Darnall Area Panel Minutes 5th February 2004

DARNALL AREA PANEL


Meeting held 5th February, 2004, at Church of Christ, Station Road, Darnall


PRESENT:				Councillors Mary Lea (Chair), Mohammad Altaf, Terry Barrow and Harry Harpham.

				Officers in attendance:-

				John Moseley	-	Development Services
				John Mothersole	-	Lead Manager
				Vince Lally	-	Neighbourhoods Directorate
				David Mason	-	Neighbourhoods Directorate
				Andy Shallice	-	Area Co-ordinator
				Daniel Swaine	-	Committee Secretariat
				Andrew Udall	-	Environment and Regulatory Services
				Eugene Walker	-	Assistant Director, Corporate Finance

				Also in attendance:-
				Sg. Dennis Murphy	-	South Yorkshire Police
				PC Richard McNamara	-	South Yorkshire Police
				Chris Craig	-	Sheffield Futures
				Rosie Trainor	-	South East Primary Care Trust

				There were approximately 38 members of the public and representatives from local community groups in attendance.

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1.	APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE FROM PANEL MEMBERS
	There were no apologies for absence from Panel Members.

2.	APPOINTMENT OF CHAIR
	It was noted that Councillor Mary Lea had been appointed by the Council at its meeting held on 20th January, 2004, as Chair of the Darnall Area Panel.

3.	THANKS TO THE FORMER CHAIR
	The Area Co-ordinator reported that the formed Chair of the Panel, Councillor Terry Barrow had recently been appointed to serve as a Cabinet Adviser for Economic Regeneration and therefore would no longer be the Chair of the Panel.
	The Lead Manager stated that Councillor Barrow had made a significant contribution to developing the role of the Area Panel and had been influential in ensuring that many local issues and problems had been resolved properly.
	RESOLVED: That the best of the thanks of this Panel be conveyed to Councillor Terry Barrow for her valuable contribution to the development of the Darnall Area Panel and her continued commitment and dedication to ensuring that the work of the Panel progressed and benefited residents throughout the Panel's area.

4.	MR. JOHN KARANEC
	The Area Co-ordinator referred in sympathetic terms to the recent death of Mr. John Karanec who had served as a Committee Secretary to the Panel from November, 1998 to October, 2002, and arising therefrom, the Panel placed on record its appreciation of the contribution by Mr. Karanec to the work of the Panel and extended its commiserations to his family and observed a minute’s silence in his memory.

5.	PUBLIC QUESTIONS AND PETITIONS
	The following questions were raised by members of the public and responses were provided as follows:-

	Q.	When would Section 106 Planning Gain money be available from the development of the former Handsworth First School site?

	R.	The Lead Manager stated that he would not be able to provide an answer to this question until planning applications had been submitted in respect of the redevelopment of the site. Eugene Walker referred to the capital receipt for the sale of the former school and briefly outlined the Council procedure for the allocation of this type of resource. Commenting further on this issue the Lead Manager stated that it was Council policy for resources of this nature to be used to finance corporate priorities. However suggestions from the local community on how these resources could be used to finance initiatives that benefited local residents would help the Council to identify initiatives that were consistent with the Council's priorities.

	Q.	A local resident expressed concern that the money made available from the sale of the former school would not be used for the benefit of the residents of the Handsworth area.

	R.	Councillor Terry Barrow referred to discussions between representatives of the Handsworth Forum and the Council when consideration had been given to the use of capital receipt from the sale of the former school. She added that the resources made available from the sale of Council premises was an issue which was given consideration by the Council's Asset Management Group and it was Council policy for such resources to be distributed within the Council's Corporate Budget.

	Q.	A local resident expressed concern at the amount of litter deposited in the Balfour Road and Shirland Lane and sought clarification of how often street cleaning was undertaken in this area.

	R.	Councillor Harry Harpham, in his capacity as Cabinet Member for Streetscene, referred to the programmed routine maintenance for street cleaning and commented briefly on the Council's Cleaner, Greener, Safer City initiative which had increased the provision of resources to support additional street cleaning in the Darnall area. With regard to an increase in litter deposits he advised that problems of this nature should be reported to Street Force via their 24 hour telephone line on telephone number 2734567. Commenting further in this issue the Area Co-ordinator provided an indication of the frequency of street cleaning as contained within the Scheduled Maintenance Programme.

	Q.	Could a progress report be provided with regard to the future use of the site of the former Morrisons store in Darnall?

	R.	Councillor Terry Barrow referred to recent discussions, which had taken place with W M Morrisons Ltd regarding the future use of the site and it was anticipated that further information would be available at the Panel's next meeting.

	Q.	Was any information available on the future use of Darnall Education Centre?

	R.	The Area Co-ordinator referred to discussions, which had taken place between the Education Directorate, the Council's Design and Property Services and tenants at the Centre in order to give consideration to the future use of the site. It was anticipated that a report including proposals for the future use of the site would be given consideration by the Council's Asset Management Group in the Spring and it was envisaged that Members of the Panel would give consideration to this report prior to its submission to this Group.

6.	MINUTES
	The minutes of the meeting of the Panel held on 2nd December, 2003, were approved as a correct record and arising therefrom it was noted that (a) the Area Co-ordinator, on behalf of the Panel had undertaken discussions with Officers within the Council's Highways Services in order that consideration be given to the introduction of measures to restrict access to the former Kettlebridge School site to prevent incidences of fly tipping and (b) in response to a comment from a local resident that the street lights in the sub-way at Darnall Station had remained inoperative and the length of the subway and the number of steps meant that the safety of people using it was compromised, the Area Co-ordinator confirmed that he would, on behalf of the Panel, notify Street Force of this issue in order that it be properly investigated.

7.	CITY COUNCIL'S BUDGET STRATEGY
	The Panel received a presentation from Eugene Walker, Assistant Director of Corporate Finance, outlining the City Council's Budget Strategy 2004/05. By way of an introduction, he provided an overview of the Council's spending levels and provided an indication of the total City Council spending for 2003/4 with details of the gross revenue budget and the capital budget. Commenting further on the gross revenue budget he referred to a chart, which provided an indication of how this resource was allocated and added that the Government placed regulations on how resources for education and housing should be spent.
	The financial strategy had enabled significant improvements in the Council's financial stability with the provision of reserves and a nil overspend on last years budget. Improved Council Tax and rent collection together with efficiency savings and savings on debt interest costs had also made a significant contribution to the Council's overall financial stability. However there were a number of pressures on the Council's budget particularly in relation to public expectations and performance targets. The use of grants from Central Government was now more specific with 25% of grants having a specific purpose as compared with 14% in 1998. Further budget pressure was the impact of National Health Service targets on the provision of Social Services and achieving the required level of performance for services the Council provided. Eugene Walker confirmed that the Council's gross revenue budget was £1,079m and net budget was £569m and he provided an indication on the composition of these budgets. Commenting further on grants from Central Government he referred to a table, which provided an indication of the grant per resident for 2004/5 and compared the figure for Sheffield with 95 other Local Authorities. Commenting further on grant shares he referred to a table which provided an indication of the percentage increase in grant shares for 2004/5 and compared the Councils' grant with the Metropolitan District average, a number of London Boroughs, Shire areas and the National average.
	Commenting on Council Tax, Eugene Walker referred to a graph, which indicated Band A Council Tax comparisons. In conclusion, he summarised the 2004/5 budget strategy and provided a brief indication of the Government Grant Settlement for 2004/5 which had been announced in December, 2003. He added that it was envisaged that the budget strategy would enable the Council to deliver on key National and local priorities and maintain a stable and balanced financial position.

	Arising from Eugene Walker's presentation the following questions were asked and responses given:-

	Q.		Why was the overall increase in the grant from Central Government given to the Council only 4.6% as compared with the National average of 5.5%?

	R.		Eugene Walker stated that the Government Grant Settlement was determined by a formula, which included a number of factors in order to ensure that the grant was reflective of local demographics.

	Q.		A local residents sought clarification of how Neighbourhood Renewal Funding (NRF) resources were allocated?

	R.		Eugene Walker provided a brief summary of how such resources were allocated and referred to the Council's "Closing the Gap" strategy, which would help to ensure that resources were used to target specific areas of need.

	Q.		What measures were in place to ensure that the Council remained accountable for the NRF resources, which were to be used to support the provision of Council services?

	R.		Eugene Walker referred to Sheffield's First Family of Partnerships and added that these Local Strategic Partnerships were demonstrative of the accountability mechanisms in place to ensure that such resources were used in an effective and efficient manner.

	Q.		Did the Council's budget accommodate sufficient provision for the administration of Anti Social Behaviour Orders and the costs associated with the implementation of any such Orders?

	R.		Councillor Harry Harpham referred to the Trailblazer Project, which was demonstrative of partnership working between the Council and South Yorkshire Police and would help to ensure that the implementation of these Orders was properly supported.

	Q.		Could an indication of the number of Anti Social Behaviour Orders issued by the Council be provided?

	R.		The Area Co-ordinator stated that the determination of this number would require further investigations in order that a proper response could be provided to the questioner.

	Arising from the information now reported the following comments were made:-

	· Eugene Walker confirmed that the figure included in the presentation for education spending included provision for both primary and secondary education in the City.

	· The figure for the grant for residents for 2004/5 was based on the City's population of 520,000.

	· Work would continue on debt reduction in order to obtain the lowest interest rates for the repayment of loans, which had been undertaken for the purchase of significant assets.

	· Commenting on the allocation of Neighbourhood Renewal Funding, Councillor Terry Barrow referred to the work of the Council's Area Panels Advisory Committee and the robust monitoring arrangements in place to ensure that the use of this resource was effective and cost efficient.

	· The use of NRF resources to support the provision of Council services should be strictly monitored, particularly as community groups who were allocated any resources from this fund were monitored in order to ensure that the use of the resources remained effective.

	Members of the Panel thanked Eugene Walker for his presentation and noted the information contained therein and the Area Co-ordinator stated that any further questions on this presentation should be referred to him in order that the necessary arrangements could be made for a response to be provided.

8.	NEIGHBOURHOOD COMMISSIONS
	Vince Lally, Neighbourhoods Directorate, reported on the Neighbourhood Commission process and the City Council's approach to the Government's 2010 timescale for achieving its decent homes standard. He circulated a paper, which provided an indication of the purpose of the Commissions, their composition, and the progress made on the development of commissions in housing areas throughout the City. The Commissions would give consideration to how homes could be brought up to a decent and sustainable standard and which investment option would b, e the most appropriate for the future of Council housing in the area. In the development of Commissions consideration would be given to existing information on stock conditions and tenants priorities, the identification of other issues which were important to tenants and consideration of these priorities against the investment options available. Vince Lally indicated that Neighbourhood Commissions had been established in a number of the Council's housing areas and he provided a brief summary of the options that each of these Commissions were considering for the future of Council housing in their area. It was envisaged that a Neighbourhood Commission would be established in Housing Area K, which included the Darnall Area Panel's area and consultation on this process would commence in March. Once established the Commission would consist of local residents, representatives from Tenants and Residents Associations, City Councillors and in its development the Commission would give consideration to what work would be required to improve homes in the local area. The Commission's first priority would be to give consideration to the condition of local Council houses and to then give further consideration to how much money would be needed to bring these houses up to the decent homes standard as required by the Government. The Commission would then look at different options for financing improvements and an important part of the Commission's role would be to undertake consultations with local tenants about which options they felt were the best way of bringing in the extra resources to finance these improvements. It was anticipated that the consultation process would enable the Commission to identify one of three options for the future of Council housing in the area and these options were (a) the transfer to an Arms Length Management Organisation (ALMO), (b) stock transfer to a Housing Association or (c) a Private Finance Initiative (PFI).
	Arising from consideration of the information now reported the following questions were asked and responses given:-

	Q.		A local resident asked for further information on the Arms Length Management Organisation (ALMO).

	R.		Vince Lally indicated that these organisations would not be directly controlled by the Council but would be responsible for the management and maintenance of Council housing stock by way of a Service Level Agreement with the Council. Each ALMO would be managed by a Local Board and he provided an indication of the composition of these Boards and outlined the mechanisms that would ensure that these Boards remained accountable. He added that it was anticipated that the development of the Commissions would enable local people to contribute to the process of determining what improvements should be made to local housing and how these improvements should be financed.

	Q.		Could resources be made available from the Government to finance the ALMO's and the process of transferring the management and maintenance of existing Council housing stock via a Service Level Agreement?

	R.		Commenting on all three of the options available, Vince Lally provided a brief summary of the various methods by which these options could be financed.

	Q.		Why was it necessary for Council housing stock to be managed by an ALMO and not by the Council?

	R.		Vince Lally stated that the development of ALMOs would help to ensure the best use of resources and make sure that the management and maintenance of Council housing stock was consistent with the Government's decent standards for social housing stock. It was envisaged that the ALMO process would increase accountability by ensuring that standards were properly monitored and would also ensure that any improvements were reflective of local need

	Q.		The composition of the ALMOs required the involvement of community volunteers and therefore would the Council be offering expert advice to assist in the management and maintenance of poor Council housing stock?

	R.		Vince Lally indicated that as the composition of ALMO Boards included local people it was recognised that the process would require support from the Local Housing Office and the appropriate officers within the Neighbourhoods Directorate.

	Members of the Panel thanked Vince Lally for his report and noted the information contained therein.

9.	DERELICT BUILDINGS IN THE DARNALL AREA
	Andrew Udall, Environment and Regulatory Services, reported on the initiative, which his Service was operating to address the problem of dereliction across the City. A list was circulated to Members of the Panel, which provided further information on this initiative and included a list of buildings in the Darnall area, which may be given consideration as part of this initiative. Members of the Panel recognised that derelict buildings compromised public safety and therefore it was necessary to ensure that problems of this nature were investigated quickly.
	Andrew Udall provided a brief summary of the Council's powers with regard to derelict buildings as contained within Section 79 of the Building Act 1984 and he added that this Statutory Power provided the Council with a number of options with regard to derelict buildings. A data base of derelict properties across the City had been established and it was anticipated that this data base would contain details of the action taken by Environment and Regulatory Services in each case. He emphasised that his Service would work in partnership with other Council Services and external agencies to ensure a co-ordinated approach to the problems associated with derelict buildings. In conclusion Andrew Udall stated that his Service was aware of a number of derelict buildings in the Darnall area and that the document he had circulated contained a list of these sites. He added his Service was anxious to work in partnership with the local community and concerns regarding derelict properties in the Darnall area should be referred to him in order that they could be properly investigated.
	In response to the information now reported a number of questions were asked and answers were provided as follows:-

	· With regard to Kettlebridge School, Andrew Udall indicated that work would continue with the Council's Development Services in order to ensure a co-ordinated approach to dealing with problems associated with the site.

	· In response to concerns that the paving slabs on a section of the pavement on Staniforth Road were in a state of disrepair the Area Co-ordinator stated that he would refer this issue to Street Force in order that it be properly investigated.

	· In response to further concerns with regard to the Caretakers House at the site of the former Kettlebridge School, Andrew Udall stated that it would be necessary for him to obtain further details regarding this issue in order that it be properly investigated.

	· Commenting on the demolition of the former Doctors Surgery on Hall Road, Andrew Udall stated that he was aware that gas and electricity connections to this site had been terminated and that it was anticipated that demolition would commence once all tenders had been received and the owner had contacted the Health and Safety Executive.

	· In response to an enquiry from Mohammad Altaf regarding a derelict property on Clipstone Road, Andrew Udall stated that it would be necessary for him to take further details from Councillor Altaf in order that the matter be properly investigated.

	Members of the Panel thanked Andrew Udall for his report and noted the information contained therein.

10.	ROAD SAFETY IMPROVEMENT ON STANIFORTH ROAD
	Members of the Panel received a report from John Moseley, Development Services, regarding the development of a solution to remedy the high accident and other traffic problems on Staniforth Road. Mr. Moseley emphasised that his Service was anxious to ensure that the road safety problems associated with Staniforth Road were resolved in consultation with the local community and it was anticipated that consultation would help to develop proposals which could provide a long term solution to the existing problems. By referring to his report he provided a brief history of the action taken by the Council with regard to road safety on Staniforth Road and he provided further details of accident and traffic information.
	With regard to partnership working with the local community, John Moseley stated that his Service was anxious to ensure that the consultation process involved as many local people as possible. Previous consultation with the local community had identified a number of initiatives, which could help to improve the road safety problems on Staniforth Road. However it was recognised that further measures would be required to reduce speeding and assist pedestrians who wished to cross the road. The introduction of such measures would have to give consideration to traffic volume, particularly their effect on buses travelling along Staniforth Road. It would also be necessary to ensure that the introduction of any measures did not transfer the problem to nearby roads which were less suitable to cope with an increase in traffic volume.
	In conclusion, John Moseley stated that road safety problems often required a commitment from local residents particularly with regard to instances of inconsiderate parking. It was recognised that issues of this nature also required a commitment from the Police to undertake enforcement activities to reduce speeding and deter inconsiderate parking. It was envisaged that further consultation would enable the development of a proposed Road Safety Scheme, which would then be reported to a future meeting of the Panel prior to its consideration by the City Centre and East Planning and Highways Area Board for approval and it was anticipated that the feasibility of any such scheme would be considered within this financial year, with both detailed design and construction being undertaken in the next financial year.
	Arising from the information now reported the following questions were asked and responses given:-

	Q.		Had consideration been given to the additional traffic that would be generated by the new B & Q Store and the LIFT Project to be located on Prince of Wales Road?

	R.		John Moseley stated that his Service was aware of the potential increase in traffic volume that developments in the area could create and it was envisaged that consultation with the local community would help to identify proposals which could provide a long term solution to the road safety problems on Staniforth Road.

	Q.		A local resident expressed concern that by requesting local residents to accept more responsibility for the supervision of young children the Council was implying that parents in the Staniforth Road area were not in control of their children. The road safety problems in the area remained unresolved because the Council, since the mid 1980's, had failed to properly address the issue. Also the Council had failed to recognise that developments in the Darnall area, particularly the new B & Q Store and the LIFT Project would increase traffic volume on Staniforth Road and this would worsen the existing road safety problems.

	R.		John Moseley acknowledged the concerns now expressed and stated that the requirement of the commitment from local people did not to imply bad parenting on behalf of the parents of children in the Staniforth Road area. He added that the Council was anxious to ensure that the development of a solution to the road safety problems was done so in consultation with the local community in order that any measures introduced provided a long-term solution to the problems.

	Q.		Road safety in the Staniforth Road area had been a problem for three years and what was the likelihood of a long-term solution being found?

	R.		The Lead Manager stated that the Council was committed to finding a solution to the road safety problems and the allocation of additional resources to target these problems was demonstrative of this. He added that partnership working with the local community would help to ensure the best use of resources by the development of a solution which is consistent with the wishes of local people. It was envisaged that involving all the appropriate partners in the consultation process would help to provide a balanced solution to the road safety problems.

	Q.		Could action be taken to deter instances of inconsiderate parking by parents of children attending Greenland School?

	R.		Sergeant Dennis Murphy stated that the Police were aware of these problems and acknowledged that enforcement action could be used as a deterrent, however this would be dependant on the Police resources available. Commenting further on this issue John Moseley stated that the Council was anxious to work in partnership with the Police to prevent instances of inconsiderate parking. Councillor Mohammad Altaf stressed that the introduction of any measures to prevent inconsiderate parking at schools within the area should be done so in consultation with the local community.

	In conclusion Members of the Panel thanked John Moseley for his report and recognised that the development of a solution to the road safety problems in the Staniforth Road area should be done so in consultation with the local community.
	Members of the Panel thanked John Moseley for his report.

11.	LOCAL ACTION PLAN
	The Panel considered a report of the Area Co-ordinator setting out recommendations for the allocation of the Neighbourhood Renewal Funding to the Panel for the next two years 2004/2005 and 2005/2006. The report indicated that the proposed allocations supported local initiatives, which could result in an immediate impact, help develop the ability of local services and organisations to achieve "Neighbourhood Renewal" and which supported the development of long term strategies which would support the growth of sustainable development through Handsworth, Darnall and the Tinsley areas.
	The Area Co-ordinator referred to a table, which identified each of the proposed initiatives, potential match funds and the allocation of Neighbourhood Renewal Funding resources for 2004/2005 and 2005/2006.
	Arising from the information now reported a number of questions were asked and responses were provided as follows from Councillor Terry Barrow and the Area Co-ordinator.

	· The Area Co-ordinator confirmed that the allocation of NRF resources was consistent with the priorities within the Local Action Plan and was also consistent with the Council's Closing the Gap Strategy and the Cleaner, Greener, Safer City Initiative. He added that for Projects to be eligible for this type of funding they should be consistent with the priorities identified within the Local Action Plan, however alternative funding sources were available to Projects that were not consistent with these priorities.

	· Councillor Terry Barrow stated that the Local Action Plan had been developed in consultation with communities across the Panels area and by allocating resources in a way consistent with the priorities within the Plan the benefit of these resources to the community was maximised.

	· In response to concerns expressed by a representative of the Darnall Community Nursery the Area Co-ordinator stated that in order for Projects to be eligible for funding from NRF resources they should be consistent with the priorities contained within the Local Action Plan. He recognised that this process could mean that some local Projects were not eligible for NRF funding particularly if they were not consistent with the priorities within the Plan, however Projects of this nature should give consideration to a number of alternative funding sources available.

	In conclusion Members of the Panel acknowledged the issues raised by members of the public with regard to the allocation of Neighbourhood Renewal Funding and it was agreed that the proposed allocation of NRF resources for 2004/2005 and 2005/2006 be approved.

	Councillor Mohammad Altaf declared an interest in the above item.

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