Agenda item

Report of Director of Neighbourhood Services

The report included a brief summary of the performance information on each of the following key themes:

o  Ward Priorities

o  Community Engagement

o  Finance

o  Safer

o  Neighbourhood

o  Community Engagement

o  Working

o  Housing

o  Community Protection

o  Fire

o  Health

Michelle Graley, Neighbourhood Development Officer (NDO) presented the report. The following points were highlighted:

St Ann’s Ward

(a)  The ward priorities for St Ann’s are currently being reviewed and officers are working on ways to improve the unemployment rate in the ward. The Renewal Trust and the Police will be working in collaboration into ‘Micro-beats’ with a focus on Lewis Close. This follows feedback from residents who have reported feeling unsafe in the area. Improvements to the street lighting or the installation of CCTV will be considered as ways to make citizens feel safer in the area;

(b)  citizens are being encouraged to visit and ‘like’ a designated St Ann’s Facebook page which will host information on events in the ward, a forum for ideas and the sharing of information. The page can be located via the following link: www.facebook.com/mystanns.

Dales Ward

Following a review of the Dales ward priorities, Greg Foister, Neighbourhood Development Officer (NDO) presented an update and highlighted the following points:

(c)  by identifying local hot spots and patterns in the ward there would be a focus to reduce crime in the area, in particular criminal damage, violence and burglary;

(d)  a reduction in anti-social behaviour will form part of the new ward priorities which will link to the work to promote the responsible dog charter and dog control order. It is hoped that 25 more dog owners will sign up to the responsible dog charter each month;

(e)  by working in cooperation with the Neighbourhood Action Team, the top three locations for drug dealing in the ward will be identified and addressed. In tackling this issue, there will be an integrated Windmill Park management Plan, a consultation plan for Hermitage Caves will be established and an improvement plan for Greenway Park;

(f)  under the ‘Families’ priority, meaningful engagement with children, young people and families will take place to ensure participation in community services. Further work will take place to identify ward based health priorities and a delivery model to tackle this;

(g)  an area based employment and training programme will be delivered going forward that identifies an employment and skills plan for the ward. Work will take place with the Renewal Trust and local partners to ensure that they contribute to the local employment and skills plan;

(h)  citizens are being encouraged to visit and ‘like’ a designated Dales ward Facebook page which will host information on events in the ward, a forum for ideas and the sharing of information. The page can be located via the following link: www.facebook.com/mydales.

Mapperley ward

Fi Cusick, Neighbourhood Development Officer (NDO) presented the report. The following points were highlighted:

(i)  there has been a small spike in the number of burglaries however a number of arrests have also been made;

(j)  there has been a continued reduction in number of women on the street (prostitution) – 82 women over the year and many dealt with by referral to benefit agencies and rehabilitation. Partnership work continues with agencies and 88 men have been arrested for kerb crawling and put through the Change Course;

(k)  citizens are being encouraged to visit and ‘like’ a designated Mapperley ward Facebook page which will host information on events in the ward, a forum for ideas and the sharing of information. The page can be located via the following link: www.facebook.com/mymapperley.

Following questions and comments from the Committee, the additional information was provided:

(l)  a jobs fair for young people will take place on Thursday 13March 2014 at the Victoria Leisure Centre and will be open to citizens from St Ann’s, Mapperley and Dales wards;

(m)  a report from the Locality Board would be presented to the next Area Committee in May.