Agenda and draft minutes

The main meeting had been preceded by a drop-in surgery which had provided residents with the opportunity to meet and speak informally with ward councillors, the street environment officer, the safer neighbourhood policing team and the neighbourhood management officer.

To approve and sign the minutes of the last meeting of the Committee held on 19 October 2011.

RESOLVED:       That the minutes of the meeting of the Bishopthorpe and Wheldrake Ward Committee meeting of 19 October 2012 be approved and signed as a correct record.

A representative from the Policing Team will talk about and answer questions on their work in the ward.

PCSO Cockerill was in attendance.  He gave details of the area covered by the team and explained its make up.  An update was given on current issues within the ward:

·        Details were given of the crime statistics for the wards in 2011/12.  There had been a decrease in incidents of violence and burglary.  There had been an increase in theft of motor vehicles, which was related to businesses being targeted at Elvington.

·        The focus for the team included:

-      Anti social behaviour

-      Metal theft

-      Burglary of dwellings

-      Farm Watch

-      The industrial area

·        At the request of a resident, details were given of the structure and the line management of the team.

RESOLVED:       That the update from the Safer Neighbourhood Team be noted.

REASON:           To ensure that Members and residents are aware of the work of the Safer Neighbourhood Team within the wards.

At this point in the meeting you can raise any issues or concerns you may have in respect of the ward.

An opportunity was given for residents to raise any issues or concerns they may have in respect of the wards.  The following issues were raised:

(i)           Speeding Vehicles

Concerns were expressed at the speed of vehicles travelling through the village, in particular the stretch of road near to the entrance to the marina.  Residents asked if consideration could be given to introducing a 40mph buffer zone or extending the 30mph limit to that part of the York Road.  Councillor Barton stated that he would look into this matter on residents’ behalf.

(ii)          Salt Bins

Clarification was sought as to whether the salt bins would continue to be filled in view of the budgetary cuts.  Residents stated that they would also welcome the provision of a salt dump.  Representatives from Parish Councils stated that it would not be acceptable for Parish Councils to have to fund the replenishing of the salt bins, as their budgets for this financial year had already been set.   Councillor Barton stated that he would seek clarification from the Cabinet Member regarding this matter.

(iii)        Electronic Planning

Some of the Parish Council representatives raised concerns regarding City of York Council’s move to making planning documentation only available electronically.  Some Parish Councils did not have the equipment to support the implementation of such an arrangement and did not have the resources to make the necessary purchases.  Concerns were also expressed that the planning information was not easily accessible on the Council’s website and that more needed to be done to improve the situation.   Some Parish Councillors stated that they were moving towards receiving information electronically and that this arrangement was working well.

(iv)        Naburn

Representatives from Naburn Parish Council sought Members’ support in respect of a highways improvement.  It was agreed that Andy Binner, Head of Highways Infrastructure,  be requested to make a site visit.

To formally agree the schemes to be funded through the Ward Committees for 2012/13 (to view the schemes for the ward go to www.york.gov.uk/wards/)

Details were given of the changes in the allocation of ward funding.  

It was noted that funding had now been divided into three components:

(i)           Ward Budgets – to commission local voluntary and community organisations to meet identified needs.

(ii)          Other Voluntary Sector Support – funding to support those voluntary sector organisations that provided services to more than one ward committee.

(iii)        Ward Credits – to be allocated to identified wards to be used to commission new services, either from within the council or from other partners.

Concerns were expressed that the ward committee budget had been reduced from around £40,000 to £3,190.  It was noted that, under the new criteria, only two of the fifteen applications that had been received met the necessary conditions.  Parish Councils were no longer eligible for ward funding and a letter had been sent to Parish Councils suggesting that they contact York CVS for advice on accessing other sources of funding.

Members explained how the reduction in funding would impact on schemes that they had hoped to support.  They assured residents that they would continue to work with officers of the council for the benefit of the wards.

Details were given of the mechanism by which decisions on other voluntary sector support would be made.  Your Consortium had successfully tendered for the contract and would make decisions on the applications received.  They would be paid for carrying out this process.

Members informed residents that wards had been requested to compile a community contract.  The contract was intended to be an agreement between ward committees, the community, council departments and other organisations that provided services.  It was suggested that the contract should contain information about the ward, service delivery and volunteering opportunities.  Members stated that they did not believe that the contract would be of any benefit to the wards and had therefore decided not to complete the document.  Residents expressed their support of this decision.

Residents expressed concern at the impact that the cuts to funding would have on rural communities.  This had to be seen in the context of other difficulties that were affecting those living in the country, for example fuel costs, lack of affordable housing and post office closures.  Councillor Galvin stated that he would be attending a conference as the council’s representative on the Local Government Association Rural Commission and it was anticipated that these were the type of issues that would be discussed.

Details were given of the proposed allocation of ward funding as follows:

·        £1,250 to support youth provision in Bishopthorpe

·        £1,940 to Wheldrake Youth Club

RESOLVED:       That the allocation of ward funding, as outlined above, be approved.

REASON:           To enable ward grant funding to be allocated to local ward schemes for the forthcoming year.

To help identify issues to be the focus for the next informal meeting.

Residents were asked to identify and notify Members of any issues that they would wish to be considered at future ward committee meetings.

Residents stated that they wished to register their displeasure at the changes to the arrangements for ward committees and the reduction in ward funding.  They stated that they acknowledged the financial circumstances within which the Council had to make decisions but that the severity of the cuts was not acceptable.  They were also concerned that local communities were no longer having a say as to how funding should be allocated and that decisions were being delegated to a non-elected body that was charging the Council for carrying out this role.

A vote was taken by show of hands on the following:

“That residents wish to register their displeasure at the extremity of the cuts to ward funding and the outsourcing of decision-making on funding to a non-elected body that is being paid for carrying out this role”.

The vote was carried unanimously.