Agenda and minutes

Your Chance To Meet:

• Cllr Andrew Waller
• Cllr Sue Galloway
• Cllr Steve Galloway
• Adrian Phipps, Neighbourhood Management Officer
• Beth Cooper, Playbuilder Project Officer
• Police Safer Neighbourhoods Team

Cllr Andrew Waller, Cllr Sue Galloway and Councillor Steve Galloway were available to answer questions.

Adam Bailey and Mark Hewlett from Waste Services displayed information about the York and North Yorkshire Waste Partnership initiative to reduce waste and increase recycling.  A booklet was distributed with lots of useful tips.

Members of the Safer Neighbourhood Team attended to answer questions.

Michelle Watling the Street Environment Officer introduced a DVD promoting an anti litter campaign aimed at teenagers.

Beth Cooper, the Playbuilder Project Officer displayed the approved version of developments to the Chesney Fields play area.

Adrian Phipps the Neighbourhood Management Officer answered questions put by the residents.

The minutes of the previous meeting will be agreed and signed

Councillor Steve Galloway (Chair) welcomed everyone to the meeting.  The minutes from the previous meeting were agreed and signed.

The Safer Neighbourhood Team will consult on the ward priorities and give an update on their activities.

PC Mark Antonelli gave an update on the Police Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT).  He stated that the priorities for this year had remained as antisocial behaviour, criminal damage, graffiti, vandalism and burglary.  As such operations to target these would be ongoing including Operation Joypack aimed at providing crime prevention to people found with insecure property to reduce burglary.  In addition Operation Gator had proved effective at reducing auto crime within the ward.

The SNT can now carry out their own speeding enforcement within the team however it cannot be the spur of the moment decision and still has to be planned and agreed.

The SNT had been particularly effective at reducing crime with year on year comparison highlighting that:

• Burglary dwelling was reduced by 47%
• Burglay other (sheds, outbuildings, etc) down by 41%
• Criminal damage down by 26%
• Autocrime down by 14%

Similar success had been seen with antisocial behaviour with Operation Decommission running as along term initiative to tackle the problem in the ward.  This included keeping a database of offenders and if they involved in causing problems three or more times then they faced sanctions such as home visits.  In addition the SNT worked closely with its partners such as Housing and Education to look at additional sanctions and preventative options.

Both the Councillors and the residents thanked the SNT for all their hard work.

Beth Cooper the Playbuilder Initiative Project Officer, will give an update on the progress for the schemes at Chesney Fields and Grange Lane Park.

Beth Cooper the Playbuilder Project Officer gave an input on the Playbuilder scheme.  The aim of the project is to provide 13 to 18 years olds with challenging and stimulating play areas.  There are 22 play areas planned across York by March 2011. 

Beth displayed the final design for the Chesney Fields area which was chosen after consultation with local residents who voted for their favourite design.  This project attracted £47,000 of funding and is due for completion in March 2010.

In year two of the project, the Grange Lane area has been proposed as another site for the Playbuilder project with a potential budget of £50,000.  Beth promised to keep the ward committee informed of any plans for consultation, if this site was approved.

A resident stated that it was good that things were happening for children in the area. 

Q – Why has Chapelfields been overlooked, as it has no sports facilities and Chesney Fields has the Energise Leisure Centre near by and both the Foxwood and Hob Moor Community Centres.

Beth – Funding is ring fenced for play environments and not sports (indoor or outdoor).  The locations were selected based on an audit of play spaces and not sport facilities.

Councillor Steve Galloway – Grange Lane is for the young people of Chapelfields and is the nearest area available for this kind of development.

Beth answered questions on the final design for Chesney Fields which was positively received by residents.

This meeting is where the decision on how the budget for 2010/11 will be used.  If you have any comments this is your chance to let the ward committee know.

Councillor Steve Galloway highlighted the schemes list for North, Central and Foxwood area as contained in the recent editions of the Your Ward newsletters. 

Q – Why has the Active York scheme only been given £100.

Cllr Steve Galloway – As there are three schemes list the total would be £300, which is what they applied for.

Cllr Sue Galloway – It is £300 from the Westfield ward, they have applied for funding from other wards.

Agreed – Schemes for 2010/2011 as contained in January 2010 edition of Your Ward newsletter.

Your chance to ask questions about local issues and concerns

Q – The state of the road around the Braham Road area of Chapelfields is full of potholes as a result of the recent bad weather. 

Cllr Steve Galloway – Neighbourhood Services are working flat out to fix potholes in the area but  it will take time and the whole city has been affected.  The matter has been reported.

Agreed Councillor Waller to monitor the situation.

Q -  There has been an increase in litter around the Costcutter shop on the junction of Braham Road/Avenue.

Councillor Steve Galloway – The recent poor weather conditions has adversely affected street cleaning.  Therefore a build up of litter is to be expected until the back log is overcome.  A litter bin was installed but got vandalised.  The forthcoming installation of CCTV may reduce anti social behaviour including litter dropping.

Agreed – Councillors to monitor situation and request additional street cleaning if situation does not improve.

A resident asked why she was being chased for unpaid rent and council tax when she had completed the relevant forms.  The resident praised the service she had received from the local estate manger but was disappointed by the correspondence she had received from other officers.  

Agreed – Councillor Waller to look into the matter and liaise directly with the resident concerned.

Q – Why can Sanderson Court not put on computer courses and be used more as a family learning centre.  In addition why can’t multi agency teams be based there especially health professionals.

Councillor Sue Galloway – A project has been running in the Kingsway West area and has recently expanded into the Foxwood area.  There are plans to roll it into the Chapelfields area,  The project deals with exactly the issues raised.  

Q – Why does Chapelfields not have a community website with local events and news for the residents.

The councillors agreed this was a good idea.

The Councillors promoted the Walk and Bike for Life campaigns running in the area and distributed leaflets.  In addition a reminder was given about free swimming refresher courses for the over 60’s at the Energise Leisure Centre at Oaklands.

Councill Steve Galloway closed the meeting and thanked everyone for their attendance.