Agenda and minutes

No apologies were received.

At this point Members must declare whether they have an interest, whether personal or prejudicial, in any of the items on the agenda. Members must also declare if they are subject to their party group whip in relation to any items under consideration.

No declarations of interest were given.

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

An update on recommendations made at the last meeting.

Members received the responses to recommendations from the meeting held on 23 November 2009.

Members reported that it was good to see the inclusion of electric bikes in the Rural Area Travelchoice Action Plan.  Members reported that following the last meeting, Willow Drove was being investigated for designation as a ‘quite lane’.  It was agreed that this was a step forward in addressing the issues and would provide a more rural feel for the area.

Members reported that the proposed 20 mph speed limit in school areas may be implemented across the whole of Peterborough.  The matter would go through a statutory public consultation process before being implemented.

Members agreed that the Travel Choice action plan showed good medium to long term initiatives and the Commission would expect to see results after 18 months, 2 years and 5 years.

To scrutinise the provision of Children’s and Youth Centres in rural areas.

The commission received a report on how Children’s Services were being transformed and the impact that new ways of working and delivering services would have on children and young people in rural communities in Peterborough. The commission was requested to:

1. Scrutinise the progress in developing services for children, young people and families in rural areas.
2. Make further recommendations to develop these services.

Questions were raised and responses given including:

·         Children’s Centres were staffed with appropriately qualified professionals in all areas.

·         The Council is determined to make the centres a success and the take up of services exceeds the national average.

·         The centres are always evolving and the Council is learning from the process; the core business takes about 18 months to get up and running.

·         For older children, schools can refer children for 1 to 1 support, and provide key workers for children aged 13 – 18 years.

·         Extended schools provide care to allow working parents to work, with the service being shared between schools during non term times.

·         Extended schools are managed in a number of ways, including by school governors, the local authority and voluntary organisations.

·         Currently 94% of schools are extended schools, with the target of 100% of schools being extended schools by September 2010.  All schools in the rural areas are extended schools.

The Head of Service, Children and Families (0-13) agreed to report back to the Commission as to whether the Key Stage 2 figures outlined in the report related to which schools the children attended, or where they lived.

The commission AGREED the following:

1. To note the report.
2. To receive a further breakdown of performance figures to include whether children living in urban areas attending rural schools tend to perform better than urban children attending urban.

To scrutinise Council actions in tackling climate change and the role rural communities can and should play.

Members received a report on outlining the current and future actions that could be undertaken to address the impacts Climate Change may have upon the rural communities of Peterborough.  The commission was requested to:

1. Scrutinise the options the current actions of the Council.
2. Provide recommendations for future initiatives.

Questions were raised and responses given including:

·         Car Share Peterborough was a local car sharing service that was being managed by Travelchoice.

·         The number of energy monitoring devices being provided for loan had been doubled due to their popularity.  The forthcoming Werrington community challenge would award prizes to the households saving the most energy.

·         Hand held thermal imaging cameras were not good for use in the spring and summer months as a certain temperature was required for them to work.

·         Peterborough Environment City Trust was to offer electricity monitoring devices to the business sector as part of a new initiative.

The commission AGREED the following:

1. Recommend that the Climate Change team begin a heat loss study in at least three (3) rural areas / parish councils with work to be carried out before spring.
2. Recommend that the Climate Change Team roll out a description to other parish councils of what Glinton has been doing.
3. Recommend that the Climate Change team notifies other rural schools of the work undertaken by John Clare school with two solar panels and woodchip boiler system.
4. Recommend that the Climate Change team investigate a ‘barrier down, engine off’ initiative at railway crossings in rural areas.

The commission received the latest version of the Forward Plan and was asked to identify any items that the committee wished to consider at a future meeting.

Members identified the Culture Trust, the Site Allocations, Children’s LSP Platform, Surrender of lease (what is it?) as items to include in the Work Program.

The commission reviewed the current work programme and agreed the future agenda plans.

The next meeting to be held on Monday 22 March 2010.

The next meeting would be held on 22 March 2010.