Agenda and minutes

To consider any appeals in accordance with Procedure Rule 15.2 of the Access to Information Procedure Rules (in the event of an Appeal the press and public will be excluded).

(*In accordance with Procedure Rule 15.2, written notice of an appeal must be received by the Head of Governance Services at least 24 hours before the meeting.)

There were no appeals.

1 To highlight reports or appendices which officers have identified as   containing exempt information, and where officers consider that the   public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public   interest in disclosing the information, for the reasons outlined in the   report.

2  To consider whether or not to accept the officers recommendation in   respect of the above information.

3  If so, to formally pass the following resolution:-

RESOLVED – That the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following parts of the agenda designated as containing exempt information on the grounds that it is likely, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted or the nature of the proceedings, that if members of the press and public were present there would be disclosure to them of exempt information, as follows:

 No exempt items or information have been identified on the agenda

There was no exempt information.

To identify items which have been admitted to the agenda by the Chair for consideration.

(The special circumstances shall be specified in the minutes.)

There was a formal late item which was Policing Priorities in Outer North East, this was circulated to Members prior to the meeting and was on the agenda as item 12a.

For further details, please see minute 35 below.

To receive any apologies for absence.

Apologies for absence had been received from Councillor R Stephenson.

To disclose or draw attention to any interests in accordance with Leeds City Council’s ‘Councillor Code of Conduct’.

Councillor M Robinson drew the Committee’s attention to the fact that he was employed by TechUK, given the Committees consideration of the item titled ‘100% Digital Leeds Update’.

In accordance with Paragraphs 4.16 and 4.17 of the Community 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.

The Governance Services Officer reported that no submissions had been received with respect to the “Open Forum”.

To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on the 18^th of September 2023.

RESOLVED - That the minutes of the meeting held on the 18^th of September 2023 be confirmed as a correct record.

To consider any matters arising from the minutes (If any)

There were no matters arising from the minutes.

To receive the report of the Head of Locality Partnerships, providing an opportunity to form a discussion around policing priorities in the Outer North East area, with Elected Members, partners and members of the public.

The Head of Localities submitted a report which formed a discussion around policing priorities in the Outer North East area, with input from Elected Members, partners and members of the public.

Inspector Richard Armstead and Sergeant Sam Standen attended the meeting and outlined the following information:

• Inspector Armstead had been in post for the Leeds North East Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT) since June 2023, replacing Inspector Richard Horn upon his retirement. It was noted to have been a challenging 6 months.
• Policing priorities for the Outer North East were set by the Police, local community and relevant partners.
• Across the Outer North East, burglary of dwellings was a key priority as well as community concerns for anti-social vehicle use.
• It was noted that anti-social vehicle use at the Moor Allerton Centre had been less of an issue recently, however, work was ongoing to address issues at the park & ride at King Lane. Sergeant Pervin was thanked for his work on this.
• Partnership work with the Council to secure additional CCTV at King Lane had not been successful, however, it had prompted the conversation regarding best practise and a three stage model for engagement, education and enforcement.
• A process for addressing anti-social vehicle use was via tracking and indexing registration plates, with letters being sent to repeat bad drivers, noting they had attracted the attention of the Police. More than 12 letters had been sent and if the pattern of vehicle misuse continued, individuals will be dealt with via Anti-Social Behaviour Orders and Public Space Protection Order powers.
• The increase in residential burglary was a priority for the Leeds North East NPT, with Alwoodley suffering the highest amount out of the three Wards.
• Initiatives to address residential burglary were, preventative strands through NPT and the 999 Team. The Darker Nights campaign included extending Police presence later into the evenings and nights, supported by an intelligence process and tackling cross force and district border burglaries as teams of burglars were noted to have been travelling from Bradford and North Yorkshire to target the area.
• Specific traffic operations had been commenced to target excess speeding, in collaboration with the Stainbeck Police Station team. Methods were, checking vehicles, ticketing people for driving offences, raising the Police profile and work alongside the Vision Zero scheme.
• An operation was scheduled over the Christmas period to target drink driving, along with other driving offences.
• Residential burglary in Harewood had increased with up to 4 reports over the past month, but overall, this Ward had the lowest figures for all reported crime.
• Recent burglaries in Harewood had been commercial and residential with quad bikes being targeted, all options to address these crimes were being considered, with a cross border instant messaging chat established to track stolen property and follow each case.
• Staffing was proportionate to crime demand, with the North East experiencing approximately 30% of all crime in the Leeds district. If Members wanted to request additional staff for the area WYP Officers noted, they would support this.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 35.

To receive the report of Head of 100% Digital Leeds which updates the Committee on the work of the 100% Digital Leeds digital inclusion team. Including information on some of the workstreams and activities that are increasing digital inclusion for geographical communities and communities of interest.

The report of the Head of 100% Digital Leeds updated the Committee on the work of the 100% Digital Leeds digital inclusion team. Including information on some of the workstreams and activities that were increasing digital inclusion for geographical communities and communities of interest.

The Head of 100% Digital Leeds outlined the following information:

• Points 2 to 5 of the report set out how the 100% Digital Team operated as part of the Integrated Digital Service, working with partners and services engaged with communities.
• Point 4 set out the vision of the department, noting that ‘everyone in Leeds has equal opportunity to use digital tools, technology and services in the right way for them’. The aim was to provide opportunities and capacity without being prescriptive.
• Community voice informed operations to address where need is most significant for digital support and education, enabling people to determine their own outcomes when using digital technology.
• From point 6 the ongoing projects 100% Digital were involved with were outlined, with a link to the Digital Leeds Website included where more detailed information on key initiatives can be found.
• A notable project related to digital inclusion for transport, in order to increase tools available and expand people’s options, such as using bus and taxi apps. The project had been ongoing for around 9 months and funding had been secured from central Government.
• Projects focused on a cross sectional and community voice models, consulting with relevant parties, such as the third sector, who deliver services for communities of interest.
• The service relied upon a range of expertise with varied understanding and scope from partners, some localised and some city wide.
• Point 12 onwards noted the breadth of work conducted by the service, working to improve the capacity for partner organisations and addressing barriers to inclusivity through funding, information and co-designed interventions.
• Point 14 detailed consultation results from a sample survey of 10% of the organisations the service worked with over the last year.
• Appendix 1 provided an illustrative overview for broadband speed and coverage for Leeds North East.
• Appendix 2 provided an A-Z list of partners the service had worked with over the past year.

The Committee discussed the following:

• As some areas of the Outer North East had limited access to Hubs and libraries, it was outlined that capacity for an increase in home visits was being worked on, with some funding potentially being secured, to engage with elderly people and people living with disabilities or mental health issues.
• The Digital Inclusion Board, which was co-chaired by 100% Digital Leeds and Leeds Older People Forum, and with Wetherby In Support of the Elderly (WiSE) included on the board’s membership, was noted to be well attended and displayed good partnership working.
• Any suggestions from Members for appropriate community venues or organisations the service could engage with were welcomed.
• To address digital inequality, an equipment lending scheme was in place to allow people to begin their journey to accessing digital skills and technology.
• The reliability  ...  view the full minutes text for item 36.

To receive the report of the Gypsy Traveller Service Refugee Resettlement Manager which provides the Outer North Community Committee with an update on the work of the Gypsy Traveller Service.

The report of the Gypsy Traveller Service provided the Outer North East Community Committee with an update regarding the ongoing work of the service.

The Gypsy Traveller Service Manager presented the report, noting the following information:

·  The service was comprised of a small team and was responsible for statutory administration of social housing, unauthorised traveller encampments and management of settled traveller sites.

·  There had been an increase in encampments, historically these were in East and South Leeds but had become more prevalent in North Leeds, particularly with the opening of the East Leeds Orbital Road (ELOR) and associated open areas.

·  The policy approach was to negotiate terms for the encampment or a managed move, with consultation with Asset Management to determine better suited locations.

·  Alternative locations were becoming more difficult to identify given the Council’s financial position and land being sold off.

·  The process for dealing with encampments was informed by Government guidance and law, requiring a welfare assessment to be conducted for determination of eviction or negotiation and the use of Policy Section 61 powers for removal of an encampment were in place.

·  Facilities, such as portable toilets, were often provided to limit the environmental impact an encampment may have on an area and local communities.

·  The following relevant statistics were provided;

·  The more frequent encampments that had occurred in the Outer North East were at Wetherby Leisure Centre, The Ings and the Wilderness Car Park.

·  Partners the service worked with were West Yorkshire Police, Leeds Anti-social Behaviour Team (LASBAT) and Localities as well as charities and organisations that advocate for travellers.

·  An update from a Highways perspective was provided by a Principal Engineer, noting the following; 

o  Numerous measures had been installed to deter illegal camping and fly-tipping. In particular, these included installation of concrete and steel bollards along with large stone boulders. Demountable bollards had been installed where vehicular access needs to be maintained for mowing etc. Unfortunately, criminals (who are equipped with industrial equipment) had vandalized some of these items. The maintenance teams were working hard to replace these items as swiftly as possible.

o  Many incremental adjustments had been made to the road signs and roadmaking’s etc. Further adjustments were due on site over the coming weeks. On request of the Police, a number of bays had been installed to facilitate the use of mobile speed cameras.

·  The majority of travellers passing through Leeds were in the summer travelling to events such as Appleby fair, with the route down the A1 within the proximity of ELOR.

·  The requirements for a suitable negotiated stopping site were outlined and suggestions from Members for any proposed sites were welcomed.

In response to questions from Members, the following points were discussed:

·  Given the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 37.

To receive and consider the report of the Head of Locality Partnerships which provides an update on the budget position for the Wellbeing Fund, Youth Activity Fund Capital Budget, as well as the Community Infrastructure Levy budget for 2023/24.

The Head of Locality Partnerships submitted a report to update the Community Committee on the budget position for the Wellbeing Fund, Youth Activity Fund (YAF), Capital Budget as well as the Community Infrastructure Levy Budget (CIL) for 2023/24.

The Localities Officer highlighted the following information:

• The remaining Wellbeing Budget balance for the Committee was outlined as £41,621.79, with the Ward split as Alwoodley £12,211.26, Harewood £12,230.65 and Wetherby £17,179.88.
• The remaining YAF balance was £14,611.40, with the Ward split as Alwoodley £7,887.80, Harewood £8,028.63 and Wetherby £427.97.
• The remaining Capital balance was £33, 895.01 with the Ward split as Alwoodley £12,953.68, Harewood £11, 487.66 and Wetherby £9,453.67.
• Since the last Community Committee meeting on the 18^th of September 2023, there had been one project approved by DDN for additional litter bins in Wetherby for the cost of £2,750.

The Committee discussed the following:

• It was confirmed that “Members Improvements in the Community and the Environment” (MICE) were also making a contribution towards the total cost of the Land Purchase East Keswick Wellbeing funding application.

Projects set out in the report were discussed, and agreed as follows:

 RESOLVED –

1.)  That the Wellbeing & Youth Activities Fund (YAF) applications be determined as set out above.

2.)  To note;

a. Minimum condition arrangements for 2023/24

b. Changes to the Small Grant administration process (paragraph 18)

c. Details of the Wellbeing Budget position (Table 1)

d. Wellbeing proposals for consideration and approval (paragraph 21 & 22)

e. Details of the Youth Activities Fund (YAF) position (Table 2)

f. Youth Activity Funding proposals for consideration and approval (paragraph 28)

g. Details of the Capital Budget (Table 3)

h. Details of the Community Infrastructure Levy Budget (paragraph 29)

To receive and consider the report of the Head of Locality Partnerships providing an overall update on the work that the Communities Team is engaged in, based on priorities identified by the Community Committee. It also provides opportunities for further questioning, or to request a more detailed report on a particular issue.

The Committee received a report which provided an update on the key activities being undertaken by the Localities Team based upon the priorities identified by the Community Committee. In presenting the report, it provided the Committee with an opportunity to discuss or seek further information on the range of actions currently being undertaken. 

The Localities Officer in attendance introduced the report, outlining the following information:

• As part of the discussion regarding Outer North East Community Committee public engagement and venues where meetings were held, the following statistics outlining engagement with webcasts of recent meetings were provided:

• It was noted that the more recent figures displayed substantially more people watch the webcast that had historically attended meetings at community venues within the Outer North East.

The following points were discussed:

• During the meeting, a message of thanks had been submitted by a resident within Wetherby to Councillor A Lamb for his recent campaign against the introduction of parking charges at public green spaces. It was noted the resident was watching the webcast live.
• Previously the Outer North East Community Committee had been held at venues within the Outer North East Wards, as opposed to the Civic Hall. It was noted that these venues were unable to support the technology and security to webcast from and turnout from members of the public had been low. The webcast was an easy access point for the public.
• The Community Committee review was ongoing, with a workshop scheduled for the 17^th of January 2024 which would cover community engagement best practice. The Chair encouraged Members to attend.
• The webcast allowed people to engage with the meeting after it had taken place, view only specific items of interest to the individual and was a helpful record for accountability for Members.
• The cause behind the increase in viewership for the webcast of more recent meetings was queried. The specific items for consideration at these meetings may have had an effect on the uptake.
• The effect of people logging in and out of the webcast as well as the number of Council officers viewing had on the figures was queried.
• It was thought the impact of officers viewing the webcast was likely fairly minimal as those involved in the proceedings will generally be attending to present an item. It was expected that the uptake in views was due to social media promotion and evidence suggests the webcast was the best method for community engagement.
• The Outer North East area was substantial in terms of geographical size and given inadequate public transport provision it may  ...  view the full minutes text for item 39.

To note the time and date of the next meeting as Thursday the 21^st of March at 5:30pm.

RESOLVED – To note that the next meeting will take place on Thursday, the 21^st of March 2023 at 5:30pm.