Agenda item

7pm to 9pm – Main Public Meeting

 

·        Neighbourhood Working: Cllr Hayes will introduce the Micklegate Ward Budget, community grants scheme and Neighbourhood Planning proposal

·        Micklegate Ward Priorities: Have your say on what these should be

·        Community Care and Highways: Cllr Gunnell will explain how these two ward funds can be used to meet local needs

·        Pride in York: Cllr Kramm will outline proposed changes to the maintenance of parks and green spaces in the ward and the funding available

·        Micklegate Ward Planning Panel: selection of members for the year ahead

·        Have Your Say: your opportunity to raise issues of local interest or concern

 

City of York Council		Committee Minutes
MEETING	Micklegate Ward Committee
DATE	28 October 2015
PRESENT	COUNCILLORS Gunnell, Hayes and Kramm   Joe Ashton (Community Involvement Officer, City of York Council)   Sergeant Tim Craven (North Yorkshire Police)   PCSO Louisa Warburton (North Yorkshire Police)   35 residents
APOLOGIES	NONE

 

1.               Drop In

 

The meeting was preceded from 6.30pm by a drop-in session with the three ward councillors, local groups including York Dial & Ride and the City of York Council Schools Team. 

 

The Schools Team provided information about pupil place-planning in the area.

 

2.               Main Public Meeting

 

Welcome and introductions

 

Cllr Gunnell, as Chair, welcomed everyone to the meeting on behalf of the ward councillors, also introducing Joe Ashton.

 

Neighbourhood Working

 

Cllr Hayes started by saying that since the election himself as an Independent councillor along with Cllr Gunnell, a Labour member and Cllr Kramm, a Green member have been working together well.

 

The new coalition executive for York has re-introduced the ward committee system, and that this comprises of the residents here tonight, and that it will feed into the work the councillors do by letting them know what issues are important and what the ward priorities are.

 

Part of the ward committee system also includes the ward budget, which residents can feed into decisions about how this is spent. This includes newly devolved budgets for discretionary ward spending.

 

The ward budget for 2015/16 comprises of:

 

·        Ward grounds maintenance £145,950

·        Pride in York fund £12,639 + £53,584

·        Community care fund £4,740

·        Community grants £9,479

·        Highways £15,799

Since the election Cllr Hayes said that discussion has been held on the possibility of the ward adopting a Neighbourhood Plan. This would be a plan of legal standing that gives residents the power to develop a shared vision for their area, so that the development of the area meets the needs of residents. This would sit alongside the city-wide Local Plan when that is agreed.

 

Cllr Hayes said that this could be a lot of work and would need around 20 people to help get this agreed. This would be a mixture of residents, businesses, school, organisations, etc. Cllr Hayes said that tonight it would be good to get a steer tonight to see if residents think that aiming for a neighbourhood plan is a good idea. Cllr Hayes asked for any questions on what had been discussed so far.

 

·        Q. It is important that people are independent so that they can stay in their own homes when getting older. So making houses accessible and adapting them is important.

·        Councillors agreed.

·        Q. Micklegate the street needs to be addressed.

·        The possible Neighbourhood Plan would cover the entire ward, including Micklegate.

·        Q. What are the disadvantages on not having a Neighbourhood Plan?

·        It would limit the influence on planning issues, especially as at the moment there is no city Local Plan. If by 2017 a Local Plan has not been agreed for the city then one will have to be imposed, and having a Neighbourhood Plan would thus make sure that residents view are addressed.

·        Q. As residents, businesses and schools would have different interests, how would a plan be agreed?

·        A balance of representation would need to be set.

·        Q. How long would the plan last for as things change quickly?

·        It is assumed 5 years, but this will be confirmed.

Group discussion

 

Each of the tables at the meeting were designated as different areas of the ward and people were asked to sit at the table that they lived in or were interested in. The groups were asked to highlight the good aspects of the area, problems, main issues, possible future issues and any other comments.

 

Some of the feedback included:

 

Clementhorpe and nearby – lack of affordable housing an issue, the ‘gentrification’ of the area an issue, great shops, and parks.

 

Bishophill and nearby – anti-social behaviour a problem, as is air quality.

 

The Mount and nearby – great connectivity, positive that the area is diverse and mixed. Traffic is an issue and litter, including takeaway food rubbish.

 

Southbank, the Knavesmire and nearby – a pleasant place to live with great access to Bishopthorpe Road and its shops. Parking is an issue; a future issue is the Terry’s development.

 

Knavesmire – Parking is an issue. The maintenance of the Knavesmire is a problem as there is a lot of litter and dog mess. Public events held there are also an issue.

 

Highways and Community Care Funds

 

Cllr Gunnell introduced the ward budget, noting that it is quite complex.

 

The community care fund can be used to support the prevention or delay of people needing to access formal care packages, such as supporting social activities, support to address hazards in the home, accessible transport, support for carers, etc.

 

The highways maintenance fund is for specific identified lighting and road/pavement/cycleways repairs or improvements in the ward. This is over and above works done by the council city-wide. Residents are asked to use their local knowledge to identify these needs.

 

Grounds Maintenance and Pride in York Funds

 

Cllr Kramm introduced the Pride in York Funding. This enables wards to commission projects and initiatives that improve the local environment.

 

The grounds maintenance budget is for grass cutting, planting, and possibly for litter collection. This budget will decrease over time so residents will be asked to prioritise what matters to them and to think of other possible ways of keeping the ward green and pleasant.

 

Planning Panel and selection of Panel members for remainder of municipal year

 

Tania Weston, Clerk of the Panel, gave an overview of the Planning Panel’s work and noted that new members of the panel are needed to look at all planning applications for the ward. They meet every three weeks on a Monday evening.  The current members who are keen to continue were re-selected.

 

Cllr Gunnell thanked the work of the Planning Panel.

 

Community news/open floor

 

·        Q. Is maintaining the city walls rampart part of the ward budget as there is a lot of it in the ward.

·        At the moment this is included in the city budget.

·        Q. A member of the York Environmental Trust noted flowers growing on the ramparts and that these are planted to attract bees, etc.

·        Q. To help maintain the Knavesmire York Racecourse should help out more.

·        Ward councillors meet with the Racecourse frequently and this will be discussed.

·        Q. a member of Planet Southbank noted the work they have done at St Clement’s Church with the community garden.

·        Q. A member of the Nunnery Lane Residents Association noted that they are meeting soon and asked if anyone was interested in joining to do so.

Cllr Hayes asked residents if they supported the idea of the ward having a Neighbourhood Plan. The vast majority of residents were in favour.

 

 

 

 

Councillor J. Gunnell, Chair

[The meeting started at 6.30 pm and finished at 8.55 pm