Tourism, Communities, Culture and Leisure Committee update

Wirral Council’s Tourism, Communities, Culture and Leisure Committee met at Birkenhead Town Hall on Thursday 7th March 2024.

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

Items on the agenda included:

RNLI Wirral Lifeguard Services Annual Report 2023 - a report outlining the provision of Lifeguard Services to Wirral by the RNLI in the 2023 season. For noting by the Committee. The full report can be read on the website.

Members from all parties represented on the committee spoke and placed on record their thanks and  appreciation for the life-saving role that the RNLI lifeguards perform on Wirral’s beaches. 

Floral future operating model - a report providing members of the committee with an update and information on the proposed short term and medium to long term operational proposals for the future of the Floral Pavilion Theatre & Conference Centre in New Brighton. The full report is available on the website.

Committee members acknowledged that through the hard work and commitment of theatre staff over the last 18 months, current and planned programming at the theatre was at a high standard and driving improvements in the performance and reputation of the theatre.

Committee resolved that the Floral should continue to operate as a council-run theatre in the 2024-25 financial year with a net operational budget of £500,000, but that any efficiency and operational savings, including those identified in the report, should be realised in order to remain within budget. Ove the next 12 months, market engagement will continue to establish the best alternative operating model for the continued development of the facilities, which may include the involvement of a commercial operator or the formation of a charitable trust.

Wirral Smoke Control Area Consolidation and Expansion – a report to request approval to revoke all existing Smoke Control Orders (SCOs) and replace them with one consolidated order that covers the whole of the Local Authority area. Full report here.

The committee resolved to progress with the making of a single Smoke Control Order for the whole of the Council’s administrative area in accordance with the draft order set out in Appendix 1 to the report, but that the order should be subject to formal consultation and confirmation by the Secretary of State.