Agenda, decisions and minutes

At this point Members are asked to declare any personal or prejudicial interests they may have in the business on this agenda.

To approve and sign the minutes of the meeting of the Decision Session for the Executive Member for Neighbourhood Services on Tuesday 22 June 2010.

RESOLVED:             That the minutes of the meeting held on 22 June 2010 be approved and signed by the Chair as a correct record.

It was reported that there had been no registrations to speak under the Council’s Public Participation Scheme.

Councillor Simpson Laing had submitted some written comments which will be reported under the relevant minute item.

This report and its annex set out the thinking behind, and seeks the Executive Members approval for the proposed Annual Report to Tenants.

RESOLVED:

That the Executive Member:-

(i)   Approved Option 1 and agreed the Annual Report to Tenants 2009- and delegated to the Head of Housing Services to make micro amendments prior to printing as required.

(ii)  Agreed that the suggestion by Councillor Simpson-Laing to make the back page of the document a return envelope be implemented.

(iii)Suggested that the ‘Your Service Your Say’ on the contents page of the document be highlighted to state that there is a survey included.

REASON:      To ensure that the Council provides appropriate information to   its customers and meets its statutory requirements.

The Executive Member for Neighbourhoods and Housing considered a report which informed her and sought approval for the Annual Report to Tenants 2009/10.

Officers outlined the report and advised that any comments could be fed into the final draft and the Annual Report covers the service as a whole.

Councillor Simpson Laing submitted a written statement  in which she had made the following comments and suggestions:

• She thanked the Officers, Residents Federation and individual tenants who had been involved in the production of the report.
• The questionnaire at the end of the document needs to be highlighted clearly.
• The back page should be made into a return envelope as used in Ward Committee consultations.

The Executive Member agreed with Councillor Simpson Laing’s comments regarding the envelope and instructed Officers to make it clear in the contents of the Annual report that there was a questionnaire at the end. With the assurance from officers that any typing errors would be rectified she was happy to approve the report.

RESOLVED:

That the Executive Member:-

(i)   Approved Option 1 and agreed the Annual Report to Tenants 2009- and delegated to the Head of Housing Services to make micro amendments prior to printing as required.

(ii)  Agreed that the suggestion by Councillor Simpson-Laing to make the back page of the document a return envelope be implemented.

(iii)Suggested that the ‘Your Service Your Say’ on the contents page of the document be highlighted to state that there is a survey included.

REASON:      To ensure that the Council provides appropriate information to   its customers and meets its statutory requirements.

This report seeks the Executive Members endorsement of an application for new governance for the Council’s registration service and the future application for Customer Service Excellence.

RESOLVED:

That the Executive Member agreed:-

Approve Option 1 and endorsed the application to the General Register Office for a New Governance scheme for the City of York and invite Officers to make an application for Customer Service Excellence status in 2011.

REASON:

To provide more local responsibility and accountability for the registration service and enhance the quality of service to the customer.

The Executive Member for Neighbourhoods and Housing considered a report which sought her endorsement of an application for New Governance for the Council’s Registration Service and the future application for Customer Service Excellence.

Officers outlined the report and advised that following inspection, York’s service was of a sufficiently high quality to be accepted to the New Governance arrangements.

The Executive Member approved Option 1 and advised she was happy for Officers to apply for Customer Service Excellence status in 2011.

RESOLVED:

That the Executive Member agreed:-

Approve Option 1 and endorsed the application to the General Register Office for a New Governance scheme for the City of York and invite Officers to make an application for Customer Service Excellence status in 2011.

REASON:

To provide more local responsibility and accountability for the registration service and enhance the quality of service to the customer.

The purpose of this report is to enable to Executive Member for Neighbourhoods and Housing to review the results of Legal Actions (prosecutions, cautions and fixed penalties) undertaken by the Neighbourhoods and Community Safety area of the Directorate of Neighbourhood Services for the period 1^st April 2010 – 30^th June 2010 and approve the continuation of the current policy on legal actions.

RESOLVED:

That the Executive Member approved the report and the continuation of the current policy on legal actions.

REASON:

To enable the Executive Member to review formal enforcement activity undertaken by the Neighbourhoods and Community Safety Group

The Executive Member considered a report which presented the results of legal actions (prosecutions, cautions and fixed penalties) undertaken by the Neighbourhoods and Community Safety area of the Directorate of Neighbourhood Services.

The Executive Member noted the report and the continuation of the current policy on Legal Actions. She commented that it would be useful in future reports to see information relating to the Proceeds of Crime Act.

RESOLVED:

That the Executive Member approved the report and the continuation of the current policy on legal actions.

REASON:

To enable the Executive Member to review formal enforcement activity undertaken by the Neighbourhoods and Community Safety Group

The purpose of this report is to inform the Executive Member of the work undertaken by the Council’s Trading Standards service to prevent sales of underage products and to seek approval for the programme of action for the next 12 months in relation to the enforcement of:

1.      The Children and Young Persons (protections from Tobacco) Act 1991 in relation to cigarettes and tobacco.

2.      The Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003 in relation to aerosol paint.

RESOLVED:

That the Executive Member noted the report and agreed to adopt the programme of enforcement action for the next 12 months as outlined in Option 1 of the Officer report and there be no change in policy allowing the test purchasers to be untruthful about their age, even in exceptional circumstances.

REASON:

So that the Council can meet its legal obligations. The planned programme of reviewing intelligence (paragraph 9) may help support a change in policy in future years.

The Executive Member considered a report which advised of the work undertaken by the Council’s trading standards service to prevent the sales of age restricted products. The report sought specific approval for the programme of action for the next 12 months in relation to the enforcement of

• The Children and Young Persons (Protection from Tobacco) Act 1991 in relation to cigarettes/tobacco.
• The Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003 in relation to aerosol paint.

The Executive Member approved Option 1, that the council should continue with the programme of education and enforcement action set out in paragraph 4 of the officers report for the next 12 months and agreed that test purchases should not be allowed to answer questions untruthfully even in exceptional circumstances.

RESOLVED:

That the Executive Member noted the report and agreed to adopt the programme of enforcement action for the next 12 months as outlined in Option 1 of the Officer report and there be no change in policy allowing the test purchasers to be untruthful about their age, even in exceptional circumstances.

REASON:

So that the Council can meet its legal obligations. The planned programme of reviewing intelligence (paragraph 9) may help support a change in policy in future years.

This report presents an overview of performance at Quarter 1 2010/11 for environmental and regulatory services managed by Communities and Neighbourhoods Directorate.

RESOLVED:

That the Executive Members noted the report.

REASON:

To keep the Executive Member informed on the performance of environmental and regulatory services managed by the Communities and Neighbourhoods Directorate.

The Executive Member considered a report which presented an overview of performance at Quarter 1 2010/11 for environmental and regulatory services managed by Communities and Neighbourhoods Directorate.

The Executive Member queried paragraph 16 of the report regarding fly tipping due to it being an issue which can attract press attention and asked officers for a brief update on the current situation.

The Executive Member noted the report and congratulated Officers for the progress made and all their hard work.

RESOLVED:

That the Executive Members noted the report.

REASON:

To keep the Executive Member informed on the performance of environmental and regulatory services managed by the Communities and Neighbourhoods Directorate.