Tourism, Communities, Culture and Leisure Committee update
Wirral Council’s Tourism, Communities, Culture and Leisure Committee met at Wallasey Town Hall on Thursday 23rd January 2025.
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:-
The report to members set out a proposed direction of travel that can deliver short, medium and long-term objectives to improve and modernise Wirral’s leisure services offer in a way that is sustainable, which meets the changing needs of local people and which can contribute to better health outcomes – and reduced health inequalities - for Wirral residents.
Members resolved to authorise the Director of Neighbourhood Services and Interim Director of Regeneration and Place to commission the design and development works deemed necessary after an initial feasibility study into the proposed Public Sector Health and Wellbeing Hub in Birkenhead. They also approved the proposed director of travel for leisure services sites as set out in the report.
This report followed on from a decision last year to make a Single Control Order covering the whole of the Wirral administrative area and revoking the existing orders covering individual areas. During the public notice period, an objection was received so – in accordance with the earlier decision – details of the objection were reported back to the committee for their consideration.
Members duly noted the details of the objection, but resolved to approve that – subject to confirmation by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs – the Director of Neighbourhoods should be authorised to continue the process to revoke the existing orders and make a single Smoke Control Area covering all parts of the Wirral borough.
Members were asked to note an update on the work that staff have been doing to support families affected by historic practices. The Council, having been made aware of the burial of stillborn babies in communal graves within Wirral cemeteries up to the 1970s, has taken a number of steps to recognise and work with affected families to acknowledge this historic practice.
The report sets out the actions that the Council has taken to acknowledge this historical practice and to support families by assisting families to find the graves of their stillborn baby; holding services of remembrance; and providing a memorial to commemorate all babies lost. The report also set out the proposed future actions to assist bereaved families. Members noted and endorsed the report.
The Chair moved a further recommendation to give an unconditional apology on behalf of the authority and previous authorities that Wirral inherited to the families for the practices of the day. The committee placed on record its thanks and appreciation to the campaigners for their work and also requested tha a letter be sent to that the appropriate government department – and the Wirral MPs – seeking their support for a national response to this issue and additional rescources for local authorities.
Members of the committee received a presentation by Paul Kelly, the Regional Co-Director for the Community Managed Libraries Peer Network (CMLNPN), an independent charity funded by the National Lottery, covering England and Wales. The CMLNPN helps community managed libraries to run effectively by sharing ideas, learning, experiences and inspiration. There are 542 community managed libraries currently open which makes up around 19% of the total library provision.
Committee resolved to invite community groups, Friends groups or other interested parties to register their interest in taking a greater role in the running of libraries, to request a progress update on the introduction of a 'fast-track' asset transfer policy and to ask officers to meet further with the CMLNPN.
Committee received an update on the changing places programme, confirmation of the Council’s existing provision and information on other public toilet provision, an update on revenue since introduction of charging, and information on Thornton Hough and possibility of reopening with charges.
The resolution included asking for how much it would cost to reopen Thornton Hough public toilets as a 'pay per use' facility, to welcome the offer of using those on the Community Payback scheme to help renovate the facility and to thank the Thornton Hough Community Trust for their continued work on this issue.
Members received an update on key activity in relation to one of the ten thematic areas of Wirral Community Safety Strategy (2021-2026) - Anti-Social Behaviour.
This report explained recent events and updates from the Member Champion for Heritage to the Tourism, Communities, Culture and Leisure Committee.
The purpose of this report was to provide an update on the budgets within the remit of the Committee in respect of forthcoming pressures and proposed savings that are being considered within the Medium-Term Financial Plan. This item and the appendices to the report were exempt from publication under paragraph 3 of part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 (Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information) and the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosure.
