CARLISLE AREA COMMITTEE Minutes of a Meeting of the Carlisle Area Committee Held on Wednesday 4 September 1996 at 2.30 Pm At
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CARLISLE AREA COMMITTEE Minutes of a meeting of the Carlisle Area Committee held on Wednesday 4 September 1996 at 2.30 pm at The Courts, Carlisle. PRESENT Mr S F Young (Chairman) Mrs V Coast Mr J W Oswald Mrs A Glendinning Mr J R D Robinson Mr A Graham Mr A Toole Mr T G Hodgson Mr Watson Mr J D Jefferson Mr G Whalley Mr J Mallinson Mr B G Whitaker Mr S J Matthews Mr K Wilkinson 13 APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE Apologies for absence were received from Mr R E F Aldersey and Mr C B Ross. 14 ADMISSION OF PRESS AND PUBLIC RESOLVED, that under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 the press and public be excluded from the Meeting during consideration of item 21 on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 1 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the said Act:- 15 PUBLIC PARTICIPATION The Committee welcomed Mrs Margaret Van-Tilberg who addressed the meeting in relation to item 14, Residents Parking in Carlisle. The Committee agreed to consider this item of business at this stage of the Agenda. Residents Parking in Carlisle Mrs Van-Tilberg indicated that she had been asked to represent the views of the residents of Chiswick Street and the section of Warwick Road which ran along the boundaries of Chiswick Street from Spencer Street to Hartington Place and would include the views of the Spokesmen for the various medical general practitioners that had practices in the area. Residents of Warwick Road shared rear access to Chiswick Street and the back lane of Chiswick Street. They were fronted by a bus lane and had no vehicular access to the front of their houses. They therefore experienced the same parking difficulties as Chiswick Street. Chiswick Street had a 2 hour waiting restriction. Warwick Road had no parking and Spencer Street no parking. Residents were in favour of parking being available for them although there were divisions on the issue of funding. Local GPs based in the area had 30,000 patients who visited (and were likely to park) on average six times a year. Around 150 nurses were based in local GP premises and had to move their cars every two hours. As a conservation area it was impossible to make conversions to eg back yards for car ports. The back lane to Chiswick Street was regularly used - and abused - as a "rat run" for taxi drivers and "joy riders". Carlisle College now had some 11,000 full and part-time students and the College provided no student parking facilities whatsoever and this represented a growing pressure on parking in the area. The Committee went on to consider the report on residents parking in Carlisle by the Director of Economy and Environment which detailed work carried out by Carlisle City Council in developing proposals for residents parking schemes in the City, the current policy of the County Council and sought Members views as to how a residents parking scheme in Carlisle should be developed. The Committee welcomed Mrs Van-Tilberg’s contribution to the meeting and recognised the range of pressures that were facing residents parking in the area in question. There was a consensus that as a matter of principle no policy of charging should be levied on residents parking. It was agreed that subject to the establishment of a Carlisle Joint Policy Advisory Committee (reference Minute 17) this issue should be the subject of in-depth consideration in the first instance by this body and RESOLVED, that the issue of residents parking in Carlisle be deferred to the Carlisle Joint Policy Advisory Committee for the fullest consideration and report back. 16 MINUTES The Minutes of the meetings of the Committee held on 29 May 1996 and 22 July 1996 were agreed and thereupon signed by the Chairman. 17 JOINT MEETING WITH CARLISLE CITY COUNCIL The Notes of the Joint meeting of the Carlisle Area Committee with representatives of Carlisle City Council on 30 August 1996 were agreed (Appendix A, page ) RESOLVED, that (a) a Carlisle Joint Policy Advisory Committee be constituted as detailed in the Annex to the Notes of the Joint meeting with Carlisle City Council on 30 August 1996 (Appendix B, page ) for the purpose of advising the two Authorities on any matter relating to the discharge of their functions or responsibilities in respect of Highways matters within the administrative area of the City of Carlisle; (b) the Joint Policy Advisory Committee be constituted with 7 Members from each Authority; (c) the County Council Appointees be on a 3: 3: 1 basis nominated substitutes as appropriate; (d) appointments to the Joint Policy Advisory Committee be as follows: Labour Mr A Graham Mr R Watson Mr S F Young Conservative Mr J D Jefferson Mr A Toole Mr B G Whitaker Liberal Democrat Mr R A F Aldersey (e) attendance at the Joint Policy Advisory Committee be an approved duty for Members Allowances purposes. 18 PROPOSAL FOR NEIGHBOURHOOD DEVELOPMENT SERVICE LEVEL AGREEMENT The Corporate Services Manager reported on a proposed Service Level Agreement (SLA) designed to meet the needs expressed by the Area Committee at its last meeting for Neighbourhood Development and set out two options to facilitate this. The report detailed the core services between the provider (Neighbourhood Development) and the purchaser (the Area Committee). The Corporate Services Manager gave a detailed analysis of the relationship between the two with regards to Neighbourhood Development and had identified two options: Option 1 - Purchasers required from an annual number of days - on an average across the County Neighbourhood Development would equate to 10 working days per Neighbourhood Forum. Up to 100 working days had therefore been identified for the Carlisle area. The draft SLA detailed what outputs and outcomes could be achieved from allocation for the Carlisle area of 100 days Neighbourhood Development. Option 2 - Purchase "as required" no guarantee - however if the Committee wished to purchase only on an "as required" basis which would not give Neighbourhood Development the guarantee of a certain volume of work and hourly rate would have to be charged. The SLA would not detail outputs and outcomes. Outputs and outcomes would be specified as hours were purchased. This arrangement would require the Area Committee to determine who would authorise and control this expenditure. The Corporate Services Manager went on to detail arrangements for charges for services. The advantages and disadvantages of both options were fully discussed and, upon being put to the vote, it was RESOLVED, that (1) option 1 as the proposal for Neighbourhood Development Service Level Agreement be approved; (2) it be noted that the proposal is subject to Policy Review Sub-Committee approving the planning assumptions upon which they are based on 25 October 1996. 19 PRE-SCHOOL FACILITIES IN THE CARLISLE AREA The Under 8s Co-ordinator presented a report detailing up to date pre- school and nursery provision in the Carlisle area RESOLVED, that the report be noted. 20 UNDER 5S BUDGET The Committee noted the financial statement with regard to the Under 5s budget for the Carlisle area. 21 POSSIBLE PROJECT TO PROVIDE ACCOMMODATION FOR PRE-SCHOOL GROUPS AT MORTON PARK, CARLISLE The Client Services and Property Unit Manager and the Corporate Services Manager presented a joint report providing further information relating to the possible provision of a base for pre-school groups at Morton Park Primary School, Carlisle RESOLVED, that the report be noted. 22 NURSERY VOUCHERS The Director of Education presented a report updating Members on proposals by the Government to introduce nursery vouchers for all 4 year olds from April 1997 and seeking their endorsement to plans aimed at maintaining, in the short term, current standards and provision. A copy of the latest consultation newsletter circulated to schools was appended to the report. Members reiterated their concerns about the possible implications of the nursery voucher scheme for the Authority and its effect on the Council’s budget. RESOLVED, that (a) with the Education Committee, the continuing commitment to Under 5s in 1997/98 be maintained; (b) the Education Committee’s intention to commission a review of the effect of the introduction of nursery vouchers for 4 year olds on the take up of places within the state, voluntary and private sectors in Cumbria towards the end of 1997 be endorsed. 23 BOOKS FOR BABIES: PROGRESS REPORT The County Heritage Services Officer presented a report detailing a promotional strategy "Books for Babies" as part of an update on an initiative which in October 1995 had been launched to encourage young children to use library services and as a foundation for reading skills and a love of books for life long learning. A free book and high quality information pack was made available for any child under 3 who lived in Cumbria and enrolled at the Library. The initiative and implementation of this practical scheme, throughout the County, had been enthusiastically supported and received by parents, carers, other professionals and the children themselves. The success was an indication that the scheme should continue and be taken forward to enable a more widespread response to the scheme. RESOLVED, that (1) Books for Babies be extended to 3 year olds; (2) the employment of short-term project workers in each area to promote Books for Babies to playgroups etc through libraries where take-up was lower be endorsed; (3) training be extended to front-line staff so they could better promote the aims of the service; (4) a grant of £4,700 be made to support the extension to 3 year olds and the targeting of places where take-up is lower.