Minutes of 20 December 2007

 

 

Present

           

Owlerton/Southey Green Area Panel

Councillors Leigh Bramall, Gill Furniss and Alan Law.

           

Independent Directors

Ellie Brown and Jon Bradley.

           

Community Directors

Sharon Ashton, Janet Bagshaw, Louise Nield, Cyril Olsen and Ian Smith.

           

City Council Officers

Angela Greenwood and Stuart Bolton (Joint Area Co-ordinators), Matthew Rush (Area Support Officer), Lucy Edwards (Safeguarding Children Service) and Andy Cain (Committee Secretariat).

           

Also in attendance

Ian Drayton, Guy Weston and Lois Downes (SOAR Team), Norma Ashmore (Parson Cross Forum), Simon English (South Yorkshire Police), John Ashmore (Margetson and District Tenants’ and Residents’ Association).

1 member of the public attended the meeting.

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                                                                                                     Action

1.1       Councillor Gill Furniss and Louise Nield were appointed to jointly chair the meeting. It was noted that if either the Panel or Board were required to make a decision on any matter then that part of the meeting would be chaired solely by their respective Chair.          

                       

2.1       Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Vic Bowden, Steve Jones and Chris Weldon (Owlerton/Southey Green Area Panel) and from Rachel Barber, Lynne Hilson, Nick Slater, Paul Voyse and Richard Wildgoose (SOAR Board).          

                       

3.1       There were no declarations of interest.     

                       

4.1       The minutes of the joint meeting held on 15th November 2007, were approved as a correct record, subject to an addition to paragraph 4.11 to reflect the fact that Cyril Olsen’s query regarding Sheffield Homes also related to identifying who was responsible for rectifying the damage.      

                       

4.2       With regard to paragraph 4.4, Cyril Olsen indicated that any youth provision at the Shirecliffe Community Centre would be dependent on identifying a budget to pay for the cost of the hire of the hall. Sheffield Futures were unable to assist and a request had been made to the Shirecliffe Forum to subsidise the provision, at a cost of £1,800. However, he expressed concern that the provision appeared to be dependent on a community organisation and the joint meeting noted that Councillor Leigh Bramall would take the matter up with Cyril Olsen at the conclusion of the meeting.  Councillor Leigh Bramall/Cyril Olsen

                       

5.1       Jon Bradley gave a presentation on the work of the Cultural Strategy Theme Group whose aim was to support, cherish and celebrate culture and arts in the SOAR area. The Group comprised local residents and artists, agency workers from a number of organisations including Sheffield Futures, Sheffield Galleries and Museums Trust, the City Council’s Lifelong Learning and Skills Service, the Sheffield North City Learning Centre, local schools and the SOAR Team. The Group met at the 4 Greens Community Centre on the 2nd Thursday of each month between 12.30 p.m. and 2.00 p.m.      

                       

5.2       Jon Bradley highlighted a number of successful initiatives, which included the Flowers in the Frame Project, exhibitions at the Cupola Gallery, Southey Library and the Shirecliffe Hub, banners in Margetson Crescent and a City Centre banner campaign to promote a Liveability celebration to be held in the Winter Gardens during February, 2008. Further initiatives being undertaken included a Public Art Commission project, at Lidl on Halifax Road, the inclusion of a culture section in the 5Alive magazine and various cultural events in community venues.          

                       

5.3       He concluded the presentation with a slide show of cultural activities undertaken, which included displays by local people at Weston Park Museum, and highlighted the benefit of engaging families to work together and utilising library facilities to the maximum. Further details could be obtained by contacting the SOAR Team on 0114 2496194 or Jon Bradley on 0114 2782686.      

                       

5.4       In response to questions and comments, Jon Bradley indicated that Lidl had contributed £6,000 towards the overall cost of the Public Art Commission Project. 

                       

5.5       The Joint Meeting thanked Jon Bradley and noted the presentation.    

                       

6.1       Guy Weston submitted a report on the evaluation of the Neighbourhood Renewal Funded (NRF) community festivals held in each of the Panel’s five neighbourhoods in 2007.

                       

6.2       The Joint Meeting (a) noted the report; and          

(b) requested that a working party be established to investigate whether it would be possible to identify an alternative funding stream for the provision of future festivals, to include consideration being given to the rules relating to the Government’s proposed Working Neighbourhoods Fund (WNF).          Guy Weston/Stuart Bolton

                       

7.1       Simon English, Crime Reduction Officer, provided an update on Police activity in the Panel/SOAR area, particularly focussing on the Summer Blast Off diversionary activity, part funded through the Panel’s NRF allocation and delivered jointly by a number of key agencies, which had been provided for young people during the summer holidays and latterly, as part of Operation Mischief. He provided details of the number of young people engaged in activity and highlighted that there had been a 20% reduction in Anti-Social Behaviour during the summer months. Within the Ecclesfield Safer Neighbourhood Area there had been a 10% reduction in crime during the Operation Mischief period.  

                       

7.2       He indicated that Activity Sheffield had submitted a £300,000 bid to roll the activity out across the City and that work was being undertaken to target children in schools who were considered to be most vulnerable, for example, those who were at risk of exclusion. Board and Panel Members expressed their support for the joint working agency approach to delivery and Councillor Leigh Bramall indicated that he was aware that the funding bid to roll the activity out citywide was being considered.         

                       

7.3       The Joint Meeting thanked Simon English and noted the information provided.                                  

8.1       Stuart Bolton referred to the recent Panel E-Briefing, which had been circulated previously, and particularly highlighted the following:-·        A visit by the Chief Executive and Council Leader on 10th January, 2008, focussing mainly on the Chaucer/Buchanan Neighbourhood Centre·      The success of the recent Christmas Market and the various Council and other services who were in attendance·         An extension to the deadline for submitting New Year’s Honours nominations until 4th January, 2008·            The work being undertaken by Angela Greenwood, the Open Forum For Economic Regeneration and the SOAR Team on the “How Your Neighbourhood Works” Programme·        The work being undertaken by Nick Slater, Community Buildings Team, on the options relating to the Foxhill Community Centre, and the stakeholder meeting to be held on 15th January, 2008·            The brief for the Chaucer supermarket site to be published in mid January, 2008, with a view to expressions of interest from developers being received prior to 29th February, 2008·

The sustainability work being undertaken with regard to projects supported by NRF and the consideration being given as to how the Government’s WNF might be utilised. Ellie Brown commented that she had recently attended a Yorkshire Forward conference where advice was given that there may be more opportunity than at first thought for accessing WNF·         Angela Greenwood would be taking maternity leave from early January, 2008, and a replacement would be recruited·          Gill Ellis, from the City Council’s Children and Young People’s Service, would be replacing Mark Peat, as the Panel’s Lead Manager, with effect from 31st January, 2008       

                       

8.2       The Joint Meeting noted the information provided.          

                       

9.1       Ian Drayton submitted his monthly Partnership Manager’s Report, which provided an overview of the key activities and initiatives being pursued by the SOAR Team and the Neighbourhood Action Groups and sought a view on (a) suggestions for improving the joint meetings process and (b) whether the actions from the SOAR Away Day should be discussed at a SOAR Business Meeting or at a Joint SOAR/Panel Meeting.           

                       

9.2       Ian Drayton particularly highlighted the work being undertaken with regard to the Knutton Road Neighbourhood Enterprise Centre and the Library Learning Centre, as contained in paragraph 2.3 of the report, and that the number of clients engaged by Davy McKee, under the Local Enterprise Growth Initiative, had increased to 87 from the 70 reported.           

                       

9.3       Board and Panel Members highlighted the following issues with regard to the conduct of joint meetings:-·     There was a need for a more intimate room layout·There needed to be a clearer definition as to what was a Panel item and what was a Board item and ensure there was a clear process for decision-making·          There were concerns that less debate was being undertaken than when the Board met on its own and it was suggested that SOAR Board Members should discuss whether they wished to proceed with the initiative·   There needed to be more time allowed for discussing action points arising from previous meetings        Ian Drayton/Stuart Bolton/Lois Downes

                       

9.4       There was a consensus amongst Board Members that the outcomes from the SOAR Away Day should be discussed at a separate Business Meeting. It was proposed that consideration be given to holding a SOAR Business meeting between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m., prior to a joint meeting, which would be put back to commence at 7.30 p.m. and continue until 9 p.m. Ian Drayton/Lois Downes

                       

9.5       The Joint Meeting (a) noted the report; and           (b) requested Ian Drayton to consider the issues raised.            Ian Drayton

                       

                       

10.1    Stuart Bolton noted a request for a more in depth discussion regarding the Foxhill Community Centre at the next joint meeting and that all the key stakeholders be invited to attend, including Ellie Brown and Margaret Pearson.    Stuart Bolton

                       

10.2    Ellie Brown suggested that it would be useful to receive a Service District update at a future meeting.            Stuart Bolton

                       

11.1    It was noted that the next Joint Meeting would be held on Thursday, 17th January, 2008 at 7.00 p.m. at the Wolfe Road Centre, Foxhill.