Agenda item
Budget Decisions
An opportunity for you to tell us what you think, before the final decisions are made at this meeting on how to spend the 2009/10 ward committee budget.
Minutes:
6. Budget decisions
6.1 The Chair drew attention to the priorities and provisional schemes list as detailed in the Your Ward newsletter (page 2), namely the three neighbourhood ambitions of reducing anti-social behaviour, increasing road and pedestrian safety and developing pride in our communities.
6.2 Under Ambition 1 – reducing anti-social behaviour – the following schemes were discussed:
a) HX-09-03 £4k is proposed for continuing to improve and update street lighting in the ward. It was commented that there is a problem with insufficient street lighting. Historic funding may be the cause. Recommended money allocated to this scheme. Any money unallocated this financial year (2008/09) will be carried forward into 2009/10. One street light strategically placed can make a considerable difference.
b) How much does a lighting standard cost? Between £800 and £1k.
c) Street lighting between North Lane and Oaken Grove is an issue. Will pick up and report back to Community Centre
d) HX-09-03 £5,510 to continue community ranger service in ward. Is this negated by the increase in community policing (for example, PCSOs)? Residents still vote for this service – it received the second highest vote and very few against.
e) The increase from £5k was also questioned. This may be an error. On a show of hands, there was no support for this scheme.
f) The Ward Committee agreed to review the service over the next three months and make recommendations as to whether it should be retained.
g) HX-09-04 No comments raised
h) HX-09-02 No comments raised
6.3 Under Ambition 2 – Increasing road and pedestrian safety – the following provisional schemes were discussed:
a) HX-09-05 Funding of £4k to install two vehicle activated signs to deter speeding in the ward. York Road/Usher Lane/Towthorpe Road are possible locations in a rolling programme of signs to reduce speeding
b) HX-09-06 Funding to tarmac part of the footpath on Headland Lane. No comments raised.
6.4 Under Ambition 3 – developing pride in our communities – the following schemes were discussed:
a) HX-09-15 Funding of £5k to keep the alleyways and snickets in the ward clean and clear. This was the most popular
b) HX-09-08 Grant of £500 to Arts Action York for outreach to Haxby Hall care home
c) HX-09-09 Grant of £250 to Wigginton in Bloom to improve village environment
d) HX-09-11 Grant of £2,500 to York and District Citizen’s Advice Bureau for outreaches
e) HX-09-12 Grant of £250 to Active York to run ‘Funds for the Gifted’ programme in the ward
f) HX-09-13 Grant of £2,000 to Older Citizen’s Advocacy York to fund an outreach in the ward
g) HX-09-16 Install dog bins at a cost of £500 on the area of land at Garths End
h) HX-09-10 Grant of £2,500 to Wonder Years to fund an outdoor classroom in the area
i) HX-09-17 Funding (£8,000) to support Oaken Grove Youth and Community Centre
The following points were raised:
i) A request was made to increase funding to Wonder Years, a new charity. Details were provided of the number of employees, the number of children per week using the service and number of families being helped. The ward committee agreed to make a grant of £1,500 from 2008/09 underspend, to be spent before the end of March 2009.
ii) The amount of grant proposed for Oaken Grove Youth and Community Centre was queried as justifiable. Ward committee members replied in the affirmative. There was a suggestion that more detailed information about the Centre could be made publicly available. It was confirmed that information, including an Annual Report, is published and available to the public.
There being no further points raised, the provisional schemes list as described above, was approved by the ward committee.