MINUTES OF THE COMMUNITY COUNCIL MEETING HELD ON 3rd DECEMBER 2008

PRESENT: Chair Karen Leakey, Vice Chair and Treasurer Richard Coates, Secretary Kevin Leakey, Minute Secretary John Phillips, Stella Edwards, John and Pam Freegard, Tim French, Kate Johnson, Alan Jones, Cluniford Mason, Rebecca McIntosh, Sue Osbaldstone, Val Purvis, Ros Timlin, David Webb.

ALSO PRESENT: PC Sophia McIntyre Vice Officer, Detective Chief Inspector Kevin Capstick. Patrick Chaney - Steam Ahead Credit Union, John Taylor.

APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE: John Banville, John and Vi Clark, Celia Cotton, Karen Coulthard, Elizabeth Grady, Olive Hitchcock, Kate Johnson, Evelyn Mason, Pam Montgomery, Mike and Lindsay Ponting, Derek and Madge Sutton.

CONFIRMATION OF THE MINUTES – 5th November 2008 meeting.
These Minutes were confirmed and signed a true record. Proposed Pam Freegard and seconded by John Phillips.

MATTERS ARISING FROM THE SEPTEMBER MINUTES: The fence around the Broadgreen Centre has still not been joined up. The hedge on the Gladstone Street side of the Broadgreen Centre has still not been trimmed back.

COMMUNITY POLICE REPORT: Although there was no representation from our Community Police Team, Vice Liaison Officer PC Sophia McIntyre brought along her colleague DCI Kevin Capstick who is also involved in Operation Dobbin, which targets prostitution problems.
Around 20 successful operations have been carried out using Police Officers in plain clothes, not only targeting both prostitutes and kerb crawlers but also looking at the wider issues such as drugs and housing by offering help there and then from drug workers and other agencies in an effort to break the cycle they find themselves in. Prostitutes will not change their lifestyle overnight but a high proportion of them are now talking to various agencies.
Prostitutes are still being arrested and ASBO’s are being built up against them, if they break them then they will be put up in front of a judge and could be given a 5-year custodial sentence. An Anti Social Behaviour Contract has also been issued to a kerb crawler, he signed it and agreed not to approach prostitutes or drive around a set area (a map was issued to him). If he is caught again within the next 12 months, he will be taken to court and if convicted his name will appear in the Adver (it is not known if he is a Swindon resident). During these operations, warnings have been given out for possession of cannabis on the streets, cars and weapons have been seized, 1 driver had no insurance and a Police officer was also assaulted.
Concern was shown from a number of residents about a recent Adver report when they said that there were 30 prostitutes working in Swindon. PC McIntyre informed the meeting that over the 2 evenings of the operation around 15 prostitutes had been spoken to and only a couple had been seen on both nights. Some are regularly working but others only do the occasional night for some extra money. Back in the 1980’s and 90’s there were 30 plus prostitutes working here, many of them from outside of the town.
It was pointed out that whenever the Adver run a story about prostitution, they seem to sensationalise the problem and it encourages more people to come to this area, often just to look. PC McIntyre said that it was difficult to do without the press as successes needed to be shown and a clear message given out that if you come here as a kerb crawler or prostitute, then there will be consequences to your actions.
With regards to the sentences handed out by magistrates, it was the general feeling that more often than not a slap on the wrist was all that was given out, Karen said that at a recent Neighbourhood Tasking meeting a magistrate indicated that what may happen soon is that prostitutes will see the same magistrate every time they are in court which may then see tougher sentences being handed out.
Other towns run a course for kerb crawlers, which they have to pay £200 to go on. This addresses their behaviour and looks at the effects it has on their health, their families and on the neighbourhoods they drive around. It has been very successful in the places that offer this service and there is a re-offend rate as low as 1%. PC McIntyre is going to visit one of these courses on the 13th December, to see if it could work here.

GUEST SPEAKER: Patrick Chaney Secretary of the Steam Ahead Credit Union based at Cavendish Square - www.swindoncreditunions.co.uk.
The Steam Ahead Credit Union is one of two in Swindon, the other being based in Clive Parade, Cricklade Road, which serves the north side of Swindon the split being the railway line. At one time there were seven in Swindon.
Steam Ahead has been going for 15 years has around 600 members and now covers an area beyond Parks and Walcot that extends to Bishopstone and Wanborough.
Credit Unions are Co-operatives owned and run by it’s members, with a Board of Directors who have to be approved by, and are regulated by the Financial Services Authority.
To join all you need is £1 and two forms of ID, then you can start saving as little or as much as you like, up to an upper limit of £5000. After saving for 13 weeks you can then apply for a low cost loan (@1% interest per month), up to twice as much as you have saved.
Although you do not get interest on the money you invest, members receive a yearly dividend from the profits of up to 8% of the amount they have saved.
There is no age limit on savers, but under 18’s do not have voting rights nor can they take out a loan.
If we want to set up a collection point from the Broadgreen Area, three people need to volunteer and be trained to deal with money and people. Val, Karen and Kevin said they would be interested in doing this.

CORRESPONDENCE:

· Should fires in town centre use smokeless fuels?
Reply: No part of the Borough of Swindon is a ‘smokeless zone’; so there is no absolute restriction on the use of standard coal or wood in fireplaces. www.swindon.gov.uk/streetsmart-bonfirenuisance
· Sent back Charities commission annual return form.
· Contacted Father Leslie for a second time, to see if we can use £2k for community garden and what progress has been made with Trust –
Reply: Thanks for your message. As I mentioned to you in an earlier email, I am at present in contact with the Charity Commissioners regarding the Trust, but I cannot speed up their responses, so I am not yet in a position to answer your letter, and I don't think I can answer all your questions without getting the position of the Trust sorted out first.
You will of course understand that this is an ongoing matter between the Trustees and the Charity Commissioners and, not wishing to offend you, you are not a Trustee. So therefore you will appreciate my dealings will be with them first, but hopefully soon I shall be able to let you know the outcome.
· Find out where the DPPO signs are placed – awaiting reply.
· People are using the Broadgreen play area to walk their dogs; can signs be put up banning dogs from this area and have dog bin?
Reply: There are 350 dog bins in use in Swindon It is not installing the bins that are the problem – it is maintaining them. If there is enough evidence we can go on a waiting list – so when a bin becomes redundant or very little used SBC will re-install elsewhere.
The Dog Warden has stepped up patrols in the area, especially the Broad St area. Signs can be put up, and are being looked into.
· Why are the fence panels not completed around Broadgreen Centre? Still awaiting a meeting with Gwillam Lloyd.
· Thank you letter to PC O’Sulllivan – see Chair report.



PLANNING APPLICATIONS
· S/08/1862 - Aylesbury House 10 - 11 Haydon Street Conversion and extension of building to provide 6 flats (Variation to Planning Permission S/06/0588) - Application Granted
· S/08/1966 76 - Manchester Road - Installation of new shop front and external staircase. Application Pending Consideration
· S/08/1623 - 2 Marsh Farm Cottages Shrivenham Road- Erection of a first floor rear extension. - Application Pending Consideration
· S/08/2058 – Tescos Ocotal Way - Erection of entrance lobby. (Amendments to approved planning application - Application Granted

TREASURERS REPORT
We are still holding the £2000 from the Broadstreet Trust that is left over from the monies given for new trees around the Broadgreen; this money cannot be spent on any other project. It has been asked if it could be put towards the running costs of the new community garden, but as yet there has been no answer.

Acceptance of Treasures report proposed by Val Purvis and seconded by Stella Edwards.

CHAIR REPORT:
PC O’Sullivan has left the Broadgreen Police Team and is now working in the targeted crime department. A letter of appreciation has been sent to him for the work that he has done in this area over the last two years. Without his input the area would be in a far worse state than what it is today. We now have a new Police Officer – PC Champion.
Karen is now a committee member and Trustee of the Swindon Federation of Community Organisations (SFCO) The Community Council is a member of SFCO.
Fran Pound from the lifestyle Centre has funding available for adults to become more physically active, the Chair has a meeting with her to see what might be organised in this area.
An application for a Community Grant has been submitted to the Council, this is the yearly grant we apply for, to continue our monthly meetings, cover insurance and our running costs.
The Govt. Inspectors report for the Central Area Action Plan has now been published. Apart from a small number of minor changes, the CAAP is ‘sound’ and awaits adoption by the Council. The inspectors report can be viewed online at www.swindon.gov.uk/swindon_caap_report_20_november_2008.pdf
Drove School are continuing with their youth facilities plan, the Chair is still very concerned that it could have a detrimental effect on youth provision in the Broadgreen area.
A newsletter, updating people about Drove Schools Community Cohesion was sent to the Chair. Karen voiced a couple of queries via email, both requesting the basis/source of information used in examples in the newsletter concerning (1) the threat of Islamic extremism in the Broadgreen Area and the fact that it needed reducing or eliminating (2) Drove young people's living arrangements, where most of whom – ‘live in multiple occupancy without gardens'
Skeetz is moving forward and has new members who are from a variety of cultures. PC Sheik recently paid a visit and was impressed at the difference he witnessed.
Following a meeting between the BSACC officers about an approach made to the Vice-Chair by a local developer concerning planning issues, it was decided that it was a serious matter that could put both the BSACC and SBC in a compromising position, so a letter was sent to the Borough Solicitor informing him of the situation. The Borough Solicitor has requested a meeting with both the Chair and Vice-Chair and they will be meeting him tomorrow (04 Dec. 2008)
The Cohesion Day 2009 will go ahead if people still want one, but a change of name may be a good idea. A number of ideas were put forward including – Broadgreen Knees Up, BG Family Day and BG Multi-Cultural Family Day. A meeting will be arranged for committee members in the early part of 2009.

YOUTH REPORT: None.

HISTORY PROJECT REPORT: Ros has loaned documents of her house to be scanned and stored for the history project. If anyone else has old documents, photo’s, press cuttings or stories connected with the Broadgreen Area then please bring them along to the monthly meetings to be copied. It is not the intention to keep your precious things, just to copy them for future use.
Swindon radio 105.5, run a weekly slot called Swindon Voices. The BSACC has a slot on Tuesdays at 4pm and so far, for this slot, John Taylor has interviewed Cluniford, John, Rebecca and Stella to name but a few, all who have talked about the Broadgreen Area.
After Christmas the Adver will be contacted to appeal for peoples help in documenting the history of this area by sharing their documents and photo’s etc.


NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH REPORT: The south end of Salisbury and Graham Streets are still awaiting the installation of their Neighbourhood Watch signs by the Council. A successful street party organised by a number of residents funded the signs.


WARD COUNCILLORS REPORT: No Councillors were in attendance.

ANY OTHER BUSINESS: There is a forum meeting with the New Swindon Company at Wiltshire Court on the 10th December. Carol Heneghan from the NSC will be attending the Tasking Meetings from now on. Tasking Meeting minutes can be viewed at www.broadgreen.squarespace.com
Nothing is expected to happen to the Carfax St.Health Centre until 2013 because of the credit crunch.
With regards to planning application decisions being flouted, in the last 9 years or so SBC have only issued 2 stop notices!
The new Jury’s Inn being built on the old Walker Jackson site in Princes St./Fleming Way seems to be very overbearing on the properties in Medgbury Road. Concerns were made that it may be higher than it has planning permission for.
The BG Police Team don’t seem to be in their office at the times advertised for their drop in surgeries. They have also not attended our monthly meetings for some time.
113 Broad Street is boarded up but people have been seen going in and out of the back gate, although it is unclear if they are actually entering the house.
Don’t forget the Xmas meal tomorrow! (04 Dec 2008)


Meeting closed at 9.30 pm. Date of next meeting: Wednesday 07 January 2009