Agenda and minutes

The surgery gives you the opportunity to talk to your councillors, Street Environment Officer, Safer Neighbourhood Team, Neighbourhood Management Officer, Trading Standards Officer or visiting speakers informally

1.1           Residents had the opportunity to speak with Councillors Ian Gillies, Paul Healey and Ben Hudson; Dawn Clarkson (Trading Standards Project Officer); Michelle Watling (Street Environment Officer); PS Andy Haigh and PCSO Nigel Colley of the Safer Neighbourhoods Policing Team; Mora Scaife and Julie Hood (Neighbourhood Management Unit).

2.1             Cllr Ian Gillies welcomed everyone to the meeting.

2.2       The minutes were agreed and signed by Cllr Paul Healey

The Safer Neighbourhood Team will give an update on police operations within the ward and there will be an opportunity for questions.

3.1             PS Haigh provided an update on the work of the Rural West Safer Neighbourhood Policing Team.  The following points were made:

3.2             Crime figures run from April to April

3.3             Overall there has been a 24% drop in the Rural West Ward.

3.4             Violence has dropped 50%, the number of burglaries has fallen from 115 in the previous 12 months to 92, Vehicle crime has fallen from 82 to 59. 

3.5             There were 598 incidents of anti social behaviour compared to 628 in the previous year.

3.6             There were 175 incidents of nuisance caused by young people which is approx. the same as the previous year.

3.7             The Policing priorities for the Ward are anti social behaviour, speeding and cycling on footpaths.

3.8             Currently residents in Poppleton are experiencing anti social behaviour.  The Policing Team are addressing this in several ways, one way being through education and working with the schools.

3.9             Cycling on footpaths is also an issue with young people, this is also being addressed through working with schools.

3.10         As the Policing Team is currently working with fewer Officers than usual they have not had the capacity to undertake any work with regards to speeding.  PS Haigh encouraged residents to complete a 95 Alive form and send it to the Traffic Management Unit if they are concerned about a speeding incident.  The Traffic Management Unit will reply to all forms and will work with City of York Council to determine the way forward.

3.11         The following questions were raised:

Q.             Are there any figures regarding the numbers of arrests made for anti social behaviour?

A.            There are many ways of addressing antisocial behaviour, talking with the parents of young people, harassment orders, acceptable behaviour contracts, working with other agencies/organisations and arrests.  The arrest figures are not currently available.

Q.            Residents rely on the deterrent aspect of regular patrols by the Policing Team, with the team being understaffed is the policing effective?

A.            The Safer Neighbourhood Team are working to ensure the Ward Team is complete. In the interim the Officers are working overtime where possible and continue to hold surgeries, the times and venues of which are on the website.

Ruth Stephenson, Head of Transport Planning, will present an update on the new Park & Ride sites at Sim Hills and Upper Poppleton

4.1             There were no objections to the planning application for the new site at Askham Bar Park & Ride.  This will be at the rear of Tesco and comprises 1,100 vehicle spaces.  There is an option to increase the number of spaces to 1,250, further discussion is necessary prior to this decision being made.

4.2             The planning application for the Poppleton\A59 Park & Ride attracted approx. 10 objections. These were primarily concerned with the increase of vehicles and the creation of a rat run.  After discussion at Planning Committee on March 25^th the application was passed.

4.3             Phase 1 of the Poppleton Park & Ride comprises 600 vehicle spaces with an option to increase the number of spaces to 1,250.  The land will be bought in two phases with an option on the second phase.

4.4             There is agreement to progress with the scheme and the procurement process to engage a design consultant has begun.

4.5             More consultation on the detail design will be undertaken over the coming months.  The detail design will be finalised by March/April 2011 after which it will be taken to the Department of Transport to secure the necessary funding.  This will determine a construction start of early summer 2011 and an opening of early summer 2012.

4.6             Work is being undertaken on the design of the access into both sites, again agreement will be sought from the DFT prior to the work starting.

4.7             Procurement of the bus operator is currently underway.  This has a long timeframe as the successful bus operator will need to increase their number of busses.

4.8             Work is ongoing to design the bus corridor works on the A59. A report will go to the Exec on 1^st May, this will be made public approx. a week prior to the meeting.

4.9             Plans for the Wiggington Road Park & Ride will be considered at Planning Committee on Thursday.

4.10         The following questions were raised:

Q.                How confident are CYC that funding will be secured and do they need to provide some of the funding?

A.                At the present time CYC are confident as this is a fairly well advanced project.  CYC does need to provide some funding, this is actually other funding schemes.

Q.                Has a footbridge to Tesco been considered?

A.                This has been considered, but there is evidence that people do not use footbridges, they continue to cross the road as usual.

Q.                If the next Government declines to fund the Park & Ride will it still go ahead?

A.                There are other funding streams available although there would be greater demand for the funds available.

Q.                Which Park & Ride would take priority if funding was not as high as needed?

A.                It is likely that Wiggington would not go ahead as it is the smallest and the demand for the others is greater.

Dawn Clarkson, Trading Standards Officer, will be advising on cold calling control zones and the effectiveness of deterring doorstep traders.

5.1             Dawn Clarkson (Trading Standards Project Officer) gave advice on Cold Calling Control Zones as follows:

5.2             Cold Calling Control Zones deter traders, it is not an offence to cold call. 

5.3             To set up a Cold Calling Control Zone 50% of the residents need to agree not to trade with cold callers.

5.4             All residents within the zone receive a pack which tells them what they need to do.

5.5             The area is identified with signs

5.6             Cold Calling Control zones do not affect established rounds (e.g. Ringtons) charities, religious groups or canvassing for elections.

5.7             There are 102  zones across the City with 7 zones (157 properties) in the Rural West Ward.

5.8             New legislation provides a phrase, after which a trader can be arrested if they refuse to leave the area.  As the phrase may be incorrectly stated and/or a trader can deny the phrase has been used CYC are producing a card which residents can give to the trader and will enable the law to be used.

5.9             Several questions were then raised:

Q.                How big is a zone?

A.                Zones are very individual, e.g. a small village could be a zone if there are a small number of properties or a large street can be zoned in sections. These are usually identified by signs on lampposts.

Q.                Have all residents living in zones received the new card?

A.                Currently PCSO’s are being trained in the use of the card after which they will be taking the cards to residents within the zones and explaining the proper use of them.

5.10         Dawn then gave an update regarding the Home Service Directory

5.11         This directory consists of traders who have been vetted by the Police and Trading Standards.

5.12         Although the directory does not guarantee their work the traders have been checked by the Criminal Records Bureau and their insurance cover has been checked.

5.13         If a complaint is received which is against one of the traders in the directory they will be removed from it.

5.14         The directory is updated monthly and can be accessed on the City of York Website.

5.15         Trading Standards will arbitrate for older or vulnerable residents if they have a complaint against one of the traders.

5.16         Dawn gave an update on Mail Preference Service/Telephone Preference Service which, when residents register, prevents companies from within the UK ringing residents and trying to sell services.  Residents should register annually.

5.17         Dawn went on to explain that through the Motor Traders Fair Trading Scheme Trading Standards will arbitrate for any resident if they have a complaint with the service delivered by a garage.

Your opportunity to raise any issues that have not been covered by the agenda.

6.1             Residents were invited to ask questions and raise concerns.  The following point was raised:

Askham Richard, Askham Bryan and Knapton do not appear on stylised maps.

6.2             Cllr Ian Gillies thanked everyone for their attendance and closed the meeting

,Chair

{the meeting started at 7.00pm and finished at 7.45pm}