South East Area Panel Minutes 14th February 2006

SOUTH EAST AREA PANEL

Meeting held 14th February 2006 at the Handsworth Parish Centre,
Handsworth Road, Handsworth


	PRESENT:	Councillors Chris Rosling-Josephs (Chair), David Barker, Marjorie Barker, Mike Peat and Sam Wall

		Also in attendance: Councillor Martin Lawton, Inspector Dick Dove (South Yorkshire Police), Richard Oxley (South Yorkshire Police), Dianne Hurst (Area Co-ordinator), Jennie MacPhail (Area Support Officer) and 16 members of the public
............

1.	APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
	Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Bryan Lodge, Helen Mirfin-Boukouris, Mike Pye, Ray Satur and Ian Saunders and Ken Matthews, Lead Officer.

2.	MINUTES OF LAST MEETING
	The minutes of the meeting of the Area Panel held on 20th December 2005 were approved as a correct record.

3.	MATTERS ARISING
	Adult Education Centre, Fox Lane
	The Area Co-ordinator reported that Sheffield College had not yet signed the lease in respect of the Adult Education Centre, Fox Lane. However, due to the activities of the South Yorkshire Police, acting in partnership with the community, the situation around the Centre was now much quieter.
	The Area Panel noted this information.

	Air Quality
	Maurice Littlewood, Chair of the Handsworth Community Forum, addressed the Panel and stated that he had been monitoring air quality in the Handsworth area for the last three years and was concerned at his findings. He spoke of the excessive road traffic, the proposed extension to the lanes on the M1 and the extensive housing and other developments that were planned for Waverley. Mr. Littlewood stated that the health statistics in respect of the Handsworth area were not good and this would be exacerbated by increased traffic.
	The Area Panel noted this information and that Mr. Littlewood would be attending a Briefing Meeting of the Area Panel on 17th March 2006 to discuss his findings in relation to air quality.

	Mosborough Village
	The Area Panel noted that the ownership of the land upon which the toilets at Station Road, Mosborough were sited had still not been clarified.

	Swallows Lane
	The Area Co-ordinator reported that investigations into the ownership of land at Swallows Lane were still taking place and Officers were considering what action to take with regard to the clearance of builder’s rubbish from the Lane.

	Mosborough High Street – Closed Footpath
	The Area Panel noted that a pathway in High Street, Mosborough had been closed to enable work to the utility services to be carried out.

	Jobnet Scheme
	The Area Panel noted that the Jobnet Service should be available in the South East in March 2006.

	Road Safety on Birley Lane
	The Area Co-ordinator reported that the suggestions made by Ray Greaves, Birley Moor Triangle Forum, in relation to road safety measures on Birley Lane had been considered by Road Safety Officers in Development Services and, whilst they recognised that measures to slow traffic speeds were needed, they considered that “rumble strips” would be too noisy and intrusive for the residents of the nearby houses. However, it had been agreed that the provision of a pedestrian crossing would be included within the Small Road Safety Scheme programme 2006/07.
	Ray Greaves stated that signage had now been provided and he asked whether it would be possible for speed cameras to be installed.
	The Area Panel noted that (a) the Area Co-ordinator would submit a request for speed cameras to be installed on Birley Lane and (b) Road Safety Officers would be invited to attend a future meeting of the Area Panel.

4.	PUBLIC QUESTIONS AND PETITIONS
	There had been no petitions received, but members of the public asked the following questions:-

	Neighbourhood Renewal Fund (NRF)
	Dave Walton asked why, given the extent of deprivation in certain areas of the Birley Ward, it was not going to receive Neighbourhood Renewal Funding.
	The Area Co-ordinator responded that the method used to determine the allocation of NRF monies had changed and the Birley Ward no longer met the criteria. However, Members of the Area Panel (and particularly those Members of the Birley Ward) had made known their concerns about this and the Chair (Councillor Chris Rosling-Josephs) and the Area Co-ordinator were to raise the matter at a meeting of the Area Panels Advisory Committee to be held on 15th February 2006.
	Ken Curran, Ray Greaves and Norman Sellars echoed Dave Walton’s concern that adequate funding was not being made available to the Scowerdons, Weaklands and Newstead Estates and stated that, in their view, there had been inadequate funding to the South East for many years.
	Maurice Littlewood referred to the lack of facilities and poor health statistics in Handsworth and suggested that the fabric of the community was crumbling.
	The Chair (Councillor Chris Rosling-Josephs) stated that whilst he was extremely concerned and disappointed that Birley was no longer eligible for NRF funding, the South East had received substantial investment and he cited, among other things, the new Private Finance Initiative school in Mosborough Village, the massive housing programme that was taking place and the work being done in Westfield and Woodhouse.
	The Area Co-ordinator added that the South East had also attracted considerable funding due to the strength of the communities and the hard work that was being undertaken by the Community Forums. She referred, in particular, to the development of the Woodhouse Extra Care Retirement Village, the pilot projects in Birley and Woodhouse to examine how services to the elderly could be improved and the development of the Service Districts to examine the delivery of services to young people and their families.
	The Area Panel noted this information.

	Health Activities in the South East
	Maureen Stoneman reported that there would be a discussion group held on 2nd March 2006 between noon and 2.00 p.m. at Emmanuel Church to consider Dental Health Services; there would be a session for the elderly entitled “Healthy, Wealthy and Warm” on 9th March at Woodhouse Trinity Church and public consultations would be taking place on the future of the Primary Care Trusts.
	The Area Panel noted this information.

	Toilet Closure
	Councillor Martin Lawton, Chair of the South Area Panel, stated that it was proposed to close the toilet at the bottom of Mansfield Road (Jaunty Park) and if members of the public wished to comment, they should contact him.
	The Area Panel noted this information.

5.	COMMUNITY POLICING
	Inspector Dick Dove, South Yorkshire Police, gave a presentation on community policing activities in the South East and stated that there had been a considerable reduction in the number of crimes that had been committed in the area compared to the previous year.
	Inspector Dove commented that the public’s fear of crime was not in proportion to the reality. As an example of this, he stated that there were on average, three robberies and fourteen burglaries committed in the City each day.
	However, there were indications that criminal damage was increasing in some areas, together with the theft from and of motor vehicles and it was important that items were not left on display inside cars. Inspector Dove remarked that prevention of vehicle crime was largely in the hands of the car owners.
	Inspector Dove turned to off-road motor-biking and stated that an action plan was being prepared, in conjunction with other agencies, to address this issue. The Trading Standards Service would be targeting traders selling petrol to children and there would be extra police patrols to deal with off-road bikers. Extensive publicity would be given to the action plan, which would be implemented in April 2006.
	Extra police resources would be targeted at the Scowerdons, Weaklands and Newstead Estates in order to address the particular issues relating to those Estates. Six arrests had been made in relation to youths using rubble from the Newstead Estate to stone supertram windows and there was an issue in relation to the use of air weapons at Westfield.
	The possibility of introducing an alcohol exclusion zone at Woodhouse was being examined and seventy untaxed vehicles had been identified for Operation Cube It, whereby abandoned and untaxed vehicles would be confiscated and crushed.
	Peter Wolstenholme asked whether it would be possible to have a bell push installed at the Police Station on Station Road, Woodhouse and Inspector Dove replied that if there was no response to the door device, it was likely that there was no-one present in the building. However, Inspector Dove confirmed that he would check whether the door device was working correctly.
	In response to comments from Maurice Littlewood, Richard Oxley (South Yorkshire Police) stated that publicity would be given to the operation to deal with off-road motor-bikes in order, among other things, to reassure the public that the Police took such matters seriously.
	RESOLVED: That the information now reported be noted and Inspector Dick Dove be thanked for attending the meeting and responding to the questions of members of the public.

6.	NOMINATIONS FOR SOUTH EAST SHEFFIELD ROLL OF HONOUR
	Jennie MacPhail, Area Panel Support Officer, stated that, in April 2005, the South East Sheffield Roll of Honour had been launched to pay tribute to those people in the area who had worked extremely hard for their communities over the previous year. Five people had been chosen for their commendable work, namely Stella Longden, Hettie Hemstock, Alan Bailey, Peter Wolstenholme and Richard Pearson, and had been presented with certificates and had taken tea in the Town Hall with the Lord Mayor.
	Jennie MacPhail stated that the Area Panel would like to repeat the exercise this year and the deadline for receipt of nominations was 10th March 2006. The nominations could be for individuals, groups or workers in the area and forms were available at the meeting or could be obtained by contacting the South East Area Office.
	RESOLVED: That the information now reported be noted and people be encouraged to submit nominations for the roll of honour to either the Area Co-ordinator or Area Support Officer.

7.	NEIGHBOURHOOD RENEWAL FUNDING (AREA PLAN) FOR THE SOUTH EAST 2006/08
	In presenting a copy of the proposed Local Action Plan (LAP) in respect of 2006 to 2008, the Area Co-ordinator stated that Sheffield had been in receipt of Neighbourhood Renewal Funding (NRF) for five years and, as part of that funding stream, the South East Area Panel had received £20,000 in year one, £73,000 in year two and £134,000 in year three. However, in respect of the years 2006/07 and 2007/08, the method that was being used to determine the allocation of the funding had changed and the amount available to the South East would now be £115,316 per annum for the remaining two years.
	The Area Co-ordinator outlined the principles governing the Local Action Plan as follows:-
	· Spending should be directed so as to benefit those living within the most needy communities
	· Spending should be targeted at activity that will meet the demands of NRF floor targets
	· Spending would be within the framework of the Council’s Cleaner, Greener, Safer targets and also support activity directed at engaging young people as key priorities
	· Activity should support the aims of the Area Plan and strategies of partners from within the Council, other agencies and from the community, voluntary and faith sectors.

	The Area Co-ordinator stated that there had been a number of proposals for inclusion within the LAP programme for 2006/08 and she reported on the projects as follows:-

	Voice and Influence of Young People
	· The project aimed to engage young people by means of youth outreach work and lead to their involvement in community planning and the development of a Youth Forum.
	· It was proposed that £10,000 should be allocated in 2006/07 and £13,500 in 2007/08.

	Area Action Support for Priority 4a Communities
	· It was proposed that £11,500 should be contributed in year 2006/07 to cover the cost of a full time Support Officer for this project and £12,000 in 2007/08.

	Active Communities
	· During the past two years, this project had allowed over 8,000 young people in the Area to participate in sport activity and had attracted considerable inward investment.
	· It was proposed that £15,000 should be allocated to this project in each of the years 2006/07 and 2007/08

	Street Sports Project
	· This is a recently established corporate project to enable young people to participate in extreme sports, bought in on a sessional basis.
	· It was proposed that £7,500 should be allocated to this project in 2006/07 and £5,000 in 2007/08.

	Environmental Projects – Westfield and Woodhouse
	· It was proposed that £4,000 should be allocated towards environmental projects in Mosborough and £10,000 in Woodhouse in each of the years 2006/07 and 2007/08.

	Community Capacity Development in Woodhouse
	· This project attracted matched funding from Objective 1 and linked to other community priorities.
	· It was proposed that £31,000 should be allocated to community development in each of the years 2006/07 and 2007/08.

	Adult and Community Learning
	· This project would support and develop the learning skills programme for adults in the Area by securing a full time Officer for the next two years. A pilot project, which commenced in April 2005, had delivered 78 different courses and events and had attracted additional inward investment of £31,000. The project would also attract mainstream, NRF and other matched funding.
	· It was proposed that £15,000 should be allocated to this project in each of the years 2006/07 and 2007/08.

	Shire Brook Valley
	· This project would attract matched funding from Objective 1.
	· It was proposed that £6,500 should be allocated in 2006/07 and £5,000 in 2007/08.

	Eco Schools
	· This successful project aimed to extend the principles of eco schools into the wider community of the south east.
	· It was proposed that £5,000 should be allocated to this work in each of the years 2006/07 and 2007/08.

	Regen School
	· There had been a City wide request to support a bursary programme for the Regen School which could benefit applicants from Woodhouse and Westfield.
	· It was proposed that the request for funding should be refused.

	Community Capacity Development in Birley
	· This project aimed to employ community development techniques in Birley and to deliver a Community Action Plan. It would attract matched funding from Objective 1 and link to other community priorities but as it did not meet certain criteria, the project could not be funded.

	Contribution to Richmond Park Project Officer
	· The project aimed to employ an Officer to develop a plan and attract funding to improve Richmond Park but as it did not meet certain criteria, the project could not be funded.

	Contribution to Handsworth Lengthsman
	· This was a bid to secure the services of a Lengthsman for Handsworth but as it did not meet certain criteria, the project could not be funded.

	Members of the public commented on various aspects of the proposals and Ray Greaves produced copies of photographs he had taken which he felt reflected elements of the deprivation in the Birley Ward, whilst Maurice Littlewood expressed disappointment about the failure of the bid to secure the services of a Lengthsman for Handsworth.
	The Area Co-ordinator explained the criteria for NRF funding and stated that the projects in relation to Birley, Richmond Park and Handsworth did not fall within the criteria, but the use of other funding streams would be explored.
	In response to a question from Margaret Wilson in relation to the Voice and Influence of Young People project, the Area Co-ordinator stated that the monies would be allocated to the areas of Woodhouse and Westfield and a contract would be drawn up with Sheffield Futures for the delivery of the project.
	The Chair (Councillor Chris Rosling-Josephs) stated that the aim of the Members of the Area Panel was to ensure that resources were distributed fairly across the whole area and to assist in raising funding from external funding streams for projects.
	RESOLVED: That (a) the information now reported be noted; and
	(b) approval be given to (i) the principals now reported of the Local Action Plan and (ii) the project proposals as outlined by the Area Co-ordinator.

	(NOTE: Councillor Sam Wall declared that he was a member of the Sheffield Futures Board)

8.	DATE AND TIME OF NEXT MEETING
	The Area Panel noted that the next public meeting would be held on Tuesday, 25th April 2006 at 7.00 p.m. at The Limes, Beighton.

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