Public Document Pack Area Forum: Broadheath, Ditton, Hale and Hough Green Monday, 25 June 2007 7.00 p.m. Upton Community Centre, Hough Green Road, Widnes Chief Executive COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP Councillor Colin Rowan Ditton Councillor Robert Gilligan Broadheath Councillor Phil Harris Hough Green Councillor Tony McDermott Broadheath Councillor Keith Morley Broadheath Councillor Paul Nolan Hough Green Councillor Shaun Osborne Ditton Councillor Kevan Wainwright Hough Green Councillor Mike Wharton Hale Councillor Marie Wright Ditton Please contact Lynn Cairns on 0151 471 7529 or e-mail [email protected] for further information. The next meeting of the Forum is on Monday, 1 October 2007 ITEMS TO BE DEALT WITH IN THE PRESENCE OF THE PRESS AND PUBLIC Part l Item No. Page No. 1. MINUTES 1 - 8 2. ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR STRATEGY To receive a presentation from Ms Clare Myring, Anti-Social Behaviour Co-ordinator, regarding the Anti-Social Behaviour Strategy. 3. REQUESTS FOR FUNDING 9 To receive an update. 4. PUBLIC QUESTIONS 10 - 15 In accordance with the Health and Safety at Work Act the Council is required to notify those attending meetings of the fire evacuation procedures. A copy has previously been circulated to Members and instructions are located in all rooms within the Civic block. Page 1 Agenda Item 1 AREA FORUM: BROADHEATH, DITTON, HALE AND HOUGH GREEN At a meeting of the Area Forum: Broadheath, Ditton, Hale and Hough Green Monday, 29 January 2007 The Bankfield School, Liverpool Road, Widnes Present: Councillors Morley (Chairman), Rowan, McDermott, Nolan, Osborne, Wharton and Wright Apologies for Absence: Councillors Gilligan, Harris and Wainwright Absence declared on Council business: (none) Officers present: L. Cairns, Cooke, I. Leivesley and J. Weston Also in attendance: Councillor Worrall and 13 members of the public Action BDH15 MINUTES The minutes of the meeting held on 25 th September 2006, having been printed and circulated, were taken as read and agreed as a correct record. Arising from BDH14 – PUBLIC QUESTIONS – in respect of Ditchfield Road, it was advised that the petitions that had been received regarding the removal of the traffic calming would be considered by the Council’s Urban Renewal Policy and Performance Board at a forthcoming meeting. BDH16 100 YEARS OF SCOUTING Mr Colin Stone, Group Scout Leader, attended the meeting with colleagues to talk about the Scouting Centenery. Prior to the presentation it was advised that, since 2003, the Forum had spent £432,969 within the four Wards and Mr Stone thanked the meeting for the funding the Scouts had received for various projects. The presentation outlined • the background to the scouts, which now had 28 million members worldwide; • events to be held to celebrate the centenary; • past achievements and future aims; • events to be held in Hough Green, for example a Page 2 “Woggle Party at the Green” in September; and • the international trip to Kandersteg, Switzerland, which took place every three years and provided young people with an opportunity to be involved in a variety of activities such as expeditions, hikes and river rafting, and to build international friendships. The Forum was shown a video of the 2006 Kandersteg trip and noted that the comments made by the young people involved had been positive. The Chairman thanked Mr Stone and his colleagues for an informative presentation. BDH17 AREA FORUM REVIEW The Forum was advised that the Council’s Corporate Services Policy and Performance Board (PPB) was conducting a review of the operation of all Area Forums with a view to identifying good practice and making recommendations for improvements. A short questionnaire was tabled for members to complete at their leisure and return to one of the Halton Direct Links or the Forum’s secretary. The Lead Officer confirmed that the results of the review would be fed back to the Forum once it was complete. BDH18 REVIEW OF THE MOBILE LIBRARY SERVICE The Forum received a presentation from Mr Philip Cooke, Specialist Service Manager in the Library Services Division, outlining the review of the mobile library service and providing an opportunity for residents to comment on identified gaps. Mr Cooke advised that a new stop had been secured in Edendale, off the Arley Drive area of Hough Green. In addition, it was confirmed that all future stops would be for a minimum of 20 minutes. Forum members made a number of suggestions, which Mr Cooke agreed to look into, including: • coinciding visits with the end of the school day; and • having a stop at the Bus Terminus at Halebank. The Chairman thanked Mr Cooke for attending the meeting. BDH19 BUDGET 2007-08 Page 3 The Forum received a presentation from the Lead Officer regarding the Council’s budget for 2007-08. It was advised that the determining factor for the budget was the level of grant received from the Government: in addition, there was a capping threshold of 5% for any Council Tax increase. The Forum noted that the Council was trying to do as much as it could to ensure it was as efficient as possible and it was inevitable that, over the next couple of months, councillors would face some difficult decisions. However, the Council would continue to look at ways it could reduce costs in order that it could continue its vital front line services. Arising from the discussion it was noted that • 60-70% of the Council’s budget came from the Government Grant – the remainder was a mixture of Council Tax, fees and charges; and • only 19% of landfilled waste was from domestic properties – the majority of waste was commercial and the organisations involved had to pay for the cost of its disposal. The Chairman thanked the Lead Officer for his presentation. BDH20 REQUESTS FOR FUNDING The Forum was advised that there were no new requests to report at the current time as all of the 2006/2007 funds had been fully committed. A resident reported that a request for £15,000 had been submitted regarding maintenance on the Youth Club in Halebank, for which a response was awaited. It was advised that a condition of funding was that the Management Committee had to be constituted; however it was agreed that an update on the application would be sought. RESOLVED: That (1) an update be provided on the funding request Strategic Director submitted in respect of a heating system for the - Corporate and Youth Club in Halebank; and Policy (2) a breakdown of expenditure for the 2006/07 year be Strategic Director circulated with the next agenda. - Corporate and Policy Page 4 BDH21 PUBLIC QUESTIONS A number of questions had been submitted prior to the meeting, and answers received from appropriate departments, as outlined in the appendix to these minutes. In respect of question number 1 regarding plans for the youths of Halebank, it was confirmed that a “flyer” for the public meeting to be held on 8 th February was available and anyone who was interested, or experienced, in working with young people was encouraged to help form a management committee in order that a bid could be made for the available resources. APPENDIX AREA FORUM QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS BROADHEATH, DITTON, HALE AND HOUGH GREEN WARDS 29 TH JANUARY 2007 (1) Question from Mr B Allen “What plans has the Youth Service got for youths of Halebank?” Answer from Mr Dave Williams, Head of Youth Service Following a mapping of service provision we recognised there was a gap in youth service provision in the Halebank area. Halebank and two other areas of Halton were found not to comply to our 2006/2007 promise "to provide a drop-in youth project or club open at least one night each week within one mile of every young person's home". Since this we have drawn together funding and a parcel of support to commission services to meet our promise. Unfortunately in the recent round of commissioning in October-December no organisation from Halebank or outside came forward to take this up for Halebank. The funding & support package is being held in place for Halebank and will not be reallocated to another community in Halton. We are now looking to work with the community, local churches, elected members, young people themselves, and any youth orientated organisation working in Halebank to make this work. To launch this new attempt we have joined with local elected members, the police, and the Methodist church council, in planning a Halebank Community Meeting to be held on 8th February at 6.30pm to be held in the Methodist Church. All members of the Halebank Community who wish to support this initiative and want to work positively together for the benefit of the older children of Halebank are most welcome. Email queries to Page 5 [email protected] and marked "Halebank Youth" Further response from Ms Paula Barker, Community Development Worker Dave Williams, Head of Youth Service contacted Councillor Wright to advise that there is funding available for youth provision in Halebank, Hale and one of the areas in Runcorn. The compliance issues are that a formally constituted community group/managment committee work with the relevant departments/services to submit a funding application that could be used to pay a part time/sessional youth worker who would then provide youth activity within the specified areas. Hale and Runcorn have already submitted successful applications just leaving Halebank. A community meeting is being held on Thursday 8th February, 6.30 p.m. @ Halebank Methodist Church. Councillors Wright & Osborne have prepared a flyer that will be distributed to each house in the Halebank area over the next few days with the relevant details of the meeting.