Broad Street Area Community Council: September 2009

PRESENT: Chair Karen Leakey, Vice-Chair Derek Sutton, Secretary and Archivist Kevin Leakey, Treasurer John Phillips, John and Vi Clark, John and Pam Freegard, Kate Johnson, Kath Jones, Rebecca McIntosh, Pam Montgomery, Val Purvis, Ros Timlin, David Webb.

ALSO PRESENT: John Taylor - Broadgreen Community Plan, PCSO Turner, Councillor Derique Montaut, Sarah Chalmers - Health Centre, Tim French, Brian Jones.

APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE: John Banville, Celia Cotton, Karen Coulthard, Kath Cridland, Elizabeth Grady, Alan Jones, Mike and Lindsay Ponting, Cluniford Mason, Evelyn Mason, Sue Osbaldstone, Madge Sutton, Roy Townsend, PCSO Bird, PC McIntyre.

*The August meeting ran from 6.00 to 7.10 pm followed by a Community Plan and community engagement drop in session. This was advertised around the Broadgreen area.

CONFIRMATION OF THE MINUTES – 1st July 2009 meeting.
These Minutes were confirmed and signed a true record. Proposed Pam Freegard and seconded by Val Purvis.

MATTERS ARISING FROM THE JULY MINUTES: None.

COMMUNITY POLICE REPORT – PCSO Turner: Not much has changed as far as the 3 priorities are concerned.
With regards to the drinkers that congregate in the recess at the rear of Manchester Road, the police are working very closely with the Open Hands Church, who are looking to put up a fence to eliminate the problem. It was reported that the drinkers continue to cause a problem and a wheelie bin has now appeared in this recess and is full of beer cans.
The cctv van has been in the area, and although some groups think they are being watched, PCSO Turner made assurances that it was only there to target the drinkers.
Last month the speeding in Broad Street survey results were published, the police are working as best as they can to get the speed limit reduced. If residents see speeding cars, then please try to get the registration number and pass it on to the police
It was requested that because of our ‘20 is plenty’ campaign the Broadgreen Community Police team talk to the Old Town team and find out what their approach to 20 mph is.
The Chair thanked PCSO’s Turner and Bird for attending the Street Athletics and the Goan Festival.

GUEST SPEAKER – Sarah Chalmers, Swindon Primary Care Trust, re Carfax Street Health Centre:
When the wider redevelopment of the town centre happens, the heath centre area will be redeveloped. Until this happens the present centre will remain open and will not close until the new building is operational. There are no diagrams or plans to show at the moment, but the new health centre will be on the old police station site and all the current available services will remain. There are no plans to alter the GP’s either.
The PCT are talking to people that use the centre, to see what would make things better for them in the new building, for example clear signs and notices not hidden behind plants etc.
Questions:
Q: If you go to the onsite chemists, and it doesn’t seem to matter what time, there are drug addicts wanting their prescriptions and people can feel intimidated by them – you can also be pushed down the queue with the drug addicts taking preference.
A: It is intended for the chemist to move with the health centre, this problem will be taken back and passed on to the chemists.
Q: When is the Health Centre likely to move?
A: Initially we believe in 2013, but as we are in a recession that is very likely to slip further. In the mean time, it is planned to paint the current Centre and spruce it up.
Q: Will the new build be a stand-alone building or will it be part of a larger complex?
A: It will probably be built into a mid-range hotel, but will have it’s own entrance as will the chemists. There will also be disabled parking.
Q: Is there only going to be disabled parking?
A: At the moment, yes. Negotiations are being held to see if more general parking spaces can be included but it will probably be restricted to 40 to 50 spaces due to planning legislation, this may include staff parking.
Q: At the moment there is very little space for people with wheelchairs and pushchairs etc to get by people stood in queues especially if there are people in the queue with walking sticks, will the new building have more space?
A: This is all being looked at in the plans.
Q: Can the doctors and treatment rooms be on outside walls of the new building, then patients will be able to get plenty of light and fresh air.
A: This is part of the plans; it is good for patients well being plus it is also environmentally good for the buildings carbon footprint.
Q: On a wider point the BSACC has for a number of years been working extremely hard to build bridges and form partnerships with various groups and agencies, so far the most difficult one has been with the PCT. Part of the community plan is to identify partners that might be able to help solve problems in this area, for example the PCT could help with a health road show here. Some of the Broadgreen Centre has been taken over by the PCT because of swine flu, and yet no one was informed of this, it would be good to have more communication.
A: The PCT is now working with the council; I (Sarah Chalmers) would be the logical point of contact. Email contact was given over to BSACC.

CORRESPONDENCE:
Received:
Form from Highworth Library to update details on community info database.

Email re. the proposed Hilton Hotel at the former Paragon Laundry Site - ‘After giving the matter careful consideration, and taking additional advice on the likely viability of residential development the site in the short or medium term, Mr Gill has made the decision to proceed with the application for a hotel. This was submitted earlier this week’.

Email re 33 Rosebery St planning – Louise Moore – Enforcement. Re. 33 Rosebery Street - the owner has now nearly finalised the plans (retrospective) - he has been seriously ill and is going into a home until middle of September to be cared for. On 15th Sept Louise has a meeting with him - when he is due to put an application in.
If this does not happen by the end of September then SBC will take enforcement action (if the development manager agrees)!

A further letter has been sent to back up the emails to Father Leslie regarding the Broad St. Trust and what he is proposing to do with it. No reply as yet.

Sent:
To PC Diffin: The road markings along Bathurst Rd are really bad and nearly worn away at the Rosebery St junction. Recently a car smashed into two other cars on the corner of Rosebery and Bathurst.
The Community Council is taking this up - would the Police be able to back us on this?
Also a number of residents have asked that Gambia Road could be shut off to incoming traffic - this is used as a rat run when County Road is busy - is this something you could support?
Reply: I am aware of the problems in Rosebery Street and I feel that there needs to be a meeting for the residents of the area to voice their views re speed issues and options open to resolve the issues, it will need Highways to attend to explain what options are available.

PLANNING APPLICATIONS:

S/09/0567 - Jury's Inn - Construction of temporary car park for hotel use - Application Granted – Delegated

S/09/1068 - Union Square - Request for Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Scoping Opinion for proposed development - Application Received

S/09/1335 - Former Paragon Laundry, Aylesbury Street - Partial demolition and erection of 118no. bedroom hotel and associated works - Application Pending Consideration

S/COND/09/0839 - 48 Manchester Road - Discharge of Conditions from planning permission S/08/0542

TREASURERS REPORT:

Proposed by John Clark and Seconded by Derek Sutton

The Treasurer read out a letter sent to former Treasurer Richard Coates and reported to the meeting that despite trying to contact him on numerous occasions, seeking to have the accounts book back from his time as Treasurer, he has been unable to do so.
Therefore John Phillips proposed that we send a letter via recorded delivery stating that unless we receive immediately the full statements and receipts that shows exactly how much money is due to him, then we will draw a line under his accounts and assume that he has forfeited his money, starting new accounts with the balance currently in our bank account. The proposal was seconded by Pam Freegard and carried unanimously by the meeting.

CHAIR REPORT:
· Thank you to all who helped and came along to the Big Lunch, through this the BSACC were able to engage with the Chinese and Bengali schools that use rooms at the Broadgreen Centre on Sundays.
· Thanks to all who helped at the Street Athletics, the finals will be held in Manchester on the 25th September. It is hoped they will come back to Broadgreen again next year.
· The Chair proposed that the BSACC hire a room at a later date and show the film that some of the young people took of the event. This was agreed to.
· The BSACC had a promotional area at the Goan Festival, despite the pouring rain a number of our members volunteered to man the area, so thanks to all those involved.
· We intend to work more with the young people in this area. Some of Goan youngsters already play volleyball and are looking to set up a girl’s football team.
· The Chair recently had an article about the concerns surrounding SBC’s ‘Connecting People Connecting Places’ featured in the Link Magazine.
· It might be a good idea to have a rolling chair; this would give people the opportunity to see if they might like to become the BSACC Chairperson one day. There are 3 people that have expressed an interest in doing this. –The Vice-Chair, Derek said that he had been thinking about this and Karen is our Chair, and he couldn’t see any reason to change this system or why it should happen. Maybe it should be shelved until we have asked SBC if we can do this. – Ros asked if it was not against the Constitution, should the idea be barred? It would simply give people the chance to try it out. The Chair pointed out that come the next AGM, she would have held the post for 3 years and technically should step down. – We will try and find out how we stand legally on this point.
· The Police can put on Terror Training if there is any interest. Much interest was shown about this. – Police to be contacted for a possible date in September.
· We have some money that we have fund raised; it is proposed to spend some of it on a gazebo or marquee and a BSACC banner to advertise ourselves at events.

VICE-CHAIR REPORT:
The Chair has donated a camera to be used by the BSACC, if anyone wants to borrow it to record BSACC events etc that would be ok.
There is still an Alsatian that is put out onto the Broadgreen Centre play area to use as a toilet.
Dog mess in the area is on the increase, it seems owners are not scooping it up. It would be good to have notices in the area, but not if they are not policed. The Chair said this area has its name down for a dog bin, but we are on a list and will have to wait.
A shop in Broad Street is selling fish and the customers are crowding around the shop, blocking the path and stopping customers from going into the adjacent shop. – This has been reported to Louis Doughty a health inspector with SBC. A stiff letter has been sent to the shop proprietors.

Twenty is Plenty: A Children’s Art Competition has been running to find a design for a ‘Twenty is Plenty’ poster. 3 drawings were put forward to be judged, and a drawing of a lollypop lady was chosen. The winner will receive an art box.

BROADGREEN HISTORY PROJECT: No report this month

BROADGREEN COMMUNITY PLAN: Last Friday, John Taylor attended a Turkish meeting, at which surveys were handed out.
There are currently 113 replies to the youth survey from Secondary Schools – these will be turned into priorities.
As well as advertising tonight Community Plan and engagement meeting around this area, we also told people about it at the Goan Festival, and Father Toomey was going to announce it before Mass on Sunday – it was hoped this would encourage the Goan community to come along tonight.

NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH REPORT: No report this month

SHRIVENHAM ROAD REPORT: The overgrown shrubs at the County Ground Extension have still not been cut back; neither have the brambles at the back of Stratton Bank. – This will be reported at the Tasking Meeting. Prostitutes are being picked up from Shrivenham Rd. Lorries continue to go down Shrivenham Rd, not knowing it is now a dead end.

WARD COUNCILLORS REPORT: The problems with dog mess is a borough wide one, Cllr. Montaut said he continued to call for more bins, but to no avail. Residents should continue to push for more. Ros asked could this not be pushed as a health and hygiene issue? Cllr. Montaut said it could be, but not much point unless the purse strings are opened up.
The proposed use of the old laundry in Aylesbury Street is of great concern, there seems to be more and more hotels and very little low cost housing. He hoped that residential developments would continue to be an issue for the BSACC as well as councillors.

B.O.N.D: No report this month

ANY OTHER BUSINESS: With the regenerations now on hold, could the white boards around the areas not be taken down and the areas grassed over and used for sport or even a weekly market? Rod Bluh to be contacted.
The Mosque in Broad Street is being extended at the back do they have planning permission? Yes they do, although the time limit has nearly run out.
The BSACC now have a new website: www. broadstreetcc.btik.com
The barriers in Station Road have disappeared.
Cars are parking on double yellow lines, at either end of an alleyway in Alfred Street, who should be contacted about this? Councillor Montaut said he would take this up and PCSO Turner said take details of the cars, report it to the Police and they will come out.

Meeting closed at 7.10 pm.

Broad Street Area Community Council

Monday 7 September 2009

Broad Street Area Community Council meeting minutes 5th August 2009

Tuesday 1 September 2009

AGENDA - BSACC monthly meeting 02 September 2009

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