Minutes for Crosby Area Committee meeting, Nov 4 2009, 6.30PM official page

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Hough and Parish Councillor Draper.

Members and Officers are requested to give notice of any personal or prejudicial interest and the nature of that interest, relating to any item on the agenda in accordance with the relevant Code of Conduct.

The following declarations of interest were received:

Member

Minute No.

Interest

Action

Councillors Barber, Roberts and Veidman

71 - Section 106 Planning Agreements

Members of the Planning Committee

Remained in the room but took no part in the consideration of the matter.

Part “A”

These items are for general discussion.  Anybody attending the meeting is welcome to speak (subject to the Chair’s discretion).

RESOLVED:

That, subject to the addition of Parish Councillor Hounsell to the list of those present at the meeting (and the deletion of his name from the apologies received as set out in Minute No. 52), the Minutes of the meeting held on 7 October 2009 be confirmed as a correct record.

Inspector Turner presented and reported on Crosby’s crime statistics for October 2009, comparing them with the statistics for the same period in 2007 and 2008, as follows:

OCTOBER

2007

2008

2009

All Crime

241

256

239

Violent Crime

32

32

34

Robbery

0

2

1

Burglary Dwelling

19

25

10

Unauthorised theft/taking of a Motor Vehicle

10

10

7

Theft from Motor Vehicle

17

21

10

Criminal Damage

65

59

72

Inspector Turner reported on a number of issues including:

·             a reduction in the number of calls to the Police during the recent Hallowe’en period, but a slight increase in incidences of damage, which were mainly to vehicles.

·             the continuing close co-operation between the Police and the Council’s Licensing Section in relation to the South Road, Waterloo area and the absence of any significant increase in offences in this area.  Members expressed the view that most people visited premises in South Road without causing any problems and that proprietors of bars/restaurants in the area had not referred any particular matters of concern to Members.

Inspector Turner also responded to the following point raised by Councillors/Members of the public:

·             concern expressed by the Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service about vehicles allegedly parking on double yellow lines/double parking along South Road, thereby potentially impeding emergency vehicles.  (Inspector Turner explained that the Police would enforce against vehicles causing an obstruction, but that it was the responsibility of the traffic wardens to enforce against breaches of parking restrictions.  However, he was not aware of a particular problem in South Road.  As a member of the Fire and Rescue Service’s Community Safety Committee, Councillor Barber indicated that he had not been made aware of this issue.  Councillor Cummins acknowledged that parking can sometimes be a problem at certain times, e.g. Sunday afternoons).

Members of the public are invited to ask questions, raise matters, or present petitions on issues which are relevant to Sefton Council.  The person asking a question will be allowed one supplementary question.

(If a response to a question is required which cannot be provided at the meeting or if the question is not reached within the 45 minute period, the Chair will either refer the matter to the appropriate Service Department for a written answer or to the appropriate Cabinet Member for further consideration).

Part “B”

These are formal decisions to be taken by Members of the Council.  Only in exceptional cases will the Chair allow contributions from the public (Advisory Group Members may speak but not vote).

No matters were raised during the Open Forum.

Minute of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee(Children’s Services) and Report of the Strategic Director of Children’s Services

Further to Minute No. 40 of the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Children’s Services) held on 22 September 2009, the Committee considered the report of the Strategic Director of Children’s Services, which provided information regarding the provision of youth opportunities for the young people of Sefton by geographical area.  The report outlined the following:

·             Targeted Provision and Partnership Working;

·             Targeted Youth Support and Children and Young People aged 8-19;

·             Family Intervention Project; and

·             Parent Know How Directory.

Appendix 1 to the report set out an overview of Youth Provision Activity across Sefton.

The Overview and Scrutiny Committee had approved the report and referred it to the Council’s Area Committees for discussion.

RESOLVED:   That

(1)       the report be noted; and

(2)            Members be requested to forward any detailed comments on the report direct to Gill Mullen of the Children’s Services Directorate.

Report of the Head of Regeneration and Technical Services

The Committee considered the report of the Head of Regeneration and Technical Services on the progress of a review of current Shoreline Management Plans which included the Borough’s shoreline.  The report set out details of draft policies for the “Shoreline Management Plan 2” which were currently open to consultation until 10 January 2010.

RESOLVED:

That the report be noted and Mr. Graham Lymbery be thanked for his contribution to producing such an informative and detailed document.

Report of the Planning and Economic Regeneration Director

The Committee considered the report of the Planning and Economic Regeneration Director on the outcome of a review by the Cabinet Member - Technical Services of requested pedestrian crossing locations.  The report indicated that the review had identified a number of sites where refuges could be funded within the 2009/10 Capital Programme, including one within Crosby on Stuart Road, just to the north of Cranmore Avenue.  Members expressed the view that there were a number of other sites within Crosby which appeared to have a higher priority for a refuge including Brownmoor Lane, Crosby at the junction of Endbutt Lane, Derwent Road, Dorbett Drive and Stuart Road; Green Lane, Thornton; Lower Alt Road, Hightown; and outside “Sandalwood”, Coronation Road, Crosby.

RESOLVED:  That

(1)            consideration of the proposed pedestrian refuge on Stuart Road, north of Cranmore Avenue, be deferred; and

(2)       the Planning and Economic Regeneration Director be requested to submit a further report to the next meeting on 20 January 2010, setting out the relative priorities of the potential crossing locations within this Committee’s area, together with information on the process/feasibility of moving refuges when the volume of pedestrian crossings at a particular point reduces.

Report of the Planning and Economic Regeneration Director

The Committee considered the report of the Planning and Economic Regeneration Director on the success of a pilot “Participatory Budgeting” scheme in the Litherland and Ford area and recommending a similar scheme for the Church and Manor wards.  The report indicated that such a scheme was intended to give local communities a direct say on local spending and it was a key element of the “Communities in Control, Real People, Real Power” White Paper.  At her meeting on 14 October 2009, the Cabinet Member - Communities had agreed that participatory budgeting could be extended to Church and Manor wards.

RESOLVED:  That

(1)       the information on the Litherland and Ford pilot scheme be noted;

(2)       the extension of participatory budgeting to Church and Manor wards be approved; and

(3)            Members of the Committee work closely with the Neighbourhoods Division to find the most appropriate method of participatory budgeting, and issues to be addressed, for Church and Manor wards.

Report of the Planning and Economic Regeneration Director

Further to Minute No. 149 of 15 April 2009, the Committee considered the report of the Planning and Economic Regeneration Director, outlining the recent spending of monies received through Section 106 Planning Agreements, made under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, for the provision of tree planting and green space in Crosby and setting out details of further similar schemes.

RESOLVED:   That

(1)       the progress on the recent spending on tree planting and public open spaces and information on the forthcoming schemes which will generate further funds for this purpose, as set out in the report, be noted;

(2)       the recommendations for tree planting and public green space, as set out in the report, be approved;

(3)       the detailed list of new street trees planted in Crosby wards, as set out in the report, be noted; and

(4)       in relation to the scheme for environmental improvements adjacent to the shops at The Crescent, Virgins Lane/Moor Lane, Thornton using street planters, Mr. J. Alford of the Planning and Economic Regeneration Department be requested to liaise with his colleagues in the Traffic Management Section and with the Thornton Parish Council, with a view to arranging a meeting to discuss the possibility of a viable traffic management scheme to properly control traffic using The Crescent, Thornton.

Report of the Leisure Director

The Committee considered the report of the Leisure Director on the second phase of the Council’s Play Builder Programme 2009/10, which included a proposed new play area within Victoria Park, Crosby.  It was hoped to obtain tenders for the scheme in November 2009 with a view to a start on site by January 2010 and completion by 31 March 2010.

RESOLVED:

That the report be noted and the scheme be endorsed.

Report of the Planning and Economic Regeneration Director

Further to Minute No. 59 of 7 October 2009, the Committee considered the report of the Planning and Economic Regeneration Director indicating that the balance of the budget available for allocation during 2009/10, including sums set aside for the provision of litterbins, was £16,131.66 and setting out details of the progress of schemes for which funding had previously been approved.

A request had been received for funding of £400 to enable public address and lighting systems to be hired to facilitate a proposed Nativity Event being planning for Hightown on Sunday, 20 December 2009.  The proposed event was being organised by the Council’s Arts Services Section in conjunction with Hightown Parish Council.  The Assistant Director - Neighbourhoods had indicated that, unfortunately, all of the delegated budget funds allocated to Manor ward had been committed for 2009/10.

Members referred to the Council having approved a scheme for free parking in Crosby Village during designated periods on certain Thursdays and Fridays before Christmas, but that some of the traders would have preferred free parking on Saturdays.  It was reported that free Saturday parking would cost the Council approximately £2,500 per day.  The Chair and Councillor D. Jones offered to raise this issue with Sainsbury’s with a view to trying to obtain financial support from that company towards free Saturday parking in Crosby Village.

RESOLVED:  That

(1)       the remaining balance of £16,131.66 of the budget available for further allocation for the rest of the year and the progress of schemes for which funding had previously been approved, be noted; and

(2)       the request for funding towards the proposed Nativity Event in Hightown be referred to the Assistant Director - Neighbourhoods to enable her to investigate, in conjunction with the Chair and the relevant Ward Councillors, whether any funding can be found for this proposal.

Copies of responses to issues raised at previous meetings of the Committee were submitted for information.

RESOLVED:

That the correspondence be noted.

The next meeting will be held at 6.30 p.m. on Wednesday, 20 January, 2010 at the Pavilion, Waterloo Rugby Club, St. Anthony’s Road, Blundellsands.

RESOLVED:

That the next meeting of the Committee be held at 6.30 p.m. on Wednesday, 20 January 2010 at the Pavilion, Waterloo Rugby Club, St. Anthony’s Road, Blundellsands.