Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from City Councillors Benstead and Herbert.

No interests were declared.

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 11 September 2014.

It was noted that Councillor Roberts, not Councillor Robertson, addressed the Committee regarding planning application 14/0974/FUL – 27 Tenison Avenue (minute item 14/98d/EAC).

 

Councillor Sinnott proposed the following minor amendment to minute item 14/64/EAC:

 

“Police and Safer Neighbourhood: A breakdown of crime figures had been would be discussed with Councillor Sinnott outside of the meeting.” 

 

With these minor amendments the minutes were agreed as a correct record.

None.

On behalf of the residents of Millcroft Court Janet Griffiths raised concern that, despite assurances from Councillors, the pavements on Mill Road had not been fully repaired. The repairs started at the town end of Mill Road but then stopped at Hope Street and the damaged slabs were dangerous for elderly people.

 

Councillor Bourke confirmed that the area around the Co-op had not been tackled as this formed part of an ongoing S106 project. With regards to the rest of Mill Road Councillor Bourke agreed to raise the concerns with officers and address the issue as soon as possible.

 

Councillor Moghadas expressed frustration that the work had not been completed and agreed to liaise with local residents to move the project forward.

 

Janet Griffiths raised concern that the gardens facing the bungalows in Seymour Street were becoming untidy. The garages were also rundown – with one boarded up and another painted a different colour.

 

Councillor Smart highlighted that as some of the older garages were too narrow and unsuitable for modern cars they were not frequently used.

 

Councillor Smart agreed to visit the site with Janet Griffiths to determine if the untidy area was the responsibility of the Council or individual tenants.

 

John Franks (Petersfield Area Community Trust) invited Councillors to visit the Sturton Street Methodist Chapel to further discuss options for the site.

 

Councillor Robertson spoke in support of the planned community use for the site and agreed to help organise a visit for Councillors.

 

Councillor Owers, as the Executive Councillor for Finance and Resources, agreed to meet Mr Franks and further discuss the options.

 

Michael Bond updated the Committee on the next stages of improvements at Cherry Trees Day Centre. Rear access from the garden would be improved and a new fence would be erected. Dropped kerbs would also be installed on Vicarage Terrace and St Matthews Street and new cycle racks would be fitted.

 

Noted. 

Councillor Roberts, Executive Councillor for Environment, Waste and Public Health, introduced the item.

 

The Committee received a report from the Public Realm Manager regarding environmental data.

 

In response to member’s questions the Public Realm Manager and the Executive Councillor said the following:

 

       i.          Suggested a maximum of 10 committee priorities for the quarter of October to December 2014.

     ii.          The aim was to have a more equitable distribution of City Rangers across the City. Whilst there would be ‘specialist’ Rangers for each area, there would also be a number ‘floating’ staff to cover peaks in demand.

   iii.          ‘Flashing’ Compactor Bins were available across the City. The bins light up to indicate that they are charging and automatically text the Council when full.

   iv.          Bins could be allocated throughout the year and did not have to wait for a committee cycle.

    v.          Whilst the County Council were responsible for the Tony Carter Bridge, the City Council undertook the cleaning of it.

   vi.          20-30 cycles were abandoned in the East area each quarter. Whilst these were already recycled through a contact in the City, Officers would also look at the option of using OWL (Opportunities Without Limits).

 vii.          The Key Officer Contact List included in the report would be expanded upon and updated. This would allow members of the public to get in touch with the relevant officers and departments quickly and efficiently.

viii.          A ‘key’ would be added to the Bin Maps for future meetings.

   ix.          Local residents had requested additional bins on the Saxon Road area of Riverside.

    x.          Local residents had reported problems with dogs off leads in the Barnwell Road Shopping Area.

   xi.          Officers had approached all schools and colleges in the area to offer educational visits for students.

 xii.          Funds had been set aside for a dog fouling poster campaign in the City.

 

The committee suggested the following areas for inclusion in the current recommendations:

 

       i.          Dog fouling patrols on:

-        Cannon Green

-        St Thomas’s Square

-        St Thomas’s Road

-        Ravensworth Gardens Play Space

-        Budleigh Close

-        Coldhams Common

-        Barnwell Road (opposite pet shop)

 

     ii.          Gutter cleaning on:

-        Occupation Road

-        St Philip’s Road

 

   iii.          Litter enforcement at:

-        Ditton Fields Play Area

-        Budleigh Close

-        Coldhams Road (outside Leisure Centre)

 

   iv.          Enforcement of fly tipping on:

-        East Road Estate

-        behind Broadway (Romsey)

-        Budleigh Close

 

    v.          Additional bins on:

-        Newmarket Road

-        Vera’s Walk

-        Coldhams Road (outside Leisure Centre)

 

   vi.          Additional dog bins on:

-        Coldhams Common

-        Barnwell Road (opposite pet shop)

 

 vii.          Regular cleaning of alleyway between Elizabeth Way Bridge and Abbey Road.

 

viii.          Smoking ashtrays on Mill Road.

 

 

Resolved (nem con):

 

       i.          To agree the following priorities, as included in the officer’s report, for the East Area for the quarter of October to December 2014: 

 

1.    Cut back and clean-up of the alleyway between the Westering and Newmarket Road

2.    Enforcement patrols to tackle fly-tipping on Riverside

3.    Enforcement joint working and patrols to deal with illegal camping on green open spaces, including Stourbridge Common

4.    Investigating the feasibility of further litter and recycling bins to be placed along Thorpe Way and Dunsmore Close

5.    Jet wash Barnwell Road and Adkins Corner shops to remove grime and chewing gum from the shop fronts

6.    Deep cleanse of Snakey Path and the Tins from Burnside to include removal of graffiti, flyposting, litter, dog fouling, vegetation cut back and sweeping

7.    Early morning patrols for dog fouling on Romsey and Petersfield Recreation Ground.

 

And to include the following:

 

   ix.          Dog fouling patrols on:

-        Cannon Green

-        St Thomas’s Square

-        St Thomas’s Road

-        Ravensworth Gardens Play Space

-        Budleigh Close

-        Coldhams Common

-        Barnwell Road (opposite pet shop)

 

    x.          Gutter cleaning on:

-        Occupation Road

-        St Philip’s Road

 

   xi.          Litter enforcement at:

-        Ditton Fields Play Area

-        Budleigh Close

-        Coldhams Road (outside Leisure Centre)

 

 xii.          Enforcement of fly tipping on:

-        East Road Estate

-        behind Broadway (Romsey)

-        Budleigh Close

 

xiii.          Additional bins on:

-        Newmarket Road

-        Vera’s Walk

-        Coldhams Road (outside Leisure Centre)

 

xiv.          Additional dog bins on:

-        Coldhams Common

-        Barnwell Road (opposite pet shop)

 

xv.          Regular cleaning of alleyway between Elizabeth Way Bridge and Abbey Road.

 

xvi.          Smoking ashtrays on Mill Road.

 

Under paragraph 4.2.1 of the Council Procedure Rules, the Chair use his discretion to alter the order of the agenda items to take item 9 next.

 

However, for ease of the reader, these minutes will follow the order of the agenda.

 

The Committee received a report from the Urban Growth Project Manager regarding S106 priority-setting and devolved decision-making.

 

In response to member’s questions, the Urban Growth Project Manager said the following:

 

       i.          Preparations for taking forward the Bath House play area improvement project had identified the potential for a better way to utilise the space. Further scoping work was therefore required by officers before the project could progress (and it was possible that some further funding might be needed for this project).

     ii.          The design development and consultation for the Romsey ‘Town Square’ project was under way. The project is not expected to be completed until autumn 2015 because there are some legal issues need to be agreed.

   iii.          Streets and Open Spaces officers will be asked to give Romsey local councillors more details of the design of the Romsey ‘Town Square’ project and an update on the Cavendish Road project (involving improved seating and pacing, as well as public art).

   iv.          Further advice for local groups seeking grant-funding was available on the city council’s Developer Contributions web page (www.cambrige.gov.uk/s106). More details of the S106 grant-funding application process will also be made available on this page.

    v.          Following an application process for S106 grant-funding (from early November 2014), officers would then assess the eligibility, viability and practicality of any proposals for grant-funding. Links to Council policies and strategies would also be highlighted. Officers from Community, Arts and Recreation were helping to finalise the arrangements for the applications and assessment processes.

   vi.          S106 developer contributions funding is set to taper off and run down in future, in the context of the introduction of the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) system.

 vii.          The process for the 3^rd and 4^th S106 priority-setting rounds (as detailed at Appendix C of the officer’s report) will be simpler than in previous rounds – with priority-setting decisions being made in a single meeting. As part of this, councillors from each ward will be asked to identify the short-listed proposals for their ward at the start of that priority-setting discussion.

 

In response to member’s questions the Executive Councillor for City Centre and Public Places said the following:

 

       i.          It was important that additional scoping work be undertaken to ensure that the Bath House Play Area project was a success. Ditton Fields play provision could be looked at as an alternative if it became apparent in future that the Bath House play area project was no longer viable.

     ii.          Councillors would be given access to the S106 project updates, which would be posted on the council’s Developer Contributions web page (www.cambridge.gov.uk/s106) in due course.

   iii.          Bringing together S106 funding from across the city for indoor sports, public art and public realm (with a separate ‘pot’ per contribution type) would help to ensure that more projects could be delivered. Local communities would retain a voice in the process through the consultation and/or application processes.

   iv.          In order to manage public expectations it was important to deliver the S106 projects already prioritised before adding more to the list.

 

Councillor Robertson spoke strongly in support of progressing with the original Bath House play area improvement project.

 

The Executive Councillor for City Centre and Public Places confirmed that she was in email correspondence with ward councillors and local residents regarding an improved project.

 

The Executive Councillor offered to meet with Councillor Robertson outside the meeting to discuss this in more detail.

 

Councillor Baigent and Councillor Moghadas expressed frustration with the lack of progress on the Romsey Town Square and Cavendish Road projects.

 

The Executive Councillor agreed to provide a full update to Councillors Baigent and Moghadas outside the meeting.

 

 The Committee:

 

Resolved (unanimously):

 

       i.          To note the proposed arrangements for the third and fourth priority-setting rounds in 2014/15 and 2015/16.

 

     ii.          To note the progress being made on S106-funded projects that had been prioritised by the East Area Committee in 2012/13 and 2013/14.

 

The Committee received a report from the Safer Communities Section Manager regarding the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014. It was noted that the Civil Injunction powers would now not be available until early in 2015.

 

In response to members questions the Safer Communities Section Manager said the following:

 

       i.          Procedures towards introducing individual PSPOs needed careful consideration and consultation so would not be a quick process. Dog Control Orders are replaced by Public Space Protection Orders. There was however a 3 year implementation period and existing Dog Control Orders would be valid during this period.

     ii.          Information regarding implementation of the new powers could be included in future Police and Safer Neighbourhood Reports.

   iii.          The Community Trigger procedure and threshold had been agreed by the Executive Councillor and the statutory bodies and would be tested out over the next 6 months and then reviewed. During that period comments from Area Committees and the public would be taken into account when the review was carried out.

   iv.          A flexible approach would be taken regarding timescales for the Community Trigger. An application for the Community Trigger could be made on an open case.

 

In response to members questions the Police Sargent said the following:

 

       i.          A CPN could be used to address issues such as fly tipping, dog fouling and drug use. The anti-social behaviour (ASB) must be persistent or continuing and unreasonable.  

     ii.          The delayed implementation of the Civil Injunction powers was not likely to cause problems for the Police. Current ASB powers could be used to address any issues in the meantime. 

   iii.          Displacement could be a problem and the Police did not simply want to move problems onto another area. The problem should be addressed not simply moved.

   iv.          The new powers should be used to address hard, high risk areas across the City.

 

The Committee suggested the following area for consideration for Public Space Protection Orders:

 

-        Mill Road

-        Mill Road Cemetery

-        Petersfield Green 

-        Roundabout underpass on way to wet hostel.

-        Cherry Hinton/Brooks Road Play area  

-        Bath House Play Area

-        Budleigh Road

 

The Safer Communities Section Manager agreed to take away the concerns raised by the committee and investigate how they could be addressed by the new powers.

 

The Committee:

 

Resolved (unanimously):

 

       i.          To note the new measures being introduced to address anti-social behaviour, as detailed in the officer’s report.

 

     ii.          To propose the following areas for consideration for Public Space Protection Orders:

 

-        Mill Road

-        Mill Road Cemetery

-        Petersfield Green 

-        Roundabout underpass on way to wet hostel.

-        Cherry Hinton/Brooks Road Play area

-        Bath House Play Area

-        Budleigh Road

The Committee received a report from the Head of Property Services and the Head of Planning Services regarding the Mill Road Depot Site.

 

A member of the public (Katie Preston) made the following comments in response to the report:

 

       i.          This site was central to the whole of Mill Road and the surrounding area and needed careful management.

     ii.          There was a lack of community provision in the area.

   iii.          Early engagement with the local community was required.

   iv.          Mill Road was a diverse and wide ranging community and any scheme would take time to develop and consult on.

    v.          Suggested the involvement of a social housing co-operative.

 

In response to public questions Councillor Roberts (Executive Councillor for Environment, Waste and Public Health) said the following:

 

       i.          Agreed that there was inadequate community provision in the area.

     ii.          Family housing of a co-operative nature would be preferable.

 

In response to public questions Councillor Owers (Executive Councillor for Finance and Resources) said the following:

 

       i.          The Council had already met with a social housing co-operative and discussions were ongoing.

     ii.          Any agreed scheme would need to balance the need for additional mixed housing and community facilities with financial viability for the Council.

   iii.          At this stage it was too early to consult with the public. 

 

Councillor Smart highlighted the need a balanced overall scheme for the site, and not a piece meal development. It also provided an ideal opportunity to complete the Chisholm Trail cycle route.

 

The Head of Planning Services confirmed that the final Development Brief for the site would include full consultation and public engagement.

 

The Chair confirmed that the site formed part of the City Council’s Local Plan proposals and had received cross party support.

 

Resolved (nem con):

 

       i.          To note the content of the report. No decisions were required at this time.