Agenda and minutes

The Chair welcomed all in attendance to the June meeting of the West (Inner) Area Committee, particularly new Members, Councillor C Gruen and Co-opted Member, K Ritchie.

To receive any apologies for absence.

Apologies for absence were submitted by Councillor N Taggart and Co-opted Member, S McBarron.

To declare any personal / prejudicial interests for the purpose of Section 81(3) of the Local Government Act 2000 and paragraphs 8 to 12 of the Members Code of Conduct.

There were no declarations of interest.

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 members of the public in attendance at the meeting to make representations or ask questions.

To receive and consider a report from the Assistant Chief Executive (Planning, Policy and Improvement) providing information on crime trends, partnership initiatives and future joint projects between Leeds City Council and West Yorkshire Police in the inner west area of Leeds.

The Assistant Chief Executive (Planning, Policy and Improvement) submitted a report which provided the Area Committee with information on crime trends, partnership initiatives and future joint projects between Leeds City Council and West Yorkshire Police in the inner west area of Leeds.

The following attended the meeting:

-  Gill Hunter, Area Community Safety Co-ordinator, Environment and Neighbourhoods

-  Inspector Mark Wheeler, West Yorkshire Police.

The main areas of discussion were:

• Significant reduction in burglaries across the inner west area and the positive impact of operation optimal.
• Work undertaken as part of the Armley and Bramley burglary reduction plan and a new initiative using outcome based accountability.
• Reduction in car crime and issuing of warning notices on vehicle windscreens, specifically in relation to valuables left on display.
• Concerns about anti-social behaviour on Armley Town Street.
• Improvements in public confidence of local policing in the inner west area.
• Concerns raised by local shopkeepers about prostitution on Armley Town Street.
• Concerns about higher than average levels of domestic violence in the inner west area.  The police stressed the importance of local intelligence.

RESOLVED – That the contents of the report be noted.

(Councillor Harper joined the meeting at 5.15pm during the consideration of this item.)

To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meetings held on 21^st March and 17^th May 2012.

RESOLVED – That the minutes of the meetings held on 21^st March and 17^th May 2012 be approved as a correct record.

To receive for information the minutes of the following Community Forum meetings:

• Armley Community Forum and PACT meeting– 25^th March, 17^th April and 15^th May 2012;
• Bramley and Stanningley Community Forum – 29^th March and 31^st May 2012.

RESOLVED – That the minutes of the following Community Forum meetings be received and noted:

• Armley Community Forum and PACT meeting – 25^th March, 17^th April and 15^th May 2012
• Bramley and Stanningley Community Forum – 29^th March and 31^st May 2012.

2.2 – Grounds Maintenance

Concerns that grass cutting had still not been undertaken at the corner of Rodley Lane / Leeds Bradford Road.

5.3 – Any other business

Clarification was sought regarding the establishment of an In Bloom group for Bramley.  The Area Support Team undertook to look into this matter and report back.

5.4 – Any other business

The Area Committee was informed that the jubilee events at Hunters Greave and Armley Moor had been a great success.

To receive for information the minutes of the ALMO Inner West Area Panel meetings held on 13^th February and 16^th April 2012.

RESOLVED – That the minutes of the ALMO Inner West Area Panel meetings held on 13^th February and 16^th April 2012, be received and noted.

To receive and consider a report from the Chief Officer (Democratic and Central Services) outlining proposals regarding the appointment of co-optees onto the Area Committee.

The Chief Officer submitted a report which outlined proposals regarding the appointment of co-optees onto the Area Committee.

RESOLVED – That the following co-optees be elected to serve on the West (Inner) Area Committee:

• Armley Ward – Hazel Boutle and Eric Bowes
• Bramley and Stanningley Ward: Stephen McBarron and Kevin Ritchie.

To receive and consider a report from the Director of Environment and Neighbourhoods presenting a final version of the Service Level Agreement (SLA) through which the work of the Environment Locality Team will be steered over the 2012-13 municipal year.

The Director of Environment and Neighbourhoods submitted a report which presented the final version of the Service Level Agreement (SLA) through which the work of the Environment Locality Team will be steered over the 2012-13 municipal year.

The following information was appended to the report:

-  West (Inner) Area Committee – Service Level Agreement 2012/13

-  A breakdown of the West North West Locality Budget

-  Current structure of the Locality Team for the West North West area.

The Chair welcomed to the meeting, Jason Singh, West North West Locality Manager, Environment and Neighbourhoods, to present the report and respond to Members’ questions and comments.

The key areas of discussion were:

• Development of ward based plans, particularly in relation to environmental enforcement.
• Concerns about overgrown vegetation on pedestrian routes and the need to undertake risk assessments.
• Confirmation of the commitment to appoint to all posts contained in the staff structure (see appendix c to the report).
• Concerns about the allocation of resources in some areas, particularly street cleansing in the Westovers.
• Gulley cleansing and targeting hotspot areas.

RESOLVED –

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

(b)  That the West (Inner) Area Committee – Service Level Agreement 2012/13 for the delivery of delegated environmental services, be approved.

To receive and consider a report from the Deputy Chief Executive outlining a proposal for the development of a Neighbourhood Improvement Board covering the four most deprived neighbourhoods in the inner west area of Leeds.

The Deputy Chief Executive submitted a report which outlined a proposal for the development of a Neighbourhood Improvement Board covering the four most deprived neighbourhoods in the inner west area of Leeds.

Appended to the report was a copy of the inner west priority neighbourhood statistics.

The Chair welcomed to the meeting, Jane Maxwell, Area Leader (West North West) and Kate Sibson, Area Projects Officer, to present the report and respond to Members’ questions and comments.

The key points of discussion were:

• Development of a multi agency approach and promoting the involvement of residents to address key issues.
• The Council’s role in relation to public health.
• Barriers to educational attainment.

RESOLVED –

(a)  That the contents of the report be noted

(b)  That the proposal to establish a Neighbourhoods Improvement Board for the inner west area, be approved.

(c)  That Councillor Harper, Armley Ward and Councillor C Gruen, Bramley and Stanningley Ward, be nominated to work with the Area Support Team to develop the Neighbourhoods Improvement Board.

To receive and consider a report from the Assistant Chief Executive (Customer Access & Performance) outlining a community engagement plan for the West (Inner) Area Committee.

The Assistant Chief Executive (Customer Access and Performance) submitted a report which outlined a community engagement plan for the West (Inner) Area Committee.

The Chair welcomed to the meeting, Chris Dickinson, Area Improvement Manager, to present the report and respond to Members’ questions and comments.

The main areas of discussion were:

• Concerns about the suitability of Armley Community Forum’s current meeting venue, particularly in relation to poor access and the impact on public attendance.  It was suggested that the Area Support Team explored the possibility of arranging future meetings in the library area.
• Clarification that the Area Support Team remained committed to supporting Community Forums.
• Concerns that Bramley Community Forum meetings were not particularly well publicised and the need to raise awareness at local network meetings and action days.

RESOLVED –

(a)  That the contents of the report be noted.

(b)  That a further report on progress made in relation to community engagement be submitted to the Area Committee.

To receive and consider a report from the Assistant Chief Executive (Customer Access and Performance) setting out options for sub groups in the inner west area of Leeds and outlining the role of the Elected Member theme champion for Health and Community Safety.  The report also seeks nominations for Elected Member representatives from each Ward to the agreed sub groups and theme champions.

The Assistant Chief Executive (Customer Access and Performance) submitted a report which set out options for sub groups in the inner west area of Leeds.

Kate Sibson, Area Projects Officer, Customer Access and Performance, presented the report and responded to Members’ questions and comments.

Further information about the role of the Community Safety Champion and Fuel Poverty Champion was appended to the report.

RESOLVED –

(a)  That the contents of the report be noted

(b)  That the Environmental Sub Group be disbanded and replaced by a General Purposes Sub Group, to be chaired by the Area Committee Chair, with all 6 Members of the Area Committee being invited to attend

(c)  That Councillor J McKenna be elected theme champion for Community Safety, Councillor Hanley for Fuel Poverty and Councillor Lowe for Health.

(Councillor Lowe withdrew from the meeting at 6.55pm during the consideration of this item.)

To receive and consider a report from the Deputy Chief Executive updating Members on the Area Committee’s well-being budget, providing monitoring information on the well-being funded projects completed during the 2011/12 financial year and presenting a new well-being fund application for consideration by the Area Committee.

The Deputy Chief Executive submitted a report which updated Members on the Area Committee’s well being budget, provided monitoring information on the well being funded projects completed during the 2011/12 financial year and presented a new well being application for consideration by the Area Committee.

Kate Sibson, Area Projects Officer, Customer Access and Performance, presented the report.

RESOLVED –

(a)  That the contents of the report be noted

(b)  That the following decision be made in relation to an application for well being funding that had been submitted:

• Armley Fun Day Committee – Notice Board on Armley Town Street for community use – £2,350 – Approved.

To receive and consider a report from the Deputy Chief Executive updating Members on key priorities in the inner west area of Leeds since the last Area Committee meeting.

The Deputy Chief Executive submitted a report which updated Members on key priorities in the inner west area of Leeds since the Area Committee meeting in March 2012.

Kate Sibson, Area Projects Officer, Customer Access and Performance, presented the report.

RESOLVED – That the contents of the report be noted.

To receive and consider a report from the Chief Officer (Democratic and Central Services) outlining the Area Committee’s role in relation to Elected Member Appointments to Outside Bodies and requesting Members to determine the appointments to those organisations which fall to the Area Committee to make an appointment to.

The Chief Officer (Democratic and Central Services) submitted a report which outlined the procedure relating to local authority appointments to outside bodies and invited Members to consider making appointments to those outside bodies detailed within the report.

The following information was appended to the report:

• Appointments to Outside Bodies Procedure Rules
• Area Committee Appointments to Outside Bodies (West Inner)

RESOLVED –

(a)  That the contents of the report and appendices be noted;

(b)  That approval be given to the following Outside Body appointments being made for the 2012/2013 municipal year:

• ALMO West Inner Area Panel – Councillors J McKenna and Taggart
• BramleyPoors Allotment Trust – Mr M Law and Councillor Taggart.

Wednesday, 5^th September 2012

(Fairfield Community Centre, Fairfield Terrace, Bramley, Leeds, LS13 3DQ)

Wednesday, 5^th September 2012

(Fairfield Community Centre, Fairfield Terrace, Bramley, Leeds, LS13 3DQ)

(The meeting concluded at 7.10pm.)