Councillor Nicola Heaton

Clare Ashton

Marie Daly

Richard Gutteridge

Karen Humble

Basheer Latif

Dee Whitworth

None.

Last meeting held 16 September 2015 (for confirmation)

The Committee confirmed the minutes of the meeting held on 16 September and they were signed by the Chair.

Report of Corporate Director for Children & Adults

James Rhodes, Strategic Insight Manager, presented a report on the Health and Wellbeing Engagement Strategy, highlighting the following points:

(a)  The Health and Wellbeing Board have tasked James’ team to develop a strategy from June 2016, with the first step being public engagement, and discovering citizens’ priorities for health, to allow these priorities to shape the strategy;

(b)  Neighbourhood Managers and Neighbourhood Development Officers have been very helpful in supporting the public engagement events so far;

(c)  the engagement events have already taken place, but citizens views are still welcome through the engagement toolkit on the website: http://www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/HappierHealthierLives

The Committee fed back the following as areas of concern or priority:

(d)  quality of life is important to measure, not just length of life. For example, age at which a disability or chronic illness first develops;

(e)  there should be a focus on fitness over fatness, and the negative elements of modern foods, such as trans fats;

(f)  over-eating is often viewed as an issue, whereas undereating or malnourishment through poverty can be overlooked;

(g)  several issues raised (such as depression, anxiety, social isolation, malnourishment through poverty) are all connected, and free counselling services in areas of the city could help to tackle these issues;

(h)  there are often conflicting media reports surrounding nutrition; what is good for you and what is bad for you. It can be difficult to separate fact from headlines. People are confused about what to eat;

(i)  physical education in schools seems to have suffered in recent years. School playing fields have been sold, and physical education takes up less and less of the curriculum. A school in Scotland has been trialling short runs between each lesson to boost pupil’s energy, with promising initial results;

(j)  the types of activities school aged children are interested in are also evolving, from traditional activities such as football, to newer activities such as parkour (free-running);

(k)  loneliness does not just affect the elderly. If someone is lonely, they are not going to be healthy. Loneliness kills more elderly people than all of the major diseases put together. Transport, community groups and community services are all important to improve loneliness;

(l)  improved facilities at parks, such as outdoor gyms and sports facilities, will help to improve activity and fitness levels;

(m)  if possible, parents could walk or cycle their children to school, rather than drive them. This would not only improve parents’ and children’s fitness and activity levels, but also set a good example to children for the future.

RESOLVED to thank James Rhodes for his update on the Health and Wellbeing engagement strategy, and feedback any other views using the web based toolkit.

Verbal update from Mark Armstrong, Town Centre Coordinator

Mark Armstrong, Town Centre Coordinator, presented a verbal update to the Committee on Clifton Centre:

(a)  work is continuing on street furniture (such as benches, bins and cycle ranks) as a priority;

(b)  the tree pits are wide, messy and uncared for, so tidying those up is also important;

(c)  a meeting has taken place with Morrison’s and Royal Mail, who will be working together with the Town Centre Team and other local businesses. This meeting was promising, but further details cannot be shared at this stage;

(d)  the Christmas lights switch on event, planned for 14 December, is coming together nicely;

(e)  various options are being explored for improvements to the markets, a number of possibilities and options are being explored;

(f)  the space in front of the library is not being utilised at the moment. Options are being investigated, and an update on this will be available at the next meeting;

(g)  a Shop Watch scheme is being put together with local businesses, Nottingham Police, and Nottingham University. A lot of shop crime is not reported for various reasons, which can give an inaccurate picture of crime levels, and lead to patterns being missed. a radio scheme is being explored as one option, so that shops can communicate with each other directly over crime issues;

(h)  shop theft was previously committed by people living within the Clifton area. This will need to be monitored to see if the tram has made a difference and if people are now coming into the area to commit crimes;

(i)  work is ongoing with NET to produce promotional literature for Clifton. This will be delivered soon;

(j)  the best time for a lot of the street improvements is after Christmas, when the busy shopping period has died down again. This will cause the least disruption to shoppers and businesses;

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

(k)  there used to be 3 benches in front of the library, now there is only 1. Citizens felt more benches were needed;

(l)  the cut through to Morrison’s is becoming very messy, with lots of littering and cigarette ends. It is also not laid out particularly well. There are discussions o introduce a large “table top” style pedestrian crossing. This should encourage pedestrians not to cross elsewhere, slow traffic, and be more accessible for pedestrians;

(m)  the patience of the people of Clifton is appreciated, and improvements should start to be seen next year.

RESOLVED to thanks Mark Armstrong for the update, and invite him to update the Area 8 Committee again at their next meeting in February 2016.

Verbal update from NET (Nottingham Express Transit), NCT (Nottingham City Transport) and Nottingham City Council

David Astill, Commercial Manager at Nottingham City Transport (NCT), presented the following information to the Committee:

(a)  the past 2 or 3 years have been very difficult for the citizens of Clifton and the drivers on the Clifton routes, and everyone’s patience has been greatly appreciated;

(b)  it was assumed that patronage patterns would change with the expectation assumption was that the tram would affect usage of the 48 and other services on Southchurch Drive, but this has not happened. The tram has had an impact on the 2 and 3, which have very little crossover with the tram, so it was assumed that the services would complement each other. One possible explanation is that people are walking further to more frequent services, to where busses and trams operate;

(c)  the 2 and 3 lines are currently not profitable, so are being reviewed, as NCT operates as a commercial business. Trent Barton have withdrawn completely from Clifton and Ruddington, so NCT are taking the opportunity to divert the 3 via Ruddington from 22 November, leaving the 2 as the main route for Farnborough Road. The success of the new routes will depend on usage;

(d)  there is not time in the current schedule for the 3 to operate west of the end of Green Lane. Hartness Road and Barton Green will lose their direct bus route into the City Centre. Most passengers on Hartness Road now tend to walk to the Crusader bus stop for frequency, but this will be an issue for the elderly or infirm who may struggle to walk that far.

Andy Gibbons, Head of Public Transport at Nottingham City Council, provided the following information to the Committee:

(e)  Nottingham City Council’s local link services fill in gaps in commercial services where this is required, there is limited money to provide this infill service. The resource is adaptable to fill gaps left from the commercial operators as a result of the commercial changes due to the tram;

(f)  Nottingham City Council also operate the “dial-a-ride” service, which has been rebranded as “EasyLink”. This service will be easier to use, and City Card holders won’t have to register. There are 6 vehicles available, and the fare is halved for reduced fare card holders;

(g)  there is a big snagging list as a result of tram works, including reinstating timetable displays at bus shelters, and having lighting and power added to display poles. These issues are with Taylor Woodrow;

(h)  ticket  vending machines are being installed near bus stops, allowing customers to purchase or top up the  “Nottingham Oyster Card”. Fares will be worked out automatically, and cap out at day ticket prices. The scheme will work with various travel operators. Fares are determined by each of the operators, and will hopefully be up to 10% less than cash fares.

David and Andy then answered questions from the Committee:

(i)  the EasyRide service will be very easy to use, and other than  ...  view the full minutes text for item 36.

Verbal update from the Police

Sergeant Paul Ferguson of Nottinghamshire Police, presented a performance update to the Committee, highlighting the following points:

(a)  additional funding is available to tackle drug related crime, but information is needed from residents on where dealing is taking place, so those areas can be targeted:

(b)  the Meadows Police Station will be closing either late 2015 or early 2016. There will still be a Police presence in the area:

(c)  there has been no increase in crime as a result of the tram. Shop crime in the Meadows is down by 15%, and any shoplifting offences are being committed by local residents, rather than those travelling into the area. Crime overall in Clifton and the Meadows has decreased by 1.3% over 12 months;

(d)  burglary dwelling has decreased, as has burglary non-dwelling, though a spike of allotment burglaries last week will scupper the burglary non-dwelling progress for next month’s figures;

(e)  theft of motor vehicles has decreased, whilst theft from motor vehicles has increased. There has been a spike across the city and neighbouring authorities in theft from commercial vehicles and vans. This is an organised crime issue, and a number of arrests have been made;

(f)  anti-social behaviour has decreased by 15%, but there are still issues that need to be tackled;

(g)  robberies have increased. Shop robberies have gone up by 4 offences, personal robberies have gone up by 7 offences. The 7 personal robberies were committed by one person, with multiple victims, and the suspect has been detained;

(h)  levels of domestic violence have increased, as has violence with injury. These incidents are often perpetrated by known offenders, rather than being random attacks. There has been no link to any licensed premises.

Sergeant Ferguson then answered questions and comments from the Committee:

(i)  Nottswatch is signposted at community events;

(j)  drug crime within the Meadows is causing significant problems, especially around drug-related litter. Used needles have been found in the community centre. It is important that any issues or drug paraphernalia are reported to the Police, so that they can draw an accurate picture of where usage and dealing is happening. A substantial amount of Class A drugs were recently found at a single address, along with a large amount of cash. An arrest has been made and ongoing warrants have been issued. An action plan is in place, and the Police want to stamp out the problem. It is a top priority;

(k)  there is no evidence to suggest why drug use has recently increased in the Meadows again;

(l)  recently a street party was held, and there was a belief that it was sanctioned by the Police, giving a mixed message. No such sanction for the party was obtained from the Police;

(m)  joint working takes place to try to tackle domestic violence and support victims. Standard risk (one-off incidents) don’t have a high level of support, incidents are recorded to spot any patterns or increased risk. Medium risk victims stay with the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 37.

Report of Corporate Director of Commercial and Operations

Prairie Bryant, Neighbourhood Development Officer, presented an update on performance and issues in the Clifton South Ward, highlighting the following points:

(a)  in general, things in Clifton are improving, as seen in the report. There are continued issues with parking, and concerns with the closure of the Nurse Access Point. Tackling travellers on Clifton Green is also a priority;

(b)  the Parkgate Community Centre is opening a “souper kitchen”. Usable food waste is redistributed to group members, who provide inexpensive meals through community kitchens and youth groups. It costs £2.50, and will be a good way to meet neighbours and tackle isolation.

Prairie then answered questions and comments from the Committee:

(c)  the closure of Laura Chambers Lodge is concerning, and it will be a priority to ensure that there is continuity of care and an adequate level of service for those affected. Private homes are also closing, leaving vulnerable groups without protection;

(d)  the Old Rectory is not secure yet. Work has started, and there is ongoing dialogue with the owners, who are keen to complete the work properly.

Parbinder Singh, Neighbourhood Action Officer, presented an update on performance and issues in the Clifton North Ward, highlighting the following points:

(e)  there are car parking issues in Clifton North. The traffic issues are wide ranging and complex. As part of the A453 widening, a new road (Grasby Walk) was created, which initially had no parking restrictions. A parking order was put in place very quickly and a vast improvement was seen. There are ongoing issues of people parking on kerbs and corners;

(f)  work has taken place to protect trees and green spaces, including blocking residents from driving through wooded green areas by blocking entrances with large tree logs. Local residents have also been informed of nearby garages available for hire.

There were no further questions from the Committee regarding performance in Clifton North.

Abdul Ghaffar, Neighbourhood Development Officer, presented an update on performance and issues in the Bridge, highlighting the following points:

(g)  crime in the Bridge ward is down overall, but with an increase in hate crimes and possession of weapons. Fly tipping levels are down, and Arkwright Walk has now been properly secured;

(h)  parking in the Bridge ward is a huge issue, but a wide-ranging residents parking scheme is being introduced to cut down on commuter parking in the area;

(i)  progress has also been made on HMO (houses in multiple occupation) properties

Abdul then answered questions and comments from the Committee:

(j)  the keys to the new cricket pavilion will be handed over from the developers on 11 December. There are plans to improve Victoria Embankment in other ways, such as improved lighting;

(k)  the Youth Club is now only open for 2 days per week, due to decreased staffing levels and a reduction in the activities on offer. Provision is currently stretched across Clifton and the Meadows, but new colleagues will be starting soon from a recent recruitment drive.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 38.

Report of the Chief Executive of Nottingham City Homes

Will Morritt, Regional Housing Manager at Nottingham City Homes, presented an update on Nottingham City Homes performance to the Committee, highlighting the following points:

(a)  54 new homes are to be built in the Meadows, due to be completed in 2017. The previous sites are currently being demolished;

(b)  improvements are being made to independent living centres in the Bridge ward. The next centre due for improvements is Willowbrook Court, the Mayfield Court;

(c)  improvements are being made in conjunction with Nottingham City Council to green spaces;

(d)  at various sites, disused garages are being converted into scooter stores;

(e)  improvement work will take place on Noble Road, to clad properties;

(f)  most Nottingham City Homes properties now meet the “decent homes” standard;

(g)  a planned repair and maintenance programme is being introduced, which will lead to fewer emergency repairs and more efficient use of resources.

RESOLVED to:

(1)  thank Will Morritt for the update and note its contents;

(2)  note the allocation of NCH Environmental Funds;

(3)  approve the NCH Environmental Fund programme of schemes for Bridge, Clifton North, and Clifton South;

(4)  delegate authority to the Chair of Area 8 Committee to approve final costs for the ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) parking scheme for the Bridgeway Shopping Centre as part of the environmental schemes, and for the Chair to report back to the next meeting of the Area 8 Committee.

Report of Corporate Director of Commercial and Operations

Councillor Michael Edwards summarised the parking review, as detailed in appendix 3 of the report:

(a)  a residents permit parking scheme will be introduced within the  Meadows, designed to cut down on commuter and football traffic in the area. Various restrictions will apply to different sections within area 1 on the map, including precluding non-resident parking Monday to Saturday plus match days, Monday to Saturday only, Monday to Friday; and permit holder only;

(b)  a solution is still required for area 6 on the map. This area is most affected by football traffic, and will be heavily impacted by increased residential use;

(c)  as outlined in the previous report, parking for shoppers at the Bridgeway Centre will be protected by a new Automatic Number Plate Recognition scheme in the Bridgeway Shopping Centre  car park;

(d)  parking issues on Queen’s Walk will be monitored after the introduction of the permit scheme.

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

(e)  the number of parking spaces currently taken up on match day by those attending football games is not sufficient to affect the viability of the football clubs. There are numerous parking alternatives for those attending football matches;

(f)  lorries making deliveries often cannot access the school, and busses often struggle due to inconsiderate commuter parking;

(g)  there will be no need to target specific commuter parkers (such as those who work at Loxley House) as the permit scheme will apply to all commuters.

The Committee moved to agree the recommendations with no further discussion of the other Area Capital Fund schemes.

RESOLVED to:

(1)  approve the programme of schemes in the Bridge, Clifton North and Clifton South Wards;

(2)  note the funds available to the Bridge, Clifton North and Clifton South wards;

(3)  note the Bridge Ward – Meadows Area Parking Review, as set out in appendix 3 of  the report.

Report of Corporate Director of Commercial and Operations

The Committee noted the contents of the written report.

RESOLVED to:

(1)  note the actions agreed by the Corporate Director of Commercial and Operations in respect of projects and schemes within Area 8;

(2)  note the individual Ward Members Budget Revenue allocation of £5,000 for 2015/16.