Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from Gillian Beasley, Ian Dewar, Geoff Smith (Werrington) and Nick Lodge (Southorpe).

To approve the minutes of the previous meeting.

The minutes of the meeting held on 23 September 2009 were approved as a true and accurate record.

To be introduced to the Leader of the Council and his vision for the city and surrounding area.

The Leader of Peterborough City Council addressed the meeting highlighting his ambitions and aspirations for the city.  These included higher aspirations and attainment for residents in education and employment and a successful growth agenda and the infrastructure needed to support it.

Questions were raised and responses given including:

·         Neighbourhood Councils will enable Parish Councils to have a greater influence on council spending and actions in parished areas.

·         The Scrutiny Commission for Rural Communities has been established to ensure a rural voice in the development of Peterborough.

·         Parish Council involvement in Neighbourhood Councils is vital to ensure their success.

·         Neighbourhood Councils will have more devolved powers than Ward Councillors currently have and should therefore appeal to a wider cross section of the community.

Consider the benefit of the Quality Council Scheme and the role of CPALC and PCC in expanding it.

The Chairman of Peterborough Association of Local Councils (PALC) gave his apologies for previous cancelled meetings and advised those present that there would be another meeting soon.

Diane Bayliss from Cambridgeshire Association of Local Councils (CALC) addressed the meeting to advise Councillors of the Quality Council scheme.  The representative from CALC advised that the requirements to achieve quality status had increased from 7 tasks to 10 and went on to advise the meeting of those tasks.  The CALC representative advised that in order for CALC to provide support for the Parish Councils in Peterborough to achieve quality status, funding would be needed to be made available from Peterborough City Council.

Questions were raised and responses given including:

·         Quantitative benefits of achieving quality status can be provided.

·         A website is now required to achieve quality status.

The Neighbourhood Manager – City Wide from Peterborough City Council agreed to liaise with CALC regarding the requirements and benefits of quality status and report back to the Chairman.

To consider ways to establish land trusts and local nature reserves.

Richard Astle presented information on the Langdyke Trust and the success experienced in its establishment as an example of what could be achieved locally to enhance areas previously taken up by quarries or waste land.

The Chairman advised that a legitimate use of Council funds would include reopening of footpaths to enable better access to features in the countryside such as nature reserves.

To consider ways to provide safer roads within parishes.

The Traffic Manager from Peterborough City Council advised those present of current legislation and consultations concerning speed limits and traffic management.  Following the submission of a report to the Scrutiny Commission for Rural Communities, the main issues identified and recommended were the speed limits outside rural schools (reduce to 20mph) and the speed limits between rural settlements (reduce to 50mph).

The Traffic Manager advised those present that to enable a speed reduction, more signs would be needed thus increasing ‘street clutter’ which was undesirable.  If a national recommendation was approved at 50mph in rural areas, this would ensure that the cost of implementing the change would not fall completely with the Local Authority.  However, there would be a period of approximately 3 months for any changes to be implemented.

Questions were raised and responses given including:

·         The current government consultation due in December looked to address major changes from government.  Local issues such as lighting and surface condition would be resolved later.

·         A local scheme with Police called Community Speed Watch has already proven effective in some areas.

To consider and make recommendations on the impact of the Bus Service Review on Rural Communities.

The Chairman advised those present that only new issues should be discussed as the Review had already been widely consulted on.

The Group Manager - Transport & Sustainable Environment from Peterborough City Council update those present on the current recommendations in the latest version of the Bus Service review.  Councillors were advised that a call connect service would initially operate for the West area of Peterborough on Monday to Saturday from 7am until 7pm and could be expanded at a later date.  Some services initially proposed to be cut had been reinstated and any changes would be implemented from April 2010 following submission of the Review to a suitable Council meeting for approval.

Thanks were expressed to the Group Manager for considering and incorporating views of residents into the review.

Parish Councillors to consider the reintroduction of the Soke of Peterborough and how and where it could be used.

The Chairman asked those present to consider the re-introduction of the title of Soke when referring to parished or rural areas of Peterborough.  The Neighbourhood Manager – City Wide, advised members of the meeting that this issue had also been raised at Neighbourhood Council meetings.

Parish representatives would consider this proposal and respond at the next meeting.

Put forward questions and receive responses regarding Parish issues or Council business not addressed at the meeting.

Representatives form Werrington Neighbourhood Council requested that it was not referred to as ‘the other’ neighbourhood council in Council documents.  The Neighbourhood Manager – City Wide advised that alternative names for the Neighbourhood Councils established by Peterborough City Council would be considered at future meetings of those councils and also whether they should be referred to as Neighbourhood Councils at all as this was a title used for an existing statutory body.

A request was made to receive training on Standards issues as part of a future meeting.  The Chairman agreed that this could be incorporated into a future agenda.

A final request was made that Cllr Cereste attend the meeting again for a further question and answer session.  It was proposed that each parish council could prepare a number of questions in advance of the meeting for Cllr Cereste to respond to at the meeting.

To contribute to and generate future work programmes.

Members considered the current work programme and made the following recommendations:

·         Include a discussion on the Soke of Peterborough on the next agenda.

·         Include an agenda item on Youth Service Provision on the next agenda.

·         The meeting on 31 March 2010 could be used for a Q&A session for Cllr Cereste with Gillian Beasley if possible.

·         A representative of the Neighbourhoods team to attend each meeting.