Agenda and minutes

RESOLVED to appoint Councillor Bill Ottewell as Chair for the municipal year 2014/15.

RESOLVED to appoint Councillor Brian Grocock as Vice-Chair for the municipal year 2014/15.

Councillor David Smith – personal

Andy Parkinson (Travel Right)

Gursharan Nijran (Neighbourhood Development Officer)

If you need advice about declaring an interest in any item on the agenda, please contact the Constitutional Services Officer above, if possible before the day of the meeting

None.

Last meeting held on 19 February 2014 (for confirmation)

The Committee agreed the minutes of the meeting held on 19 February 2014 as a correct record and they were signed by the Chair.

Presentation by SSE Contracting

Dan Blake from SSE Contracting, delivered a presentation informing the Committee of the consultation process within the street lighting PFI for improvements in Nottingham. The following information was highlighted:

(a)  improvements to the lighting provision in Nottingham began in Dunkirk and Lenton in September 2010 and will include the replacement of approximately 24,000 lamp posts and 11,000 lanterns. The partnership with SSE represents 25 years of capital investment;

(b)  the contract with SSE represents major long term investment and employment in Nottingham and will improve the quality of lighting, road safety, support the Council’s initiatives to reduce crime and corporate carbon emissions in the city;

(c)  the design preparation stage includes consultation with trained designers and the lighting has been designed to meet the requirements of the latest British and European Standards and the Council’s specification. As a result columns will not always be placed in their original position. In some cases, citizens may have been benefiting from the existing lighting provision on their property, but in ensuring the overall quality of the provision this benefit cannot always be retained. Where columns are relocated, citizens will be able to discuss concerns with designers to ensure that their views are taken into account;

(d)  letters will be dropped to all of those affected advising citizens of what will happen during the construction phase which will include all the relevant contact details. Leaflets are delivered to each property approximately 20 days before work starts on-site with the aim of causing as little disruption as possible;

(e)  citizens are consulted where columns are relocated and given the opportunity to discuss issues with designers. It will be the case that a number of citizens will experience less light exposure to parts of their garden for example but the overall lighting provision will be appropriate and to the Council’s specification. Where columns are being altered designers will plan in advance to ensure minimum disruption to bus routes and busy highways;

(f)  the maintenance contract with SSE includes periodic checks of every lighting column every 6 months.

RESOLVED to note the presentation on the consultation process within the Street Lighting PFI.

Kirsty Worthington to Report

Kirsty Worthington, General Manager at Southglade Leisure Centre, delivered a presentation highlighting the service provision at Southglade, including:

(a)  325,000 citizens visited Southglade Leisure Centre last year enjoying a wide range of services, including 2 swimming pools, a 32 station fitness gym, an activity room and spin studio, a sports hall and a 3^rd generation sports pitch;

(b)  681 citizens have enrolled on the swim school with 90% swim school capacity and 92% via direct debit. The fitness offer delivers services to 2,546 live members, 901 via the Flexible Fitness Direct Debit and 1,645 via the Bee-fit scheme. Fitness classes include spinning, Zumba, Rave Fit and Aqua Spin;

(c)  the young people and family offer includes ‘Activate’ which offers play, coach and aquatics as well as after school clubs. The after school provision includes Ride Wise and Forest Soccer Tots. Last year there were 108,000 users of the outdoor offer at Southglade, including 26 football clubs, 2 hockey clubs, 3 ladies football clubs as well as partnership work via the Football Association;

(d)  other partnerships include SR Education which provides private training based in the training suite specialising in delivering high quality training programmes in sports, activity, care management and customer services. Notts County also deliver a ‘Schools Out’ holiday sports programme and motivate programme;

(e)  it is crucial that citizens are given every opportunity to benefit from the wide range of activities available at Southglade Leisure Centre. It would be useful if further information was included in the Nottingham Arrow.

RESOLVED to note the update on the Southglade Leisure Centre.

Andy Parkinson to report

The update from Travel Right was deferred to the next Committee meeting on 3 September 2014.

Inspector Woolley to report

Inspector James Woolley updated the Committee on Police activity, crime trends and anti-social behaviour in the wards since the February 2014 meeting.

RESOLVED to note the update.

The Chair was of the opinion that this item, although not included on the agenda, should be considered as a matter of urgency in accordance with Section 100(b)(4)(b) of the Local Government Act 1972, to allow for a timely update of the item prior to the next Committee.

Kevin Hornsby, Regional Housing Manager, Nottingham City Homes, presented the report informing the Committee of schemes requested by NCH tenants, staff and those living within the environment of NCH properties, from the Housing Revenue Fund, highlighting the following:

(a)  the complete resurfacing of land at the bottom of Gainsford Crescent opposite 198 Gainsford Crescent, is being considered. Estimates suggest that it could cost up to £36,000 to carry out the required work therefore the Regional Housing Officer will aim to report directly to councillors with viable options on the scheme.

RESOLVED to approve the following schemes:

Slides attached for information

The Committee considered the Summary Findings of the Respect for Nottingham Survey 2013 by the Crime and Drugs Partnership.

RESOLVED to note the findings of the Respect for Nottingham Survey 2013.

Report of Director of Neighbourhood Services

Further to minute 36 dated 19 February 2014, the Committee considered a report of the Director of Neighbourhood Services, which included a summary report, covering both wards, and more detailed individual ward reports, informing the Committee of performance in the wards, during the period January to March 2014, against key performance indicators.

It was reported that:

(a)  a hedge cutting programme is due to start next week and demonstrates a massive undertaking given that 47% of city-wide hedges are found in northern parts of the city;

(b)  environmental figures for quarter 4 are not included in the appendix to the report and will be circulated to members electronically after the meeting.

RESOLVED to note the report.

Report of Director of Neighbourhood Services

Further to minute 37 dated 19 February 2014, the Committee considered a report of the Director of Neighbourhood Services, updating Councillors and local representatives on ‘in progress’, completed and proposed highways, footpath and environmental schemes in Basford and Bestwood wards.

RESOLVED to

(1)  note the available remaining balances of £93,639 (Basford) and £118,862 (Bestwood);

(2)  approve the following schemes for the Basford ward:

(3)  approve the following schemes for the Bestwood ward:

Report of Director of Neighbourhood Services

Further to minute 38 dated 19 February 2014, the Committee considered a report of the Director of Neighbourhood Services, detailing completed and ongoing projects and schemes in the Basford and Bestwood areas funded from Councillors’ individual delegated ward allocations.

RESOLVED to note the projects and schemes, funded from ward Councillor delegated budgets, as follows:

To consider meeting at Loxley House at 4.30pm on the following Wednesdays:

2014  2015

03 September  25 February

26 November

RESOLVED to meet at 4.30 pm on the following Wednesdays: