Agenda and draft minutes

Prior to the formal meeting residents had the opportunity to speak to the Ward Councillors, Neighbourhood Management, their Safer Neighbourhood Team and the Street Environment Officer.

To approve and sign the minutes of the last meeting of the Committee held on 2 February 2012.

RESOLVED:             That the minutes of the last meeting of the Ward Committee held on 2 February 2012 be approved and signed by the Chair as a correct record.

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

PC Mark Antonelli of the Neighbourhood Policing Team, updated residents on the promotion of Colin Park, their previous Ward Beat Manger, to a post in Harrogate. He introduced PCSO Stacey Taylor and PC Keeley Lockey-Smith, who had been seconded until September/October pending the recruitment of a replacement for PC Park.

Following a restructure, additional PCSO’s would be covering the York west area. This would involve 6 or 7 PCSO’s covering the ward in ‘micro beats’ and they would be resident’s main point of contact. Any queries however should be addressed to himself in the first instance.

He went on to update resident’s on their work and issues relevant to the ward. Crime in the area, which covered the whole of the York west area was below average, there had been however ‘blips’ in respect of crime and thefts involving vehicles. Anti-social behaviour was down with 260 less incidences, a reduction of 26%.

Reference was made to the ward priorities which were set by the public and detailed in the new Community Contracts. Policing priorities had also been agreed which were not specific to the York west ward and these were detailed on the North Yorkshire Police website at:

http://www.northyorkshire.police.uk/index.aspx?articleid=428

Their current priorities for the area were to cut thefts of any type, particularly theft of bikes from hotspots such as York College, anti-social behaviour and burglaries e.g. from sheds. Visits were being made to repeat victims and target hardening measures including provision of funding for locks etc together with victim support.

Since April, there had been high visibility evening patrols in the whole of the west York area to assist in the prevention of theft and vehicle crime. Residents were reminded to telephone 101 if they wished to raise any issues which would result in a response with the hour.

Residents were given the opportunity to raise any questions or concerns but none were forthcoming.

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

REASON:                     To keep Members and residents informed on Policing matters in their Ward.

The Neighbourhood Manager will outline the process for grant funding for 2013/14 onwards and the Ward Committee will be asked to adopt the priorities under the Community Contract for 2012/13.

Mora Scaife, City of York Council’s Principal Neighbourhood Manager, introduced the new Community Contracts, agreements between Ward Committees, the local community, council departments and other organisations to provide services such as street cleaning, libraries, schools and policing.

Contracts would address priorities set by members based on information received from residents, statistics and local knowledge to provide a plan to meet these priorities. It was hoped that this would focus services, targeting where action was required. Priorities would then be sought annually for inclusion in the contract. Members were asked to adopt the priorities under the Community Contract for 2012/13.

The 3 priorities under the community contract for the Westfield Ward were highlighted as:

·        Increase community safety

·        Improve the look and feel of Westfield

·        Promote social inclusion.

All residents were being asked for their thoughts and ideas to help shape the final document and ward action plan.

Further information on the Community Contract and how residents could be involved were set out on the Council website at: http://www.york.gov.uk/content/45090/31690/Wards/125726/861009/CommunityContract

or by contacting Julie Hood, Neighbourhood Management Officer on (01904) 551812  Email: julie.hood@york.gov.uk

Following further discussion it was

RESOLVED:                That agreement be given for the 3 priorities for the Westfield Ward under the Community Contract for 2012/13.

REASON:                     To ensure that priorities under the Community Contract are adopted for the Ward for the forthcoming year.

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

Ward Members were asked to agree the schemes to be funded through the Ward Committee for 2012/13.

The Chair explained that funding had now been split into the following three pots:

·     Ward Budgets:  Each ward had an allocation to use as grant funding to commission local voluntary and community organisations to meet identified needs.

·     Other Voluntary Sector Support:  Funding to support those voluntary sector organisations that provide services to more than one ward and that are currently forced to apply for a plethora of individual ward committee grants.  It was not intended that this fund would be open to Council services such as Street Sport; however, it was proposed that in the first year only, whilst the Ward Credits pot was being established, Council services were allowed to bid.

Your Consortium had won the tender to administer the schemes according to the Council’s criteria and priorities and would provide support to the recipient organisations including accessing additional funding / revenue sources, helping them to become more sustainable.

·     Ward Credits:  A “credits pot” to be allocated to identified wards to be used to commission new services, either from within the Council or from other partners / sectors, to deliver on the Ward priorities. 

For the Westfield Ward, the Chair confirmed that with a much reduced fund only organisations situated within the ward would now be eligible to bid for funding.

A budget of £5,670 had been made available however there would be a Community Chest of £1,620 to support community activities/events throughout the year, subject to application and agreement.

It was reported that all the eligible schemes had been considered and the schemes now proposed for ward funding for 2012/13 were:

·        Foxwood Residents Association, grant of £500 towards the  continuation of  the Foxwood in Bloom project

·        Foxwood Friendship Club a grant of £500 to extend the range of activities on offer to members

·        Young Friends of Foxwood a grant of £500 to build wooden planters and plant them up

·        The Ark Community Theatre Group a grant of £750 towards pantomime costumes.

·        Acomb Bowling Club, a grant of £300 towards the maintenance of the green

·        ChapelfieldsOutta School Club, a grant of £1,500 towards the purchase of new equipment and materials

·        A Community Chest of £1,620 to support community activities/events throughout the year.

RESOLVED:                That Ward Members agree the allocation of ward funding as detailed above for 2012/13.

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

A resident will give a presentation about the Panel.

Councillor Jeffries provided residents with more information in respect of the Foxwood Community First Panel. She reported that the Government Cabinet Office had made an award of £17k, spread over 3 years, to set up a Community First Panel with specific objectives.

The Panel had now been formed, and a recent workshop held, to examine ways of engaging with residents to encourage the submission of bids.

Any interested residents were asked to join the Panel and/or spread word of the fund to local groups/organisations encouraging them to apply for funding for any worthwhile projects in the area.

RESOLVED:        That the information be received and noted.

REASON:  To provide residents with information on the Community First Panel and encourage

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

The Chair introduced the ‘Your Ward Forum’ and asked residents for details of suggested issues for newsletters and themes or topics they would like discussed at future informal meetings.

The following suggestions were made for issues to be discussed:

·        Invitation of speakers relevant to work/issues in the ward

·        Issues to encourage the involvement of residents eg Foxwood in Bloom.

RESOLVED:       That the above issues be considered at future informal Ward Committee meetings.

REASON:           To ensure that issues relevant to the ward raised by members and residents at meetings are given due consideration

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

It was at this point that residents were encouraged to raise any other issues or concerns in respect of the ward.

Residents raised the following issues:

·        Speed hump adjacent to bungalows (90-102A) in Foxwood Lane – continuing vibration issues at properties when humps negotiated by large vehicles. Details of speed data and effectiveness of ‘mock humps’ on Gale Lane questioned, which members confirmed they would follow up.^1.

·        Information on possible compensation claims arising from installation of speed humps

·        Continued concerns regarding the replacement street lighting (white lights) in the Foxwood area. Members confirmed their effectiveness with CCTV coverage assisting in crime prevention. Residents raised concerns that the timetable, in the bus shelter was now unreadable when it got dark. Agreed feedback concerns. ^2.

·        Confirmation that Ward Members would undertake additional Ward Walkabouts.