We asked, you said, we did

We asked

Wirral Council developed a framework for the transformational regeneration of Birkenhead, the Birkenhead 2040 Framework. This is a twenty-year plan which sets out the most radical proposals for the town since the 1947 Town Plan.

A public consultation was held to ensure all residents and stakeholders could provide feedback on the draft Framework and help shape the final version. The feedback from this consultation will also be used to shape the final draft of Wirral's Local Plan, the land-use strategy for the Borough, which will be published for public comment in 2022.

The Birkenhead 2040 Framework consultation ran between 21 April to 19 May 2021. For more information about the consultation and to view the consultation report click here.

You said

Residents and stakeholders provided feedback on a number of elements of the framework. These included the framework vision which was approved by 85% of respondents. There are nine objectives describing the activity to be undertaken to achieve the vision and 71-89% of respondents supported the objectives. The eight catalyst projects outlined in the framework received respondent support of between 74-89% and the nine neighbourhood areas gained respondent support between 79-90%. Residents also provided ideas for future development and using a mapping tool identified Birkenhead’s assets, areas for change or new opportunities. Additional feedback was collected through stakeholder events and focus groups.

We did

The Framework was developed based on what residents and local businesses have told the council is important to them. Members of the council’s Economy, Regeneration and Development Committee (Wednesday 9 March 2022) approved the Framework.

At the heart of the proposals is the creation of family-friendly neighbourhoods with beautiful, green public spaces and parks. The plan will re-connect the revitalised town centre with the amazing opportunities along the Mersey waterfront and will make the most of the town’s iconic heritage and buildings. Work is already underway including at Wirral Waters, at Eureka in Seacombe, and in Birkenhead town centre.

The Birkenhead 2040 Framework will also support the development of Wirral’s Local Plan, focus on redeveloping brownfield sites on the east of the borough to meet our housing needs and underpin a key element of the regeneration which will make a real difference to the lives of the people of Wirral.

The Framework sets out a 20-year plan for Birkenhead which will evolve over time as different stages of the plan programme are reached. The Council will continue to engage with stakeholders and residents of Birkenhead to ensure that they are kept up to date with progress and that their views continue to shape the regeneration of Birkenhead over the plan period.

We Asked

We asked residents to provide their views on Library services in Wirral to help develop a Library Strategy for the next five years. The aim is to offer a sustainable library service that meets the needs of the community both now, and for future generations.

We asked what library services were most important – whether that be reading materials, joining reading groups, accessing IT facilities, and doing online research or taking part in arts and crafts, events, and support groups. We also wanted to know what we could offer more of and what we could do differently so the library you use the most, can offer the services you need. There was also the opportunity to provide a view on who should run the library and if a community managed library is something you would like to be involved with.

You Said

There were 1,562 responses to the survey, this provided a wealth of information in key areas including the library service, the online library, new ideas for libraries and community involvement in library operations. This information was used to support the development of the new strategy.

For more information about the consultation and to view the Consultation report click here.

We Did

The consultation feedback directly influenced the development of a new emerging Library Strategy, which includes options for a new operating model for Wirral Libraries. This information including the consultation report was presented to the Tourism, Communities, Culture and Leisure Committee on 18 January 2022. The committee agreed for this new proposed model to undergo further public consultation and engagement with service users, staff, key stakeholders, and their representatives. This second phase of public consultation will go live in February 2022.

We asked

We asked you share your views on being active to help us make sure that we are delivering the right activities, at the right times and at the right facilities. We also wanted to know what stopped you from being active, so we could help to overcome those issues. You were able to respond as a resident, a young person or as a representative of a partner organisation.

You Said

You told us how often you like to be active, what kinds of activities you enjoy and how and when you would prefer to be active. Barriers to being active were also highlighted as well as suggestions to encourage physical activity in Wirral.

We Did

The Sport and Physical Activity Strategy for Wirral 2021-2026 has been developed based on the Case For Change which includes the findings of this consultation: This strategy can be viewed here.

We asked

We asked Wirral residents and businesses to provide their opinions on the vision and objectives of draft Economic Strategy; whether they agreed or disagreed and what was missing. The Economic Strategy will support the council to deliver on some of the central aims of the new Wirral Corporate Plan - The Wirral 2021-2026 Plan.

You Said

You thought that Strong Communities and Good Quality of Life should be more strongly reflected in the strategy, that the Green Energy Sector should be better defined as well as the support available for SMEs.

We Did

The consultation feedback directly influenced the final draft of the Policy. The vision statement was updated and the Objectives and Principles changed to reflect the consultation findings.

The final Wirral Economic Policy has now been published and is available to view in the Documents section of the consultation page here

We asked

We asked residents what their preferred design layout would be for a proposed pump track in Central Park, Liscard.

Two options were presented:

• Option A, a continuous circuit track with a variety of rollers (bumps) and berms (corners).
• Option B, a single lap track with consistent rollers and berms.

You Said

Option A was the preferred design layout option by some distance. Most respondents supported the idea of a pump track in the park in general, and thought that they or members of their household would use it.

We did

Planning permission for the pump track was approved by the Council on 21 December 2021. Work to start building the track is intended to commence from January, and the track is expected to be complete and open to members of the public by Spring 2022. Further updates on the progress of the project will be communicated via the Wirral Council website, social media channels and press releases.

For more information about the consultation click here

For more information about the consultation click here.

We asked

We conducted a consultation for the Safer Streets 2 Project, which is funded by the Home Office. We asked for your views on the installation of alleygates in 10 key areas across Birkenhead and Seacombe. These areas were selected due to issues with anti-social behaviour, acquisitive crime and environmental problems, like fly-tipping. We wanted to know how residents felt about these alleygates being installed. The questions were framed in relation to the Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) that comes into effect in conjunction with the installation of alleygates. A PSPO is a legislative tool which comes under the umbrella of the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014. They can be used to prevent anti-social behaviour and related criminal behaviour in key areas which have seen high levels of anti-social behaviour or other criminality. The installation of alleygates closes the alleyway set out in the PSPO to the public and means only surrounding residents, who receive keys to the alleygates, can gain access to the alleyway. Breach of a PSPO, without a reasonable excuse, is an offence.

You said

Residents told us whether or not they objected to the installation of alleygates. This gave residents the chance to voice any additional concerns they may have prior to the installation of alleygates. 51 consultation responses were collected regarding the proposed PSPOs. 96% of overall responses were positive. The 4% objections or queries have been addressed. Analysis of the responses showed that 8 of the areas did not receive any objections to the PSPO.

We did

We responded individually to residents who had objections to address their concerns in full. The PSPO was sealed and came into force on the 5 November 2021. The appeals process against the PSPO lasted for 6 weeks from the 5 November, ending on 17 December 2021. Residents had six weeks from the date of the order to question the validity of the Order or any provision contained in it, to make an application to the High Court under Section 66 of the Act based on specified grounds set out within the Act. This allowed for residents who still have concerns about the installation of alleygates, and their associated PSPOs, to appeal it through the proper legal mechanism.

For those areas with no objections, we will continue with the alleygate installation as planned, with the alleygates set to be installed throughout January and February 2022. Following the installation of the alleygates, we will conduct an evaluation with residents to assess what impact they feel alleygates have had in their area. This further survey will consolidate the importance of public feedback and its impact on future decision-making.

For more information on the consultation click here.

We Asked

The Tree Maintenance survey is a resident consultation to gain insight regarding the performance of our tree maintenance staff and contractors when on site. Wirral Council employs staff and contractors to maintain our trees year-round. Each tree is inspected on a cyclical basis to ensure that they are healthy, safe and stable. Part of this assessment looks at the potential need for pruning. Residents were asked to register views on work that has been carried out and the professionalism of the staff involved. This covered how polite and courteous the workers were, how tidy they left the site and the overall quality of the work.

You Said

In Summary, most of the feedback is positive, suggesting that the tree contractors are minimising inconvenience, the quality of work is high, and workers respect the site and residents. However, some survey respondents believe that the quality of work could have room for improvement.

We Did

The resident feedback collected has been shared with tree contractors to work with them to improve the service to residents and ensure high standards of tree maintenance.

For more information on the consultation click here.

We Asked

We asked Wirral residents and businesses to share their opinions about Birkenhead and how it should be developed in the future. These views were important in shaping a £45m capital funding investment bid to the Government’s £3.6bn Towns Fund programme, which was set up to benefit towns that have not seen the same economic growth as more prosperous areas. We wanted to know how residents felt about the town and its potential, to make sure that our bid reflected the needs and wants of local people.

You Said

Residents provided their views on Birkenhead across a range of topics. This included how they felt about the town today, what makes it special and distinctive, and what would make a difference to Birkenhead’s future. The key findings showed that the town’s history and heritage, and green, open spaces like Birkenhead Park, as well as the Waterfront, were particularly important. Residents told us that they wanted to see improvements on the high street and in the town centre as well as the redevelopment of derelict land and better facilities for culture, heritage, and the arts.

We Did

Following the consultation, the Town Deal Board (which includes MPs and locally elected members, and representatives from business, education, community, and voluntary sectors) used the feedback to help decide which projects would be put forward as part of our Town Deal bid. We submitted a £45m bid to fund projects which covered key areas such as culture and heritage, public spaces, sustainability, education, and workspaces for business growth; and support the vision of the Birkenhead 2040 Framework. Following this, we were awarded an additional £1m of accelerator funding which went to support ‘quick-win’ projects, including over £430,000 for creative organisations based in the Argyle Street area.

In July 2021, we successfully secured £25m from the Towns Fund. This will be used to fund 10 key projects across the areas outlined above over the next four years, which will benefit our residents, businesses, and visitors. You can find out more about the Town Deal for Birkenhead and the supported projects here: Millions of pounds for transformational Birkenhead projects

For more information on the consultation click here.

We Asked

We asked Wirral residents, sports clubs, groups and local organisations to provide us with information about football in the local areas to help us submit a funding bid. We asked about playing, supporting, coaching, refereeing, staying fit and what activities communities want for the future. The funding bid was to focus the areas of Birkenhead and Tranmere, Seacombe, Bidston and St. James, Rock Ferry and Liscard.

You Said

Residents fed back their views on playing football in Wirral. This included a range of information such as what football activities people would like, who they should be delivered by and when. They also advised on how football benefited them through improved health and wellbeing and building good relationship within the community, they also advised on if there were barriers to playing football.

We Did

We submitted the bid to the National Lottery’s Active Through Football funding programme managed by the Football Foundation. The application process was highly competitive and the funding has been directed to the most socially and economically disadvantaged areas around the Country. Unfortunately, Wirral’s individual bid was unsuccessful, however we are hopeful that we can still deliver some projects in Wirral through an additional successful City Region bid that we are partnered with.

Whilst this planning is underway, we will continue to utilise the information provided by respondents to our original questionnaire as we look to secure several million pounds from the Football Foundation soon. We are progressing the development of new 3G facilities around the borough. We are also applying for funding to invest in our grass pitch stock to improve their condition and ability to host more games throughout the season.

For more information on the consultation click here.

We Asked

We carried out a consultation on a set of budget proposals for the 2021/22 Council budget. We asked for your views on whether you supported the proposals. The 24 proposals included options for budget reductions affecting all council departments and the services they provide, from adult social care and young people & education, to bin collections, leisure centres, museum services, golf courses, public conveniences, and tourism. The budget proposals also covered areas such as council back-office reorganisation and income generation such as car parking and other fees charged by the local authority.

You Said

You told us which of the proposals you supported and those you didn’t. You also gave us feedback on the proposals and different ideas we could use for council budget setting. The analysis of responses showed that the proposals most disagreed with included:

Reducing youth provision, ceasing the school crossing patrol service, reduction of public conveniences, reducing the collection of general rubbish to once every three weeks, the closure of Europa Pools, review of council-run golf courses, closure of the Council’s museum service, and removal of support for the community alarm service.

You can view the whole consultation report in Documents here.

We Did

A meeting of the full Wirral Council was held on the 1 March 2021 to make a final decision on the budget. Councillors discussed the budget options including the public consultation responses.

In light of the findings from the extensive public consultation on the savings options, councillors agreed to remove a number of proposals in the budget, reflecting those areas people in the borough care about. This included the options to stop school crossing patrols, close public toilets, introduce three weekly bin collection and entirely close Europa Pools were removed from the budget. Investigations will take place to see if the Fun Pool at Europa can be opened for the six-week summer holiday while the main pool will stay open – this would have to be in line with Public Health advice, any lockdown restrictions.

The reviews of council golf courses and the Museums Service were also removed from the budget, although the Williamson Gallery will need to make efficiency savings totalling £90,000. The proposal to reduce the subsidy to the Hive Youth Centre from £400,000 to £200,000 was amended so the centre will receive £300,000 for one year only and the Birkenhead youth site will be helped to secure additional sponsorship and funding from businesses to make up the difference. The proposal to remove the Community Alarm Service which offers a low-level support service to aid independent living and reduces the burden on social care and health services was also delayed.

Eight major proposals were removed from the list of budget options after being highlighted by the public that they did not want them to go ahead.

You can view the minutes and webcast of the full council meeting here.