Agenda and minutes

To consider and approve the minutes of the previous meeting held on (insert date) as a true and correct record of the proceedings.

Consideration was given to the minutes of the meeting held on 6^th June, 2019.

Resolved:-  That the minutes of the meeting of the Improving Places Select Commission held on Thursday, 6^th June, 2019, be approved as a correct record.

To receive declarations of interest from Members in respect of items listed on the agenda.

Councillor Sansome made a  Personal Declaration of Interest on Minute No. 13 – Thriving Neighbourhoods Update Report – as he was a Member of the Neighbourhood Working Members Forum.

To receive questions relating to items of business on the agenda from members of the public or press who are present at the meeting.

A member of the public asked if they could be provided with an update with regard to the changing of the zebra crossing on Victoria Street, Kilnhurst, to a pelican crossing.

On behalf of the community she wished to thank the Ward Members for Swinton and Silverwood for their help in this matter.

The Democratic Services Manager reported that it was his understanding that a decision was due to be made by the relevant Strategic Director shortly.  Discussions had taken place with the group who had submitted the petition calling for the change.  Once the decision had been made the lead petitioner would be informed accordingly.

It was urged that the work be completed by the end of the summer so that it was in place for when the schools returned in September.

To consider whether the press and public should be excluded from the meeting during consideration of any part of the agenda.

There were no agenda items requiring the exclusion of the press or public from the meeting.

To receive communications from the Chair in respect of matters within the Commission’s remit and work programme.

There was none to report.

To consider the delivery of the Thriving Neighbourhoods Strategy and the Neighbourhood Working model.

Further to Minute No. 20 of 20^th September, 2018, Councillor Watson, Deputy Leader, and Shokat Lal, Assistant Chief Executive, presented a summary of the delivery of the Thriving Neighbourhoods Strategy and the Neighbourhood working model.

The Thriving Neighbourhoods Strategy (2019-2025) had been approved by Cabinet in November, 2018 (Minute No. 55 refers) and an implementation plan developed which was constantly reviewed and refreshed on a monthly basis.  The implementation plan identified the following drivers:-

·           Engage and develop the workforce

·           Councillors as Community Leaders

·           Communication and engagement

·           Asset Based Community Development

·           Integrated Place Based Working

·           Role of Parish Councils

There had been significant progress on implementing the Strategy since November 2018.  The report submitted highlighted the work that had taken plan under the above drivers.

Discussion ensued with the following issues raised/clarified:-

-          Housing Revenue Account (HRA) – it was noted that any Ward base budget not spent by the end of the financial year would be returned to the main HRA budget.  Was there some mechanism where, if a Ward Panel had been particularly busy and had projects on the shelf ready to go, that they could bid for funding before it went back into the central pot?

This was still under discussion and would be a political decision.  The logic of the current policy was that all neighbourhood budgets would run for the term of office and when the Wards changed, if not spent, it was returned to the central pot. 

-          A Tenant may live in a Parish and pay a Parish precept.  Was there a possibility of the Parish precept being used with the Ward base budget and the tenant feeling that they were paying twice?  

Parish Councils were responsible for their own budget and had their own priorities which may coincide with those of the Borough Council.  It was hoped that conversations would take place to allow smarter spending in the future and avoid duplication.

-          What were the short term objectives and long term prospects for the Community Sport and Health apprenticeship?

The Apprenticeship Levy, in terms of funding, had very clear guidelines in terms of what apprenticeships you could have and how the training programme and funding was used to support apprentices. 

These were apprenticeship placements very much linked to Public Health, sport and sporting activities that were fairly new and unique focussing on a particular area. 

They were quite wide in their reach around looking at health-based activities, the whole focus of Public Health and community development and how you connected communities around particular areas of health activities.  It was felt that they presented a wide scope of what roles the individuals could go into once they had completed their apprenticeships. 

It was anticipated recruitment would take place in September.  There was a proper infrastructure around the training and support for these particular roles and it was hoped they would have a number of career opportunities.  The roles would not just focus on neighbourhood working or communicating development but also work actively  ...  view the full minutes text for item 13.

To consider the levels of performance and agree the importance of enhanced enforcement and visibility.

Councillor Hoddinott, Cabinet Member, together with Tom Smith, Assistant Director, Community Safety and Street Scene, and Lewis Coates, Regulation and Enforcement Manager, presented an update in relation to the ‘Time for Action’ initiative which provided for a mechanism to deliver enhanced enforcement around enviro-crime particularly littering offences and parking offences.

The report set out Service delivery performance together with a number of challenges that were currently being addressed.

Contract management arrangements were different for the delivery of enviro-crime and parking enforcement.  For littering and dog fouling the contract was wholly managed by Doncaster Borough Council; for parking enforcement additional resources were provided through the contract, however, the processing of Parking Penalty Charge Notices and payments was managed within Rotherham Council’s existing provisions.

The report set out updates relating to:-

·           Delivery targets/Service Level Agreement

·           Improving Places Select Commission recommendations

·           Staffing

·           Reporting

·           Performance

·           Cancelled fines, representations and complaints

·           Prosecutions

·           Parking enforcement

Discussion ensued with the following issues raised/clarified:-

-          The money arising from a fine was split between Rotherham and Doncaster – if Doncaster was collecting a £80 fine and Rotherham only getting £7 that meant Doncaster was getting a larger cut of the profits?

The fine paid for the resource on the ground that issued the fine plus the cost of Doncaster to administer the control.  The vast majority of the fine did go to those who actually issued it because that was where the cost was.  Doncaster was not making a big profit out of the contract but was something mutually benefitting both authorities.

-          Litter and dog fouling patrol locations – why was there such a disproportionate amount of patrols v fines in January as opposed to May?  Who decided where the patrols would take place?

Councillors could submit requests from residents in terms of where the patrols should be.  The column on the Appendix was the ratio of patrols v the number of fines issued.

One of the main objectives of the initiative was to get patrols into areas and have a visible presence.  Work was taking place with the contractor regarding the spread of patrols.

-          Could Members be informed of when there would be patrols in their area?

       Communications data and intelligence was one of the recommendations that was not up and running as yet.  There was the ability to get data out for the reports but there was still work to be done on the systems to get it on a continuous basis.

       There was a new supervisor in place now who would drive that information.

-          There was a big issue with parked vehicles at night in certain areas of the Borough.  The optimum time to catch them would be at the weekend.

Parking enforcement was carried out 7 days a week.

-          Were there any figures on outlaying visits from officers?

Appendix 1 of the report set out the fines of patrols.  It was still an area for development.  Patrols had visited everywhere from a Ward perspective but there was agreement in the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 14.

To consider the update on the implementation of the new Home to School Transport Policy.

In accordance with Minute No. 27 of the meeting held on 1^st November, 2018, the following update was presented on the Home to School Transport Policy:-

·           The annual Transport Review process, to be undertaken at the same time as Education and Health Care Plans (EHCP) reviews to assess the suitability of existing transport, and the ability to partake in Independent Travel Training, was now in place

·           The targeted uptake was to have 44 young people on Personal Travel Budgets (PTBs) by April 2019 and 69 on PTBs by September 2019.  To date 56 young people were enrolled for PTBs.  The targeted uptake was, therefore, on track for delivery and a significant increase from the 30 young people reported to the Select Commission in November 2018

·           ‘Train the trainer’ had been delivered for Independent Travel Training providing the Council and partner schools with the ability to deliver training to young people

·           A meeting had taken place with SYPTE to identify possible ways to increase the visibility of travellers with disabilities and the awareness amongst bus drivers

·           Whilst the Service appreciated that, on occasion, appeals may overturn decisions made within the Policy, the need for young people to apply each year was enshrined within the Policy.  However, the appeals process had been reviewed and guidance would be issued to the Team that, at the point of application if the circumstances had not changed year on year, the Transport Manager or Head of Service could grant the pass on the basis of exceptional circumstances without recourse to the appeal process.  Should any change in circumstances occur, a full reassessment would take place in accordance with the Policy

Demand for the Service continued to rise in line with national rises in EHCPs for young people.  The current assessment was that demand for the Service would increase by approximately 12% between January 2019 and January 2022 with 96 additional pupils in receipt of transport over that period.

Resolved:-  That the update be noted.

To consider any item which the Chair is of the opinion should be considered as a matter of urgency.

There was no urgent business to report.

The next meeting of the Improving Places Select Commission will take place on 19^th September, 2019 commencing at 1.30 p.m. in Rotherham Town Hall.

Resolved:-  That a further meeting be held on Thursday, 19^th September, 2019, commencing at 1.30 p.m.