Agenda and minutes

Your chance to meet:

• Cllr Ann Reid
• Cllr Tom Holvey
• Cllr Sue Sunderland
• Matthew Ward, Neighbourhood Management Officer
• Your Street Environment Officer
• Your Safer Neighbourhoods Policing Team
• Jane Taylor, Dog Warden, to report issues and concerns
• Lizzie Stevens, Outreach worker, York Citizens Advice Bureau

Representatives from:

• Group Response
• CYC Planning Department
• LIDL supermarket chain – see the proposals for the Edmond Wilson swimming pool site

1. Ward Committee Surgery

During the surgery residents were given the chance to talk to councillors, council officers from Neighbourhood Management, Street Environment, Dog warden service and Highways. Also present were John Cook from Group Response, Adrienne Forrest from LIDL supermarkets and Lizzi Stevens from York Citizens Advice Bureau.

The minutes of the previous meeting will be signed and there will be an update on any action points.

2. Welcome and Minutes

2.1 Cllr Tom Holvey welcomed everyone to the meeting

2.2 The minutes from the last meeting were agreed as an accurate record and signed.

An introduction of PC Paul Maloney, your new area PC and an update on policing in the ward.

3. Safer Neighbourhood Policing Team

3.1 PC Paul Maloney introduced himself as the new PC for the ward

3.2 PC Maloney has 29 years service and started his role as Safer Neighbourhood PC on 1^st November 2009.

3.3 PC Maloney outlined that crime as a whole in the ward is down and the aim of the Neighbourhood Policing Team is to make the ward as safe as possible.

3.4 The police priorities for the ward were outlined

            3.4.1 Speeding and Traffic Offences, the hotspots for speeding were outlined as Chaloners Road, Moor Lane and Tadcaster Road. Working with the traffic management team these problems are being tackled. PC Maloney urged residents to ask for 95 Alive reporting sheets when reporting speeding in the ward.

            3.4.2 Two cycling operations are running at present. Op Image is tackling the issue of cyclists on footpaths and Op Spoke is tackling cycle thefts.

            3.4.3 York Collage was highlighted as a hotspot for cycle theft.

            3.4.4 Anti-social behaviour(ASB) is constantly being monitored in the ward, hotspots for ASB were given as Wains Grove shops and Moorcroft Lane shops, which are part of the team regular patrols.

            3.4.5 PCSO’s were given praise for being at the forefront when tackling ASB in the ward.

            3.4.6 40% of all crime in the ward takes place at three locations. Tesco, York College and Moorcroft Lane shops. These are thefts from shops and of cycles.

            3.4.7 PC Maloney stated that he will soon be contacting the Neighbourhood watch coordinators in the ward to a meeting in March.

3.5 Residents were given the opportunity to raise issues and concern. The following questions were asked.

a)                 Do you target hotspots with more resources and is it worth having CCTV installed?  Cameras on vehicles are used by police and Group Response. Resources are used in these areas as they are scheduled into the patrol plan for the ward

b)                 What is the police view on parking on pavements?  Police have the power to deal with obstruction. Other parking offences are dealt with by City of York Council. Discretion has a part to play when dealing with offences but tickets will be issued where deserved.  

c)                 When is the Neighbourhood Watch Coordinators meeting? Details are to follow when a date is set.

d)                 If shops close earlier does it decrease ASB? Generally it does, but there are reports of issues early in the morning.

e)                 Do the police patrol Acomb Wood?  Yes it is an area that has been highlighted and for ASB and other issues.

f)                   What is the best number to phone to contact the Neighbourhood Team? 0845 60 60 247

Malcolm Smith, will inform you on the Magistrates Community Engagement Initiative and provide an insight into magistrates powers.

4. York Magistrates

            Bernard Everett attended to inform residents about the role and powers of magistrates.

            4.1 There are approximately 100 magistrates in York, who are all volunteers. Three magistrates sit on each bench to allow of fair decision to be reached.

            4.2 Training is supplied for all magistrates.

            4.3 Magistrates purpose is to protect and serve punishment for offenders.

            4.4 Magistrates in the community was outlined.  The key purposes of which are

                        4.4.1 to give information to people and groups about the role and importance of the work carried out.

                        4.4.2 to find gaps in the reality and the perception of the public.

                        4.4.3 encourage people to attend the courts and see the process for themselves.

            4.5 The magistrates recently hosted an open day which was attended by over 200 people.

            4.6 280 people attended an evening event at the magistrates court where they took part in a mock court trial and had to decide on a verdict.

            4.7 Magistrates powers went outlined.

                        4.7.1 A maximum of 6 months can be imposed for one offence, if two similar offences are being considered then 12 months can be imposed.

                        4.7.2 Magistrates are given guidelines but it is possible to work out side them as long as reason is given.

            4.8 Consideration has to be given to the offenders circumstance, regarding financial position for example.

4.9 Residents were given the opportunity to ask questions, the follow were asked.

a)                 Are the fines that are imposed paid? York has a very good return on fines. York has a dedicated collection department.

b)                 Can you visit when courts are ongoing? Yes, adult courts can be viewed form the public gallery at any time.

c)                 Does pressure from political circles influence the workings of magistrates? Directives such as prison population numbers do not influence decisions.

d)                 Victims are affected by low compensation pay out, why are they so low? What is considered low by one person may be a lot in monetary value to another.

e)                 Where does the money from fines go? The fines pay for the running costs of the court.

Richard White, Assistant Director of Neighbourhood Services wil talk about road and footpath maintenance.

5. Highways Maintenance

            Richard White informed residents on the role of the department, the service area and the Winter Maintenance policy.

            5.1 The department has responsibility for waste services, building and school cleaning, Neighbourhood Pride Services, Fleet, environmental enforcement, car parking, building maintenance and highway maintenance

            5.2 Repairs to the 8000 Council owned houses totalled 50,000 last year.

            5.3 Highway Maintenance consists of carriageway surfacing, footway reconstruction, basic maintenance, street lighting, gully cleaning, winter maintenance, blacksmiths, pest control, flooding/warping, verge maintenance, highways trees, road lining/anti skid and street signs.

            5.4 The aim of highway maintenance is to keep roads safe to use. All roads and footpaths are subject to an annual inspection and work is prioritised around the city.

            5.5 Basic maintenance jobs totals over 200 per week.

            5.6 There are 70 frontline operatives.

            5.7 There are 17,700 council streetlights in York, serviced by AMEY

            5.8 Warping is removal of silt after flooding incidents.

            5.9 York has recently suffered 20 days of bad weather, resulting in

                        5.9.1 4,200 t of salt and grit used

                        5.9.2 Temperatures reached –10°C

                        5.9.3 Damage to flagstones city wide

            5.10 The Winter Maintenance Policy is online and is subject to review

            5.11 320km of road was gritted during the bad weather, the is 44% of the network a high standard when compared nation wide.

            5.12 15km of footpaths received gritting, concentrating on shopping streets and the city centre.

            5.13 Gritting is restricted due to staffing limits and financial.

            5.14 The winter policy is well suited but a review of dealing with prolonged periods of bad weather is planned.

            5.15 Complaints during the 20 day period were about lack of salt bins, lack of footpath gritting, lack of gritting on secondary routes and cycle paths.

            5.16 Additional work is being carried out to repair the pothole damage due to the bad weather. Staff has been drafted in for the last two weekends and additional funding has been applied for from the government.

Residents were given the opportunity to ask questions, the follow were asked.

a)     Will paths that have been gritted now be swept? This is an issue but due to staff limitations it is impossible to sweep each street, over time the grit will be deposited in the gullies which will be swept.

b)     Does clearing the path outside your house mean you are liable? This is yet to be tested in courts, but if you have made your best effort to clear ice down to the path surface it should be ok. If you use water to melt the ice and it then freezes you could open yourself up to being sued.

c)      Is the tarmac on Lendal Bridge permanent? No it is a temporary measure as the flagstones have lifted with the ice, it will be repaired in the next financial year. Flags will be relayed as it is a conservation area.

d)     Can’t people on the dole clear snow? This is likely to come about, using community payback.

e)     Is  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

Your chance to comment on the provisional schemes list and find out the final budget decisions for the next financial year.

6. 2010-11 Ward Budget decision

Residents were given the opportunity to ask questions about the proposed budget  for 2010-11.

Cllrs outlined that they had a personal interest in scheme DW-10-16 at this stage.

The following was raised

DW-10-01 was mention as the wood is managed by the woodland trust and any work if any is required would be done in conjunction with them.

Your chance to ask questions about local issues and concerns.

7. Have your say!

            Residents were given the opportunity to raise concern and queries about the ward. The following were raised.

a)     Doctors surgery planning application in Woodthorpe, what can be done to appeal? This couldn’t be discussed with Cllrs Reid and Sunderland present as they are to sit on the planning committee for the application. Cllr Holvey suggested talking after the meeting with the residents.

b)     Why isn’t it possible to see the planning application for LIDL on the internet? It should be viewable through the planning portal, it will be checked to make sure it is possible.

c)      When is Acomb Wood access from Ashborne Way being discussed? 16^th March 10am at the Youth Centre. Representations must be made by 4^th February.

d)     What can be done about the dangerous chicane on Rycroft Avenue? The bollard can’t be replaced with a concrete one due to safety. It will have to be investigated to see how effective it is.