Agenda and minutes

To receive any apologies from members unable to attend the meeting

Apologies were received from Cllr Todd.

Members to declare any personal/personal prejudicial interests in any items on this agenda

No declarations of interest were made

Approve the minutes of the meeting held on 28 March 2012.

The minutes from the meeting held on 28 March 2012, were agreed as a true and accurate record.

The Neighbourhood Manager advised that updates and details of completed actions were provided on tables. 

A proposal was received from Councillor Peach for Councillor Saltmarsh for the role of Vice Chairman.  The proposal was seconded by elected Members.

No other nominations were received and Councillor Saltmarsh was duly elected as vice chairman.

An opportunity for any member of the public, elected and co-opted members of the Neighbourhood Committee to raise anything that affects your area and to suggest items for future meetings. 

Attendees of the meeting were given the opportunity to ask questions and raise issues affecting the areas in which they lived.

These included:

• Offensive Graffiti on private property in the Dogsthorpe area in Eye Road, Redmile Walk and Western Avenue and what the funding arrangement was surrounding removal.  The Assistant Neighbourhood Manager advised the Committee that procedure for removal fromprivate properties would be clarified at next meeting;
• Results of a recent survey conducted on the occurrence of incidents of antisocial behaviour within the Whetstone Court area would be communicated at the next Neighbourhood Committee for Dogsthorpe, East and Park;
• Placement and occurrences of bin emptying for Park Ward; and
• The lack of bins for the East ward and Eastfield Road areas.  Funding had been allocated to provide bins in as many areas of the city as possible; however, due to the availability of funding and the size of the area, challenges had been experienced in providing bins for all areas.

Councillors Shearman, Ash, Miners, Saltmarsh and Shabbir expressed an opinion over:

• The Council’s method of appointing a Chairman and wished for the decision to be reconsidered for Neighbourhood Committee, due to the political make up of ward representation for the Dogsthorpe, East and Park Neighbourhood Committee; and   
• The Council’s allocation of Special Responsibility Allowances of £3071.12 paid to the Chairman and that the Council should consider whether the funding should be redirected to fund project developments indentified in Community Action Plans, within each of the three wards.

The expression of opinion to be directed to Council was seconded by Councillor Miners.

The Chair was chosen for the Neighbourhood Committee and that process was not conducted in the spirit of localism.

The Governance Officer advised Members that similar expressions of opinion had been raised at other Neighbourhood Committees and that if elected Members were in agreement, the opinions of the Dogsthorpe, East and Park Neighbourhood Committee would be included in a report to Council.

Following the debate (5 out of 8) Members were in agreement to include the opinions expressed within a report to Council.

Councillor Peach commented that although the opinion was to be included in the report to Council it should be noted that there was three Conservative, Liberal Democrats and Labour group Members that were located across all wards and that currently no political party would hold a majority seat on the Dogsthorpe, East and Park Neighbourhood Committee.

Agreed Actions

It was agreed that the Assistant Neighbourhood Manager would:

• Provide a definition on what was classed as offensive graffiti on private property and whether the Local Authority had the financial means within their budget to remove it; and
• To provide results of Anti Social Behaviour survey at Whetstone Court at the next meeting.

It was also agreed that Enterprise Peterborough would:

• Feedback comments made by residents over the lack of communication received from the Enterprise Customer services team over graffiti issues; and
• Investigate where bins were being installed.

It was agreed that the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

The Neighbourhood Committee received a presentation from the Planning Policy Manager, on the Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) and how it would impact on the introduction of Neighbourhood Plans (NP) and Community Action Plans (CAP).

The Neighbourhood Committee received a presentation from the Assistant Neighbourhood Manager regarding the CAP.  The Localism bill recommended that action plans should be developed for each of the Neighbourhood Committees.

Key points within the presentation were as follows:

• Priorities for residents needs;
• Plans to guide the work of the Neighbourhood Team;
• Quarterly updates to be provided to each Neighbourhood Committee;
• Residents should contribute;
• Neighbourhood profiling;
• Actions for Dogsthorpe, East and Park Neighbourhood Committee to be developed;
• Structure of the Plan to include the five themes within the Single Delivery Plan;
• Working with partners and local Councillors; and
• The process was to be continually Monitored by Neighbourhood Managers and Local Councillors and through the Neighbourhood Committee

The next meeting will be held on 18 September 2012 at Queens Drive Infant School.

The next meeting of the Dogsthorpe, East and Park Neighbourhood Committee was due to be held on 18 September 2012 at Queens Drive Infant School.