Agenda and minutes

There were no Declarations of Interest made at this meeting.

There were no questions from members of the public or the press.

There were no items to report.

Resolved:- That the minutes of the previous meeting of the Improving Places Select Commission, held on 24^th February, 2016, be approved as a correct record for signature by the Chairman.

The Select Commission received a presentation from the Tenant Involvement Co-ordinator concerning the Council housing tenant involvement strategy. The presentation highlighted the following issues:-

•       Review of Housing tenant involvement;

•       Identified areas for improvement;

•       Developed Tenant Involvement Service Improvement Plan;

•       Consultation with Rother Fed (the Rotherham Federation of Communities), the Quality Standards Challenge Group (QSCG) and with the Area Housing Panel Chairs;

•       Tenant Involvement Strategy and Working Group – vision, ways for tenants to get involved, menu of involvement, training, equality, monitoring and reviewing the strategy;

•       Priorities of the Tenant Involvement Strategy over the next three years:-

-          Listen to more ‘disadvantaged’ and ‘under-represented’ individuals and groups, and act upon their advice/ opinions/views 

-          Improve the range of ways to be involved

-          Communication

-          Improve the promotion of how to be involved and the benefits it will bring to tenants

Achievements

•                Launch of Tenant Involvement Strategy at the Rother Fed Delegates meeting held on 20^th October 2015;

•                Website and Twitter account live;

•                Home Matters (Tenants Newsletter);

•                TPAS (Tenants Participation and Advisory Service)  Membership and Accreditation process started;

•                STAR Survey, which had a 29% response rate;

•                Recruiting and identifying new tenants to get involved has started;

•                Good partnership working with Rother Fed

Next Steps

•           Deliver the Tenant Involvement Strategy;

•           Make Tenant Involvement central to the way that the Council’s housing service works through culture shift

•           Continue to improve the ways in which the Council involves tenants;

•           Understanding who the Council’s tenants are (tenant profile etc);

•           Engagement with under-represented groups;   

•           Exploring online options;

•           Reviewing the QSCG Terms of Reference;

•           New Housing Advisory Panel;

•           Capture impact, value for money and good news stories working with Rother Fed and with contractors Willmott Dixon and Mears;

•           Tenants Conference scheduled to take place on 5^th July 2016.

During discussion, Members raised the following matters:-

-          the positive role of Area Housing Panels and the use of available budgets and match-funding; the support from Elected Members;

-          the future reporting of progress to meetings of the Improving Places Select Commission;

-          the continuing collaborative working between the Area Housing Panels and the Area Assemblies.

The Select Commission emphasised the importance of at least one Area Housing Panel member attending each Area Assembly meeting to ensure the regular flow of information between the Area Housing Panels and the Area Assemblies.

Resolved:- That the contents of the presentation about the Tenant Involvement Strategy be noted.

Further to Minute No. 43(2) of the meeting of the Improving Places Select Commission held on 24th February, 2016, a presentation was made by the Economic Development Manager and by the Senior Planner about the draft Rotherham Town Centre Supplementary Planning Document. The contents of the presentation and the Select Commission’s subsequent discussion included the following salient features:-

•            Rotherham town centre renaissance programme - adopted in 2005;

•            Based around ten “Renaissance goals”

•            Progress made – as well as the need to review and refocus.

•            Concentration on the physical aspects of the Rotherham town centre and on the main development sites.

Definition of the Supplementary Planning Document

•           Reference point when developing proposals for the town centre

•           Material consideration for planning applications

•           Cannot conflict with Local Plan policies

The eight ‘key moves’

•           Development of a leisure hub on the Forge Island site

•           Key residential sites brought forward

•           Pedestrian “Gold Routes”

•           Improved gateways

•           Open up the Riverside

•           Support “Making and Trading”

•           Redevelop the Passenger Transport Interchange

•           Green Network

Gold Routes

•           Pedestrian routes reinforcing and connecting key sites through the Rotherham Town Centre;

•           ‘Stitch together’ the Town’s assets;

•           Investment in public realm and “wayfinding.”

•           Developments along proposed ‘Gold Routes’ contribute towards their successful delivery.

Town Centre Living

•           Residential occupation of the Town Centre will bring after-hours (evening) vitality.

•           Residents will live at the heart of a highly sustainable and walkable environment.

•           Residents will benefit from access to a facilities and services within easy walking distance.

Town Centre Developments

Identified the major development sites and their possible uses for the Town Centre (e.g.: Forge Island; Markets; Westgate Chambers; Rotherham Passenger Transport Interchange; sites suitable for residential development (e.g.: at Sheffield Road)).

Next Steps

•           Public Consultation on the Consultation Draft - April/May 2016;

•           Analysis of consultation responses - May/June 2016;

•           Final amendments to the document - June 2016;

•           Report to Cabinet regarding adoption of the Masterplan as a Supplementary Planning Document - July 2016;

•           Public Consultation takes place from 18 April until 16 May 2016;

•           More information is available via the consultation website: http://rotherham.limehouse.co.uk/portal

•           Comments can be fed back, to be taken into account when the final version of the document is produced.

Discussion points raised by Elected Members:-

:      seeking financial contributions from other organisations to relevant aspects of development (e.g.: Canals and Rivers Trust in respect of any water-side development);

:      the future of the Markets complex, which is in need of further investment;

:      development of sites which are currently unused and/or derelict;

:      Green energy possibilities (eg: using the weir adjacent to the Forge Island site);

:      the Council’s discussions with the Ministry of Justice about the future of the Magistrates’ Court building;

:      the possibility of residential development in around the Rotherham town centre;

:      the development of a Higher Skills Centre for the Rotherham College, located on  ...  view the full minutes text for item 51.

Further to Minute No. 45 of the meeting of the Improving Places Select Commission held on 24th February, 2016, the Scrutiny Officer submitted a report about the draft work programme for the Improving Places Select Commission for the 2016/2017 Municipal Year. Reference was made to the place of scrutiny and pre-scrutiny within the governance review of the Council.

Resolved:- (1) That the report be received and its contents noted.

(2) That the draft work programme for the Improving Places Select Commission for the 2016/2017 Municipal Year, as now submitted and included two additional topics : (a) review of libraries and (b) tenant scrutiny, be forwarded to the next meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board for further consideration.