Neighbourhoods and Housing Outer East Area Committee

Swarcliffe & Stanks Forum Minutes from the meeting of 12 July 2006 St Gregory’s Social Club

Attendees: Cllr Armitage (Chair); Cllr Gruen; Cllr Grahame; Karl Curry (East Area management), James Nundy (ELAM, minutes); Jimmy Walker (Swarcliffe & Stanks Residents Association); S. Corcoran (Swarcliffe & Stanks RA); M Bradley (Swarcliffe & Stanks RA); John Morley, PCSO 116 Tolley, Deeta Tren-Humphries (Senior Youth Worker), Ian Wigglesworth (LCC – Youth Service); Nathan Vaughn (Neighbourhood Warden); John Nicholson (Swarcliffe & Stanks Residents Association), Ron Grahame (PFI Leaseholder Representative), Bev Hare (Neighbourhood Support Officer), Helen Mallinson (Manager, Swarcliffe Housing Office), Phil Brown (Swarcliffe PFI Compliance Team), Russ Buckberry (Carillion), Bill Best ( Transformations), Jo Cadge (Yorkshire Housing), Janette Gibson (Dennil’s Tenants and Residents Association), Susan Jackson (Dennil’s TRA), Rita Grainger ( ‘B’ Residents Association), Doreen Scahill (Whinmoor ‘B’ / Farndale Neighbourhood Watch), Mike Benwell (Churches Together), Jim Butters ( Fire & Rescue), Ken Hill (Swarcliffe Good Neighbours Scheme)

Apologies: Angela Ansell (LSEh), Sgt Richard Sullivan, Claire Billingham (Youth Service), John Baxter (Swarcliffe TRA), Ian Jackson (Dennill’s TRA), Dave Purdy (LCC Neighbourhoods & Housing)

1.0 Welcome / introduction / apologies Action

1.1 Cllr Armitage opened the meeting, welcomed everybody and introductions were made.

1.2 The above apologies were noted.

2.0 Minutes of the last meeting held on 22 February 2006

2.1 (3.4) Refers to Stanks Drive not Swarcliffe Drive.

3.0 Matters arising from those minutes

3.1 (3.1) Leisure Centre works are still on track.

3.2 (3.5) Marked parking bays – still no news from Dave Purdy.

3.3 (6.2) Anti Social Behaviour Unit’s Mike Marshall has been replaced by Steve Stewart.

4.0 10 Minute open floor

4.1 Ron Grahame addressed the Forum on behalf of Jimmy Walker, Chair of Swarcliffe & Stanks Residents Association. A Letter from the residents was read out concerning the PFI scheme (letter attached).

Produced by the East Leeds Area Management Team (t: 0113 214 3240/1) Page 1 of 4 4.2 Bill Best addressed the concerns arising from the letter.

4.3 It was reported that in the original contract, new UPVc front and back doors would be installed. It would appear that if the old wooden back doors are sound, the contractors are leaving them on. Cllr Armitage to speak to PFI Cllr A Team to clarify.

4.4 Whinmoor Way  DS reported that the bungalows on Brayton Green are going to lose some of their land due to having a fence moved. The amounts in question are up to 3.6m from two sides of the garden.  Carillion responded by saying in order to get the new road to fit in, unfortunately some land has to be reclaimed.  It was suggested that chicanes were installed at this point to make the road narrower, aid traffic calming, and therefore not need to make these gardens smaller.

5.0 PFI Update on progress and questions

5.1 As part of the scheme, Yorkshire Housing are building 148 new units. 110 will be for rental and 38 will be for shared ownership.

5.2 Persimmon will be building 292 new homes for sale (without public subsidy).

Issues with Langbar Grange demolition  Complaints that GBM blue wagons for rubble are holding up the traffic by queuing on the road. They also start earlier than they should.  Ross Buckberry responded by saying nothing can be done about the RB wagons arriving on site early, but he can get them to switch their engines off until the correct time.

5.3 Rents for new houses The current rental is £50. Jimmy Walker has been informed by Jim Reed that the new houses will be £66-70. Helen Mallinson is not aware of this notion.

5.4 There will be no rent rises for installing central heating, new windows etc. However, the rent may increase as part of the yearly rent rise by LCC.

5.5 Decorating scheme The scheme, operated by the Swarcliffe Good Neighbours, runs over the winter, but there are only two workers and they don’t do full houses. Please contact Ken Hill for referrals (tel: 232 6910)

6.0 Community Safety

6.1 Swarcliffe Neighbourhood Warden – Nathan Vaughn (t: 07891 279500)  project is almost complete – special thanks to Rita.  The full length has been cleaned, from York Road to Barwick Road.  The clean up was funded by LCC and Yorkshire Metropolitan Housing.  Local residents were asked to keep an eye on the beck as it can’t be monitored 24 hours a day.  Swarcliffe Plantation clean up is happening on Wednesday 16 August 06. Everyone is welcome, Youth Services are involved and a BBQ will

Produced by the East Leeds Area Management Team (t: 0113 214 3240/1) Page 2 of 4 be provided, along with prizes.  No needles have been reported in the area recently.  A graffiti purge is underway. It will run for two to three weeks.  Dennill’s area has quietened down.

6.2 Crime Statistics – PCSO Tolley  Local crime stats were distributed and run through.  INMV = interfering with motor vehicle and THEP = theft from person.  There has been a 30% decrease in crime for the last reporting period.

 Gemma will soon be the only PCSO on the Swarcliffe patch because

Aaron has to cover a PCSO leaver from John Smeaton for the next two

weeks.

 PCSO Tolley stated he would like to be the PCSO for Swarcliffe full

time and came to the forum even though he was off duty.

6.3 Alcohol sales to the under-aged

 Need to report all sales of alcohol to under 18 years olds (you need to

be absolutely sure they are under age) to the Neighbourhood

Policing Team (t: 0845 60 60 60 6)

 £80 fines can be issued and these help build up a good case for

prosecution.

6.4 Swarcliffe CCTV Can Swarcliffe have CCTV since the other local areas have it?

 Halton, Garforth, Swillington etc have CCTV as part of their Town & District Centre Regeneration schemes.

 Camera positions need input from the police.  KC informed the forum they need to get everyone on board (ie councillors, police, local residents associations etc etc) then approach the Outer East Area Committee for funding.  Each camera costs £25,000 to install, and then there are yearly running costs on top.  A good system starts with two cameras.  DT-H highlighted to the group how hot spots move when the youths know about the cameras.

6.5 Ginnels Howard Claxton is to supply John Nicholson with plans.

7.0 Young People [Deeta Tren-Humphries]

 The group was informed there are lots for the local youths to do over the summer holidays.  DT-H will also be doing on street work 5 days a week over the holidays. The Youth Service also do patrols and detached work in the evenings.  Multi agency work is ongoing and they also have access to a detached bus for trips out (eg to the mobile climbing wall at Herd Farm).  Info for activities is available on the internet, at libraries, via Nathan Vaughn (Neighbourhood Warden) and the Swarcliffe Neighbourhood Housing Office.  A handout of activities was tabled.

Produced by the East Leeds Area Management Team (t: 0113 214 3240/1) Page 3 of 4 8.0 Any Other Business

8.1 Goal posts (funded by Outer Area Committee) have been installed on the grass behind the Squinting Cat and are being used by the local youths.

8.2 There are no Estate Caretakers on the estate, but Helen Mallinson is looking into getting some for the elderly residents.

8.3 Further to the Crime Update, Cllr Grahame requested it to be minuted that she would be making a complaint to WY Police about one of their officers.

9.0 Date of next meeting

9.1 22 November 2006 at St Gregory’s Club.

Produced by the East Leeds Area Management Team (t: 0113 214 3240/1) Page 4 of 4