Agenda and minutes

You will have an opportunity to talk to:

§         Cllr Jenny Brooks

§         Cllr Jonathan Morley

§         Cllr Nigel Ayre

§         Your Street Environment Officer

§         The Safer Neighbourhoods Policing Team

§         A representative from the Neighbourhood Management Unit

PLUS:

§         Find out more about the NHS Foundation Trust and the York Young People’s Plan

1.1  Local Residents had the opportunity to speak to Cllr Nigel Ayre, Cllr Jonathan Morley, Cllr Jenny Brooks, Angus Young (Street Environment Officer), The Safer Neighbourhoods Policing Team and David Slater (Neighbourhood Management Officer)

1.2  Residents had the opportunity to find out more about Without Walls – York’s Sustainable Community Strategy, the Young People’s Plan, Health Walks in York and becoming a member of the NHS Foundation Trust.

On the agenda:

§         NHS Foundation Trust:

o       York Hospital NHS Foundation Trust will complete their first year as a Foundation Trust at the end of September. Come along to learn more about the trust and ask any questions.

§         Police priorities:

o       Your chance to tell your Safer Neighbourhood Team what the most important issues are in your ward.

§         Local Improvement Schemes:

o       Have your say on how the ward budget for your area should be spent and learn more about some of the scheme proposals.

§         Have your say:

o       Your chance to raise local issues and concerns.

§         The meeting will be chaired by Councillor Nigel Ayre

2.1    Cllr Nigel Ayre welcomed residents to the meeting.

2.2    The minutes of the last meeting were approved. 

Patrick Crowley (Chief Executive of the NHS Foundation Trust) spoke about what the Trust has been doing and where it hopes to go in the future and encouraged residents of the ward to become members.

The following points were noted:

3.1  The NHS Foundation Trust has just completed it’s first 18 months and is now looking to the public for more guidance as to what the organisation should focus on in the future. 

3.2  One of the main objectives of the Trust is to focus on the patient, including their safety and general experience when in the hospital.

3.3  The Trust hopes to bring the hospital up to modern standards.

3.4  One of the main priorities highlighted by the NHS Foundation Trust is to increase bed numbers, which they hope to achieve by December 2008.

3.5  Other priorities include making the hospital environment safe, improve staffing and reduce waiting times. 

3.6  The main aim of the Trust is to improve communication with the public and engage with the community.

3.7  The NHS Trust is accountable to its membership.  Becoming a member of the trust gives people the chance to have their say on the future and priorities of the Trust.

Residents had the following questions:

a)  Why do you charge people to park on a night-time at the hospital when the rest of the car parks are free for York residents?

Response was given that Patrick Crowley was not aware that the hospital do charge on a night-time.  Penny Goff confirmed that parking charges apply until 8pm. The charging policy is governed by City of York Council. 

b)  Do you charge hospital staff to park on site?

Response was given that yes staff are charged but not at the same rates.  The Trust are very conscious about staff security especially for those who are working unsocial hours.  The money made from staff parking is invested into their security. 

c)  Is there any possibility of reducing the amount of parking availability for staff?

Response was given that parking provision is not provided for all staff and they are encouraged to leave their cars at home and use alternative means of travelling to work.   The Trust are committed to reviewing the staff parking policy and there will be a reduced amount of staff parking provision  in the new multi-storey car park.  Construction work is about to commence on this.

PCSO’s Simon Cartwright and Kate Wylie gave an update on Crime and Community Safety issues in the ward.  The following points were noted:

4.1 The Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT) for this ward is made up of 1 Sergeant, 2 PC’s and 8 PCSO’s

4.2    Crime has reduced since the SNT has been in place. 

4.3 The SNT are working hard to make themselves more accessible to the community.

4.4  The crime figures for the last 6 months are as follows:  assault – 5 (13 for the same period last year), auto-crime – 19 (35 last year), burglary – 14 (32 last year), damage – 12 (16 last year).

Residents asked the following questions:

a)  What hours do the SNT work?

Response was given that the SNT work in 2 shift patterns, 8-5pm and 1-10pm.   The team will be working until midnight over bonfire/mischief nights.  The shift patterns are changing next year.

b)  Do the PCSO’s still have to work in pairs?

Response was given that no they don’t however they do not carry the same security equipment as PC’s.

c)  What action can you take against cyclist without lights?

Response was given that PCSO’s do not have the power to issue tickets for this but they do  ask the cyclist to get off their bike.

d)  This ward has a big problem with people cycling on the footpath.  How many cyclists have the team fined for this?

Response was given that the team issued around 50 tickets last year.  The team will continue to address this issue.

Sgt Rick Ball, York’s Community Safety Sergeant attended the meeting to encourage residents to register their property with the Immobilise scheme.  The following points were made:

4.5     Immobilise is a free web-based property registration site. 

4.6     Residents can register every item of property that has a serial number

which most do. 

4.7     If a stolen item of property was recovered and it was registered with

Immobilise, any police officer in the country would be able to identify who it belonged to. 

4.8     25,000 people in York have already signed up. 

4.9     All cycle tags previously registered have been transferred onto the

Immobilise website.  If a bike is recovered, police can get an instant result on who the bike belongs to.

4.10 Residents can register their property on www.immobilise.com. PCSO’s can also load information up for residents.

This was an opportunity for discussion about the local improvement schemes on the 09-10 ballot list.

5.1  Representatives gave more information about the following schemes:

DHO-09-03 Install new street light outside Dunnington Sports Club

DHO-09-21 Grant to Kexby Parish Council to place a bench, flower tubs & bulbs in the village to create a more colourful village centre

DHO-09-23 Grant to Osbaldwick Parish Council to improve the hedge around the Osbaldwick play area

DHO-09-28 Grant to Street Sport York

DHO-09-31 Grant to Active York to run ‘Funds for the Gifted’

DHO-09-32 Grant to Young Peoples Service to run ‘URBIE’ sessions

DHO-09-34 Grant to Dunnington Children

DHO-09-36 Grant to Dunnington Reading Rooms Management Committee

5.2     The following comments by residents were noted:

DHO-09-10 – Feasibility study into calming measures on Church Street – This is in the Derwent ward and not Osbaldwick as stated on the ballot sheet.

DHO-09-20 – Grant to York Rotters to set up and learn ‘Compost the mini musical’ – This would be very valuable in teaching children about the advantages of composting at a young age.

DHO-09-23 – Grant to Osbaldwick Parish Council to improve the hedge around the play area – This seems like a lot of money.  Response was given that councillors can reduce the amount at their discretion. 

DHO-09-25 – Funding to plant on verges in the ward – Osbaldwick Parish Council confirmed this is to plant trees. 

DHO–09-27 – Place a seat in Ashley Park bus shelter – There was a seat there previously which was removed because it attracted gangs of youths.  It is not needed.

DHO-09-35  - Grant to Dunnington Adventure Park Committee to erect a display board – This is a lot of money, City of York Council can provide notice boards at a lesser cost.

DHO-09-38 – Grant to Heworth Without Parish Council to replace a 20 year old see-saw – Cannot justify spending this amount of money on a see-saw, they can be obtained much cheaper than this.

5.3  A detailed discussion took place regarding scheme DHO-09-01 – Community Ranger Service.  Councillor Jenny Brooks stated that a lot of residents have voted in favour of the service in the past; the ward councillors are unsure if this is because the residents believe the councillors think it is a good idea.  The wording on the ballot paper is aimed to obtain residents views on whether the service is still needed.  Residents made the following comments:

a)     Having read the productivity report,  the service is not worth the money.

b)     The rangers get very few calls from the public, if it was widely known what they actually do, residents would not vote in favour of the service.

c)      It is very unclear what their actual role is and what powers they have.

d)     The role of the Community Ranger has now been superceded by the PCSO’s.

e)     It was agreed that the councillors would forward a role description to the 3 parish councils if the Community Ranger service  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

Residents made the following comments:

a)  The stray is really deteriorating, can something be done?

Response was given that some money from the ward committee budget has been allocated for repairs. 

b)  Can cold calling zones be extended to other areas of the ward?

Response was given that residents need to make a request to Trading Standards.  Councillor Ayre to advise the resident how to do this.

c)  There is a problem with speeding traffic in the Whitby Avenue area.  There is a school in this area and it is an accident waiting to happen.  Could some money be allocated for a zebra crossing?

Response was that Councillor Nigel Ayre has received a petition from Friends of Hempland School which will be put forward at the relevant council meeting.