Changes have been made to planned cuts at Wirral Council.
At last night’s meeting of the council’s most powerful committee, the Policy and Resources committee, some of the measures which together must save £20m were scrapped, while a chink of light was given to those trying to save some of the borough’s much loved leisure facilities.
The changes will go forward to a full council meeting on February 28, where a budget saving £20m must be agreed.
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Here’s the five big things we learnt at last night’s crunch meeting.
Some cuts will be scrapped
In the council’s original budget plans, 11 of its 24 libraries were set to close.
But Cllr Tom Anderson, leader of the Conservative group, had his plan to keep Greasby Library open accepted.
Labour’s Yvonne Nolan added a plan to keep Rock Ferry Library open to Cllr Anderson’s amendment, something the committee agreed to.
This will see Wirral Council save £162,000 less than the original £800,000 it had expected to save year-on-year from cutting the library service.
Cllr Anderson’s plan also included a £500,000 pot from the capital budget, which is not part of the day-to-day budget from which the council must save £20m, to give groups who want to keep the other nine libraries open on a community asset transfer some funds to pay for any repairs and maintenance which may be needed.
Plans to close public toilets and halve the amount the council spends on school crossing patrols, otherwise known as lollipop ladies, were also abandoned.
Labour councillor Tony Jones said he was relieved about changes to the council's plans for public toilets and said they would play a part in supporting tourism in Wirral’s coastal towns.
The council is now proposing to retain four of the nine public toilets in the borough, in New Brighton, Marine Lake in West Kirby, Parade Gardens in Hoylake and Moreton Common.
But five of the council's public toilets will close, including Moreton Cross, West Kirby Concourse (external), Meols Parade, New Ferry and Thornton Hough.
Fellow Labour councillor Liz Grey welcomed the move to scrap the planned cut to the school crossing patrol service. She thought the plan was unfair on families and “not great” given the council wanted to get children walking and cycling to school.
There’s time left to save Woodchurch Leisure Centre and golf courses
Wirral Council has proposed closing Woodchurch Leisure Centre down, before demolishing it, a move which would save the authority £402,000.
The proposal to close the leisure centre has been highly controversial with some calling it “disgraceful” and thousands signing an online petition to save it.
But last night’s meeting changed this proposal to give groups that might be interested in saving it until September 30 to come forward with plans to do so.
As well as providing more time for groups who may want to take over the running of the facility under a community asset transfer (CAT), Labour’s amendment also said that the £330,000 which would otherwise go towards demolishing the centre would be given to the group which wants to take over its running should their bid be successful.
Those wanting to save Brackenwood and Hoylake golf courses, the two municipal courses up for closure, will also have the chance to put plans forward to run them on a community asset transfer scheme.
Residents will fight to keep services open
The start of the meeting saw many questions protesting the council’s cuts plans.
Among them were a raft of passionate speeches from members of Bebington’s Brackenwood Golf Course, as well as questions and petitions from those keen to save Woodchurch Leisure Centre and stop the abolition of three of the six indoor courts at Wirral Tennis Centre among other things.
This included a question from Brackenwood’s club secretary, Keith Marsh, who wanted to know what support the council could give to the new operator for the golf course, should one be found.
Cllr Helen Cameron, the Conservative chair of the council’s Tourism and Leisure Committee, confirmed that if a third party operator is found for the golf course it will be at no cost to the council.
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It was clear to see that there was plenty of fight left in those appalled at what the council is planning to do to make its numbers add up.
Wirral Council’s finances have improved
Shaer Halewood, the authority’s director of resources, said Wirral Council could cut the amount it needs to borrow from the government in a so-called ‘capitalisation directive’.
The council had originally planned to borrow £10.7m this year, a sum which was reduced to £7.2m before the new year thanks to an improving picture. It has now been cut further to £6.355m.
This was put down to a number of factors, including better than expected figures in the council’s adult social care budget.
Political parties are prepared to work together
Two government reports into Wirral Council, published last November, slated councillors for being unwilling to make tough decisions and placing too much importance on party politics.
But last night saw much agreement on the way forward and the budget set to go to full council on February 28 was agreed by Labour, the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats and an Independent councillor, although Green Party group leader Pat Cleary voted against.
