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Date: 14 March 2014

Meeting of the Council

Monday, 24 March 2014 at 6.35pm

Council Chamber, Town Hall, Warrington

Steven Broomhead Chief Executive

Agenda prepared by Sharon Parker, Councillor Services Manager – Telephone: (01925) 442161, Email: szparker@warrington.gov.uk)

1. Apologies

2. The Minutes of the Council

To be moved by the Mayor and seconded by the Deputy Mayor:

That the Minutes of the meeting held on 3 March 2014 be agreed as a correct record.

3. Correspondence from the previous meetings

Council are asked to note any written responses and associated correspondence in relation to questions asked and debate at the previous Council meeting. Council Procedure Rules – Paragraph 7 (7.1b) – (iv).

There is no correspondence to be noted at this meeting.

4. Code of Conduct – Declarations of Interest Relevant Authorities (Disclosable Pecuniary Interests) Regulations 2012

Members are reminded of their responsibility to declare any disclosable pecuniary or non-pecuniary interest which they have in any item of business on the agenda no later than when the item is reached.

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mailto:szparker@warrington.gov.uk

The Solicitor to the Council or representatives in Democratic and Member Services are available prior to the meeting to advise and/or to receive details of the interest and the item to which it relates.

Declarations are a personal matter for each Member to decide. Whilst officers will advise on the Code and its interpretation, the decision to declare, or not, is the responsibility of the Member based on the particular circumstances.

5. The Leader’s Announcements

6. To receive Reports from the Executive Board and the Council’s Committees

6.1 Pay Policy Statement 2014/2015

Report of the Executive Board.

Proposed by Cllr H Patel Seconded by Cllr T O’Neill

6.2 Potholes - Report of the Building Stronger Communities Policy Committee

Report of the Building Stronger Communities Policy Committee

Proposed by Cllr McLaughlin Seconded by Cllr K Simcock

6.3 Development Management Committee/Planning Applications Sub Committee

Report of the Development Management Committee

Proposed by Cllr T McCarthy Seconded by Cllr D Keane

6.4 Constitutional Issues

Report of the Constitution Committee

Proposed by Cllr C Fitzsimmons Seconded by Cllr B Maher

7. Questions Received from Members of the Public

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In accordance with Standing Order 13.11-13.24 questions from the public must be received by the Head of Democratic and Member Services by 12 noon on Monday, 17 March 2014. No more than 3 questions shall be addressed and no person or body or organisation may submit more than 1 question at any one meeting. A time limit of five minutes shall apply per question to cover the asking of the question, the response and any supplementary question and response. Responses will be given either orally or in writing.

The Mayor will invite the questioner to put the question to the Councillor nominated to answer it. The Mayor may receive 1 supplementary question, which must be related to the original question.

Should any questions be received after the date of agenda issue but prior to the closing date for receipt of questions further details will be provided.

8. Questions from Members of the Council

In accordance with Standing Order 13.1 – 13.10 Questions must be received by the Head of Democratic and Member Services, in writing by 5.00pm on Tuesday, 18 March 2014. The time allowed at Council meetings for asking and responding to a question including any supplementary questions should normally be five minutes.

Should any questions be received after the date of agenda issue but prior to the closing date for receipt of questions further details will be provided.

Question 1 – From Councillor S Woodyatt to Councillor H Patel, Executive Board Member Personnel and Communications

In view of the amount of time and effort from members, officers and young people in setting up the Youth Café, please will the interim Executive Board Member tell us what steps are being taken to find a new site for this important facility when the Time Square re-development goes ahead?

9. Motions

In accordance with Standing Order 15, motions must be delivered to the Head of Democratic and Member Services by 9.30am on Friday, 14 March 2014.

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Motion 1 Mersey Gateway Toll

Proposed by Cllr Brian Axcell Seconded by Cllr Ian Marks

This Council

• Welcomes the new Mersey Gateway Crossing and the benefits it will bring to economic development in the region

• Is greatly concerned that the proposed toll charge of £2 will displace traffic and cause increased congestion through Warrington

• Notes that as a result of local opposition, toll charges have been withdrawn by the Government on the A14 from Cambridge to Huntingdon

• Calls upon the Government to similarly withdraw the tolls on the Mersey Gateway Crossing

• As a back-up, requests that pressure be put on Halton Council to agree mitigation measures for Warrington residents as originally agreed

Motion 2 - Warburton Toll Bridge

Proposed by Cllr Bob Barr Seconded by Cllr Ian Marks

This Council

• Accepts that the Thelwall Viaduct needs to be closed at times, or becomes congested due to weather conditions or accidents

• Acknowledges that such closures, or severe delays, divert traffic and cause disruption and congestion in Warrington

• Believes that the problem is exacerbated by traffic queuing to pay tolls on the Warburton Toll Bridge

• Requests Peel to stop collecting tolls when there are tailbacks of more than an agreed length in either direction on the approaches to the Warburton Toll Bridge

• Calls on Salford and Trafford Councils to join Warrington in this campaign

10. Recommendations of the Independent Renumeration Panel

Scheme of Allowances – 2014/15

Please note that the Information Technology and Telephony elements of the Scheme of Allowances will be presented to Council at its Annual Meeting on 9 June.

Proposed By Cllr T O’Neill

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Seconded by Cllr M Hannon

11. Review of Polling Districts and Polling Places 2013/2014

Report of Returning Officer

Proposed By Cllr C Fitzsimmons Seconded by Cllr T McCarthy

12. The Mayor's Civic Announcements

If you would like this information provided in another language or format, including large print, Braille, audio or British Sign Language, please call

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01925 443322 or ask at the reception desk in Contact Warrington, Horsemarket Street, Warrington.

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Agenda Item 2

MEETING OF THE COUNCIL

3 March 2014

Present: The Mayor (Councillor P Carey)

Councillors: B Axcell, R Barr, M Biggin, S Bland, R Bowden, P Bretherton, W Brinksman, J Carter, A Dirir, L Dirir, T Finnegan, C Fitzsimmons, G Friend, C Froggatt, K Gleave, J Guthrie, K Hannon, M Hannon, T Higgins, T L Hoyle, W Hughes, W Johnson, C Jordan, D Keane, P Kennedy, J Kerr-Brown, B Lines-Rowlands, B Maher, I Marks, T McCarthy, M McLaughlin, H Mundry, L Murphy, P Nelson, T O’Neill, S Parish, H Patel, D Price, F Rashid, J Richards, S Roberts, G Settle, K Simcock, C Vobe, J Walker, P Walker, G Welborn, T Williams, S Woodyatt, P Wright and S Wright

C 65 Apologies

Apologies were received from Councillors K Bennett, J Joyce, L Ladbury and T M Wood.

C 66 The Minutes of the Council

Resolved:

That the Minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 2 December were agreed as a correct record.

C 67 Correspondence from the Previous Meetings

Resolved:

That members of the Council noted the written responses and associated correspondence in relation to questions asked and debated at the previous Council meeting.

C 68 Code of Conduct – Declarations of Interest

Councillor B Barr declared an interest in Item C72 as a non Executive Director of Helena Partnership. Following advice at the meeting Councillor Barr voted on the matter.

C 69 The Mayor’s Announcements

The Mayor made the following announcements:

Attendance at several commemoration events including a service at Queen’s Gardens with the South Lancs Regiment to remember the Pieters Hill massacre; a service at St Elphin’s to mark the work of the Brownies and

Agenda Item 2

Guides; Appleton Village Hall to mark 100 years on the Women’s Institute. The Mayor also referred to the successful Ladies Evening that had recently taken place.

C 70 The Leader’s Announcements

The Leader’s announcements were restricted to the budget process and the agreement of the budget for 2014/15.

The Leader stated that he did not need to tell Members about the financial pressure the Council had been put under since 2010. The Council had already seen cuts of more than £50m in funding in previous years and needed to find another £16.2m on top next year. These were startling cuts imposed by the Coalition Government, with local authorities across the country having seen cuts in their revenue budgets of around 30% - all at a time when some Whitehall departments had seen cuts of just a few %.

Local Government had shown itself to be incredibly resourceful in dealing with this situation which was really hurting Councils and there did not seem to be any good news on the horizon. The austerity programme looked like it was here to stay and it was important that local authorities kept innovating and changing if they were to remain financially resilient.

The Leader stated that regardless of where Members sat in the Council Chamber, he was sure that everyone sought election in order to do the best for their ward residents and for the town as a whole. The common duty was to do the utmost to protect the delivery of local services that people in Warrington relied and depended upon. It was to protect the most vulnerable people in the town, to support the growth of the local economy and to make strong and active communities. These were the three core principles of the Corporate Strategy which full Council adopted in 2012. These were also the guiding principles that underpinned the budget for the coming year.

It was not only cuts to funding which threatened communities, there was a whole host of major changes which had come through the Government’s welfare reform agenda that had significant implications for so many people in Warrington. As a Council, it was necessary to continue working with all of our partners to ensure that residents were informed, prepared and well-supported in dealing with them.

The Leader stated that the Administration had provided strong leadership since 2011, striving to continue investment in Warrington, to regenerate and revitalise the town and to provide genuine opportunities for young people. In times of financial difficulty, it would be easy to pull up the drawbridge and cut back on spending and investment. That policy was not working nationally and it would not work here in Warrington either.

The Leader stated that they were facing the challenge by using their resources to keep Warrington as an attractive place to live and work, as well as a great place to come and do business. Funding had been secured for a

Agenda Item 2

UTC (University Technical College) and incubator facility on the Stadium Quarter site and other ambitious projects for the regeneration of the Town Centre were continuing at a pace. After years of stagnation, Omega was now well underway and we are ensuring the infrastructure is in place to attract business and to provide transport access for local people.

On top of continued investment, the Leader was personally delighted with the progress of the local apprenticeships programme. The Council now had 42 committed and enthusiastic apprentices. The work of the Warrington Skills Commission looked closely at the mix of businesses in the town and the skills that young people needed in order to maximise their chances in the local jobs market. This was being followed through by delivering quality employment opportunities to a generation of young people so that they were properly equipped to take them, particularly in the STEM (science, technology, English and maths) subjects.

Many independent studies show that Warrington remained strong economically and was well-placed both regionally and nationally to ride out the storm. The budget process, led by Councillor Russ Bowden, had remained forward looking, whilst also dealing with the massive budget cuts. It was both creative and innovative, looking at opportunities to realise income and efficiencies, rather than simply passing all of the funding cuts on to local people through cuts to key frontline services.

The Leader stated that he did not underestimate the impact of the budget and knew that some of the proposals would be tough and challenging. He was, however, confident that the Council could remain committed to its principles and maintain Warrington as a vibrant town that could lead the way.

There were no questions put to the Leader.

C 71 2014/15 Treasury Management Strategy

The Council considered a report of Councillor R Bowden, Executive Board Member, Corporate Resources and Assignments which sought approval to the Council’s Treasury Management Strategy for 2014/15 including Prudential and Treasury Indicators, Minimum Revenue Provision Policy Statement and Annual Investment Strategy.

It was proposed by Councillor R Bowden and seconded by Councillor C Fitzsimmons and it was resolved,

That Council approve the Treasury Management Strategy for 2014/15.

Reason for Decision: To ensure the Council complies with the 2011 revised CIPFA Treasury Management Code of practice, CIPFA Prudential Code and DCLG Investment Guidance. The Council was required to comply with both codes through regulations issued under the Local Government Act 2003.

Agenda Item 2

C 72 2014/15 Medium Term Financial Plan, Revenue Budget and CapitalProgramme

The Council considered a report of Councillor R Bowden, Executive Board Member, Corporate Resources and Assignments which sought approval to the annual budget proposals, Capital Programme and proposed Council Tax. On 10 February 2014, the Executive Board endorsed the proposals which were set out in the report presented to Council for its consideration. The report also outlined the prospects for the Council’s finances for the medium term.

In agreeing its 2014/15 revenue budget, Council was asked to consider the options set out in the report, having regard to the 2014/15 proposed Treasury Management Strategy which was the subject of a separate report.

Councillor Bowden provided a comprehensive overview of the Administration’s budget proposals. Councillor P Walker responded on behalf of the Liberal Democrat Group and Councillor P Kennedy on behalf of the Conservative Group.

It was proposed by Councillor R Bowden and seconded by Councillor C Fitzsimmons and it was resolved,

That Council –

(1) noted the result of the consultation with the public, partners and business community set out in section 10 of this report in setting the 2014/15 budget.

(2) noted the Director of Finance and Information Services’ judgement on the robustness of the estimates made for the purposes of the budget calculation and the adequacy of the proposed financial reserves and following this consideration determine that the estimates are robust for this purpose and that the proposed financial reserves are adequate.

(3) agreed the 2014/15 to 2016/17 capital programme and funding arrangement set out in section 6 of this report.

(4) agreed the 2014/15 revenue budget of £145.453m set out in section 3 of this report.

(5) noted that at the Audit & Corporate Governance Committee meeting of 16 January 2014, the 2014/15 tax base was set at 62,499.

(6) noted the calculation of the council tax as directed by section 3A of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 contained in section 8 of this report.

(7) adopts the formal Council Tax Resolution requiring council tax to be increased by 1.98% to a Band D of £1,182.09 set out in Appendix 7 as detailed below:

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Agenda Item 2

That it be noted that on 16 January 2014, the Audit & Corporate Governance Committee approved the following amounts as the Council’s Council Tax Base for the financial year 2014/15:

(a) for the whole Council area as 62,499 [Item T in the formula in Section 31B of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, as amended (the "Act")] ; and

(b) for dwellings in those parts of its area to which a Parish precept relates as in the attached Appendix 8; and that

(c) the Audit and Corporate Governance Committees approval be affirmed.

2. That pursuant to section 31(A) of the Act the Council Tax requirement for the Council’s own purposes for 2015/15 (excluding Parish precepts) is £73,879,504.

3. That the following amounts be calculated for the year 2014/15 in accordance with Sections 31 to 36 of the Act:

(a) £146,877,350 being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A(2) of the Act taking into account all precepts issued to it by Parish Councils.

(b) £71,072,619 being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A(3) of the Act.

(c) £75,326,731 being the amount by which the aggregate at 3(a) above exceeds the aggregate at 3(b) above, calculated by the Council in accordance with Section 31A(4) of the Act as its Council Tax requirement for the year. (Item R in the formula in Section 31B of the Act).

(d) £1,212.90 being the amount at 3(c) above (Item R), all divided by Item T (1(a) above), calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 31B of the Act, as the basic amount of its Council Tax for the year (including Parish precepts).

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Agenda Item 2

(e) £1,424,203 being the aggregate amount of all special items (Parish precepts) referred to in Section 34(1) of the Act (as per the attached Appendix 9).

(f) £1,182.09 being the amount at 3(d) above less the result given by dividing the amount at 3(e) above by Item T (1(a) above), calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 34(2) of the Act, as the basic amount of its Council Tax for the year for dwellings in those parts of its area to which no Parish precept relates.

4. That it be noted that the Police Authority and the Fire Authority have issued precepts to the Council in accordance with Section 40 of the Act 1992 for each category of dwellings in the Council’s area as indicated in Appendix 9.

5. That the Council, in accordance with Sections 30 and 36 of the Act 1992, hereby sets the aggregate amounts shown in the Appendix 9 as the amounts of Council Tax for 2014/15 for each part of its area and for each of the categories of dwellings.

6. That it considered and determines whether the relevant basic amount of Council Tax for 2014/15 is excessive in accordance with the principles approved under Section 52ZB of the Act.

Reason for Decision: To fulfil the Council’s statutory responsibilities under the Localism Act 2012 of calculating a council tax requirement.

In accordance with the Local Authorities (Standing Orders) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2014, voting was recorded as follows:

FOR – Councillors B Axcell, R Barr, M Biggin, S Bland, R Bowden, P Bretherton, W J Brinksman, P Carey (The Mayor), J Carter, A Dirir, L Dirir, T Finnegan, C Fitzsimmons, G Friend, C Froggatt, K Gleave, J Guthrie, K Hannon, M Hannon, T Higgins, T L Hoyle, W Hughes, W Johnson, C Jordon, D Keane, P Kennedy, J Kerr-Brown, B Lines-Rowlands, B Maher, I Marks, T McCarthy, M McLaughlin, H J Mundry, L Murphy, P Nelson, T O’Neill, S Parish, H Patel, D Price, F Rashid, J Richards, S Roberts, G Settle, K Simcock, C Vobe, J M Walker, P Walker, G Welborn, T Williams, S E Woodyatt, P M Wright, S Wright.

AGAINST/ABSTAINED – NIL

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Agenda Item 2

C 73 Appointment to Outside Body – Liverpool Airport Joint Consultative Committee

It was proposed by Councillor T O’Neill and seconded by Councillor M Hannon and it was resolved,

That Councillor S Parish be appointed to the Liverpool Airport Consultative Committee.

Signed………………………….

Dated………………………….

Leader’s Announcements - Cllr Terry O’Neill

24 March 2014

Regeneration

We continue to drive forward and deliver our ambitious plans for the town, including the Town Centre and Omega. The regeneration of the town centre has reached an exciting stage with all of our sites progressing well. With regard to Omega we are now looking at the internal infrastructure on site which will help take traffic off our roads.

An economic review of Warrington East, covering the employment areas of Birchwood and Woolston Grange, has recently been undertaken by Warrington & Co and is due to report in April. This review is expected to provide recommendations and priorities for improvements in access and infrastructure, provision of commercial property, support to strategic employment sectors and housing provision. In addition, infrastructure investment in Birchwood is forming a key part of the funding requirement that is accompanying the Local Enterprise Partnership’s Strategic Economic Plan that is currently being discussed with Government Ministers.

It is also nice to see that the renovation works on our green spaces has commenced. Plans are moving forward fast for Bank Park (as you can see), Victoria Park and Walton Hall.

HS2

We continue to lobby Government, HS2 Limited and Network Rail to ensure that the town gains the best possible outcome from construction of High Speed Rail. Officers are working closely with staff from HS2 Limited on a daily basis to ensure that economic gain is maximised and local environmental impact minimised. We plan to ensure that all interested parties continue to be fully involved in this process through establishing an 'HS2 Liaison Group', with an initial meeting scheduled for this summer. I attended Sir David Higgins 'HS2 Plus' national launch event at Manchester Town Hall last Monday morning to ensure that Warrington continues to exert influence befitting our status in the wider Regional Economy and that we benefit from infrastructure improvements arising from and as part of HS2 Phase2. You will have no doubt seen the extensive media coverage on 'HS2 Plus', but this has tended to focus on the changes proposed in London at Euston, Old Oak Common and the HS1 - HS2 link with some coverage of Crewe. The news regarding Crewe is very positive for us within the wider Cheshire and Warrington setting and the key proposal for HS2 Limited to work quickly and closely with Network Rail and Rail North authorities to identify and implement vastly improved east-west links across the North of England during CP6 (2019 - 2024) is very welcome as it fits well with the 'Warrington Connectivity Package' we submitted as part of our response to the Phase 2 consultation. Officers are currently arranging for me to meet Sir David Higgins at the earliest possible opportunity.

Broadband

By the end of this year 96% of the residents of Warrington will have access to fibre-based broadband offering much higher internet speeds. This will come as a huge benefit to those who find mobility difficult by being able to access online services, to children when doing their homework and to individuals and families in having a wider choice of methods with which to access local services. Equally importantly is the boost that fibre-based broadband presents to Warrington's economy. Businesses will be better able to recruit and to provide online services where appropriate, allowing them to tap into new markets and help drive their growth ambitions.

The roll-out programme, in conjunction with BT, is happening at a pace faster than anywhere ever seen in Europe and Warrington is one of the first towns to benefit in our region. On March 17 a well-attended event was held at the Orford Jubilee Neighbourhood Hub where residents were able to find out more about the roll-out programme and register their interest in receiving the fibre-based service from a choice of over 70 different service providers. Businesses attending this event were able to get access to the support programme that is being run by the Connecting Cheshire Project, of which Warrington Borough Council is a key partner.

Work is underway with this project to understand how the fibre roll out can be extended beyond the initial 96% target whilst remaining within the original budgeted figures.

Warrington

It’s official! Warrington is one of the best towns in the NW to live according to a survey published in the Sunday Times. This is fantastic news for Warrington. We are committed to driving the town forward not only through our big regeneration projects but by providing more affordable homes, enhancing our culture, and attracting new business and investment. Warrington’s economy is thriving and has a good variety of businesses, from global companies to local traders, but it is also a great place to live and visit and we are delighted it has been recognised.

Also, apart from the town’s economic prosperity the Council is also doing well with its ‘softer-end’ services. We were short-listed for five awards. These were Children’s Services, Support 4 Change, Safe Places, WWiSH adoption service and the WWiSHing tree campaign as also mentioned in the portfolio holder’s report.

Apprentices

It was National Apprentice Week at the beginning of March, which the council supported once again. We have a huge commitment to ensuring our young people have access to education, employment and training opportunities and an apprenticeship is a fantastic route to follow. The careers for young people service is asking anyone aged 16-24 to call into the careers centre in Time Square for advice and information. The team can help with CVs, job applications and put people in touch with employers.

Rewiring Public Services

On Wednesday, 12 March I attended a “Rewiring Public Services” event in Manchester. The council is contributing to the Local Government Association’s review of public services by giving examples of good practice in Warrington.

Peace Centre

The award of funding for the victim support services project at the Peace Centre, as announced by the Chancellor in his budget speech, is very welcome. I would like to congratulate everyone involved who has worked so hard lobbying for this excellent project.

Portfolio Report, 24 March 2014

Cllr Mike Hannon – Deputy Leader

World Ward 1 Commemoration

It will, “All be going on in Warrington”, as we launch our four year programme of events to commemorate World War 1.

Throughout Britain, the huge war effort and sacrifice touched so many lives and Warrington was no exception.

That is why, as a council and with our partners, including Culture Warrington, Live Wire, local media, local history and community groups; schools and parish councils across the borough, we are planning a wide range of commemorative events.

Work has already started on planning our big, high profile events, and we are also asking local residents for their suggestions about how we can best commemorate the Warrington connection, families and individuals who made such huge contributions to the war effort.

I can announce today that with the 75 Engineers, we are organising a Proms in the Park event on Saturday July 19th.

This well-established annual concert will, in this first commemorative year, enjoy the beautiful backdrop of Bank Park following its £2.2 million make over. Proms in the Park 2014 will be a fitting tribute to the deep and historic relationship between local regiments and Warrington Borough Council.

Other highlights include: In August, Culture Warrington will present: “Talbot House – A home

from home”, which tells the moving story of thousands of allied troops who enjoyed the comforts of home at this Belgian home, behind the front line. Poetry and music from the great war will be included in this play aimed at a family audience.

In June, Orford Park will be the venue for a World War 1 style paradewith military band; and Orford Hub Library will host a glass painting event, including the names of Warrington soldiers.

And, for all members, we plan to launch our four year programme with a small civic ceremony at the Town Hall on August 4th. This will be an all council, all Warrington commemoration and we look forward to hearing your suggestions.

Heritage Lottery Fund grant will bring history to life in Warrington

WARRINGTON Borough Council is one of the first groups in the UK to receive a Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) Sharing Heritage grant for an important history project for the town.

This exciting project, Our Past, Our Present Our Future which is being led by the council in conjunction with Culture Warrington, has been given £9,800 to help fund the creation of three linked digital resources to enable schools and the wider community to learn more about Warrington’s rich history in particular the story of Bridge Street and other key heritage sites.

This project arose from the commemorative event held in March 2013 to mark the 20th anniversary of the IRA bombing of Warrington and subsequent art projects that are taking place across 20 schools.

The project focuses on Warrington’s historic town centre and notably Grade II listed Bridge Street which has played a major part in Warrington’s history for more than 800 years.

There are three main strands:

A web based virtual library of downloadable resources, documents and people’s memories of the area showing change through time

The Guardian Game will take players on a virtual walk through time to rescue the Guardians who have disappeared from Market Gate

‘Augmented reality application’ to be downloaded from the web or on location via a smartphone *

Schoolchildren will visit key locations, take pictures, search the Warrington Museum archives, study medieval artefacts and maps to enable them to gather all the information that is needed to create the digital resources.

School children create town legacies Artistic legacies representing peace, hope and reconciliation to mark the 20th anniversary of the IRA bombing of Warrington are being crafted by local school children. And a sculpture is also being designed which draws upon some of the themes from the artwork and will be presented to the town when completed this year.

20 primary schools are currently taking part in the project, in conjunction within families and wellbeing, Culture Warrington and two artists. This project follows on from the commemorative events held in March to mark the 20th anniversary. With ‘peace’, ‘hope’, ‘respect’ and ‘the future’ as their inspiration, the children are using their creative talents to design an individual piece of artwork using watercolour paints, coloured pencils and oil pastels.

Their final artwork will be put on display in each school and there are plans to turn the imaginative pieces into a public exhibition.

Portfolio Report, March 2014

Cllr Linda Dirir – Executive Board Member Highways, Transportation & Climate Change

As we near the end of another financial year there are some big areas of work that we will be embarking upon.

The Street lighting Invest to Save project is about to start in April. Communication with parishes, ward members and the public is being rolled out with a dedicated section of the web site listing all the questions and answers that may arise. This is a key project primarily to save the authority from rising energy prices but also aimed at replacing the older street lighting columns that we have across the Town. The programme will be running for 3 years and the council meeting will enable members to see the rollout of this programme.

The New Highway Maintenance and Improvement contract with Lafarge Tarmac will be commencing in earnest come the 1st April. This is a new start with the contract developed collaboratively with Halton. A key outcome is to see a step change in quality in the overall repair and maintenance of the roads. Surveys have already started across the Borough that will be identifying where the £30m of major investment in road surfacing would be best targeted in the next 3 – 5 years. A report on this investment and how it will be spent from 15/16 will come later in the new financial year.

Throughout 2013/14 Highways maintenance has continued to be delivered as in previous years with £2.4 million of Local Transport Plan Funding plus additional £1m of Warrington’s own capital. This total budget has enabled 23 stretches of priority roads to be improved across the Borough. In addition there have been 5,975 pot holes filled this year. An additional £3m of Warrington’s own capital has been allocated to the road resurfacing programme that should see this improvement double in size during 2014/15.

2013 was one of the wettest on record and the Authority has continued to manage its new obligations and duties effectively. A major flood event in early December 2013 was successfully handled with the Environment Agency. The newly completed phase 1 of the Mersey flood defence works on Knutsford Road that the council is supporting and contributing to was tested during this event and in effect over 200 properties that would normally have flooded were protected. Localised flood improvement works are also being identified and the launch of Warrington’s Local Flood Risk Strategy that is currently out for consultation demonstrates that the council is committed to managing this risk to local residnets.

The growth that Warrington is beginning to re-experience is likely to see an increase in road works activity. To enable Warrington to better manage the roads and reduce the disruption that road works can cause the authority is progressing with the implementation of a permit scheme in accordance with the Traffic Management Act. An application is proposed to be submitted to the Department for Transport in July 2014 for implementation in early 2015. Consultation is also due to be launched in the coming 6 weeks on this major project also.

Palmyra Cultural Quarter – Transportation and Public Realm Consultation A public consultation on Transportation and Public Realm issues in the Palmyra Cultural Quarter commenced on 6th March and runs through to 10th April. We are very keen to understand the views of local residents and businesses on current transportation and public realm problems and issues and what suggestions people have for improvements. An information leaflet has been prepared with full details of the consultation and map and questionnaire to be completed to allow respondents to record their views. This has been distributed to all residents and businesses in the Palmyra Cultural Quarter.

We want to know views on all transportation and public realm issues including for example:

Traffic numbers Rat running Traffic speeds Pedestrianisation Public Realm improvements Cycling Parking Disabled access Traffic Management – one way systems / road closures or restrictions Buses and taxis – routes, stops and ranks movements Servicing and deliveries

We are holding the following events for residents and businesses to be able to air their views:

Public Events – These will be drop in events where officers are available to answer questions and discuss transportation / public realm issues

- Saturday March 22nd 9am - 5pm - Golden Square Wednesday 26th March - 11am - 2pm - The Gateway Wednesday 26th March - 5pm - 8pm - The Gateway

Stakeholder Event – a more structured event with a presentation and discussions in breakout groups – All Councillors have been invited to attend.

Thursday 27th March - 9am - 12noon - The Gateway

Contact Officer: Jamie Birtles Consultant – Transport Planning and Development Control jbirtles@warrington.gov.uk

Birchwood Station – Major Station Improvements

A major improvement programme is now underway at Birchwood Station. Works have recently been completed by First TransPennine (the station operator) on a DDA compliant ticket window and accessibility improvements to the Liverpool bound platform waiting room.

Work is also underway to correct the subsidence to the platforms at the Manchester end of the station – Network Rail are undertaking this work.

Most importantly though a major scheme is now underway to build a new footbridge with lifts at the station. This will ensure that the station is fully accessible to all passengers including those with mobility difficulties, customers with children in pushchairs and cyclists. The scheme is being delivered as part of the Department for Transport’s Access for All programme which is intended to make rail stations fully accessible to all passengers.

The Council was successful in bidding for Department for Transport funding towards the cost of the scheme and has been working in close partnership with Network Rail and FirstTransPennine to develop the scheme. The scheme is being delivered by Network Rail on Warrington Borough Council’s behalf and they have appointed Murphys as the contractor.

Work has now started on site and completion of the works is expected by the by end of October 2014. The station will remain open at all times during the works apart from around 3 or 4 weekend closures of the line to put the bridge in place the dates of these closures will be widely publicised once confirmed.

Contact Officer: Steve Hunter Transportation Service Manager shunter@warrington.gov.uk

Manchester Ship Canal Swing Bridges

Following a recent high level meeting with Peel Ports work is progressing well on an Early Warning System which the council will introduce with the support from Peel Ports. Detection equipment is now in place at Latchford Locks and Runcorn Old Quay, which will detect ships passing these points heading towards Warrington’s swing bridges. Work is now underway to link this equipment with the council’s traffic control room and to develop systems to send this information out to the travelling public via social media and email alerts. It is expected that this system will be introduced by July 2014.

The council is also preparing a bid for additional government funding via the Strategic Economic Plan (more details on this appear in the following section) to enhance the early warning system via the introduction of additional electronic warning signs providing motorists whose journey is already underway with advance notice of bridge swings. It is expected that the outcome of this bid will also be known by July 2014

Further to this agreement discussions between the Council and Peel Ports on a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) agreement which will commit both parties to take action to both reduce the numbers of bridge swings during peak traffic periods and to introduce the aforementioned early warning system. Subject to final agreement being reached it is intended that this MoU will be signed in the very near future.

Contact Officer: Dave Rostron UTMC and Parking Services Manager drostron@warrington.gov.uk

Strategic Economic Plan (SEP)

Warrington is working jointly with its partners in the Cheshire and Warrington Local Enterprise Partnership (C&WLEP) to produce a Strategic Economic Plan - Cheshire and Warrington Matters. The plan is a new and ambitious strategy to support our sub-region’s growth and economic development over the next decade.

The plan includes a number of major transport schemes alongside small packages of local improvements all intended to support Warrington’s economic growth. Key schemes for the early years of the programme include a major upgrade of M62 J8 to support growth in North West Warrington, a new station on the Liverpool to Manchester rail line in Chapelford (Warrington West Station) and junction improvements in Birchwood.

The plan will be submitted to government at the end of March 2014, with funding coming on stream from April 2015 onwards.

Contact Officer: Alan Dickin Transport Planning and Development Control Manager adickin@warrington.gov.uk

Roll Out of 20mph Speed LimitsThe appointed contractor JPCS is progressing the delivery of signs for roads identified for 20mph roll out and are presently completing works in and around Poulton, Poplars and Hulme. Traffic Regulation Order 1st Notices are being advertised for roads in and around Latchford, Stockton Heath, Grappenhall and Thelwall from 20th March. The contractor has already been provisioned with working drawings for these areas and will commence on site as soon as the notice period has ended (barring objections).

Due to the use of a new product called Groundscrew (which removes the need for concrete sign post foundations) and with competitive tendering (through THE CHEST) officers have been able to make a substantial reduction in the cost of this Borough wide provision. It is now estimated that the overall cost of implementation will be in the region of £550,000 compared to the £740,000 initial estimates derived from the Term Maintenance Contract rates.

All of the remaining roads including areas such as Appleton, Burtonwood, Winwick, Lymm, Culcheth, Glazebury and Croft will be advertised towards the end of April. All working drawings for these areas have been completed and following the legal advertisements these will be passed on to the contractor to complete all works which is intended to be by the end of 2014/15.

Contact Officer: Jamie Fisher Principal Engineer Collision Investigation jfisher@warrington.gov.uk

Local Sustainable Transport Fund (LSTF) 2015/16Warrington Borough Council will be submitting a bid to the DfT for funds to extend the revenue programme of the LSTF programme into 2015/16. The Warrington bid is valued at

£850,000 and the deadline for application is 31stMarch. A decision on the successful projects will be made by the transport minister in July.

The bid will consist of four integrated packages of smarter choice measures which have been designed to complement Warrington’s long term capital transport programme within the Atlantic Gateway. These measures will enable people to travel to work and training more sustainably, particularly to the emerging priority employment sites of Omega and Warrington Waters as outlined in the Cheshire and Warrington Strategic Economic Plan (SEP).

The packages are:

1. Direct smarter choices interventions with local employers, trainers and education establishments using a small team of experienced travel advisors.

2. Personalised travel planning with residents in west Warrington. 3. Improving cycling and walking legibility for the key travel to work corridors. 4. Improving public transport connectivity to work.

Contact officer: John Nichol LSTF Programme Manager jnichol@warrington.gov.uk

Taxi Licensing

New Policy

We have recently obtained approval to consult with all stakeholders on a new Hackney Carriage & Private Hire Licensing Policy. The document, which brings together all elements of the Taxi Licensing Function for the first time has been widely distributed and is available on the Council's website, it is open to consultation until after the upcoming elections. There are numerous changes proposed within the Policy, such as a requirement for CCTV, clear guidance on appropriate behaviour and dress code for drivers and the vehicle testing regime. Officers will review all responses received and we will return to the Licensing Committee with any suggested alterations, prior to the Policy being put before Full Council later in the year for permission to formally adopt it.

Hackney Carriage Tariff

The Council is also consulting on a potential increase to the Hackney Tariff. The Council is proposing to allow Hackney Carriages to charge an additional 50p per journey, applied to the first half mile of each booking, from 1 April 2014. This would be the first approved increase in the tariff since 2010, during which time fuel has increased in cost by more than 20%. If the proposed tariff is introduced Hackney Carriage owners / operators can still decide to charge less than the metered fare - a choice which is already available to them now.

Unmet Demand Survey

We need to refresh this survey every 3 years due to our policy of restricting the number of Hackney Carriage vehicles. The latest survey reviewed the utilisation of our existing taxi ranks and consulted with a wide range of license holders across the Borough as well as

the general public and partner agencies, to measure perceptions within the provision of Taxi services. The outcome of the survey was that the number of existing Hackney Carriage vehicles in the Borough was adequate for our needs. A copy of the report is available for inspection on the Councils website.

Taxi Marshalls

The provision of Taxi Marshalls was recently reviewed through an open tender exercise. The outcome of this process was that additional qualitative measures have been introduced, a new supplier has been identified and the cost to the Council has been reduced. This has enabled us to trial the use of marshals in Stockton Heath, in addition to their historic utilisation in the town centre - on Friday and Saturday nights. The trial has been positively received by both the taxi trade and Cheshire Police. We will soon be reviewing the impact of the trial to determine what our long term strategy for the use of Taxi Marshalls will be.

Contact Officer: Alyn Jones Specialist Transport Services Manager Ajones5@warrington.gov.uk

Parking Services Contract

The tender for Civil Parking Enforcement has been issued and tender returns are expected by 16th April with a view to commencing the new contract on July 1st. We are looking to appoint a progressive and forward thinking external provider as our Parking Services contractor to undertake on the Council’s behalf, the enforcement of on and off street parking restrictions and the initial processing of penalty charge notices.

Throughout the life of the contract, it is expected that the innovative service provider will be able to assist the Council in implementing Warrington’s Parking Strategy. This is to include the introduction of advanced payment methods including pay on exit for car parks and cashless parking, bus lane enforcement, the use of CCTV for enforcement purposes, on-street parking charges in the Town Centre, electronic parking permits and the use of dynamic parking apps.

As there have been considerable advances in parking enforcement technology over recent years and Civil Parking Enforcement is now much more established across many transport authorities, the Council is now seeking to achieve a significant reduction in the cost of the service through this procurement exercise.

Contact Officer: Dave Rostron UTMC and Parking Services Manager drostron@warrington.gov.uk

Coastal Communities Bid

The Coastal Communities Fund has announced that a £654,000 grant will be awarded jointly to Warrington Borough Council and Halton Borough Councils in order to sustain and facilitate economic growth on the section of the Sankey Canal that exists between Widnes and Warrington.

The successful partnership funding bid was made by the two local authorities in conjunction with the Sankey Canal Restoration Society (SCARS). It will finance a new, permanent Marsh House Bridge for the Riverside Trading Estate, create apprenticeships and training opportunities and improve marketing, signage and branding in order to protect and grow existing businesses and help create new ones along the Sankey Canal.

Twelve apprenticeships will be created along with two direct jobs and, it is anticipated, up to a further 23 indirect jobs.

Wider than the current temporary bridge and its predecessor, the new Marsh House Bridge will be a lift bridge which can be opened for water traffic as and when the aspiration to clean and open up the canal to the west of the bridge is realised. The council is also contributing £225,000 capital funding to the grant sum to enable high quality bridge to be installed.

Contact Officer: Rachel Waggett Climate Change Manager rwaggett@warrington.gov.uk

Pavement Parking consultation

The council is aware that parking on pavements and grass verges has become a common behaviour on most roads in Warrington. This parking practice has potential implications for road safety by restricting the passage of pedestrians in particular wheelchairs and prams, and can cause damage to verges, pavements and utilities.

A proactive intervention on a borough wide level would have a significant impact on resources and the delivery of other services. The prevention of all parking on pavements and verges would also inevitably have unintended consequences of creating other road safety and access problems as parking is likely to migrate to other unsafe locations.

Officers have been working via the council’s enforcement board to understand what interventions are available to the council and Police. The Parking Executive Task group is also working on the development of a council policy that guides officers to appropriate interventions based on risk.

The task group has recognised that although the practice is widespread, there may be gaps in the council’s intelligence of where the parking creates problems for other road users. In view of this, all elected ward members were e-mailed on 28th February 2014 requesting that they support the work of the task group by identifying locations in their wards where pavement parking is frequently taking place and if they feel it creates issues such as damage to the highway or difficulties for other road users.

Contact Officer: Mark Tune mtune@warrington.gov.uk

Portfolio Report, 24 March 2014

Cllr Kate Hannon – Leisure, Community and Culture

Community meetings growing in the westCommunity meetings (tier one group) have continued to grow in the west area, with 35 people attending both the Burtonwood and Winwick ward and Whittlehall ward meetings.

Burtonwood and Winwick ward community meeting was held on 4 February at Burtonwood community centre and the meeting agreed to look at finding ways to get to know people on their street to support the ‘invisible vulnerables’, to establish a credit union collection point at Burtonwood Community Centre, and the work on the cross boarder health issues that are faced in Burtonwood.

The Whittlehall ward community meeting had a speaking about developments at Omega, and gained volunteers for residents’ associations, as well as agreeing to invite speakers from Connecting Cheshire and BT Openreach to the next meeting. Great Sankey South’s community meeting has brought community groups together to plan the summer fair.

Connecting older people Over 40 older people from the west Warrington area came together at Whitecross community centre for its second tea dance. With transport often a barrier to getting to activities the west neighbourhood wardens provided a minibus service. The event brought together older people who live by themselves, as well as those in residential settings and care homes. All those involved formed new friendships and improved their mental wellbeing through getting involved in dancing, singing and a lot of laughter. There are plans to build on this work in the New Year.

Winter warmth pilot project The east neighbourhood team, working in partnership with Your Housing and colleagues from public health, have carried out a pilot winter warmth project in Oakwood and Fearnhead, mirroring activity previously undertaken in the central area.

Residents who are over 65 and living alone have been identified and offered a bag of things to help keep them warm during the winter. The bag also contains information on what groups and activities are in their area and what services are also available. Recipients will be revisited in the spring to see how useful they found the bag and its contents.

Integrated working increases access to football pitch for local people Following the development of the 3G pitch at Whitecross community centre there has been much local interest in having the pitch open for the local community to use. The area has access to multi use games area and open spaces for kickabouts and the purpose of the 3G pitch is to develop involvement in formal sport.

Working with Active Warrington, five sessions a week have been developed for local children to be involved in and also Bank Quay Bulls have started a training evening looking to engage local young people in rugby. Now a partnership with Active

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Warrington, YVOW (Young Voices of Warrington), Golden Gates Housing Trust and the West Warrington Neighbourhoods team means that funding has been accessed from the local fund and Community First to enable there to be a two hour coach led session every day of the week for local children and young people.

This work will feed into the door step club that has started on a Friday evening. It will increase volunteering, as volunteers are engaged to run the sessions in the long term, improve engagement in physical activity and engagement in formal sport.

Culcheth youth shelter After several years of hard work, a wide ranging consultation exercise and several funding applications, a brand new youth shelter was installed on the common in Culcheth on 14 January.

A group of partners and residents have worked to secure over £10k in funding from various sources including iGas and the east neighbourhood board.

Adults visit Imperial War Museum trip The east neighbourhood wardens took a group of eight adults with learning disabilities from the Greenwood centre and James Phoenix House to the Imperial War Museum North in January.

The visit was a great success as it was the first time any of the clients had visited the museum. They enjoyed trying on different helmets and trying out the interactive displays.

Third Sector Assembly On 12th March the Council, together with colleagues from the Third Sector, held the annual Third Sector Assembly at Alford Hall. Delegates were able to ask questions of the Council and heard the progress being developed in relation to social value in commissioning.

LiveWire and Culture Warrington Live wire and Cultural Warrington's performance continues to go from strength to strength, with leisure membership, use of libraries and successful changes to people's lifestyles exceeding targets.

Portfolio Report, 24 March 2014

Cllr David Keane – Executive Member Environment and Public Protection

Waste & Recycling

Compost Give Away Event:

The Waste Minimisation and Recycling Team organised a really successful Compost Give-Away Event at Victoria Park on Saturday 1st March 2014.I was pleased to join them, and it was nice to see fellow councillors attend as well as hundreds of residents who turned up to collect free compost made from garden waste collected in Warrington residents green bins. We gave away over 20 tonnes of free compost and over 60 free home compost bins. Residents were also provided with advice on how best to reduce their waste, recycle and compost at home. The give-away coincided with the re-start of the council’s garden waste service and we hope to do more events in the future.

Arpley Inquiry

The Inquiry has now finished into the Council’s refusal of planning permission to extend the life of the Arpley landfill site by a further 12 years. The Inspector is aiming to write his report by the end of April 2014 and it will then be sent to the Secretary of State (E Pickles) who will make the final decision. A final decision is likely in June/July 2014. The Council was represented by David Manley QC, an Environmental Health Officer, Planning consultants (Urban Vision), air quality consultants (Atkins), odour consultants (Ricardo AEA) and particulates consultants (Miller Goodall)

Public Protection

Doorstep Criminals Two members of an organised crime group were sentenced to 6 years and 3 years respectively following an investigation led by North Yorkshire Police including Warrington Trading Standards offences. The gang had targeted resident of Park Homes, including the one at Moore, claiming that they could insulate the underside of the home. Once they started work they claimed that the underneath of the property was so rotten that the home was likely to collapse. The homeowner so worried that he paid £6500 to have the work completed. NY investigation led to the arrest and successful prosecution of the traders and a Proceeds of Crime hearing is due later this year. The Moore resident has assisted in publicity and has appeared on regional and national TV during which he acknowledged the work and support from Warrington Borough Council Trading Standards staff. In excess of £100,000 was defrauded from consumers across the country.

Doorstep Criminals A prolific doorstep trader was prosecuted for driveway work he carried out in Widnes as he had failed to supply the necessary paperwork which would have given his prospective customers a cooling off period which would have included his trading address. The prosecution resulted in a fine and costs totalling £520 and Warrington and Halton Joint Trading Standards Service had offences which formed part of a case brought by Wirral Trading Standards for which the trader

received a two year prison sentence and an ASBO which prohibits him from cold calling in England and Wales for 5 years

Counterfeiter ordered to pay £76,000 A Liverpool man, Bernard O’Toole of Princess Drive Liverpool, has been ordered to pay £76,720.55 after admitting criminal offences concerning counterfeit clothing and footwear.

The extent of O’Toole’s offending was discovered following him being stopped for using his mobile phone while driving on the M62 motorway at Birchwood in November 2012. Officers discovered 2 large bags of counterfeit tracksuits, the badges and labels required for counterfeiting and £4745 in cash hidden in his van all of which were seized and confiscated from O’Toole. The investigation progressed to O’Toole home address, officers discovered a significant manufacturing operation of sewing machines, logo heat presses, packaging materials and all the materials necessary to produce more counterfeit clothing and footwear. Officers seized nearly 38,000 counterfeit items from O’Toole home.

O’Toole was sentenced by Recorder Ford at Chester Crown Court on October 4th 2013 to 6 month imprisonment suspended for 2 years and 80hrs Community Order follow his guilty pleas to 13 offences contrary to the Trade Marks Act. Recorder Ford also ordered the forfeiture of all the seized counterfeit goods and the van used by O’Toole. The court also set a Proceeds of Crime Act confiscation timetable to allow for a full financial investigation into O’Toole’s affairs to be conducted by the Warrington Trading Standards Financial Investigators to allow the Court to impose Proceeds of Crime Act confiscation order.

On March 5th 2014 at Chester Crown Court Recorder Menary QC handed down a Confiscation Order for £76,720.55 under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 which the Court ruled was O’Toole’s benefit from his counterfeiting crimes. The Record, said failure to pay this confiscation order within six months would lead to a term of 12 months’ imprisonment and O’Toole was order to pay £9000 towards the costs of Warrington BC who brought the prosecution case.

Housing

Homelessness Commission will bring ‘real and lasting change’ On 6 December the council hosted the first public session of the Warrington Homelessness Commission.

Commission members and members of the public heard a cross-section of expert witnesses present evidence on a range of topics related to homelessness. The public session also heard evidence from:

Tommy Allman, a rough sleeper for 20 years. Paul Connery from charity Homeless Link. Danielle McCann and Emma Perris from Verve Place, which offers accommodation within a

safe environment for young people who are homeless, have a housing problem or are currently living in insecure accommodation or an unsafe environment.

Neighbouring local authorities and the Drugs and Alcohol Action Team.

The Warrington Homelessness Commission, which was launched in October, is scheduled to take four months to conduct its work and its final report is expected to be published in February 2014. It is anticipated that a cross-sector action plan for change will be produced, with a series of recommendations intended to improve how Warrington tackles the issue.

£4 million new homes bonus for Warrington

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The council will be rewarded by the government for its work in increasing the supply of affordable homes. The New Homes Bonus is a grant paid by central government to local councils for increasing the number of homes and their use and Warrington expects to receive almost £4 million for the financial year 2014/2015.

Operations: Fleet and Support Services

Our Investment in our Operational Services and efficient working continues with;

Three new deliveries for Passenger Transport due on the road 1 April which completes this sections fleet replacements for specialist Bluebird buses.

Walton golf course has received a new John Deere tractor with backhoe, a new out front mower and a new greens procurer. The tractor has made light work of installing drainage for the course in the bad weather with the out front mower and greens corer now good to go as the weather improves. In hand to purchase are a new greens mower and tee’s mower to help develop an excellent course.

A new Profihopper flail mower has been purchased for Victoria Park Sports Arena for maintenance of the new pitches.

A new HGV with remote control crane and dropside body has been ordered for Street Lighting to assist with the installation of new lighting columns. Delivery is expected in September.

A new Gully Cleansing vehicle on a DAF chassis with a Whale Tankers body for the Highways Asset team is due delivery in May.

A new electric site vehicle for Warrington Cemetery is due delivery in April providing a quiet operational vehicle on a sensitive site.

The In-cab vehicle telematics system is now being installed into the Waste Collection fleet following successful trials. The system is a significant step forward and will provide up to the minute communication between the vehicle, Waste Services office and the Contact Centre.

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Portfolio Report – 24 March 2014

Cllr H Patel – Executive Board Member Personnel and Communications Children and Young People’s Services

IT Champions at Warrington Youth Café Five local young people are involved in developing the upstairs of the youth café into an IT hub. This is part of a national project sponsored by Microsoft and UK Youth to encourage digital literacy and community engagement.

Alongside responsibility for project planning, budgets and peer group updates using the ‘Yammer’ social network, the IT Champions have also been supporting the café management team.

Short breaks service statement published The update of the short breaks services statement has recently been published on the council.

Short breaks allow for parents and carers of disabled children to take a break from their caring responsibilities. The statement sets out the range of short breaks available in Warrington and the priorities for developing the services and support available.

The new statement has been developed in partnership with parents and carers and takes account of the feedback obtained from the annual short breaks survey.

New arrangements for access to services for children, young people and families – FIS Hub A project is currently underway to establish a single gateway to services for children, young people and families. The one contact point will be the Families Information Service (FIS) who will extend its role and deal with calls for a range of services over a number of phases.

The whole service, once it’s implemented, will be known as the FIS Hub and will be for both the public and professionals to use to access services for children, young people and families including things to do, family support, children’s safeguarding and other council services for children, young people and families – one point of contact for all.

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The project is in its second phase in that all calls to the children’s duty and assessment team (DAT) are now being diverted to the FIS as a first point of contact. When through to the FIS, the team will listen to the caller and then either deal with the enquiry direct or transfer them through to the relevant team/member of staff who will be able to help. Members of the CAF team are now located with DAT team on a rota basis to develop integrated working to deliver an effective service to families in Warrington.

Services shortlisted for local government awards Warrington was one of the most shortlisted councils for the LGC awards this year, with all five entries coming from the Families and Wellbeing directorate. There were three Children's Services submissions.

Children’s Services is one of Warrington’s five shortlisted entries for the LGC awards and was shortlisted after undergoing a radical transformation, taking it from a ‘notice to improve’ in 2009 to a current rating of ‘good’ from Ofsted.

The most innovative service delivery model and campaign of the year are both for WWiSH adoption service, due to WWiSH being the first of its kind in the country, established in 2012. From September 2012 to March 2013 the team had 190 enquiries and approved 20 families for adoption.

Although we did not win the awards it is a real acknowledgement of the hard work of staff and managers that we were shortlisted against tough competition.

Child sexual exploitation campaign launches across Cheshire Warrington, along with other neighbouring local authorities, is part of the campaign titled ‘The more you know, the more you see,’ which has been launched across Cheshire.

Schools across Warrington, Cheshire West and Chester, Cheshire East and Halton will be working to raise awareness of child sexual exploitation among children and their parents. ‘The more you know, the more you see’ aims to create debate amongst young people, professionals, parents and others people responsible for caring for young people, about how to spot the signs of child sexual exploitation.

There are many agencies across the county engaged in the campaign, including schools, local authority and health workers, police officers and people whose role it is to help youngsters in tough situations. A forward-looking social business, Catch22 has more than 200 years’ experience of providing services that help people turn their lives around. Driving forward the agenda on child sexual exploitation are the four Local Children’s Safeguarding Boards.

Young people near top of the class for education and training Warrington is currently ranked second in the country with 98% of 16 and 17 year olds in education or training.

The council is using this information as a reminder to young people that they are required to continue in education on training until the end of the academic year when they turn 17.

 

Portfolio Report, 24 March 2014

Cllr Pat Wright – Health & Wellbeing and Adult Services

Breastfeeding campaign The council has launched local support for breastfeeding via the Amazing Breast Milk campaign. On Monday 10 March the campaign went to ASDA Cockhedge between where families were invited to chat with the experts and find out more about how to access support and help.

The event provided a great opportunity for members of the public to receive peer support and information on the benefits. Breastfeeding has numerous benefits for both the baby and the family; it boosts a baby’s immune system, protecting them from illnesses and disease; thus reducing the chance of being admitted to A&E and other emergency healthcare settings.

More information on healthy baby development, visit the Start for Life website and register with their free information service.

Sexual health centre In February 2014, Warrington’s new centre for sexual health was opened at Bath Street’s Health & Wellbeing Centre.

The centre was opened by the Mayor and was well attended by young people in the borough.

James Phoenix House CQC inspection James Phoenix House, a CQC registered service that provides respite accommodation and care for adults with learning disabilities, was subject to an unannounced inspection in November 2013, in order to ensure that essential standards of quality and safety were being adequately met.

The inspection looked at the personal care records of service users, observed how people were being cared for, and inspectors talked to people who use the service and their carers as well as staff and managers in the service.

The service was found to be compliant in all areas of the inspection which included: Care and welfare of people who use services Meeting nutritional needs Cleanliness and infection control Management of medicines Assessing and monitoring the quality of service provision.

Some of the highlighted comments from the inspection report were: ‘Following our visit we spoke with the relatives and carers of four people who used the service. They told us positive things about their experiences of the service. Their comments included "brilliant"; "excellent in every way"; "they ensure that people have the support they need and always get staff time" and "fantastic service”. We saw that people's care and support was planned in a manner that supported people safely. People who used the service were offered choices with regard to their meals. Systems were in place to ensure that infection control procedures protected people. Systems were in place to help ensure that people's medicines were managed safely”.

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5BP named as best performing trust in mental health5BP has been named as the best performing trust in the mental health category at the Advancing Quality Awards for the early intervention in psychosis teams. A clinician from the Warrington and Halton team joined John Heritage of 5BP at the event in Manchester on 4 December and received the award on behalf of the trust.

Services shortlisted for local government awards Warrington is one of the most shortlisted councils for the LGC awards this year, with all five entries coming from the Families and Wellbeing directorate. There are two entries from adult’s services.

The Safe Places scheme has been shortlisted for community involvement. The scheme is commissioned by the Hate Crime Partnership, and delivered by Speak Up, a community group who represent people with learning disabilities, and other partners. The scheme allows vulnerable people to enjoy the freedom to participate in the life of the town as they - and their carers - know they can get assistance at shops and other buildings displaying the Safe Places logo.

The “Support 4 Change” project has been shortlisted for innovation. The project enables people in the criminal justice system to be screened for lower level mental health, learning disability, substance misuse and other vulnerabilities so that they can be supported early in the offender pathway as a sentencing alternative to custody. The support is offered via the multi-agency Warrington Criminal Justice Liaison Service and the Mental Health Outreach Team.

Although we did not win the awards it is a real acknowledgement of the hard work of staff and managers that we were shortlisted against tough competition.

Fulfilling Lives - Big Lottery Bid updateWarrington’s Fulfilling Lives bid for £2.6 million Big Lottery funding to tackle social isolation amongst older people is progressing well:

Over 60 people, including local older people and representatives from a wide range of organisations took part in a ‘Vision and Strategy’ event at the Halliwell Jones Stadium in January 2014. The event focused on the key outcomes that will be achieved through the Fulfilling Lives programme and how we can ensure that older people are truly involved in every aspect of programme development and implementation.

Led by Warrington Voluntary Action, the ‘Engage to Change’ consultation is now underway, with the aim of ensuring that socially isolated people, whose voices are not always heard, are included in the development of Warrington’s vision and strategy. Volunteers are being trained to engage with older people who are at risk of social isolation and to encourage them to complete a short questionnaire.

Warrington successfully progressed to the next stage and have been allocated 20k initial funding by the Big Lottery. Another application will be submitted by August to secure 50k to develop a full strategy and action plan after which a decision will be made to allocate significant funding to areas which qualify.

Dignity Action Day “a great success” A number of events took place across Warrington for Dignity Action Day.

Dignity Action Day at Woolston Hall included a Wii ten pin bowling tournament. There were also pamper sessions offering hairdressing, manicures and pedicures, and a buffet lunch was served.

Padgate House held an afternoon tea and sing-along session which was thoroughly enjoyed by all service users to celebrate Dignity Action Day.

Hidden carers project launched WBC and Wired Adult and Young Carers Services Warrington (Wired) have begun working in partnership with Sainsbury’s to identify hidden carers in the community and direct them to valuable sources of advice, information and support.

For a week in February 2014 a carers information stall was available at Sainsbury's (Church Street) which offered valuable carers information. Customers shopping in store were able to talk about their caring role with members of staff from WBC and Wired Adult and Young Carers Services and discuss services that are available to support them in their caring role.

Sainsbury's stores across Warrington will continue to provide assistance to identify hidden carers in the community through offering relevant carers information to customers purchasing shopping for more than one person.

First ever Time to Talk Day On 6 February we aimed to inspire a million conversations about mental health on our first ever Time to Talk Day. People of all ages took part by having a conversation with a friend, family member or at work, so that together we made as much noise as possible about mental health.

Warrington Mental Health Forum, Mood Swings Network Warrington, Creative Remedies and Warrington Clinical Commissioning Group held a public event at Warrington Market on 6 February which was supported by Warrington Market stall holders and management.

The day involved volunteers in the market giving out cards with examples of what people do to improve their mental health; displayed around the market were posters with more examples. There was also a marquee run by volunteers and professionals which was an informal place where people could talk in confidence and have access to information on a wide variety of services.

Warrington Market stall holders fully supported the day, to demonstrate this each stall displayed a card promoting the event.

Children and Families Bill – vote of parliament In February 2014 parliament voted in favour of standardised packaging, proxy purchasing, age of sale of 18 for e-cigarettes and to prohibit smoking in cars with children.

The vote on prohibiting smoking in cars with children was won on a free vote 376 for only 107 against. A larger majority on smoking in cars than for Smokefree legislation in 2006 and an even bigger majority for standardised packaging, proxy purchasing and age of sale of 18 for e-cigarettes which were whipped votes, 453 for only 24 against. It was very helpful of Philip Davies MP to force a vote through as the will of parliament is now loud and clear.

                                                       

                                    

                                              

                                                      

                                      

CQC inspection for Crime Reductions Initiatives Warrington Pathways to Recovery, part of the Crime Reductions Initiative charity (CRI) was inspected by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) on 16 January 2014. All essential standards of quality and safety were met; consent to care and treatment, care and welfare of people who use services, requirements relating to workers, complaints, and records.

Inspectors talked with service users and staff and found that there was good communication between staff and the people receiving support from them and heard good feedback from service users about the service provided. Inspectors also found that staff were positive, upbeat and well-motivated.

The CQC stated in the inspection report that: ‘Warrington Pathways to Recovery’ provided a fully integrated drug and alcohol service with

rapid open access to assessment and treatment for people who had problems with drugs and/or alcohol’.

‘Care and treatment was planned and delivered in a way that was intended to ensure people’s safety and welfare’.

‘There were effective recruitment and selection processes in place’ and ‘people were care cared for, or supported by, suitably qualified, skilled and experienced staff’.

‘…The service had regard to the complaints and comments of people who used the service’ and ‘people we spoke with had not had cause to make a complaint’.

‘People were protected from the risks of unsafe or inappropriate care and treatment because accurate and appropriate records were maintained’.

Better Care Fund The June 2013 Spending Round announced the creation of a £3.8 billion Integration Transformation Fund – now referred to as the Better Care Fund – described as ‘a single pooled budget for health and social care services to work more closely together in local areas, based on a plan agreed between the NHS and local authorities’. In Warrington, the minimum fund is £13.9m from 2015/16. The £3.8 billion is not new or additional money: £1.9 billion will come from clinical commissioning groups (CCG) allocations in addition to NHS money already transferred to social care.

In Warrington, the Better Care Fund offers an opportunity to build on our integrated approach to health and social care by formally pooling our resources and providing joint oversight through the Health and wellbeing Board. Our draft plans have been developed jointly with NHS Warrington Clinical Commissioning Group and approved by the Health and Wellbeing Board who are keen to extend our fund beyond the minimum level where it contributes to integrated care. Our final plan will be submitted to NHS England on 4th April.

North West Older Persons Champion Network

On 13th March, Warrington Borough Council hosted the North West Older Persons Champion Network. The Network was very impressed with the Lifetime centre and the presentation given on the innovative project which the council is leading on regarding isolated Older People in Bewsey and Dallam.

Agenda Item 7.2

WARRINGTON BOROUGH COUNCIL COUNCIL – 24 March 2014 Report of: Councillor M McLaughlin – Chairman

Building Stronger Communities Policy Committee

Report Author: Jennie Cordwell – Democratic Services Officer

Contact Details: Email Address: Telephone:jcordwell@warrington.gov.uk 01925 442139

Ward Members: All

TITLE OF REPORT: Response to Council from the Building Stronger Communities Policy Committeein relation to a referral from Council regarding Potholes.

1. PURPOSE

1.1 The Building Stronger Communities Policy Committee have considered the following motion referred to it from Council on 24 June 2013.

Potholes

Proposed by Cllr Brian Axcell Seconded by Cllr Bob Barr

This Council

1. Notes that there are strict criteria for the filling of potholes such that only holes of a sufficient depth are filled and nearby holes of a lesser depth are left untouched

2. Is concerned that some repairs are of insufficient quality meaning that repeated patching up may be required and urges that we learn from other councils’ more effective ways of filling potholes

3. Recognises that the public is concerned about the policy for repairing potholes which has a negative impact on the reputation of the Council

4. Expresses concern that motorists and cyclists are being exposed to risk of damage and injury by leaving untouched potholes that do not meet the criteria for repair

5. Understands the constraints on spending but believes our policy is inefficient and not the best use of resources

mailto:jcordwell@warrington.gov.uk

Agenda Item 7.2

6. At the earliest opportunity requests a change in our procedures so that more potholes in an area are treated and not just the worst ones.

2. CONFIDENTIAL OR EXEMPT

2.1 This report is not confidential or exempt.

3. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

3.1 The Committee at its meeting on 26 November 2013 received a report from the Executive Director Economic Regeneration, Growth and Environment which detailed the current pothole repair procedures as detailed in paragraphs 3.2 – 3.8.

3.2 The criteria for deciding which potholes warrant repairs had evolved as a result of case law following claims for damages made against highway authorities. As a result accompanying guidance had been produced as set out in the Code of Practice for Highways Maintenance Management ’ ‘Well Maintained Highways’ (COP).

3.3 The COP is nationally recognised industry guidance endorsed by the UK Roads Liaison Group. The COP sets out a wide range of processes and procedures on how to manage and maintain the highway network and includes guidance on intervention levels i.e. at what depth to repair potholes for safety purposes.

3.4 The assessment of a pothole and the need to repair is primarily undertaken by highway inspectors who through the regular safety inspections undertaken on a daily basis will identify the repairs needed to the road based on the criteria in the COP. Potholes are also reported by members of the public and by other means and these are also assessed by the highway inspectors to determine if they meet the criteria for a safety repair based on the COP. Typically the highway inspectors respond to on average 3000 pothole or road deterioration problems per annum.

3.5 The term pothole can be perceived and judged differently by those affected or observing a problem with a road but essentially a pothole is a localised feature that is an expression of failure of the road. For the purposes of a safety repair it is assessed at 40mm or more in depth over a 300mm width in area. The size is considered based on previous case law at which a cyclist / motorcycle or vehicle wheel can dip significantly causing the potential for a safety risk at that location.

3.6 The Policy Committee were further informed that funding for pothole repairs is from the Council’s revenue resources and due to the accelerated deterioration and costs associated with raw materials used in repairs it is not considered cost effective or affordable to continuously increase revenue to support the demand. A

Agenda Item 7.2

strategy of investment and an appropriate range of repair techniques to prolong the life of the roads is what is required to be in place.

3.7 The industry and local highway authorities including Warrington recognise the need to develop and follow best practice, standardise procedures and maintain the highway to a safe and serviceable condition. Hence during the recent re-procurement of the Highways Maintenance Term Contract the form of contract that was used was based on the new Highways Maintenance Efficiency Partnership (HMEP) suite of documents and principals.

3.8 The re-procurement of the highways term contract was undertaken during 2012/13 and was a joint procurement exercise involving Halton Borough Council. The re-procurement option was supported by Members following a number of reports presented to the Highways and Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee in 2012 that also covered the issues of quality within the existing term contract with Amey (formally Enterprise).

4. FINDINGS OF POLICY COMMITTEE

4.1 The Building Stronger Communities Policy Committee acknowledged the points raised in the original motion and highlighted the following areas;

4.2 That the new contract, agreed in 2013 would result in a contract to better suit Warrington’s needs and the proposed changes by the new contractor in terms of the materials and technology that would be used for repairing potholes is welcomed.

4.3 The Committee also found that wider research was being carried out nationally to ascertain best practice for pothole repairs. Further investment targeted at addressing potholes was welcomed along with the implementation of a permit scheme for when, for example, utility companies were required to carry out works on the highway.

4.4 The Committee also felt it necessary to recommend that when inspections of highways are undertaken, particular attention be given to the sides of roads that could affect cyclists.

5. FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS

5.1 Funding resources are to be used from existing Economic Regeneration, Growth and Environment budgets.

6. RISK ASSESSMENT

6.1 Associated safety risks should potholes not be dealt with appropriately.

Agenda Item 7.2

7. EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY/EQUALITY IMPACT ASSESSMENT

7.1 Not required.

8. CONSULTATION

8.1 None required.

9. REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATION

9.1 To report back to Council their findings of the Council’s Pothole Repair Policy.

10. RECOMMENDATION

10.1 That Co