wallasey and Birkenhead town hall updates and proposed next steps.

A previous Policy and Resources Committee (13 December 2023) had agreed that feasibility work should be undertaken on the status of Birkenhead and Wallasey Town Halls, and that once this work was complete that a report would be presented to the Committee with those findings and present options and business cases regarding their future uses. 

Wallasey Town Hall was initially stood down while this work was undertaken and Birkenhead Town Hall used on a temporary basis for the meetings of Council and Committees.

However, the position has changed since with Wallasey Town Hall now partially used to allow better management of committee meetings, meaning both buildings are currently partly being used to deliver council services.

Members of the committee were asked to note the relocation of democratic uses from Birkenhead Town Hall to Wallasey Town Hall and the temporary relocation of Licencing into Wallasey Town Hall from Solar Campus.

In addition, they were asked to approve that a workshop of the P&R Committee be convened to inform future options for 

Wallasey and Birkenhead Town Halls and review work to date and understand the implications of next steps as set out in the report. The workshop, will need to consider (amongst other issues):

• the cost and operational implications of undertaking works at the Town Halls:
• long term use for the purpose of the Council’s civic and democratic function,
• a costed occupation strategy for varying council functions and services; and
• Transport strategy to support future use of the Town Halls:

The P&R committee members were also asked to note that following the member workshop a further report will be brought back for consideration by the committee. The report presented to the committee is on the council website.