Agenda and minutes

Your chance to meet Cllrs Jenny Brooks, Nigel Ayre and Jonathan Morley; Virginia Shaw, Neighbourhood Management Officer; and representatives from the Safer Neighbourhood Policing Team, Street Environment Service, Children and Young People’s Services

1.1             Residents had the opportunity to speak with Councillors Nigel Ayre and Jenny Brooks; Jon Coulson, JP, York Magistrate; the Street Environment Officer; representatives from Waste Strategy, the Safer Neighbourhood Policing Team and the Neighbourhood Management Unit.

1.2             Residents had the opportunity to see the Street Environment DVD, “Don’t be a Minger”.  

Welcome and minutes of October 2009 meeting.  The minutes will be approved and signed and there will be an update on action points.

2.1             Cllr. Nigel Ayre welcomed everyone to the meeting.

2.2             He mentioned that the ward committee is a formal meeting of the council and asked all those speaking to use the public address and hearing loop system to enable everyone, including those who are deaf and hard of hearing, to participate in the meeting.

2.3             Virginia Shaw indicated the location of the fire exits and toilets.

2.4             Cllr. Ayre referred to the availability of copies of the previous meeting’s minutes, the Your Ward newsletter and a revised evaluation form.  He informed residents that the information provided will only be used by City of York Council who want to make sure that ward committee meetings are suitable for all members of the community.  If they preferred not to answer any part, they should just leave it blank.  A ballot box at the rear of the hall was available for residents to return the form.

2.5             As an update to the October 2009 minutes, he reported that the metal barrier at the junction of Millenium Way and Metcalfe Lane, Osbaldwick, has been secured.

2.6             There being no further questions, the minutes were approved and signed.

Your opportunity to hear from your Safer Neighbourhood Policing Team and give them feedback about the policing issues in your area.

3.1             PC Graeme Wright reported that crime is down in all three wards.  Heworth Without has the lowest crime rate in the City of York Council area and Derwent the next lowest, with Osbaldwick not far behind.

3.2             Reporting on the policing priorities, he referred to the collection of data, including street sweeps.  In Derwent Ward the Team’s priority is theft, in Heworth Without it is anti-social behaviour, in particular around drinking and graffiti.  Similarly, in Osbaldwick, it is youth alcohol related crime and disorder.

3.3             The Team is now up to strength, with 9 PCSOs, 2 PCs and 1 Sgt.  PCSOs have been designated to work in specific parts of the area, enabling them to liaise with individual parish councils.

3.4             The Team are continuing to encourage use of Farm Watch, Business Watch and Shop Watch.  The latter is being used to target known offenders.     

3.5             Operation Spoke is an initiative to combat cycle theft that involves marking bicycles with a unique number so they can be traced if stolen and returned to the owner if recovered.

3.6             In response to questions about teenage drinkers outside the Sainsbury’s on Farndale Avenue and their application to extend their licence to sell alcohol to midnight, PC Wright confirmed the Team will put in a complaint if there are problems; and Cllr. Ayre informed residents they can ask for a review of the licence under the 2003 Act.  He thanked PC Wright for his report. 

“Tackling speeding through a partnership approach”.  Representatives from the team will describe how the city council, North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue and the Police work together to address speeding and their roles in reducing speeding incidents.

4.1             Ruth Stephenson, Head of Transport Planning, and Trish Hirst, Road Safety Officer, provided a presentation on the Speed Complaint Review Process.  It has been used for 12 months to provide a coherent and consistent response and is being piloted in City of York before rolling out to North Yorkshire.  The partners are City of York Council, North Yorkshire Police, North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue and North Yorkshire County Council.   

4.2             Speed complaints are made on the 95 Alive form, available from the CYC website and other sources, and returned to the police at the Traffic Management office at Fulford.  It is necessarily detailed in order to provide the most precise details of the location of particular speeding incidents.

4.3             Return of the of the form triggers a review of the last 36 months accidents at the location.  Seven days per week, 24 hour speed data surveys are then carried out by CYC and the two sets of data are brought together to categorise the road. 

4.4             There are 4 categories: Category 4 is low speed and low casualties; Category 3 is high speed and low casualties; Category 2 is low speed and high casualties; Category 1 is high speed and high casualties.  Category 4 results in a low priority, Category 3 is medium priority which may lead to ward committee funded speed reduction measures, Category 2 is high priority leading to a review and Category 1 is very high priority leading to engineering measures.  The data is used to identify specific times when the traffic police will attend to carry out speed enforcement action.  The complainant is informed of the outcome.

4.5             In response to questions, the following points were made:

Vehicle activated signs work for a period of time after they are installed, as a reminder to drivers to reduce their speed to the legal limit (they can be funded by ward committee budget).  They do not record information of incidents to relay for speed enforcement.

All the 95 Alive forms are looked at.

CYC Engineering examine statistics and identify cluster sites.

A public meeting has been organised on 12 February at the Priory Street Centre about the 20s plenty campaign to extend 20mph zones in York, following the pilot in the Grange Garth area.  This is not connected to the 95 Alive process.

There is conflicting evidence regarding whether slower speeds increase or reduce exhaust emissions.

4.6     Ruth and Trish were thanked for their presentation.   

Representatives from York Magistrates’ Court will tell the meeting about the role of magistrates, their powers and how they decide on sentences.  They will also wish to listen to your concerns and answer your questions.  

5.1            Jon Coulson JP gave a talk on the role of Magistrates in the Community.  There are 100 magistrates in York, half of whom are women. There are four magistrates courts in York, sitting 5 days per week and Saturday morning (to deal with Friday evening arrests).

5.2            All Justices of the Peace (JPs) are trained volunteers and members of the local community and anyone over 18 years can apply and serve until 70 years old.  They wish to be representative of the local community in every way (there is currently a 50:50 ratio men to women).  They have to sit a minimum number of days but most sit longer, especially if they chair, for example, the Youth Court.

5.3            Magistrates have powers: to give a prison sentence (limited to 6 months for one offence and 12 months for two or more offences); fines; curfews and electronic tagging; discharges and community service (through the Probation Service).

5.4            They operate according to Ministry of Justice sentencing guidelines to achieve consistency across benches and across the country.  In awarding sentences, they consider both aggravating and mitigating circumstances.

5.5            In response to questions, the following points were made:

It is very rewarding and is a way of learning what is happening in York.

The selection process aims to identify people who have a common sense approach and communication skills, are of good character, are assertive and able to give the required amount of time.  This amounts to between 20 and 30 cases per day.

The relationship with the Probation Service is close and professional.

Magistrates have been known to be personally threatened, though they are protected by the law as perverting the cause of justice (which threatening a magistrate amounts to) is a criminal offence.

Any personal interest must be declared.  It is more likely to be the case that a witness is known to a magistrate and this can delay a case coming to trial by several months as a re-trial will be necessary.

          5.6          Jon Coulson was warmly thanked for his talk.  

Your chance to comment on the provisional local improvement schemes the ward committee are proposing to support.

6.1             Cllrs. Ayre and Brooks confirmed they had no interests to declare in the provisional local improvement schemes list, as it appeared in the January 2010 issue of Your Ward.  Four examples from each ward were displayed on the screen.

6.2             Cllr. Ayre reported the following progress on 2009-10 schemes: the dropped road crossings on Horsfield Way/Intake Lane and Common Road, Dunnington and a revised scheme to widen the footway, also on Common Road, will be installed by the end of February.  The current financial year’s ward budget is fully allocated.

6.3             The estimated budget for 2010-11 is £33,450 based on the baseline budget for 2009-10.  The figure will not be known until after the council’s budget is approved later in February.

6.4             In response to Cllr. Ayre’s invitation to comment of the provisional schemes list, a resident enquired whether there were any plans to re-instate the salt bins that had been removed?  There are eight bins currently funded in Heworth Without ward by the ward committee budget, plus one funded by Highways.  There was general support from residents present for the ward budget to be used to fund additional salt bins; and to use any under spend in the 2010-11 budget.  A review of Highways winter maintenance policy is currently underway, following the particularly severe winter when the council’s resources had been fully stretched.  Re-location of salt bins in the following locations was requested: Pinelands Way at the junction of Hull Road and near Sainsbury’s on Farndale Avenue (both in Osbaldwick ward).

6.5             A query was raised regarding the exact location of improvements to street lighting in Osbaldwick (scheme ref. DHO-10-15).  Consultations will take place following approval in principle of the scheme.   

6.6             Cllr Ayre was asked if he will take into account the feedback from Heworth Without Parish Council about the feasibility study into providing a cycle lane on Stockton Lane (scheme ref. DHO-10-11).  He replied in the affirmative.

6.7             There being no further questions, Cllrs. Ayre and Brooks formally approved the provisional local improvement schemes list.    

Your chance to ask questions about local issues and concerns.

7.1             Residents asked the following questions:

Q: what is the best way to report incidents of graffiti, dumped rubbish and so on?

A: If you have e-mail, use YPAL@york.gov.uk, or you can telephone 551551 and if you get no satisfaction then contact your ward councillor.

Q: There was a presentation on the Local Development Framework last July and the consultation period is now over.  Will there be a update at a future ward committee meeting?

A: We will consider this suggestion.

Q: A dog bin was vandalised and has not been replaced.  This has been reported and nothing has happened.  Will it be replaced?  If not, it would be better to remove the post to which the bin was attached so people do not deposit their bags containing dog dirt in the area.

A: The bin is being replaced and will be chased.

Q: A yellow arrow was painted on a wall by council staff and it has encouraged graffiti.

A: Will see to it being removed.

Q: What about the proposed play area at Monk Stray?  When will residents be consulted?  Who are the Stray Masters and are they involved?

A: The area has been identified as deficient in play facilities for 8 to 13 year olds.  There will be full consultation.  The situation with respect to the Stray Masters is very complicated.

Q: Who funds the litter-picker?  There is litter in the hedgerows near the service station on the roundabout at Tranby Avenue/Hull Road.

A: This will be investigated to see whether the location is the responsibility of CYC.

Q: Why has £2,000 been identified against a programme of street lighting (DHO-10-15)?  One of the possible locations referred to in Your Ward is in private ownership (Metcalfe Lane). 

A: The scheme received the second highest number of net votes in the ballot following the October 2009 Your Ward.  Metcalfe Lane has been removed as a possible location. 

Q: What is the date of the next ward committee meeting?

A: Wednesday 28 April 2010.