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Report Number:030130/CAB152 Date: 30 January 2003

TUNBRIDGE WELLS BOROUGH COUNCIL

REQUEST FOR DECISION BY CABINET

Part II Non Exempt

Title and Executive Summary:

Street Cruiser Mobile Provision

This report seeks Cabinet approval for a supplementary estimate of up to £7,500 to undertake necessary repairs and refurbishment to the Street Cruiser mobile provision.

The Street Cruiser mobile provision was taken into service in 1997, as primarily a resource for young people within the Borough. The facility is used in partnership with County Council Youth and Community who provide youth work personnel to deliver services.

WARD: Borough Wide DIRECTOR/HEAD OF: Corporate Projects and Planning PORTFOLIO: Contact Officer: Linda Mortley Community Affairs Extension: 3324

RECOMMENDATION:

Members approve a supplementary estimate of £7,500 to enable necessary repair and refurbishment of the Street Cruiser Bus.

Reasons:

An independent condition survey highlighted the need for minor bodywork repair in conjunction with the street cruiser bus being of scruffy appearance externally. Additionally the vehicle has damage to seating and the carpets are in poor condition. 144

Item No. 9

TUNBRIDGE WELLS BOROUGH COUNCIL

CABINET – 30 JANUARY 2003

REPORT OF CORPORATE PROJECTS AND PLANNING CO-ORDINATOR

(A) STREET CRUISER MOBILE PROVISION

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Executive Summary

This report (030130/CAB152) seeks Cabinet’s approval for a supplementary estimate of up to £7,500 to undertake necessary repair and refurbishment to the Street Cruiser mobile provision.

(1) The Street Cruiser mobile provision was taken into service in 1997, as primarily a resource for young people within the Borough. The facility is used in partnership with Kent County Council Youth and Community who provide youth work personnel to deliver services.

(2) Currently the Street Cruiser is operating four evenings per week, visiting , , and Oak Road, supplementing detached youth work in those areas.

(3) The nature of this facility has enabled work with disaffected young people in urban areas and contact with conventionally hard to reach groups. Additionally, the mobile provision enhances contact with young people in rural areas where youth provision is low and access to facilities is compromised by transport difficulties.

(4) The current budget allocated for this resource is a total of £5,700 for ongoing maintenance and fuel plus £5,000 driver costs. In this financial year there is a projected overspend of £2,000 in respect of mechanical repairs.

(5) Kent County Council Youth and Community utilise the bus to support the Tunbridge Wells Detached Project and the Cranbrook Rural Outreach Project. Reports have been obtained from the relevant youth workers, who have reported as follows:

Tunbridge Wells Detached Project (Appendix A)

• Yearly attendance - 800 male, 400 female attendances based on 48 sessions. • Street Cruiser acts as a safe meeting place for young people principally aged 14 plus • An educational programme is delivered in addition to the provision of information and advice on issues including Pregnancy, Sexual Health, Bullying, Drug and Alcohol Abuse and Depression. • Contact facilitated by the Street Cruiser has developed onward referral to other social education programmes such as the Phoenix Course provided by Tunbridge Wells Fire Service.

Cranbrook Rural Outreach Project (Appendix B)

• Yearly attendance - 1,211 representing 559 male and 652 female attendances based on 62 sessions. • Regularly the bus attends Lamberhurst and Goudhurst but during the period September 2001 to September 2002, the vehicle has been used for short periods 145

in , Cranbrook, and and it is planned to attend and .

Report of Corporate Projects and Planning Co-ordinator (continued)

• In the rural area 80% of Street Cruiser use provides contact and activity in areas with no or inadequate facilities, 5% are of sessions to discuss youth provision and 5% visiting fetes. • The flexibility of this resource enables wide coverage and opportunities for contact with young people who may be otherwise isolated. • The Street Cruiser Bus has been a key tool in the development of the youth forums in rural areas, along with developing contacts with Parish Councils.

(6) In addition to regular work, the bus has been utilised by the Borough funded Community Youth Worker in Barnetts Wood and to provide a venue for the Summer Programme in Sherwood and Barnetts Wood with over 100 children accessing activities.

(7) Recently Leisure Services, in partnership with the Oak Road Community Action Group, used the bus to do a consultation related to the Doorstep Green Project in that area.

(8) An independent assessment has been conducted to review the condition and viability of the vehicle and established that it is essentially sound mechanically and should be serviceable for 5 years albeit some body repair is necessary and the bus is of scruffy appearance.

(9) Three companies specialising in refurbishment have been contacted. Two declined to visit or quote for the work. A third company, have made a full assessment of the vehicle and have quoted a price of approximately £10,000 + VAT to complete the necessary works, which will include replacing carpet, re-upholstering the seating, providing additional cupboards and external painting.

(10) In recognition of the valuable work facilitated by this resource in providing diversionary activity, Kent County Council has agreed to contribute £2,500 from monies allocated to the Tunbridge Wells Community Safety Partnership in this financial year towards the refurbishment.

RECOMMENDED - That Members approve a supplementary estimate of £7,500 to enable the necessary repair and refurbishment of the Street Cruiser Bus.

Contact Officer: Linda Mortley

JOHN LISTER Corporate Projects and Planning Co-ordinator

Appendices:

Appendix 1 – Tunbridge Wells Detached Project

Appendix 2 – Cranbrook Rural Outreach Project