Agenda and minutes

i. Councillor Cregan introduced the meeting and approved the minutes of the last meeting. There were no questions regarding the minutes.

i. Chris Newsome, Community Planning Officer, was unable to attend the meeting. Paul Edwards, Community Planning Officer, attended in his stead. However, Paul is very new to the post so Councillor Pierce lead this agenda item.

ii. Councillor Pierce outlined the current stage of the Heslington East University expansion development and drew attention to some key points.

The development will see an additional five thousand students at the University for whom accommodation will be provided on site. Car parking spaces will be provided and allocation of these will be based on where people live. This will keep traffic congestion levels down as people will have to park and then walk or use the university transport to get to their place of work.

Plans for the development can be viewed in several places including the University information centre.

iii. Q. Is Deans Acres a protected area?

A. Yes it is but the University put forward a complex argument that was accepted so the area will be developed as a traffic link.

iv. Q. Will FTRs be used as transport?

A. No, the number four bus service will be extended.

v. Q. Where will students park?

A. There will be no parking spaces on site for students so those driving will probably park in side streets. If this becomes a problem residents could agree to make problem streets residents only parking.

i. Carol Bunton outlined the work of Face to Face Mediation Service. The service work on anti-social behaviour issues and neighbour disputes.

Face to Face go into schools and work with bullies and pupils who are being bullied. They also educate pupils about anti-social behaviour issues.

Neighbour disputes are referred to Face to Face either by residents themselves or by other CYC departments such as Environmental Protection or Housing Services. The service deals with a range of issues and works with both parties involved. They have had a great deal of success in their work.

Mediators are volunteers who are trained in mediation and are fully supervised.   Face to Face is a service that is open to all residents.

i. Councillor Pierce explained that Planning Panels were created in 1996 when the City of York Council took over areas which have Parish Councils. Parish Councils are consulted about planning applications and so an urban equivalent was needed to give all residents a chance to be involved in the planning process. Planning panels are groups of local residents who review planning applications and feedback to the councils planning department.

ii. Q. How does the role of ward councillor fit with the planning panel?

A. Councillor Pierce can provide an introductory session and some support for the panel. However, both ward councillors are members of the planning committee and therefore, cannot be members of the panel.

iii. Q. Where do the panel meet?

A. Normally at the clerks house but they can meet anywhere that is agreed by the members.

iv. Q. What are the time commitments of panel members?

A. Around three to four hours every three weeks.

v. Q. Do the panel have to reach a consensus of opinion on applications.

A. Yes

vi. The following residents wished to join the panel:

Abul Harris

Andrew Finch

Carolyn Suckling

Colin Ovenden

Eleanor Greenwood

Jamie L’Mahony

John Cossham

Stephen Morley

No objections were raised.

Action: JS to arrange initial training and the first panel meeting where a clerk will be elected.

i. Councillor Cregan announced that the list of schemes published in Your Ward are the provisional decision of the ward committee. All schemes are subject to feasibility, legality and budget availability.

There were no questions regarding the 2008/2009 provisional schemes list.

i. It was commented that students in the Badgerwood Walk area have been no trouble recently.

ii. A resident of Hull Road commented that the VAS do seem to have improved traffic speed and were a good idea.

iii. Q. Can anything be done about estate agent signage where there is an excessive number of signs in one place?

A. There are regulations regarding these. Councillor Pierce has written to estate agents who have a large number of signs outside Olympian Court about this issue.

iv. Q. The lights on the crossing outside Sommerfield on Hull Road have stopped working. Action: JS to take up with Highways.

v. It was commented that there is a lot of rubbish in Field Lane. Action: JS to pass to Street Environment.