Agenda and draft minutes

An opportunity for residents to speak to ward councillors and partners working in the ward.

Find out about Smarter York volunteering opportunities in the ward.

1.1       Residents had the opportunity to speak to Councillors

Hyman, Orrell and Runciman.

1.2  Also available to talk to residents were:

·        Claire Taylor, Community Involvement Officer, CYC

·        Michal Czekajlo, Volunteering Co-ordinator, CYC

·        Rachel Stewart, Smarter York Officer, CYC

·        Helen Ridge, Arts & Events Manager, CYC

·        PC Alex Dobson from the Safer Neighbourhood Team

·        Councillor Richard Revell, New Earswick Parish Council

·        James Simister, St Andrews Church Youth Work

·        Sylvia Jobling, Orchard Park Community Centre Management Committee

1.3  Information was available about volunteering opportunities    

       with City of York Council

2.1  Cllr Runciman welcomed residents to the meeting.

2.2  The minutes of the last meeting held on 29 April 2013 were approved

        and signed

PC Alex Dobson gave a report on behalf of the local Safer Neighbourhood Team.  The following points were noted:

3.1  The new traffic camera van was now operational and would be operating

        in the Huntington area, where there is a particular problem at the  

        moment with poor parking causing obstructions.

3.2   Reported crime since January:

·         Huntington – there had been  22 reported crimes in Huntington, 15 of which had been shoplifting incidents at Monk’s Cross.  There had been three incidents of theft from a vehicle; unfortunately, in every case the vehicles had been left unlocked.  There had been three incidents of criminal damage, but no reports of burglaries.

·         New Earswick – the CCTV at New Earswick Pool is now working, and the police had focused on the area during January, and incidents of anti-social behaviour had now stopped.  There had been four crimes reported in the last two months, including one arrest for possession of cannabis.  Crime and incidents of anti-social behaviour both decreased over the period.

3.3   The team are holding regular consultation sessions during March as

         follows:

·         18 March at ASDA

·         26 March at Huntington Community Centre

·         27 March at the Orchard Park Community Centre

3.4  PC Dobson reminded everyone that now the nights were growing lighter

        it was important to make sure tools and garden equipment were properly

        secured in garages or sheds.

A presentation on the arrangements for Tour de France and how communities can get involved.

Helen Ridge, City of York Council’s Arts and Events Manager gave a presentation on the arrangements for the Tour de France on 6 July, and on the opportunities for communities to get involved.  The following points were noted:

4.1  The Arts and Culture Festival starts on 27 March and will run for 100 days up to the Tour on 6^th July.  About 3 million visitors are expected to come to Yorkshire for the Tour, with perhaps 120,000 – 180,000 of them coming to York.  The aim of the Festival was to build up excitement.  There will be community activities in the run up to the race, including a project around dressing the city and making York yellow.  Community involvement is at the centre of plans to showcase and celebrate York, and to create a legacy that it is hoped with strengthen partnerships locally and across Yorkshire.  Full details of the programme can be found on the Tour de France area of the City of York website.  There was a programme of small grants available to help communities undertake projects and get involved, and any event notified to the Festival will be included on the website.

4.2  Road closures – will start around midnight on the day of the race.  The race caravan, which precedes the race along the whole of its route,  will start at 9am, and will take about 1.5 hours to pass.  The race itself starts at 11.  There will be professional security, and also “Tour Makers” along the length of the route.  Roads are expected to reopen around noon, depending on crown numbers and safety.

4.3  Spectator Hubs – Four locations around the City have been identified as potential Spectator Hubs, including Monk Stay with proposals for camping facilities and a big screen.  Final decisions regarding campsites will be taken in May at the earliest.  There will be a public meeting in Bell Farm on 12 March with further information about Tour de France.

The following questions and comments were noted:

Q:  What are the arrangements for toilets at the Hubs?  Will there be enough toilets available?

Response was given that there will be enough toilets

Q:  What are the arrangements for parking at the Stray?

Response was given that this would form part of the traffic plan.

Q: What are the arrangements for parking in town?

Response was given that this would form part of the traffic plan.

·        An update on the allocation of the ward funding during the 2013-14 financial year.  Hear from grant recipients about ward funded projects in the ward. 

·        Announcement of the ward priorities and budget for the 2014-15 financial year.

Ward budget 2013-14

5.1  Councillor Hyman announced that the ward budget for the 2013-14 financial year was £5010 which had been spent in full. 

5.2  The grant recipients gave details of how they had spent the funding:

·         Orchard Park Community Centre Management Committee – Sylvia Jobling reported that the centre had received £1789 to fund three projects: 

o   Update the CCTV at Orchard Park (£600)

o   Install two refrigerators in the kitchen (£340)

o   Install a child toilet and hand basin in the ladies toilets (£849)

·         The Toolbox Project - Mark Zienko reported that the £2300 received had funded eight one-day sessions for young people who had been referred to the project by the area’s PCSOs to learn  motorcycle maintenance.  Some of the budget had also been spent installing CCTV and improving facilities by purchasing a carpet. 

·         St Andrews Church Youth Work – Councillor Hyman reported that £1168 had been awarded to the group to fund two projects:

o   Activities in New Earswick youth Centre during the last week of the summer holidays for young people aged 11-14 (£838)

o   Further funding towards setting up the new youth drop in at St Andrews Church (£330)

Ward priorities and budget for 2014-15

5.3  Councillor Hyman announced that the ward budget for 2014-15 would be £5010.

5.4  The ward priorities will remain the same, focusing on:

·         Increased community safety and cohesion

·         A well-maintained ward

·         Increased opportunities for young people. 

5.5  Application packs will be available from 1 April.  Applications are invited

       from local community groups to run projects in the ward which address

       the priorities. 

An opportunity to raise any issues in your ward with Councillors Hyman, Orrell and Runciman.

6.1  No questions or comments were raised.