PRESENT: Chair Karen Leakey, Vice Chair and Treasurer Richard Coates, Secretary and Archivist Kevin Leakey, Minute Secretary John Phillips, John Clark, Karen Coulthard, Stella Edwards, Pam Freegard, Tim French, Kate Johnson, Cluniford, Rebecca McIntosh, Pam Montgomery, Sue Osbaldstone, Val Purvis, Ros Timlin.
ALSO PRESENT: John Taylor - Broadgreen Community Plan, Councillor Derique Montaut, Inspector Lynch, PC Diffin, PC McIntyre, DCI Capstick
APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE: John Banville, Vi Clark, Celia Cotton, Kath Cridland, John Freegard, Elizabeth Grady, Alan Jones, Kath Jones, Mike and Lindsay Ponting, Evelyn Mason, Derek and Madge Sutton, David Webb, Nazma Ramruttun BOND representative, PCSO Rees Turner, PCSO Stuart Bird.
CONFIRMATION OF THE MINUTES – 4th March 2009 meeting.
These Minutes were confirmed and signed a true record. Proposed Pam Freegard and seconded by Karen Coulthard.
MATTERS ARISING FROM THE JANUARY MINUTES: The Limited Waiting sign opposite the Broadgreen Centre has been bent.
The owner of a dog in Broad Street is still allowing it to wander onto the green. The owner of the property simply leaves the back gate open.
The bramble bushes are still overgrowing from Stratton Bank at the County Ground and there are fallen leaves everywhere. – Councillor Montaut said the Department Chief Executive had looked at it and had assured him that he would be taking it up with Steve Harcourt’s replacement. Cllr.Montaut will chase this up.
COMMUNITY POLICE REPORT – Inspector Lynch and PC Diffin: Inspector Lynch said she had only been back on Central for a couple of weeks, but wanted to say hello and report that since last year crime has gone down.
PC Diffin introduced himself as the new Beat Manager and told the meeting that the Broadgreen Neighbourhood Police Team (NPT) now has a new Beat Officer, 2 PCSO’s and 2 Special Constables. He felt it might be a good idea to re-look at the priorities for the area, because for example of the 150 priority surveys so far filled in by residents, only 10 to 15 of them said prostitution was a big issue, and it is now a Divisional problem, with a dedicated Officer, rather than an NPT one.
They are looking at 20 mph and can get in ‘Traffic’ to help, also the rubbish is still a problem so have asked SBC for details of what they have done and are doing to sort it out. The PCSO’s are keeping a close eye on this situation, and much of the litter seems to be beer cans and bottles probably due to street/alley drinking. They would like to see more DPPO signs around the area.
It is the intention to raise the NPT’s profile - more high visibility patrols - expand the drop in sessions to cover a wider area, Copse Ave. for example - work with St. Josephs School and Skeetz Youth Club.
A number of questions and concerns were then raised –
· People from the Breakfast Club are using the alleyways as a toilet, and are drinking alcohol from lemonade bottles, what can be done?
Although this is a good idea, should it be in a residential area? PC Diffin has a meeting coming up with Threshold and he will look into the Breakfast Club problems
· Will ‘prostitution’ be kept on the Tasking Group, because there is concern that the commitment to have an officer dedicated to the problem will not be a long term one?
PC McIntyre will be staying here, there is joined up working with the Council and other agencies. Because this is now a Swindon Police issue, rather than an NPT one, it means that the Broadgreen NPT will not be helping with ‘Operation Dobbin’, but will be able to concentrate on other local issues, therefore we should get a better service from our NPT. Staffing of ‘Dobbin’ works much like ‘Operation Diamond’ that covers the pubs in the Town Centre, the Central NPT cannot deal with all the problems that occur at night, so other police staff are brought in to do it. By bringing different officers in, to work on ‘Dobbin’ they are also learning about this area and the problems here.
PC McIntyre: on Operation Dobbin – There are still prostitutes working, but not as frequently. High visibility patrols are taking place, but the majority are covert. Suspected kerb crawlers can be given Acceptable Behaviour Contracts unless they can prove they have a legitimate reason to be in the area, If suspected kerb crawlers are seen driving around the area 3 or more times in a short space of time, letters will be sent to the registered owner of the vehicle to inform them that they have been seen and suspected of kerb crawling. So far 5 letters have been sent out and only 1 vehicle has so far returned. ‘Dobbin’ also supports the NPT, because drug problems and lots of driving offences have been picked up as part of the operation. Looking between now and July at the direction of ‘Dobbin’ up until Christmas.
DCI Capstick: ‘THE POLICING PLEDGE’ – It has been out for around four months and is a national commitment to establish an acceptable level of quality from the Police, and is something that all Police Forces have signed up to:
1. Always treat you fairly with dignity and respect ensuring you have fair access to our services at a time that is reasonable and suitable for you.
2. Provide you with information so you know who your dedicated Neighbourhood Policing Team is, where they are based, how to contact them and how to work with them.
3. Ensure your Neighbourhood Policing Team and other police patrols are visible and on your patch at times when they will be most effective and when you tell us you most need them. We will ensure your team are not taken away from neighbourhood business more than is absolutely necessary. They will spend at least 80% of their time visibly working in your neighbourhood, tackling your priorities. Staff turnover will be minimised.
4. Respond to every message directed to your Neighbourhood Policing Team within 24 hours and, where necessary, provide a more detailed response as soon as we can.
5. Aim to answer 999 calls within 10 seconds, deploying to emergencies immediately giving an estimated time of arrival, getting to you safely, and as quickly as possible. In urban areas, we will aim to get to you within 15 minutes and in rural areas within 20 minutes.
6. Answer all non-emergency calls promptly. If attendance is needed, send a patrol giving you an estimated time of arrival, and:
• If you are vulnerable or upset aim to be with you within 60 minutes.
• If you are calling about an issue that we have agreed with your community will be a neighbourhood priority and attendance is required, we will aim to be with you within 60 minutes.
• Alternatively, if appropriate, we will make an appointment to see you at a time that fits in with your life and within 48 hours.
• If agreed that attendance is not necessary we will give you advice, answer your questions and/or put you in touch with someone who can help.
7. Arrange regular public meetings to agree your priorities, at least once a month, giving you a chance to meet your local team with other members of your community. These will include opportunities such as surgeries, street briefings and mobile police station visits which will be arranged to meet local needs and requirements.
8. Provide monthly updates on progress, and on local crime and policing issues. This will include the provision of crime maps, information on specific crimes and what happened to those brought to justice, details of what action we and our partners are taking to make your neighbourhood safer and information on how your force is performing.
9. If you have been a victim of crime agree with you how often you would like to be kept informed of progress in your case and for how long. You have the right to be kept informed at least every month if you wish and for as long as is reasonable.
10. Acknowledge any dissatisfaction with the service you have received within 24 hours of reporting it to us. To help us fully resolve the matter, discuss with you how it will be handled, give you an opportunity to talk in person to someone about your concerns and agree with you what will be done about them and how quickly.
CORRESPONDENCE:
Reply from Father Leslie concerning the current position of the Broad Street Trust and the use of the £2000 we are still holding.
- still awaiting a response from the Charity Commissioners to my suggestions. They will not talk on the phone so it is via snail mail. I will let you know asap.
Could the garden be named after Les and Matt, put brass plaque on 2 benches for them?
– Yes this would be OK, or could put on a post.
Who has ownership of the garden, will SBC take responsibility, will it be solely the residents, or a joint type partnership? What parts of the area are dedicated for residents to use?
- The garden will still be under the ownership of the Council/Community Centre but the person to deal with is Chris Hunt. The land dedicated to the garden is behind the fence.
33 Rosebery Street, illegal conversion to flats.
-Planning have finally located the owner and spoken to him. He has confirmed that the property has been converted to that of a self contained flat and 3 bed-sits on ground floor and a self-contained flat on first floor and loft. They are expecting a planning application to be submitted in the next 6 to 8 weeks. We will be informed once the application has been received and will then be able to view the plans and submit any comments or objections.
PLANNING APPLICATIONS:
S/08/2390 - 71 Shrivenham Road - Erection of a single storey rear extension. - Application Granted
Former Laundry Site - Aylesbury Street - Erection of 66 no. apartments and partial demolition and conversion to form 3 no. commercial units ( Class A1/A2/A3/B1) - Application Granted
S/09/0117 - 76 Manchester Road - Change of use to shop (class A1) and cafe/restaurant (class A3) and installation of new shop front. - Application Pending Determination rear access to flat
S/LDP/09/0044 - 69 Graham Street - Certificate of Lawfulness (proposed) for the continued use as Class C3 Dwelling House. - Application Pending Determination
S/09/0407- 86 Manchester Road (Radio Taxi’s)- Change of use of ground floor from Offices to Shop (Class A1) and change of use of first floor to Dwelling (Class C3). - Application Pending Determination
TREASURERS REPORT: Acceptance of Treasures report proposed by Val Purvis and seconded by Pam Freegard.
CHAIR REPORT:
· Neil Pullen from Wiltshire Wildlife has contacted us to say they are running a project in Rushey Platt. They have invited people from this community to join them if we would like to, in a series of events: Pond dipping/walks/training/wild food etc.
· We will invite the new ‘Connecting People Connecting Places’ Cluster Leader Mark Walker to attend a future meeting
· Between the 9 March and the 20 April, the Swindon Strategic Land Availability Assessment is under consultation – if you have plans to use any land for community use, then might be worth looking at.
· Thanks to everyone for attending the Community Engagement morning last Saturday it had been hoped that more people might have turned up – Also thanks to the kind people that helped deliver the leaflets.
Feedback from people that came along: Enjoyed the morning very much/could we do more of them/enjoyed history project and talking/table top sale/cakes. Also enjoyed being able to talk to the Police informally.
Thanks to the Police Team and also big thank you to John Taylor/Beryl Phillips and Kevin Leakey for all their hard work, which is greatly appreciated by the community.
· Request for people to deliver Broadly Speaking
· Will be doing a lot of outreach work once the nights get a little brighter. Some people have already offered to help with this project.
· The next monthly meeting will be on May 6th and will include our AGM
YOUTH REPORT: Amir the new Muslim youth worker attended Skeetz with 2 youth workers from Nottingham who are helping to get the project at Drove going.
They wanted to consult with the young people about what their ‘needs’ were – which prompted a slightly angry response from some of the young people. The young people felt they were always being asked things and giving their opinions but nothing changes. Skeetz has been the same for years and is pretty rubbish – 2 years ago the young people acquired funding of £2,000 – they don’t know where the money went! The young people feel every other area has a brilliant youth centre apart from them – and it must be because they are Muslim.
Amir and the youth workers challenged the young people’s thinking on a few points, but made it clear that anything they are doing at Drove would be in addition to Skeetz and they wanted to work in partnership with Skeetz.
Residents from the Community have been invited to the Skeetz art exhibition with NO Added Sugar
Contact Lindsay Poole (Youth Development Worker) mob: 07919 111539 or lpoole@swindon.gov.uk
Community Sports Coach Doug Imrie is trying to organise some street athletics at some point during the summer, and is hoping to use Broad Street for the races and the Community Centre as the central point for other activities.
COMMUNITY PLAN: The steering committee has now met twice. Leaflets telling people about the plan and asking questions about what people would like to see included in it have now been printed. Some were filled in at the recent Saturday event, as well as at the Tuesday and Caribbean Lunch Clubs. There is also a Youth Survey in circulation and 9 have been filled in at Skeetz and others have been given to St. Josephs School, it is hoped Churchfields will also help.
NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH REPORT: Nothing to report this month.
WARD COUNCILLORS REPORT: Councillor Montaut has been involved in identifying £206k of 106 monies to put up new railings around the GWR Park, it is hoped a café and sports may be one of the future uses at the park.
It was asked if he could help with a fence around the community garden, but he felt that we should be talking to developers to pursue 106 monies ourselves because we do not engage with developers on this. Councillor Montaut was questioned as to why it was our job to do this, shouldn’t councillors pursue 106 monies as a matter of course? – The £200k set aside for the GWR Park was only set aside 2 weeks ago, so it is up to us to put things that need doing on the agenda, Officers and Directors should not be the ones who decide how to spend 106 monies.
£1.2m has been set aside by the Govt. to improve playgrounds, Central has done well out of it, with £50k being used to refurbish Westcott Place, as well as improvements at Cambria Bridge and the County Ground play areas. If this money is not spent then the Govt. will take it back. As yet no specific dates have been set for this work to be undertaken.
DHI are moving out of St. Luke’s hall, and are working from their Maxwell Street building, which will be officially opened on the 1st of May.
Appreciation was given to Councillor Montaut for his attendance at our monthly meetings, but questions were asked as to what the other 2 Councillors were doing, because they never attend our meetings, or send in a report. Councillor Montaut said that his colleagues had a problem with this group because they had been badly treated in the past. It was pointed out that Councillor Wright had once been asked to leave a meeting because a private matter needed to be discussed and the Chair said that for some reason, Councillor Wright had a problem with her, but asked if both Councillor Wright and Ali could please start coming to the meetings. Councillor Montaut agreed to do this.
B.O.N.D: Vice-Chair Pam Freegard said the next BOND meeting would now be on the 11th May 2009 because the original date was actually Easter Monday.
ANY OTHER BUSINESS: Pam Montgomery told the meeting about a pothole near her home, it quickly filled with water when it rained and cars driving through it would splash people walking on the path. When she reported it to the Council, it was repaired within one and a half hours.
Date of next meeting: Wednesday 06 May 2009
Meeting closed at 9.40pm.
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