WIRRAL'S 66 councillors would be handed power to fund key projects in their communities under plans set to be approved later this month.

Cabinet will be asked to back plans for the current constituency budgets to now be designated the Wirral Together Fund with a total annual budget of £250,000 – an increase of £50,000 - when it meets on November 26.

The money will be distributed through councillors in each ward across the borough, focusing on those issues which matter most to their constituents.

The aim is at bringing decision-making closer to the individual communities across the borough.

Council leader Phil Davies said: "The people who know how to best improve a community, how to solve a local problem, are the people who live there and those with the closest ties to those communities.

"Our job, as a council and as local councillors, is to make sure our communities get the support to make that happen.

"We call this approach Wirral Together."

Councillors will be able to determine whether they combine the funding within wards, across wards and within or across constituency boundaries.

The move follows a review into community engagement in which "the effectiveness of existing Constituency Committees was raised as an issue".

Cllr Davies said: "If we are to achieve our priorities then it is vital we are able to work effectively with local citizens and improve local accountability.

"This report provides Cabinet with a proposed new approach to working with citizens which is intended to strengthen the relationship between public services and citizens, enabling our communities to deliver their part and support each other.

"It will act as a catalyst to equip councillors to encourage resident-led activities and support the Council in getting the basics right as promised in our Council Plan for 2018/19."

The money will be allocated to each council ward based on population, level of deprivation and those communities with the highest number of elderly or very young members of the community.

Safeguards against inappropriate expenditure will be put in place, with officers authorising expenditure against guidance, including ensuring the funding would not have a negative impact on the local community or environment and would not be unlawful for the Council to support.