Agenda and minutes

You will have an opportunity to talk to:

• Cllr Paul Firth
• Cllr Chris Hogg
• Cllr Richard Watson
• Iain Dunn, Street Environment Officer
• the Safer Neighbourhoods Policing Team
• A representative of the Neighbourhood Management Unit

PLUS: find out more about the NHS Foundation Trust and the York Young Peoples Plan

1.1  Local residents had an opportunity to speak to Cllr Chris Hogg, Cllr Richard Watson, Iain Dunn (Street Environment Officer), The Safer Neighbourhoods Policing Team and Mora Scaife (Neighbourhood Management Officer)

1.2  Residents had an opportunity to find out more about the Young Peoples Plan, Without Walls - York’s Sustainable Community Strategy and becoming a member of the NHS Foundation Trust.

On the agenda:

• NHS Foundation Trust

York Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust will complete their 1^st year as a Foundation Trust at the end of September. Come along to learn more about the trust and ask any questions.

• Police Priorities

Your chance to tell your Safer Neighbourhoods Team what the most important issues are in your ward.

• Local Improvement Schemes

Have your say on how the ward budget for your area should be spent and learn more about some of the scheme proposals.

• Have Your Say

Your opportunity to discuss local issues and concerns.

The meeting will be chaired by Cllr Richard Watson.

If you have proposed a scheme or applied for a grant that appears on the ballot list please attend the ward committee meeting to support your idea.

Welcome and Minutes

2.1  Cllr Richard Watson welcomed everybody to the meeting.

2.2  The minutes of the last meeting were approved.

Mike Proctor (Deputy Chief Executive of the NHS Foundation Trust) spoke about what the Trust has been doing, where it hopes to go in the future and encouraged residents of the ward to become members.

The following points were noted:

3.1  The NHS Foundation Trust has just completed it’s first 18 months and is now looking to the public to give more guidance as to what the organisation should focus on in the future.

3.2  One of the main objectives of the Trust is to focus on the patient, including their safety and general experience when in hospital.

3.3  The Trust hopes to bring the hospital up to modern standards.

3.4  One of the main priorities highlighted by the NHS Foundation Trust is to increase bed numbers, which they hope to achieve by December.

3.5  Other priorities include making the hospital environment safe, improve staffing and reduce waiting times.

3.6  The main aim of the Trust is to improve communication with the public and engage with the community.

3.7  The trust is accountable to its members.  Becoming a member of the trust gives people the chance to have their say on the future and priorities of the trust. 

Residents had the following questions:

a)  Is it possible the hospital could out-perform to the detriment of local people?  If a lot of people across the country want to be treated at York Hospital, the waiting lists will get longer.

Response was given that as the hospital gets paid for every patient treated, the more patients it has, the more money it will have to invest in services.  However, it is unlikely people will start moving around the country for hospitals.

Sgt Donna Musgrove gave an update on Crime and Community Safety issues in the ward.  The following points were noted:

4.1 The Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT) have made a lot of progress.  Crime in the ward has always been low but has fallen even further this year.    However, there will always be the odd case.

4.2  Lead theft continues to be a problem across all areas of the city and this ward is no exception.  Residents should report any suspicious behaviour.

4.3   The priorities for the team are identified by people that live in the ward.  Residents are encouraged to complete the ‘police priorities’ section on the 2009-10 scheme ballot paper.

4.4 The SNT are aware that speeding continues to be a concern for residents.  The team do stop people who are speeding however it is not possible to prosecute without a reading from a speed gun and these are only used by the traffic unit.  Matrix equipment previously deployed by the Fire Service in other areas has shown that the majority of the time the problem is a perception of speeding rather than actual speeding.

Residents asked the following questions:

a)  Don’t speed cameras give an indication of the problem in the area?

Response was given that there are no speed cameras in operation in North Yorkshire.

b)  Is there a chance of getting one in this ward?

Response was given that there would need to be evidence that there is a speeding problem in the ward.

c)  Could the traffic unit be deployed to the ward?

Response was given that the traffic unit will prioritise the worst known areas for speeding.  Sgt Musgrove encouraged residents to put their concerns in writing to the SNT so that a statistical picture of the problem can be built up and evidence passed to the traffic unit.

d) Are the police able to do anything about drivers using side streets as rat runs?

Response was given that people are free to travel on any road.  The police would only become involved if it became a danger.

e)  What action can police take against people who park half on/half off the pavement.

Response was given that no action would be taken as long as they have left enough room for a double buggy/wheelchair.  If the vehicle is causing an obstruction to the footpath or highway the police will issue a ticket. 

Residents made the following comments:

a)  Thank you for your presence at Wigginton School, it is making a real impact.  It gives the children an understanding of what the police do.

Sgt Musgrove responded that this is another way of the police being accessible to the community.  Residents are encouraged to speak to the police about any issues they have before they become a major problem.

b)  Young People have started gathering at Little Meadows again and it is feared that one resident will soon take the problem into their own hands.

PC Dobson responded that the police are aware of this  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

This was an opportunity for discussion about the local improvement schemes on the 09-10 ballot list.

5.1  Representatives gave more information in support of the following schemes: 

HW-09-08 – Arts Action York

HW-09-10 – Wonder Years

HW-09-11 – York Citizens Advice Bureau

5.2  Residents were advised that Oaken Grove Community Centre had applied for £9500 to fund running costs.  This was not on the ballot paper but if residents would like to vote on this they should add it on to their paper as scheme number HW-09-17. 

a) A resident commented that they have recently moved into the ward and are very impressed  with attempts to deal with graffiti and litter. 

Response was given that Cllr Watson will pass those comments  to Iain Dunn. 

b) Street lighting in the Windmill Way/Mallard Way area is very poor.

Response was given that this would be passed onto the street lighting department for comment.

c) Litter is regularly strewn all over the roads on recycling day after the recycling trucks have been.

Response was given that when this happens residents should contact their councillor who will report this to the relevant council department and ask for someone to come out and clear it up.

d)  The litter in evidence on York Road has been much reduced recently.

Response was given that this was probably due to better education on the issue in schools, better litter pickup and the fact that Haxby Town Council employs someone to keep on top of this.