Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from Councillors Sarris, Meschini, Manning and O’Reilly.

Name	Item	Interest
Cllr Price	18/47/NAC	Trustee of Red Hen Project

 

Councillor Manning was not in attendance at the meeting and the following statement was read out regarding the previous meetings’ minutes.

 

Cllr Scutt was County member for the old (pre May 2017) division of West Chesterton when informal consultation was started, at which time I was County Councillor for East Chesterton, which did not contain any of the roads affected or potentially affected, by the scheme mentioned.

 

The first I was aware was being invited to a closed invite stakeholder meeting by officers by email on the 6th of July.  At this meeting I expressed concerns especially as no one attended apart from Councillors.

 

When subsequently asked for the process to go to formal consultation I stated that I was not satisfied it should go as not enough informal consultation had been done by the Councillor at the time the scheme originated.

 

This is the reason the schemes were paused and at a subsequent meeting with Cllr Scutt, Richards and officers I suggested splitting the zones up as Cllr Scutt wanted to press on with parts of the zone that were in her new division of Arbury.

 

Councillor Scutt disagreed with the statement made but did not want to comment further.

 

The minutes of the meeting held on the 14 December 2017 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

The Action Sheet was noted and an updated copy could be viewed at the following link under ‘Committee Action Sheet’-

 

https://democracy.cambridge.gov.uk/documents/b11769/Committee%20Action%20Sheet%2001st-Mar-2018%2018.30%20North%20Area%20Committee.pdf?T=9

Members of the public asked a number of questions, some answers were given during items on the agenda but questions and answers are set out below.

 

1.    Owen Dunn requested dog waste bins on Discover Way and more in Bramble Fields.

 

Councillor Bird commented that once the alterations were completed in Bramble fields it could be seen if further bins were required.

 

The Enforcement Team Manager asked for Mr Dunn’s contact details so that they could look together at locations for dog waste bins along the bus way spur.

 

2.   Michael Bond confirmed he had been advised that the s106 Arts fund was open for bids and Chesterton Community Association was happy to facilitate a new project following the success of the Co-Op Mural in Green End.  Suggestions could be emailed to enquiries@mycca.org.uk or www.ambrook.info

 

Claire King commented that the village sign idea could be revived.

 

3.   Carla McQueen requested that the bollards on Elizabeth Way onto St Andrews Recreation Ground were replaced with either metal or concrete bollards as the wooden ones were regularly knocked down.

 

The Enforcement Team Manager confirmed that he would investigate whether concrete or metal bollards could be installed at St Andrews Recreation Ground.

 

4.   Richard Taylor asked the following questions:

 

·        At the last North Area Committee meeting it was noted that CCTV cameras had been vandalised on Fen Road, he asked whether the Committee saw this as objection to CCTV cameras. He commented that we needed policing by people not policing by cameras.

·        He noted that a formal decision on Local Highway Improvement bids was expected in March 2018 however he asked for an update from Councillor Tunnacliffe regarding Fen Road, Milton Road and the end of Carlisle Road.

·        Commented there was a person bitten by a dog in Fen Road, reports about dogs chasing bikes in Fen Road and also referred to tree damage on Stour Bridge Common.

 

Councillor Bird commented that the CCTV cameras would be fixed and she was working hard with the Police. The CCTV camera had been positioned too low, so the wires had been able to be cut.

 

Councillor Tunnacliffe confirmed that he would provide an update on Local Highway Improvement Bids to the next meeting.

 

The Enforcement Team Manager confirmed that the Council did not deal with dangerous dogs and these were the responsibility of the Police.  Commented that if anyone had evidence as to who was responsible for the tree damage then the Council could take action as he could only deal with issues as they arose. 

 

5.   Matt Williams commented on the Nuffield Road Cycle Lane plans.

·        He was disappointed to see segregation had been rejected.

·        The aim of the scheme was to provide safe routes to schools but he could not see how the plans met the aims.

·        He was confused with the consultation process; there had been no consultation with the parents of children who attended the school, the school itself or the medical centre.

·        Asked for assurances that the scheme would not be rushed through without proper consultation with the people affected. 

·        A letter had been written by the School Governors in support of segregated lanes. 

·        Current plans expected children to cycle and weave in and out of traffic.

·        Commented that perhaps people drove to the school because the cycling facilities were so poor. If these facilities were improved more people may cycle and then there wouldn’t be the need for as much parking space.

 

Councillor Bird commented that:

·        Residents had been leafleted about the scheme to ask for their views.

·        Plans had been set out for the public to view in Brown’s Field Community Centre. 

·        When residents at Maitland Avenue and Mortlock Avenue were consulted they confirmed that they did not want a wall taken down as it would affect their privacy and they preferred the current plans. City Homes gave their assurance that the wall wouldn’t be removed.

·        The proposals required making children cross a busy road in order to get into school. At the moment there was a layby so parents could park their cars and drop off their children safely by the school gate.  

·        She had had a discussion with the County Council Cycling Officer and the Highways Team, a meeting had been held with Councillors of East Chesterton ward. Councillors looked at the revised plans with Officers and a further consultation was undertaken, following the consultation the proposals were approved.

 

Councillor Price commented that:

·        He had spoken to as many residents in Maitland Avenue and Mortlack Avenue and people in the area who were affected by the proposals as he could. 

·        The results of the discussions were that people wanted the wall retained as there was open space behind the wall that was used by people during the summer that lived in the flats that didn’t have gardens.

·        The wall also provided a degree of privacy and safety from the main road.

·        The wall belonged to the City Council through City Homes, he had spoken with officers and he considered in his capacity as Executive Councillor for Housing that the wall should not be demolished.

 

Cllr Austin referred to a similar issue she had experience of and suggested Mr Williams contacted the Chair of Governors at Milton Road.

 

Cllr Smart commented as Lead Councillor for Cycling that although the issue did not fall within his Ward or Council he was happy to speak with Mr Williams to see if he could help. He was familiar with the scheme as he attended stakeholder meetings about cycling in the City.

The Committee received a report from the Community Funding & Development Manager regarding North Area Committee Community Grants.

 

Members considered applications for grants as set out in the Officer’s report, and table below. The Community Funding & Development Manager responded to Member’s questions about individual projects and what funding aimed to achieve.

 

The Committee made the following comments:

i.             Asked what advice and assistance was provided to applicants as 20 applications had been received and 19 were recommended for approval.

ii.            Questioned if the boxing activity would be for girls and boys.

iii.           Referred to the monitoring report for awards and asked if this would be circulated to members and asked how this year’s grant bids had been informed by the grants awarded last year.  

 

In response to Members questions the Community Funding & Development Manager said the following: 

i.             Her Team worked with Applicants, held briefing sessions and encouraged people to talk through applications with them to ensure that applicants did not make unnecessary applications if they were not going to meet the grant application criteria.

ii.            Confirmed that the boxing project was targeted at individuals who were at risk of criminal activity to try and make a difference to their behaviour.  If the grant bid was approved she could report back how the project developed.

iii.           Confirmed a film had been produced to demonstrate the benefits of the grants awarded to community organisations. Officers had the benefit of being able to see the value added by the grant system. Also confirmed that the awards for 17/18 were attached to the report at appendix 2

 

Ref	Organisation	Purpose	Award £
N1	Bermuda Community Room	36 winter teas and suppers	£850
N2	Cambridge Sustainable Food	Family cookery workshops and training	£2,500
N3	Chesterton Community Association (for Brown's Field Adult Art Group)	30 art sessions.	£1,000
N4	Chesterton Community Association	Summer trip for families and older people	£495
N5	Chesterton Festival Committee	Chesterton Festival 2018 - Community Fun Day	£2,500
N6	Friends of Histon Road Cemetery	Information and activities	£400
N7	Good Sounds	Weekly singing sessions	£350
N8	Grove Community Swimming	Saturday morning family swimming sessions	£150
N9	King Hedges Brownies	Two trips	£400
N10	Kings Hedges Family Support Project	Thursday Group: weekly drop-in sessions	£3,604
N11	Kings Hedges Guides	Trip to Clip 'n' Climb	£275
N12	Meadows Bowlers	Weekly 2 hour indoors bowls session	£300
N13	Meadows Children and Family Wing	3 x 6 week disadvantaged women’s workshop programme	£3,000
N14	North Cambridge Organisers	2 trips; activity sessions; disco.	£1,500
N15	Not Quite Over the Hill Club	4 outings; weekly meetings	£100
N16	Oblique Arts	Eight creative workshops for the homeless and a public exhibition.	£0
N17	The Red Hen Project	2 summer outings	£1,600
N18	Romsey Mill Trust	Termly boxing and self-esteem sessions, art workshops, outdoor activities and trips	£4,000
N19	St George's Over 60s Club	Fortnightly meetings for older people	£100
N20	Sunshine Group	Day trips using Dial a Ride	£200

 

Budget available	£ 23,324
Total awards	£23,324
Budget remaining	£0

 

Following discussion, Members unanimously resolved 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 Enforcement Team Manager.

 

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 North Area Committee.

 

The report identified the reactive and proactive service actions undertaken in the previous quarter, including the requested priority targets, and reported back on the recommended issues and associated actions. 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 North Area in the next quarter:

 

Continuing priorities

 

Number	Priority details
1	Enforcement patrols to tackle fly tipping on communal archways and green areas at Minerva Way area (including Augustus Close, Hercules Close, Neptune Close and Apollo Way), Arbury Court, Hazelwood/Molewood Close area, Church Street recycling centre, Crathern Way / Cameron Way, Cockerel Road, Dundee Close and Sackville / Aragon Close recycling areas
2	Patrols to address dog fouling on Chesterton Recreation Ground and Molewood / Hazelwood Close area including early mornings, evenings and weekends

 

New priorities

Number	Priority details
3	Enforcement patrols to tackle abandoned vehicles across the East Chesterton ward
4	Enforcement patrols to deal with illegal camping at Logan’s Meadows

 

County Councillor Bradnam asked about the ownership of a footpath which was located opposite the Science Park you did not go onto Cowley Road but turned right and then turned left onto a shared footpath towards the new station and was the boundary of the business park.  This footpath suffered from leaf fall and had not been gritted.

 

Mr Bond confirmed that the land referred to was in the ownership of Network Rail but because it formed part of the highway network it was highway land.

 

The Committee discussed the following issues:

     i.        Asked why the fly tipping figures had increased in West Chesterton.

    ii.        Residents on Histon Road had raised complaints about an alarm which kept going off.

   iii.        Asked whether volunteers carried out needle collections.

  iv.        Noted that priority 1 was recommended to remove Dundee Close and asked if Victoria Avenue and Elizabeth Way could be added instead.

   v.        Commented that the list of complaints was not easy to categorise and assumed these were written down as the public reported them.

  vi.        Referred to page 59 of the agenda pack that West Chesterton was the only ward where the trend was consistently worse for fly tipping, graffiti and needles.

 

In response to Members’ questions the Enforcement Team Manager said the following:

     i.        He would be able to do hot spot mapping once new software was in use.

    ii.        Referred residents to call the Council’s out of hour’s service, the Noise Team would respond with sound measuring equipment.

   iii.        Confirmed that the Environmental Team went and collected needles, volunteers would never be asked to do needle collection.

  iv.        Commented that the Environmental Health Team provided the complaint data.

 

A member of the public commented that on p71 of the agenda pack it stated that there was a bin available for East Chesterton and asked whether this could be installed at the level crossing.

 

The Committee discussed the following as additional and revised recommendations for action:

 

Recommendation 1

     i.        To remove Dundee Close and add Victoria Avenue and Elizabeth Way.

 

Following discussion, Members unanimously resolved to approve priorities for action as amended above.

 

To approve the follow dates for future North Area Committee meetings-

 

21/06/18

13/09/18

13/12/18

07/03/19

 

The following dates were agreed:

·        21/06/18

·        13/09/18

·        13/12/18

·        07/03/19

 

 

Network Rail were not in attendance and sent their apologies.