Agenda item

-        Minutes of meeting held on 11^th November, 2013

The following minutes were noted:-

 

AREA ASSEMBLY CHAIRS

11^th November, 2013

 

Present:- Councillor McNeely (in the Chair); Councillors Atkin, Beaumont, Dodson, Falvey, J. Hamilton, N. Hamilton, Havenhand, Johnston, Sims, Swift and Whelbourn.

 

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Currie and Read.

 

12.        MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING

 

            The minutes of the previous meeting held on 16^th September, 2013, were noted.

 

13.       ROTHERHAM BOROUGH COUNCIL BUDGET AND COUNCIL PRIORITIES CONSULTATION

 

Asim Munir (Community Engagement Team, Neighbourhoods and Adult Services) and Anne Ellis (Strategic Finance Team, Financial Services) made a presentation to the meeting about this Council’s budget, the Council’s service and spending priorities and the public consultation exercise now taking place to try and reduce the Council’s expenditure and manage the reducing budget in the future.

 

Reference was made to:-

 

: budget forecasting, resource projections, including Government grants  and future spending on Adult Services, Children’s Social Care, Waste Management, levy charges from Joint Authorities and capital financing costs;

 

: savings made in the last 3 financial years; including savings made in respect of front line services; the increasing use being made of shared services;

 

: the increasing demand upon services as a consequence of population changes in the Rotherham Borough area (initial data from the 2011 Census showed that the Borough’s population has risen to 257,300 and was still increasing, with a larger number of people in the older age groups and of pensionable age);

 

: the Council’s budget principles; focussing on the need to stimulate the local economy and to protect the most vulnerable people in society;

 

: the voice of residents would count in making suggestions of future budget savings;

 

: the methodology of the consultation was explained, including the use of an on-line forum and the list of questions to which the public will be invited to respond; workshops will take place with the Area Assemblies and with Parish Councils;

 

: a budget consultation event was to take place on Wednesday 13^th November 2013 at the New York football stadium, chaired by the Leader of the Council.

 

During discussion and questions, Members referred to the effect of the coalition Government’s spending reductions and the severe impact they have had on local authorities’ budgets and capacity to deliver services for the public.

 

Asim and Anne were thanked for their presentation.

 

14.        AREA ASSEMBLY CHAIRS/AREA PARTNERSHIP MANAGERS UPDATES

 

Shaun Mirfield, Area Partnership Manager, together with the respective Area Assembly Chairs and Officers, gave the following reports:-

 

Rotherham North

 

- Shaun’s colleague Helen Thorpe was introduced to the meeting;

- St. John’s Green, Kimberworth Park - a ‘task and finish group’ had been established to improve the co-ordination of work;  recent meeting about the local lettings policy have been beneficial;

- South Yorkshire Police report a reduction in the levels of crime;

- Kimberworth Park Community Partnership recently held a community event;

- Efforts were being made to try and relocate and return the base of the Safer Neighbourhood Team to suitable premises within the community;

- lack of recreation provision for young people at the Thornhill Recreation Ground; the Masbrough Youth Forum had arranged consultation about an appropriate site for the provision of a multi-use games area;

- Area Assembly meeting in December 2013 would celebrate the year’s events and work (jointly with Rotherham South).

 

Rotherham South

 

- Shaun’s colleague Kay Bacon was introduced to the meeting;

- Canklow – meeting with Canklow Community Connections and with the Council’s Green Spaces Unit about interest in providing a skate park;

- Community garden at Canklow – organising a ‘clean up’ event;

- Eastwood Liaison Forum – reporting that on-street anti-social behaviour and property based anti-social behaviour is reducing;

- Eastwood Strategic Group to consider the priorities of the Eastwood Community Partnership;

- Community event at Boston Castle Park;

- Area Assembly meeting in December 2013 will celebrate the year’s events and work (jointly with Rotherham North).

 

Rother Valley West

 

Andrea Peers reporting:-

 

- ‘Big Local’ organisation at Thurcroft had formed a community partnership and was undertaking action planning and had acquired premises at Green Arbour Road (from which services such as benefits advice and a credit union may eventually be provided);

 

- Year 3 Community First money had all been allocated to a variety of projects locally;

 

- Public consultation taking place about the proposed HS2 high speed railway; the route would directly affect Catcliffe and Waverley;

 

- Treeton – investigations of the possible future provision of a Benefits Advice Service, based at the Reading Rooms;

 

- Provision of a Skate Park in Aston – discussions with local young people and an initial contribution from Ward Councillor G. Smith’s Community Leadership Fund;

 

- Reports of reduced anti-social behaviour in Aston;

 

- Deprived Community Area at Hepworth Drive, Aston – recent appointment of an officer;

 

- ‘Community First’ celebration event to be held during December, to showcase each project;

 

- Community Leadership Funding in Brinsworth – utilised to undertake community clean-ups in January, February and March 2014, including litter-picking by the community;

 

- Local Democracy Week - work with Year 6 pupils in local primary schools;

 

- Discussion of use of Planning Act Section 106 monies (Community Infrastructure Levy) – possible use for a community arts project;

 

- Recent consultation had identified that there should be a continuation of six meetings per year, both of the Area Assembly and of the Co-ordinating Group.

 

Wentworth Valley

 

Andrea Peers reporting:-

 

- Community First – eleven projects had been approved;

 

- Maltby Crags ‘task and finish’ group – had helped to improve the local environment and reduce anti-social behaviour;

 

- Events held for young people, including a football tournament and a barbecue;

 

- Awareness-raising event to be arranged about inquisitive crime (eg: shed break-ins) ;

 

- Multi-agency event to be held on Thursday 14 November, 2013 at Full Life Church in Maltby, about raising the aspirations of vulnerable families;

 

- Birks Holt estate at Maltby – environmental improvements had been welcomed; the provision of Gardening Tools Loan Scheme was being investigated;

 

- Community event held on 31st October, 2013 – members of the Chinatown (Maltby) TARA residents’ group had helped to mentor residents of Birks Holt, Maltby about community action;

 

- Local bus services – event to be held on 22nd November, 2013 (at Flanderwell) about the changes to local bus services – a bespoke event for that community;

 

: planning taking place for a disadvantaged community event – raising aspirations for young women (a case study involving the 1984 miners’ strike through the eyes of women in the community); and examining ways of effecting change in the community in challenging circumstances.

 

Rother Valley South

 

Andrea Peers reporting:-

 

- Welcome to the meeting to officer Christine Staniforth;

 

- Local Democracy Week (in the South of the Borough) – included the “top dog challenge” involving secondary school pupils and the South Yorkshire Police; this event studied the effects of alcohol abuse.  The school team which produced the winning project would be making a visit to Parliament during December 2013.  A similar project was organised with primary schools and the best team would visit the Rotherham Town Hall with His Worship The Mayor.  The events attracted funding support from the Councillors’ Community Leadership Fund;

 

Dinnington Disadvantaged Community – a local allotment site, in private ownership, had become disused and was untidy because of the dumping of refuse.  The site was unsuitable for residential development.  A meeting was to be arranged with the landowners and local stakeholders to try and make improvements to the appearance of the site and develop an appropriate use for the site;

 

Wentworth North

 

Christine Staniforth reporting:-

 

: Budget consultation had taken place;

: Local Democracy Week - speed dating event, involving young people and Elected Members, to raise political awareness amongst young people;

: Review of provision and use of community centres;

: Significant reduction in crime in the local area, recently;

: Community First – budgets are being utilised to the full;

: Wentworth North and Wentworth South jointly would be organising a Community First celebration event;

: Disadvantaged Communities – a programme of events was being developed;

: Summer Wonderland event at the Mowbray Gardens Library was very well attended bringing disadvantaged communities together;

Thrybergh Parish Council – working with students of the Rotherham College of Arts and Technology to publish a community newsletter;

: East Herringthorpe, Dalton and Thrybergh - provision of debt advice; community alcohol project to encourage sensible drinking;

: Tidy Garden competition winners’ event had been successful with commendations for those who voluntarily undertook gardening work in communal areas.

 

Wentworth South

 

Christine Staniforth reporting:-

 

: Budget consultation had taken place;

: Review of provision and use of community centres;

: Crime in the area had reduced by 10% recently;

: Community First  budgets were being utilised to the full

: Disadvantaged Communities – a programme of events was being developed.

 

Resolved:- That the progress reports concerning each Area Assembly be noted and the officers be thanked for their work.

 

15.        COMMUNITY FIRST UPDATE

 

Shaun Mirfield, Area Partnership Manager, submitted an update on the Neighbourhood Grants Programme and the other elements of the Cabinet Office’s Community First initiative, specifically Endowment Match Challenge and Community Organisers.

 

Neighbourhood Grants Programme

-           11 of Rotherham’s 21 Wards were eligible for funding - £712,000 over a 4 year period to 31^st March, 2015

-           Community First Panels were required to allocate Years 1 and 2 funding by 30^th June, 2012 and 31^st March, 2013 respectively with each project required to submit a monitoring form to the administering body (Community Development Foundation (CDF))

-           Rotherham’s Panels had notified every Year 1 and Year 2 funded project that failure to provide any information as requested may result in those projects not being awarded any further Community First funding in the future

-           All Panels had refreshed their plans/priorities and were registered with the CDF by the deadline of 31^st March, 2013;

-           Excellent progress continued, with 80% of the Year 3 funding having been allocated from which 86 projects had benefitted

-           Where appropriate, Panels were using the funding to complement the Deprived Neighbourhoods work by supporting projects around pre-school provision, debt advice and money management, adult skills and healthy lifestyles.

 

Endowment Match Challenge

-           To be managed by the South Yorkshire’s Community Foundation (SYCF)

-           Challenge to attract contributions from the private sector, which the Government would match

-           Challenge lasted until 31^st March, 2015

-           SYCF’s accountability/reporting mechanism were direct to the UKCF and to the  CDF

-           After 31^st March 2015, any monies raised through the Endowment Match Challenge would be absorbed into SYCF’s Small Grants process.

 

Community Organisers

-           Successful application submitted for two East Herringthorpe Community Organisers based at High Greave School with the posts to be advertised locally

-           Groundwork Sheffield would be the host organisation and compulsory training was being arranged (to take place during January 2014 at the High Greave Primary School).

 

Members noted that the Rawmarsh High Street Centre was a private project (i.e. non-Council), although Council Members and officers were often present at its meetings and events.

 

Resolved:-  That the contents of the report be noted.

 

16.       AREA ASSEMBLIES AND AREA ASSEMBLY CO-ORDINATING GROUPS MEETINGS – FEEDBACK FROM CONSULTATION

 

Further to Minute No. 8 of the meeting held on 16th September, 2013, Paul Walsh, Housing and Communities Manager, provided an update of the response from the Area Assembly and the Area Assembly Co-ordinating Groups to the consultation about the review of the future arrangements for both the Area Assembly and the Area Assembly Co-ordinating Group meetings.

 

The following issues and proposals of the review were highlighted:-

 

- there would be flexibility in terms of meeting rooms to be used, in order to reduce costs.  This may mean that sometimes an Area Assembly meeting would take place at a venue outside its area;

 

- reference was made to the issue of voting rights and it was clarified that a proposal of the review is that all members of the co-ordinating groups would have voting rights;

 

- Area Assemblies and the Area Assembly Co-ordinating Groups would have a minimum of four meetings per year.

 

It was noted that the proposals of the review and the suggested changes to the arrangements, would be subject to further consideration by the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board and the Cabinet prior to consideration by the full Council during March 2014.

 

17.       COMMUNITY RESILIENCE

 

Further to Minute No. 10 of the meeting of the Area Assembly Chairs held on 16^th September, 2013, Andrea Peers, Area Partnership Manager, reported on the Community Resilience Scheme which had its origins in the Council’s Scrutiny Review of the impact of Severe Winter Weather (Minute No. C152 of the meeting of Cabinet held on 22^nd February, 2012).

 

Members discussed the following salient issues:-

 

: Category One responders (to emergency occurrences and situations), such as this Council, must ensure that support is provided for vulnerable communities, especially during periods of extreme weather, such as flooding, heavy snowfall and freezing temperatures, etc.;

 

: discussions were taking place within some communities and with a number of Parish Councils about the preparation of Community Resilience Plans, with advice from this Council’s Emergency Planning Section;

 

: there had not yet been significant progress made in the preparation of community resilience plans, in part because the ownership of the plans and the practicalities of implementation of the plans were still under consideration;

 

: the example of the appointment of community volunteers as ‘snow wardens’ was noted as progressing satisfactorily; this role involved local people keeping footpaths clear of snow and ice during Winter weather conditions.

 

It was agreed that the Council’s Emergency Planning Section be asked to provide further advice and guidance on this matter, for the Area Assemblies and for communities and Parish Councils.

 

18.       AREA PARTNERSHIP TEAM STAFFING UPDATE

 

Further to Minute No. 9 of the meeting of the Area Assembly Chairs held on 16^th September, 2013, Paul Walsh, Housing and Communities Manager, reported on recent staffing changes affecting each of the Area Assemblies. Members noted that the increase in hours of various staff would be beneficial to those particular Area Assemblies, especially in terms of support for deprived communities.

 

Resolved:- That the information about recent staffing changes be noted.