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REF: AB(S)/06/14 PLEASE NOTE START TIME AND VENUE AREA BOARD : SOUTH LUTON DATE : MONDAY 23RD JUNE 2014 TIME : 7.15 PM PLACE : DALLOW PRIMARY SCHOOL, DALLOW ROAD, LUTON, LU1 1LZ COUNCILLORS : ASHRAF O’CALLAGHAN CASTLEMAN SHARIF FAROOQ TAYLOR GALE TIMONEY HUSSAIN CO-OPTED MEMBERS: Representative of Bedfordshire Police: Inspector Graham Bates Dr Nasrin Razzaq & Paul Lindars, Luton Clinical Commissioning Group Ward Representative(s): QUORUM : 3 MEMBERS INFORMATION FOR THE PUBLIC From 6.00 p.m. to 7.15 p.m. Ward Forums will take place. The Forums will enable issues that are specifically relevant to each Ward to be discussed. The Area Board will commence at 7.15 p.m. PURPOSE: To enable the Council to effect locally based communication, consultation and decision-making. This meeting is open to the public and you are welcome to attend. For further information, or to see the papers, please contact us at the Town Hall: IN PERSON, 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, or CALL Democratic and Member Services on 01582 546070 or ACCESS the Council’s Committee Management Information System (CMIS) at agendas.luton.gov.uk/cmiswebpublic/ Arrangements can be made for access to meetings for disabled people. If you would like us to arrange this forPage you, 1 ofplease 43 call us on 546070. AGENDA Pages 1. ELECTION OF CHAIR 2. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE 3. MINUTES 1. 11th March 2014 2.1/1-2.1/6 4. CHAIR’S ANNOUNCEMENTS 5. FEEDBACK FROM WARD FORUMS 6. PUBLIC QUESTION TIME 7. PETITIONS, IF ANY 1. ROTHERAM AVENUE TO BE TURNED INTO A 7.1/1 – 7.1/3 ONE WAY SYSTEM: (Report of Head of Engineering and Street Services) 8. HEALTHWATCH LUTON GP REVIEW – REPORT AND 8/1 – 8/12 RECOMMENDATIONS (Healthwatch Luton Project Officer) 9. YOU SAID, WE’RE DOING: NEIGHBOURHOOD GOVERNANCE 9/1 – 9/8 PROGRESS REPORT (Report of the Community Development Project Manager) 10. AREA REPORT 10/1 – 10/8 (Report of the Head of Policy & Performance) 11. ITEMS FOR NEXT BOARD MEETING 12. DATE OF NEXT MEETING: 12TH November 2014 Contact Officer: Angela Fraser Direct Line: 01582 546070 Page 2 of 43 AGENDA ITEM SOUTH LUTON AREA BOARD 2.1 11th March 2014 at 7.30 p.m. PRESENT: Councillor Sharif (Chair), Councillors Ashraf, Farooq, Gale, Hussain, O’Callaghan, Taylor and Timoney 1. MINUTES (REFS: 2.1) Resolved: That the Minutes of the meeting of the Board held on the 13th November 2013 be taken as read, approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair. 2. CHAIR’S ANNOUNCEMENTS (REF: 3) The Board was reminded of the purdah restrictions due to the by-election In the Farley Ward On 13th March 2014. The Chair informed the Board of a request from members of the community to change the time of future Ward Forums to 6.00 pm – 7.00 pm and to bring forward the start of the Board meeting to 7.15 pm. After discussion, changes were unanimously agreed for future Ward Forums and the Board meetings as follows: Ward Forums meetings would start at 6.00 pm and end at 7.00 pm; Board meetings would start at 7.15 pm until finish. Resolved: That with immediate effect, South Luton Area Ward Forums and the Board meetings times would be changed as follows: Ward Forums meetings would start at 6.00 pm and end at 7.00 pm; Board meetings would start at 7.15 pm until finish. 3. FEEDBACK FROM WARD FORUMS (REF: 4) Feedback on key issues discussed at each ward was provided as follows: Dallow Ward: Congestion and parking issues; Pot holes; Rubbish. Farley Ward: Vehicles parking fully on pavements; Water leak – reported to Thames Water; Cars driving wrong way – Stockwood Crescent South Ward: Parking on pavements;Page 3 of 43 2.1/1 Bins causing obstruction on pavements; Unauthorised Traveller encampments causing frustration, as issue raised by Ward Forum for years, but no actions appeared to have been taken. Cllr Taylor commented a scheme to narrow the junction at the London Road end to address the issue of cars driving the wrong way up Stockwood Crescent, was in next year’s work programme, but it was competing with other high priorities schemes. Cllr Gale commented the effectiveness of Ward Forums was being compromised as Ward Councillors were not getting feedback well before the next meeting from officers on actions taken on issues raised and requested to be followed up by Ward Forums. He asked that officers be instructed to deal with actions and speak to Ward Councillors. The Board agreed that relevant officers should contact and update Ward Councillors on actions taken on issues raised at Ward Forums, well before the following meeting, to ensure the effectiveness of Ward Forums. Resolved: (i) That feedback on the top key issues from the ward forums be noted; (ii) That the Area Board Support Officer ensures the Board’s instructions are passed on to relevant officers to deal with actions taken on issues raised at Ward Forums and to update the relevant Ward Councillors well before the following meeting, to ensure the effectiveness of Ward Forums. 4 PUBLIC QUESTION TIME (REF: 5) A member of the public raised an issue about nuisance motorcycles late at night in Whitehill Avenue. She was informed the matter had already been raised at Ward Forum and noted by the Police. Any information to help identify the offenders, e.g. registration numbers and helmet details requested to be passed to the Police, which had a dedicated team looking at car crews problems. Another member of the public questioned why the ‘You said, We’re doing’ leaflet was in colour in time of austerity. In answer, the Neighbourhood Governance Manager explained this new document was produced in-house to keep costs down, and provided important feedback to the community on the progress of key priorities and advertised opportunities for volunteering and training courses. He said that the Council and its partners believed that giving positive feedback to residents on their work to address community priorities in the Area was important and a way of trying to encourage wider involvement of local people in the decision making process . He welcomed feedback and said so far members of the community and other interested parties liked it better than the old black and white reports which ceased 6 – 9 months previously. Responding to questions on how money allocated to projects had been spent, the Area Board Support Officer explained as follows: Page 4 of 43 2.1/2 In relation to the Active Youth Dallow (AYD) project (DA 514), none of the money had yet been allocated, as some equipment was obtained through the Council procurement process. £1800 remained unspent. The Chair added that some Board Members had visited the project as part of the accountability procedure; In relation to Bedfordshire Rural Council Dallow Greenspaces project, as no update was available, they would be contacted for a response. Another member of the public asked if residents at the top of Strathmore Avenue would be getting a council tax rebate as more flights had moved off trail and flying over their houses. The Area Board Support Officer said it had not been possible so far for the Airport Operations Director to attend a Board meeting to answer residents’ concerns. However, he added the Airport Operations Director had now agreed to attend a special meeting in the Council Chamber at Luton Town Hall at 6.00 pm on 14th April 2014. All residents on the database for the South Luton Area Board would be invited to attend. Another member of the public concerned that planning permission for airport expansion had been agreed behind closed doors by the Council was informed that the Development Control Committee met in public and that the final decision was a matter for the Secretary of State. Resolved: That the Area Board Support Officer invite all residents on the database for the South Luton Area Board to the special meeting with the Airport Operations Director in the Council Chamber at Luton Town Hall at 6.00 pm on 14th April 2014. 5. PETITION - ROTHERAM AVENUE TO BE TURNED INTO A ONE WAY SYSTEM (REF: 6.1) Abdus Salaam, the Highways Assessment Engineer, presented the report of the Head of Engineering and Street Services (Ref: 6.1). He said at its last meeting, the Board had considered a petition requesting that Rotheram Avenue be turned into a one-way road and resolved that a public consultation exercise be carried out in the Rotheram Avenue area and the outcome be reported back to the next meeting of the South Luton Area Board. He added the public consultation had been carried out and that 64% of respondents were against making the whole of Rotheram Avenue a one-way road. In view of this result, he requested the Board to consider an alternative option of a part-time ‘no left turn’ onto Rotheram Avenue from Friars Way, operational only between 08.15 hrs to 09.15 hrs and 14.45 to 15.45. This would effectively make part of Rotheram Avenue one-way during the times of congestions, which should address residents’ concerns. He said that if this option was approved by the Board, a further public consultation would be required. Page 5 of 43 2.1/3 A discussion followed with a number of points made as follows: It would be difficult to ‘police’ the part-time restrictions; Double parking posed a serious risk to residents; A one-way system for the whole of the road would be inconvenient to residents of Rotheram Avenue at all time, when the problem was only during morning and afternoon due to the school; Flashing LED signs would operate at school times in the morning and afternoon; Traffic would be faster on a one-way road, which could pose a road safety risk; Believed speed was unlikely to be an issue in Rotheram Avenue; The original petition was from people in the area of Rotheram Avenue, but the Council consultation was with residents of Rotheram Avenue, who would most be affected by any change; Anyone could respond to an open legal consultation; There was a two thirds ‘against’ and one third ‘for’ split in the responses to the consultation from people living in Rotheram Avenue; A one-way system in Rotheram Avenue would have an impact on other roads in the area.