Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from Councillor Owers.

Name	Item	Interest
Councillor Whitehead	15/14/EAC	Personal: Member of Barnwell Health Strategy Group.

 

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 08 January 2015.

The minutes of the meeting held on 8 January 2015 were approved as a correct record subject to the following amendments:

 

15/5/EAC Open Forum

(Former text struck through and revised as below).

 

3.   Janet Griffiths stated that there were still issues with footpaths in the Burnside / Budleigh Close area.

 

Councillor Bourke stated that officers had visited the area but had not been able to identify where the problems were. A site visit will be agreed so that residents can point out areas causing problems.

Action: Councillor Bourke

 

4.   Councillor Moghadas raised concerns about the pavement outside the Post Office on Mill Road Broadway. She had been informed that elderly residents of the adjacent Millcroft Court had experienced falls due to the uneven pavement surface. Councillor Moghadas would look into this matter outside the meeting and report back.

Action: Councillor Moghadas

 

 

3.   Councillor Moghadas raised concerns about the pavement outside the Post Office on Mill Road Broadway. She had been informed that elderly residents of the adjacent Millcroft Court had experienced falls due to the uneven pavement surface. Councillor Moghadas would look into this matter outside the meeting and report back.

 

Councillor Bourke stated that officers had visited the area but had not been able to identify where the problems were. A site visit will be agreed so that residents can point out areas causing problems.

 

Action: Councillors Bourke and Moghadas

 

15/8/EAC S106 Priority Setting (3rd Round): East Area

(Amended additional text shown in bold.)

 

ii. Faith based applications needed to commit to a written agreement on inclusion and a method to be devised to more closely monitor use by the wider community. All grant applicants fully understood the requirements and annual monitoring reports were required.

15/5/EAC Open Forum Action Point: Councillor Benstead to raise issue of taxi driver inconsiderate driving in Tenision Road and Station area at next Taxi Driver Forum.

 

Councillor Benstead said there had been no formal forum for the City Council to discuss issues with taxi drivers since the last meeting of East Area Committee. Councillor Benstead had some informal meetings regarding anti-social driving. Taxi groups would advise drivers that anti-social driving would not be tolerated and the City Council would take action against reported incidents.

 

The City Council had now imposed a limit on the number of taxis. Higher standards were now expected of drivers as a result of the cap. Councillor Benstead said most taxi drivers drove well, only a minority did not.

 

Councillor Smart referred to the Joint Traffic Committee discussion of taxi driver behaviour.

 

15/5/EAC Open Forum Action Point: Committee Manager to contact Planning Department for an update on monitoring of Planning conditions related to student accommodation.

 

The Planning Department had been contacted, but a response was still pending. Councillor Blencowe to follow up.

 

Action: Councillor Blencowe to contact Planning Department for an update on monitoring of Planning conditions related to student accommodation.

 

15/5/EAC Open Forum Action Point: Councillors Bourke and Moghadas to investigate pavement problems outside Post Office and Millcroft Court, Mill Road Broadway.

 

Councillor Bourke said that Mrs Griffiths had raised concern about the road outside the Mill Road Post Office. He and Mrs Griffiths had visited the area. Councillor Bourke then went back with County Officers to look at drains and paving issues that could be addressed within County Council criteria. Some work was outside of this criteria, so a bid would have to be made for funding to undertake the work in 2016.

 

1.    Ms Cranmer made the following points:

                i.          Asked for Tenison Road bollards to be replaced outside numbers 37/39 and the junction with Mill Road.

              ii.          Asked for a zebra crossing to be installed near the Salvation Army building on Tenison Road.

 

Councillor Walsh said he would contact officers regarding replacing the bollards at the Tenison Road junction with Mill Road, and installing a zebra crossing near the Salvation Army building on Tenison Road. Councillor Walsh said he would contact the Highways Agency regarding replacing the bollards outside numbers 37/39 Tenison Road.

 

Action: Councillor Walsh to liaise with Ms Cranmer regarding Tenison Road bollards outside numbers 37/39 and the junction with Mill Road.

 

Ms Cranmer said there had been many incidents of vehicles driving on the pavement since January 2015. Councillor Blencowe said the bollards had been discussed at Joint Area Committee. They had not been taken forward as part of traffic management features as the Highways Officer had said they would restrict access to the junction. Other measures were adopted instead.

 

2.    Mr Cooper asked about the current status of parking problems on Rustat Road, Davy Road and Corrie Road; plus action being taken to address this.

 

Councillor Kavanagh said parking was an issue across the city. Coleridge in particular was affected by problems associated with commuting. The County Council had originally intended to implement a southern fringe parking zone, but arrangements were now made on a street by street basis. Double yellow lines would be implemented in the Rustat Road area by summer 2015 through traffic regulation orders.  Parking restrictions had already been imposed in Davey Road.

 

Councillors Smart and Benstead said that Coleridge and Romsey Ward Councillors had worked together in the past to ensure the County Council joined up small scale work to prevent problems being moved from one area to the other. It would be helpful to do so again in future.

 

3.    Mr Leigh made the following points:

                i.          Expressed concern regarding the cycle path link between the station and Carter Bridge/Devonshire Road.

              ii.          Other route options would be considered at the 29 April 2015 Planning Committee. These were better alternatives.

           iii.          Residents took issue with the proposed loss of trees and green space due to the cycle route.

 

Councillor Blencowe said as the cycle link was coming to Planning Committee 29 April, he would make general comments so as not to fetter his discretion.  The Planning Committee had asked for land ownership information and Carter Bridge details to be included in the report for consideration. The Planning Committee would consider all options before making a decision. Councillor Robertson said he had also had general discussions with Mr Leigh. The Members Cycling Group would consider route options at their next meeting. Landscaping and tree work would be considered at Planning Committee.

 

Mr Leigh said that Devonshire Road residents had not been notified about the application, only some residents near the station had been informed of the application.

 

Action: Cllr Blencowe to liaise with City Development Manager regarding notification of Devonshire Road residents of the new cycle link route to the station, then pass details onto Mr Leigh.

 

4.    Mr Gawthrop made the following points:

                i.          Raised concerns regarding the proposed student housing at Shire Hall.

              ii.          Young people were in a difficult situation finding housing. Accommodation should be provided for them instead of students.

 

Councillor Walsh said the County Council was not a housing authority. It had lost 45% of its budget over the last few years. The City Council was in a better position due to its property portfolio. The County Council needed to make the maximum use of its assets in order to raise revenue to provide all services, not just housing.

 

Councillors Whitehead and Walsh said the decision had already been taken to approve student accommodation at Shire Hall, it was an option that gave the best rate of return for the County Council after going out to tender.

 

Action: Cllr Bourke to clarify if ‘making the maximum financial return’ from assets was a hard and fast rule for the County Council ie one that may limit options for use that may be considered.

 

5.    Ms Smith made the following points:

                i.          Students form a valuable part of the area.

              ii.          However, many residents were concerned about a loss of balance between student housing and other accommodation, about  family homes being converted into student flats and about student housing being used more and more for short-term language school lets, rather than for students from our two universities.

           iii.          What was being done to address this, and what more could be done?

 

Councillors said a housing review had given a clear steer on accommodation needs in the city. The city had many housing issues as many people had to share accommodation to afford housing ie professionals as well as students. Increasing the amount of student accommodation was leading to a perception by other residents that future accommodation was only aimed at students, the City Council needed to address this. Each planning application would be judged on its own merits.

 

6.    Ms Chamberlain made the following points:

                i.          Referred to agenda text regarding the public exhibition.

              ii.          She was working with children to create glass artwork around the city for doors and balconies.

           iii.          Abbey and Barnwell were getting a scout hut as a linked event to the project.

The Committee received a report from the Community Funding & Development Manager.

 

Members considered applications for grants as set out in the Officer’s report (Appendix 1, in line with the Area Committee Community Grants criteria detailed in paragraph 3.3.3) and also listed in the table below. The Community Funding & Development Manager responded to Member’s questions about individual projects and what funding aimed to achieve. She said that details in funding application documents set out the City Council was a living wage employer and so expected applicants to be too. The Community Funding & Development Manager was working with the Living Wage Co-ordinator and Executive Councillor on how to further incorporate this expectation into the application process in future.

 

 

Ref	Organisation	Purpose	Award £
E1	Abbey People	Big Lunch Event, Dudley Rd rec	600
E2	Abbey People	Gardening Project for elderly people	1,000
E3	Abbey People	Trips and Xmas lights switch on	2,000
E4	Barnwell Baptist Church - Golden Years Group	2 trips	650
E5	Cambridge Art Salon	Volunteer project Romsey Art Festival	1,000
E6	Cambridge Art Salon	Intergenerational  tea dance at Romsey Art Festival	1,000
E7	Cambridge Online	Digital Inclusion Club	2,500
E8	CAMS Music Trust	Music bursaries for children	0
E9	Christ the Redeemer Church	Café – summer holiday activities	650
E10	Friends of Mill Road Cemetery	Annual insurance costs	196
E11	Gap Learning CIC	Craftworks course at Romsey Mill	1,510
E12	GRARA (Guest Road Area Residents Association)	Security gates	2,662
E13	Hemingford & Romsey Roads Street Party Committee	Annual street party	400
E14	Mill Road Bridges	5000 copies of Community Newsletter	1,500
E15	Mill Road Winter Fair	Carnival parade at 2015 fair	3,600
E16	Romsey Mill	Romsey Youth Club weekly sessions and trips	4,852
E17	South England Conference of Seventh-Day Adventists, Cambridge	Annual Marmora Road Community Big Lunch	200

 

Budget available	£24,320
Total awards	£24,320
Budget remaining	£0

 

Following discussion, Members resolved (unanimously) to agree the proposed awards detailed in Appendix 1 (of the Officer’s report) and summarised in the table above.

The Committee received a report from the Operations Manager – Community Engagement and Enforcement.

 

The report outlined an overview of City Council Refuse and Environment and Streets and Open Spaces service activity relating to the geographical area served by the East Area Committee.  The report identified the reactive and proactive service actions undertaken in the previous quarter, including the requested priority targets and reports back on the recommended issues and associated actions to be targeted in the following.  It also included key officer contacts for the reporting of waste and refuse and public realm issues.

 

The following were suggestions for members on what action could be considered for priority within the East Area for the quarter of April to June 2015:

 

Continuing priorities

1.    Enforcement patrols to tackle fly-tipping The Broadway

2.    Early morning patrols for dog fouling at the following locations:

·       Romsey Recreation Ground

·       Petersfield Recreation Ground

·       Cannon Green

·       St Thomas’s Square and Road

·       Ravensworth Gardens play areas

·       Coldhams Common

·       Thorpe Way area

3.    Deep cleanse of the Tins bridge to include removal of graffiti (pending ownership confirmation from the County Council)

4.    Enforcement patrols to deal with the litter issues at Cambridge Leisure Park at Clifton Road including liaison and educational with nearby schools and colleges.

5.    Dog warden patrols to deal with dogs off leads issues at Budleigh Close and Barnwell Road shops

 

New suggested priorities

 

6.    Park deep cleanse, to include removal of graffiti, flyposting, litter, dog fouling, vegetation cut back and sweeping at Romsey Recreation Ground, St Thomas’s Square, Petersfield and  Dudley Road.

7.    Enforcement work to tackle bins on streets in the Romsey and Petersfield areas

8.    Enforcement work to tackle the environmental crime issues on Rope Walk including fly tipping and abandoned vehicles.

 

The Committee discussed the following issues:

       i.          St Matthew’s Estate and Rope Walk both needed patrols to address fly tipping.

     ii.          Using anti-graffiti paint as part of Tins bridge work (priority 3).

   iii.          St Matthew’s Piece was not included as part of general clean-up work. Please include in priority 6.

   iv.          Another community clear out should be offered to each ward in turn.

 

Action: Cllr Roberts to liaise with Cllr Sinnott regarding scheduling another community clear out opportunity.

 

    v.          Fly tipping in Riverside had reduced after the introduction of new bins.

   vi.          Dog fouling in Stanley Road had reduced as a result of the poster campaign. These could now be removed.

 vii.          The Operations Manager was asked to liaise with Ward Councillors to ensure the full allocation of dog waste bins were deployed to each ward.

viii.          Fly tipping in Ekin Road and the back of nearby flats. Work to be undertaken with residents, landlords or Environmental Health Officers as required.

 

 

Following discussion, Members unanimously resolved to approve priorities for action as amended below (bold text):

 

Continuing priorities

1.    Enforcement patrols to tackle fly-tipping The Broadway

2.    Early morning patrols for dog fouling at the following locations:

·       Romsey Recreation Ground

·       Petersfield Recreation Ground

·       Cannon Green

·       St Thomas’s Square and Road

·       Ravensworth Gardens play areas

·       Coldhams Common

·       Thorpe Way area

3.    Deep cleanse of the Tins bridge to include removal of graffiti (pending ownership confirmation from the County Council)

4.    Enforcement patrols to deal with the litter issues at Cambridge Leisure Park at Clifton Road including liaison and educational with nearby schools and colleges.

5.    Dog warden patrols to deal with dogs off leads issues at Budleigh Close and Barnwell Road shops

 

New suggested priorities

 

6.    Park deep cleanse, to include removal of graffiti, flyposting, litter, dog fouling, vegetation cut back and sweeping at St Matthew’s Piece, Romsey Recreation Ground, St Thomas’s Square, Petersfield and  Dudley Road.

7.    Enforcement work to tackle bins on streets in the Romsey and Petersfield areas

8.    Enforcement work to tackle the environmental crime issues on Rope Walk including fly tipping and abandoned vehicles.

The Committee is asked to agree the following meeting dates, attached is the meetings calendar 2015/16: 

 

Thursday: 2 July 2015

Thursday: 29 October 2015

Thursday: 7 April 2016

Thursday: 28 January 2016

 

Members are asked to contact the Committee Manager in advance of the meeting with any comments regarding the above dates.

The following dates were agreed:

·       Thursday: 2 July 2015

·       Thursday: 29 October 2015

·       Thursday: 7 April 2016

·       Thursday: 28 January 2016

To note decisions taken by the Chair, Vice Chair and Opposition Spokes since the last meeting of the East Area Committee

Noted.