Agenda item

To consider the report of the Director of Neighbourhoods and Housing

providing Members with further information which supplements the tour of

Beeston Hill and Holbeck that was undertaken and the initial report that was

presented to the Board’s September 2006 meeting.

(Report attached.)

(Councillor Hyde joined the meeting at 10:05 am, at the commencement of consideration of this item.)

The Director of Neighbourhoods and Housing submitted a report which provided Members with further information on the regeneration of Beeston Hill and Holbeck, with particular emphasis on partnership infrastructure and funding and resources. The report was intended to supplement the tour of the area that had been undertaken by the Board prior to the September 2006 meeting.

Mark Ireland, Service Manager, Neighbourhoods and Housing, John Bracewell, Neighbourhood Renewal Manager, Neighbourhoods and Housing and Steve Williamson, Chief Executive of Re’new attended the meeting to present the report and respond to Members’ questions and comments.

The Board heard that Re’new had been involved with the regeneration work in Beeston Hill and Holbeck for the past seven to eight years. This period had seen increased partnership working, new investment and examples of community engagement that were considered to be second to none in the city as a whole. Whilst considerable progress had been made, there was still much work required to take the project forward, including improving and extending partnership working and securing further private sector investment.

Members went on to discuss the following issues in relation to the scheme:

-  The benefits of construction companies involved in the regeneration project employing local labour, particularly school leavers as apprentices;

-  The work of Construction Leeds in promoting jobs, skills and training in the local area following the receipt of European funding;

-  Progress made in the bid to the Department for Communities and Local Government for PFI credits and the other strategies in place should the bid prove unsuccessful;

-  The financial cost of the project up to this point;

-  The status of the planning application for Shaftesbury House and the view that renovation of this prominent landmark would provide further impetus to the regeneration of the area and confidence of the local community;

-  The need to engage all sections of the local community in measures to tackle crime in the area;

-  Recently undertaken initiatives to remove abandoned bricks and rubble from the area which had previously been used by individuals seeking to cause criminal damage;

-  Progress made in conjunction with the Police towards tackling the problems of prostitution and drug dealing;

-  The role that the new school in the area would play in working towards improved community cohesion;

-  The long-term nature of the regeneration programme which had begun with the facelift to Tempest Road as a statement of intent.

The Chair thanked Officers for their attendance and contribution to the discussions.

RESOLVED –

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

b.)  That the focus for the next and final report will be complementary improvements to service and environmental factors and the role of the private rented and private development sectors.

(Councillor Ewens left the meeting at 10:20 am during consideration of this item. Councillor Akhtar joined the meeting at 10:20 am during consideration of this item.)