and East Neighbourhood Panel

Tuesday, 19th June 2012, Soham (Performing Arts Centre)

PRESENT

Councillor Tony Cornell - East District Council Cllr John Powley - Cambridgeshire County Council Cllr Gary Watson - Wicken Parish Council Cllr Jeanette Malkin - Parish Council Cllr Jennifer Wilson - Chippenham Parish Council Cllr Anne Pallett - Soham Town Council

OFFICERS

Giles Hughes - East Cambridgeshire District Council Natalie Osborne - Sanctuary Housing Sgt Will Davis - Cambridgeshire Constabulary Janis Murfet - East Cambridgeshire District Council James Nairn - East Cambridgeshire District Council

IN ATTENDANCE:

Cllr Richard Hobbs - East Cambridgeshire District Council Cllr John Reynolds - Cambridgeshire Policy Authority Members of the Public - 5

APOLOGIES

Cllr Derrick Beckett - East Cambridgeshire District Council Rev. Mike Banyard - Rector of 3 Rivers Parishes Cllr Tony Parramint - East Cambridgeshire District Council

S&ENP 12/01 Welcome

In the absence of Cllr Beckett, Cllr Cornell welcomed everyone to the Panel meeting.

S&ENP 12/02 Introductions and Apologies

Cllr Cornell read out the attendance list, highlighting the officers present from organisations.

It was noted that apologies for absence had been received from Cllrs Derrick Beckett and Tony Parramint, and from Rev. Mike Banyard.

1 S&ENP 12/03 Elections of Chairman and Vice-Chairman

It was reported that Cllr Beckett had indicated his willingness to stand again as Chairman of the Panel.

Cllr Derrick Beckett was proposed and seconded and duly appointed as Chairman of the Panel for the ensuing municipal year.

Cllr Tony Cornell was proposed and seconded and duly appointed as Vice- Chairman of the Panel for the ensuing municipal year.

Cllr Cornell assumed the Chair for the duration of the meeting.

S&ENP 12/04 Chairman's Announcements and Consultation Items

Panel members and officers were reminded to fill in the attendance sheet (including email address and postcode), if they had not already done so. The members of the public were also asked to complete the questionnaire, even if they had done so in the past.

The Chairman highlighted the following consultation items:

- Draft East Cambridgeshire Local Plan - Fast, reliable broadband access to Cambridgeshire & Peterborough - Draft Revised Single Equality Scheme 2012-205

With regard to broadband, the Chairman said that people could help to bring better connectivity to their area by clicking on the link www.connectingcambridgeshire.co.uk to register their demand. It would only take a moment, and the more public response, the better.

S&ENP 12/05 Neighbourhood Update (Action Since the Last Panel Meeting

Giles Hughes, East Cambridgeshire District Council (ECDC) summarised the issues relating to the District Council:

Litter picking had now taken place along the roads in the villages of Chippenham, Fordham, Kennett and . Additional resources had been added to the cleansing side of the contract to ensure that standards were maintained.

The dog bins in Fordham, Isleham and Soham (Village College) were now being emptied on a regular basis.

A site visit to EMR had taken place in April, to discuss the noise management plan. This was required for the extended hours of working, but had yet to be agreed. It was suggested by EMR that shipping containers might be a potential alternative to the barrier;

2 they were advised to come back with a more detailed proposal, having particular regard to noise attenuation properties and planning issues. It was noted that James Paice, MP, was due to visit EMR on 22nd June 2012.

There was no officer present from Cambridgeshire County Council and therefore Giles Hughes gave a brief update:

A successful bid had unlocked millions in transport funding to help boost the economy and keep Cambridgeshire moving. An award of £5 million had been received from the Government's Local Sustainable Transport Fund, and this had unlocked further funding of £4.2 million to be spent on transport improvements.

Natalie Osborne, Sanctuary Housing, said that she did not have any specific updates to report. However, it was noted that Sanctuary had moved from their offices in St Mary's Lodge and could now be contacted in person at the District Council Offices in Ely.

At the invitation of the Chairman, Sgt Will Davis provided an update on the actions taken by the Neighbourhood Policing Team to address the priorities set by the Panel at its last meeting in March 2012:

Metal theft across the Panel area;

Speed and parking management throughout the Panel area;

Engagement with Parish Councils.

PCSO Kieran Moran was the dedicated officer working on metal theft across the Panel area, and he continued to make regular visits to the scrap yards in East Cambridgeshire and those just over the border in the Suffolk Police area. The information gained from his inspections was used to target those who were suspected of committing metal theft. This was an ongoing operation, and it was noted that there had been a distinct drop in activity. The Panel was asked to consider discharging this issue and if agreed, the Police would deal with it as part of their everyday business.

Turning next to speed and parking management, Sgt Davis said that this continued to be a problem and he suggested that it be retained as a Police priority. However, as it was a very broad priority, he felt that it needed to be more specific so that it targeted areas of concern rather than having a blanket coverage of a vast area.

With regard to engagement with Parish Councils, Sgt Davis reported that Inspector Ormerod had attended Annual Parish Council meetings during the latest round to provide an update on policing in the District. A letter had been sent out to Parish Councils, setting expectations and reminding them of the Neighbourhood Panel and engagement processes in place since 2005. The Parish Councils were also reminded of the police.uk and shapeyourplace.org

3 websites, where crime and incident data could be obtained and local issues raised. Sgt Davis said it was felt that the issue of engagement had now been addressed and therefore it should be discharged as a priority.

Referring to the list of non-priority issues detailed in the update report, Sgt Davis said that in some instances patrols had been conducted at various times, but no transgressions had been observed. Cllr Wilson commented that in the case of petty theft in Chippenham, people had seen men getting out of a white van and trying garage doors.

Sgt Davis concluded by referring to the current crime and incident levels in the Soham and East Panel Area, saying that there had been a spike in numbers. The highest increases related to non-dwelling crimes and it was noted that D.I. Donna Wass had written a force-wide operational plan to address the issue. However, on a more positive note, the statistics for anti-social behaviour in the Panel Area showed a marked decrease in comparison to the two previous years.

S&ENP 12/06 Police and Crime Commissioner

At the invitation of the Chairman, Cllr John Reynolds, a member of the Cambridgeshire Police Authority, gave a short presentation on Police and Crime Commissioners, and made comment under the following headings:

The Background - Police and Crime Commissioners were introduced by the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011, which put an emphasis on reforming the police service;

Police and Crime Commissioners Role (Cutting Crime) - the role will be to work with partners to cut crime and further improve community safety. This would include publishing a Police and Crime Plan, setting objectives and engaging with the community. The Commissioner would also be able to hold the Chief Constable to account;

PCC Role (Public Facing) - Commissioners will be directly elected by the public, and will build/develop partnerships in order to keep localism going. A key responsibility will be to report to the public on how their money is being used and the outcomes achieved. A Commissioner will not be a replacement for the Chief Constable; the latter will remain responsible for his officers and staff;

Your Choice: Save the Date - the elections will be held on 15th November 2012, and Commissioners will be elected every four years. 41 Commissioners will be elected across England and Wales. One will serve Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. The Commissioner will take up post on 22nd November when police authorities are abolished;

4 Who can Vote? - those who are 18 or over on 15th November, live in Cambridgeshire or Peterborough and are registered to vote will be eligible;

The Elections - the supplementary voting system will be used and the elections will be paid for by the Home Office;

The Police and Crime Panel - as well as being accountable to the public, each Commissioner will be held to account for their performance by a Police and Crime Panel;

The Police and Crime Panel Role - the Panel will have a number of powers including the right to veto the Commissioner's decision on council tax precept, and requesting further information from the Commissioner to hold him/her to account for performance;

The Future Under Commissioners - this will be dependent on the individual Commissioner, but there will be greater flexibility in commissioning services to meet local priorities and a greater level of accountability to the public. Commissioners will maintain local police performance, deliver policing within the available budget, reduce crime and disorder, keep people safe and maintain the resilience of "protective services".

Having concluded his presentation, Cllr Reynolds responded to comments and questions from members of the public.

A gentleman felt that the responsibilities were a lot to put on one person, and he asked what was wrong with what was already in place. Cllr Reynolds replied that the Government had wanted to move away from an authority structure, and the Police and Crime Panels would take over some functions from the Police Authority. While Commissioners would look at governance and audit, they would have staff to assist them and every effort would be made to try and achieve a smooth transition for the future. Only time would tell if this new regime would be better, and much would depend on the quality of the Commissioners themselves.

A lady asked whether money and resources would be lost as a result of the changes and she was informed that Cambridgeshire would still have approximately £70,000 to spend.

Rosemary Aitchison asked Cllr Reynolds if he thought the general public was sufficiently understanding of the sort of person needed to fill the role of Commissioner. She also stressed the importance of being provided with enough information about the candidates so that the public could make an informed decision when voting. Cllr Reynolds said he thought that more information would be forthcoming in the media as the election drew closer, but it would be for people to ask for information. Mrs Aitchison wondered whether the majority of people would be interested enough to ask and Cllr Reynolds

5 responded by saying that people should remember that they were the ones making the decision.

Another member of the audience felt that the general public would not have the knowledge to make a properly informed choice, and this made her uneasy because if the wrong person was elected, they would be in post for four years. Cllr Reynolds agreed that there was a vacuum of information at present, but he believed that once the Olympic Games had taken place, much more information would come into the public domain; it would be down to the Government and the media to publicise the elections.

The Chairman thanked Cllr Reynolds for his presentation.

S&ENP 12/07 Speeding Through Wicken

The Chairman announced that this item had been included in the agenda at the request of Wicken Parish Council, and he duly invited Cllr Gary Watson to address the Panel.

Cllr Watson said that speeding through the village remained a big problem and there had been a fatality at the beginning of the year. The Parish Council had asked for the issue to be raised by the Panel in the hope that something more could be done.

He explained that it seemed to be particularly problematic at the two ends of the village where traffic was free flowing. It did not help that when the Police were conducting speed checks motorists flashed each other by way of forewarning. There was a "pinch point" at Butts Lane and the new road markings at Padney had helped, but this was not enough.

Cllr Watson asked what could be done to give the Police extra assistance and he enquired whether it was necessary for them to be so visible when carrying out speed checks. Sgt Davis confirmed that regulations required it, and Cllr Wilson suggested that if regulations seemed to be halting progress they should be reviewed.

The Chairman asked if the Parish Council had spoken to the Highways department and Cllr Watson replied that they had, but not much progress had been made. There had been plans to put a pedestrian crossing in the village but this had been quashed. A member of the public interjected, saying that speed limit signs had been erected but drivers still ignored them. He wondered whether there should be some sort of pedestrian bridge erected over the road.

Giles Hughes said there were two issues, enforcement, and engineering works to improve safety, and the latter should be flagged up with Highways. he could see the sense in having a bridge across a major road, but it should be possible to have a safe environment in a village without resorting to such a measure. He suggested that Highways be asked to attend the Neighbourhood Action Group (NAG) meeting in order to get a co-ordinated

6 response regarding options. This Panel could also request that a representative from Highways attend its meeting to discuss this specific issue.

It was AGREED:

That the issue of speeding through the village of Wicken be taken forward to the Neighbourhood Action Group, and a report regarding options to address the problem be brought back to the Soham and East Neighbourhood Panel.

S&ENP 12/08 ShapeYourPlace Presentation On Issues Affecting Soham and East Area

At the invitation of the Chairman, James Nairn addressed the Panel regarding the ShapeYourPlace website in relation to issues affecting the Soham and East Area.

He commenced by saying that the East Cambridgeshire Community Safety Partnership was conducting an on-line survey to canvass people's opinions about how safe they felt in their local area, their thoughts about anti-social behaviour and how they might wish to be kept updated about crime and community safety related matters. The survey was simple to complete and results would be used to help select priorities and action plans that would have maximum impact for the communities.

It was noted that the following issues had been posted on the "Issues and Ideas" section of the website:

Thorn Lane - removal of stinging nettles required:

High Street, Soham - concerns regarding the possibility of another supermarket being built at the Scampers end of the town;

Downfields Play Park - revamp of the play equipment and overall condition of the area, dog fouling;

Soham Train Station - re-instatement of the station;

Road Markings - Brewhouse Lane, Paddock Street and Eastern Avenue

Mr Nairn assured all present that any issues raised were taken seriously, and he encouraged people to use the website and promote its use to others. Cllr Pallett enquired whether the issues highlighted had been resolved; she was advised that not all had been, but when something was sorted, it would be posted on the website.

Rosemary Aitchison thought the website layout to be rather confusing, as she did not think it was clear which box to use if one wished to make a comment; she suggested that a "help" box would be beneficial. Mr Nairn replied that it

7 was not easy to make changes as it the site was leased, however he would go back to the developers on this point. In the meantime, if one wished to post an issue, one should use the "Have Your Say" button.

Cllr Hobbs believed that more training to use the website was needed, and that this should be fed back to the Parish Councils. Mr Nairn concluded by saying that training was to be provided.

S&ENP 12/09 Neighbourhood Issues

The following issues were raised by Parish representatives/public:

PARISH ISSUE

Chippenham Speeding. Poor state of road surface - La Hogue Road out towards the Freckenham Road. Difficulty in getting road markings, repairs or maintenance carried out-possible road safety issue because of traffic. White van-suspicious behaviour of occupants. Thanks to PCSO Emma Graves for attending the Annual Parish Council meeting.

Fordham No matters arising.

Isleham Vehicles parking outside the Co-op on double yellow lines. Speeding along Mill Street. Overflowing recycling bins at Coates Close. Drainage-water laying on road surface at Hallbarn Road.

Kennett No matters arising.

Snailwell No matters arising.

Soham Thorn Lane overgrown with nettles. Speeding along Broadpiece and Townsend - dangerous area near Kingfisher Drive. Write to local businesses regarding speeding. When will the road be opened at Kingfisher Drive? Pedestrian walkways Martin Close to main road and Northfield Park to main road are clogged with rubbish. The footpath to the rear of the Weatheralls School floods. Vandalism at the unfenced

8 area of the Berrycroft allotments.

Wicken Speeding.

S&ENP 12/10 Panel Prioritisation

The Panel agreed that the policing priorities should be:

Speeding, in specific locations, including Wicken;

Parking on yellow lines, including Soham (in vicinity of the schools) and Isleham (outside the Co-op).

S&ENP 12/11 Forward Agenda

Forward Agenda Plan for 2012 received.

Next meeting: Wednesday, 10th October 2012, 19:00 - 21:00 hrs, Soham Village College

S&ENP 12/12 Review of the Neighbourhood Panels

Cllr Richard Hobbs explained that he was Chairman of the District Council's Community and Environment Committee, and the Neighbourhood Panels fell within its remit. There was to be a review of Neighbourhood Panels, and he asked that any input/feedback be passed to him via officers.

The meeting closed at 9.00pm.

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