North Area Panel Minutes 13th December 2006

NORTH AREA PANEL

 

 

Meeting held 13th December, 2006 at Ecclesfield Primary School,

High Street, Ecclesfield

 

PRESENT:

Councillors Trevor Bagshaw (Chair) and Alan Hooper.

 

 

 

Representatives of Panel Partners:-

 

Chief Inspector Rachel Barber

-

South Yorkshire Police (Sheffield 2)

 

Inspector Gary West

-

South Yorkshire Police – Ecclesfield Safer Neighbourhoods Area

 

Lisa Casey

-

Safer Neighbourhoods Officer – Ecclesfield Safer Neighbourhoods Area

 

Councillor Vic Bowden

-

Sheffield City Council

 

Lynn Hilson

-

Sheffield Futures

 

 

 

 

 

City Council Officers:-

 

 

 

John Charlton

-

Lead Manager

 

Anne Blantern

-

Area Co-ordinator

 

Matthew Rush

-

Area Action Officer

 

Mike Shaw

-

Street Force

 

Jason Dietsch

-

Committee Secretariat

 

 

 

 

………………..

 

 

 

Action

1.

APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE FROM MEMBERS OF THE PANEL

 

 

            Apologies for absence were received from Councillors David Baker, Alison Brelsford, Kathleen Chadwick, Patricia Fox and Vickie Priestley.

 

 

 

 

2.

PUBLIC QUESTIONS AND PETITIONS

 

 

            There were no petitions received or questions raised by members of the public.

 

 

 

 

3.

COMMUNITY SAFETY IN ECCLESFIELD

 

 

            The Panel received a briefing from Inspector Gary West, Ecclesfield Safer Neighbourhood Area in relation to community safety matters in Ecclesfield.  The Safer Neighbourhood Team in Ecclesfield comprised two teams namely a Sergeant, six Police Constables and 14 Police Community Support Officers tasked primarily with dealing with anti-social behaviour and low level crime.  Particular successes had been made during the summer of 2006 and there had been a significant police presence around 5th November and firework celebrations.

 

 

            Anti-social behaviour in Ecclesfield was concentrated in the area of the High Street and surrounding areas.   Previously reported incidents in Ecclesfield Park had reduced.  There had been a general increase in anti-social behaviour in Ecclesfield partly caused by the implementation of Section 30 dispersal orders in other areas of the City which had served to displace offenders to the Ecclesfield area.  A similar pattern had been recorded when the implementation of a Section 30 dispersal order in Ecclesfield had negative effects on the Grenoside area due to displacement.

 

 

            Particular problems recently occurring included the breaking of library windows and the theft and subsequent setting alight of a wheeled bin.

 

 

            The Safer Neighbourhood Team worked with schools and parents and attempted to develop diversionary activities such as the Blast Off Football Competition culminating in a final involving over 70 young people at Concord Sports Centre.  It was intended to spread such good practice as the Blast Off Campaign to other areas of the City and in turn to learn from good practice in other areas.

 

 

            Councillor Vic Bowden, attending the Panel meeting as Chair of the Community Safety Forum, informed the Panel that in general there was improved partnership working toward long term solutions in relation to anti-social behaviour.

 

 

            Councillor Trevor Bagshaw, Chair of the Panel stated that the Panel had worked to improve youth provision in the north of the City and with the aid of Neighbourhood Renewal Funding (NRF) and through Sheffield Futures, Outreach Workers had been employed to encourage young people to take to legitimate activities.  However, he pointed to a continued reliance on South Yorkshire Police and the use of police resources to provide diversionary activities for young people.

 

 

            Lynn Hilson, Sheffield Futures informed Members that activities had specifically been undertaken to remove young people from their own environment to participate in activities at facilities such as Underbank, Stocksbridge.  Acceptable behaviour codes were being developed for young people both inside youth clubs and in relation to their behaviour outside.  She stated that a small number of young people were responsible for the majority of incidents of anti-social behaviour.

 

 

            Chief Inspector Rachel Barber, responsible for six Safer Neighbourhood Areas in the City stated that it was intended to increase the number of teams in the area by one so that three teams were in operation, providing more policing resources.  Additional Community Support Officers would be employed early in 2007 and these would be based at High Green.

 

 

            She pointed to a particular problem in relation to the implementation of Section 30 dispersal orders in other policing districts in the City, namely that other safer neighbourhood areas were not informed that the orders would be implemented in time to develop their own preventative measures and that structures to ensure that this would satisfactorily be dealt with in the future were now in place.

 

 

            A particular issue this year had been the displacement of young people causing difficulties from Shiregreen (which had in place a Section 30 Dispersal Order) to Ecclesfield.

 

 

            Discussion was held in relation to the effectiveness of partnership working and, in particular, the co-ordinating bodies such as the Joint Action Group (JAG) and the Neighbourhood Action Group (NAG).  Elected Members were able to attend meetings of the Neighbourhood Action Group but there was as yet not clarity in relation to their role at the Joint Action Groups.

 

 

            Rachel Barber stated that a particular role for the Joint Action Groups was to look at city-wide issues such as the management of Section 30 Dispersal Orders.  Some issues such as that of nuisance motorbikes were city-wide and others were more localised and pertinent to particular Safer Neighbourhood Areas.  Most such problems were not necessarily criminal in nature but were relatively low level incidents affecting local people.

 

 

            John Charlton, Lead Manager, commented that a co-ordination of activities among the various agencies was important along with the recognition of the impact of initiatives such as the Private Finance Initiative to replace street lighting in Sheffield, which would make a major contribution to improving community safety.  There was also recognition by the Police that other agencies such as Sheffield Futures could most appropriately provide for young people and contribute to reducing anti-social behaviour.

 

 

            A member of the public commented upon the number of burglaries in the Chapeltown area and in response Gary West stated that there were few burglaries in dwellings although there had been an increasing number of break-ins to sheds and garages, which had received police attention.  All houses that had been burgled were attended by Scene of Crime Officers, who undertook target hardening in surrounding properties.  He stated that, given the number of people and households in the safer neighbourhood area there were few burglaries.

 

 

            Gary West also pointed to the advantage of having a knowledgeable local police constable who individually knew local people and particularly young people and Rachel Barber indicated that this was the ethos behind neighbourhood policing to which Community Support Officers also made an important contribution.

 

 

            In relation to nuisance motorcycles, a city-wide action plan had been developed to put in place a long term strategy and it be recognised that individual police interventions or operations could only provide short term respite for local people suffering the impact of problems associated with nuisance or inappropriate use of motorcycles.

 

 

            Councillor Trevor Bagshaw pointed to the importance of communication with the public who needed to be made aware of initiatives such as that outlined above.

 

 

            Lisa Casey (Safer Neighbourhood Officer) explained her role as a link officer to share information with other agencies for appropriate action.  In relation to young people, parents whose child had been involved in anti-social behaviour were sent a parental advisory letter, hand delivered by Police Community Support Officers and if the behaviour continued, a second letter was sent.  At that stage the vast majority of young people did not come to the attention of the police again.  If the behaviour continued then an Acceptable Behaviour Contract (ABC) was served at the Police Station on the young person and would last for six months.

 

 

            Discussion was held in relation to methods of communication, including the 101 single non-emergency number, which had received positive feedback in terms of its effectiveness at handling reports and enquiries from members of the public.  Other methods of reporting were Crimestoppers and the Goldenline, which was an answer phone service to pass information relating to anti-social behaviour to the police.

 

 

            It was agreed to note the information now reported and to thank the contributors to the meeting.

 

 

 

 

4.

ECCLESFIELD VILLAGE PLAN

 

 

            The Area Co-ordinator, Anne Blantern reported that funding had been made available through Objective 1 for each village in the north of the City to develop their own action plan, informed by questionnaires.  The questionnaire developed for Grenoside had received a 50% to 51% response rate, which was considered particularly successful.

 

 

            Councillor Vic Bowden stated that the majority of funding had been obtained via the Yorkshire Rural Community Council with the primary aim of producing an action plan for the village.   Alongside the production of the Plan it was most important to encourage participation and to ascertain local people’s thinking as to the future of their own area.  A small group had been established to work on the plan and it was intended to publish results from the questionnaire early in March, 2007.  It was noted that this activity had been partly funded by Ecclesfield Parish Council.   Chapeltown would also; hopefully benefit from such activity once appropriate funding was identified to carry out a planning and questionnaire process.

 

 

            Councillor Trevor Bagshaw stated that the results of questionnaires in other villages had reflected local people’s desire to input into the future of their community.  Based upon evidence collected from similar exercises in other villages the Panel had co-ordinated funding to resource detached workers, due to start up youth clubs in five locations and it was hoped that similar funding could be encouraged to expand this youth related activity.  Anne Blantern reported that specific work had been undertaken to consult young people in relation to their views.

 

 

            Anne Blantern also reported that £50,000 had been obtained to provide additional meeting space at the Community Centre in Wharncliffe Side following that community’s identification of a shortage of meeting room space in the village.

 

 

            The pavilion in Ecclesfield Park was to be rebuilt following a fire and this process had been delayed to allow for consultation and appropriate planning to ensure that the pavilion provided appropriately for the community.  In the meantime, Activity Sheffield had committed to providing funding toward changing facilities in place of the pavilion during the Spring so that physical activities in the Park could continue whilst the pavilion was being redeveloped.

 

 

            It was also reported that the Panel had agreed to invite applications to a “community chest” to which local gro, ups could bid for funding and potential focus might be made on those communities that wished to participate in the “in bloom” competition.

 

 

            It was agreed to note the report and comments now made.

 

 

 

 

5.

PARISH COUNCIL MATTERS

 

 

            No Parish Council matters were reported.

 

 

 

 

6.

MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING

 

 

            The minutes of the meeting held on 15th November, 2006 were agreed as a correct record.

 

 

 

 

 

Action arising from the previous meeting

 

 

·                    (1)  It was clarified that the Decent Homes work to refurbish the Airey type homes related to School Road.

 

 

 

 

 

·                    (3)  In relation to the resurfacing of the brow of Loundside, Chapeltown, Mike Shaw, Street Force, commented that it was intended to begin resurfacing at the end of January/beginning of February, 2007.

 

 

 

 

 

·                    (5)  In relation to the signs on Ecclesfield Road near to the comprehensive school and potential obstruction to the pedestrian footway it was reported that this matter had been investigated and there was sufficient clearance for wheelchairs on the pavement.

 

 

 

 

 

·                    (6) Clarity needed to be sought as to the ownership of the boundary wall at the Tesco Filling Station and it was confirmed that the gap in the wall needed to be reduced to stop vehicles gaining inappropriate access to the adjacent highway.  This matter would be investigated further with the Council’s road safety officers and a report made to the Area Panel and Ecclesfield Parish Council.

 

 

 

 

 

·                    (7) Councillor Alan Hooper reported that in relation to Chapel Road, Park View Road and the installation of mobile/information gathering speed cameras that the petitioner requesting this action had been informed of progress.

 

 

 

 

 

·                    (9)  Signs on the weak bridge at Bolsterstone had been checked and were in place appropriately and the structure of the bridge had also been established as sound.  Although forestry vehicles had been requested not to use the route which included the weak bridge there was still a reported problem with vehicles from the quarry nearby.

 

 

 

 

 

            Councillor Alan Hooper requested that an indication of end dates be included in the Panel’s action checklist.

 

 

 

 

7.

CHARLTON BROOK OPEN SPACE

 

 

            Councillor Alan Hooper requested that the notes of the meeting facilitated by the Area Panel in relation to the Charlton Brook Open Space, held on 21st November, 2006, be made available to members of the Panel.

 

 

            Councillor Trevor Bagshaw stated that public displays in relation to proposals for Charlton Brook would be displayed at the local library and at schools.  It was also intended that an article be included in Look Local in relation to the proposed scheme and that all those who attended the public meeting be written to and furnished with the notes of the meeting.

 

 

 

 

8.

DATE OF NEXT MEETING

 

 

            It was noted that the next meeting of the Area Panel would take place on Wednesday, 17th January, 2007 at 6.30 p.m. at Lomas Hall, Stannington.