Agenda, decisions and minutes

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

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

The Chair accepted on late item of business onto the agenda relating to a further application to the Wellbeing Fund from Deen Enterprises. The application was considered at this meeting as the project was scheduled to commence in January 2012 prior to the next Area Committee meeting. (minute 58 refers). The Committee was also in receipt of supplementary documents relating to Item 15 of the agenda – Developing a Locality Approach between LCC and PCSO’s (minute 60 refers)

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.

The following Members declared 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:

Councillors G Hyde, R Grahame, Khan, Morgan, A Hussain and Selby all declared a personal interest as members of the GMB union in agenda item 10 Community Centre Update (minute 61 refers)

Councillor Maqsood declared a personal interest as a member of UNISON in agenda item 10 Community Centre Update (minute 61 refers)

Councillors G Hyde declared a personal interest as a member UCATT in agenda item 10 Community Centre Update (minute 61 refers)

To receive any apologies for absence.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor A Taylor. The chair welcomed Mr T Riordan, LCC Chief Executive to the meeting and short introductions were made

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. Time – 10 minutes

No matters were raised under the Open Forum

To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 20^th October 2011

(copy attached) Time – 10 minutes

RESOLVED – That, subject to a revision to minute 49 to amend the sub heading to read “Land Adjacent to Lincoln Green Medical Centre”, the minutes of the previous meeting held 20^th October 2011 be agreed as a correct record

Minute 47 – WYFRS Fire Cover proposals – the Chair confirmed that a letter had been sent to the Fire Authority expressing the concerns of EIAC over the proposals. A copy of the letter had been sent to Members for information prior to this meeting. EIAC briefly discussed whether consultation had been undertaken with local businesses over the proposals

To consider the report of the East North East Area Leader providing an overview of sending to date and presenting a number of new project proposals seeking funding from the Wellbeing Budget

(Report attached) Time – 10 minutes

Resolved -

a)  To note the contents of the report and to approved the following grants:

i)  Replacement of Nowell Park Mount Play Area   £2,575

ii)  Beckett Street/Lincoln Green Environmental Improvements  £1,500

iii)  Rookwood Recreation Area   £15,000

iv)  Carols on the Green Community Notice Board   £1,610

v)  Community Pantomime  £220

vi)  South Seacroft CCTV    £27,000

b)  To defer consideration of the application from Deen Enterprises for the Oz Box project (£962.50)

The East North East Area Leader submitted a report providing an overview of spending to date from the EIAC Wellbeing Budget and five new proposals seeking funding from the revenue budget. One additional application had been received after the despatch of the agenda for the meeting and this was presented as a late item of business, however it was reported that ENE Homes Ltd Area Panel had now agreed to fund half the project costs so it was unclear whether the scheme would require funding from EIAC

RESOLVED -

a) To note the contents of the report and to approved the following grants:

1. Replacement of Nowell Park Mount Play Area   £2,575
2. Beckett Street/Lincoln Green Environmental Improvements  £1,500
3. Rookwood Recreation Area   £15,000
4. Carols on the Green Community Notice Board   £1,610
5. Community Pantomime  £220
6. South Seacroft CCTV  £27,000

b)To defer consideration of the application from Deen Enterprises for the Oz Box project (£962.50)

To consider the report of the Locality Manager (East North East) providing the first half year update on performance against the Service Level Agreement between the East Inner Area Committee and the East North East Environmental Locality Team

(Report attached) Time – 15 minutes

Resolved –

a)  That the contents of the report and the comments made by the Area Committee be noted

b)  That the recommendations made by the Environmental Sub    

     Group be agreed

The Environmental Services Locality Manager for the East and North East of Leeds submitted a report providing the first update on performance against the Service Level Agreement between EIAC and the ENE Environmental Locality Team. Attached to the report were schedules showing the progress towards the implementation of the new service principles and progress on the delivery of the strands of the service across the wards, including specific examples of achievements so far.

(Councillor Pryke joined the meeting at this point)

Mr J Woolmer attended the meeting to present the report and seek feedback on the style and content of future SLA updates. The following issues were discussed:

• Examples of responsive working were outlined in the schedules which referred to “capacity days” where season specific tasks had been undertaken across the ENE area (such as autumn leaf clearance). Future capacity days could be utilised to address service blocks which had been missed due to staff sickness.
• Partnership working between the Team and PCSOs had been established and produced encouraging results tackling environmental crimes and offences.
• Ginnel mapping was being undertaken and an A1 plan of the locality was displayed at the meeting
• A future priority was to educate and work in partnership with residents and businesses in specific locations to tackle long term environmental problems such as littering and fly-tipping. Further discussion was required with Area Management on the lead for that priority and the creation of a small team to tackle such “improvement zones”. Work undertaken in Harehills with the “Save Harehills Lane” group had proved a success and could provide a best practice model for the future
• The Environmental Sub Group had proposed an approach to target  a small number of the worst zones in terms of environmental condition (included at appendix C) and had established a criteria for the purchase of new/replacement litter bins reported at Appendix D

• A litter bin budget was provided and measures to encourage match funding from local businesses for every new bin provided in their area were being considered.
• Members suggested that advertisements placed on litter bins could also generate funds for new or re-provision of bins. It was noted that a new style of bin was being acquired with concrete bases and notice slots which could facilitate this
• The need to continue the review of litter bin locations to ensure their placement at areas of high usage such as bus stops and outside businesses/shops. Comments from local ward councillors were welcome to feed information into that process
• Liaison with the Community Leadership Teams as well as the emerging Citizens Panel was suggested as the CLTs could provide more effective local knowledge
• The need to re-prioritise in order to focus the service on those localities most at need. The comments of the Burmantofts & Richmond Hill Members were noted with regards to the provision and emptying of litter bins, missing bins and fly-tipping

EIAC commented on the positive outcomes already achieved by the new way of working and commended the work  ...  view the full minutes text for item 59.

To consider the report of the Director of Environment and Neighbourhoods providing an update on the development of closer working arrangements between locality based LCC services and Neighbourhood Police Teams/PCSO’s

(Report attached)– 5 minutes

The Director of Environment and Neighbourhoods submitted a report providing an update on the development of closer working arrangements between the locality based LCC services and the Neighbourhood Policing Teams/PCSO’s. Mr J Woolmer reported that the lead officer and Chief Inspector were unable to attend the meeting. The Area Committee commented on the importance of the discussions on the report and

RESOLVED – That consideration of the report be deferred to the next meeting

To consider the report of the East North East Area Leader providing an update on the work of the Inner East Community Centre Working Group

(Report attached) Time – 5 minutes

Resolved – That the contents of the report and the comments of the Area Committee be noted

The East North East Area Leader submitted an update report on the work of the Inner East Community Centre Working Group to assess the community centres in the area in order to gauge their condition, current usage and to maximise their future use.

Ms Sarah May attended the meeting to present the report and highlighted the following matters:

• Three centres had been identified with low attendance figures (Alston, Lincoln Green and Knowle Mount) and a campaign was being considered to highlight their availability and uses in the localities, including leafleting and open days
• Richmond Hill Community Centre had re-opened on 18 November 2011 and generated increased usage and interest

(Councillor A Hussain withdrew from the meeting for a short time at this point)

EIAC discussed the location of and access to the existing community centres and the LCC lettings process which was regarded as being over complicated by community groups and in need of revision. EIAC also noted a suggestion that Lincoln Green community centre should incorporate a Job Shop facility

RESOLVED -

a)  To note the contents of the report and the comments of the Area Committee

b)  To support the suggestion that Lincoln Green Community Centre incorporate a Job Shop facility

To consider the report of the Chief Officer, Employment and Skills, providing information on the employment and training opportunities for local people, access to those opportunities and the work undertaken by the Service to liaise with local employers and businesses

(Report attached) Time – 15 minutes

Ms S Wynne, Chief Officer of LCC Employment Skills Services, attended the meeting to present a report on the employment and training opportunities for local people, access to those opportunities and the work undertaken by the Service to liaise with local employers and businesses. The following key issues were highlighted:

• Role of local Job Shops in provision of support, training opportunities and job/skills matching for local jobseekers
• The role of EIAC in providing local knowledge to the Service and residents in order to provide effective local events and recruitment drives in the right locations to maximise the number of participants
• A mapping exercise on provision within the locality was being undertaken and would be presented once complete
• The importance of early identification of future employment opportunities in the planning process and being able to work with developers and employers to identify prospective staff and train them appropriately

Discussions followed on related matters including:

• Links already established between the Service and developers of city centre sites, such as the Trinity development
• The need to ensure all Councillors are notified of city centre opportunities, not just the local ward councillors, as city centre developments were likely to draw staff from all across the city
• Amendments to the welfare system would lead to a number of former recipients of disability living allowance being in receipt of Job Seekers Allowance and the measures in place to support those new to the job seeking process
• The range of programmes available to support different claimants and claimant groups
• Acknowledgement that the area covered by EIAC contained some of the most deprived localities in the City and the need to ensure resources and provision are effectively targeted. The Burmantofts & Richmond Hill Members commented on the lack of Job Shop provision in the ward and residents’ difficulty in accessing Job Shops located in other wards. It was noted that the Service had limited resources and had completed a review of historical locations of the Job Shops, seeking to maximise their use by re-siting some in multi-use buildings, such as one-stop shops, where jobseekers would be able to access a raft of other council services

Members noted that two separate Scrutiny Board inquiries were currently being undertaken. The Sustainable Economy & Culture Board was reviewing the links between planning, S106 and employment and skills. The Regeneration Board was reviewing transport. Councillor Morgan reported the Regeneration Board held on 29^th November 2011 and attended by a METRO representative had received a deputation from a Cross Green resident about the local bus service.

Councillor R Grahame, with the permission of the Chair, introduced three guests from the NHS Recovery Programme to the meeting. EIAC agreed to vary normal procedure to receive a short representation from Mr F Ahmed, youth co-ordinator for Lincoln Green on the challenges faced by young people from that area in terms of health, education, skills and employment. EIAC commended Mr Faisal for the issues he raised. The ENE Area leader responded that a multi-agency approach to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 62.

To receive the report of the Assistant Chief Executive Customer Access and Performance, setting out the timetable for the development, management and co-ordination of the Leeds Citizens Panel

(Report attached)  Time – 5 minutes

Mr C Dickinson, WNW Area Team, attended the meeting to present the report of the Assistant Chief Executive Customer Access and Performance which set out the timetable for the development, management and co-ordination of the Leeds Citizen Panel.

The strong community links and roles of the Community Leadership Teams already established in this locality were acknowledged and it was emphasised that the Citizens Panel was regarded as an additional tool for community liaison, not a replacement for the CLT’s

RESOLVED – That EIAC

a)  Note the development of the new Citizens Panel in Leeds as described in the submitted report

b)  Support the use of the new Leeds Citizens Panel

c)  Commit to take up the use of the Citizens Panel as part of the Committees community engagement activities in support of the Wellbeing Fund priority setting and in the development of the Area Business Plans

To receive the minutes of the Area Chairs Forum meeting held 5^th September 2011

(Copy attached) Time – 5 minutes

RESOLVED – To note the minutes of the Area Chairs Forum meeting held 5^th September 2011

(Councillor Selby withdrew from the meeting at this point)

To note the report of the Assistant Chief Executive, Customer Access and Performance, on the Capital Receipt Incentive Scheme that received approval at the Executive Board Meeting on 12th October 2011.

(Report attached) Time – 10 minutes

The Area Committee considered the report of the Assistant Chief Executive Customer Access and Performance on the Capital Receipts Incentive Scheme which received approval at the Executive Board meeting held on 12^th October 2011. A copy of that report which proposed that assets should be identified in order to release capital funds was included. It was noted that assets were not evenly spread across the city and this scheme would help to release capital funds from elsewhere to the benefit of the areas which had no assets to release or were most deprived

RESOLVED – That the contents of the report to Executive Board (12 October 2011) on the Capital Receipts Incentive Scheme be noted

(Councillor Selby resumed his seat in the meeting)

To note the report of the Assistant Chief Executive Customer Access and Performance providing an update on the Government’s Welfare Reform proposals and the impact on Leeds’ citizens.

(Report attached) Time – 5 minutes

The Assistant Chief Executive Customer Access and Performance submitted a report providing an update on the Governments Welfare Reform proposals and the impact this could have on Leeds’ citizens. The report included a copy of the three year timetable for reform and schedules showing the likely impact of the changes on residents, the ALMO/BITMO resources and possible measures to tackle the changes. A letter dated 13 October 2011 from the Leader of Council to the Department of Communities and Local Government was included at Appendix 5

The Committee commented on the challenge ahead to focus resources in order to mitigate the impact of the reforms on residents of East Leeds who lived on the poverty borderline. It was noted that the ENE Area Leader had been asked to establish an inter-agency team to look at ways to support residents in terms of digital access, easy banking access and a communication strategy. An Action Plan would be developed and reported to EIAC in due course

(Councillor Morgan withdrew from the meeting for a short while at this point)

EIAC commented on the following issues:

-  the need to liaise with relevant authorities over those residents prevented from digital access

-  the economic impact on the area and local businesses and the need to seek the views of the local Chamber of Commerce and Small Business Federations

-  noted the city centre One Stop Shop had already experienced a 40% increase in visits from Leeds residents seeking advice

-  the impact on private and social housing landlords in terms of benefit recipients being unable to meet the costs of rents

-  the role of neighbourhood networks

RESOLVED – That the contents of the report and its appendices, be noted

To receive the report of the Assistant Chief Executive, Customer Access and Performance providing a high-level summary of the main elements of the Localism Act that will be of direct relevance to area committees and to provide an opportunity to debate and influence the way the council implements the legislation

(Report attached) Time – 5 minutes

The Area Committee considered the report of the Assistant Chief Executive, Customer Access and Performance which summarised those main elements of the Localism Act of direct relevance to Area Committees, in order to support future debate on how the Council will implement the legislation. EIAC noted that no guidance on the implementation of the measures within the Act had been issued by the Department for Communities and Local Government yet.

RESOLVED –

a)  To note the contents of the report as the basis for future debate on the opportunities, challenges and risks the Area Committee associates with the legislation taking into account the role Members identify for the Committee in the future in engaging with communities on this issue

b)  That the comments of the Committee be fed back to officers in order to inform a further report to a future Executive Board meeting on the implications of the Act and more detailed reports/sessions on Planning, Assets of Community Value and Right to Challenge agreed by area chairs

To note the dates and time of future meetings as:

Thursday 2^nd February 2012 at 5:00 pm in the Civic Hall, Leeds

And

Thursday 22^nd March 2012 at 5:00 pm, SHINE

RESOLVED – To note the date and time of the next meeting as Thursday 2^nd February 2012 at 5:00 pm in Leeds Civic Hall