Agenda and minutes

The Chair welcomed all in attendance to the September meeting of North East (Outer) Area Committee.

To disclose or draw attention to any disclosable pecuniary interests for the purposes of Section 31 of the Localism Act 2000 and paragraphs 13-18 of the Members’ Code of Conduct.  Also to declare any other significant interests which the Member wishes to declare in the public interest, in accordance with paragraphs 19-20 of the Members’ Code of Conduct.

The following other significant interests were declared at the meeting:-

• Councillor M Robinson in his capacity as a Future Leader (Agenda

Item 9) (Minute 25 refers)

• Councillor A Lamb in his capacity as a school meal provider (Agenda Item 9) (Minute 25 refers)
• Councillor A Lamb in his capacity as a Member on Wetherby Town Council (Agenda Item 12)(Minute 28 refers)
• Councillor J Procter in his capacity as a Member on Wetherby Town Council (Agenda Item 12)(Minute 28 refers)
• Councillor G Wilkinson in his capacity as a Member on Wetherby Town Council (Agenda Item 12)(Minute 28 refers)

To receive any apologies for absence.

An apology was received on behalf of Councillor R Procter.

In accordance with Paragraphs 6.24 and 6.25 of the Area Committee Procedure Rules, at the discretion of the Chair a period of up to 10 minutes may be allocated at each ordinary meeting for members of the public to make representations or to ask questions on matters within the terms of reference of the Area Committee.  This period of time may be extended at the discretion of the Chair.  No member of the public shall speak for more than three minutes in the Open Forum, except by permission of the Chair.

In accordance with paragraphs 6.24 and 6.25 of the Area Committee Procedure Rules, the Chair allowed a period of up to 10 minutes for members of the public to make representations or to ask questions on matters within the terms of reference of the Area Committee. 

On this occasion, there were no matters raised under this item by members of the public.

To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 3^rd July 2012.

RESOLVED -That the minutes of the meeting held on 3^rd July 2012 be confirmed as a correct record.

a)  Joint Strategic Needs Assessment and Area Profiles (Minute 7 refers)

Councillor A Lamb referred to the above issue and enquired if there had been any progress made around joint working proposals.

The East North East Area Leader responded and agreed to revisit this issue with Mr N Richardson, Director of Children’s Services to ascertain if the joint working proposals were working with a report back on progress at the next meeting in October 2012.

b)  Local Authority Appointments to Outside Bodies (Minute 8 refers)

Mr S Robinson, Governance Services informed the meeting that a letter had been sent to the Directors of the Lady Elizabeth Hastings’ Charities expressing this Committee’s concern that there was no local elected Councillor on the new company. To date the Committee noted that no reply had been received.

Following a brief discussion, the Chair requested that another letter be sent to the Directors in a month’s time.

c)  East North East Welfare Reform Project Team (Minute 10 refers)

Carole Clark, East North East Area Officer referred to the above issue and reminded the meeting that a briefing note on the matters raised at the previous meeting had been circulated with the agenda papers for Members’ information/retention.

d)  Delegation of Environmental Services – 2012/13 Service Level 

  Agreement (Minute 11 refers)

The Chair referred to the above issue and enquired if the breakdown of the £170,000 fleet hire costs was available.

Carole Clark, East North East Area Officer responded and informed the meeting that the East North East Locality Manager was still looking into the issue. She agreed to bring this matter to his attention.

Councillor M Robinson referred to the quarterly rotation schedule on weed spraying and enquired on the availability of this document

Carole Clark, East North East Area Officer responded and agreed to follow up this issue via the Environmental Sub Group with a report back in due course.

e)  Well-being Fund Budget – West Yorkshire Police – Land rover service (Minute 13 refers)

Carole Clark, East North East Area Officer referred to the above issue and informed the meeting that West Yorkshire Police had no plans to withdraw their land rover service for Wetherby and Harewood Neighbourhood Policing Team for 2013/14.

To consider a report of the Acting Chief Asset Management Officer on progress in relation to the Community Right to Bid which is part of the Localism Act 2011.

The Acting Chief Asset Management Officer submitted a report on developments with Community Right to Bid and advised the Area Committee of the implementation date.

Appended to the report were copies of the following documents for the information/comment of the meeting:-

• Community Right to Bid Nomination Guidance (Appendix 1 refers)
• Community Right to Bid Nomination Form (Appendix 2 refers)

Neil Charlesworth, Community Asset Officer, City Development  presented the report and responded to Members’ comments and queries.

In summary, specific reference was made to the following issues:-

• Clarification of whom was the ‘landowner’ within the context of the report
• Clarification if a community was allowed to raise funds and then be able to sell them to the landowner
• Clarification of funding from the DCLG with specific reference to:-

-  the number of nominations received to date

-  whether it was a rolling list

-  whether consultation would be undertaken within the community

• Clarification of whom was the arbitrator and council tax payer in relation to the high number of compensation claims being made against the Council as identified in section 4.6.2 of the report
• The concerns expressed that there would be in-sufficient funds
• To welcome the fact that communities would achieve real benefits arising from the new proposals

RESOLVED –

a)  That the contents of the report and appendices be noted.

b)  That this Committee and the area support team supports the recommendation to encourage and help local community organisations to nominate assets.

(Councillors A Lamb and J Procter joined the meeting at 6.50pm during discussions of the above item)

To consider a report of the Director of Children’s Services on an update of the current issues facing the Directorate and children’s partnership as well as the progress that is being made against local and national agendas.

The Director of Children’s Services submitted a report on an update of the current issues facing the Directorate and children’s partnership as well as the progress that was being made against local and national agendas.

Appended to the report were copies of the following documents:-

• Children Leeds cluster boundaries and Area Committe (Appendix 1 refers)
• Children and Young People’s Plan cluster performance – June 2012

(Appendix 2 refers)

• Maps of clusters relevant to Area Committee - Alwoodley/EPOS – Boston Spa and Villages South/EPOS – Villages West and Wetherby (Appendix 3 refers)
• Cluster Overviews for the Area Committees (Appendix 4 refers)

In addition to the above appendices, a copy of targeted service information for Inner East, Inner North East and Outer North East Area Committees was circulated for Members’ information.

The following representatives were in attendance and responded to Members’ comments and queries:-

-  Sue Rumbold, Chief Officer, Partnership Development Business Support, Children’s Services

-  Gillian Mayfield, Area Head of Targeted Services, ENE, Children’s Services

In summary, specific reference was made to the following issues:-

• The concerns expressed that arising from discussions at the meeting held on 19^th March 2012, the Director of Children’s Services had not provided any further information to Members in relation to children’s services cluster developments and on the need to conduct an urgent review in this area

(The Chief Officer, Partnership Development Business Support, Children’s Services responded and informed the meeting that the department were still addressing the formula in consultation with the Schools Forum which would take place in November 2012.

The East North East Area Leader and the Chief Officer, Partnership Development Business Support, Children’s Services agreed to raise this issue with the Director of Children’s Services with a view to a report on the interim proposals being submitted to the October meeting for discussion)

• The Committee’s view that funding should follow the pupil
• The concerns expressed again that many children living in the Wetherby ward were missing out in view of the current funding allocation criteria and as a result an urgent review of the current Council criteria was required

(The Chief Officer, Partnership Development Business Support, Children’s Services responded and informed the meeting and confirmed that the pupil premium would follow the student. Again it was noted that the Schools Forum in November would be addressing this specific issue)

·  A view expressed that it was important that children had the money to help with their intensive support

(The Chief Officer, Partnership Development Business Support, Children’s Services responded and informed the meeting that she would feed these comments into the process)

·  Clarification as to why free school meal uptake in Primary was low in Leeds as opposed to Secondary where there was a better uptake

(The Chief Officer, Partnership Development Business Support, Children’s Services responded and informed the meeting that the Child Poverty Steering group was focusing on a piece of work to increase the uptake of free school meals)

·  The concerns expressed that there was no detail regarding Independent Children’s  ...  view the full minutes text for item 25.

To consider a joint report of the Assistant Chief Executive (Customer Access and Performance) and the Chief Officer (Democratic and Central Services) on the Appointment of Area Committee Representation upon Leeds Initiative Area Based Partnership Groups/Corporate Carers' Group.

A joint report of the Assistant Chief Executive (Customer Access and Performance) and the Chief Officer (Democratic and Central Services) was submitted on the Appointment of Area Committee Representation upon Leeds Initiative Area Based Partnership Groups/Corporate Carers' Group.

Appended to the report was a copy of a document entitled ‘ Appointments to Outside Bodies Procedure Rules’ for the information/comment of the meeting.

RESOLVED –

a)  That the contents of the report and appendices be noted.

b)  That approval be given to the following appointments for the remainder of the municipal year:-

Health and Wellbeing Partnership – Councillor G Wilkinson

Divisional Community Safety Partnership – Councillor G Wilkinson

Corporate Carers’ Group – Councillor A Lamb

To consider a report of the East North East Area Leader providing the Area Committee with an update on the current position regarding Open House Community Centre, 79/81 Lingfield Drive.

Referring to Minute 12 of the meeting held on 3^rd July 2012, the East North East Area Leader submitted a report providing the Area Committee with an update on the current position regarding Open House Community Centre, 79/81 Lingfield Drive.

Carole Clark, East North East Area Officer presented the report and responded to Members’ comments and queries.

Discussion ensued on the contents of the report and appendices.

At the request of the Chair, Councillor P Harrand, on behalf of the Alwoodley Ward Members, thanked officers for their efforts in this regard. He referred to the history behind this issue and also made reference to a planning application which had been submitted for a community and welfare centre on the former Lingfield Public House site which was opposite Open House.

In conclusion, the Committee noted that the Alwoodley Ward Members had reluctantly decided to accept the recommendations outlined in the report.

RESOLVED –

a)  That the contents of the report be noted.

b)  That this Committee supports option 2 which was not to approve a wellbeing grant and recommends to the Director of Environment and Neighbourhoods that the peppercorn lease be not offered on the basis that the Lingfieldand Firtrees TRA had not put forward a sufficiently robust proposal.

To consider a report of the East North East Area Leader providing Members with an update on the current position of the wellbeing capital and revenue budget for the Outer North East area.

The East North East Area Leader submitted a report providing Members with an update on the current position of the capital and revenue well being budget for the Area Committee and highlighting the applications made for consideration by the Area Committee.

Rory Barke,  East North East Area Leader apologised for the omission of the breakdown of funding information which had not been appended to the report on this occasion. He informed the meeting that following a review of actual spend for 2011/12, a breakdown of funding would be submitted to the next meeting in October 2012.

Carole Clark, East North East Area Officer presented the report and responded to Members’ comments and queries.

Detailed discussion ensued on the contents of the report and appendices.

RESOLVED –

a)  That the contents of the report be noted.

b)  That this Committee notes the spend to date and current balances for the 2012/13 financial year in accordance with the report now submitted.

c)  That the following projects be dealt with as follows:-

d)  That in relation to the Area Committee funded apprenticeships project as referred to above, this Committee supports the principles of  creating employment opportunities for young people and requests the East North East Area Leader to look at an acceptable scheme for consideration at a future meeting.

e)  That this Committee endorses the following wellbeing decision which was approved as a delegated officer decision due to the urgency of the project:-

Leeds City Council  Treetops Community Centre,  Amount £1980

  External works

To consider a report of the East North East Area Leader providing the Area Committee with the minutes from the meeting of the Wetherby and Harewood Town and Parish Council Forum a held on 12^th July 2012.

The East North East Area Leader submitted a report providing the Area Committee with the minutes from the meeting of the Wetherby and Harewood Town and Parish Council Forum a held on 12^th July 2012.

Appended to the report was a copy of the notes of the Harewood and Wetherby Town and Parish Council Forum held on 12^th July 2012 for the information/comment of the meeting.

RESOLVED -

a)  That the contents of the report of the report and appendices be noted.

b)  That the issues raised be noted and through this Area Committee, the Parish Council Forum be supported in resolving those issues.

To consider a report of the Assistant Chief Executive (Planning, Policy and Improvement) on the Area Chairs Forum minutes held on 12^th March 2012.

The Assistant Chief Executive (Planning, Policy and Improvement) submitted a report on the Area Chairs Forum minutes held on 12^th March 2012.

Appended to the report was a copy of the minutes of the meeting held on 12^th March 2012 for the information/comment of the meeting.

RESOLVED –

a)  That the contents of the report and appendices be noted.

b)  That this Committee notes the contents of Area Chairs Forum minutes

  held on 12^th March 2012.

Monday 22^nd October 2012 at 5.30pm in the Civic Hall, Leeds.

Monday 22^nd October 2012 at 5.30pm in the Civic Hall, Leeds.

(The meeting concluded at 8.05pm)