Public Document Pack
Meeting Cabinet
Date/Time Tuesday, 10 June 2003 at 2:30 pm
Location Goscote Committee Room, County Hall, Glenfield
Officer to contact Miss P.B. Ewen (Tel: 0116 265 6036)
E-Mail [email protected]
Membership
Mr. D. R. Parsons CC (Chairman) Mr. H. Barber CC Dr. R. K. A. Feltham CC Mr. R. Fraser CC Mr. R. Miller CC Mr. I. D. Ould CC Mrs. L. A. S. Pendleton CC Mr. J. B. Rhodes CC Mr. D. A. Sprason CC Mr. E. F. White CC Mr. P. G. Winkless CC
AGENDA
Item Report by Marked
1. Minutes of the meetings held on 6 and 13 May 2003. A and B
2. To advise of any other items which the Chairman has decided to take as urgent on the agenda.
3. Declarations of interest in respect of items on the agenda.
4. Transportation Capital Programme 2003/04. Director of C Highways, Transportation and Waste Management
5. Lord Laming's Report on the death of Victoria Director of Social D Climbie. Services
6. Leicestershire Compact. Chief Executive E
7. Response to the Consultation Draft of the North West Chief Executive F Leicestershire Community Strategy.
Chief Executive’s Department Leicestershire County Council, County Hall, Glenfield, Leicestershire LE3 8RA Telephone 0116 232 3232 Fax: 0116 265 6260 Minicom: 0116 265 6160 8. Non Reportable Strategic Targets of the Early Years Director of Education G Development and Childcare Implementation Plan 2003/04.
9. Allocation of Administration of 3 year old Nursery Director of Education H Education Funding.
10. Items referred from Overview and Scrutiny.
11. Any other items which the Chairman decides are urgent.
The public are likely to be excluded during consideration of the following items in accordance with Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972. (Exempt Information). 12. Market Bosworth High School - Capital Works. Director of Education I (Exempt under Paragraph 8).
13. Granting of Lease to Barrow Town Football Club in Director of J respect of land at Quorn Hall. Resources (Exempt under Paragraph 8).
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Minutes of a meeting of the Cabinet held at County Hall, Glenfield on Tuesday, 6 May 2003.
PRESENT
Mr. H. Barber CC (in the Chair)
Mr. R. Mason CC Mr. R. Miller CC Mr. I. D. Ould CC Mr. D. R. Parsons CC Mrs. L. A. S. Pendleton CC Prof. M. E. Preston CC Mr. E. F. White CC Mr. P. G. Winkless CC
609. Minutes of the Meeting held on 15 April 2003 The minutes of the meeting held on 15 April, 2003, were taken as read, confirmed and signed.
610. To Advise of any other Items which the Chairman has decided to take as Urgent on the Agenda
The Chairman advised the Cabinet that there were no urgent items for consideration.
611. Declarations of Interest in Respect of Items on the Agenda The Chairman invited members who wished to do so to declare any interest in respect of items on the agenda for the meeting.
Mr. D.R. Parsons CC and Mr. E.F. White CC (as members of Blaby District Council), declared a personal non-prejudicial interest in respect of the joint report of the Chief Executive and Director of Community Services entitled “Consultation on Planning Applications - Construction of Mezzanine Floor and Sale of Various Goods at Fosse Park South, Enderby”. (Paper ‘E’).
No other declarations were made.
612. Youth and Community Education: Best Value Review Implementation Plan The Cabinet considered a report of the Director of Education which sought approval for the County Council’s Best Value Review Implementation Plan for the Youth and Community Education Service. A copy of the report marked ‘B’ is filed with these minutes.
RESOLVED:
That approval be given to the Implementation Plan as set out in Appendix 1 to the report.
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REASON FOR DECISION:
The Implementation Plan describes the actions which need to be taken in order to take forward the recommendations of the Best Value Review Panel. The Plan has been discussed with the Service Development Group.
613. School Organisation Planning and Decision Making: Consultation Response The Cabinet considered a report of the Director of Education which sought approval for a response to a DfES consultation paper entitled “School Organisation Planning and Decision Making”. A copy of the report marked ‘C’ is filed with these minutes.
RESOLVED:
That Appendix II to the report be approved as the County Council’s response to the DfES consultation paper entitled “School Organisation Planning and Decision Making”.
REASON FOR DECISION:
To seek to influence the wording of the new regulations and non-statutory guidance by drawing attention to aspects of the proposals that are helpful and those that are not.
614. SEN Inclusion Strategy The Cabinet considered a report of the Director of Education which set out proposals for developing an improved SEN Strategy. A copy of the report marked ‘D’ is filed with these minutes.
RESOLVED:
(a) That approval be given to the proposed framework for improving the SEN Strategy as set out in Part B of the report;
(b) That approval be given to the timescales for the review set out in paragraph 12 of the report.
REASON FOR DECISION:
There is a need to develop the current Special Educational Needs Policy and Development Plan into a comprehensive strategy for the reasons set out in Part B of the report. The timing of this initiative is planned to ensure that any resource implications may be considered as part of the next budget cycle.
615. Consultation on Planning Applications - Construction of Mezzanine Floor and Sale of Various Goods at Fosse Park South, Enderby
(Mr. Parsons and Mr. White had declared a personal non-prejudicial interest in this matter).
The Cabinet considered a joint report of the Chief Executive and Director of
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Community Services concerning the Development Control and Regulatory Board’s recommended response to two (linked) planning applications on which the County Planning Authority has been consulted by Blaby District Council. A copy of the report marked ‘E’ is filed with these minutes.
RESOLVED:
That Blaby District Council be advised that the County Planning Authority:-
(a) Has no strategic objection in principle to the proposal to construct a mezzanine floor to be used for storage purposes;
(b) Would have no strategic objection in principle to the proposed development to allow the sale of toys, fashion accessories (jewellery), and sports clothes and shoes by a catalogue shop provided that the District Council is satisfied that there would be no harm to the policies of the development plan and that there would be no impact or negligible impact on existing centres. Any consent should also be subject to the imposition of conditions which:-
(i) restrict the extended items of goods to be sold to be for the benefit of a catalogue shop retailer only,
(ii) ensures that there shall be no retail trading from the mezzanine floor, and
(iii) require developer contribution for any works associated with highway matters.
REASON FOR DECISION:
To comply with Regulations issued under the Local Government Act 2000. Reasons for the recommendations on these particular applications are set out in the Appendix to the report.
616. Dates of Council Meetings 2003/2004 The Cabinet considered a report of the Chief Executive concerning dates for Council meetings during 2003/04. A copy of the report marked ‘F’ is filed with these minutes.
RESOLVED:
That the County Council be recommended to agree that meetings of the County Council be held on the following dates during the next municipal year:-
Wednesday 9 July 2003 Wednesday 17 September 2003 Wednesday 26 November 2003 Wednesday 28 January 2004 Wednesday 25 February 2004 (Budget Meeting) Wednesday 24 March 2004 Wednesday 19 May 2004 (Annual Meeting).
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REASON FOR DECISION:
To comply with the Local Government Act 1972 and the County Council’s Standing Orders.
617. Items Referred from Overview and Scrutiny There were none.
618. Any other Items which the Chairman Decides are Urgent There were no urgent items for consideration.
619. Exclusion of the Public RESOLVED:
That the public be excluded from the meeting during the consideration of the following item of business in accordance with the provisions of Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972.
Item Exempt under Paragraph
Syston Station Car Park 8 and 9 Extension
620. Syston Station Car Park Extension The Cabinet considered a report of the Director of Highways, Transportation and Waste Management which set up details of the increase scheme cost from the original estimate as reported to the Environment Committee at its meeting held on 27 February 1997. A copy of the report marked ‘G’ is filed with these minutes. The report was not for publication by virtue of paragraphs 8 and 9 of Part 1 of the Local Government Act 1972.
RESOLVED:
That approval be given to the increase in the works cost of the project as set out in the report.
REASON FOR DECISION:
To comply with the Council’s Financial Regulations.
6 May 2003 2.30 p.m. - 2.50 p.m. CHAIRMAN
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Minutes of a meeting of the Cabinet held at County Hall, Glenfield on Tuesday, 13 May 2003.
PRESENT
Mr. H. Barber CC (in the Chair)
Mr. R. Mason CC Mr. R. Miller CC Mr. I. D. Ould CC Mr. D. R. Parsons CC Mrs. L. A. S. Pendleton CC Prof. M. E. Preston CC Mr. E. F. White CC Mr. P. G. Winkless CC
621. Mr. H. Barber As Mr. Barber was not seeking re-election as Leader of the County Council, both Mr. Parsons and the Chief Executive expressed their appreciation for all the work he had undertaken on behalf of the Cabinet.
622. To Advise of Any other Items which the Chairman has Decided to take as Urgent on the Agenda
The Chairman advised the Cabinet that there were no urgent items for consideration.
623. Declarations of Interest in Respect of Items on the Agenda The Chairman invited members who wished to do so to declare any interest in respect of items on the agenda for the meeting.
Mr. D.R. Parsons CC and Mr. E.F. White CC each declared a personal and prejudicial interest, (as members of Blaby District Council’s Cabinet) in the report of the Director of Highways, Transportation and Waste Management entitled “Leicester West Park and Ride Scheme”, (Paper A), in particular regarding the proposed site at the junction of the A50 and A46 at Glenfield/Branting Hill.
No other declarations were made.
624. Leicester West Park and Ride Scheme (Mr. Parsons and Mr. White, each having declared a personal and prejudicial interest in this matter, left the room during the consideration of the item).
The Cabinet considered a report of the Director of Highways, Transportation and Waste Management which sought approval to submit a bid for Government funding for the Leicester West Park and Ride Scheme. A copy of the report marked ‘A’ is filed with these minutes.
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RESOLVED:
(a) That the results of the public consultation on the scheme be noted;
(b) That on the basis of that consultation, and the consideration of alternatives set out in the report, the preferred sites for Park and Ride car parks be endorsed;
(c) That the revised estimated capital and revenue costs of the scheme be noted;
(d) That the proposals set out in the report for revenue cost sharing with Leicester City Council be approved in principle, subject to further detailed evaluation;
(e) That approval be given to the submission of a bid for funding to the Department of Transport subject to clarification from Leicester City Council regarding its intentions on the Proposed Park and Ride site on Aylestone Road and to satisfactory assurances from the City Council that it continues to accept that the County Council should not be required to find from within its boundaries more than two sites to be included in the scheme; and
(f) That approval be given to the development of proposals for improvements in the Junction 21 area as a linked scheme.
(KEY DECISION)
REASON FOR DECISION:
The Leicester West Park and Ride scheme has a potential to provide more convenient access to Leicester for a large number of Leicestershire residents, using Park and Ride sites chosen to provide the best balance between convenience to users and minimising local impact. The scheme meets the criteria set by the Department of Transport (DfT) for major scheme funding and should not require any revenue funding beyond the initial period. A further series of measures, developer funded, could contribute significantly to improving traffic conditions and the environment in the Junction 21 area.
(Mr. Parsons and Mr. White then returned to the meeting).
625. Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland Structure Plan - Responses to Consultation on the Proposed Modifications and Timetable to Adoption
The Cabinet considered a report of the Chief Executive which set out the responses of the Three Councils to representations made on the Proposed Modifications and the next stages in the preparation of the Structure Plan. A copy of the report marked ‘B’ is filed with these minutes.
RESOLVED:
(a) That approval be given to the responses of the Three Councils to
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representations made on the Proposed Modifications as set out in Appendix 1 of the report;
(b) That the late objections to the Proposed Modifications set out in paragraph 39 of the report be not accepted.
(KEY DECISION)
REASON FOR DECISION:
To ensure that the Structure Plan is adopted without further delay.
626. Implications of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Bill The Cabinet considered a report of the Chief Executive concerning the implications for the County Council of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Bill and the Planning Delivery Grant. A copy of the report marked ‘C’ is filed with these minutes.
RESOLVED:
(a) That the key proposals in the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Bill and the implications for the County Council of the Bill and the Planning Delivery Grant be noted;
(b) That further reports be prepared arising from the on-going discussions between County Councils in the Region to enable the full implications for the County Council (including the concerns regarding accountability of County Council officers as set out in paragraph 20 of the report) to be considered at a later stage.
REASON FOR DECISION:
To ensure that the County Council retains an involvement and influence in the planning framework and policies that affect the County.
627. Code of Corporate Governance The Cabinet considered a joint report of the Director of Resources and Chief Executive which sought approval for a Code of Corporate Governance. A copy of the report marked ‘D’ is filed with these minutes.
RESOLVED:
(a) That approval be given to the Code of Corporate Governance set out in Appendix 1 of the report;
(b) That it be noted that a statement will be included in the County Council’s financial statements and Best Value Performance Plan on how the Council is complying with the Code, including how it has monitored the effectiveness of its Corporate Governance arrangements for the year and any planned changes;
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(c) That the County Council be requested to support the action now being taken.
REASON FOR DECISION:
To comply with guidance on Corporate Governance issued by CIPFA/SOLACE for use by authorities as a basis for best practice.
628. Sure Start The Cabinet considered a report of the Director of Education concerning the progress of the Sure Start programme in Loughborough. A copy of the report marked ‘E’ is filed with these minutes.
RESOLVED:
(a) That the decision of the Sure Start steering group for the lead and accountable body to be the NCH be agreed (noting that the County Council as the present accountable body does not have power of veto on the steering group’s decision);
(b) That the services to be delivered through the Sure Start Plan be noted.
REASON FOR DECISION:
Sure Start Programmes rules of governance place the responsibility for decisions with the steering group/partnership. The accountable body does not have a decision making role other than as a member of the steering group or management board.
629. LEA Admissions Policy: Proposed Changes The Cabinet considered a report of the Director of Education concerning proposed changes to the LEA Admissions Policy. A copy of the report marked ‘F’ is filed with these minutes.
RESOLVED:
(a) That the outcomes of the annual consultation and the conclusions of the LEA Admission Forum and the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership (EYDCP), be noted;
(b) That approval be given to the changes to the LEA’s Admission Policy as set out in paragraph 10 of the report.
REASON FOR DECISION:
The above steps are needed to ensure that amendments to the LEA’s Admissions Policy are properly consulted upon and authorised.
There is a regulatory requirement to have the policy confirmed by 15 April each year. In practice this leaves little time after the end of consultation (end of February) for the necessary steps, i.e. consideration by Admission Forum and
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by EYDCP and approval by the Cabinet: Leicestershire LEA generally does not meet this deadline. However, of far greater significance for the general public is the regulatory requirement to publish up-to-date information on admissions arrangements in an LEA prospectus by 1 October each year, to give parents at least six weeks in which to consider their preferences for school places: the LEA always meets this deadline.
630. Education Race Equality Policy The Cabinet considered a report of the Director of Education which sought agreement to the final version of the Education Race Equality Policy. A copy of the report marked ‘G’ is filed with these minutes.
RESOLVED:
That the final version of the Education Race Equality Policy, as set out in Appendix 1 of the report, be adopted for use by the Education Service.
REASON FOR DECISION:
The Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 amends the 1976 Race Relations Act to create a duty in three parts for local authorities. In carrying out its functions a local authority must have due regard to the need for:
• Eliminating unlawful racial discrimination; • Promoting equality of opportunity between persons of different racial groups; and • Promoting good relations between persons of different racial groups.
Article 2 of the Order emerging from the Act obliges a local authority to publish a Race Equality Policy setting out its arrangements for taking a number of steps which are related to issues of race. This is the Education Service’s element of that corporate policy.
631. Response to Consultation on the Draft Inclusion Policy for Education The Cabinet considered a report of the Director of Education which set out the response to consultation on the Draft Inclusion Policy for Education. A copy of the report marked ‘H’ is filed with these minutes.
RESOLVED:
(a) That the Draft Inclusion Policy for Education, as set out in Appendix 1 of the report, be approved in principle;
(b) That the Chief Executive and Director of Education, in consultation with the Education Lead Member, be authorised to amend the document having regard to the target audience for the Policy;
(c) That the amended document be referred to the Education Scrutiny Committee for consideration and the Chief Executive and Director of Education, in consultation with the Education Lead Member be authorised to make any necessary minor amendments to the Policy.
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REASON FOR DECISION:
The Local Authority needs to have an overarching Inclusion Policy to inform strategy to support vulnerable groups of pupils.
632. Items Referred from Overview and Scrutiny There were none.
633. Any other Items which the Chairman Decides are Urgent There were no urgent items for consideration.
13 May 2003 2.30 p.m. - 3.20 p.m. CHAIRMAN
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Page 14 Page 15 Agenda Item 4
CABINET – 10TH JUNE 2003
TRANSPORTATION CAPITAL PROGRAMME 2003/04
REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR OF HIGHWAYS, TRANSPORTATION AND WASTE MANAGEMENT
PART A
Purpose of the Report
1. To seek Cabinet’s approval of the 2003/04 Transportation Capital Programme.
Recommendation
2. It is recommended that:
(a) the 2003/04 Transportation Capital Programme as detailed in this report be approved for implementation; (b) the Director of Highways, Transportation and Waste Management, in consultation with the Cabinet Lead Member, be authorised to transfer funds from one funding block to another should the need arise to ensure that the funds are fully spent during the financial year; and (c) the Director of Highways, Transportation and Waste Management, in consultation with the Lead Member, be authorised to focus additional funds on local safety schemes should the opportunity arise, to help deliver the road safety local Public Service Agreement target.
Reasons for Recommendation
3. To enable the 2003/04 Transportation Capital Programme to be delivered within the financial year and in accordance with the policies and strategies set out in the Local Transport Plans (LTPs), the Annual Progress Reports (APRs), the Medium Term Corporate Strategy and the local Public Service Agreement.
Timetable for Decisions including Scrutiny
4. The programmes contain schemes that will require consultation, design, tender letting and construction phases. Approval of the programme is 1 D:\modernGov\Data\AgendaItemDocs\8\8\0\AI00007088\TransCapProgReport00.do c Page 16
being sought as soon as possible to enable the full programme to be completed by March 2004.
Policy Framework and Previous Decisions
5. The works programmes detailed in the Appendices have been developed in accordance with the policies and strategies set out in the 5 year LTPs submitted to Central Government in July 2000, the APRs submitted in July 2002 and the 3-year Capital Programme approved by the County Council at its meeting on 19th February 2003.
6. When considering the revenue budget for 2003/04 the County Council at its meeting on 19th February 2003 approved a transfer of funding for footway renewals from revenue to capital of £1.09m.
Resource Implications
7. The 2003/4 LTP settlement for integrated minor transport improvements is £6.145m and for maintenance (covering the bridge and highway structural maintenance programmes) is £8.485m. The County Council at its meeting on 19th February 2003 approved a further £0.760m for transport improvements from capital receipts and the discretionary element of the single capital pot (excluding funds specifically allocated for implementation of the Public Service Agreement).
8. The programmes set out in Appendices A – C and detailed in the text have therefore been developed at a total cost of £15.390m. This is some £2m more than the equivalent figure in 2002/03, which reflects the good progress made in 2001/02 and DfT’s positive assessment of the Council's performance.
9. Although the funds available have again increased, the steps already taken to deliver the increased programme have meant that scheme development is at a more advanced stage than has previously been the case at this time of year and the programme can still be delivered.
10. There remains, however, some degree of uncertainty at this stage as to the exact final cost of individual schemes. This uncertainty varies depending on the state of readiness of the schemes, whether public consultation is necessary and has been undertaken, and the engineering difficulties and traffic management restrictions that might apply. Due allowance has been made for recent cost price increases and a future general inflation allowance of 3%.
11. Should scheme costs continue to rise at a rate above general inflation then some schemes may need to be carried over to the following financial year. Conversely if savings are made, additional schemes will be brought forward from the reserve lists.
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12. As Cabinet is aware, the estimated cost of the Rearsby Bypass has increased above the level which the DfT has agreed to fund. DfT has indicated that it would expect the County Council to make a contribution to the increase and negotiations are currently taking place with them on this. It is not however anticipated that a contribution will need to be made in 2003/04. DfT has allocated £0.5m in 2003/04 for a start on the project. It has also allocated £0.552m as a final payment for the Ashby Bypass.
13. The revenue implications for the 2003/04 programme vary according to the type of capital works carried out. For example, new traffic signals have a revenue impact through maintenance and energy costs, and many minor transport schemes have maintenance implications some time into the future. However, significant investment in the replacement of street lighting columns, and particularly investment in the structural maintenance of carriageways and bridges, can lead to a reduction in future maintenance and revenue implications.
14. Further details of the financial background to the development and delivery of the programme are given in Part B of this report and in the Appendices.
15. The Director of Resources has been consulted on the Resource Implications section of this report.
Circulation Under Sensitive Issues Procedure
A copy of this report has been circulated to all Members through the Members’ Information Service.
Officers to Contact
Steve Marsh Telephone 0116 265 7182 e-mail: [email protected] Steve Brown Telephone 0116 265 7072 (Road Maintenance) e-mail: [email protected] Peter Steer Telephone 0116 265 7151 (Bridge Maintenance) e-mail [email protected]
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PART B
Background
16. Within the LTP settlement, DfT indicate the funds which have been allocated to:
• integrated minor transport improvements in the Leicestershire LTP; • integrated minor transport improvements in the Central Leicestershire LTP; • road maintenance; • bridge maintenance; and • major schemes which have been firmly approved or it is anticipated will be firmly approved in 2003/04 (the Ashby Bypass and the Rearsby Bypass).
17. The first four of these have been awarded as part of the Single Capital Pot. They have been allocated on the basis of the policies, strategies and programmes set out in the LTPs and APRs and DfT expect that the funds will be spent in line with these unless there are good reasons not to do so and those reasons are explained in the APRs.
18. £100k of the capital receipts contribution has been made available to help offset the £1.09m reduction in revenue spending on footway renewal (see paragraph 6). A further switch of £400k from bridge maintenance and £245k from Leicestershire LTP integrated transport schemes is proposed as shown in the summary table below:
Integrated minor Maintenance transport Improvements Leics Central Roads Bridges LTP Leics LTP 2003/04 LTP Settlement £3.257m £2.888m £6.800m £1.685m
Adjustment to reflect - £0.245m £0.645m - £0.400m transfer of funding of footway renewals from revenue to capital.
2003/04 Capital Receipts £0.330m £0.330m £0.100m and Discretionary Capital Pot (split between LTP areas subject to further detailed programme development)
2003/04 Programme £3.342m £3.218m £7.545m £1.285m
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19. Within Appendices A – C, main programmes have been developed to the value of the 2003/04 programmes above. Reserve schemes are also listed so that:
(a) Extra schemes are available should there be slippage in main programmes and/or a need to transfer funds from one block to another to maintain the programme. (As in 2002/03, it is proposed that the Director, in consultation with the Cabinet Lead Member, should be authorised to make such transfers if necessary) (b) Preparation work can start on reserve schemes to ensure a smooth flow of work through into 2004/05 (c) Cabinet and local Members are informed at an early stage of schemes put forward for construction in future years.
Proposals
Integrated Minor Transport Schemes
20. A proposed programme of work for both the Leicestershire and Central Leicestershire LTPs is shown in Appendix A, with appropriate supporting detail. As in previous years, some funds will be held in reserve to carry out small improvements which are identified during the year and which can be progressed quickly.
Programme Development
21. About £300k will be needed from the integrated scheme block to progress major schemes which have not yet been fully accepted by DfT. This will allow design of the Rearsby Bypass to continue until such time as full scheme approval has been granted. Funds will also be needed to progress the statutory procedures for the Earl Shilton Bypass and to carry out the reappraisal of the scheme required by DfT, and to contribute to the further development of the Leicester West Transport Scheme. Discussions are currently taking place with DfT about how the Kegworth Bypass will be taken forward.
22. The programme of town centre enhancements continues and about £700k has been allocated to construct Phases 1 and 2 of the Hinckley Town Centre Improvement (with an additional contribution from the Borough Council) and to investigate further the case for the Loughborough Inner Relief Road in the context of a proposed wider review of transport proposals for the town. Developer funds will be used to continue with design of the Ashby Town Centre Improvement.
23. The remaining programme has been developed to reflect the expenditure tables contained in the two APRs which were approved by Cabinet on 16th July 2002; these are attached for reference as Appendices D and E. Most schemes have their basis within the various scheme priority assessment systems currently in use, but care is taken to ensure that schemes 5 D:\modernGov\Data\AgendaItemDocs\8\8\0\AI00007088\TransCapProgReport00.do c Page 20
properly interrelate in achieving LTP objectives and that adjustments are made to ensure scheme development across the boundary with Leicester City is properly 'joined up'.
24. The promotion of road safety and attractive alternatives to the car for local journeys is a central feature of both LTPs. Included in the programme are measures to improve the reliability and accessibility of bus services and to improve the highway network for pedestrians, cyclists and disabled people. Programmes of local safety schemes, community safety lighting and traffic calming are also included to reduce casualties and promote confidence in personal safety. Funds have been allocated for a programme of safer routes to school and these are increasingly supported by the introduction of school travel plans.
25. Following the acceptance by DfT of the safety camera programme based on the ‘netting off’ of fine income, traffic calming schemes are included in the programme only where safety cameras on their own would not be appropriate and would not be approved by DfT for inclusion in the ‘netting off’ scheme.
26. Accessible travel information enables transport users to make informed choices about their journey’s mode, time and route. Proposed investment in the development of the Urban Traffic Management Control (UTMC) system is targeted to assist both public and private transport users whilst drivers are provided with improved direction signing.
The Central Leicestershire Transport Model
27. Much of the travel pattern data upon which the Central Leicestershire Transport Model has been formed is now well over ten years old. There is therefore a need to carry out new surveys, both of traffic and public transport, and to incorporate them into the model so that it can continue to be used with confidence to assess transport proposals in Central Leicestershire. It is proposed that this work takes place over the next 18 months, with some 55 roadside interview surveys carried out in autumn 2003 and spring 2004.
28. The total cost of the work, including staff time, will be about £500k split 30/70 between the County and City Councils in line with the general split of funds in the current Central Leicestershire LTP. Work will be carried out over two financial years (2003/04 and 2004/05). Whilst this is a significant sum of money, the cost to the County Council will only be about £150k over the two years and it will give a robust basis for assessing transport proposals for at least the next ten years in both the County part of Central Leicestershire and the City. This will include investigating the impact of any major new developments resulting from the review of the Structure Plan, investigating the impact of any proposals in the City on the County part of Central Leicestershire and supporting any future bids to DfT for major transport improvement schemes. 6 D:\modernGov\Data\AgendaItemDocs\8\8\0\AI00007088\TransCapProgReport00.do c Page 21
Public Service Agreement
29. A target in the Public Service Agreement is to further reduce killed and seriously injured road casualties. One aspect of the action plan is to consider re-focussing some of the LTP funds towards more local safety schemes. Should the opportunity arise in 2003/04, it is proposed that the Director be authorised to do this in consultation with the Lead Member.
Review of Programme Development Procedures
30. A recommendation of the Highway Network Management Best Value Review was that a review should be carried out of the arrangements for the development, design and programming of schemes including the priority ranking systems. This work is to be carried out during 2003. It will aim to ensure that the balance of the block allocations and the schemes being undertaken maximise delivery of the LTP objectives and that effective procedures are in place to assess effectiveness of the schemes and the benefits they provide to the community.
31. The Highways, Transportation and Waste Management Scrutiny Committee has asked for a report on progress towards reducing road casualties and the use of traffic calming, with a view to setting up a Five Member panel. This work will feed into the wider review and, as discussed at the Group Leaders’ Meeting on 24th March, the Scrutiny Committee will be kept appraised of progress on the wider review and asked for its views on the subsequent Cabinet report.
32. A more strategic review of some parts of the County will also be undertaken to develop longer-term solutions to transport problems in those areas. Initially this is likely to focus on Loughborough, Melton Mowbray and the Junction 21 area of the M1. This work will feed into programme development for the second LTPs to be published in July 2005.
Capital Highway Structural Maintenance
33. The LTP settlement increased from £5.814 in 2002/03 to £6.800m in 2003/04 for highway maintenance schemes. In addition, £0.645m has been transferred from other funding blocks, and £0.100m provided from capital receipts and the discretionary element of the single capital pot to help offset the £1.09m reduction in revenue funds. £2.750m is being allocated to Principal Road Maintenance and £4.795m to Non-Principal and Footway work, with a view to reducing the backlog of maintenance work by 2010, in accordance with the LTP target and the proposed revised MTCS target.
34. Proposed main and reserve programmes of work for carriageways and Footways are shown in Appendix B.
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Programme Development
35. The techniques used in the development of the works programmes, as last year, comprise:
• United Kingdom Pavement Management System (UKPMS): coarse Visual Inspection surveys were undertaken on all Class A roads, half the Class B and C and a quarter of the unclassified network. • Deflectograph surveys undertaken on one fifth of Class A and B roads. • Accident records and subsequent investigations were considered. • Areas of excessive or frequent reactive maintenance were identified. • Records of heavy goods vehicle flows were consulted. • Professional and technical staffs inspect the proposed schemes to determine the appropriate treatment and to confirm priorities.
36. Particular consideration is given to those schemes that contribute to the best value performance indicators and most of the increase in funds has been targeted at non-principal roads where to date it has not been possible to reduce the backlog of maintenance work.
37. Catalogues of highway maintenance schemes are published twice a year in June and October. These list all schemes over £5,000 funded by either revenue or capital budgets. It is unlikely that the reduced highway maintenance revenue budget will be able to fund any carriageway and footway renewal schemes. Any change to the programme, due to unforeseen maintenance work arising, will be included in these twice- yearly lists.
Bridge Assessment Strengthening and Maintenance
38. A proposed main and reserve programme of work is shown in Appendix C.
39. A sum is included for continuation of the outstanding assessments of bridges for the 40 tonne lorry, which should substantially complete that work within the coming year. There will however be some ongoing requirement for further assessment work to ensure the continued safety of all types of bridges as they age and deteriorate.
40. The Bridge Strengthening schemes listed in Appendix C represent the Council’s contribution to the costs of strengthening bridges owned by Railtrack and British Waterways, where the Council requires them to be strengthened beyond the owners’ liability as specified by legislation. The schemes are in accord with the strategy set out in the Leicestershire LTP which seeks to strengthen bridges only when on a strategic route (primary and principal roads and the approved strategic lorry routes) or where management by other means is not acceptable.
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41. British Waterways require ownership of the bridge to be transferred to the Council prior to strengthening being carried out, with payment of a commuted sum to cover future maintenance related to its previous liability level. Agreement of the commuted sums is proving protracted, and strengthening of these bridges has again been deferred from last financial year.
42. Railtrack is seeking a substantial contribution for the strengthening of Meadow Lane Railway Bridge, Loughborough, part of which is likely to fall within this financial year, but in this case ownership will remain with Railtrack.
43. For approximately the last decade, capital spending on bridges has been concentrated on bridge assessment and strengthening, somewhat to the exclusion of bridge maintenance works. As the assessment and strengthening programme approaches completion, it is considered important to apply more funding to bridge maintenance, initially to address the maintenance backlog and bring the bridge stock up to an acceptable condition, and then to provide an adequate steady state level of maintenance.
44. Total funding is therefore split £0.481m for strengthening bridges and £0.774m for maintenance. The total allocation is a 32% increase over last year and the allocation for maintenance is up by 91%, although the increase over last year's outturn is a smaller percentage as the deferral of British Waterways strengthening schemes allowed a transfer of spending to maintenance. This level of funding is slightly less than that required to make significant inroads into the maintenance backlog. Indicative settlements for 2004/05 may permit this sum to be increased.
Bridge Strengthening Programme Development
45. Priority in assessment and strengthening is given to bridges on strategic routes (the primary route network, principal county roads and other roads of strategic importance, such as local lorry routes), and to bridges in a deteriorated condition.
46. Bridges identified as substandard in the assessment programme are strengthened, subjected to a weight limit or other appropriate form of traffic management (either as a permanent or interim measure), or monitored (normally as an interim measure). Temporary emergency weight limits are applied only where the bridge is considered an immediate risk to public safety.
47. Strengthening of substandard bridges is carried out where the bridge is on a strategic route (Primary or other Principal roads, strategic lorry routes), or management by other means is not acceptable.
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48. Permanent weight limits are sought only in cases where other management techniques are inappropriate and after full and satisfactory consultation with the public and interested bodies.
Bridge Maintenance Programme Development
49. To match the increased emphasis on maintenance, an improved system of bridge inspections has been implemented, in conjunction with a new computer-based system of bridge asset management. These will be further developed to incorporate the proposed national system of bridge condition monitoring, using Bridge Condition Indicators, as soon as possible in the new financial year. This will lead to improved identification, prioritising and programming of maintenance work.
50. The maintenance and strengthening programmes may be subject to review if unforeseen work of higher priority is identified through ongoing bridge assessments or the programme of bridge inspections.
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Appendix A
PROGRAMME OF INTEGRATED TRANSPORT SCHEMES
LTP Objectives Supported : CR Casualty Reduction PT Improve facilities for Public Transport Operation DS Direct Traffic onto most Suitable PW Promote Walking Routes FD Improve Facilities for Disabled RS Reduce Traffic Speed People PC Promote Cycling SR Develop Safer Routes to School PS Improved Personal Security TC Enhance Town Centres
D:\modernGov\Data\AgendaItemDocs\8\8\0\AI00007088\AppendixACoverPage00.doc Page 26 Page 27 Appendix A 2003/04 PROGRAMME OF INTEGRATED TRANSPORT SCHEMES - COUNTY LTP AREA LTP Cost District Parish Location Comments Objectives Band Supported Traffic calming and pedestrian facilities to improve safety of community and provide for pupils walking to/ from Sharnford Primary CR; BDC Sharnford Village and approaches A School adjacent to strategic lorry route. Scheme carried over from DS;RS;SR 2002/03 Burton on the B676, Loughborough Traffic calming to improve community safety including pupils walking CBC RS; SR C Wolds Rd/ Melton Rd to and from Burton on the Wolds Primary School Traffic calming and pedestrian facilities to improve safety for the Beacon Road area - local community including pupils walking to and from Loughborough CBC Loughborough Phase 1 ( north of Epinal Grammar School and Mountfields Lodge Primary School. Financially PW; RS; SR B Way) supported by developer contributions. Scheme carried over from 2002/03 Revised traffic signal junction design to reduce accidents. Scheme CBC Loughborough Nanpantan X Rds CR C carried over from 2002/03 Improvements to bus stop facilities identified in conjunction with Loughborough, Quality Bus Partnership. Included passenger information and CBC Various FD; PT C Shepshed highway engineering works on route 126/127 corridor. Completion of phased project. Linkfield Road/ Rothley Traffic calming to improve community safety including pupils walking CBC Mountsorrel CR; RS; SR A Road Area to and from Christ Church & St Peter's Primary School Footway improvements, including tactile surfacing, dropped kerbs and new crossing facilities to assist pedestrian movements around CBC Sileby Village Centre FD; PW C the Village. Financially supported by developer contributions. Scheme carried over from 2002/03 H&B Burbage Lychgate Lane Footway in partnership with Burbage Parish Council PW C Completion of traffic calming, junction improvements and pedestrian A47, Hinckley Rd/ Wood crossing improvements to reduce speed related accidents and CR; PW; H&B Earl Shilton B St/ High St/ Hill Top improve safety for pedestrians using the town centre and local RS; SR schools. Traffic calming and pedestrian facilities incorporating principles of Home Zones to improve safety of community and provide for pupils CR; DS; FD; H&B Higham Village and approaches walking to/ from Higham Primary School. Financially supported by PC; PS; PW; A Sustrans due to location on National Cycleway route 52. Scheme RS; SR carried over from 2002/03 Second phase of traffic calming works to improve the safety of the community and to provide a safer route for pupils walking to and CR; PC; H&B Hinckley Butt Lane area Phase 2 C from Mount Grace High School and John Cleveland College. First PW; RS; SR phase of scheme completed in 2002/03. Revised junction design in conjunction with traffic signals renewal work to provide improved facilities for pedestrians and cyclists FD; PC; PW; H&B Hinckley Leicester Rd/ Spa Lane C including students travelling to/ from N. Warks & Hinckley College. SR Scheme carried over from 2002/03 Signing and carriageway definition improvements to reduce H&B Various A444 - A5 to A42 CR C accidents. Scheme carried over from 2002/03 Traffic calming to improve community safety including pupils walking CR; RS; SR HDC Dunton Basset Village Centre to and from Dunton Bassett Primary School. Reserve scheme A 2002/03 Second phase of traffic calming works to improve the safety of the community and to provide a safe route for pupils walking to and from CR; PC; HDC Lutterworth Woodway Road area B Lutterworth High School and John Wycliffe Primary School. First PW; RS; SR phase of scheme completed in 2002/03. Pedestrian crossing and associated footway improvements to assist MBC Melton B6047, Dalby Road pupils walking to and from Swallowdale Primary School & CR; PW; SR C Community Centre Contribution to Rural Bus Challenge programme for improvements PT MBC Melton Town centre C to interchange facilities A606, Melton - N Signing and carriageway definition improvements to reduce MBC Various CR C Broughton accidents. Scheme carried over from 2002/03 Completion of traffic calming to improve safety for residents of roads NWL Ashby Marlborough Way RS; SR B used as a short cut. NWL Castle Donington Borough Street Footway Improvements FD; PW; TC B Provision of Toucan crossing and associated cycle links to assist pedestrians and cyclists including students travelling to and from Hotel Street/ Whitwick CR; FD; PC; NWL Coalville Stephenson College. Complements Phoenix Green Pedestrian/ A Rd PW; SR Cycle link and Environmental Improvement scheme funded in partnership with SUSTRANS, WREN, EMDA and developer.
KEY - C <£50K; AppendixACapProg0 B £50 - £150K; CABINET RPT CTY 03-04 1 A > £150K Page 28 Appendix A 2003/04 PROGRAMME OF INTEGRATED TRANSPORT SCHEMES - COUNTY LTP AREA LTP Cost District Parish Location Comments Objectives Band Supported Cycleway Ph 3 to complete link between Coalville town centre and PC NWL Coalville Whitwick Rd C Whitwick. Reserve scheme 2002/03 NWL Coalville Warren Hills Road Anti skid treatment. Scheme carried over from 2002/03 CS C NWL Moira Poplar Avenue Upgrade and adoption of private street PS B VAR Various Various Contribution to PTI 2000 (Public Transport Information system) PT C VAR Various Various Route based improvements to direction signing DS C Provision of bus shelters in partnership with District and Parish VAR Various Various PT C Councils Improvements to bus stop facilities identified in conjunction with VAR Various Various Quality Bus Partnership. Included passenger information and PT C highway engineering works. Development of UTMC facilities to improve operational efficiency in VAR Various Various DS; PT C the delivery of traveller communication and information systems VAR Various Various School 20 mph Zones support works SR C VAR Various Various Pedestrian network improvements PW; FD B Low cost remedial measures to reduce casualties at sites identified VAR Various Various CR C from analysis of accident records VAR Various Various Street Lighting Column replacement programme PS A Installation of and improvements to street lighting to improve VAR Various Various community safety at sites identified in conjunction with the PS B Community Safety Liaison Group Introduction of crossing facilities for disabled people at existing traffic signal installations in accordance with the requirements of the VAR Various Various FD A Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and the Best Value Performance Plan Low cost improvements to accommodate and mitigate the impact of VAR Various Various heavy goods vehicles on local communities on designated lorry DS C routes in support of the Freight Strategy VAR Various Various Low cost measures to support the Walking & Cycling Strategy PC; PW C
Reserve Schemes Traffic calming on eastern approach to village to improve community BDC Elmesthorpe B581 Village approach RS C safety. Installation of mini roundabout and modification of existing traffic BDC Stoney Stanton New Street CR; RS C calming feature Traffic calming and pedestrian facilities to improve safety for the Beacon Road area - local community including pupils walking to and from Woodbrook CBC Loughborough Phase 2 ( south of PW; RS; SR B Vale High School and Outwoods Edge Primary School. Scheme Epinal Way) carried over from 2002/03 Pedestrian improvements with contribution from developer. Reserve FD; PW CBC Loughborough Ashby Road C scheme 2002/03 Traffic calming to improve community safety including pupils walking CR; RS; SR CBC Sileby Heathcote Drive to and from Highgate Community Primary School. Reserve scheme B 2002/03 Pedestrian network improvements to improve accessibility of the CBC Thrussington Village Centre village centre including for children walking to and from Thrussington PW;SR C Primary School. Scheme carried over from 2002/03 Upgrade existing footpath to provide for pupils walking/cycling Quorn - Barrow ( The CBC Various between villages to attend Humphrey Perkins High School and PC; PW; SR B Slabs) Rawlins Community College. Scheme carried over from 2002/03 Footpath to provide for children walking to and from Burbage Junior H&B Burbage Grove Road PW;SR C School Earl Shilton/ Cycleway development. Further phases to extend existing sections PC H&B A47 B Thurlaston of a cycle route between Leicester and Hinckley Traffic calming and pedestrian facilities to improve safety for the PW;RS; SR H&B Hinckley Druids Quarter local community including pupils walking to and from Holliers Walk B Primary School. Second phase of traffic calming works to reduce speed related CR; PW; H&B Hinckley Stoke Road Phase 2 crashes and provide for pupils walking to/ from Richmond Primary C RS; SR School. First phase of scheme completed in 2002/03. B582, Desford Rd/ Traffic calming to improve community safety. Reserve scheme CR; RS H&B Newbold Verdon A Barlestone Rd 2002/03
KEY - C <£50K; AppendixACapProg0 B £50 - £150K; CABINET RPT CTY 03-04 2 A > £150K Page 29 Appendix A 2003/04 PROGRAMME OF INTEGRATED TRANSPORT SCHEMES - COUNTY LTP AREA LTP Cost District Parish Location Comments Objectives Band Supported Provision of pedestrian crossing facilities to cater for the local PW; SR community including pupils walking to and from John Wycliffe HDC Lutterworth Coventry Road B Primary School, Lutterworth High School and Lutterworth Grammar School Contribution to Rural Bus Challenge programme for improvements PT HDC Lutterworth Town centre C to interchange facilities Contribution to continuing development of Market Harborough Market Pedestrian/ Cycleway HDC pedestrian/ cycleway network in partnership with Harborough District PC; PW; SR C Harborough network Council and local charities. Visibility improvement at junction on strategic lorry route. Reserve DS HDC N Kilworth A4304/ Pincet La C scheme 2002/03 B6047, Leicester Rd/ Provide pedestrian refuges and associated footway links to assist HDC Tilton PW C Melton Rd pedestrians crossing strategic lorry route MBC Bottesford area Various roads Area wide Weight Restriction in support of Lorry Management DS B Strategy Broughton & Old MBC A606, Broughton Hill Signing and carriageway reprofiling to reduce accidents. CR B Dalby Traffic calming to improve community safety including pupils walking CR; RS; SR MBC Croxton Kerrial A607 Main Street to and from Croxton Kerrial Primary School adjacent to strategic A lorry route. Reserve scheme 2002/03 Gt Dalby/ Thorpe DS; RS Great Dalby,Thorpe Traffic calming to improve safety of community adjacent to strategic MBC Satchville/ B Satchville, Twyford lorry route. Reserve scheme 2002/03 Twyford CR; RS; SR Traffic calming to improve community safety including pupils walking MBC Melton Valley Road B to and from Swallowdale Primary School. Reserve scheme 2002/03 MBC North Melton area Various roads Area wide Weight Restriction in support of Lorry Management DS B Strategy. Reserve scheme 2002/03 Traffic calming to improve community safety. Reserve scheme CR; RS MBC Somerby Burrough Rd B 2002/03 Traffic calming to improve community safety including pupils walking Albert Village, NWL Ashby Woulds to and from Albert Village Primary School with a developer PW; RS; SR B Occupation Road contribution. Reserve scheme 2002/03. Talbot Street - Talbot PW NWL Whitwick Footway Improvements C Lane Low cost measures to support the implementation of Travel Plans VAR Various Various PC; PW;SR -
KEY - C <£50K; AppendixACapProg0 B £50 - £150K; CABINET RPT CTY 03-04 3 A > £150K Page 30 Page 31 NORTHERN AREA – Charnwood/Melton Districts Appendix B
Carriageway Schemes
ROAD NO LOCATION DESCRIPTION COST BAND Shepshed Charnwood Road to Strengthen and Resurface A512 B White Horse PH Carriageway Loughborough - Ashby Square and A512 Resurface Carriageway C Derby Square Loughborough - Ashby Road Epinal A512 Surface Dress C Way to dual carriageway Birstall Northbound c/w; Greengate Resurface Carriageway and A6 B Lane to Bentley Road replace anti-skid treatment Loughborough - King Street; Phase A60 40 mm overlay C 2 High Street to Empress Road Loughborough - Epinal Way, Ashby A6004 Surface dress C Road to Alan Moss Road Loughborough - Epinal Way; Alan A6004 Resurface Carriageway C Moss Island Melton, Asfordby Road; Top of hill A6006 Resurface carriageway C from first refuge to far end of lay-by. Hathern, Zouch Road, A6 to County A6006 Surface dress C boundary Wymeswold Junction to Willoughby Resurface c/way to improve A6006 B on the Wolds to A46 - Phase 2 crossfall and camber Melton, Burton Road; From 02/03 A606 scheme joint around bend by school, Resurface carriageway C below Gloucester Avenue A606 Nether Broughton Through village Resurface Carriageway B Burton Lazars south, Burton Bridge A606 Overlay B to Burton Lazars Melton, Thorpe Road; From junction A607 Resurface carriageway C towards Dean Close Melton, Norman Way; junction with A607 Resurface carriageway C Scalford Rd and High Street Thurmaston By-pass Sthbnd c/w A607 Resurface Carriageway B Co-op island to Humberstone Lane Melton Mowbray Gt Dalby turn to A607 Resurface carriageway B Sandwich factory A607 Waltham Freeby View Farm Surface Dress C Thurmaston, Humberstone Lane A607 Replace anti-skid treatment C junction Eaton, Green Lane Lings Hill to Haunch B White Lodge Ph 3 Melton, King Street and Sage Cross Resurface carriageway C Street; Melton Spinney Road, Phase 1 Haunch B Melton, Victoria Street; Resurface carriageway C Haunch and resurface Buckminster; Back Lane, Sewstern C carriageway Eaton, Clawson Top; Junction of Resurface carriageway C Eastwell Road and Clawson Lane
Key:- C < £50k; B £50 - £150k; A > £150k
1
D:\modernGov\Data\AgendaItemDocs\8\8\0\AI00007088\AppendixBNorthernDivisionPRNNonPRNFootwaysandReserveSchem es00.doc Page 32 NORTHERN AREA – Charnwood/Melton Districts Appendix B ROAD NO LOCATION DESCRIPTION COST BAND Freeby Freeby Lane Ph 1 Haunch C Shepshed, Charley Road; From A512 towards Iveshead x-roads Haunch B Phase 1 of 2 Thurmaston Silverdale Drive Resurface carriageway B Shepshed, Tickow Lane Ph 2; Haunch and Drainage B Anson Road to McCarthy Road Kerbing and Resurface B676 Garthorpe Coston village C Carriageway Twyford & Thorpe Thorpe Satchville B6047 Haunch and Overlay C for one mile north Shepshed, Charnwood Road; Phase Repair Drainage, Resurface C3212 3, near Old Station Road to B Carriageway and Footway Springfield Rd Prestwold, Prestwold Lane; B676 to Kerbing, patch and resurface C3213 B A60 carriageway Syston Melton Road from Brook Improve Drainage, Resurface C3308 C Bridge towards Railway Carriageway and Footway Woodhouse Eaves, Maplewell C5202 Road; Junction with Main Street to jn Overlay carriageway C with C3208 Sileby, Seagrave Road; King Street C5208 to National Speed Limit Sign - Resurface Carriageway B Phase 1 Sileby, Seagrave Road; King Street C5208 to National Speed Limit Sign - Resurface Carriageway B Phase 2 Twyford & Thorpe, Ashby Road; C5216 Haunch C Twyford to Ashby Folville Ashby Folville Ashby Road/ Folville C5216 Resurface Carriageway C Street Resurface Carriageway and C5217 Rothley North Street C Footway Long Clawson Hickling Lane Ph 3 C7305 Haunch B (final) C8333 Bottesford, High Street Resurface carriageway C
TOTAL £2,283,000
Key:- C < £50k; B £50 - £150k; A > £150k
2
D:\modernGov\Data\AgendaItemDocs\8\8\0\AI00007088\AppendixBNorthernDivisionPRNNonPRNFootwaysandReserveSchem es00.doc Page 33 NORTHERN AREA – Charnwood/Melton Districts Appendix B
Footway Schemes
(all cost band C with the exception of Syston, Tentercroft Avenue which is cost band B)
LOCATION Anstey, George Street Barrow upon Soar, Babington Road Bottesford, Grantham Rd from Service Rd to Castle Close Bottesford, Queen St, Chapel Lane & High Street Edmondthorpe, Main Street Long Clawson, Coronation Avenue Loughborough, Blackbrook Road (Phase 2) Loughborough, Mayfield Drive Loughborough, Westfield Drive / Grove Rd (Phase 1) Melton, The Crescent, (part) Melton, The Crescent, (part) Melton, Thorpe Road Melton, Victoria Street Nether Broughton, Chapel Lane Newtown Linford, Grey Crescent Queniborough, Glebe Rd (Phase 1) School Routes, works during summer holidays Shepshed, A512 Shepshed, Charnwood Road Shepshed, Pick Street Sileby, Peashill Close Syston, Tentercroft Avenue Syston, Fosseway Jitty Syston, Melton Road
TOTAL £495,000
Key:- C < £50k; B £50 - £150k; A > £150k
3
D:\modernGov\Data\AgendaItemDocs\8\8\0\AI00007088\AppendixBNorthernDivisionPRNNonPRNFootwaysandReserveSchem es00.doc Page 34 RESERVE SCHEMES Appendix B NORTHERN AREA – Charnwood/Melton Districts
Carriageway Schemes
LOCATION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION A512 - Loughborough - Ashby Road, approaches to Old Ashby Road junction – repair anti-skid treatment A6 – Birstall Northbound carriageway Bentley Rd to A46 – resurfacing A6004 - Loughborough - Epinal Way, Forest Road to Ashby Road - overlay A6004 - Loughborough - Epinal Way, Forest Road roundabout – overlay A6004 - Loughborough - Epinal Way, Ashby Road to Alan Moss Road - overlay A6004 - Loughborough - Alan Moss Road Junction with A6 – resurfacing A6006 - Wymeswold Junction to Willoughby on the Wolds to A46 - Phase 3 – resurfacing A606 - Melton - Wilton Road Norman Way to Lady Wilton Bridge – resurfacing A606 - Burton Lazars to Melton – overlay carriageway and footway A607 - Thurmaston Co-op Island – resurfacing A607 - Thurmaston By-pass Northbound carriageway Humberstone Lane to Co-op island – resurfacing A607 - Waltham, Freeby Lane Junction – surface dressing A607 - Croxton Kerrial – resurfacing Frisby, Great Lane – resurfacing Eaton, Green Lane Lings Hill to White Lodge Ph 4 – haunch Sewstern, Timber Hill – resurfacing and drainage Shepshed, Charley Road; From Phase 1 towards Iveshead x-roads Phase 2 of 2 - hauch Loughborough - Festival Drive – overlay and footway works Burton on the Wolds, Narrow Lane; Junction from B676 towards Wymeswold Phase 1 of 3 - haunch Burton on the Wolds, Narrow Lane; from Phase 1 towards Wymeswold Phase 2 of 3 - haunch Burton on the Wolds, Narrow Lane; from Phase 2 towards Wymeswold Phase 3 of 3 - haunch Loughborough - Summerpool Road – overlay and footway work Syston, Tentercroft Avenue – reconstruct footway, drainage and carriageway repairs B676 - Burton on the Wolds, north slip back to A46 + Paudy Lane – replace kerbline and resurfacing Newtown Linford, Main Street; Bradgate Park to Markfield Lane – renew drainage and resurfacing Anstey, Cropston Road; The Nook to Link Road – repair drainage and resurfacing Loughborough - Parklands Drive – footway reconstruction Loughborough - Blackbrook Road Ph2 – footway reconstruction Shepshed, Tickow Lane Ph 3 – haunch and overlay Cold Overton to Knossington, The Glebe Phase 1 - haunch
4
D:\modernGov\Data\AgendaItemDocs\8\8\0\AI00007088\AppendixBNorthernDivisionPRNNonPRNFootwaysandReserveSchem es00.doc Page 35 RESERVE SCHEMES Appendix B NORTHERN AREA – Charnwood/Melton Districts
Footway Schemes
LOCATION A606 Burton Lazars to Melton A606 Nottingham Road in Nether Broughton to Nottinghamshire Boundary Ab Kettleby, Main St Anstey, Falcon Road Barrow upon Soar, Mill Lane Barrow, Breachfield Road Jitty Birstall, Colindale Avenue Bottesford, Easthorpe View Melton, Dean close, off Thorpe Rd Goadby Marwood, Main Street Loughborough, Parklands Drive (Phase1 ) Old Dalby, outstanding from 2002 including bottom of Wood Hill Queniborough, Glebe Road (Phase 2) Rothley, Fowke Street Melton, Rudbeck Avenue Scalford, Church Street and Sandy Lane Shepshed, Market Place Snow Hill, reconstruct concrete footways Stathern, Church Lane , Mill Hill to Dalliwell Syston, Melton Road (Phase 2)
5
D:\modernGov\Data\AgendaItemDocs\8\8\0\AI00007088\AppendixBNorthernDivisionPRNNonPRNFootwaysandReserveSchem es00.doc Page 36 Page 37 Appendix B SOUTHERN AREA – Blaby/Harborough/Oadby and Wigston Districts
Carriageway Schemes
ROAD NO LOCATION DESCRIPTION COST BAND Lutterworth, Stoney Hollow/ Market Resurface Carriageway A426 Street; River Swift Bridge to Church St B junction Whetstone Cosby/Countesthorpe X- Resurface Carriageway A426 A Roads to M1 Bridge Lutterworth; George Street/ Gilmorton Rd Strengthen and resurface A426 C junctions carriageway Cotesbach; Hill Farm to Cotesbach, Raise kerbs and resurface A426 B continuation of 02/03 scheme. carriageway North Kilworth, Kilworth Sticks Turn to Patch and Surface Dress A4304 C 30mph limit A4304 Market Harborough; Abbey Street Strengthen and surface dress C carriageway Market Harborough; High Street Take up and Relay/ Replace A4304 C block paved carriageway A47 LFE, Red Cow to Stafford Leys Resurface Carriageway C Glenfield, Both c/ways from Gynsill's Reconstruct Carriageway and A50 B Island to City boundary surface dress Wigston, Bull Head Street, Northbound Resurface Carriageway A5199 C C/way Arnesby, 100 m into Blaby towards Carriageway Resurfacing A5199 B Arnesby junction A5199 Northbound c/way from B582 Roundabout Resurface carriageway B Enderby, Soar Valley Way, from River Surface Dress A563 C Bridge to Grove Way (East bound) A6 Roundabout Resurface north-east A563 C quadrant Braunstone, Ravenhurst Road; Drainage works and C Stonehurst Road junction area reconstruct concrete c/way Oadby, Brabazon Road; Resurface carriageway B B4114 Enderby, Narb Rd Sth; south of Everards r'bout to north of Leicester Lane Resurface carriageway C traffic lights B4114 Sapcote, Coventry Road; 100 mm overlay A Broughton Road to south of B4669 B582 Bushloe End & Moat Street Resurface Carriageway B Launceston Road to A5199 B582 Enderby 30mph gateway to Broad Resurface Carriageway B Street Phase 1 of 2 B6047 Tilton A47 joint to Leicester Lane + Haunch B minor locations to the north of Tilton Glenfield, Kirby Road; west of Elm Tree Resurface carriageway C Avenue Newton Harcourt, Glen Road; 30 mph Overlay heat damaged C limit to Station Road carriageway Owston From Oakham Road towards Haunch and Overlay B Owston.
Key:- C < £50k; B £50 - £150k; A > £150k
6
D:\modernGov\Data\AgendaItemDocs\8\8\0\AI00007088\AppendixBSouthernDivisionPRNNonPRNFootwaysandReserveSchem es00.doc Page 38 Appendix B SOUTHERN AREA – Blaby/Harborough/Oadby and Wigston Districts
ROAD NO LOCATION DESCRIPTION COST BAND Tilton to Loddington Haunch various locations B alongside railway cutting Ashby Magna, Peatling Rd from 30mph to Resurface Carriageway C Willow Farm Willoughby Waterleys, Peatling Rd from Overlay heat damaged Willoughby Waterleys to Peatling Magna B carriageway X-roads Thorpe Langton, Langton Road; 30 mph Haunch B limit to East Langton Turn Thorpe Langton, Langton Road; B6047 to Overlay heat damaged B 30 mph limit at Thorpe Langton carriageway Gilmorton, Mill Lane; 30 mph limit to Overlay heat damaged C Gawney Lane carriageway Ashby Parva, Leire Lane from C6702 to Overlay heat damaged C C6711 carriageway Drayton, Medbourne Rd from Holt Yard to Overlay heat damaged B 30mph at Drayton carriageway Various Replace/ repair anti-skid C surface treatment
TOTAL £2,200,000
Key:- C < £50k; B £50 - £150k; A > £150k
7
D:\modernGov\Data\AgendaItemDocs\8\8\0\AI00007088\AppendixBSouthernDivisionPRNNonPRNFootwaysandReserveSchem es00.doc Page 39 Appendix B SOUTHERN AREA – Blaby/Harborough/Oadby and Wigston Districts
Footway Schemes (all cost band C)
LOCATION Narborough, Finch Way Enderby, Leicester Lane Enderby, Drummond Road Glenfield, Sandown Road Glenfield, Dominion Road Braunstone, Lyndale Road Braunstone, Woodland Drive Littlethorpe, Hazel Close Littlethorpe, Biddle Road Littlethorpe, Sycamore Way Countesthorpe, Leicester Road Wigston, Tansley Avenue Wigston, Gladstone Street Wigston, Estoril Avenue Witston, Eastway Road Wigston, Orange Street Wigston, Timber Street Wigston, Bassett Street Wigston, Dunton Street Swinford, Rugby Road, (Chapel Street to Cemetery) Houghton on the Hill, Stretton Lane (in front of cottages) Arnesby, Lutterworth Road East Langton, Church Causeway Claybrooke Magna, Manor Road Gt. Bowden, Station Road (various driveways) Husbands Bosworth, Mowsley Road, Husbands Bosworth Gt Bowden, Langton Road Lutterworth, Spencer Road and Council Street Lutterworth, Regents Court (Contribution) Fleckney, Kilby Road (part)
TOTAL £506,000
Key:- C < £50k; B £50 - £150k; A > £150k
8
D:\modernGov\Data\AgendaItemDocs\8\8\0\AI00007088\AppendixBSouthernDivisionPRNNonPRNFootwaysandReserveSchem es00.doc Page 40 RESERVE SCHEMES Appendix B SOUTHERN AREA – Blaby/Harborough/Oadby and Wigston Districts
Carriageway Schemes
Location and Brief Description A426 - Lutterworth Lutterworth Road; Bill Crane Way to Hall Lane – resurfacing and footway works A426 - Lutterworth; From Hall Lane to slip-in Quarry – carriageway strengthening and overlay A426 - Lutterworth; From slip-in Quarry to Gilmorton turn – carriageway strengthening and overlay. A426 - Lutterworth; From Rugby Road island to joint beyond Golf Club – surface dressing A4304 - Theddingworth to Lubenham, Bramfield Caravan Park to Marston Trussel Turn – resurfacing A4302 - Walcote to North Kilworth, From 30 mph limit to Wakeley Farm Entrance – resurfacing A4304 - Market Harborough; Great Bowden Road to Gores Lane – carriageway and footway resurfacing A47 - LFW - Hinckley Road; Desford X-Roads to Dan's Lane – surface dressing A5199 - Leicester Road, Southbound C/way; Roehampton Drive to Oadby Rd resurfacing A5199 - Kilby, Welford Rd; O & W bndry to Harb bndry - overlay A5199 - Husbands Bosworth; From 30 mph limit to Sibbertoft turn – carriageway overlay, strengthening and footway reconstruction A5199 - Welford Road Windmill Bank to Cooks Lane – surface dressing A5460 - Enderby, Eastbound motorway link – resurfacing and surface dressing A5460 - Enderby; Jn 21 to Fosse Park – centre reservation, repair drainage and renew safety fence A5460 - Enderby; Jn 21 to Fosse Park, both sides – repair failed areas A5460 - Braunstone, Narb Rd Sth; Asda r'bout to Holiday Inn junction – surface dress A5460 - Braunstone, Narb Rd Sth; Holiday Inn Jn area – resurfacing A563 - Enderby; Lubbesthorpe Way Sthbnd over Osiers Bridge - resurfacing A563 - Enderby, Soar Valley Way; Everards roundabout – resurfacing and anti-skid treatment South Kilworth; Stanford Road from The Dolly Peg to Avon Bridge Overlay heat damaged carriageway Thurlaston, Enderby Road; Thurlaston Lane to Manor Farm – overlay, haunch and kerb scheme Lubbesthorpe, Lubbesthorpe Bridle Road; Phase 2 – binder course overlay prior to surface dressing Lubbesthorpe, Lubbesthorpe Bridle Road; Phase 1 - binder course overlay prior to surface dressing B4114 - Sharnford, Leicester Rd/Coventry Road – resurface carriageway and reinstate traffic calming B4114 - Croft, Coventry Road; southbound side of dual c/way – resurfacing B4114 - Sharnford, Coventry Road; south of B4669 to the Frolesworth junction - overlay B582 – Enderby, Mill Hill B582 - Enderby, Blaby Road, Phase2 of 2; Foxhunter r'bout to 30 mph gateway – overlay, kerbs and footways. B582 - St Thomas Road, District Boundary to Saffron Road – resurfacing B582 - Whetstone, Enderby Road; Blaby bypass to railway bridge - resurfacing Lubbesthorpe, Beggars Lane; Enderby Lodge Farm to Forest House Lane – haunch, drainage, kerb and overlay Blaby, Enderby Road; Blaby Bypass to Leicester Road – resurfacing Halstead, Halstead to Whatborough – haunch and overlay Countesthorpe, Main Street; Orchard Lane to Green Lane + Church Street – resurfacing Hallaton; 30 mph to Moor Hill (sections) – haunch and strengthen carriageway Hallaton; Medbourne Road, 30 mph to North End – overlay heat damaged carriageway Laughton; Glebe Lane, between former cattle-grids – overlay heat damaged carriageway Gilmorton, 30 mph limit to Kimcote junction – overlay heat damaged carriageway Great Easton;Stockerston Lane, Eyebrook turn to Stockerston x-roads – overlay heat damaged and uneven carriageway Shawell Gibbet Lane – haunch, kerb and resurface Bittesby, Mere Lane; A5 to Woodby Lane Bend – overlay heat damaged carriageway South Kilworth; Stanford Road from The Dolly Peg to Avon Bridge – overlay heat damaged carriageway Thurlaston, Enderby Road; Thurlaston Lane to Manor Farm – overlay, haunch and kerb scheme Lubbesthorpe, Lubbesthorpe Bridle Road; Phase 2 – binder course overlay and surface dressing Lubbesthorpe, Lubbesthorpe Bridle Road; Phase 1 – binder course overlay and surface dressing B4114 - Sharnford, Leicester Rd/Coventry Road – resurfacing and reinstate traffic calming B4114 - Croft, Coventry Road; southbound side of dual c/way - resurfacing B4114 - Sharnford, Coventry Road; south of B4669 to the Frolesworth junction – overlay B582 – Enderby, Mill Hill – resurfacing 9
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Location and Brief Description B582 - Enderby, Blaby Road, Phase2 of 2; Foxhunter r'bout to 30 mph gateway – overlay, kerbs and footways – overlay, kerbs and footways. B582 - St Thomas Road District Boundary to Saffron Road - resurfacing B582 - Whetstone, Enderby Road; Blaby bypass to railway bridge – resurfacing Lubbesthorpe, Beggars Lane; Enderby Lodge Farm to Forest House Lane – haunch, drainage, kerb Blaby, Enderby Road; Blaby Bypass to Leicester Road – resurfacing Halstead, Halstead to Whatborough – haunch and overlay Countesthorpe, Main Street; Orchard Lane to Green Lane + Church Street – resurfacing Hallaton; 30 mph to Moor Hill (sections) – haunch and strengthening carriageway Hallaton; Medbourne Road, 30 mph to North End – overlay heat damaged carriageway Laughton; Glebe Lane, between former cattle-grids – overlay heat damaged carriageway Gilmorton 30 mph limit to Kimcote junction – overlay heat damaged carriageway Great Easton;Stockerston Lane, Eyebrook turn to Stockerston x-roads – overlay heat damaged/uneven c/way Shawell Gibbet Lane – haunch,kerb and resurface Bittesby, Mere Lane; A5 to Woodby Lane Bend – overlay heat damaged carriageway
Footway Schemes
LOCATION Narborough, Langham Drive Enderby, Sloane Close Glenfield, Ledwell Drive Braunstone, Fieldhurst Avenue Cosby, Broughton Road Whetstone, Shenton Close Blaby, Lutterworth Road Glen Parva, Grange Drive Wigston, Kirkdale Road Wigston, Garden Street Oadby, Winslow Drive Oadby, The Parade Leire, Main Street (O/S Queens Head Car Park) Bitteswell, Ashby Lane Kibworth Beauchamp, Station Street/Church Road Hallaton, Medbourne Road Hungarton, Main Street and CoalBaulk Lutterworth, Woodmarket (east of Spring Close) Gt Easton, Broadgate (parts) Bringhurst (village to school) Slawston (in front of cottages north of Welham junction) Great Bowden, Madeline Close Market Harborough, Rockingham Rd, (Gores Lane to Railway bridge) Great Easton, Caldecot Road Lutterworth, Central Avenue (north side) Broughton Astley, Station Road (either side of Croft Way) Horninghold to Station Cottages Hallaton Great Glen, Leicester Road (Cricks Retreat to 30mph) Kibworth Harcourt, Windmill Gardens Fleckney, Main Street Market Harborough, Bowden Road (nr railway station)
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WESTERN AREA – Hinckley and Bosworth/North West Leicestershire Districts
Carriageway Schemes
ROAD NO LOCATION DESCRIPTION COST BAND A444 Stretton, Park Farm - Mease Bridge, Resurface carriageway B continuation of 02/03 scheme A444 Twycross, Mini-roundabout Resurface Carriageway C A447 Ibstock, Ravenstone Road; Ibstock to Resurface carriageway B Kelham Bridge A447 Osbaston, Tollgate Junction Resurface Carriageway C A447 Ashby Road, A47 to District Boundary Resurface Carriageway B A447 Peckleton, Woodlands Junction Resurface Carriageway C A511 Markfield, M1 to Flying Horse Surface Dress B Roundabout A511 Ashby, Tesco roundabout Resurface roundabout C A511 Coalville, Bardon Road; near garage Reconstruct carriageway B and Stephenson Way roundabout Newbold Verdon, Kirkby Lane Phase 2 Haunch C Stanton, Thornton Lane, Stanton Lane, Haunch C
Thornton Ph 2 Coalville, Thringstone; Brook Lane Reconstruction C Coalville, Whitwick; Hall Lane Resurface carriageway C B4116 Twycross, Shelford Lane to Boundary Resurface carriageway C B4669 Hinckley, Burbage Road Resurface Carriageway C Desford, Leicester Lane; Straight from Resurface carriageway B B582 pub to right hand bend C4108 Groby, Sacheverell Way Resurface Carriageway B C5101 Kirkby Mallory, Island Lane Ph 3 Resurface carriageway C C5101 Kirkby Mallory, Island Lane Phase 2 Haunch C Peckleton, Kirkby Lane; Narrow stretch Haunch C C5102 past Woodholme Desford, Merrylees Road; Botcheston 30 Resurface Carriageway C C5104 mph to Merrylees Industrial Estate C5110 Desford, Lindridge Lane Haunch and Drainage C Whitwick, Talbot Lane; Talbot Street to Resurface carriageway C C5111 Whitwick Moor C5111 Coalville, Thringstone; The Green Resurface carriageway C Barwell, Stapleton Lane; Phase 1, A447 Haunch C C5116 to Barwell Twycross, Gibbet Lane; near Temple Resurface carriageway C C7106 Farm Congerstone Shackerstone/Swepstone; Shackerstone Drainage and haunch C C7108 Lane, either side of Tivey's Farm entrance Carlton, Barton Road; from Carlton Haunch and resurface B C7112 towards Barton in the Beans carriageway Snarestone/ Swepstone; Newton Haunch B C7112 Burgoland to Lonely Lion, Ph 1 of 2 Ashby Woulds; Spring Cottage Road Ph Overlay B C7118 1 of 2; Railway Br to Reservoir Hill junction
Key:- C < £50k; B £50 - £150k; A > £150k
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WESTERN AREA – Hinckley and Bosworth/North West Leicestershire Districts
ROAD NO LOCATION DESCRIPTION COST BAND Ashby, Burton Road; Atkinson Rd to Resurface carriageway B C7122 Church Close C8113 Measham, Tamworth Road Phase 1 Resurface Carriageway C Belton, Gracedieu Lane Resurface Carriageway C
TOTAL £1,609,000
Footway Schemes (all cost band C)
LOCATION Hilary Crescent, Whitwick, Coalville Hogarth Road (Part) Leicester Road to PROW, Coalville Hall Lane, Whitwick, Market Place To Rosslyn Road Shelley Close, Measham Ravenlea Estate, Ravenstone The Moorlands, Coleorton, The Moor to The Moorlands Service Road Ashburton Road, Hugglescote Wilson Rise, Wilson, Breedon St Michaels Close, Ashby de la Zouch Smedley Close, Ashby de la Zouch Loughborough Road, Thringstone, Hensons Lane to John Street, Coalville Butt Lane, Hinckley, B4468 Leicester Road to De Montfort Rd Barwell Lane, Cycleway, Barwell Burbage Road, Burbage Sherwood Rd (Part), Stoke Golding, Greenwood Rd To End Cadle Street, Newbold Verdon, Dragon Ln to Hill Street Gilliver Street, Newbold Verdon, Cadle St to End Harcourt Spinner, Market Bosworth, Carlton Rd To End Peckleton Lane, Desford, Grace Road to end of village Barton Road, Barlestone, Curtis Way to school Flaxfield Close, Groby Ferndale Drive, Ratby, Journeyman's Green to o/s 40 Preston Close, Stanton Under Barton, Main St to end
TOTAL £451,000
Key:- C < £50k; B £50 - £150k; A > £150k
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Carriageway Schemes
LOCATION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION A447 Ravenstone with Snibstone, Melbourne Rd; Kelham Bridge – Ravenstone - Resurfacing A453 Breedon, Tonge by-pass - surface dress A453 Long Whatton, Ashby Road; East Midlands Airport to Pegasus Park island -resurface carriageway A453 Breedon, Tonge Station junction -resurface carriageway A47 Earl Shilton High Street - surface Dress A47 Normandy Way A447 to 200 metre east - resurface carriageway A50 Groby; Lena Drive traffic lights - renew anti-skid A511 Bardon, Birch Tree Island to Bardon Chapel island - resurface carriageway A511 Coleorton Sinope to Flagstaff - surface Dress A511 Bardon, Bend opposite Forest Lodge - resurface Carriageway A512 Belton; Ashby Rd; L'boro Rd junction to joint near Gracedieu Lane - resurface carriageway Barwell, Hinckley Road - resurface carriageway Stanton, Thornton Lane - Stanton Lane, Thornton; Phase 3 - haunch Appleby Magna, Duck Lake; Mawby's Lane to Stoney Lane - resurface carriageway Oakthorpe & Donisthorpe, Donisthorpe, Hill Street; Brook to seals Road - resurface carriageway Coalville, Market Street; - resurface carriageway Charley, Oaks in Charnwood; Oaks Road, Abbey Road to church - haunch Castle Donington, Shields Crescent Ph 2 - footway reconstruction Belton, Swannymote Road; Whitwick, Oaks Road to Snanley's Farm - resurface carriageway Heather, Swepstone Road; Main Street to 30 mph limit - resurface carriageway Castle Donington, Willow Road Industrial Estate - reconstruct carriageway B4116 Snarestone, Ashby Road; village to Green Lane - resurface carriageway B4669 Burbage, Sapcote Road Phase 3, Winchester Drive to Hinckley Road - resurface footway B6540Lockington & Hemington, Sawley; Tamworth Road - reconstruct carriageway and drainage C5101 Kirkby MalloryIsland Lane Phase 4 - haunch C5101 Peckleton, Kirkby Mallory; Shilton Road between bends resurface carriageway C5101 Earl Shilton; Shilton Road from A47 - resurface carriageway C5104 Bagworth, Merrylees; Merrylees Road from industrial estate to Heath Road - overlay C5104 Desford, Heath Road; Merrylees Road to junction with C5105 - haunch and resurface carriageway C5111 Coalville, Whitwick; Talbot Street - resurface carriageway C5111 Coalville, Market Place; Whitwick - resurface carriageway C5111 Coalville, Whitwick; North Street, Church Lane to Talbot Street - resurface carriageway C5112 Coalville - Belvoir Road; Burgess Road to Fairfield Road - resurface carriageway and footway C5112 Ellistown, Whitehill Road - footway C6114 Carlton, Nailstone Road; - resurface carriageway C7108 Shackerstone, Tivey's Farm to Shackerstone - haunch C7109 Snarestone; Main Street from Snarestone to the Lonely Lion - haunch C7110 Hugglescote; Ashburton Road - reconstruct footway C7111 Snarestone; Swepstone Lane to the Lonely Lion - haunch C7112 Snarestone/ Swepstone; Newton Burgoland to the Lonely Lion, Ph 2 of 2 - haunch C7112 Shackerstone, Odstone to Barton; - haunch C7115 Heather, Normanton Lane Ph 2 - resurface carriageway C7118 Ashby Woulds; Spring Cottage Road Ph 2 of 2 - overlay C7119 Measham; New Street/ Ashby Road - resurface carriageway
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Page 46 Appendix B RESERVE SCHEMES WESTERN AREA – Hinckley and Bosworth/North West Leicestershire Districts
LOCATION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION C7119 Ashby Woulds, Moira; Rawdon Road, x-rds to Spring Cottage Road - resurface carriageway C7120 Ashby, Station Road; - resurface carriageway C7120 Coalville, Ashby Road; mini-island to Police Station - resurface carriageway C7120 Coalville, Ashby Road; mini-island to Ravenstone Road – resurface carriageway C7120 Coalville, Ashby Road; Ravenstone Road to Hoo Ash island – resurface carriageway E6834 Donington le Heath;Berryhill Lane - haunch and resurface carriageway Sketchley Meadows Ind Est, Access Road - reconstruction
Footway Schemes
LOCATION Ashby Road, Kegworth Atherstone Road, Measham Leicester Road, Measham Bosworth Road, Measham Oaks Road, Whitwick Borough Street, Castle Donnington Phase 1 Borough Street, Castle Donnington Phase 2 Market Street, Castle Donnington Peterfield Road (Part) & Tressall Road (Part), Whitwick, Phases 1 Hogarth Road (Part), Coalville, PROW to End Leicester Road, Whitwick, City of Three Waters to Hogarth Road Whitehill Road (Part), Ellistown Sherwood Rd (Part), Stoke Golding, Sherwood Rd To End 2 Service Roads off A50, Markfield, Island to Culs-de-sac Highfield Road, Spinneyside, Groby, (Part) E5601 Merrylees Road, Newbold Heath, Bagworth Road to End Houses Hall Drive, Stoke Golding, Hinckley Road to End Sparkenhoe, Newbold Verdon, Main St to Bungalows St Margaret Rd, Stoke Golding, Hinckley Rd to Sherwood Rd
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APPENDIX C
BRIDGE STRENGTHENING AND MAINTENANCE SCHEMES 2003/04
Bridge Bridge Name Cost No. Band Assessment C
Bridge Strengthening Schemes
683 Carlton Canal Bridge No.44 C 720 Gumley Road Canal Bridge No. 60 C 722 Theddingworth Lodge Canal Bridge No. 50 C 773 Higham Road Canal BridgeNo.23 C 897 Meadow Lane Railway Bridge A 914 Bates Wharf Canal Bridge No. 51 C 1016 Leicester Lane Canal Bridge No. 10 C
Bridge Maintenance Schemes (over £10K)
181 Kilby River Bridge C 182 Kilby Canal Bridge C 189 Newtown Linford Lane, Groby C 205 1st Span east of Falcon Works C 227 Lubenham C 228 St. Mary’s Bridge, Mkt. Harborough C 278 Near Eye Kettleby C 289 Epinal Way C 305 Osiers Bridge 1 (west) C 464 Medbourne-Blaston C 476 Mountsorrel, Sileby Road C 478 Brook Street, Sileby C 488 Over Walton Brook C 494 Bridge at Sharnford C 507 Gilwiskaw Brook C 569 Meadow Lane, Syston C 624 Keyham Bridge, near Keyham C 635 Kibworth Canal Bridge C 667 River Wreake, Thrussington C 672 Lowesby-Cold Newton C 782 Bottesford Canal Bridge B 801 Wymondham C 853 Scotland/Braybrooke Road C 953 Near Rotherby (River Wreake) C 1063 North of Cold Overton C
KEY – C < £50K B £50 - £150K A > £150K
1
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APPENDIX C
BRIDGE STRENGTHENING AND MAINTENANCE SCHEMES 2003/04
Bridge Bridge Name Cost No. Band Bridge Maintenance Schemes (under £10 k)
112 Welland Bridge, Mkt. Harborough C 113 Boathouse, near Mkt. Harborough C 114 Bone Mill Canal Bridge (Gallow Hill) C 202 4th Span east of Falcon Works C 204 2nd Span east of Falcon Works C 209 Fox Inn, Lutterworth C 214 Stult Bridge C 215 Blaby Bypass Subway C 218 Blaby Canal Bridge C 224 North Kilworth Canal C 237 Osbaston C 244 Measham Bridge, Birds Hill C 254 Northampton Road, Market Harborough C 276 Rearsby, Melton Road C 279 Edendale Roundabout, Melton Mowbray C 282 Lady Wilton Bridge C 316 Westmeadow Brook C 361 River Wreake Bridge C 405 Broughton Astley Bypass C 408 Swallow Dale, Thringstone C 414 Pembroke Avenue C 420 Enderby Mill Bridge C 421 Foxhunter Flood Spans C 428 Sheepy Magna C 434 Heather Bridge C 448 Whitwick Road Bridge C 461 1st Flood Span, Medbourne C 463 Medbourne Village C 465 Stockerstone Bridge C 485 Near Hall Lodge Entrance, Barrow on Soar C 490 In Coston Village C 495 Sutton Hill Bridge C 498 2nd North of Sutton Hill Bridge C 545 New Bridge, Kirby Muxloe C 567 North End, Great Dalby C 576 2nd Flood Span Medbourne C 590 Washbrook, Wigston C 625 New Bridge, near Keyham C 636 South of Saddington C 655 Merry Lees Bridge C 666 Near Gables Farm, Hoby C 678 Huncote Brook Bridge C 700 Wymeswold-Willoughby C
KEY – C < £50K B £50 - £150K A > £150K 2
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APPENDIX C
BRIDGE STRENGTHENING AND MAINTENANCE SCHEMES 2003/04
Bridge Bridge Name Cost No. Band Bridge Maintenance Schemes (under £10 k)
701 Near Frisby Station C 702 Near Asfordby (old canal) C 714 Near Stanton Wyville C 719 South of Smeeton Westerby C 764 Over River Avon, County Boundary C 790 Stonesby-Sproxton C 880 Ravenstone Road, Near Heather C 5228 Sopers Bridge (new) C TOTAL £1,285,000
KEY – C < £50K B £50 - £150K A > £150K
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APPENDIX C
Reserve Bridge Strengthening and Maintenance Schemes 2003/04
Bridge Bridge Name No.
1131 Watergate Lane 875 Barton Road, south of Odstone 919 Shackerstone Bridge 1003 Keyham – Old Ingarsby Road 1194 Gaddesby Lane, near Hickory Lodge 1127 Culvert north of Wistow 899 Wistow Road Culvert, near Wistow 1028 Newton Harcourt 927 Tivey’s Farm Road 2250 Pinwall Lane, near Ratcliffe Culey 882 Cranoe Road, Glooston 771 Near Orton On the Hill 754 At Saxby Station 483 Ashby Folville 2090 Whetstone Brook (culvert) 641 Foston Lane, Countesthorpe 930 London Lane, Wymeswold 1219 Braddon Road/Barsby Drive, Loughboro’ 1143 Valley Road, Loughborough 1142 Holt Drive, Loughborough 1221 Maxwell Drive, Loughborough 1220 Braddon Road, Loughborough
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LEICESTERSHIRE LTP APPENDIX D
SUMMARY EXPENDITURE TABLE - ACTUAL AND INDICATIVE ALLOCATIONS
OUTTURN PRICES £,000s FULL LTP PERIOD FROM 01/02 TO 05/06 Categories Of Expenditure Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 5 Year 5 Yr Total And Measures 01/02 02/03 03/04 04/05 05/06 Total in APR1 Actual Current programmes
INTEGRATED TRANSPORT Accessibility Bus Improvements 170 121 185 230 255 961 847 Disability Improvements 229 47 100 100 100 576 451 Economy - Town Centres & Freight Ashby de-la-Zouch 34 40 0 350 424 518 Hinckley 55 305 375 100 835 839 Melton Mowbray 0 100 185 285 305 Loughborough + Inner Relief Road 55 35 20 100 230 440 330 Lutterworth 20 145 165 180 Earl Shilton 36 36 36 Freight – Lorry Strategy 32 187 90 86 87 482 466 Health Walking Improvements 194 117 85 90 90 576 474 Cycling Improvements 181 116 94 97 100 588 519 Safety Road Casualty Reduction 332 735 480 450 500 2,497 2,950 Speed Management 168 447 224 220 225 1,284 1,093 Home Zones 12 50 60 70 83 275 307 Street Lighting 116 117 100 100 85 518 485 Environment UTMC Development 87 0 50 60 65 262 318 Road Network Signing 31 0 20 21 22 94 116 School Travel 341 564 300 286 290 1,781 1,488 Miscellaneous Travel Monitoring 97 70 100 100 100 467 510 Land Purchase 0 0 25 25 25 75 110 Advance Design Earl Shilton Bypass 291 235 175 701 580 Integrated Transport Schemes 213 40 200 200 200 853 1,025 TOTAL INTEGRATED TRANSPRT 2,638 3,226 2,683 2,805 2,823 *14,175 13,947
MAINTENANCE Roads and Bridges 7,357 5,973 5,091 5,091 5,091 28,603 28,555
MAJOR SCHEMES ABOVE £5m A511 Ashby Bypass 6,429 774 99 7,302 5,924 A47 Earl Shilton Bypass #1,464 #5,803 #7,267 #6,285 TOTAL MAJOR SCHEMES 6,429 774 99 #1,464 #5,803 #14,569 #12,209
TOTAL ALL SCHEMES 16,424 9,973 7,873 9,360 13,717 57,347 54,711
* includes extra allocation and carry forward # allocation of funding will be subject to full acceptance of scheme
Page 52 Page 53
Page 54 Page 55 Agenda Item 5
REPORT TO CABINET – 10TH JUNE 2003
LORD LAMING’S REPORT ON THE DEATH OF VICTORIA CLIMBIE
JOINT REPORT OF THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE AND DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL SERVICES
PART A
Purpose of report
1. The purpose of this report is to advise members on the implications of the Laming Report for the County Council, the Council’s initial response and proposed actions arising out of the self audit required by the Social Services Inspectorate (SSI).
Recommendations
2. a) That the report and proposed actions be noted.
b) That arrangements be made for further member involvement in overviewing the Council’s services for safeguarding children as recommended by the Director of Social Services at paragraph 16.
Reasons for recommendation
3. The safeguarding of children is amongst the most important duties of the County Council.
Timetable for Decisions, including Scrutiny
4. It is suggested that the report be referred to the Health and Social Care Scrutiny Committee for information.
Policy Framework and Previous Decisions
5. In many areas of work with children, the County Council has been in the forefront of development and positive change, from the Child Care Strategy in the mid 1980s, through the changes associated with the Children Act, implemented in 1991 to the effective implementation of the Quality Protects programme over the last few years. The latter paid attention to issues of safeguarding amongst other developments.
REPORTS/CABINET/CABLaming100603 Page 1 of 5 Page 56
Resource Implications
6. This report has been prepared in consultation with the Director of Resources. One of the key themes of the report is the low priority given by all agencies to services to protect children when setting budgets. There are no immediate major resource implications in Leicestershire at this stage. Some work is needed to address issues from the Laming report, in particular the need to strengthen the capacity to audit child protection work, both within the Department and on an inter-agency basis. The Performance Fund will be used to meet these requirements.
Circulation under Sensitive Issues Procedure
7. None.
Officers to contact
Tony Harrop 0116 265 7455 Flick Schofield 0116 265 7441
REPORTS/CABINET/CABLaming100603 Page 2 of 5 Page 57
PART B
Background
8. The Laming report was introduced by the Secretary of State for Health in the House of Commons, and published on 28th January 2003. It describes the management of the case of Victoria Climbie, a child from the Ivory Coast who was brought to Britain via France by her aunt in 1999. Victoria suffered appalling treatment at the hands of the aunt and the aunt’s lover and died in February 2000. The report describes the many failings of all the agencies who should have ensured Victoria’s safety and presents a woeful picture of poor practice, poor management, failure to take proper responsibility at all levels and poor resourcing of services.
9. The report makes 108 recommendations. The Government’s response is currently awaited. It is anticipated that the Government’s Green Paper on children at risk, which is due to be published in the summer, will be significantly influenced by Lord Laming’s report. The recommendations concern four broad areas:
• Basic practice and the need to ‘get the basics right’ • The need for effective training on a single agency and multi-agency basis • The need for effective monitoring of practice, decision making and training • The current organisation of services and proposals to create a new organisational arrangement.
10. The County Council is recognised as delivering high quality children’s services and already has well-developed systems to monitor their effectiveness. However, the safeguarding of children is one of the most complex areas of the Authority’s work and requires vigilance at all times. The consequences of failure demand that the Council’s response to this report be both thorough and comprehensive.
Key Issues
11. On 7th May 2003, the Chief Executive hosted a meeting of Chief Executives and Chief Officers of all agencies responsible for child protection in Leicestershire, Leicester City and Rutland. The meeting heard a presentation by the chair of the Area Child Protection Committees (ACPCs), reported on key issues arising from the audits required of social services, the police and health trusts, and gave commitments to resolve a number of outstanding problems. The issues identified by the agencies present at the meeting included:
• The need for Chief Executives and Chief Officers to take personal responsibility for child protection work and ensure that it features in agency plans and priorities. • The need to raise the profile of child protection for all front line staff, particularly those for whom it is not 'core business'. • The need to resolve the issue of access to medical assessments for children thought to have been abused.
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• The need to improve arrangements to audit practice and outcomes of child protection activity (the meeting gave a commitment to fund additional capacity for the Area Child Protection Committee [ACPC]). • The need to review arrangements for hospital social work. • The need to address the issue of children from abroad and those whose families move around and cross administrative boundaries, including asylum seekers. • For the County, the need to discuss further with District Councils arrangements for the inspection of temporary accommodation of families with vulnerable children. • The need for council members to be kept fully informed about child protection matters and to establish processes to link elected members more closely to front line services. This issue is considered further in paragraphs 14 to 17.
Action Taken in Response to the Report
12. In response to the Laming report
• The Director of Social Services has briefed the Chief Executive, Leader of the County Council and Lead Cabinet Members on the report and initial reactions • The Leader made a speech to the full County Council on 29th January 2003 emphasising the roles and responsibility of elected members • Copies of the report have been distributed to managers and placed on the County Council Intranet.
13. The Director of Social Services has also produced an action plan of key issues, which is attached as Appendix A and in addition, has
• established an implementation group to consider and manage the Department’s response and to ensure effective inter-agency response. • begun detailed discussions with the Chief Constable and the Chief Executives of the Health Trusts in Leicestershire. • arranged for information about the report, its implications and action taken to be published through internal e-mail and the staff bulletin • met with the chair of the ACPC to discuss the management of inter- agency responses • written to the Chief Executives of the District Councils to draw their attention to the implications for housing and other services
The Role of Members
14. The Government has already signalled that it wishes local authorities to implement the following recommendation as soon as possible:
“Chief Executives of local authorities with social services responsibilities must make arrangements for senior managers and councillors to regularly visit intake teams in their children’s services department and to report their findings to the Chief Executive and social services committee.”
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15. In Leicestershire the Director of Social Services and senior managers regularly visit all the Department’s services, including its child care access and operational staff. At present there is no formal arrangement for members to undertake a similar role. Any such arrangement would need to be practical and worthwhile for both members and staff. A number of options exist, such as rotas of interested local members visiting the teams covering their areas or asking members of the Scrutiny Committee to undertake the task.
16. However, the approach recommended by the Director of Social Services is to expand the terms of reference and possibly the membership of the Community Homes Monitoring Panel and task the Panel with this role. This Panel presently visits Children’s Community Homes and receives reports in order to monitor performance. The Panel members have demonstrated commitment and ownership of this role and as a consequence have developed expertise and knowledge in this area. Subject to the appropriate consultations and constitutional decisions, it would be relatively straightforward to add the task of visiting front line child care teams to the Panel’s brief.
17. It is intended that regular monitoring reports on child care activity and corporate parenting will continue to be made to the Health and Social Care Scrutiny Committee. It is also hoped that the Cabinet will agree to one of its members continuing to hold the brief to oversee “corporate parenting”. Both these avenues would allow for a re-constituted “children’s services” panel to make formal reports of their findings to the Cabinet and Scrutiny Committee.
Equal Opportunities Implications
18. Victoria Climbie was a black child. Many of the workers involved with her care were black. Lord Laming suggests that racially based assumptions about practices in different communities may have played a part in the failure to protect her and raises the question of whether there may have been racism; but reaches no conclusions on the latter. Surprisingly, given the recommendations made about training elsewhere, he has not made any recommendations about training in this key area.
Background Papers
None.
List of Appendices
A Action Plan – Laming Report Key Issues
REPORTS/CABINET/CABLaming100603 Page 5 of 5 Page 60 APPENDIX A ACTION PLAN LAMING REPORT KEY ISSUES
ISSUES ACTION NEEDED BY WHO BY WHEN COMMENTS 1 Audit of practice issues Completion of Audit Director 30th April 2003 Completed required by the DoH
2 Information to Elected Development of Director June 2003 Proposals currently being Members and Links to processes to inform and considered front line services involve Elected Members
3 The need for Chief Development of audit Director, Head of Quality December 2003 The Chief Executive Officers to be aware of strategy to build on Management meeting committed the effectiveness of CP existing good practice Area Child Protection October 2003 resources to an Area Child arrangements and of any Committee for inter- Protection Committee audit problems that arise agency issues. strategy Page 61
4 Understanding of Child Review Child Protection Assistant Director October 2003 The Chief Executive Protection issues for all training for all staff Area Child Protection October 2003 meeting agreed in principle frontline staff of child care Committee for inter- to additional resources for agencies agency training inter-agency training
This will need to be done 5 Effective provision of Review current Assistant Director December 2003 jointly with Leicester City child care social work in arrangements to ensure and the University Hospitals hospitals they provide effective of Leicester NHS Trust service to County children
6 Tracking and services Development of Assistant Director October 2003 The Area Child Protection to children from abroad, procedures Area Child Protection Committee has identified mobile families etc Committee this as a gap in its procedures. This will be addressed by the
REPORTS/CABINET/CABLaming100603ApxA Procedures Subcommittee.
7 Housing arrangements Development of protocols Senior Assistant Director October 2003 The issues raised by for vulnerable families with District Councils to Laming have been brought address accommodation to the attention of District issues Councils and initial discussions held with Chief Housing Officers
8 Access to medical Resolution of the Medical Assistant Director December 2003 Commitment was given to assessments in Protocol and provision of Area Child Protection the resolution of this suspected abuse cases trained doctors Committee problem at the Chief Executive meeting on 7th May
9 A range of detailed Provide advice and Director May 2003 Completed practice issues identified reminders to Team Page 62 by Lord Laming Managers and staff
10 Unallocated cases Creation of system to Assistant Director April 2003 In place monitor number and type of unallocated cases
11 Temporary staffing Creation of system to Assistant Director April 2003 In place arrangements monitor temporary arrangements
12 Clarity about roles of Prepare additional Service Manager CPRU June 2003 Information to be placed on Child Protection advisers guidance for staff the Intranet
13 Staff training Review and revise Assistant Director October 2003 Work underway systems for audit and collation of social workers' training records and training needs
REPORTS/CABINET/CABLaming100603ApxA Page 63 Agenda Item 6
CABINET 10th JUNE 2003
REPORT OF THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE
LEICESTERSHIRE COMPACT
Purpose
1. To allow Cabinet to consider the final draft of the Leicestershire County Compact .
Recommendations
2. It is recommended that the Leicestershire County Compact set out in Appendix 2 be approved.
Reasons for Recommendations
3. To allow the final Leicestershire County Compact to be approved.
Timetable for Decisions
4. No external timetable. The approval of the Compact document will allow progress to be made on the preparation of action plans.
Policy Framework and Previous Decisions
Previous Decisions
5. The Cabinet on 12th February 2003 agreed that steps be taken to investigate the development of a Local Compact.
6. Cabinet approved the draft Leicestershire County Compact on 28th January 2003 for consultation.
7. The Scrutiny Commission considered the draft Leicestershire County Compact at its meeting on 12 March 2003. Its comments are attached at Appendix 1. These comments are generally supportive and otherwise relate to the application of the Compact rather than its content. Many of the Commission's comments can be taken into account in the development of the Action Plan. Page 64
The Medium Term Corporate Strategy 2001-2005
8. The Strategy sets out the County Council’s commitment to achieve its aim of delivering services that provide value for money and which examine a mix of public, private and voluntary sector options to achieve real improvements in the way that services are delivered. A Local Compact can assist in ensuring that a co-ordinated approach is taken between the County Council and the voluntary and community sector.
9. An ‘In Partnership’ strategy was approved by the County Council in July 1993 and sets the current framework for the working relationship between the County Council and voluntary and community groups. Since this time the role of the voluntary and community sector has changed dramatically and is now seen as one of local government’s key partners in terms of policy development, consultation, accessing funding opportunities and delivering joint services.
10. This Strategy is being reviewed as part of the Local Compact process but it will be used as a key document for future reference in developing a Local Compact as many of the principles within it remain applicable.
Resource Implications
11. The development of the Compact has involved time commitment by officers from each department represented on the internal Compact Officer Group, together with time spent by those officers attending the Joint Compact Steering Group with the Voluntary and Community Sector.
12. Further time commitments will be required to develop and implement appropriate action plans. This will continue to be contained within existing departmental budgets.
Officers to Contact
Andy Robinson tel:0116 265 7565 e-mail: [email protected] Barry Davies tel:0116 265 7017 e-mail: [email protected] Sean Beeby-Smith tel:0116 265 8015 e-mail: [email protected]
Page 65
PART B
Background
13. The County Council and representatives of the Voluntary Community Sector (VCS) have been meeting over the last year to develop a local Compact. Local Compacts are being promoted nationally to provide a mechanism to consolidate and enhance relationships between public agencies and the VCS. The National Compact provides a template for local agreements and includes codes of practice for funding, consultation, black and minority ethnic groups, volunteering and community groups.
14 A local Compact for Leicestershire is seen as a mechanism for further developing the already good relationships between the County Council and the local VCS. A successful joint steering group has been established on which Mr Miller CC and Professor Preston CC have represented Cabinet. The steering group prepared a draft Leicestershire Compact which was subject to consultation during February and March. During this time the Leicestershire County Compact was considered by the Leicestershire Local Strategic Partnership which supported its application to other local Compacts being developed across the County. Cabinet approved the draft Leicestershire County Compact at its meeting on 28 January 2003.
Proposal
15. The Compact now needs to be finalised and published as an agreed document. The Steering Group has met to consider the consultation response and agree changes to the Compact
16. Representatives of the VCS and Council officers have also given initial consideration to the content of the Action Plans and a report on this will be brought to Cabinet in due course.
Consultations
17. The response from VCS organisations was generally supportive. There were a number of detailed comments on specific wording and some more general comments which covered:
(i) the desire for a Council undertaking within the Compact for the development of VCS infrastructure to support local groups in Page 66
their work and to engage in partnership and policy development activities on behalf of the sector;
(ii) the desire for stronger mechanisms to implement the Compact and the Action Plan that will follow it.
18. The comments from County Council officers were also generally supportive. Again there were a number of detailed comments regarding wording and layout and more fundamental comments regarding:
(i) the need for the VCS to organise itself to be able to communicate as a sector with the Council and take part in policy and partnership development activities;
(ii) the references to black and minority ethnic groups should be extended to refer to traditionally excluded groups as a whole;
(iii) the desire for the detailed Action Plan to be prepared following the agreement of the Compact document to cover issues such as:
(a) the management of service level agreements, (b) how the VCS relates to the corporate and service priorities of the County Council, (c) how the VCS should be involved in planning and policy development, (d) how hard to reach communities are engaged in practice including people from black and ethnic minority communities.
19. A number of respondents requested that the language used in the draft Compact should be simplified wherever possible. Some amendments have been made to simplify the language used.
Equal Opportunities Implications
20. A Local Compact will ensure that relationships between the County Council and the voluntary and community sector have consistent commitments, values and standards for equal opportunities in the delivery of services, funding, consultation and policy development.
Conclusion
21. The development of a Leicestershire County Compact will support the Council in achieving its Medium Term Corporate Strategy objectives to work in partnership with a wide range of organisations to deliver quality services and achieve value for money. This will help to clarify the respective relationships, roles and accountability with the voluntary and community sector. Page 67
22. Following the proposed launch of the Local Compact action plans will be developed to implement the principles and undertaking set out in the Local Compact.
Background Papers
Report to Cabinet, 12th February 2002, ‘Developing a Local Compact between Leicestershire County Council & the Voluntary and Community Sector in Leicestershire.
Draft Compact, January 2003, Appendix A
Medium Term Corporate Strategy 2001-2005, Leicestershire County Council.
Response to the Medium Term Corporate Strategy (Draft for consultation) from the Local Development Agencies, dated 19th October 2001.
Page 68 Page 69
COMPACT
on the relationship between Voluntary and Community Sector in Leicestershire and Leicestershire County Council
"It's all about better relations"
June 2003
Page 70 Page 71
Partners involved in the development of the Leicestershire County Compact
On behalf of the Voluntary and Community Sector
• Age Concern Leicestershire & Rutland • Alzheimers Society • Blaby Council for Voluntary Services (CVS) • British Red Cross • Charnwood CVS • Charnwood Racial Equality Council • CLASP • CVS Community Partnership • Headway • Leicestershire Council for Voluntary Youth Services • Leicestershire Rural Community Council • Life Education Centres Leicestershire • Melton & District Access Group • Melton CVS • Millfield Tenants Association • North West Leicestershire CVS • South Leicestershire CVS • The Centre for Deaf People • The Leicestershire Volunteer Bureaux Network • VISTA • Voluntary Action for Hinckley & Bosworth • Voluntary Action for Oadby & Wigston
On behalf of Leicestershire County Council
• Chief Executive's • Community Services • Education • Highways, Transportation and Waste Management • Resources • Social Services 1 Page 72 THE LEICESTERSHIRE COUNTY COMPACT
The Leicestershire County Compact provides an essential guide for anyone who needs to know about the way that Leicestershire County Council (the Council) and the Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) work together in Leicestershire.
1. The Status of the Compact
• This Compact is a written agreement that provides a framework for the way in which voluntary and community organisations in Leicestershire and Leicestershire County Council work together. It will promote effective working relationships which provide efficient and effective services and involve the VCS in policy development and the delivery of services.
• The Leicestershire County Compact is drawn up between voluntary organisations and community groups in Leicestershire and Leicestershire County Council.
• The Compact is a voluntary commitment by these organisations to work together to mutually agreed standards. It is not legally binding. However, all organisations that sign up to the Compact are committed to making it work in practice.
2. Why have a Compact?
The VCS is by nature, large and diverse. Most organisations and groups have developed in response to the needs of a geographical area or a community of interest or need. Voluntary organisations therefore have their own distinct ethos and way of working. Before a better understanding has been achieved, differences in approach between the voluntary and statutory sectors can initially make working together challenging.
However it is because voluntary and community organisations have distinctive strengths that government is encouraging increased partnership working between the voluntary and statutory sectors. Many voluntary organisations can, for example:
• Provide a channel for the views of communities of interest and communities of place – they have a greater capacity to reach excluded groups than statutory services;
• Identify new needs and innovative ways to meet them – approaches developed by the sector have in many instances in the past been adopted by statutory services;
• Address poverty and social exclusion – VCS groups that are generated by communities or operating close to communities are skilled at developing appropriate responses;
• Encourage and support individuals to become active in their communities – volunteering, acting as trustees or management committee members, or forming self- help groups.
2 The Compact is an effective way for the CouncilPage an d73 the VCS to engage with each other particularly in these times of partnership working. It is a partnership agreement and a process that is endorsed by Central Government in the National Compact; Getting it Right Together (1998). Local Compacts are now being encouraged, as it is at the local level where most voluntary and community groups have a relationship with their county, district or unitary Council.
The Development of the Leicestershire County Compact During 2000 and early 2001 colleagues in the VCS and Council officers came together to discuss how best to develop a local Compact. In August 2001, the VCS formed its Compact Steering Group and in February 2002 the Council’s Cabinet agreed to engage with the Group to investigate the development of a Local Compact. A working document was drawn up by the VCS Steering Group through a series of consultation workshops within the sector in 2002. A Joint Workshop with all partners in July highlighted shared principles but also a number of barriers that, at this time, prevent us from working together as best we could.
Representatives from the VCS Compact Steering Group and Council officers formed a Working Group to develop the Draft County Compact. The recommendations from the workshop and the comments received on the draft document have influenced this approved Compact. The next step will be the development of an Action Plan.
3. What defines the voluntary and community sector?
The following are not hard and fast definitions of the VCS but are meant to give a flavour of the types of structures and activity that fall under the VCS banner:
Voluntary organisations are formally structured, not-for-profit; independent and not part of government; managed by unpaid, voluntary management committees or boards of trustees; have paid employees and volunteers; may be registered charities and/or companies limited by guarantee and/or Friendly Societies.
Community organisations are local community and self-help groups; more informal; often made up entirely of volunteers; any staff are likely to be part-time; independent; without regular income or funding. Community groups are often at the hub of community action and are formed in response to a local need.
Volunteering is an important expression of citizenship and essential to democracy. It is the commitment of time and energy for the benefit of society and the community, and can take many forms. It is undertaken freely and by choice, without concern for financial gain.
Social Enterprises are businesses that trade in the market in order to fulfil social aims. They bring people and communities together for economic development and social gain.
Umbrella organisations also sometimes referred to as infrastructure organisations – are an important force in the VCS. The VCS has developed organically; it has not been centrally planned. Umbrella organisations attempt to link the different levels and type of voluntary sector activity. They fulfill four main functions; development, services to other organisations, liaison and representation. However it is also acknowledged that not all Umbrella organisations perform all of these functions (Deakin Commission 1996). Examples of Umbrella organisations in Leicestershire are CVS Community Partnership (CCP), Councils for Voluntary Services (CVS), Council for Voluntary Youth Services (CVYS), Rural Community Council (RCC), Racial Equality Council (REC) and Volunteer Bureaux (VBx). 3 Page 74 Trustees and Management Committees are the group of people legally responsible for the control and management of a charity, which includes members of a charitable associations management committee and directors of charitable companies. Certain specific statutory responsibilities arise from being a trustee.
4. What defines the County Council? Leicestershire County Council is the largest local authority in the County and provides a wide range of services to local people either directly or through other organisations acting on its behalf. These services include education, social care, waste disposal, road maintenance, libraries, museums and consumer protection. They involve direct employment of 18,500 people to deliver them and the expenditure of over £500 million.
The County Council is composed of 54 County Councillors who are each elected every four years to represent the people living in their electoral division. They meet as a Council every two months and elect a leader and a Cabinet every year. The Cabinet is responsible for providing direction and leadership for the Council and for the majority of decisions.
5. What type of relationship can the VCS have with the Council?
Voluntary and community organisations can have a direct relationship with the Council in the following ways:
• Service delivery and funding – Grants/Service Level Agreements/ Contracts/ Commissioning Agreements • Consultation – Groups/volunteers/Users • Lobbying/Campaigning – influencing the formation of the Council’s agenda, policies and practices • Contributing to partnerships/forums/working groups such as the Local Strategic Partnership • Volunteers within Council funded provision such as Youth and Community Education or similar type of service • Providing specialist input to Council policy development where that is appropriate, or where the voluntary organisation delivers a statutory service on behalf of the Council
Where voluntary and community groups feel that they do not have a relationship with the Council and therefore do not see the relevance of a Compact, they may in fact have an indirect relationship in one or more of the following ways:
• As an affiliated member of a Council for Voluntary Service that has a Commissioning Agreement with the Council • As a user of a community centre or other services provided by the Council • As a member of a forum that is recognised as a means of communication within a particular geographical area or for a community of interest or need.
Moreover, there may be occasions where a VCS group may need to form a relationship with the Council and they should be able to do this based on sufficient knowledge of the Council and its practices.
4 Page 75 6. The 8 Shared Principles in the Leicestershire County Compact
All partners in the County Compact agree with the following principles:
(a) Voluntary and community action is essential to a democratic society.
(b) An independent and diverse voluntary and community sector is fundamental to the well-being of society.
(c) Both the Council and the VCS acknowledge the importance of promoting equality of opportunity for all people, regardless of race, age, disability, gender, sexuality, religion, ethnic or national origin, marital status or medical condition.
(d) In the development and delivery of public policy and services, the Council and the VCS have distinct but complementary roles.
(e) There is added value in working together towards common aims and objectives. Proper communication builds relationships, improves policy development and enhances the design and delivery of services and programmes.
(f) The Council and the VCS have different forms of accountability and can be answerable to a different range of people and organisations. But common to both is the need for selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership.
(g) Voluntary and community organisations are entitled to campaign within the law in order to advance their aims.
(h) The Council and the VCS recognise the need for the Council to allocate resources to voluntary and community organisations. These resources include funding, advice and other support and they are important elements of the relationship.
5 Page 76
7. UNDERTAKINGS BY PARTNERS OF All partners of the Leicestershire County Compact Leicestershire County Council
Our complementary roles
• To develop the County Council's role as Community Leader to provide a strategic framework to improve the quality of life of Leicestershire people. • To work with the VCS to make information and services to the community more accessible. • To recognise and support the VCS's ability to access external resources that meet shared objectives. • To support the VCS in developing its resource base to enable it to effectively engage in policy development and partnership activity.
Recognition
• To recognise the VCS’s ability to identify and articulate a diverse range of individual and community needs and its value in encouraging people to be involved in community life. • To recognise the added value brought by volunteers to the quality of services to the community.
Funding and accountability
• To develop funding measures to ensure resources meet agreed priorities and secure continuous improvement. • To develop within the Council, and with external funders, co-ordinated approaches to funding voluntary and community organisations to ensure the most effective and efficient use of public money. • To provide a framework to ensure openness in funding and to apply monitoring and accountability systems in proportion to the amount and purpose of funding.
Policy development and consultation
• To involve actively and consistently the VCS in timely and efficient ways in the planning and development of policies and services. • To work with voluntary and community organisations to enable them to engage more effectively with, and represent the interests of, excluded groups.
Good practice when working together
• To communicate with the VCS on how we can work better together. • To respond appropriately to issues raised by the VCS through this dialogue. • To develop with the VCS local codes of practice on funding, consultation, black and minority ethnic and other excluded groups, volunteering and community groups.
6 Page 77 How we demonstrate commitment to the Compact
• To set up new working arrangements and allocate appropriate resources to put into practice the commitments in the Compact. • To promote understanding throughout the Council of the commitments in the Compact and how they are to be put into practice.
7 Page 78 THE LEICESTERSHIRE COUNTY COMPACT agree to work in line with the relevant undertakings below
Voluntary and Community Organisations
Our complementary roles
• To recognise the value of working together and the different strengths that the Council and the VCS bring to the relationship. • To acknowledge that the Council complements the work of the VCS by providing resources, structures, accountability, access to information and expertise and support. • Through umbrella organisations to support local groups, policy development and partnership working.
Recognition
• To recognise the commitments made by the Council to involve, consult, resource and support voluntary and community organisations. • To acknowledge that the Council’s primary role is to provide community leadership in Leicestershire.
Funding and accountability
• To ensure the most effective and efficient use of funding for the benefit of service users. • In relation to funding received from the Council, to demonstrate accountability to them and to service users. • To comply with the law and, where necessary, appropriate guidance from the Charity Commission.
Policy development and consultation
• To work together with the Council to ensure effective consultation takes place. • To provide a voice for communities in Leicestershire to influence policy for the provision and delivery of services.
Good practice when working together
• To develop and promote beneficial working relationships with the Council, within the VCS and particularly to marginalized Black and minority ethnic organisations in the County. • To involve service users in the development and management of activities and services. • To be open and transparent in all dealings with the Council and other voluntary and community organisations. • To give a clear idea of the VCS capacity for involvement when working together with the Council.
How we demonstrate commitment to the Compact
• To support and where possible, commit time and resources to implementing actions and taking part in planned reviews of the Compact. • To promote the adoption of the Compact to voluntary and community organisations working in Leicestershire. 8 Page 79 8. How will we know if the Compact is working?
All partners in the development of this Compact want to see the following outcomes between the VCS and the Council:
• Increased understanding • Better communication; • Better consultation processes and procedures; • Increased joint planning and policy initiatives; • Review of funding arrangements and procedures • Efficient information flow • Better service delivery
In order to achieve these outcomes, an Action Plan will be prepared. This will:
(a) adapt the National Code of Practice on funding, consultation, black and minority ethnic groups, volunteering and community groups to fit local circumstances; (b) establish mechanisms to review and monitor the impact of the Compact; (c) set out a mediation and conciliation process.
The Action Plan will be subject to annual review.
The Action Plan will include a list of all participating groups and organisations who sign up to the County Compact and who are therefore committed to working with Compact partners in a fair and equitable manner.
9. Accessibility of the Compact document
The County Compact is available in a variety of community languages and in a variety of formats upon request.
The County Compact also include a poster as an insert that outlines the shared principles of the Compact and includes a section for groups and organisations to sign that declares their commitment to working in the spirit of the Compact. The purpose of the poster is to raise awareness of the County Compact to staff, volunteers, service users and other groups and organisations that may visit your premises.
The County Compact also includes a sign up pro-forma that groups and organisations complete and return if they wish to sign up to the County Compact. “Signing up” means that groups and organisations agree to work with the Council and VCS partners in the spirit of the Compact agreement.
10. Joining up the tiers
In Leicestershire we have the challenge of developing linked local compacts. Each CVS in Leicestershire is currently developing or is planning to develop local compacts for their locality, with the relevant District Council and Primary Care Trust. There are also plans to develop a Learning Compact between the VCS in the County and City and Leicestershire Learning and Skills Council. The Leicestershire Local Strategic Partnership has agreed that the Leicestershire County Compact provides a model for Local Compact development in Leicestershire generally. Although the shared principles and sector undertakings would therefore largely remain the 9 same in the other local compacts; the resultinPageg action 80 plans will reflect the local needs and priorities in the relationship between the VCS and the local agencies.
The other local compacts that are planned are as follows:
• Blaby District Compact • Hinckley and Bosworth Area Compact • Melton Borough Compact • Charnwood Compact • Oadby and Wigston Compact • North West Leicestershire Compact • South Leicestershire Compact • The Learning Compact with Leicestershire Learning and Skills Council (County and City)
For further information, contact the Partnership Officer at CVS Community Partnership.
Partnership Officer CVS Community Partnership Beaumont Enterprise Centre Boston Road Leicester LE4 1HB
Tel: 0116 2293103 Fax: 0116 2351844 e-mail: info@c/cp.org.uk
10 Page 81
11 Page 82 Page 83 Agenda Item 7
CABINET – 10TH JUNE 2003
RESPONSE TO THE CONSULTATION DRAFT OF THE NORTH WEST LEICESTERSHIRE COMMUNITY STRATEGY
REPORT OF THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE
PART A
Purpose of Report
1. To allow Cabinet to consider the consultation draft of the North West Leicestershire Community Strategy.
Recommendation
2. It is recommended that the North West Leicestershire Local Strategic Partnership (LSP) be asked to consider the comments of the County Council set out in paragraph 19 and Appendices 2 and 3 of this report before publishing a final North West Leicestershire Community Strategy based on the consultation draft.
Reason for Recommendation
3. The draft Strategy is broadly compatible with County Council policies and the Leicestershire Community Strategy. However, there are a number of broad comments that should be forwarded to the North West Leicestershire LSP reinforcing comments made on earlier drafts. In addition, further more detailed comments on issues that have arisen during this latest round of consultation are outlined in Appendix 2 to part B.
Timetable for Decisions and Scrutiny
4. Comments on the draft Strategy are required by 30th May 2003. Officer comments will be submitted to meet this deadline, making it clear they are subject to Cabinet approval.
5. The draft Strategy was considered on 16th May by the Scrutiny Review Panel for Community Strategies and on 28th May by the Scrutiny Commission. The comments of the Review Panel are attached as Appendix 3 to Part B. These comments were endorsed by the Scrutiny Commission.
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Policy Framework and Previous Decisions
6. The North West Leicestershire Local Strategic Partnership will finalise the North West Leicestershire Community Strategy after consultation on the draft Strategy. North West Leicestershire District Council is the lead partner and the County Council is a member of the North West Leicestershire LSP. It is represented by Mrs Pendleton CC. The final decision to approve the North West Leicestershire Community Strategy on behalf of the County Council will rest with the full Council as Community Strategies form part of the statutory plan framework.
7. The North West Leicestershire Community Strategy will improve and promote the economic, social and environmental well being of the people of North West Leicestershire District. It is therefore relevant to all the objectives of the County Council.
8. Mr. Barber outlined Leicestershire County Council’s position on local strategic partnerships and community strategies in September 2001. He highlighted the importance of ensuring that the Leicestershire Community Strategy and district Community Strategies are complementary.
Resource Implications
9. Funding for preparation and publication will be met by North West Leicestershire District Council. The availability of County Council resources will affect the speed and extent to which the Strategy can be implemented.
Circulation under Sensitive Issues Procedure
E Palmer CC, S D Sheahan, CC, N J Rushton, CC, L A S Pendleton, CC, A U Smith, CC, P A Hyde, CC, C A Stanley, CC, S H Preston, CC.
Officer to Contact
Andrew Simmonds tel 0116 265 7027 email [email protected] Andy Robinson tel 0116 265 7017 email [email protected]
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PART B
Background
10. Leicestershire County Council is a partner in the North West Leicestershire LSP and Mrs Pendleton CC represents the Authority on the partnership board. The North West Leicestershire LSP is preparing a Community Strategy for North West Leicestershire District.
11. The partnership board delegated responsibility for preparing the draft strategy to a consultant, supported by a working group, including an officer from the County Council. County Council members and officers have also been involved in the North West Leicestershire LSP Forum where there has been an opportunity to comment on the vision and aims of the strategy.
12. A range of comments from County Council departments on a working draft of the North West Leicestershire Community Strategy were forwarded to the District Council and most have been reflected in the consultation draft that has now been published.
13. The text of the full draft Strategy document is attached to this report (Appendix 1).
14. The overall vision for North West Leicestershire as detailed in the draft Strategy takes the reader to the year 2010 and describes how the Partnership would like North West Leicestershire to be.
15. The Community Strategy is concerned with the quality of life in the whole District both now and in the future. The Partnership has identified six key issues: • A desire to have greater community spirit and involvement; • Access to services – both providing transport such as buses to the right place at the right time and improving the availability of services generally; • Better facilities and opportunities for young people; • Revitalisation of town centres and preventing the decline of village centres; • To feel reassured that we live in a safe place; • A better street environment for all.
16. In taking action, the Partnership has agreed to give priority to four themes: • Community spirit and involvement; • Personal well-being; • An attractive place to live and work; • Access to services.
17. Under each theme there are a number of aims, details of what is already happening, targets, and a number of major actions that will need to be taken. A separate Action Plan is being developed which will provide more detail of the actions and who will be responsible for their implementation. Although the Action
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Plan does not form part of this consultation, County Council officers are involved in its drafting.
18. The involvement of County Council officers in the preparation of the draft Strategy is reflected in a document which is broadly compatible with County Council policies and proposals.
19. The consultation draft strategy has been circulated to Chief Officers for comment. Responses have largely been supportive and many of the points made on earlier working drafts have been taken on board. It is suggested that the following comments should form the basis of the County Council's response along with the additional more detailed comments that have arisen from this latest round of consultation as set out in Appendix 2: • It is requested that North West Leicestershire LSP continues to take the Leicestershire Community Strategy into account when developing further the draft strategy; • The references to equal opportunities are rather narrow. There are several references to young people, old people and people with disabilities, but no references to race equality, for example.
20. Following public consultation the strategy will be refined and revised as appropriate and the aim is that it should be approved and adopted by all the partners later this year. The final decision to approve the Strategy on behalf of the County Council will rest with full Council.
Equal Opportunities Implications
21. The draft Strategy does not comprehensively identify groups recognised as likely to suffer multiple disadvantage and/or social exclusion. However, it is maintained in “Our Approach” (page 11) that the intention is to “bring about real improvements and make sure that we provide fair and equal opportunities for everyone”.
Conclusion
21. The draft Strategy is broadly compatible with County Council policies and the Leicestershire Community Strategy. However, there are a number of broad comments that should be forwarded to North West Leicestershire LSP, as set out in paragraph 19. In addition, further more detailed comments on issues that have arisen during this latest round of consultation are outlined in Appendix 2.
List of Appendices
Appendix 1: Consultation Draft North West Leicestershire Community Strategy Appendix 2: Further comments on the North West Leicestershire Community Strategy Consultation Draft Appendix 3: Scrutiny Commission 28 May 2003
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APPENDIX 1
The Partnership for Improving North West Leicestershire
working towards
A Better Future
A Community Strategy for North West Leicestershire
CONSULTATION DRAFT
March 2003 Page 88
Member Organisations:
Charnwood & North West Leicestershire Primary Care Trust Faith Communities Job Centre King Edward VII College Leicestershire Chamber of Trade & Industry Leicestershire Constabulary Leicestershire County Council North West Leicestershire Association of Parish Councils North West Leicestershire Council for Voluntary Services North West Leicestershire District Council North West Leicestershire Health Forum North West Leicestershire Partnership in Safer Communities Stephenson College
The organisations represented on the Partnership have not yet considered this Draft Strategy. They will do so as part of the public consultation process. This means that they have not pre-judged the outcome of the public consultation process and will be able to consider the recommendations of the Partnership on consultation responses with an open mind when the formal strategy is produced.
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Contents
Partnership for North West Leicestershire...... 2 Contents...... 3 Consultation ...... 4 Introduction...... 5 Statement of Purpose...... 6 Vision ...... 7 Challenges Facing North West Leicestershire ...... 8 Our Strategy...... 10 Theme One: Community Spirit and Involvement ...... 12 (Civic Pride, Local Activities, Influencing Decisions ) Aims ...... 12 What’s Already Happening...... 13 Targets ...... 13 Actions ...... 14 Theme Two: Personal Well Being...... 15 (Health, Education, Economy, Crime) Aims ...... 16 What’s Already Happening...... 16 Targets ...... 17 Actions ...... 18 Theme Three: An Attractive Place to Live and Work ...... 19 (Environment, Noise & Pollution, Recycling, Recreation) Aims ...... 20 What’s Already Happening...... 20 Targets ...... 21 Actions ...... 21 Theme Four: Access to Services ...... 22 (Local Shops, Services & Facilities, Opening Times & Buses) Aims ...... 22 What’s Already Happening...... 22 Targets ...... 23 Actions ...... 24 Conclusion ...... 25 Full List of Members ...... 26 Index...... 27 Response Form...... 29
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Consultation This Draft Community Strategy has been produced for public consultation. It has been drawn up by a Local Partnership representing a cross section Local Authority, Service and Community interests. It is very much a ‘draft’ and we would like to know whether you think we have identified the real issues that need to be tackled jointly in North West Leicestershire. We have included a number of ‘targets’. Some of these are based on service information – but others are rather speculative because we do not yet have the ‘starting point’ information. Since this is a ‘Strategy’, which deals with a wide range of activities and services, it has to be fairly board in its approach. So the next stage will be to draw up detailed action plans to identify exactly what needs to be done and who will be doing it. What we would like you to do
We would like you to tell us: • Whether you think we have identified the most important things to tackle in North West Leicestershire. Have we missed out anything important? • Are there any specific initiatives, activities or improvements that you think need to be tackled in your own local area or for the benefit of particular groups of people with specific needs? • What are the three most important things you would like to see done or improved? We can then make any necessary amendments to the Strategy and start to draw up more detailed action plans for the Partnership and for local areas. Please use the response form at the end of this document if possible. You can photocopy it or obtain further copies from us. Comments can be sent by post, e-mail or via the N W Leicestershire web site: Post Customer Care NWLDC FREE POST MID22264 Coalville Leicestershire LE67 3RK Please mark clearly Community Strategy Consultation e-mail [email protected] Web www.nwleics.gov.uk This Strategy is also available to view on the website - you can submit your comments via the web site. We would like to receive your comments as early as possible so that we can start work on the action plans. The consultation period will run until 30th May 2003.
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Introduction The Government has asked every local authority in the country to develop a Community Strategy. The District Council is responsible for developing a local strategy, in partnership with others and the County Council is responsible for developing a countywide strategy. In North West Leicestershire we have brought together public, private, voluntary and community organisations to form a Local Strategic Partnership. We have called this the “Partnership for Improving North West Leicestershire”. The Partnership’s job is to develop and agree a Community Strategy for North West Leicestershire and to prepare an Action Plan to implement it. The Community Strategy is intended to take account of the needs and aspirations expressed by local people – but it must also reflect the Government’s policies and priorities and co-ordinate economic, social and environmental action. Our Partnership for Improving North West Leicestershire was created in 2001. We have looked at the public consultations that Partnership members have carried out. We have also carried out further consultations with a wide range of local organisations and we have held a series of area meetings with people representing a cross section of local interests to find out what local people think needs to be done. The result of the work so far is this Draft Community Strategy which has been produced for wider public consultation. In this Draft Strategy we have set out the Purpose and limits of the Strategy, our Vision for the District in the coming years, the Challenges that we face and our broad Strategy for tackling these challenges. We have also set some broad Aims and some specific Targets. We have also identified some of the major Actions that we believe will need to be taken to help create a better life for the people of North West Leicestershire. We are consulting on this Draft Community Strategy before developing an Action Plan to implement it. This is to make sure our approach has the broad support of organisations and individuals who live and work in the District. When the Community Strategy is finally agreed it will drive the timetables and priorities of many organisations and will help to deliver local priorities in local communities. It will form the backbone for the submission of projects for external funding and grant aid, including those that arise from local community groups. Without it we will not be able to tap into national and european resources. We will also need to monitor progress to make sure that the Strategy and Action Plans really do bring about the changes intended – and if necessary re-focus the Strategy if different issues or priorities emerge.
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Statement of Purpose By working together in an agreed way the Partnership for Improving North West Leicestershire will be more effective and have greater influence to help create a better life for the people of North West Leicestershire. All service providers endeavour to respond to local needs and aspirations. They also have to deliver National Policies and meet National Targets. They seek the views of the people they serve and try to respond to their wishes as far as they can. Our Partnership can share what it has learnt from various consultations so we can develop a strategy that reflects local concerns and aspirations as well as delivering wider government policies and national targets. Both National and Regional Governments play a significant role in setting targets and priorities for local public organisations. The County and District Councils, the Police, and the Primary Care Trust, all have to deliver national policies as well as meeting local needs. For example the Primary Care Trust is responsible for how government money for health services is spent locally. All these are members of the Partnership for Improving North West Leicestershire. These public organisations already work closely together. They also work closely with voluntary and private sector organisations. They produce a variety of Strategies and Action Plans to help direct their work to meet these targets. For example, the North West Leicestershire Partnership in Safer Communities has developed a strategy for tackling crime. This partnership includes the Police, The County and District Councils and voluntary organisations such as Victim Support and the Council for Voluntary Services. This Community Strategy does not set out to duplicate or replace the roles or targets that individual organisations and partnerships have established. The purpose of the Community Strategy is to put things into a wider context and help co-ordinate activities at the local level. This means that individual organisations will continue to develop and deliver their programmes of work to meet their targets but they will also take action, where possible, to meet the broader objectives set out in this Community Strategy. We believe that by working in partnership we will be more effective. We will be able to work more closely together to take action on a broader range of inter-related issues. We will identify ways that different organisations can work together so that their actions compliment each other. By working together we should be able to achieve more than we could individually - making the whole add up to more than the sum of the parts. By working together as a partnership we will also be able to bid for additional funding to help deliver what we need. However, we cannot do it all on our own. We need to work together - with individuals and organisations from across the district. Whilst individual service providers can play there part, there are many factors that affect our quality of life that only we as individuals can influence. By working together in an agreed way we hope to make that influence more effective to create a better life for the people of North West Leicestershire.
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Vision This Vision is a description of how The Partnership would like North West Leicestershire to be by 2010. Working with the community and other organisations we believe this is possible.
Our Vision Imagine it is the year 2010. There is a high level of civic pride in North West Leicestershire. There is a close working relationship between the members of the Partnership for Improving North West Leicestershire, and between the Partnership and the wider community. Partnership working for the benefit of all is well established and the Community Strategy is widely supported. Community and Voluntary Sector groups are well developed and play a prominent role in the continued improvement of people’s quality of life in the District. People’s physical, spiritual and mental health has improved and there are lower rates of coronary heart disease and teenage pregnancy. Levels of crime and the fear of crime are significantly lower than 7 years ago, helped by the reduced levels of drug abuse. The local economy is buoyant with high levels of employment providing household incomes at the average for the region. Formal education, vocational and workforce training has produced a better skilled workforce and a closer match between those skills and the needs of local employers. In 2010 North West Leicestershire has achieved a good reputation as an attractive district to live in and to visit. The local environment is clean and safe and the District as a whole is making its contribution to reducing global environmental problems by using resources efficiently. Public services such as, doctors, dentists, libraries, schools, leisure and cultural facilities are accessible and opportunities are equally available to everyone. Facilities are close to where people live or are accessible through improved public and community transport. Information about these services is easy to find and their provision is responsive to local needs. Overall, our communities are more sustainable than in the past and economic and social inequalities are significantly reduced.
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Challenges Facing North West Leicestershire To achieve the sort of conditions and quality of life set out in the Vision, the Partnership for Improving North West Leicestershire and other organisations and individuals will have to work together to overcome a range of challenges. Where are we now? North West Leicestershire is a pleasant rural area served by 2 market towns, Coalville and Ashby de la Zouch along with 4 principal villages, Castle Donington, Measham, Ibstock and Kegworth. The A42 from Birmingham and the West Midlands forms the main spine road through the district, joining the M1 and the Stoke- Derby link in the north of the district, near Kegworth and Castle Donington,, providing good access to the East Midlands Airport and Donington Park motor racing circuit. We have succeeded in improving the unsightly areas around Coalville and in the south western part of the District left by the coal mining industry. There has been a considerable amount of new industrial and housing development on former mine sites – whilst others have been reclaimed and landscaped. The principal tourist attraction is the National Forest and Visitor Centre at Moira, to the west of Ashby, along with the Snibston Museum and Discovery Park in Coalville. We have high levels of employment. The District is a very pleasant place in which to live and work. What we need to do Whilst unemployment levels in the District are below the national average, there is still a great deal to be done to improve the quality of life of people living and working in the District. Average household income is the lowest in Leicestershire. We need to attract a wider variety of better quality jobs – and make sure that the people of North West Leicestershire have the opportunity to be trained to take advantage of them. Although the District has good road and air transport links to the rest of the country, the lack of good local rail links tends to encourage people to travel by car, adding to the congestion on the A42 and M1. There are still a number of areas where there are concentrations of high unemployment, low incomes and other social problems that develop under these circumstances – drug abuse, crime, ill health, low staying-on rates and poorer educational attainment at some schools, along with high levels of teenage pregnancy in some areas. These things do not just affect the people concerned; they affect us all. They can only be tackled by the co-ordinated efforts of everyone involved - in the public, private and voluntary sectors. Many of these problems are inter-related. That is why we need a Community Strategy. We need to have a co-ordinated approach and agreed priorities in order to tackle problems such as these. But there are also less evident things we need to tackle which affect large numbers of people in North West Leicestershire. Many people living in rural areas have difficulty in getting to some Challenges 8 Page 95 services and facilities – particularly essential services. We need to look at more imaginative ways of bringing services out into the community – perhaps by sharing premises or sharing staff - and also at ways of providing better public transport links between rural areas and service centres. It is no good having bus services if they do not take people to services or leisure facilities at the time they need to use them – and get them back! Our Town Centres are showing signs of decline. There are a number of empty shops in both Coalville and Ashby. Town Centres not only serve our needs but they can make a big impression on people and firms thinking of moving to the area. So it is important that we continue to improve the range of services and shops as well as the physical environment and character of our centres. Better standards of building design, well maintained public and private spaces and good public art would all help to improve the attractiveness of our centres. Shop owners and major retailers need to play an active part in the promotion of our town centres, as do cultural and leisure organisations - particularly for the evening economy. We also need to look at the needs of young people, old people and people with disabilities. Young people are the country’s future resource. We need to understand their needs and the pressures they face. We need to do all we can to establish true community values in young people at an early age – this means that a wide range of organisations, both public and voluntary, will need to work together in a co-ordinated way. There is a considerable amount of effort already being put in by a large number of people, including the development of a Youth Council, but the things we do are not always co-ordinated to achieve the best effect. The Challenge All service providers, and indeed the Partnership for Improving North West Leicestershire, have the challenge of understanding and responding to local concerns. One of the biggest challenges is to find effective ways to gather balanced views and ideas from all sectors of the public – not just from those who are able to shout the loudest. At the same time, many of the members of our Partnership, as well as other service providers, have to meet obligations and targets set by National Government. These include the contribution we are expected to make towards tackling global issues, such as climate change, pollution and the wasteful use of resources. Things that can also affect people outside the confines of North West Leicestershire.
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Our Strategy The North West Leicestershire Community Strategy sets out how we intend to work together on four themes: Community Spirit and Involvement, Personal Well Being, An Attractive Place to Live and Work, and how to improve Access to Services. There are many links between these themes. Achieving success in any of them will reinforce progress in the others. Key Issues A large number of consultations and discussions have taken place with local people, local organisations and voluntary groups over the past 18 months. We have looked at the main areas of concern that people feel need to be addressed if we are to continue to improve our quality of life. The following key issues have emerged from the consultation process as the most important things to tackle overall. Some need to be addressed primarily at the local level; others have wider implications and will require public, private and community service providers to reassess how they deliver their services, to ensure that they take into account people’s needs and priorities. • A desire to have greater Community Spirit and involvement • Access to Services – both providing transport such as buses to the right place at the right time and improving the availability of services generally • Better facilities and opportunities for young people • Revitalisation of town centres and preventing the decline of village centres • To feel reassured that we live in a safe place • A better street environment for all. Local Issues Major local concerns included noise and traffic related to East Midlands Airport and the Racing Circuit, the availability of doctors’ and dentists’ surgeries and access to health facilities, providing for the needs of older people, young people and people with disabilities, and concerns about areas affected by localised flooding. There was also a general desire to promote more sustainable living by improving recycling facilities and minimising waste.
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Our Approach These issues and concerns have been brought together in the Community Strategy under 4 main headings • Community Spirit and Involvement: The need to improve community spirit, responsibility and involvement of local people in supporting their community. • Personal Well Being: The need to tackle crime and disorder, drugs, generally improve our health, and tackle things that affect on our sense of well being. • An Attractive Place to Live and Work: The need to tackle environmental problems – particularly traffic dangers and noise, and to improve the street environment. • Access to Services: The need to improve access to services and facilities, including better public transport and improved information. All these things are interconnected. Even though we have separated out four key themes in our strategy, tackling any one of them is likely to help make improvements in the others. Our intention is to bring about real improvements and make sure that we provide fair and equal opportunities for everyone. That does not just mean local authorities and public service providers. It also means local firms and businesses, voluntary organisations – and not least, each one of us as individuals.
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THEME ONE: Community Spirit and Involvement Community Spirit is a difficult thing to measure or identify. There is a perception that there is a lack of community spirit in some areas. People say that it needs to be improved. Getting involved A reluctance of people to get involved in community activities and support local initiatives seems to be an underlying theme emerging from discussions with local people. In part this may be a reflection of people’s lifestyles – changing patterns of shopping, working out of the area, more choices of entertainment and people moving further from family and friends. The substantial amount of new housing development that has taken place in some areas is also felt to have resulted in an imbalance some communities. Decision Making There is a feeling that decisions that affect us are made without us really having an effective way of making our own feelings and desires known. Different generations also seem to have different social values and behaviours. This can create divisions between people of different age groups. Projects and Activities A feeling of Community Sprit often comes from working on projects and activities in a collective way, such as building or improving a Village Hall, taking part in community celebrations like fetes, becoming a school governor or being informed about what is happening locally. This sort of involvement brings different people together and can create a sense of belonging and an understanding and acceptance of different attitudes. Individuals Creating a sense of community spirit and belonging is really down to each of us as individuals. But there are also things that the Partnership for Improving North West Leicestershire can do that will encourage and foster a sense of community and belonging. This could include supporting volunteering, making sure advice is available about organising and funding community projects and finding better ways of including people in decision-making through consultation. The Community Strategy can help provide the framework – but only local people can make the difference. Aims • To increase people’s sense of belonging and involvement in their community and contribute to peoples enjoyment. • To develop a strong sense of Civic Pride in North West Leicestershire. • To develop strong communities where people feel that they have a say in the future.
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What’s Already Happening? Community appraisals There is already a great deal of activity in many local communities that is helping to foster community spirit. Many villages are developing Village Appraisals and Parish Plans setting out what local people feel should be done to improve their communities. A similar approach is now being taken in our two towns with the development of the Ashby and Coalville Market Town Initiatives. These will bring people together to agree how these town centres could be improved. Clubs and Groups There are a large number of local clubs and community organisations in North West Leicestershire. These rely on local people putting in a lot of time and effort. Many are helped and supported by grants from local authorities and other organisations such as the Leicestershire Rural Partnership, as well as the private sector. There are tenants and residents associations, neighbourhood watch schemes, and a large number of sporting clubs as well as local history and natural history groups. Community Events Community events, sports and arts are promoted and supported throughout the District, including events such as ‘Picnic in the Park’ and Christmas in Coalville. Some villages hold annual fetes, theme weeks and processions, but these often rely on a small number of individuals. Voluntary Sector The voluntary sector, through the Council for Voluntary Services in particular, organises and supports a wide range of services and contributes to getting people interested and involved. Consultation There is also an increasing amount of consultation with local people about all sorts of activities and decisions. This could be developed further. Targets The Partnership for Improving North West Leicestershire has set some targets, which will contribute to increasing the sense of Community Spirit and involvement in the district by 2010. The Partnership would like to: • Increase turn-out at Parish, District and County Council Elections to above the East Midlands average. • Increase by 10% the number of young people (14 –19 year olds) represented on Management Committees of voluntary organisations. (provisional target) • See 95% of all Parent and Community School Governors posts filled. • Every village and urban neighbourhood to have completed a village appraisal or similar local assessment. • Increase the number of successful bids by local voluntary and community organisations to funders such as the Lottery by 20%. (provisional target) • Increase the number of hours given by volunteers by 20%. (provisional target) • Increase the percentage of people involved in a voluntary community activity by 20% (for example involvement in
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Tenants and Residents Associations Neighbourhood Watch or local group). (provisional target) Actions Some of the most significant actions that we are proposing are to: • Create a co-ordinated approach to consultation between members of our Partnership and others to get a better cross section of community views and aspirations. • Further develop a support system for local organisations to assist them in developing projects and winning the money to make them happen. • Consult and actively involve Young people in identifying & providing for their own needs. (For example by improving their representation on organising and decision-making bodies). • Implement the recommendations of the North West Leicestershire Cultural Strategy – “Growing Together” • Continue to develop new and flexible ways for people to vote at elections. • Promote volunteering and in particular to create opportunities for company volunteering schemes. • Develop an events and tourism infrastructure and increase the capacity for local communities to hold local events, meetings and activities.
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THEME TWO: Personal Well Being There are many things that affect our personal sense of well- being. Personal circumstances such as family relationships, how well we get on with our neighbours, our state of health, how much we earn, the quality of our housing - all affect our sense of well- being. Some people have to deal with a disability, or are particularly vulnerable because of mental health or learning difficulties. There are also other more general things that affect the way we feel - the level of crime the availability of opportunities for education and the ability to participate in social activities like sport, play, art and evening classes. As the Partnership for Improving North West Leicestershire we believe there are four main areas where we can take action to help improve people’s personal well-being; • improving health, • reducing the fear of crime and improving people’s safety, • improving education and training achievements, and • improving the local economy. Equality We recognise the need make the opportunities created available to everyone whatever their background or circumstances – particularly vulnerable and disabled people and their carers. Personal Health North West Leicestershire has a higher than average rate of coronary heart disease, long term disability and teenage pregnancy. There are also significant health inequalities. Public and voluntary sector service providers can help to improve health by working together to promote healthy living and better diets and by informing and educating people about healthier lifestyles. We can promote exercise, access to leisure centres and other facilities. But it is only by health agencies, schools, , youth workers, faith communities and voluntary organisations working together that we can make a real difference. Fear of Crime Crime and the fear of crime can also affect our well being. Even if we do not suffer directly from crime ourselves, there is the stress and worry that we may be affected either at home or in the street. That means making our streets and built environments safer through better lighting, CCTV, and by providing reassurance through community workers, wardens, policing and neighbourhood watch schemes. It also means tackling safety on the roads and reducing the number of serious injuries and fatal accidents. Education & Training Improving employment prospects in the district also means tackling education and training. The educational attainment of our young people in some areas, such as Coalville, is below the County average. There is also a relatively low take up by local businesses of programmes such as ‘Investors in People’, which encourages and supports businesses in providing appropriate training and development for their staff. Finding ways to encourage businesses to support their workforce will have an impact on people’s sense of personal well-being as well as on the local economy. Income Our well being also depends on having a reasonable income to support our families and ourselves. Although North West Personal Well Being 15 Page 102
Leicestershire has low levels of unemployment our average household income is below the regional average, and that is in a region where average household income is also lower than the national average. Working with agencies such as the East Midlands Regional Development Agency (emda) and the Leicester Shire Economic Partnership, we can find ways of attracting businesses that provide higher quality jobs with better pay. This could include attracting modern businesses such as internet, media and design companies. We can also contribute by making sure that those in most need take up the benefits they are entitled to. Aims Our aims are to: • Improve the physical, mental and spiritual health of people in North West Leicestershire. • Reduce inequalities in health between different groups and areas in the District. • People to feel reassured and safer on the street and at home. • Improve the skills and knowledge of people in the District. • Ensure an adequate supply of quality affordable housing with high energy efficiency. • Attract and develop new businesses that provide long-term and higher paid jobs. • Make sure we treat everyone fairly and understand people’s different needs, whatever their background and circumstances.
What’s Already Happening? Health There is already a huge amount of work being undertaken in the District to help improve people’s personal circumstances. The recently established Primary Care Trust is working with the County and District Councils and others, for example, to provide more sexual health counselling in schools and youth clubs. There are initiatives like Resolution to help and support people in giving up smoking cigarettes - a major factor in coronary heart disease. There is also a Health Forum which brings different agencies and service users together to co-ordinate health improvement activity. There is an excellent GP referral scheme where GP’s prescribe physical activity programmes at local leisure centres, rather than drugs, for a range of physical and mental health problems. Crime & Safety The North West Leicestershire Partnership in Safer Communities, formed four years ago, has established a range of projects aimed at tackling key community safety issues through the Crime and Disorder Reduction Strategy. There has been an increase in the number of police hours spent in the community, the introduction of closed circuit television(CCTV) and a programme of placing speed safety cameras at accident hot spots. Housing Clear links have been established between the quality of housing and the health of the population. North West Leicestershire is making a good progress in meeting the Decent Homes Standard for all public housing. The Council’s planned maintenance Personal Well Being 16 Page 103
programme concentrates on works to improve energy efficiency. A stock condition survey is to be carried out to determine levels of unfitness and energy efficiency in the private sector. Education Responsibility for schools rests primarily with the County Council, which has identified Coalville as an Education Improvement Zone. Over £100,000 of additional funding has been secured to help tackle low attainment levels and low staying on rates at schools in this area. Adult education is provided through a variety of means and the Learning and Skills Council is working closely with local schools and colleges to encourage the take up of courses that lead to qualifications. Project Partnerships Partnership working between different agencies is well established. For example, a Community Action Zone and partnership has been established in the Greenhill ward in Coalville – one of the 20% most deprived wards in the country. The Greenhill Community Action Zone is developing new ways of working to tackle a range of social and economic issues to help create a better life for the people who live there. Credit Union Significant quality of life improvements have been achieved through a range of projects and initiatives both locally and more generally, including the development of a Credit Union. Jobs The development of the local economy has recently focussed on attracting higher quality jobs and increasing tourism in the District, building on the presence of the National Forest. This is already creating jobs and attracting other new businesses. Strategies are also to be developed for Ashby and Coalville to attract and retain businesses. Targets The Partnership for Improving North West Leicestershire has set some targets, which it believes if met will contribute to everyone’s well being by 2010. These are to: • Reduce conception rates in teenage girls (under 17) each year to achieve a target reduction of 45% within 10 years. • Work towards the reduction in the number of deaths of those under 75 with circulatory disease (from a rate per 100 000 population of 100.8 to 91.9). • Reduce the rate of smoking by 1% per year for women continuing to smoke throughout pregnancy and by a similar rate for other specific groups. • Achieve a target of 70% in influenza immunisation in people aged 65 and over. • Improve GCSE results to support the achievement of the County-wide target that at least 63% of 16 year olds should obtain 5 or more GCSEs by 2005. • Increase the % of residents who regularly participate in sport & physical activity to above the national average. • Increase the level of reassurance and feeling of personal safety to 90% (to be established from a community reassurance survey). • Reduce road casualties involving death or serious injury by 40%.
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• Increase average household income in the District to the regional average. • Increase the energy efficiency of the housing stock (private & public) to above the national average. • Three business a year to introduce an Investors in People Programme for all their staff (provisional target). Actions Some of the most significant actions that we are proposing are: • Develop additional drug treatment centres and facilities. • Take measures to improve roads with a focus on improving their safety, including introducing speed cameras. • Continue to develop “Safe Routes to Schools”. • Seek to secure funding and Recruit 10 Community Custodians (which may include special constables, neighbourhood wardens, and volunteers). • Continue to develop a co-ordinated health promotion campaign focussing on exercise, diet & drugs, (including cigarettes and alcohol). • Provide sexual health advice and support in schools and youth clubs. • Work with East Midlands Development Agency and the Leicester Shire Economic Development Partnership to attract high quality jobs. • Promote the establishment of the National Forest Railway line and a link to the main rail network. • Develop Community Action Zones in those areas with multiple social and economic needs. • Support the implementation of Crime and Disorder Reduction Strategy. • Carry out a housing stock condition survey by June 2003. • Prepare a private sector housing strategy by July 2003.
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THEME THREE: An Attractive Place to Live and Work Leisure Living, working and enjoying our leisure time in attractive surroundings has many benefits. We feel better, we’re likely to work harder and we’re likely to get more enjoyment from our leisure time. Businesses too benefit from an attractive environment. It encourages more people to use our services and spend their money in the district rather than elsewhere. An attractive and clean environment also benefits our physical and mental health. Our Environment We all want to enjoy a pleasant and attractive environment, litter free, with well maintained verges and pavements and no graffiti or fly posting. A pleasant and attractive environment outside our front door is one of the first things we want to see - free of litter and with well maintained verges and pavements. That is what we all expect. The quality of buildings also contributes to an attractive environment. We also want safe and pleasant places to walk and to cycle. It is also important to have safe and stimulating places where children can play and grow up. Trees, good public open spaces, town squares and village greens and “Public Art” all add to the attractiveness of the District. Natural Environment The quality and diversity of the natural environment is also important. Having attractive countryside, good quality parks and recreation grounds, which are easy to get to and pleasant places to take friends when they come to visit, helps to make us feel where we live is attractive. A lot of progress has been made in improving the environment especially clearing up industrial dereliction. The development of the National Forest and the creation of ecological sites and habitats have made a big difference to the area.
Built Environment The quality of the built environment is also extremely important - not just for our enjoyment but also for our economy. The attractiveness of Town and Village Centres can encourage visitors. This helps to support local businesses. The creation of good quality Civic Space such as town squares - and the presence of public art, can make a significant contribution to the attractiveness of the District. An attractive environment can also influence investment decisions – for example, where a company wishes to locate.
Noise and Pollution There are also the things that we cannot see that make a difference, such as having low levels of pollution, knowing that we are contributing to protecting the wider environment by recycling and reducing emissions of gases that contribute to climate change. Noise is another factor that can reduce the attractiveness of the places we live and the quality of our lives. East Midlands Airport and Donington Race Circuit are both places that generate noise that causes concern but at the same time they provide jobs and opportunities as well as facilities for other businesses.
Action as Individuals Tackling some of these issues requires everybody to play their part. Litter, for instance, doesn’t just appear - people drop it. It
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would be better if we could stop the problem rather than have to pay to clear up the mess that we make. Similarly recycling, reducing air pollution and using less energy to protect the global environment, are things that we can take action about ourselves.
Partnership Action There are also things that the Partnership for Improving North West Leicestershire can do to help people protect the attractive District that we live in. We can promote higher standards of building design. We can take the lead by seeking to reduce the energy we use and we can look at ways of using renewable energy. We can develop more cycle routes and footpaths. We can provide information about how people can use the countryside without disrupting the lives of people who live and work there. We can create the conditions that discourage people from dropping litter and we can encourage people to recycle by providing better and more convenient facilities. Aims Our aims are to: • Improve the physical street environment. • Improve the quality of parks, open spaces and other public places and provide better facilities for play. • Make the local environment more ‘friendly’ - particularly for people with disabilities and children. • Protect and improve the physical and natural environment. • Minimise the impact of noise from East Midlands Airport and Donington Race Circuit. • Improve the physical appearance of Town and Village Centres. • Make North West Leicestershire an even more desirable place to live and visit - a place we can be proud of. What’s Already Happening? Litter The District Council already undertakes a large amount of work to maintain the street environment and to remove litter, fly posters and graffiti from public spaces. Open Spaces The District and Parish Councils maintain parks and play areas. A range of Country Parks have been developed by the County Council and by private landowners through National Forest initiatives. The National Forest contributes massively to the attraction of the District and plays a significant role in promoting the area as an attractive place to visit. Recycling and Pollution There are a wide range of facilities that enable people to recycle - including Kerbside Collections of paper and other recyclable materials in some areas. The Local Transport Plan has actions to help reduce pollution from travelling by seeking improvements to public transport and by improving cycling facilities. Businesses, schools, and individuals can also get support and advice to help them reduce the impact they have on the environment, particularly by reducing energy consumption and using materials more efficiently. Noise Whilst East Midlands Airport helps to contribute to the local economy there are major concerns about the impact of noise at night. Although the Secretary of State has recently declined to Attractive Place to Live and Work 20 Page 107 take action himself to control night noise, the Partnership for Improving North West Leicestershire will press for controls and improvements to provide an acceptable environment for local people. Targets The Partnership for Improving North West Leicestershire has set some targets, which it believes if met will increase the attractiveness of North West Leicestershire for people who live and work here.
• Recycle 33% of household waste and reduce the amount of waste going to landfill by 20% by 2010, compared to 2000 levels. • 20% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions (in the district) below 1990 levels by 2010 (provisional target). • Increase visitors to North West Leicestershire by 10% by 2010. • Increase people’s satisfaction with parks and open spaces to 90%. (provisional target) • Three business a year to write and publish an environmental policy (provisional target). Actions Some of the most significant actions that we are proposing are: • An audit and needs assessment of the open space, play and recreation needs of the District. • More Kerbside Recycling and Green Waste Collections. • Additional cycle paths (multi use trails) and improvements to footpaths (following the cycling strategy and network plan). • Develop a Play Strategy • Promote and develop tourism. • Develop initiatives for promoting arts in the community. • Develop a “Best Kept Ward” competition sponsored by local businesses in urban areas. • Implement the recommendations of the North West Leicestershire Cultural Strategy “Growing Together” • Develop an “Environmental Buildings Standard” for new development that promotes energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy. • Promote Workplace Travel Plans for larger businesses to help reduce car usage, pollution and road congestion. • Contribute to the National Forest Tree Planting Target to secure 500 hectares of new planting each year in the National Forest, by promoting schemes within North West Leicestershire.
Attractive Place to Live and Work 21 Page 108
THEME FOUR: Access to Services Being able to get to local services, such as shops, dentists’ and doctors’ surgeries, leisure facilities, libraries and schools, when we need them, is critical for everyday life.
Local Services There are a number of things that affect how easy it is to get access to services - how close the services are to where we live, the availability of public transport to get us there and back - and of course the cost. This is particularly important to young people, older people who are less mobile and people with disabilities - and people without access to a car.
Knowing about Services Knowing what services are available and how to find out about them is essential if we are to be able to make best use of them. Information also needs to be accessible to people with visual and hearing impairments. Being able to make use of several different services on the same trip, because they are close together, is also important. The opening times of services are also important so that we can make use of them at convenient times. Buildings and all forms of public transport need to be physically accessible to people with disabilities, parents with pushchairs and people who are less mobile. The need to improve access to services has emerged from our consultations as an important priority for people in North West Leicestershire.
Access to Services There are a number of things that could be done in the coming years to improve access to services. Bringing services closer to where people live and at the same time improving the provision of public transport to provide access to more distant services will have an impact. Making sure that information about services is more easily available and accessible to everyone and that the services themselves are accessible to disabled people will also help improve people’s ability to get the most out of these services. Aims Our Aims are to: • Improve access to public services and local shopping for everyone, especially people who have difficulty in getting to them. • Improve access to service information for everyone. • Increase the range of shops and services available. What’s Already Happening? Service Improvements The District Council, The Primary Care Trust, Leicestershire County Council, The Police and other public service providers, including voluntary and community organisations, already work extremely hard to provide good access to the services that they provide. Many of these organisations have detailed consumer service plans to improve their services and their availability. New initiatives like Sure Start have been developed to provide support to families with children under four years old. The County Council is seeking to improve all its services through its Better Access to Better Services Initiative, so that all Access to Services 22 Page 109
Leicestershire people can access services in the way they prefer. The District Council is also consulting people about its services to make them more responsive to people’s needs. The Primary Care Trust is constantly trying to make health services more convenient and accessible. Organisations such as the Leicestershire Rural Partnership and Rural Community Council play a vital role in delivering practical projects, which can make a real difference to people living and working in rural Leicestershire. There are also a number of “One-Stop-Shops”, such as those at Ibstock and Measham, which provide a wide range of local and service information in one place. Internet facilities and training is provided for local people at Measham, Moira and Appleby in addition to facilities at local colleges.
Public Transport There is a range of initiatives to improve public transport in the District. The voluntary sector runs a Dial-a-Ride scheme, the District Council has provided transport to Leisure Centres when there has been sufficient demand. Special needs transport is provided by the County Council. Subsidies are available for public transport in rural areas and grants are available to Parish Councils to develop innovative community transport projects. Many of these initiatives are promoted by the county-wide Local Transport Plan.
Market Towns The Market Towns Initiatives for Ashby and Coalville are also looking at how to improve these market towns as hubs for business, shopping and services. We will also be looking at the main villages, which provide services for rural areas.
Schools and Colleges The facilities at community colleges and some schools are open outside school hours for use by the community, some in partnership with the District Council. There are also programmes such as “Leisure Link” which provide subsidised or free leisure activities for those on means-tested benefit.
User Forums Planning and delivering services is often complex. Services often have to be provided with very limited resources. Service users are consulted about the best ways to manage and deliver services through Forums such as the Health Forum and the Disability Forum. Targets The Partnership for Improving North West Leicestershire has set some targets, which it believes if met will make services more accessible by 2010. • 95% of all households within 13 minutes walk of an hourly or better bus service by 2005/6. • Seek to secure more convenient and accessible public or community transport to market towns and other service centres and key community facilities at the times they are required, where there is sufficient demand to sustain such services. • Getting through to the right person in a public agency to answer a query will take no more than two phone calls. • All public buildings will be accessible to people with disabilities by 2004 and will comply with the Disability Discrimination Act.
Access to Services 23 Page 110
Actions Some of the most significant actions we are proposing are: • Extend services like dial-a-ride and other innovative forms of community transport. • Develop a directory of services available for people in North West Leicestershire, and make this available “on-line”. • Make an “on-line” service directory available to all service providers. • Extend the hours that leisure and community centres, schools and colleges open their facilities to the wider community at affordable prices. • Develop a network of publicly accessible Internet facilities. • Work with businesses to promote our two Market Towns and principal service villages and develop their facilities and services. • Develop the shared use of facilities by different service providers, increasing “one-stop” use. • Support the implementation of the local Transport Plan. • Improve services and facilities for young and elderly people.
Access to Services 24 Page 111
…… and in Conclusion If we really want to make things happen - and make a difference, we will all have to play our part - as service providers, as local organisations, as voluntary groups and as individuals. The requirement to produce a Community Strategy means that, for the first time, local people and organisations have a clear route, through the Partnership for Improving North West Leicestershire, to get their views across to service providers and policy makers. By working together we should be able to combine resources and co-ordinate activities to best effect - so that as ordinary citizens we get a better deal and work towards agreed changes and improvements. We all have the opportunity to contribute to the strategy - and to making things happen.
Conclusion 25 Page 112
The Partnership for Improving North West Leicestershire
List of Members
The Partnership for Improving North West Leicestershire Board is responsible for producing this draft strategy. The members are listed below.
Cllr John Fisher (Chairman) North West Leicestershire District Council Rev. G Glasius Voluntary Sector Representative Mick Wells Charnwood &North West Leicestershire Primary Care Trust Vacant Secondary Education Representative Mr Max Boden Leicestershire Chamber of Trade & Industry Inspector Jez Cottrill North West Leicestershire Partnership in Safer Communities Chief Superintendent I.R. Stripp Leicestershire Constabulary Mrs G Smith NW Leicestershire Association of Parish Councils Cllr F Straw North West Leicestershire District Council Mr D Raith Higher Education Representative Reverend J Stevenson Faith Representative Mr J Lee Job Centre (District Manager) Cllr Lesley Pendleton Leicestershire County Council Cllr Alison H Harrop NW Leicestershire Health Forum
This membership may change as the partnership becomes more established.
26 Page 113
Index
A H
Arts · 7, 13, 15, 21 Health · 7, 11, 15, 16 public art · 9, 19 coronary heart disease · 16 Ashby · 8, 9, 13, 17, 23 mental · 16 mental · 15 services · 22 C Housing · 12, 15 affordable · 16 Castle Donington · 8 Children · 19, 20, 22 Civic Pride · 7, 12 I Climate Change · 19 Coalville · 8, 9, 13, 15, 17, 23 Ibstock · 8 Community Action Zone · 17, 18 Income · 8 Community Wardens · 15, 18 household · 7, 15, 18 Consultation · 2, 4, 5, 6, 10, 12, 13, 14, 22, 23 Internet · 24 Credit Unions · 17 Investors in People · 18 Crime and disorder · 6, 7, 8, 11, 15, 16, 18 Crime and Disorder · 15 K
D Kegworth · 8
Disabled People · 9, 10, 15, 22, 23 Drug Abuse · 8, 11, 18 L
Learning and Skills Council · 17 E Leisure · 7, 9, 15, 22, 23 Libraries · 22 East Midlands Airport · 10, 19, 20 Litter · 19, 20, 21 East Midlands Development Agency · 16, 18 Economy cultural industries · 16 M local · 15 Education · 15 Market Towns · 13, 23 adult · 17 Measham · 8 schools · 7, 15, 22, 23 training · 15 Education Improvement Zone · 17 N Employment · 7, 8, 16, 19 Environment National Forest · 8, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 energy efficiency · 18 Noise · 10, 19, 20 global · 7, 9, 19, 21 local · 7, 10, 19, 20 O F Older People · 9, 10, 22 One-Stop-Shops · 23 Faith · 15 Flooding · 10 P G Parish Councils · 23 Parks · 19, 20, 21 Graffiti · 19 Pollution · 19, 20, 21 Greenhill · 17
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R
Recycling · 19, 20, 21 Road Safety · 15, 16, 18
S
Shops · 9, 22
T
Teenage Pregnancy · 8, 15, 17 Toung People · 24 Tourism · 17, 21 Town Centres · 9, 10 Traffic Accidents · 18 Transport cycling · 19, 20, 21 Local Transport Plan · 20, 23 National links · 8 public · 7, 9, 10, 20, 22, 23 railways · 18 walking · 19
V
Village Appraisals · 13 Volunteering · 13, 14
Y
Young People · 9, 13, 14, 16, 22
28 Page 115
Please return to: Customer Care NWLDC FREEPOST MID22264 Coalville LE67 3RK or goto www.nwleics.gov.uk Community Strategy Response Form 1. How well do you think the Draft Strategy covers the most important issue for North West Leicestershire? Very Well Well Not Well Not Very Well
2. Have we identified the most important things to tackle in North West Leicestershire? Yes No
3. Please tell us about anything important we have missed?
4. Please list the three most important things you think need to be tackled locally. 1
2
3
5. Please tell us about any specific parts of the Strategy that you disagree with. (see the following page for specific comments)
29 Community Spirit & Involvement Personal Well-Being
Aims Aims
Targets Targets
Actions Actions
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An Attractive Place to Live & Work Access to Services
Aims Aims
Targets Targets
Actions Actions
30
Page 117
31 Page 118 Page 119
APPENDIX 2
CONSULTATION DRAFT NORTH WEST LEICESTERSHIRE COMMUNITY STRATEGY
DETAILED COMMENTS
General
Many of the targets in the County Council’s Best Value Performance Plan, Public Service Agreement and Medium Term Corporate Strategy and departmental service plans will contribute to the aspirations and actions in the draft Strategy.
An overall aim should be to “work in partnership with the Leicestershire Local Strategic Partnership and the Leicester Shire Economic Partnership to achieve the Partnership for Improving North West Leicestershire’s aims”.
The County Council will be able to assist with developing a co-ordinated approach to consultation. Work is well underway to develop a consultation toolkit and at the last Leicestershire LSP meeting on April 16th it was agreed that a county-wide network of representatives be established to develop this on a partnership basis across the county.
Vision (page 7)
The vision statement envisages a “buoyant local economy with high levels of employment providing household incomes higher than the average for the region.” However, economic development, inward investment and work do not feature significantly in the consultation document and the inclusion of economic actions consistent with the objectives of the Leicester and Leicestershire Economic Regeneration Strategy 2007-2012 is suggested..
Theme 1 – Community Spirit and Involvement
Possible additions to 'What’s already happening?' - Libraries support community involvement by providing “neutral” community space, promoting community activities and making local information available. The government’s vision for libraries includes contributing to community identity and developing citizenship. - Substantial funding has been invested in community facilities and activities of local clubs and groups through the Leicestershire and South Derbyshire Coalfields Regeneration Partnership through its East Midlands Development Agency funded Rural Priority Programme, SRB programmes, European Programmes and Foot and Mouth Initiative.
Suggested additional 'Targets/Actions' - Maximise and promote the use of community space in venues such as libraries etc. - Target people who may feel excluded from community activities particularly people with disabilities, learning disabilities and travellers - Consult and actively involve the learning disability locality planning group in identifying service gaps and developing proposals to bridge the gaps. - Work with people with a range of disabilities to identify ways in which community services can be more inclusive
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Theme 2 – Personal Well Being
Possible additions to 'What’s already happening?' - Libraries support formal and informal learning through access to information and support and training in the use of information technology. All libraries now provide free access to Internet. - Reader development activities in libraries promote the social and personal benefits of reading in terms of health and well being. - The Supporting People Partnership has produced the Shadow Supporting People Strategy for housing related support services for vulnerable people in the county. This will be replaced by a five-year strategy in 2003. The Council has increased the range of supported housing to meet the needs of a number of vulnerable groups. - The Leicestershire Learning Disability Partnership Board has produced the Learning Disability Housing Strategy to develop housing and support services for people with learning disabilities in the county. There are many people in the district with learning disabilities who require a range of support services. - The Council (Social Services) is piloting the promotion of assistive technology to support people with dementia to continue to live more safely in their home. - The Credit Union is supported by Leicestershire County Council and SRB funding.
Possible additional 'Targets/Actions' - Work with Welfare to work' initiative to encourage people with mental ill health and learning disabilities to take up employment opportunities. - Encourage the provision of a range of housing tenures in the district including housing with support. - Increase the range of housing with support available in the district for all vulnerable groups. - Continue to work with partners to develop a range of support services for vulnerable people in the community - Undertake, in partnership with Supporting People, a housing support needs survey of vulnerable groups - Existing targets on community safety are set out in the District Crime and Disorder Reduction Strategy. - There are additional targets, including stretch on some existing CDRP targets, in the PSA agreement. Only one of the PSA targets (drugs) has a specifically stated geographic focus relating to Charnwood and North West
Theme 3 – An Attractive Place to Live and Work
Possible additions to 'What’s already happening?' - Open Spaces – Leicestershire and South Derbyshire Coalfields Regeneration Partnership has invested substantial resources to transform former colliery sites, through a programme of land reclamation, into high quality public open space. - The Ashby canal has been re-watered and re-opened in a multi-million pound investment programme, creating a new community and tourism facility of national importance. The canal work will be continued by Leicestershire County Council through the Leicester Shire Economic Partnership. - The National Forest Company, in partnership with the Rural Priority Area Programme, continues to develop green space for recreation and economic use in North West Leicestershire.
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- North West Leicestershire is a partner in the Leicestershire Municipal Waste Management Strategy, designed to deliver waste management and recycling targets across the county through to 2020.
Suggested Additional 'Targets and Actions' - Develop Market Towns Initiative and develop the findings of the emda funded Coalville Master Planning Exercise. - Target excluded groups that do not currently use leisure services and encourage wider participation. - Under first set of bullet points - Although the set target for Leicestershire as a whole is 33% recycling by 2005/06, this is a combination of different targets for each district and the county; the defined target for North West Leicestershire is 24%.
Theme 4 – Access to Services
Possible Additions to 'What’s already happening?' - Libraries play an important role in providing information about local and national services, including access to Internet. The County Council’s website provides links to many services and facilities. Library staff are trained to help people in finding information and referring them to appropriate services. • Castle Donington Library incorporates an ICT Centre with 6 public access computers and training support. • Coalville and Castle Donington Libraries provide videophones to enable deaf people to communicate with other services via an interpreter at the Centre for Deaf People. • Library Services will be involved in providing local training and support for local communities in the development of village websites. - Joint Service Shop established at District Council Offices. - SRB supported One Stop Shops have been developed across the District with voluntary sector partners and Stephenson College. - RPA and SRB funding is supporting service delivery in many rural communities through funding access to information services and training in village halls, community centres and for voluntary organisations. - The section on public transport rather understates the County Council's role - suggest adding at end of first sentence 'many funded and co-ordinated by the County Council'. Last sentence would better read 'Many of these initiatives are funded by the County Council in furtherance of policies set out in the countywide Local Transport Plan, and much of the work on rural transport is co-ordinated by the West Leicestershire Rural Transport Partnership.'
Suggested Additional 'Targets and Actions' - Replace “develop a network” with “extend and improve the network of publicly accessible Internet facilities” (bullet 5) - The end date on the first target (95% bus services) is actually 2004/05 - The first bullet point of the Actions could more precisely read 'extend services like dial- a-ride to give full coverage across the district' since that fits with our countywide target.
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APPENDIX 3
NORTH WEST LEICESTERSHIRE COMMUNITY STRATEGY
COMMENTS OF THE SCRUTINY COMMISSION
The Scrutiny Commission at its meeting on 28th June welcomed the Strategy and asked for the following comments to be drawn to the attention of the Cabinet:-
a) Vision
There appears to be insufficient recognition given to the particular economic conditions facing the District and how these might be addressed. The North West Leicestershire District Area, served as it is by an extremely good road network is clearly an attractive location for the warehousing and distribution trades which whilst providing jobs would not necessarily provide the higher paid jobs the Strategy envisaged. It is unclear how the Strategy and the partners propose to address this.
b) Challenges
(i) There appears to be insufficient consideration given to the potential impact, economically and environmentally, of any expansion to East Midlands Airport.
iii) The considerable impact the development of the National Forest could have in terms of environmental enhancement and the economic regeneration of the area (in terms of tourism) appears to be underplayed. The reference to tourism appears to deal solely with the threats rather than opportunities.
c) Targets/Actions
The inclusion of specific measurable targets within the document was welcomed. However the Panel was of the view that the document would be much improved if the Partnership could identify which of the targets would be achieved by individual agencies and which would be achieved by the partners working together, and the added value such joint action might bring. This in turn would enable the County Council, as a key partner in the delivery of the strategy, to be clear about its role.
Cabinet/100603/nwl comm strat Appendix3.doc Page 124 Page 125 Agenda Item 8
CABINET – 10th JUNE 2003
NON – REPORTABLE STRATEGIC TARGETS OF THE EARLY YEARS DEVELOPMENT AND CHILDCARE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN 2003 - 04
REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION
PART A
Purpose
1. The purpose of this report is to: a) inform the Cabinet of progress for 2002 – 03 against the strategic targets in Leicestershire’s Early Years Development and Childcare Implementation Plan, which are not required for submission to the DfES b) agree the objectives and priorities for 2003 – 04
Recommendations
2. Cabinet is recommended to
a) note the progress made against the strategic targets for 2002 – 03, and agree objectives and priorities for 2003-04, in Leicestershire’s Early Years Development and Childcare Implementation Plan
b) agree that the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership should be consulted on the objectives and priorities for 2003 – 04.
Reasons for Recommendations
3. The objectives and priorities for 2003 – 04 detail the further actions to be taken towards targets already agreed by County Council as part of the Strategic Plan 2001 – 04.
Timetable for Decisions
4. Cabinet 10th June 2003 Education Scrutiny Committee 11th June 2003
1 Page 126
Policy Framework and Previous Decisions
5. County Council agreed the three year Strategic Plan on 27th March 2001. Annual Implementation Plans were subsequently agreed by County Council on the 30th January 2002 and 29th January 2003.
Resource Implications
6. A full breakdown of Early Education and Childcare Funding for 2003 – 04 was given in the Implementation Plan submitted to the DfES, which was approved by the County Council (attached as Appendix B). All Implementation Plan delivery costs will be met from the funding outlined and the Early Years and Childcare Service Unit Budget. The Director of Resources has been consulted on this report and his comments incorporated.
Equal Opportunity Implications
7. Page 2 of Appendix A refers to the Childcare Tax Credit which is a Government initiative to ensure that the cost of childcare is not restrictive for those wishing to enter the workforce.
8. Page 5 of Appendix A refers to the appointment of an Officer with a specific remit for inclusion, to forward this area of work.
Members Advised under Sensitive Issues
9. None
Background Documents
Report of the Director of Education: Early Years Development & Childcare Partnership Strategic Plan 2001-04. Report of the Director of Education: The Early Years Development & Childcare Implementation Plan 2003-04.
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NON – REPORTABLE STRATEGIC TARGETS OF THE EARLY YEARS DEVELOPMENT AND CHILDCARE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN 2003 - 04
PART B Background
10. The DfES guidance in 2001 set out a three year plan for the development of early years and childcare plans for 2001 – 04, which included: • a three year Strategic Plan based on the government’s key targets with an indication of how they would be implemented locally. (Agreed by the County Council in March 2001) • annual Implementation Plans (Agreed by the County Council in March 2001, January 2002)
11. The DfES required a shortened annual Implementation Plan for 2003 – 04, which covered 14 strategic targets and included the creation of new childcare places, early education provision and OfSTED inspection outcomes, and area SENCo support and training for non – maintained providers. The plan was approved by the County Council in January 2003. Full approval has subsequently been received by the DfES.
12. The remaining targets (attached as Appendix A) will be incorporated into the Early Years and Childcare Service Plan for 2003 – 04. It is anticipated that the whole plan will be published for circulation throughout the county, as in previous years, in order to complete the three – year cycle and keep all stakeholders informed of progress and future developments.
Consultations
13. Subgroup members of the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership have worked in partnership with local authority officers in the development of targets. It is proposed that the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership should be consulted on these targets.
Recommendations
14. The Cabinet is requested to approve the progress, objectives and priorities of the non-reportable strategic targets of the Implementation Plan 2003 – 04, for inclusion into the Early Years and Childcare Service Plan
Officer to contact Jackie Strong, Director: Tel: 0116 265 6300 Education Department E-mail: [email protected]
Christine Cassell Tel: 0116 265 6468 Assistant Director Email: [email protected]
Margaret Aust, Service Manager, Tel: 0116 265 6552 Early Years and Childcare Email: [email protected] 3 Page 128
A P P E N D I X A
Non – reportable Strategic Targets of the Early Years Development and Childcare Implementation Plan 2003 – 04
To ensure that a minimum of 80% of all NOF sponsored out of • ensure all new Out of School providers work towards a school childcare places remain viable and available five years recognised quality assurance scheme after established. To have set up, by 2004, two childminding networks. Progress during 2002-2003 The NOF sponsored Out of School programme started in October Progress during 2002-2003 2000. To-date, 100% of all NOF sponsored Out of School childcare Leicestershire has achieved accreditation by the National places in Leicestershire remain viable and available. Childminding Association for its first Childminding Network. Systems Page 129 The coordinated approach between the Out of School Development, have been developed within the Children’s Information Servcie to Finance and Business Support and Childcare Development and promote it to parents, and promotional literature has been produced. Support teams has been successful in monitoring new and existing A resource library has been established for Network members. Out of School provision, promoting training, networks, facilitating events and enabling the sharing of good practice. Leicestershire has Objectives and Priorities for 2003-2004 been successful in accessing second and third year funding through To: the Neighbourhood Childcare Initiative for Out of School provision in • ensure the Network is accredited by OfSTED so that members areas of disadvantage. can receive Nursery Education funding for 3 and 4 year olds • maintain the Network by providing ongoing assessment and Objectives and Priorities for 2003-2004 monitoring visits and identifying training needs To: • work with the Menphys Specialist Outreach Service to extend • continue to adopt a coordinated approach to support Out of further the existing network of childminders, offering support for School providers families and children with special educational needs and/or • continue to develop awareness and understanding of integrated disabilities provision and wrap-around childcare to help providers remain • work with Social Services to establish a Community Daycare viable Network to provide childcare for children in need • facilitate the development and sustainability of the Out of School • ensure that appropriate training is identified and made available Provider Network, training and information events for all providers who are members of the Leicestershire networks •
To have aided the conversion, by 2004, of playgroup places to To keep the Childcare Tax Credit under review to ensure it daycare provision provides affordable, accessible, quality childcare for all low income groups and pre – school as well as after school care To significantly boost integrated services by converting early and to ensure take – up increases, with inter-departmental education places for 3 and 4 year olds to wrap monitoring to start by December 2000. around/integrated facilities Progress during 2002-2003 Progress during 2002-2003 A publicity campaign and literature for parents, providers and Leicestershire achieved 243 wrap-around places up to September employers has helped promote the Working Families and Childcare 2002, against a DfES imposed target of 373. The shortfall can be Tax Credits, particularly in hard – to – reach and socially traced to a reduction in new childcare places created in 2001 – 02, disadvantaged areas of the county. National data shows that due to the transfer of registration and inspection of providers to Leicestershire currently has a 14.1% take – up of the Credits, which Ofsted from Social Services. However, 433 new wrap-around places compares favourably with statistical neighbours. Development work, have already been created during 2002 – 03, which exceeds the with providers who have secured NOF funding to increase Out of DfES target of 375 up to September 2003. School places, has been particularly successful in promoting take – Page 130 Development work has been undertaken by all Service teams to up of the tax credits with its parents. enable providers to extend the childcare provision offered, although providers have indicated in the recent provider survey, that the use Objectives and Priorities for 2003-2004 of community premises, for example church halls, provides the To: greatest barrier to the extension of provision. • develop a package of support for all types of provision to promote the tax credits to parents, based on the Out of Objectives and Priorities for 2003-2004 School model To: • develop and distribute new literature, which reflects recent • create 377 new wrap-around places by September 2004 changes in Tax Credits • develop a package of information and support to providers, • liaise with employers and Job Centre Childcare Coordinators which includes: to promote the Tax Credits to parents looking to promotional literature access/return to work workshops funding opportunites • continue to work in partnership with other agencies and development workers, to ensure that a coordinated approach is maintained.
2
To boost recruitment at national and local level so as to expand significantly the workforce for early years, childcare and play workers to meet the demand of expanding services.
Progress during 2002-2003 The national Recruitment Campaign, to attract and retain staff in the • ensure that data is updated regularly within the childcare sector, has been supported in Leicestershire by: Children’s Information Service, so that it district Choosing Childcare Roadshows accurately reflects the current position district Making Choices courses • evaluate the Recruitment Campaign outcomes Volunteering conference and workshops to influence future strategies Finding and Keeping Staff workshops Promotional literature has been produced, videos for use in Job Centres and at careers conferences have been established, as have links with Job Centre Childcare Coordinators. A Training and Recruitment Worker has been appointed to the Early
Years and Childcare Service, to ensure that comprehensive advice Page 131 and information is maintained and training coordinated. A Vacancy Service for providers, via a website, continues to operate.
Objectives and Priorities for 2003-2004 To: • continue Leicestershire’s Recruitment Campaign, which includes all of the above initiatives, as well as: a fully translated Making Choices Course to attract people from the Bengali community infrastructure development work in rural areas, involving links and seminars with key organisations, a research project and mapping exercise of providers and a capacity building stategy • ensure that the work of the Service teams coordinates with and dovetails the Recruitment Campaign
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To increase the recruitment of the following under-represented To ensure that, by 2001 – 04, all settings delivering the groups; men, people with disabilities, ethnic minorities and Foundation Stage have identified and trained a SENCO, people aged 40 and over. responsible for establishing and implementing the settings SEN policy, with a target that setting – based SENCOs should Progress during 2002-2003 have benefited from an average of 3 days relevant training by A telephone survey of providers, with an 85% return, gave the 2004. following statistics regarding under – represented groups within the sector workforce: Progress during 2002-2003 men 1% Leicestershire has established the Early Years SEN Inclusion Team ethnic minorities 2.6% to ensure the delivery of this target, the work of which is people 40 years and over 31.3% supplemented by the Menphys Specialist Outreach Service, a people with disabilities 1.5% charitable trust, which supports childminders and non – validated settings. All Leicestershire’s validated settings have identified a Objectives and Priorities for 2003-2004 Special Educational Needs Coordinator, with 85% attending two Page 132 To days of training. Non – attenders have been identified for ‘sweeping • analyse the baseline workforce audit to establish realistic targets – up’ sessions and have received advice and support. Consultation for under represented groups in Leicestershire has been undertaken for future training and the issue of behaviour • ensure that the work of the Service teams management has been highlighted. A database has been coordinates with and dovetails the Recruitment established to track and monitor training provided. Campaign • continue to liaise closely with Outreach Objectives and Priorities for 2003-2004 Development Workers to build on existing work To: and initiatives undertaken in targeted areas of • continue Leicestershire’s training programme by offering: the county, including ethnic minority ‘sweeping – up’ sessions to non – attenders communities two days of training to new settings • continue to monitor calls to the Training and Recruitment day 3 training on behaviour to all settings helpline, in order to prioritise future targeted recruitment a fourth day if resources permit initiatives • use the database to highlight non – attenders, any training accessed by other providers, in order to avoid duplication, and identifying training needs for the future
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To ensure all sectors of the community have equal access to childcare and early years services, regardless of their gender, age, special educational needs, disability, background, religion, ethnicity or competence in spoken English.
Progress during 2002-2003 Work has been undertaken to move forward major national inclusive services for young children and their families as initiatives at a local level, such as Neighbourhood Nurseries, Mini outlined in the Early Years Development and Childcare Plans and Major Sure Start local programmes and the county’s Teenage • continue to develop services through Neighbourhood Nurseries, Pregnancy Strategy. Links have also been established to ensure a Mini and Major Sure Start local programmes and Children’s coordinated approach with Children’s Fund planning. The Outreach Funds Development Team has undertaken work with travellers, asylum • build on links with existing partners to develop Childminding seekers, ethnic minority and rural communities and the Recruitment Networks for children with special educational needs/disabilities,
Campaign seeks to attract and retain a workforce, which is children in need and teenage parents Page 133 representative of the population it serves. The county’s Inclusion • continue to develop and expand the availability of translated Project continues to provide training to help support fully inclusive materials regarding childcare provision, along with translated participation within children’s play and leisure activities for children training courses in identified areas of need with additional needs and provides support to them and their families to enable integration within mainstream provision. The Book Start Project has ensured that all families with very young children in the county receive information about childcare opportunities, with contact details for the Children’s Information Service.
Objectives and Priorities for 2003-2004 To: • develop the theme of Inclusion and inclusive services adopted by the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership for nd 2003 – 04, which was launched at the 2 Annual Conference in March 2003 • appoint an Inclusion Officer to the Early Years and Childcare Service to liaise with appropriate services within the Education Department, the wider County Council and with voluntary organizations in order to develop, coordinate and monitor 5
To ensure that Partnerships have efficient equal opportunity By 2004, to significantly increase the amount of support strategies which are monitored at least annually and that they employers give their employees on childcare working through ensure all settings identify and train someone to take Partnerships and other organisations. responsibility for establishing and implementing the settings’ equality of opportunity strategy by 2004. Progress during 2002-2003 The Employer Development Officer has been working with other Progress during 2002-2003 agencies through the Central England Employer Network to 85% of validated settings have identified an Equal Opportunities publicise work - life balance initiatives, including employer support Coordinator and attended training from the Foundation Stage Team for childcare costs. A Leicestershire Employer Network has been to help settings establish and implement an Equality of established, with 12 local employers currently represented, including Opportunities Strategy. The remaining 15% is made up of either the NHS Childcare Coordinators. newly validated providers, or providers, who are yet to attend training. The Qualified Mentor Teacher Team has followed up the Objectives and Priorities for 2003-2004 Page 134 training with practical support, enabling providers to cascade To: information to other workers in daycare settings. There has been • continue to develop membership of local employers to the extensive consultation on the Anti – Bias Guidance and open Employer Liaison Network, specifically targeting major discussion afternoons have been provided. employers • determine the number of childcare places currently supported by Objectives and Priorities for 2003-2004 employers, as well as those already operating a childcare To: voucher system for employees • deliver training on how to maintain the Equal Opportunities • work with the Network employers to promote and pilot a Strategy, in order to ensure that settings are implementing their childcare voucher scheme for employees strategy effectively • work with Network employers to promote and pilot sponsored • continue ‘sweeping – up’ training sessions for the small places with childcare providers, including childminders percentage of non – attenders from last year and newly validated settings • develop a database to maintain the current named person acting as the Equal Opportunities Coordinator within settings • develop further related training sessions as appropriate • investigate methods to encourage attendance from a representative of providers
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To ensure Partnerships review information for parents on early To ensure the Children’s Information Service meets the 14 education places at least annually and to ensure that parents minimum service standards, which include accuracy and have the information they need to enable them to express clear confidentiality, and are integrated with the national regulatory preferences for an early education place from amongst the system set up by OfSTED’s Early Years Directorate by settings available. September 2001.
Progress during 2002-2003 Progress during 2002-2003 Feedback from a survey of Children’s Information Service users has The Children’s Information Service has implemented protocols with informed the development of new literature for parents. This OfSTED to ensure that information held on registered providers is information, which conveys a clear message about the need for confidential, current and accurate. It has reviewed its practice parental choice, has been circulated to all providers of early against the 14 minimum service standards. Its consultation with education. The Childcare Link Website is in use and updated children, Dreaming4Real, was successful in the ‘Keeping Parents regularly. And Children At The Centre’ Category in the Department for
Education and Skills’ Partners In Excellence Awards for 2002 – 03. Page 135 Objectives and Priorities for 2003-2004 To: Objectives and Priorities for 2003-2004 • continue the regular review of Children’s Information Service To: literature for parents within the Audit and Information Subgroup • achieve a nationally recognised quality service award • continue involvement in the review of other local authority • consider ways of increasing information held on non - registered information for parents on early education places provision • ensure that the Children’s Information Service continues to find ways of making information widely available for parents, including translation • develop a website, which links directly to that of the Education Department, in order to ensure a comprehensive range of information is available
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To ensure Partnerships keep membership, working practices To ensure Partnerships work closely with other strategic and progress under review so that they are successful in the partnerships, including the Local Strategic Partnership where delivery and evaluation of their strategic plans and key this is appropriate, to ensure consistency, sensible community objectives. planning and efficient use of resources and to contribute to other plans as appropriate, for example, Education Progress during 2002-2003 Development Plans, Sure Start and Children’s Services Plans. The local authority, and its Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership, has continued to evaluate its working practice through Progress during 2002-2003 close liaison between the Early Years and Childcare Service and Strong links have been maintained with other Services within the Partnership members. A review of Partnership and Subgroup Education Department and with other County Council Departments membership has been undertaken and a new Partnership to ensure coordinated services for children and families are Handbook, which outlines roles and responsibilities has been developed. These have included the Children and Young Peoples written. Subgroup monitoring and evaluation of progress against Strategic Partnership, Connexions, Life - Long Learning and Rural Page 136 targets has ensured that targets are being met. Issues. Contributions to other plans have been extensive, including the Medium Corporate Strategy, the Education Strategic and Objectives and Priorities for 2003-2004 Development Plans, Children’s Fund, Main and Mini Sure Start To: Local Programmes, Preventative Strategy, Teenage Pregnancy • continue the established system of action planning for all targets Strategy, Quality Protects, the NHS Childcare Strategy as well as • ensure regular monitoring and evaluation of progress against contributing to local strategies around the county. targets takes place in Subgroups • establish a cyclical framework for reviewing Partnership policies Objectives and Priorities for 2003-2004 • use the Annual Away Day to evaluate the 2001 – 04 Strategic To: Plan to help formulate the 2004 – 06 Strategic Plan • continue to support the Education Department and the County Council in developing relevant early years and childcare strategies with other organisations and partnerships, in order to deliver national priorities at a local level • hold the third Annual Conference to celebrate achievements and collaborative working with other partnerships and organisations
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To ensure that Partnerships work with local councils to derive To ensure Partnerships, together with OfSTED’s Early Years benefit from Best Value for young children and parents in their Directorate, Children’s Information Services and appropriate communities and apply the principles of Best Value to their Local Authority staff, develop a clear protocol for working own activities and processes. together effectively so as to deliver coherent training, advice and information services that build capacity and strengthen the Progress during 2002-2003 quality, choice, accessibility and diversity of provision locally. Leicestershire, working with its Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership is committed to the development and delivery Progress during 2002-2003 of services, which offer Best Value to its families. As such, its The Early Years and Childcare Service has clear procedures for Subgroups fulfil a monitoring role of activity and progress against working effectively with local authority staff, OfSTED, and other the targets outlined in the Plans. The Early Years and Childcare agencies in order to build capacity within the early years and Service participates in an informal Best Value Network of childcare sector. These include the provision of advice and authorities. information services both centrally, from the Children’s Information
Service, and locally from development teams, with an effective Page 137 Objectives and Priorities for 2003-2004 quarterly reporting system in place to monitor activity and To: development across the county. Training has been centrally • ensure all action planning for the delivery of services uses coordinated, enabling new providers to meet the National Minimum performance indicators based on SMART targets, with standards. evaluation undertaken using the Service’s performance management system and the framework set up in Subgroups Objectives and Priorities for 2003-2004 • continue to review the delivery of services following Best Value To: principles of consultation, comparison, challenge and • continue to review working practices within the Children’s competition Information Service, in order to achieve a nationally recognised • instigate a new method of consultation with parents through the quality service award implementation of the Parent Communication Action Plan and • continue to develop the Training Strategy, in order to ensure that consider other corporate consultations such as the Citizens’ appropriate training is available for providers to meet the Panel National Minimum Standards • continue to develop partnership working with OfSTED, in order to ensure consistency and quality of advice and guidance given to prospective and existing daycare providers
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APPENDIX B
The Finance for the Implementation Plan 2003 – 04
Early Education and Childcare Funding
There are several funding streams available in 2003 - 04, which are summarised below:
Early Years Development and Childcare Plan Implementation Grant
For 2003 - 04 this grant, for the implementation of the Early Years Development and Childcare Plan, has been set at £1,651,040. It is broken down as follows:
1. General Grant £ 654,405 2. Children’s Information Service £ 153,863 3. Training for Childcare Workers £ 82,489 4. Childminding Start-up Grant £ 35,400 5. Creation of Childminder Network £ 25,000 6. Nursery Schools Development £ 12,575 7. Early Years Training and Development £ 91,260 8. SEN Training £ 44,676 9. Disability £ 71,149 10. Development & Mtce of Inclusive Childcare Places £ 80,276 11. Foundation Stage Training £ 372,300 12. Conversion of Playgroups to Full Day Care £ 27,645
Total £1,651,040 (nearest £10)
Summary of Funding 2003 – 2004
For 2003 – 04 the total funds identified for the implementation of the Plan, which includes the above grant are outlined below:
Childcare Implementation Grant £ 1,651,040
European Social Fund £ 257,734
New Opportunities Fund (Out of School) £ 1,305,850
Four Year Old Funding £ 2,553,500
Three Year Old Funding £ 6,600,000
Standards Fund £ 394,470 Page 140
Neighbourhood Nurseries Initiative £ 1,137,384
Mini Sure Start £ 350,000
Major Sure Start £ 1,100,000
Mainstream County Council Funding £ 1,684,370
TOTAL £17,034,348
Childcare Implementation Grant The total represents the total available to EYCC, but amounts are subject to Implementation Plan approval.
The European Social Fund This funding is designed to increase the workforce within the early years and childcare sector through a recruitment campaign and to raise standards in the quality of provision by providing training opportunities for childcare workers. The grant funding identified in the Summary of Funding table above commenced October 2002 and will finish at various intervals to June 2004.
The New Opportunities Fund This fund will be continuing in 2003 - 04, following a three year plan presented in 2001 with the Early Years Development and Childcare Strategic Plan 2001- 04 and supports the development of additional childcare places in pre-school and out of school settings. NOF have identified 2 additional bid rounds to July 2003. The New Opportunities Fund additionally provides capital funding as part of the Neighbourhood Nurseries Initiative outlined below.
Four Year Old Funding The funding for nursery education of 4 year olds is contained within the County Council’s mainstream funding. This funding is used to cover the cost of five x 2 1/2 hour sessions per pupil, per week, during term time.
Three Year Old Funding Funding for 3 year olds Nursery Education transfers to the Education Formula Spending Share for 2003 – 04. Three terms of funded Nursery Education will be offered to all three year olds, as for four year olds.
Standards Fund A capital allocation for nursery education facilities in disadvantaged areas is being made available in 2003 - 04. This grant will be used in conjunction with Neighbourhood Nurseries Initiative funding as above. The grant is match funded through the County Council Capital Programme and is included within the Mainstream Funding.
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The Neighbourhood Nurseries Initiative This allocation is part revenue, part capital for the development of neighbourhood nurseries in areas of disadvantage targeting the Greenhill, Hastings and Woodthorpe wards. The funding will enable 180 additional places to be created. The use of potential funding through Sure Start, Standards Fund Capital Grant, County Council Capital Programme and ESF Toy Libraries Grant will link closely with this initiative.
Sure Start Mini Sure Start funding will continue until March 2004 in the Woodthorpe and Greenhill Wards. The Major Sure Start contributes to the development of an Early Excellence Centre and Neighbourhood Nursery at Shelthorpe School in the Woodthorpe Ward and links with the Early Excellence Centre and LEA funding for Nurseries for 3 year olds budgets which form part of the Mainstream County Council Funding.
3 Page 142 Page 143 Agenda Item 9
CABINET – TUESDAY 10th JUNE 2003
ALLOCATION AND ADMINISTRATION OF THREE YEAR OLD NURSERY EDUCATION FUNDING
REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION
PART A
Purpose
1. The purpose of this paper is to further the County Council’s inclusion agenda by seeking Cabinet approval to use identified three year old Nursery Education Funding to enable children with special educational needs/disabilities to access mainstream early education provision and to make recommendations to ensure that the increased Nursery Education Funding is properly administered and audited.
Recommendations
2. Cabinet is recommended to approve the use of identified three year old Nursery Education funding:
a) to provide additional adult support and specialist equipment for three year old children with special educational needs/disabilities in non – maintained early years settings. This will bring it in line with current practice for that of four year old Nursery Education Funding
b) to meet the increased administrative costs of the nursery education funding scheme for three and four year olds by appointing a part- time (0.4fte) post within the Early Years and Childcare Service
and:
c) to agree to the appointment of a full-time post within the Early Years and Childcare Service in order to monitor early years providers in receipt of Nursery Education Funding.
Reasons for Recommendations
3. Cabinet is asked to approve the recommendations to ensure that:
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a) the County Council’s inclusion agenda is furthered by enabling three year olds with special educational needs/disabilities to access mainstream early education provision by ensuring resources are made available to provide additional adult support and specialist equipment so that these youngsters can access mainstream early education places. b) the increased administrative costs due to the growth in three year old Nursery Education Funding can be met
c) effective monitoring of Early Years providers in receipt of Nursery Education funding can be undertaken, in order to ensure appropriate use. Previous work undertaken in monitoring provision of these funds indicates that it should be possible to meet the costs of this post from savings identified by the new post holder.
Timetable for Decisions
4. Cabinet 10 June 2003 Education Scrutiny 11 June 2003
Policy Framework and Previous Decisions
5. The Early Years Development and Childcare Implementation Plan 2000- 2001, Annex 7.46 refers to centrally retained funds identified from the Nursery Education Grant for four year olds, of no more than 1%, in order to finance an additional support strategy for children with Special Educational Needs. This principle was approved for recommendation to Cabinet at the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership meeting of the 13th January 2000 and the above mentioned Implementation Plan subsequently received Cabinet approval on the 25th January 2000.
Resource Implications
6. The DfES advised LEAs in 2002 that the Education Formula Spending Share (EFSS) for 2003 – 04 included sufficient funding for all three year olds to be offered Nursery Education places. This was based on an assumption that take-up does not normally exceed 85%.
7. The County Council’s budget for 2003 – 04 assumes 80% take-up at an overall cost of £6,600,000.
8. In calculating the additional funding, the Government has revised its assumption on take-up, the reason given being that LEAs would probably only achieve a take-up level half way between the 2002 – 03 level and 85%. This reduction was made after the County Council had set and announced its policy for 3 year old places for 2003 – 04.
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9. The result of this late adjustment by DfES was to reduce the extra funding that should have been available to schools in 2003 – 04 from c.£1.8m to £835,000.
10. The recommendations contained in this report will incur costs of £39,800 to provide adult support/specialist equipment for three year olds and £7,700 for the administrative and monitoring costs. These figures will enable the local authority to set the payments to providers at £411 per place, per term, which will result in a maximum outlay of £6,552,476 for an 80% take – up. This will not exceed the level of expenditure agreed by Cabinet.
11. The Director of Resources has been consulted and his comments have been included in this report.
Circulation under Sensitive Issues
12. None.
Officers to Contact Jackie Strong, Director Tel: 0116 265 6300 Education Department E-mail: [email protected]
Christine Cassell, Assistant Director Tel: 0116 265 6468 Education Department E-mail: [email protected]
Margaret Aust, Service Manager Tel: 0116 265 6552 Early Years and Childcare, E-mail: [email protected] Education Department
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ALLOCATION AND ADMINISTRATION OF THREE YEAR OLD NURSERY EDUCATION FUNDING
PART B
Background
Funds available to support children with SEN/Disabilities
13. The local authority, with a supportive recommendation from its Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership (EYDCP), has already identified resources from the four year old Nursery Education Fund in order to provide additional persons and equipment to support four year olds with special educational needs/disabilities in its non – maintained early years settings.
14. This arrangement has been in place since April 2000, following consultation with, and endorsement from, the EYDCP, full County Council and the Department for Education and Skills, as outlined in Leicestershire’s Early Years Development and Childcare Implementation Plan 2000 – 01 and subsequent annual plans.
15. The level of resources identified for four year olds is based on £2 per place per term (£6 per place per year). A similar process applied to the three year old Nursery Education funding, at the same rate as for four year olds, would make £39,800 available.
16. Applications from providers for additional funding for four year olds are considered by a panel of representatives from Early Years and Special Educational Needs Services. Applications for funding for three year olds would be dealt with in the same way.
17. During 2002-03 additional support was allocated for 56 four year olds, at a cost of £28,000. There are currently 57 known three year old youngsters with additional needs/disabilities within the county, who already, or might wish to, access mainstreamed early education provision. Predicted levels of need for three and four year olds will not exceed budget.
Administration of Nursery Education Funding in the Non – Maintained Sector
18. Monitoring by the Early Years and Childcare Service, in liaison with the Finance Unit and Internal Audit, has shown that a 0.4fte administrative and a 1.0 fte monitoring post are necessary for functions required as a result of expanding Nursery Education Funding to three year olds. Costs of £7,000 and £18,000 respectively for the posts (estimated in Hay Band 7), together with overhead costs of approximately £2,400 to cover travel expenses and administration, gives a total £27,400. Of this total, c.£7,700 is for the administration work and £19,700 for monitoring work. The monitoring 4 Page 147
work should be self-funding, based on potential savings to be identified by the post holder.
Funding Levels to Providers
19. The DfES guidance, received in April, recommends that £416 per place, per term should be made available to providers for three and four year olds, although it makes clear local authorities have the final decision.
20. Current funding is set at £406 for three year olds and £404 for 4 year olds. It is proposed that the level of Nursery Education funding made available to providers for three and four year olds, be set at £411 per place per term. This represents a £5 and £7 per place, per term increase over 2002 – 03 levels. It is proposed that this increased funding be applied retrospectively from the beginning of the financial year.
Consultations
21. The principle of identifying resources from the Nursery Education funding was agreed for four year old funding, as detailed in the Early Years Development and Childcare Implementation Plan 2000-01, following a formal consultation exercise where 748 copies of the Plan were distributed for comment. The Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership has indicated that it would wish to work towards adopting this principle for three year old funding, and to establish a coherent system for both three and four year olds. It is proposed that the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership members should be invited to comment on these proposals before they are presented to Cabinet on 17th June, and that Education Scrutiny should be invited to comment at its meeting on the 11th June.
Equal Opportunity Considerations
22. The proposals in this paper will enable more children with special educational needs. and disabilities to attend local nurseries and playgroups.
Members advised under Sensitive Issues Procedure
23. None
List of Appendices 24. None
Background Papers
25. Report of the Director of Education: The Early Years Development and Childcare Implementation Plan 2000- 01. 5 Page 148
6 Page 149 Agenda Item 12
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