Agenda item

KA gave a presentation on the new Neighbourhood Working model and the ward budgets.  How do we want to engage with communities and allocate funding? 

Listening to Residents: Ward Committees: -this is a new approach to community engagement through working with local neighbourhoods and the establishment of revised ward committees.

The Council’s approach to neighbourhood working aims to empower local residents and to support ward members so that they can:

·         Work with local communities to develop local priorities and help deliver on these

·         Help empower local communities and devolve more budgets to residents

Ward Committees:

What are Ward Committees and what do they do?

·         tackle local issues in partnership with residents

·         improve the Council’s accountability to residents

·         provide opportunities to influence services

They can do this by:

·         Talking to residents on issues affecting the ward and the city

·         Prioritising local issues

·         Agreeing how to allocate ward budgets

·         Supporting local projects that help address ward priorities

·         Working with communities to help inform what local services are needed

There are 21 Wards in York.

Meetings will take place up to four times a year with a formal meeting at the beginning of the financial year (Autumn 2015).   Further meetings can be in other formats depending on the need of the ward e.g. walkabouts, stalls at fairs, drop-in, consultations etc.  This means that a wider range of residents can engage.

Ward Teams

Ward teams would include Heslington Parish Council and community groups. It was expected that there would be regular Ward Team Meetings but not so many Ward Committee meetings.   If any group would like to be part of the Ward Team then they should contact either KA or by Claire Taylor, CYC Community Involvement Officer on 01904 551810 or alternatively email her at c.taylor@york.gov.uk

Ward Teams are led by Ward Councillors, ward-based partners will hold regular meetings to approximately once a month to:

·         Set priorities based on data, local intelligence

·         Work on projects that address the ward priorities

·         Liaise between ward partners (police, estate managers, voluntary groups, businesses, parish council)

·         Supported by a ward co-ordinator

Devolved Budgets

This financial year there was £75,000 available for ward funding but under the new system where would be circa £1M available.   These are additional budgets to wards in order to create a pot that wards can use flexibly to help to address their priorities and develop community initiatives which benefit local residents and reduce reliance on council services.   They are made up of:

General Ward Budget £3393 – this could be spent in two ways. 

·         Grants for funding projects from this fund should be made via an application form.  They can be made from constituted groups and must show a benefit to the local community.  Citywide organisations cannot apply to multiple wards

·         Alternatively should a group or organisation want to commission a particular piece of work?   Or both

Pride in York Fund (one off) £3926 –this money is allocated to wards, based on current grounds maintenance spending and could 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.

Pride in York Fund (recurring) £4524 – this fund is to commission projects and initiatives that improve the local environment and street level issues in the ward.   It could be spent on council services if the ward wished and is allocated to wards based on a per capita basis.

Community Care Programme £1697

·         To support through community activity the prevention or delay of people needing to access formal care packages and statutory support

·         Key areas identified which can help achieve this:

·         Reducing social isolation/loneliness

·         Prevention of falls

·         Nutrition

·         Transport

·         Practical support/handyperson services

·         Support for carers

Highways Programme £5655

·         Highways improvements

·         Reprioritising using local knowledge

·         Resurfacing

·         Footpaths/PROW

·         Cycle way improvements

·         Street lighting: improvements to existing lamp standards

Work carried out by CYC will still be happening but this money could be used for a particular challenge locally i.e. a road or a footpath that needed resurfacing – we could match fund or pay for the work to be carried out.   It may be decided that it would be better to save the money over four years for larger work projects or alternatively use it for potholes.

Budget Discussion

KA said that there were two deadlines for groups to suggest ideas; the first deadline was the end of November and the second deadline the end of January.  He encouraged groups to get their applications in by the end of November as they would have a better chance of getting a grant.   The next Ward Team Meeting was scheduled for 30^th November when current applications received would be discussed and recommendations made.   

Q

Resident asked whether there was still a ward newsletter.

A

KA said no there was no longer a ward newsletter where residents could balloted on spending schemes.   KA said that he made recommendations directly to the Director of Communities and Neighbourhood who made the final decision.

Q

A group of six residents have for many years carried out annual leaf clearing event.   They could be assisted in the effectiveness of their work if they had access to an air blower, if they were to submit a bid application for money for this which fund would it come from?

A

Yes they could apply for this funding and it would come from the one-off Pride in York grant.     KA said this was a good suggestion and if both parish councils got involved in the bid as well they could share the use of it.  

Q

A resident expressed concern about the car park at Main Street West that was particularly badly affected by fallen leaves but could only be cleaned at weekends when there were no cars parked there.  

A

KA said that the specific location could be checked to see if it were on the Council’s list of places to clear.  If it was not on the list then a request could be made to have in put on the list.   If any residents have concerns about blocked gullies or drains please contact him.  

KA asked for suggestions for work that need to be carried out locally. 

·         There was a pothole near The Crescent and near the bottom end of Field Lane near the Church and drainage problems in Common Lane and Long Lane.

·         The Parish Council had put in a bid for bench refurbishment

·         Heslington Scouts/Cub would be putting in a grant application for the cost of replacing climbing equipment i.e. helmets and ropes which have to be replaced every ten years.  

·         Community Care Grant – Parish Council to be asked to ask if any groups would like to apply for funding in their newsletter.   The same questions to be placed in the church newsletter – resident to email Claire Taylor a contact for this newsletter.