REDUCING inequalities across Wirral is at the heart of a "radically refreshed" council plan to bounce back from the pandemic.

Wirral Plan 2021-2026, titled Equity for People and Place, was backed by councillors on the authority's policy and resources committee during a meeting this week.

Described by an authority spokesperson as "radically refreshed" it will now presented to full council during a meeting later this year.

In October 2019, councillors unanimously backed the Wirral Plan 2025.

Because of COVID-19, however, it was agreed a review was in order to ensure the plan can deliver what is needed in "radically changed circumstances".

The new Plan defines the key priorities for the local authority over the coming years – outlining those tasks which the council will focus on to ensure the people of Wirral receive the services they need and want, based on what people said matters most to them.

A Strategic Recovery Plan now forms the plan's core, with two key phases:

Recovery and renewal:

  • Recovery concentrates on the safe re-opening and resumption of assets and services, aligned with the government roadmap. It also supports the recovery of local businesses, schools and education, events, and planning for the winter period.
  • Renewal considers new initiatives that will provide better services and experiences for communities, using community wealth building to tackle inequalities and drive inclusive economic growth including improving services for health and social care, families, the environment and housing.

During the crisis, Wirral Council delivered more than three million items of PPE, dealt with 24,271 helpline calls and 12,250 business grant applications and paid out £94.5m in business grants.

More than 18,000 food hampers were delivered, 12,137 children given access free school meals and 1,064 laptops & 147 routers provided to children and young people to support learning at home.

The borough now faces dealing with the financial, social and wider economic impact of the legacy of the pandemic and the refreshed Wirral Plan 2026 is using this as "a unique opportunity to refresh the borough's priorities and ambitions and create a fairer and more secure future for everyone in Wirral".

Council leader, Cllr Janette Williamson, said: "Leading his council is a huge privilege as well as a massive responsibility, and I along with the other 65 councillors and everyone employed by the authority has a duty to ensure this council meets the needs of everyone on this borough.

"This Wirral Plan 2026 outlines how we will set about ensuring we can do that to the very best of our ability over the coming years, focusing on ensuring everyone is included as we move ahead using the incredibly exciting plans to regenerate the borough to help the least well off and ensure we tackle inequalities and bringing equity to all of our communities."