Minutes

Residents had the opportunity to speak to a number of ward team and other agencies at the 45 minute information session.

• Street Sports Bus sessions in the ward

• How to help tackle speeding in your area (display)

• The work of Environmental Protection services

• Composting advice from York Rotters

• Council recycling initiatives

• York Environment Forum

• York’s World Heritage Status Bid

• York Environment Forum

• Yorkshire Rural Community Council

Residents gave their views on:

• the top policing priorities for the ward in to the Rural West Safer Neighbourhood Team, in a facilitated exercise.

There was also an informal opportunity to speak to:

• their Ward Councillors and some Parish Councillors and Clerks

• Angus Young, Street Environment Officer

• Graeme Dawson, Neighbourhood Management Officer

PS Andy Haigh thanked the residents attending for participating in the prioritisation exercise, and went on to give a brief crime figures update.

Crime overall had fallen by 24% with around 40 fewer victims. Burglary and auto-crime had fallen.

Some youth disturbance issues in Poppleton were being dealt with by ABCs – Acceptable Behaviour Contracts.

Questions

What can residents do to combat speeding?

·                    The council and the police work in partnership over speeding, and at present speeding prevention / detection is not the role of the Safer Neighbourhood Teams, though the police recognise it is a concern.

·                    Safer Neighbourhood Teams may soon have access to, and training on speed-guns, and be able to issue speeding tickets. In the meantime, if passed a vehicle registration number that has been speeding in the area, individuals will be written to and warned about their behaviour.

·                    Residents were pointed to the display of “It’s Our Neighbourhood: Watch Your Speed” material available at the meeting.

Could the Police explain a little more about Acceptable Behaviour Contracts?

The Contracts are a civil agreement between a child, their parents and the Police. The idea is to bring the problem of a child’s anti-social behaviour directly to their parents attention, and work with all concerned to effect changes.

Should the process not work, then courts will look more favourably upon granting an ASBO (anti-social behaviour order) which has stronger powers available to it.

Cllr Healey introduced the ward budget, and explained to the meeting that many prioritised 2008/9 schemes could be done in the 2007/8 financial year.

Funds have been made available for £15,000 to be allocated to the Main Street, Copmanthorpe street lighting scheme in the 2007/8 financial year.

Askham Richard’s kerbing project along School Lane, has been deferred to an early start in the new financial year, allowing more of the project to be completed than if it had gone ahead in 2007/8.

Scheme RW-08-10 to install a further bin on Top Lane, Copmanthorpe was withdrawn at the meeting, due to resident and Parish Councillor comments that the money was better spent on other projects. York Pride funding had recently replaced a bin in there.

A commitment was made to therefore redirect this funding to youth projects in 2007/8 in Copmanthorpe and Poppleton.

Ward Councillors commented on the complications ward budgeting had presented when there were two funds of revenue and capital for the ward. The hope is that these can be merged when the council sets its annual budget, and so give more flexibility, especially in a situation where there are more revenue projects than capital.

Councillors also said they had allocated funding trying to maintain a good balance across the ward.

·                    Some residents commented that they hadn’t received the city budget consultation document.

·                    A resident commented that there is a perceived increase of developers developing greenbelt in the ward, particularly a concern around Rufforth.