Minutes of Burngreave Area Panel 25 May 2006

BURNGREAVE AREA PANEL


Meeting held 25th May, 2006 at Firs Hill NIJ School, Orphanage Road

PRESENT:		Councillors Ibrar Hussain (Chair) and Steve Jones.

		Also in attendance:-
		Andy Shallice	-	Area Co-ordinator

		David Shepherd	-	Lead Manager

		Marilyn King	-	Area Support Officer

		Jon Ekwubiri	)	South Yorkshire Police
		Simon Leake	)

		Lisa Nortcliffe	-	Community Safety Team

		Laura Bell	-	Libraries, Archives and Information

		Dave Ross	-	Committee Secretariat


		There were approximately 14 local residents and representatives of local community groups in attendance.

…………….

1.	APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE FROM MEMBERS OF THE PANEL
	Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Jackie Drayton.

2.	COUNCILLOR JACKIE DRAYTON
	Councillor Ibrar Hussain placed on record his thanks to Councillor Jackie Drayton for her work as Chair of the Panel for the last four years and offered his congratulations to her in becoming the new Lord Mayor.

3.	NEW APPROACHES TO POLICING AND COMMUNITY SAFETY
	Inspector Jon Ekwubiri, Sergeant Simon Leake and Lisa Nortcliffe (Community Safety Team), gave a presentation on the Safer Neighbourhood Area/Team and outlined the Safer Neighbourhood vision, explained that the approach was customer focused, problem solving and intelligence led and about the quality of the service. It was a bottom up approach based on the Barnsley and North Sheffield pilots and policing would be undertaken with the local community and partners.
	In giving their presentation they made the following points:-

	· There would be a consistent South Yorkshire Policing style delivered locally.

	· There are 10 Safer Neighbourhood Areas in the City and Burngreave is one Area and extends to Wincobank.

	· An Inspector would lead each Safer Neighbourhood Area and each Safer Neighbourhood Team would have one Sergeant and several Police Constables. There are three Teams in the Area (Burngreave, Firth Park/Fir Vale and Wincobank/Shiregreen) and there would be a combination of staff to reflect the neighbourhood needs including extended teams of partners and voluntary sector representatives.

	· A number of the officers would be based at Sorby House.

	· The Team would work with Area Panels and be supported by the District Task and Co-ordination Group. There would be named officers as points of contact and their work would be embedded within the community.

	· A Safer Neighbourhood Officer is attached to each Safer Neighbourhood Area and worked for the City Council’s Community Safety Team. They would be based in a police station to work alongside local policing teams. Their role would be to facilitate partnership working within Safer Neighbourhood communities. They would attend local community meetings, work with South Yorkshire Police and other key partners to identify and develop joint working opportunities and to find long term problem solving solutions to any issues raised and across the City. The officers had been involved in a two day event for schools highlighting the problems of gun and knife crime. There would also be Police and Community Support Officers in the area that would provide high visibility.

	· The commitment of officers would ensure that the new approach worked. There had been excellent results in Burngreave, including 100 arrests since February for a variety of crimes including drug dealing, assaults etc. However, there was a need for help from the communities and agencies and the aim was for Burngreave to be one of the safest places in the city.

	· The Safer Neighbourhood approach can only be delivered with the assistance of local communities and agencies. Members of the public can make use of Crimestoppers to give evidence anonymously.

	· The Safer Neighbourhood Areas had a number of targets to meet including achieving a 10% reduction in crime by April, 2007.

	· A website for the Burngreave New Deal Police Team would be going live that week (www.bndfc.co.uk/get-involved/projects/new-deal-police-team)

	In response to a number of questions from members of the public relating to drugs problems in the Firshill area and a number of incidents where no action had been taken, Inspector Ekwubiri indicated that he would take responsibility for the Firshill area from June 2006 and would take action and deal with the problems. He indicated that if members of the public contacted the police with any problems they would receive a response.
	Councillor Steve Jones welcomed the police being accountable, that they were listening, responsive and working with other agencies. He considered that by working together it would make a real difference.
	In response to a question from the Area Co-ordinator, Sergeant Simon Leake referred to the negative publicity the area had previously received due to the perceived amounts of gun crime but there were now reduced crime levels due to consistency of police staffing, their commitment and liaison with other agencies such as housing. There were a number of different methods that could be used such as Anti-Social Behaviour Orders and enforcing tenancy agreements. Inspector Ekwubiri referred to the first Dispersal Order on Wensley Street and the first Crackhouse Order that had resulted in a 66% reduction in crime in that area.
	In response to a question from a member of the Panel relating to proposed publicity, Inspector Ekwubiri indicated that there was a Communications Officer and use would also be made of the Burngreave Messenger and The Star newspaper to ensure that there was positive media stories on policing operations. There would be approximately 90 additional Police and Community Support Officers across the city with 24 for the local Safer Neighbourhood Area, with eight per Safer Neighbourhood Team.
	The Chair of the Panel commented on the need to publicise the aim of the Burngreave Safer Neighbourhood Area to be one of the safest places in the City.
	A member of the public sought the support of the Police to the relaunch of a Neighbourhood Watch scheme in the area.
	RESOLVED: That (a) the information now reported be noted and Inspector Jon Ekwubiri, Sergeant Simon Leake and Lisa Nortcliffe be thanked for their presentation and answering questions; and
	(b) Inspector Ekwubiri be requested to (i) provide an update on the Burngreave Safer Neighbourhood Area to the September 2006 meeting of this Panel and (ii) provide Members of the Panel with statistical information on policing in Burngreave.

4.	ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENTS UPDATE
	Andy Shallice (Area Co-ordinator) submitted a report outlining a number of planned activities that the Panel had developed with partners to both improve the environment and try and encourage waste reduction, removal and recycling. In particular, he referred to:-

	· Burngreave in Bloom as part of the Sheffield in Bloom Campaign. · There would be 22 Bring Out Your Rubbish Days and this would cover every house in the Panel area. · There was to be a trial Bring Out Your Garden Waste Day on the 10th June from 8.00 a.m. to 12 noon as Burngreave households did not have access to a green bin collection. Green City Action was to provide leaflet distribution and run two composting workshop sessions.

	Members of the public asked a number of questions and made a number of points, including the need for more bottle banks in the area, was the rubbish from the Bring Out Your Rubbish Days recycled and taken to landfill, wheelie bins filled quickly with cardboard and there was a need for a separate place for it to be stored and why was grass cuttings from public areas not recycled as it was generally left on the road and footpaths.
	In response, the Area Co-ordinator indicated that Onyx had been seeking to identify a site in Burngreave for a bottle bank/”bring it” site for the last 12 to 18 months but there had been objections from residents or site owners to recycling bins. Onyx was offering £50 for any suggested sites that were used. These could be raised either at meetings of the Panel or direct with Onyx. He suggested the Roe Lane car park as a possible site. The Gower Street car park was a “bring it” site
	In respect of Bring Out Your Rubbish Days, this issue had been raised with Onyx but the majority of waste was of a relatively poor state and it would not be cost effective to separate material that could be recycled as so little would be reusable.
	A member of the public referred to a blue bin in an elderly persons’ scheme that was apparently not on the list for collection. The elderly person concerned was unable to take that bin to the roadside.
	Councillor Ibrar Hussain suggested the Roe Lane for use as a bottle bank and stated that the Panel was committed to the Bring Out Your Rubbish Days across the area. The issue relating to grass cutting had been raised at a meeting of a Tenants’ and Residents’ Association that day and he would pursue this issue with Sheffield Homes.
	RESOLVED: That (a) the contents of the report now submitted be noted;
	(b) officers from Waste Management, Street Force, Veolia and local organisations involved in environmental waste reduction and recycling initiatives be invited to attend a future meeting of the Panel;
	(c) the Area Co-ordinator be requested to pursue the issue now raised by a member of the public with regard to a blue bin not being emptied; and
	(d) noted that Councillor Hussain would raise with Sheffield Homes the problems associated with grass cutting now mentioned.

5.	NEIGHBOURHOOD RENEWAL FUNDING UPDATE 2006/08
	Andy Shallice (Area Co-ordinator) submitted a report on the Panel’s Neighbourhood Renewal Fund Local Action Plan allocation of £205,835 per year for two years. He indicated that the original budget had been slightly revised to take into account a commitment to maintain funding (with New Deal for Communities) for the Burngreave Family Support Project and to provide full time support for the Area Panel from the Area Action Officer. This had been achieved by slight reductions in the budgets for roadshows and communications and Safe Routes to Schools but this was unlikely to affect the Panel’s ability to meet local priorities. £18,000 was presently unallocated and this would allow for a flexible use of additional investment until March, 2008, subject to approval by a future Area Panel meeting. The report set out the funding allocations for the Panel’s themes and activities.
	RESOLVED: That (a) the revised proposals for the Burngreave Local Action Plan, as part of the commissioning of activities previously approved by the Sheffield First Partnership, be approved; and
	(b) the revised figures be submitted to the Technical Committee (Successful Neighbourhood Partnership Board) for approval.

6.	BURNGREAVE AND SPITAL HILL BUS PRIORITY SCHEME
	The Area Coordinator reported that the revised proposals to improve bus journeys along Burngreave Road and Spital Hill were displayed at the meeting and Development Services required the final comments by 26th May, 2006. A leaflet giving details of the revised proposals was made available at the meeting.
	The Panel noted this information.

7.	GRIMESTHORPE ROAD/CARWOOD ROAD SAFETY SCHEME
	Councillor Ibrar Hussain referred to the display and map giving details of the Grimesthorpe Road/Carwood Road Safety Scheme made available at the meeting. He also referred to the proposal for a crossing on Wensley Street.
	The Panel noted this information.

8.	VESTRY HALL IMPROVEMENTS
	Andy Shallice (Area Co-ordinator) reported on the proposals for improvement of the Vestry Hall and the funding of £2m that would be used towards making the Hall a local Learning Centre. He referred to a public meeting on the 18th May with the architect and the Reverend J. Vincent and gave details of the recommendations from that meeting.
	In response to a question from a member of the public on the approximate running costs of the Hall of £100,000 per year, Andy Shallice indicated that there would be a contribution from Burngreave New Deal for Communities in the first year and for future years, the Learning Co-ordinator would be responsible for the project, its running costs and future funding.
	In response to a question from a member of the public on whether there was any City Council funding for the project, Councillor Steve Jones indicated that no funding was available but officers were working with the Burngreave New Deal for Communities. The City Council was unable to fund any of the core costs but would continue to support Burngreave through the provision of services etc. It was important to encourage the Universities in the city to provide funding.
	RESOLVED: That the Panel (a) notes the successful public meeting held on 18th May, 2006 to launch the redevelopment and creation of Burngreave’s own Learning Centre at the Vestry Hall;
	(b) expresses its support for the project;
	(c) recognises the potential that the Centre will provide a wide variety of actual and potential learners and students from Burngreave, particularly those interested in accessing higher education; and
	(d) supports the proposal that the two Universities in the City that have expressed an interest in attracting more students from Burngreave and Firvale are approached to become a core funder for the running costs of the Vestry Hall.

9.	MINUTES OF LAST MEETING
	The minutes of the last meeting of the Board were approved as a correct record with the amendment of (a) “Marshall” to read “Marshal” in item 2 on page 3 and (b) “Lord Mayor (Councillor Roger Davison)” to read “the Deputy Lord Mayor (Councillor Jackie Drayton)” in item 3 on page 5.
	Arising from consideration of the minutes, Andy Shallice (Area Co-ordinator) reported that, in response to a public question at the last meeting on whether covering the curtilage of a property in non-organic materials, such as concrete, constituted a change of use and therefore required planning permission, the Planning Service had indicated that there was no restriction except if it was used for the parking of a commercial vehicle or the storing of materials as part of a business. However, if there was significant land works this may require planning permission. The consent of the Highways Authority would be required to cross a footpath to drive a vehicle to access a hardstanding and planning permission would be required if the person lived on a classified road.
	The Panel noted this information.

10.	PUBLIC QUESTIONS AND PETITIONS
	Mr. Ali referred to what he considered were false allegations relating to his property in a report to the Cabinet. He was concerned that this information had been made public and he had been waiting eight weeks for a response from the East Regeneration Team. He asked whom the Team was accountable to and where the information in the report relating to his property had been obtained from.
	RESOLVED: That Councillor Steve Jones be requested to ask the Chief Executive to investigate the concerns now raised by Mr. Ali.

11.	DATE OF NEXT MEETING
	It was agreed that the next meeting of the Panel would be held on Thursday, 27th July, 2006 at 6.00 p.m.

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