Agenda and minutes

Venue: The Hall at Tiger 11, Hillside, Beeston Rd, Leeds LS11 8ND

Contact: Governance Services 

Items
No. Item

27.

Appeals Against Refusal of Inspection of Documents

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)

Minutes:

There were no appeals.

 

 

28.

Exempt Information - Possible Exclusion of the Press and Public

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:

Minutes:

There were no exempt items.

 

 

29.

Late Items

To identify items which have been admitted to the agenda by the Chair for consideration (The special circumstances shall be specified in the minutes)

Minutes:

There were no formal late items. However, there was some supplementary information in relation to the following two items:

 

Item 9 – Changes to the Youth Service (Minute 35 refers)

Item 10 – Inner South Community Committee Delegated Budget Report (Minute 34 refers)

 

 

30.

Declaration of Disclosable Pecuniary and Other Interests

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.

 

Minutes:

There were no declarations of disclosable pecuniary interests.

 

 

31.

Apologies for Absence

To receive any apologies for absence.

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Blake and Almass.

 

 

32.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 84 KB

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 5th September 2018 as a correct record.

 

 

Minutes:

RESOLVED – That the minutes of the previous meeting held on 5th September 2018 be agreed as an accurate record.

 

 

33.

Open Forum

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 Community 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.

Minutes:

No matters were raised during the Open Forum.

 

 

34.

Inner South Community Committee Delegated Budget pdf icon PDF 616 KB

To consider the report of the Area Leader setting out the delegated budget position for the Community Committee and inviting Members to consider the wellbeing applications submitted.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Area Leader submitted a report which presented the delegated budget position for the Community Committee and invited Members to consider the wellbeing applications that had been submitted.

 

A CIL Guide for Parish and Town Councils and Community Committees was appended to the report.

 

The following were in attendance:

 

-  Martin Dean, Area Leader, Communities and Environment

-  Lyn Bambury, Localities Officer, Communities and Environment

 

In regards to the CIL Neighbourhood Fund Balance, the Chair requested that a private meeting be held with all Members to set out a way forward for distribution of funds delegated to the Committee, and to discuss the Council’s approach to use of centralised CIL funds, which Members heard had mostly been used to relieve school pressures.

 

Project Title

Wards

Amount requested from Wellbeing Budget

Decision

Cross Flatts Lantern Festival (Friday 14th December)

Hunslet & Riverside (£750), Beeston & Holbeck (£750)

£1500 (Revenue)

Approved

Metal Fence and Gates for Springfield Place

Hunslet & Riverside 

£6434.44 (Capital)

Approved

Leeds Little Free Library

Middleton Park 

£1,000.00 (Capital)

Approved, subject to safety checks of premises to be carried out by the Localities team

3 x Speed Indicatordevices (SIDs) 

Beeston & Holbeck

£6220.00 (Capital), £3110 (Revenue).

Approved

Illumination of the ‘Welcome to Hunslet Carr’ Sign and future WWI Centenary

Stone

Hunslet & Riverside

£2,100.00 (Capital)

Approved

 

In relation to the above applications, Members discussed a number of matters:

 

·  Concerns around safeguarding for the Leeds Little Free Libraries across the city, as Members heard that residential properties were used to host the activities. The Chair also suggested that Leeds Little Free Libraries consult with Members regarding the locations of libraries, as to not replicate programme already taking place in some areas.

·  Councillor Nash updated the Board on the current position regarding the funding allocations for the Metal Fence and Gates for Springfield Place. Councillor Nash informed the Board that at the most recent Housing Advisory Panel (HAP) meeting, it was agreed that the HAP would reduce their funding to £1000, and £6434.44 of the Hunslet and Riverside capital funds would be used, as opposed to the figures quoted within the report and in the supplementary information.

 

In relation to the wellbeing funding provided to South Leeds Life, the Chair requested to a representative present that the Community Committee receive free advertising for future meetings. The representative present agreed to this proposal.

 

A representative from the Hunslet Club was not present to provide an interim update, however Members were assured by Councillor Groves that the Committee would receive an update at a later date, particularly regarding their targeted work.

 

RESOLVED -

 

a)  That the contents of the report be noted;

b)  That the revenue projects already agreed as listed be noted;

c)  That the Youth Activities fund projects already agreed as listed be noted;

d)  That the capital budgets already agreed as listed be noted;

e)  That the Small Grants projects already agreed as listed be noted;

f)  That the CIL Neighbourhood Fund Balance as listed be noted and a private meeting to discuss  ...  view the full minutes text for item 34.

35.

Inner South Policing Update pdf icon PDF 325 KB

To consider the report of the Area Leader introducing a verbal update from West Yorkshire Police regarding policing in the local area.

 

 

Minutes:

The Area Leader submitted a report introducing a verbal update from West Yorkshire Police regarding policing activities in the local area.

 

Inspector Ian O’Brien, West Yorkshire Police, was in attendance and highlighted the following areas to Members:

 

·  The general increase in crime across Leeds, however more significant rises in the east and west of the city, with South Leeds figures remaining relatively static in comparison.

·  The high percentage of assaults that were categorised as domestic violence across the Inner South. Members heard of new initiatives in place to support families of victims, particularly children.

·  Increasing prevalence of knife crime in Beeston and Holbeck, however Members were informed that funding had been allocated to address the issue.

·  The success of the Trojan Bus scheme, run in partnership with First Bus, to tackle anti-social behaviour.

·  A new cohort of Police Cadets had begun training, which had been facilitated by the Neighbourhood Policing Team.

·  Street cleansing for the Managed Approach and rough sleepers in the city. Members heard that the current street cleansing initiative focused largely on the City Centre, and less so in the Inner South area.

·  The positive impact of community intelligence in relation to arrests.

 

Members discussed a number of matters, including:

 

·  The overlap between drug use and the Managed Approach. Inspector O’Brien informed Members that although there is a correlation, the link is not significant due to a number of factors. However, Inspector O’Brien recognised that further work needed to be progressed in relation to non-injectable substances.

·  Members questioned the succession plan for Inspector O’Brien’s retirement in the near future, and were informed that he would have a role in the recruitment process to ensure that the most suitable candidate was selected.

·  Members suggested that promotion of the positive work facilitated was needed to inform local residents.

·  Members queried the approach taken to tackle the prevalence of open Class-C drug deals and usage, and were informed that community intelligence was particularly helpful.

 

RESOLVED – That verbal update provided at the meeting, together with Members’ comments, be noted.

 

 

36.

Changes to the Youth Service pdf icon PDF 542 KB

To consider the report of the Head of Commissioning, Children and Families, presenting the findings of the Youth Work review and the recommended option for future commissioning arrangements.

 

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Head of Commissioning, Children and Families, submitted a report presenting the findings of the Youth Work review and the recommended option for future commissioning arrangements.

 

The following information was appended to the report:

 

-  Outline youth work budget for Leeds

-  Youth work budget for Inner South

 

The following were in attendance:

 

-  Chris Dickinson, Head of Commissioning and Market Management, Children and Families, Leeds City Council

-  Jean Ellison, Youth Service Lead, Children and Families, Leeds City Council

 

Members discussed a number of matters, including:

 

·  The Chair proposed that, due to the overlap in provision across ward boundaries, an additional workshop be arranged with all Committee Members and the relevant officers to discuss in more detail the proposed changes to the Youth Service in the Inner South.

·  Members expressed some concerns with the model regarding the targeting of groups who were at risk of being NEET. Members felt that putting earlier intervention in place, to work with young people at the beginning of secondary school, would be more beneficial than in Year 11. There was also concern raised around the lesser focus on those who attend Pupil Referral Units (PRUs) following exclusions.

·  Members requested more information around the amount of children who were regularly engaging, and were assured by officers that this information would be provided for individual wards at the additional workshop.

·  Members requested more information about the plans to introduce Co-ordinator roles to act as a link between the third sector and internal provision, and were informed that this role would be facilitated through third sector partnerships. Members were keen to promote the services available in their wards, and requested that they be provided with the current programme of services for the Inner South.

 

Although not a disclosable pecuniary interest, Councillor Groves informed the Committee during discussions that she was a business partner of ‘Positive Futures’, a local social inclusion programme, but did not receive any funds in return from the organisation.

 

RESOLVED –

 

a)  That the additional workshop for all Members be arranged.

b)  That the programme of youth services activities be circulated to all Members.

c)  That the contents of the report be noted.

 

 

37.

Inner South Community Committee Update Report pdf icon PDF 524 KB

To consider the report of the Area Leader providing a summary of work which the Communities Team are engaged in that is not covered elsewhere on this agenda.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Area Leader submitted a report which provided a summary of the work undertaken by the Communities Team based on the priorities identified by the Inner South Community Committee.

 

The following information was appended to the report:

 

-  Christmas bin collections

-  Facebook engagement update

 

The Localities Officer introduced the report. It was highlighted that the CCTV costs noted in the report were inaccurate. Members heard that Leedswatch had miscalculated the cost by £9k, and had previously agreed to increase their contribution from £5k to £8k. Members also heard that a request had been submitted to Local Centres Programme to increase their contribution from £14k to £17k, and in the meantime, Leedswatch had begun planning for the scheme on the assumption that the remaining £3k will be secured.

 

Members were informed that a briefing would be provided regarding the implications of South Leeds being removed from the Clean Air Zone. There was also some discussion between Members around the provision and quality of bin yards in the local area.

 

RESOLVED – That the contents of the report, and Members comments, be noted.

 

 

38.

Any Other Business

To receive updates or comments from Members of the Committee regarding matters that have not been considered elsewhere on the agenda.

Minutes:

The Chair provided an opportunity for Members of the Committee to raise any issues that had not been considered elsewhere on the agenda.

 

Following consultation between ward colleagues, Councillor Kim Groves requested that the Committee agree to change the appointments to outside bodies to the following:

 

-  Councillor Kim Groves to be appointed to Belle Isle Winter Aid (previously Councillor Judith Blake)

-  Councillor Judith Blake to be appointed to Middleton Elderly Aid (previously Councillor Kim Groves)

 

Additionally, Councillor Kim Groves raised concerns about the relocation of the Communities Team to East Leeds. Members felt that the relocation introduced barriers to Members and local residents access to the relevant officers, as they were no longer situated within the Inner South area. Members also commented on the lack of consultation prior to agreement of the relocation.

 

The Area Leader provided some context to the relocation. Previously staff in the Communities Team with Community Committee and Priority Neighbourhood responsibilities were located across 3 offices in Horsforth, Beeston and Chapeltown. This had been consolidated to Chapeltown and Beeston. However, a view was taken that it would be beneficial for staff with similar responsibilities to have their main location together, while utilising the Council wide ‘Changing the Workplace’ policy to work where they are required. This means the officers for inner South are based regularly at Dewsbury Road, Recreation View, and the St Georges Centre and at other locations in the Inner South as required. 

 

RESOLVED –

 

a)  That two appointments agreed at the Inner South Community Committee meeting on 13th June 2018 be amended to the following and will run for the remainder of the municipal year:

Councillor Judith Blake - Middleton Elderly Aid

Councillor Kim Groves - Belle Isle Winter Aid

b)  That the chair discusses the office arrangements further with officers and the Executive Member for Communities on behalf of the Committee, expressing their concerns about the recent relocation of relevant officers from Dewsbury Road Community Hub to the Reginald Centre.

 

Councillor K Groves left the meeting at 4:05pm during discussion of this item.

 

39.

Date, time and venue of next meeting

Wednesday, 6 March 2019 4:30pm at the Civic Hall, Leeds, LS1 1UR

Minutes:

There was some discussion around the start time for the next meeting of the Committee, which had been agreed as part of the 2018/19 Community Committee schedule at the meeting held on Wednesday 7th February 2018. To ensure that working members of the public could access the meeting at the Civic Hall, Members of the Hunslet and Riverside ward suggested that the meeting should be changed to begin at 5:30pm.

 

RESOLVED – That the timing of the next meeting be amended to the following:

 

Wednesday 6th March 2019 at 5:30pm, Committee Rooms 6&7 Civic Hall