Grange and Cartmel Community Board Notes of a Meeting Held on 18
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GRANGE AND CARTMEL COMMUNITY BOARD NOTES OF A MEETING HELD ON 18 SEPTEMBER 2007 AT 6.00 PM AT GRANGE LIBRARY, GRANGE-OVER-SANDS PRESENT NAME REPRESENTING Colin Barr Colton Parish Council William Barr Lake District National Park Authority Robert Cass Grange Town Council David Huggett Lower Allithwaite Parish Council Penelope Lovegrove Colton Parish Council Ted Walsh (Chairman) County Councillor for Cartmel Bill Wearing County Councillor for Grange Also in Attendance:- John Evans - Resident Howard Firth - Cumbria Constabulary Janine Hounslow - Senior Democratic Services Officer, CCC Sophia Lacey - Youth Representative Pamela Monkhouse - Resident Donovan Noble - Resident Réa Psillidou - Development Manager, SLDC Farrah Sandbrooke - Youth Representative Donald Scott - Resident Aidan Smith - Resident Leslie Swart - Cartmel Village Society Dianne Whitehead - Area Support Manager, CCC Mary Wilkinson - CCC Julia Wilson - Voluntary Action Cumbria ACTION 17. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE Apologies for absence were submitted from Inspector I Carruthers (Cumbria Constabulary), Councillor J Manning (District Councillor for Holker) and Councillor R Shapland (Grange Town Council). 18. DISCLOSURES OF INTEREST BY ELECTED MEMBERS The elected Members had no declarations of interest at this meeting. Page 1 of 9 E:\modernGov\Restricted Project\Results\Grange and Cartmel Community Board\20070918\Agenda\Notes0.doc ACTION 19. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION Donovan Noble a Grange-over-Sands resident posed four questions to the Board. (1) Cumbria County Council were proposing the pilot Community Boards should continue and asked how discussions with the districts were going. (2) The Community Board’s executive functions were currently dominated by traffic and transport issues, what other executive functions were likely to be devolved to the Community Board. (3) He asked for an update on the enabling bill that was currently going through Parliament. (4) He wanted to know the current budget for the 30 Community Boards. Dianne Whitehead, Area Support Manager (ASM) informed the Board that in terms of infrastructure costs for the rollout of 30 Boards there had been a growth bid within the Unitary Bid. However, as the unitary bid had failed the roll-out would have to be looked at again. As for the five pilot Community Boards at the moment it was just her own and Janine’s time that was given to support the Board. The Chairman advised the Board that both he and Councillor Wearing had held a meeting with the Chief Executive of South Lakeland District Council (SLDC) on what, if any, executive functions could be devolved to the Community Board. As part of the Strengthening Communities agenda, District Councils are looking at how they can work more closely with communities. Miss Lacey informed the Board that the Skatepark built at the end of the Summer was used by a number of young people in the area. However, the nights were drawing in, and there were currently no floodlights and no benches for them to sit on. Councillor Wearing advised that funds were available to purchase lighting and that benches had already been ordered. Miss Lacey also asked for a progress report on the new sports hall at Cartmel Priory School. The Chairman asked if it was receiving Lottery Funding. Dianne Whitehead (ASM) would find out and report back to the Board at the next meeting. Miss Lacey then asked for an update on the Pool at Grange. Councillor Wearing informed her that two bids had been received but they had not met the criteria. There would be a presentation in Victoria Hall within the next couple of weeks giving the details of both the pool and the car park site as well. He added SLDC had put the development of these sites out to tender again. It could be 2008 before there Page 2 of 9 E:\modernGov\Restricted Project\Results\Grange and Cartmel Community Board\20070918\Agenda\Notes0.doc ACTION was a preferred bidder for the site. 20. BUSINESS ITEMS (1) Notes The Notes of the 26 July 2007 meeting were AGREED as a correct record. (2) Constitution and Terms of Reference Dianne Whitehead (ASM) tabled a paper that gave clarification on the Constitution and Terms of Reference of the Community Board, that were raised at the last meeting. She informed the Board that it would be possible to redraft the Terms of Reference if the Board deemed it necessary. The Chairman added that he could also discuss it at the Members White Paper Working Group meeting when it next met. A member asked where the executive functions came from. He was informed that most were taken from the executive functions of the County Council’s Constitution and from the Local Committee which would be available at the next meeting. The Board agreed that the Constitution and Terms of Reference be redrafted with explanatory notes for the next meeting. AGREED, that the Constitution and Terms of Reference be Janine Hounslow redrafted with explanatory notes for the next Dianne meeting of the Community Board. Whitehead (3) Grange Regeneration Action Plan Réa Psillidou, Development Manager, South Lakeland District Council gave a presentation on the Grange Regeneration Action Plan. She informed the Board that the Local Development Framework (LDF) had replaced the local plan under Government legislation in 2004. The most important part of the LDF was the core strategy. This would set the strategy for SLDC planning and development outside of the Lake District National Park. This would include housing needs infrastructure, business and community needs up until 2025. A major consultation exercise would take place in 2008 and she urged residents and Councillors in the Board area to get involved. The Grange Regeneration Study was currently being carried out to consider the future of the Berners Pool area and also the former open air pool on the promenade. The consultants had also been asked to look at the town centre, as it was a key service area for Grange in the Core Strategy. SLDC wanted to strengthen the town centre to deliver its services to the community. The latest draft of the study indicated that the Berners Pool site remained as it was or that a pool facility be Page 3 of 9 E:\modernGov\Restricted Project\Results\Grange and Cartmel Community Board\20070918\Agenda\Notes0.doc ACTION provided as part of a new hotel and leisure complex. The Regeneration Study also contains proposals for an integrated health facility, residential developments and business space. Councillor Wearing asked if Parish Plans would be required by SLDC in order to inform the LDF. Rea asked that all Parish and Town Council Plans were made available to them, as these would assist with the Spatial Plan and the Community Strategy for the Grange area. The Chairman asked the current status of the Plan. Rea informed the Board that the Plan had not been prepared yet, as information was still being collated. It would be advertised in Spring 2008 when the consultation process would commence. SLDC held a database of consultees which she urged Members of the Community Board to sign up to. The Plan would be a public document and would be available on the SLDC website with hard copies available in local libraries. The Chairman requested a copy of the public consultation document as soon as possible. AGREED, that (i) the presentation be received; (ii) the Local Development Framework Core Strategy be made available to the Community Board as soon as possible. (4) Direct Payment Scheme The Chairman informed the Board that direct payments were cash payments made to individuals 16 and over who had been assessed as needing services, in lieu of directly provided or care managed social care provision. The aim of the direct payment scheme was to give more flexibility in how services were provided to those individuals who were assessed as eligible for social services support. By giving those individuals money in lieu of social care, people had a greater choice and control over their lives, and were able to make their own decisions about how their care was delivered. He asked the Parishes in the Board area to promote the direct payment scheme by having a small item on All Community their agenda and an article in their Parish magazine. Board Members AGREED, that (i) the report be noted; (ii) Parish Councils promote the direct payment scheme by including it as an agenda item and advertising it in their Parish Magazine. (5) Rural Wheels Scheme Dianne Whitehead (ASM) informed the Board that there had been Page 4 of 9 E:\modernGov\Restricted Project\Results\Grange and Cartmel Community Board\20070918\Agenda\Notes0.doc ACTION a Rural Wheels Scheme operating in the area for the past four years. It was a demand responsive passenger transport scheme using a smart card payment system. It could be used twice a week, journeys need to be booked 48 hours in advance and cost 30p per mile. It was initially piloted in High Furness, Low Furness and the Grange area and would be rolled out over the rest of South Lakeland within the next couple of weeks. She asked Board members to encourage people to pass information on Dianne about the Rural Wheels Scheme and added that a new leaflet was Whitehead/All being printed; once available she would send it to all the Parish Community Board Councils in the Board area. Members/Parish Clerks AGREED, that (i) Members of the Community Board encourage people to pass information on regarding the Rural Wheels Scheme; (ii) Dianne Whitehead (ASM) despatch leaflets on the Rural Wheels Scheme to all Parish Clerks in the Community Board area. (6) Winter Gritting Schedule Dianne Whitehead (ASM) informed the Board that it was now County Council policy not to refill grit bins unless they had been previously notified.