Agenda item

To receive updates from ward councillors from Sitwell, Swinton and Valley on the activities supporting Thriving Neighbourhoods across the Borough.

Further to Minute No. 55 of the meeting of the Cabinet held on 19^th November, 2018, consideration was given to the annual Ward updates for Sitwell, Swinton and Valley as part of the Thriving Neighbourhood Strategy.

The Strategy signalled a new way of working for the Council both for Members and for staff and covered every Ward in the Borough delivered through Ward Plans developed with residents to address local issues and opportunities.  Ward Members would be supported by the neighbourhood team and would work with officers and residents from a range of organisations to respond to residents.

Councillors Cowles, Short and Julie Turner, on behalf of the Sitwell Ward, gave an update on their Ward priorities and welcomed the opportunity that the Thriving Neighbourhoods had given to Members and listed a number of initiatives that had taken place in the Ward, including:-

·                Fly tipping on Doles Lane and erection of steel barriers allowing access to all those who enjoyed open spaces.

·                Anti-social behaviour hotspots in and around a disused bus shelter on Cowrakes Lane.

·                Funding for the Parish Cricket Club to purchase an all-weather wicket.

·                Joint funding with Boston Castle Ward Members CCTV and barriers on the Duke of Norfolk estate.

·                Special award by the Police Crime Commissioner for the proactive work by residents with establishing a WhatsApp group with over 150 residents.

·                Speed surveys with the Council and Police.

·                Deployment of illuminated speed signs around the Ward.

·                Addressing isolation and loneliness and funding coffee mornings.

·                Building bird boxes with the pupils of Newman School for residents.

·                Proposals to run an integrated shopping project with students from Newman School.

·                Liaison with the Council, Yorkshire Water and the Environment Agency following concerns about the cleanliness of the water flowing through Whiston Brook, the capacity of the sewage system and the maintenance schedule for the pumping station.

·                Funding at Whiston Worrygoose School for a fence to prevent litter being thrown into the school’s wildlife area.

·                Tables, chairs and play equipment for the Methodist Church Toddler Group.

·                Spring bulb planting party on the 3rd November, 2019 where 5,000 spring flowering bulbs will be planted within the Ward.

·                Water butts for the Whiston Allotment Society on its 3 sites.

In addressing the Council, Councillor Cowles was happy to support some of the many Ward projects, but expressed some concern about the delay from the request to authorise funds to the projects being implemented.

Councillors Cusworth, Sansome and Wyatt, on behalf of the Swinton Ward, gave an update on their Ward priorities and welcomed the opportunity to thank the Neighbourhood Working Group, staff and volunteers and listed a number of initiatives that had taken place in the Ward. 

Ward Members responded positively to the Thriving Neighbourhoods agenda as it enabled them to engage with residents in a much more meaningful way.  With access to the devolved budget priority could be given to important issues, but it was not just about money it was also about the time given.   As a result the community were benefiting from:-

·                Successful defibrillator and cabinet projects throughout the Ward as a result of excellent partnership and fund raising efforts

·                Community skips and litter picking and the partnership working with Streetpride, Don River Catchment Group and the joint working with the Hoober and Rawmarsh Wards.

·                Plans for a fancy dress litter pick on the lead up towards Christmas.

·                Social media sharing pages.

·                Support from volunteers and in particular an ex-soldier who was restoring the pathways and clearing streams at Horsefair Park.

·                Wildlife and pond restorations.

·                Community clear ups.

·                Victoria Cross Centenary Celebrations.

·                Better utilisation of the library for surgeries and meetings and funding of special events.

·                Supporting the South Yorkshire Active Travel initiative and the significant impact on parking around schools.

·                Brookfield Academy’s Travel Working Group Gold accreditation reducing the number of children travelling to schools in cars to 10%.

·                St Thomas’ School achieved Bronze working towards Silver and Queen Street Primary were working towards their Bronze.

·                Partnership and community involvement in the walk to school events and the launch of the park and stride car parks.

·                Attendance at award presentations and funding of scooters, portable bollards, slow traffic signs and contributions to the funding of school crossing patrols.

·                Resident engagement at Charles Street Community Centre, Potteries Court and Highfield Court.

·                Befriending work and visits to residents with Polly, the dog.

·                Loneliness and isolation agenda and the programme of regular guided walks advertised on social media.

·                Operation Shield and actions to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour in the area.

·                Quarterly Neighbourhood Policing meetings and opportunities for residents to raise concerns.

·                Involvement with persistent reoffenders and integration into local communities.

·                Speeding and utilisation of fully trained community volunteers to carry out speed checks in local hotspots.

·                Crime prevention bid initiative submission.

Councillor Reeder had nothing to contribute to the update as a member of the Valley Ward as the Thriving Neighbourhoods Agenda had not worked for her.  She did not feel she now lived in a cleaner, greener environment.

Councillor Albiston, on behalf of the Valley Ward, gave an update on the Ward priorities in which she had been involved across a number of diverse community areas.  Some of the communities were the most deprived in the Borough and found to be challenging with the political make-up of the Ward itself.  Officers have been very patient and diplomatic in their approach to neighbourhood working and working with Members that took into account the different political backgrounds.

Potentially residents of the Valley Ward had lost out when compared to other areas in terms of working together.  However, despite the differences a number of successes have been achieved and worked on, including:-

·                Developing and renovating the neighbourhood centres into successful community hubs.

·                Making environmental improvements to improve community safety and wellbeing.

·                Enhancing facilities and activities for children, young people and families.

·                Creating interest in voluntary sector groups.

·                Sporting activities in Valley Park.

·                Solar powered vehicle activated speed signs.

Councillor Albiston ended her report by saying neighbourhood working should not be about Councillors’ pet projects or a series of photo opportunities, but a long-term commitment to bring people together, it was about building community assets and addressing the issues that mattered to the people that lived there with resources targeted to those areas that needed them most.  It was a mistake that areas like Valley, that really needed to be targeted, did not get the level of resources that they deserved.

Responding to some of the points made, Councillor Watson had not experienced difficulties with some of the internal processes for commitments, but would look into this further.  He was aware of some issues with demand for speed activated signs, but this had since been resolved. He further emphasised how the Thriving Neighbourhoods agenda was for supporting communities and not individual Members.

Resolved:-  That the Ward updates be received and the contents noted.

Mover:-  Councillor Watson                       Seconder:-  Councillor Read