Agenda and minutes

The drop-in surgery gives you the opportunity to raise issues informally with your ward councillors, Street Environment Officer, members of your Safer Neighbourhoods Policing Team, Waste Strategy, Neighbourhood Management Officer and a representative from York University Students’ Union.

1.                 Surgery

1.1                        Residents had the opportunity to speak with Angus Young (Street Environment Officer); PC Danny Barrow and PCSO Kira Robinson; Adam Bailey and Marta Garcia (Waste Strategy); Ed Gray and Rachel Bell (Community Payback – York and North Yorkshire Probation Trust); Kate Bowers and Virginia Shaw (Neighbourhood Management).

1.2                        Residents had the opportunity to have their pedal cycles marked by the Safer Neighbourhood Policing Team as part of Operation Spoke.

The main meeting will begin at 7.30 with the signing of the January minutes and an update on action points.

2.                 Main Meeting: Welcome and minutes

2.1                        Residents were welcomed to the meeting and Cllr R Cregan asked if there were any comments on the minutes of the previous meeting, held on 27 January 2010. 

2.2                        There being no comments regarding the accuracy of the minutes, they were confirmed and signed by Cllr Cregan.

2.3                        Virginia Shaw reported on two items under item 4.6 of the previous meeting.  Firstly, that Burniston Drive has been added to the large patching list (for highway repairs).  The first two concrete bays in the road will be overlaid with tarmac and this work will take place sometime during the current financial year when outstanding potholes have been cleared.

The bus shelter on Tang Hall Lane is structurally in good condition.  Unfortunately, the Perspex panels have been scratched by members of the public.  This is not uncommon and is happening on a regular basis, as can be seen round the corner in Alcuin Avenue.  The paint work on the shelter is in good condition and repainting has been deemed unnecessary.

Hear from your Safer Neighbourhood Policing Team and give them feedback about your issues.

3.     Police report

3.1                        PC Danny Barrow reported for the Safer Neighbourhood Policing Team.  As the meeting date was so close into the new 2010-11 reporting year at the beginning of the month, there were no meaningful crime figures to report.  Generally, though, reported crime continues to fall in the ward and across the Safer Neighbourhood Team area of Hull Road and Rural East.

3.2                        The Team are continuing to focus on cycle crime through Operation Cadestral and Operation Spoke, as reported at the last ward committee meeting.  Through Operation Spoke, cycles are marked with a unique reference number for free, using an ultraviolet pen.  The same approach can be taken to all valuables.  The number is then registered on a North Yorkshire database that can be transferred to a national database, www.immobilise.com.  This means if marked articles are lost or stolen and retrieved by the police they can be returned to their rightful owner.  For details of Operation Spoke sessions see www.yorkagainstcycletheft.org.uk.

The Team hold meetings at various locations through the wards, when they are available to discuss issues with residents, for example, St Nicholas Fields Environment Centre, Tang Hall Library and the Co-op on Hull Road.  Residents are encouraged to look out for posters advertising these meetings.

3.3               In response to a question from the floor, PC Barrow confirmed that articles such as wheelchairs, televisions, Hi Fi equipment and DVD players could all be marked with the UV pen.

Ed Gray, Manager of Community Payback in York will explain how the scheme works, what type of work offenders do and how you can put forward ideas for projects.

4.     Community Payback

4.1                        Ed Gray, Manager of Community Payback York, gave a talk, including the following points:

Community Payback is part of the organisation now called York and North Yorkshire Probation Trust.

There is no typical age or type of offender doing the unpaid work involved in Community Payback.

Between 3,500 and 4,000 hours are done per month in York.

The work includes litter picking, tidying up footpaths (for example, clearing earth and grass from the hardcore foot way along the “green” area at the rear of Tuke Avenue), repainting railings and renovating benches.

There are close links with the Street Environment Service and CYC in general.

Suggestions for work that could be done are always welcome, using a referral form or by e-mailing communitypayback@north-yorkshire.probation.gsi.gov.uk.

4.2                        The following questions were raised and responses given:

Q: Can Community Payback be used to do anything about the state of the gutters at Badger Hill and on University Road?  Grit is still there following the severe winter weather.

A: Looking at possibilities for tackling entrance roads to York with CYC.  There are Health and Safety issues working on main roads.  Offenders have no problem wearing the high viz jackets when working and has advantage of improving their visibility for the supervisors.

Q: What is the gender balance of offenders?

A: Mainly male, though are some female offenders who do Community Payback.  For example, women with child care responsibilities will be supported by doing more flexible hours in charity shops.  Have good links with York College and some offenders gain their first formal qualification when doing community service.

The planning panel will tell the meeting about the work they do and how you can get involved.

5.                 Hull Road Planning Panel Election

5.1                        Vicky Gladders, Clerk of the Hull Road Planning Panel, gave a report on the activities of the Panel.  There are currently five members (Carolyn Suckling, Terry Stagnell, Stephen Morley, Johan Turkenburg and Vicky Gladders).  They are volunteers (though out-of-pocket expenses are met) who meet at Tang Hall Community Centre every three weeks on a Tuesday evening.  They look at all applications for planning approval, including extensions and new buildings such as the Learning Centre.  It is an opportunity to input on important issues affecting the future of the ward and the views of the Panel are taken seriously by decision makers.  If any applications come up in which individual Panel members have an interest, they would be expected to leave the room and not take part in the discussion and view reached by the Panel.

5.2                        As far as she was aware, all the current Panel members are prepared to continue.  No additional nominations had been received.  Nominations were invited from the floor and Timothy Ngwena and Ben Humphrys volunteered to join the Panel.  Their offer was accepted and the membership of the Panel for 2010-11 confirmed as Vicky Gladders, Carolyn Suckling, Terry Stagnell, Stephen Morley, Johan Turkenburg, Timothy Ngwena and Ben Humphrys.

Your chance to ask questions about local issues and concerns. The meeting will be chaired by Cllr. Roger Pierce.

5.  Have your say!

5.1             Timothy Ngwena and Ben Humphrys introduced themselves as President and Welfare Office respectively of York University Students Union.  They are keen to work with CYC and the local community to address any problems arising from the proportion of students in the local population.  The Students’ Union are working on developing a community strategy and would be pleased to speak to this as a future ward committee agenda item.  The  following issues were raised:

5.2             Q: Students parking in this area rather than on campus.  Could see this coming as charging for parking on campus has simply encouraged students to park elsewhere rather than use public transport or cycle as had been hoped.

A: We want to work with local people to resolve problems and live harmoniously.  Suggest set up discussions between students and residents.

C: Important to recognise that university is a crucial contributor to York’s  economy.  We are not anti-student or anti-university: it is often landlords who need reminding of their responsibilities.

Q: How will the new planning legislation effective from 6 April 2010 affect houses in multiple occupation (HMO)?

A: Previously, HMOs needed planning permission if they had or more storeys and housed 6 or more unrelated occupants.  The latter has been reduced to 3 or more unrelated occupants but the legislation is not retrospective.  There is very little Government guidance so far and CYC Planning are working on producing local guidance.  We will get a link out to all those on e-mail and inform everyone who has left their contact details about how to inform CYC if they believe individual properties are not registered.

5.3             Questions were asked about the Playbuilder consultation event at the Badger Hill play area on 15 March.  

Q: What has happened?

A: The responses to the consultation are being collated and there will be further consultation in due course.

Q: Where had the fliers been distributed?

A: It was understood to be to the houses in the area around the play area.  This will be checked.

5.4             One further question was asked, about the flats on Yarborough Way/Badger Court, generally regarded as for older people.  One flat has been sold and is now occupied by a student and there are two further flats for sale.  Can anything be done to prevent these also being let to students?

A: It is possible to get in touch with the landlord and request that flats are let to more mature students.