Agenda and minutes

  The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting

  Although there were no formal late items, Members were in receipt of additional information on the impact of benefit changes as of July 31^st 2013 in the Outer East Area, to accompany the report on Welfare Reform (minute 33 refers).  The additional information had been made available prior to the meeting

To disclose or draw attention to any disclosable pecuniary interests for the purposes of Section 31 of the Localism Act 2011 and paragraphs 13-16 of the Members’ Code of Conduct.

  There were no declarations of disclosable pecuniary interests

  Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Murray.  The Chair advised that Councillor Mitchell would be arriving slightly late due to another appointment

To approve the minutes of the East Outer Area Committee meetings held on 17^th June 2013 and 2^nd July 2013

(minutes attached)

  RESOLVED -  That the minutes of the East Outer Area Committee meetings held on 17^th June 2013 and 2^nd July 2013 be approved

  No matters were raised under the Open Forum

To consider a report of the South East Area Leader setting out priority work carried out in the area over recent weeks, including information on financial fitness workshops to be run by West Yorkshire Trading Standards and an update on proposals for a major development at Thorpe Park, together with copies of minutes relating to forums, partnership and sub-group meetings and the Area Chairs meetings

(report and minutes attached)

  Members considered a report of the South East Area Leader which set out priority work carried out in the area over recent weeks.  Appended to the report were minutes of forum, partnership and sub-group meetings and those of the Area Committee Chairs meeting

Three presentations were made to the Committee highlighting priority work in the area, these being:

·  a report from West Yorkshire Trading Standards representatives on financial fitness workshops which had been run in other parts of the city and were planned to be delivered in the Outer East Area

·  an update on the proposed Thorpe Park development

·  the Junior Cricket Week, which was subsidised by the Area Committee

Financial Fitness Workshops

Members welcomed Dawn Mason from West Yorkshire Trading Standards (WYTS) who provided an overview of the workshops being delivered which were to provide information and raise awareness of the of the range of scams and frauds which were in operation and targeted job seekers and vulnerable people.  Other topics to be covered in the workshops would be banking and budgeting; welfare reform and consumer rights

Both Kippax and Garforth Children’s Centres would host the workshops, with Members being welcome to attend the sessions and provide details of other venues or groups which could benefit from these courses

In summary, reference was made to the following matters:

• the selection of areas to deliver the workshops
• the benefits of receiving updates via Social Media from WYTS of the scams operating in the area
• the need for closer working by WYTS with Area Committees to tackle these issues
• the increase of cyber crime and the current position in detecting and preventing this
• the need for further updates to be presented to Members

The Chair asked that any suggestions for venues to hold future workshops or groups which could benefit from receiving these session be conveyed to WYTS through the Area Improvement Officer

Thorpe Park Update

Members welcomed representatives of Scarborough Developments and the Chief Planning Officer to provide an update on the proposals for a major retail-led scheme at Thorpe Park

Members were informed that the application would be presented for determination at a special meeting of the City Plans Panel to be held on 19^th September.  The developers were of the view that whilst not all matters were fully resolved, the principles of the proposals were clear and that a key matter, this being a review of the layout for the Manston Lane Link Road (MLLR,) to optimise the ELOR had been carried out, with details of this included in the planning application

At this point, Councillor Mitchell joined the meeting

Regarding highways matters, much testing had been done on the proposals including consideration of future proposals, with appropriate conditions being proposed to require highways monitoring to take place and mitigation measures to be introduced where necessary

In terms of the impact of the proposals on other local centres, a positive response was reported to have been received from the Council’s independent retail consultant, subject to conditions

The  ...  view the full minutes text for item 31.

To consider a report of the Director of Children’s Services informing Members about local outcomes for children and young people in the Outer East area of the city and providing contextual information relating to the city as a whole and by area committee

(report attached)

  Sarah Sinclair and Martyn Stenton of Children’s Services presented a report of the Director of Children’s Services which provided a six-monthly update on local outcomes for young people in the East Outer Area and responded to questions and comments from the Area Committee.  Issues relating to Ofsted inspections, school places; achievement levels of Looked After Children, cluster governance arrangements and NEET figures were outlined

Members commented on the following matters:

• the involvement of Ward Members on Children’s Services clusters; that in some cases Members were appointed to these but not then contacted to attend meetings
• the uneven approach to cluster governance which led to in some cases a lack of involvement, whereas in other areas, Councillors were attending meetings and taking decisions about funding.  Sarah Sinclair agreed to undertake some urgent work to answer the concerns raised
• that requests by a Ward Member over a long period of time to see the minutes of their local cluster meetings had not been met
• that Elected Members did not have voting rights on the clusters and that this did not promote close working
• the lack of school places in the Outer East area; that children were having to travel further afield, often passing their local school en route, and that the journey to school having to be undertaken by primary school children and their parents was impacting on the ability of parents to work.  Members were informed that additional money had been secured to create additional provision in the area but that in terms of building new schools due to changes by Central Government, Local Authorities had lost the ability to open these and that any new school had to be either an academy or a free school.  There were also issues around land availability, particularly in the areas where provision was most needed
• the unwillingness of some schools to extend provision either by the use of portacabins or creating bulge classes
• the amount of funding held by clusters
• the number of schools in the area which had been closed in the past; that the effects of this were now being seen and that action was needed to ensure that children could be educated locally
• the need to ensure that any funding for new schools arising out of development was provided for in the area where the development was, rather than further afield
• the need for Members’ concerns about the clusters to be taken up and addressed

The Chair requested a further report be presented on this issue to the October meeting, with Councillor Coupar, as Area Lead asking to meet with Officers before the October East Outer Area Committee meeting

RESOLVED -  To note the report, the comments now made and that a further report be brought back to Area Committee

To consider a report of the Chief Officer, Welfare and Benefits providing an update on the impact of the welfare reforms at city-wide and ward-level; information on arrangements which have been put in place to support tenants and outlining some of the preparations being made for the introduction of Universal Credit

(report attached)

  Shaun Kelly Financial Manager Welfare Benefits presented a report of the Chief Officer (Welfare Benefits) providing an update on the impact of the welfare reforms at both a city-wide and ward level basis, including information on arrangements which had been established to support tenants.  Details about the campaign against high cost lenders was also included in the report.  In responding to queries and comments from Members Mr Kelly was assisted by Jason Kirk from Aire Valley Homes Leeds

Members also considered a supplementary report providing details in respect of East North East Homes

Members discussed the report in detail

In summary, the following issues were raised:

• the Local Welfare Support Scheme how people were signposted to this scheme; the underspend on the scheme and the reasons for this.  Members were informed that the Job Centre would direct people to the Local Welfare Support Scheme.  Regarding the underspend on this, one reason was that two different systems were being compared as the previous system was cash-based, whereas the Council’s scheme was not.  Work was also ongoing to see if the reduced demand for this service was due to people not being aware of its existence
• Discretionary Housing Payments and the need to ensure that advice centres for residents were spread out in the villages, in view of the level of interest seen at Garforth Library.  Members were informed that ‘pop-up’ centres were being considered for villages
• that more information was required on the work being carried out in the East Outer Wards and the need for some of the funding streams to be clarified
• the Social Fund and the need for information about this to be provided to Ward Members to enable them to inform constituents.  It was stated that an advice guide had been published and that a meeting would be arranged with Councillors about signposting constituents to the appropriate organisation
• under-occupancy; that this would plateau and what measures would then to taken when arrears could not be cleared.  Jason Kirk advised that new protocols had been agreed for collecting rent and that it would be for the Council to decide on the issue of triggers for possession
• the cashless scheme used by the Council; how this worked and that it was reminiscent of the token system of 1930s – 1940s which stigmatised people using it.  Members were informed that the system used was based on pre-paid vouchers for the four main supermarkets
• the need to understand that the majority of people in receipt of benefits were working

Councillor Wakefield assured Members that further information would be provided especially on Discretionary Housing Payments and that the funding made available for this by Government would be used

RESOLVED – a) to note the information about the impact of the welfare reforms

  b) to note the information about the campaign against high cost lenders and to contribute to options for locality-based events and initiatives to support the campaign

  c) to note the work ongoing in the locality in response to the welfare  ...  view the full minutes text for item 33.

To consider a report of the Chief Officer, Strategy and Improvement providing a summary of results from the 2011 Census in respect of the Outer East area and highlighting some of the issues emerging from these results

(report attached)

  Members considered a report of the Chief Officer, Strategy and Improvement on the 2011 census figures.  Appended to the report was detailed, statistical information providing comparative data for the Outer East area to provide a demographic profile which included information on population; diversity; housing, economic activity and qualifications and health and wellbeing

Jackie Pruckner attended the meeting and informed Members of the range of data which was available, as well as the ability to drill down further beyond the main headings and cross tabulate data to better inform Members and provide an evidence base which could be used for leverage, particularly relating to jobs and skills

Members thanked Jackie for her work in compiling and presenting this data and for the support she had given to Members to help drive provision where it was most needed

RESOLVED -  To note the report and the emerging issues and to consider how the data could inform neighbourhood improvement strategies in East Outer area

To consider a report of the South East Area Leader detailing the Well Being budget available to East Outer Area Committee in 2013/14, together with an overview of spending to date and presenting funding requests from new projects seeking support

(report attached)

  Members considered a report of the South East Area Leader detailing the Well Being budget available to East Outer Area Committee in 2013/2014, together with an overview of spending to date and presented funding requests from new projects seeking support

The Area Improvement Manager presented the report and outlined the funding requests

The request for funding for the maintenance of grass/fields at the St Gregory’s site was queried and in view of a concern which had been raised on behalf of Councillor P Gruen, it was suggested that consideration of this application be deferred to the next meeting.  It was also stated that there were many similar sites in the area where maintenance funding could be requested from the Wellbeing budget and that further consideration to agreeing this funding should be given

The Area Improvement Manager stated that following consultation with Ward Members on the funding request, he had formed the view that this was supported and in as a result, the work had been carried out

RESOLVED -  a)To note the report, the position regarding small grants and to award the following payments:

£7,000 towards the cost of extending and refurbishing Swillington Children’s playground

£3,920 to Leeds Groundwork Trust to deliver the Staithes Riverside Sensory Garden project in Allerton Bywater

£5,000 to Swillington Miners and Social Welfare Scheme

£8,682 for additional CCTV in Halton Moor

£840 to provide Christmas tree in Garforth

£1,500 to fund maintenance of grass/field at St Gregory’s site

  b) That the Lead Members be asked to present a report on their work to the next meeting

To consider a report of the South East Area Leader setting out the draft 2013/14 Area Committee Annual Business Plan for the East Outer area, which includes priorities and actions for the year; Area Leads and a framework for community engagement

(report attached)

  Members considered a report of the South East Area Leader setting out the draft 2013/14 Area Committee Annual Business Plan for the East Outer Area, which included priorities and actions for the year; Area Leads and a framework for community engagement.   A copy of the draft plan was appended to the report

RESOLVED -  To approve the business plan for 2013/14

Tuesday 15^th October 2013 at 4.00pm – venue to be confirmed

Tuesday 10^th December 2013 at 4.00pm – in the Civic Hall, Leeds

  Tuesday 15^th October 2013 at 4.00pm at Firthfields Community Centre Garforth

Tuesday 10^th December 2013 at 4.00pm in the Civic Hall, Leeds