AGENDA ITEM

10 AREA BOARD: CENTRAL BARNFIELD, , HIGH TOWN & SAINTS WARDS

DATE: THURSDAY 20TH MARCH 2014

SUBJECT: AREA REPORT

REPORT BY: HEAD OF POLICY & PERFORMANCE

CONTACT OFFICER: GARY J. ROBERTS 01582 546985

IMPLICATIONS:

LEGAL COMMUNITY SAFETY

EQUALITIES ENVIRONMENT

FINANCIAL CONSULTATIONS

STAFFING OTHER

WARDS AFFECTED: BARNFIELD, BISCOT, HIGH TOWN & SAINTS WARDS ______

PURPOSE

1. To bring before the Board an update on the issues that were raised following the last Area Board held on the 24th October 2013.

RECOMMENDATION(S)

2. The Central Luton Area Board are recommended to note the report and make recommendations on further action where required.

BACKGROUND

3. This report encapsulates the progress of the area board since the implementation of the initiative in October 2001. In addition it includes information on projects and activities supported by the committee and following liaison and mediation with both internal and external service areas, pursues the concerns raised by both the local community and Members of the council.

REPORT

4. Members of the public who appear on the current database were informed of this meeting by post on the 7th March 2014 and publicity for 10/1

this cycle of meetings appeared in the March edition of Lutonline, the Luton on Sunday and Luton & Express during week commencing 16th February and 2nd March 2014. Additionally, posters in keeping with the new style advert and corporate approach to area committees were also dispatched to every General Practitioner, Dental Practice, Chiropodists, Chiropractors, Educational establishment, Library, Sports Centre, Community & Youth Centre, Day Centre, Places of Worship and Sheltered Housing provision, across the borough. The information gave dates for every Area Board across the town.

5. The Area Board web site is regularly updated and can be accessed on www.luton.gov.uk/areacommittees This address is soon to be changed to www.luton.gov.uk/areaboards

COMMUNICATION

6. I would like to remind the Area Board that the web pages on www.luton.gov.uk/areacommittees are regularly updated and members of the public can access all of the following on these pages:-

 Information – What are area boards? What are ward forums?  Dates of all meetings  Dates and information of all area tours  Ward Forum issues/updates  Agendas  Minutes  Reports  Area project proposal form

The actual address to the above web page and of coursed email address will be changed in due course to come into line with the new title of Area Boards.

AREA COMMITTEE ATTENDANCES

7. The following are up to date attendances at the Central Luton Area Board for the period January 2012 to October/November 2013.

Area January April June October/ February/ June/July October/ Board 2012 2012 2012 November March 2013 November cycle 2012 2013 2013

Central Luton 30 20 25 35 57 51 51

BUDGET UPDATE

8. The following table shows the budget for the Central Luton Area Board. Central Luton Barnfield, Biscot, High Town and Saints Wards 10/2

Allocation 2013/2014 £10,000.00 Carry over from 2012/2013 150.00 Balance for 2013/2014 £10.150.00 BA 502 Christchurch – . Ngage Youth Group £2,000 Ngage is a youth group for young people who are in years 7 – 11 at school. The group gives young people something positive in which to participate and to belong. This gives an alternative to hanging around on the streets. There are a good team of volunteers who support the young people both while at the youth club and also at other times when they are needed. As the young people develop there is the opportunity for them to become Junior Leaders, giving the opportunity to learn leadership skills, commitment and responsibility. The funds that are being applied for is to replace old and worn out equipment. The main project cost are covered by the church i.e.  Salary and expenses of the youth worker.  Premises hire  Storage of equipment. BA 503 Bushmead Disabled Bowling Association £1,380 This is a self-help group that was founded in 1991 which over the years have had a continuous number of members attending the weekly sessions at Bushmead Community Centre. The projects enables people with disabilities to attend a weekly session where they not only have fun whilst learning to play short mat bowls whilst keeping active and socialise but also receive support through other members, volunteers and carers. This therefore creates a good network with each other and the centre staff. The members are also able to find out information that will help them in their daily lives and will hopefully enable them to lead a much more active and healthy lifestyle. A further aim is to prevent members from feeling Isolated and secluded. HT 510 People Parks (CWS) 384.00 This is an application for funding to purchase hedgerow whips (saplings) and to organise the planting of them in two specific locations in the County Wildlife Site (CWS) part of Peoples Park. The whips will be ot native species such as hawthorn, blackthorn and hazel and will be planted by volunteers under the supervision of a community project officer from Groundwork Luton & . The two locations are at the Woodbury Hill entrance and at the Havelock Road entrance and both have been agreed by both LBC Parks and LBC Planning (Local Projects Team). The local volunteers will be mostly from Friends of High Town and ther High Town Beacon group. In the last two years the Friends of High Town have become practically involved in the management and conservation of Peoples Park (CWS) and have previously undertaken scrub clearance and hedge planting task under the supervision of LBC and or Groundwork. The tasks undertaken are all in line with the Peoples Park CWS Action Plan complied in 2011 by Groundwork from consultation undertaken during that year and agreed by LBC Parks and LBC Planning (Local Projects Team) in September 2011. Organuisation of the task will involve sourcing the whips, agreeing a suitable planting date, recruiting volunteers (with help of the Friends of High Town) the provision of tools, risk assessment and liaison with LBC 10/3

Parks throughout.

HT 511 High Town Road Improvements 1,750.00 Members of the public were invited to attend a ‘Decision Day’ to prioritise what was important to them in their neighbourhood. Over 80 people attended, the top priorities being to include improvements in the ‘look and feel of High Town Road’ and to enhance it ‘as a venue’. One of the projects aimed at tackling these objectives is to work on the area at the top of Welbeck Road, beside the Mediterranean Cafe as this is a small open space where people like to gather and where there is the potential to improve the existing shrub and bin area. The HTT are keen to gain maximum potential from this area and to benefit from working with people who have experience and expertise in such matters. We therefore want to ask Groundwork to present ‘vision’ options to discuss and consult on and then to provide a detailed design drawing from which work can be carried out. The design would need to take into account issues such as drainage, sustainability, planting, ideas for the bin area etc and the funding would include Groundwork staff attending community meetings etc to ensure that local opinion would be taken into account. We would like to put a circular bench style seat around the tree, provide a screen of some kind to the bin area, add shrubs/plants, improve the surfacing, install bollards, use new drainage systems possibly to create a water feature of some kind, replace and repair damage to bricks etc. The funding applied for will cover both types of design costs but does not include the cost of carrying out the improvements. The Groundwork report and design would be used to gain additional funding for this.

Central Make a difference day 476.30 512 As part of the national volunteering campaign ‘Make a Difference Day’ the University of Bedfordshire Student Union is teaming up with partners across town to deliver a day of environmental improvements to local parks on 31st October 2013. One of the five identified locations for the days improvements will be Wardown Park in the Central area of Luton. Students from the University will work with the council, partners and the local community to undertake a number of activities in Wardown Park to include planting native daffodil bulbs, general tidying tasks and organise for some local people to get involved and learn about maintenance of herbaceous borders.

Balance brought forward and transferred to £4,159.30 Participatory Budgeting:

10/4

9. Due tot he Participatory Budgeting events taking place in February and March there are no area project applications to be considered at this meeting.

PROPOSAL/OPTION

10. It is proposed that Members of the Central Luton Area Board note the report.

EQUALITIES IMPLICATIONS

11. Much of the work conducted by the Area Board will have an impact on Council services and will address issues such as accessibility, local participation and the general quality of life within the Borough.

COMMUNITY SAFETY IMPLICATIONS

12. A large amount of the work being pursued and undertaken by service areas and other outside agencies will make a major contribution to community safety and need to be considered alongside other schemes that may be under consideration or being implemented.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

13. Any contribution made by the Area Board will be met from existing budgets.

ENVIRONMENT IMPLICATIONS

14. The implications of the work being undertaken will address and improve the environment, create safer communities and address the quality of life for local people.

LIST OF BACKGROUND PAPERS LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACT 1972, SECTION 100D

None

10/5