Agenda and minutes

·         Meet you local councillors

·         Identify priorities in your ward

·         Haxby Youth and Community Association

·         Activ8 Learning

·         And other community groups

Cllr Richardson welcomed everyone to the meeting and introduced his fellow councillors Cllr Cuthbertson and Cllr Gates.

Meet Michelle Watling and find out about the roles of the Neighbourhood Enforcement Officers

Neighbourhood Enforcement Officer Michelle Watling (MW) updated the meeting on the work undertaken by her team.

MW explained that she was the Neighbourhood Enforcement Officer for the area of Haxby and Wigginton and that she was part of the Community Safety Team for City of York Council (CYC).   The team was originally called the Anti Social Behaviour Team.   The present team was created a couple of years ago as a result of the new Anti Social Behaviour Act.

Her role dealt with certain aspects of the Anti Social Behaviour Act, including rubbish; fly tipping, blocked drains, horses, dogs and travellers as well as many other issues.   The Team was currently taking exams to pass a community accredited training course and following this accreditation the Team will limit some powers.

understood that there were particular issues in the ward with dog fouling.   She explained that due to budget restraints the team has been reduced and some bins removed. However, bins were emptied on a regular basis, at least once a week and twice a week in the summer months.  There were issues in some areas where bins were full and therefore people threw the bags elsewhere.

Dog walkers are responsible for clearing up after their dogs and could be given a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) and required to pay between £50 and £100. However FPN would not result in a criminal record.  Should they refuse to pay this FPN however then they would be taken to court resulting in a possible fine of £1000.  A witness statement could also be used in the issuing of an FPN.   If people were aware of who was doing this they should report the matter and it would be followed up by the Neighbourhood Enforcement Officer who would then send the offender an enforcement letter.     Most cases of dog fouling would be covered under the Act but not on woodlands, farmland and heaths. 

Q How many people have been fined for littering by CYC?

A MW said not many people had been fined as you have to see them in the act.

Q This needs to be publicised as people need to be reported for littering in the same way as dog fouling

A Up until recently there were only four in the team.  We now have nine people but some of them are still in training.  Littering patrols are to begin again but fines cannot be issued unless the perpetrator is actually seen littering.   They were currently awaiting information as to how this will be enforced but anyone reporting littering by phone will be given a registration number and the complaint will be followed up.

Q Litter is concentrated in two or three particular areas.  Is there any possibility of setting up CCTV.

A Yes I am aware of a couple of areas in this ward for example Corban Lane, Moor Lane and also the Towthorpe Road. Unfortunately the Team has no mobile CCTV equipment.

Q In respect of the picking up  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

Updates from your local PCSO Michael Hannon

PCSO Jimmy Hanon (JH) updated the meeting on the work of his team and issues relating to the Ward.   

JH said that he was one of the officers that covered the Haxby and Wigginton ward. Of the 24 officers on the team, each has their own individual areas and different shift patrols covering 8.00 am to midnight every day of the week.

The crime numbers for the Haxby/Wigginton ward for the last three months (July, August and September) was 36 which still made the ward a low crime area.   Over the summer months there had been issues in the ward in respect of anti social behaviour, particularly concerning groups of youths congregating around the Co-op store.   There has been a regular police presence and due to issues being raised about this area the police had moved in with large vans and 30 to 35 PCSOs, Police and Specials to deal with the large groups of youths causing the anti social behaviour.    This exercise is due to be repeated on Halloween, 4^th November (mischief night), and 5^th November (bonfire night) as well as half term and will include Rydale Court.  

With the exception of Rydale Court there were no significant numbers of issues over the summer.   He urged that if anyone saw anything suspicious they should ring it in.

Q A resident raised the issue from the previous meeting regarding the serious break in at Haxby post office and enquired if anyone had been arrested in regard to this?

A JH said that members of the public would not be given this information.  Updates would be given to the reporting person and to the Council only.   JH said he was not aware of this offence so could not comment.

Q When you catch the youths responsible for antisocial behaviour how do you deal with them.

A We make a judgement as to whether they need to be taken home and their parents spoken to or just put on a bus home.  Sometimes we ring parent to come and pick them up, it all depends upon the situation.  We do not take them home unless they have done something specific.  We also work with schools and social services dependent upon the incident and who the young person is as to how we deal with them.  Cllr Richardson said if anyone wanted to raise an issue please email one of the ward councillors and we can find out what is happening.

Q A resident raised the fact that he had received a letter from Victim Support asking if he wanted counselling as he had reported anti social behaviour which he thought strange.

A JH Victim Support has no links to the Police and is therefore not involved in these letters.

Cllr Richardson said that the Crime Commissioner would be visiting Haxby at the end of the month.  Information and appointments for residents are available, if anyone would like to raise issues directly with the Crime Commissioner please telephone  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

Cllr Gates:  said he was involved in a lot of the different queries raised by residents including dog fouling, bins, street lighting and street repairs and he was happy to try to get action on any issues concerning residents that you feel are not being acted upon.  Ring or email me about any concerns.

I am also a member of the E-democracy Task Group who look at the technology services and how they can be improved.   We have a survey of the E-democracy services and he asked that residents could complete the form on the table before they left as it would give them the opportunity to have an input, especially on the Council meeting web casts.  This facility is not as widely used as it might be but is expensive to run. 

Cllr Richardson listed the committees that he and Cllr Cuthbertson and were members of.

Cllr Richardson

•Area Planning Sub-Committee (Substitute)

•Communities and Environment Policy and Scrutiny Committee (Vice-Chair)

•Council

•Education Appeals Panel (Substitute)

•Environment Appeals Panel

•Equality Advisory Group

•Gambling, Licensing & Regulatory Committee

•Haxby & Wigginton Ward Committee

•Health and Adult Social Care Policy and Scrutiny Committee

•Licensing/Gambling Hearing

•Planning Committee

•Yearsley Pool Ad Hoc Scrutiny Committee

Cllr Cuthbertson

•Area Planning Sub-Committee (Substitute)

•Audit & Governance Committee (Substitute)

•Corporate and Scrutiny Management Policy and Scrutiny Committee (Substitute)

•Corporate and Scrutiny Management Policy and Scrutiny Committee (Calling In) (Substitute)

•Corporate Parenting Board

•Council

•Economic Development and Transport Policy and Scrutiny Committee (Chair)

•Economic Development and Transport Policy and Scrutiny Committee (Pre Decision Calling In)

•Haxby & Wigginton Ward Committee

•Health and Adult Social Care Policy and Scrutiny Committee (Vice-Chair)

•Local Plan Working Group (Substitute)

•Make it York Shareholders Group

•Planning Committee

All three Cllrs were in touch with Town and Parish Councils who can raise any issues of concern with us.

Cllr Richardson updated residents on the following issues:

·         Fire alarm going off at Metcalfe’s – this is the responsibility of the premises owners.

·         Toilets – there were reports about people being unable to access them.   The issue was that young people were going into the toilets and setting them alight so the company who had the contract were asked to look into this.  They decided to lock them around 5.00 pm but did not consult anyone, this is being looked into   

·         Salt Bins – being addressed

·         Green Waste extension - reminder that there is an extra collection this month

https://www.york.gov.uk/info/20010/waste_and_recycling/1557/garden_waste

·         In response to a residents query about the installation of LED street lighting, Cllr Richardson said that there was a rolling programme to installing these lights.

·         In response to a residents question on speeding on Church Lane, Cllr Richardson said that ward councillors were having difficulty getting police vehicles to the ward.  It was certainly an issue as to why we are not having enforcements on the road. Commissioner had said that there were two camera vans.  He said he would pursue this and residents could talk to either him or the Commissioner when she visited the ward at  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

2015/16 ward budgets for Haxby and Wigginton and how to apply

Cllr Richardson gave a presentation “Listening to Residents: Ward Committees” The Council’s approach to community engagement and neighbourhood working.   The Council aimed to empower local residents and to support ward members so that they could work with local committees to develop and deliver local priorities and also empower local communities to devolve more budgets to residents.

The Ward Team is made up of ward councillors, parishes, church, schools and local associations.  He was aware that there were more local associations out there that need to be involved and was looking into this.  The ward committee would be led by the three elected councillors and decisions would be made by the ward committee.   The ward committee tackles local issue together with residents to improve the Council’s accountability and provide opportunities to influence services by talking to residents and prioritising local issues, agreeing the allocation of ward budgets and supporting local projects.  The ward committee meets officially four times a year but it is intended that more unofficial meetings will be held.

Wards are being given control of activities such as open spaces, grass cutting and flower beds.  Therefore the team must identify the ward priorities for future expenditure and decide what is a priority.

Funding is made up of:

·         Pride in York Fund - £6078 – to commission projects and initiatives that improve the local environment and street level issues in the ward, and could be spent on council services if the ward wished.  This money is allocated to wards on a per capita basis.

·         Pride in York Fund – One off funding - £6613)  - This payment is allocated to wards based on current grounds maintenance spending and would be used to provide grants to partner, community and voluntary organisations to develop initiatives that benefit the community and help reduce the reliance on council services.

·         General Ward Budget - £9117

Organisations/Groups can apply for a grant via an application form to do a particular piece of work.  The application must show a benefit to the local community.  City wide organisation cannot apply to multiple wards.  

Cllr Richardson said that there was a need to work with local knowledge and local priorities to manage footpaths, public rights of way, cycle way and street lighting improvements. 

·         Community Care Budget - £4559 - this extra funding  will help to support elderly people through community activity to prevent or delay people needing access to formal care, a list would be needed of our community organisations.  Haxby and Wigginton have the third largest number of elderly residents across the city.

·         Highways Programme - £15196: This £1500 funding is allocated to Highways.   The ward has a number of snickets some managed by CYC but the money could be used for the ones not under this programme and they could be tidied up and rubbish removed.   Also the money could be used to repair pathways that were not in a good state of repair.  Money could also be used on hedges where it is difficult to identify  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

Open floor for residents to put questions to the councillors

Resident raised the lack of consultation over the open land at Keldale that a local group wanted to plant apple trees on.  CYC did not consult with residents who lived in the area.  

Cllr Richardson said he was aware of concerns passed on to him by residents.  Consultation was supposed to take place by the local group before the work took place.  This did not happen.  He said he would take this up with the Town Council and find out what had happened

Cllr Richardson thanked everyone who had attended tonight. 

Meeting closed at 8.45pm.