Agenda and minutes

There were no declarations of interest made at the meeting.

There were no members of the public or press present at the meeting.

The Chair welcomed everyone and formally thanked Brian Walker, who had now retired, for his work on the commission as a co-optee. 

 

Pat Cahill and Lilian Shears were welcomed back for 2017-18 as the representatives from RotherFed and thanked for their commitment to the Commission.

 

Cllr Mallinder gave a brief update covering:

 

•              Key items in the work programme for 2017-18: - culture and leisure, neighbourhood working, housing allocation and adaptations, and asset management

•              LGA training in Warwick

•              Visits to scrutiny in Lambeth and Camden

•              Monitoring the new framework for Dignity

•              Regular meetings with Cabinet, Strategic Directors and Officers

•              Two way links between Overview and Scrutiny Management Board and Improving Places.

Arising from Minute No. 64 Engagement of Young Tenants of Council Housing – RotherFed Scrutiny Report, Pat Cahill confirmed that the review report had been accepted by the Directorate Leadership Team in Adult Care and Housing and feedback would be provided on the changes that would result from the recommendations made.

 

RotherFed’s second review considering appointments, communications and the customer journey for housing repairs was underway.  This would include a questionnaire, mystery shopping and interviews with officers and tenants.  The review would be completed by the year end.

 

Resolved:- That subject to the inclusion of the attendance of Pat Cahill and Lilian Shears, the minutes of the previous meeting held on 5^th April, 2017, be approved as a correct record.

Councillor Sheppard would keep a watching brief on developments with regard to District Heating through liaison with the Cabinet Member for Housing and the three Swinton Ward Councillors.

 

Resolved:- That a full list of representatives on outside bodies and sub-groups be circulated to Members.

Councillor Wyatt highlighted how recent events nationally showed the importance of emergency planning and the role of local authorities in catastrophes.  The Emergency Plan had been activated in Swinton recently following a major fire, which had provided a good insight of how things operate locally.

 

It was confirmed that the review work had concluded and the draft review report had been circulated for feedback.  This would be signed off at a final meeting of the task and finish group with a view to it being presented to the Commission at the September meeting.

 

The Emergency Plan was included on both the Corporate and the Regeneration and Environment risk registers as no full exercise had been undertaken yet, only desk top work.  There were issues to clarify regarding staffing for the Operations Room and other functions but a good team of Forward Liaison Officers was in place.

Mark Nearey, Contract and Service Development Manager, and Phil Duffy, Technical Officer, Adult Care and Housing presented an overview of actions taken in managing fire risk at Beeversleigh and other Council Housing stock.

 

Beeversleigh

•              Beeversleigh was the only high rise block managed and owned by the Council

•              12 storeys, 48 flats, both 1 and 2 bedrooms

•              2 passenger lifts and 1 concrete staircase.

•              Recent investment £1.7m

•              Upgraded fire detection and installed a new sprinkler system

•              No external cladding

•              Current and up-to-date Fire Risk Assessment (FRA)

•              X2 visits/inspections from South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service (SYFRS)

 

Current provision of fire detection and safety

•              x1 heat detector/sprinkler in every habitable room

•              x1 smoke detector in the hallway, bedroom and lounge in every flat

•              x1 strobe light in master bedroom

•              x1 Hush button in hallway of each flat

•              Heat detectors/smoke alarms automatically linked to Rothercare

•              Fire call points in communal areas

•              Weekly tests on communal fire alarms and regular cleaning of communal area

 

Other group dwellings

•              x4 Council group dwellings - low rise two or three storey

•              Shaftsbury House, Wellfield Lodge, Dawsons Croft, Hampstead Green

•              Re-inspected with existing FRA and updated

•              Annual inspection programme, monitored via the Chief Executive’s Office

•              Works identified to commence immediately, expected delivery 8 to 12 weeks

•              Any urgent repairs have been resolved

•              Further inspections and assessments taking place with SYFRS

•              Rolling programme of FRA inspections

 

External wall insulation (EWI)

•              1,000 houses benefited from External Wall Insulation.

•              EWI was in isolation is a combustible material

•              BUT when installed in conjunction with the external render coating and the existing wall structure i.e. brick/concrete, it provided a fire barrier

•              Class 0 rating - protects the surfaces from the spread of flames AND limits the amount of heat released from the surface during a fire

•              Requested Fire Service to inspect products and installation methods – 1 storey buildings

•              Building Control had signed off a statement elevating safety concerns re-EWI

 

Budget

Housing Revenue Account budget in place to carry out current FRA works

 

Further actions

•              Review sterile communal area policy

•              Suited key system to all RMBC service doors and risers

•              Evacuation/Stay Put policy to be reviewed

•              Fire Safely training for staff to be refreshed

•              Review location/information of residents with mobility issues

•              Establish a Compliance Working group - issues such as asbestos, fire, gas and electrical safety, legionnaires.

•              Review information given to tenants at sign up with regard to Fire Safety

•              Review previous fires - lessons learned

•              Build on excellent working relations with SYFRS

•              Greater awareness amongst its residents regarding Fire Safety

•              Continue to ensure every Council home had appropriate smoke detection

•              Ensure gas safety compliance remains at 100%

 

Discussion followed the presentation with the following issues raised/highlighted:-

 

·                    Members confirmed that residents at Beeversleigh were more than  ...  view the full minutes text for item 73.

Simeon Leach, Economic Strategy and Partnerships Manager, Regeneration and Environment Services gave a detailed powerpoint presentation on the Rotherham Town Centre Masterplan.  Earlier work under the Renaissance Programme was referenced to set the context. 

 

Last year the Supplementary Planning Document identified potential sites and the draft Town Centre Masterplan would go to Cabinet in September.

 

Masterplan approach

•              Implementation focused

•              Specific deliverable projects

•              Ambitious… but realistic

•              Commercially pragmatic… but bold

 

Shaping strategy

•              Confidence in the town centre environment

•              The arrival-to-departure experience

•              More to do and see in a quality setting

•              The ‘WOW - that really makes a difference’ moment

•              More PEOPLE

•              Capture latent SPENDING power

•              A place for distinctive independent retail

•              Retail is not the ‘answer’ – but must be nurtured

•              Quality eating and drinking a key opportunity

•              New commercial leisure development (Cinema & Hotel)

•              More living in and around the Town Centre

 

Forge island scheme content

•              25,000 sq. ft food & beverage

•              60-80 bed quality hotel

•              4/5 screen cinema

•              300+ multi-storey car park

•              Retail opportunity

•              120 apartments

•              New landmark bridge

•              New riverside park

•              Vital link with Minster Gardens

•              Hydro-energy on weir

•              Potential New Theatre

 

Riverside residential

•              Key ownerships

•              Council land as ‘market creator’

•              Starter Homes - go early sites

•              Critical mass of new residents

•              300 new homes

•              Mix of dwelling types

•              Private houses

•              Distinct market offer

•              Design quality/price-point

•              Riverside setting

•              Potential bridge over river

 

Bus Interchange and multi-storey car park

•              Funding secured by SYPTE

•              Refurbishment of Bus Station and Car Park

•              Separate management of car park

•              Ease of arrival and departure

•              College Walk to be maintained

 

Learning Campus and Doncaster Gate Higher Education Hub

•              Existing Rotherham College anchor

•              New Higher education facility at   

•              Doncaster gate site opposite

•              Develop learning quarter

•              Maximise benefit of students in town

 

Implementation Plan

 

Accelerate Forge Island Opportunity - Top Priority & catalyst project

 

1. Core Peninsula Site/Riverside Precinct (the core development opportunity site)

The critical next step was for RMBC to appoint a development/delivery partner.

 

2. Former Magistrates Court

The Council to undertake feasibility/business case/funding work with regard to Theatre and Arts Centre.

 

3. The Eastern Riverbank Regeneration

 The Council to work with existing landowners

 

Residential Development Partner … and Early Delivery of Residential Riverside

 

•              A further (different) partner for residential opportunities

•              Includes as a priority former swimming baths site at Riverside site (market creating site)

•              Other Starter Homes Sites

•              Other Land RMBC can bring into Partnership e.g. Corporation Street CPO land

•              RMBC to assemble sites to feed-in e.g. Royal Mail depot

 

Implementation Programme focusing on public sector-led projects and site assembly

 

•              This relates to the ‘conventional regeneration activity’ falling to the Council to drive and co-ordinate

•              The markets refurbishment… Linked with the Third Sector Hub development

•              Land assembly projects including the relocation  ...  view the full minutes text for item 74.

Councillor Yasseen, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhood Working and Cultural Services introduced the ambition for the Cultural Strategy. Looking back over the last ten years the cultural agenda in the broader sense had diminished and it was important to embed this agenda across the Council in a more integrated and cross cutting approach because of the value and potential it brought. The Borough had some amazing things that needed to be well publicised to encourage people to access them and to build people’s pride in Rotherham.

 

Polly Hamilton, Assistant Director Culture, Sport and Tourism, delivered a powerpoint presentation outlining the process for developing a Cultural Strategy.  This supported the report included in the agenda pack.

 

Purpose of the strategy

•              Shape Rotherham’s vision for culture, leisure and green spaces, strengthening the distinctive identity of the Borough.

•              Develop shared principles with which to embed quality, excellence and innovation.

•              Build consensus about priorities for development/investment.

•              Develop joint plans for cross-cutting themes/priorities, such as health and wellbeing, place-making, child-centred borough.

 

Strategic outcomes

•      Economic growth: supporting regeneration, better neighbourhoods and place-making; building talent, educational achievement and skills; growing creative, leisure industries and visitor economy.

•      Social outcomes: strengthening community cohesion, building empathy, reducing isolation, improving quality of life; enabling personal growth.

•      Enhancing health and wellbeing: encouraging physical activity, strengthening emotional resilience and positive mental health.

•      Transforming perceptions: restoring civic pride and rebuilding Rotherham’s reputation.

•      Financial resilience: delivering savings, increasing income from non-Council sources; reducing demands on the public sector.

 

Strategic context

 

National

Department for Culture, Media & Sport

•              The Culture White Paper 2016

Arts Council of England

•              Great Art and Culture for Everyone

Sport England

•      Towards an Active Nation

Creative Industries Federation

•              Industrial Strategy – a Blueprint for Growth

 

Regional

•              Sheffield City Region

•              Northern/People’s Powerhouse

 

Local

•              Rotherham Together Plan

•              Economic Growth Plan

•              Local Development Plan

•              Children & Young People’s Plan

•              Safer Rotherham Partnership Plan

•              Rotherham Health and Wellbeing Strategy

 

Local

Views of Rotherham 2015

•              82% say well-looked after parks & public spaces is a priority

•              75% feel that having local places to go such as museums & parks is important

•              72% valued a good range of things to do for teenagers

•              67% thought a bigger range of low-cost leisure activities is important

•              82% want local businesses to grow and create more jobs

•              91% keen to make sure that older people stay independent

 

“Another likeable aspect of Rotherham is its parks (Clifton Park in particular) and other green open spaces which were mentioned at most roadshows, often with local references. Rural open countryside and country parks were also liked by older people, children, community groups and business leaders, with Wentworth village being mentioned several times as an area of particular local beauty.”

 

I like…”Rotherham’s green spaces, the wildflower verges, country parks, tree

lined streets; and Clifton Park is beautiful” …“hidden amazing things like Wentworth Woodhouse”.

 

“There were a range of views about Rotherham town  ...  view the full minutes text for item 75.

Wednesday, 20^th September, 2017 at 1.30 p.m.

Wednesday 20^th September, 2017 at 1.30p.m.