Meeting documents

RESOLVED

That County Councillor David Polhill be elected Chairman of the Local Area Forum for the ensuing year.

Mr Polhill in the Chair

RESOLVED

That District Councillor Derrick Isham be appointed Vice-Chairman of the Local Area Forum for the ensuing year.

Mr Isham as Vice-Chairman

Apologies were received from Foscote Parish Meeting, Howard Mordue (AVDC), Graham Stewart (Whaddon Parish Council), Turweston Parish Council, Stephen Townsend (Buckingham Way), Warren Whyte, John Riches (Middle Claydon Parish Council), Thornton Parish Council, Simon Dudley (TfB, Bucks County Council), Mark Grindall (Localities Manager, Bucks County Council) and Karen Adamson (ASC, Bucks County Council).

To declare any personal or prejudicial interests

There were no declarations of interest.

To confirm the notes of the meeting held on Thursday 29 March 2012.

The action notes of the meeting held on Thursday 29 March 2012 were agreed as a correct record.

The Chairman congratulated Ivy Cakebread (Stowe Parish Council) on being awarded the MBE in the recent Honours list.

Petition received from Aylesbury Vale Transport Users Group in relation to the proposed bus changes in Buckingham from 23 April 2012.

Response from Andy Clarke, Passenger Transport Contract Manager attached.

Members were asked to note the response from Andy Clarke, Passenger Transport Contract Manager in relation to the petition from the Aylesbury Vale Transport User Group around the proposed bus changes in Buckingham.

The Chairman explained that Bucks County Council subsidises the buses but it is the bus operators who run them and have to prioritise the times and routes.

A Member asked about the forthcoming fuel subsidy which is being introduced in 2014 and asked whether the County Council will be ring-fencing this money.  The Chairman agreed to find out more about this.

Action: the Chairman

This item was discussed after the Local Priorities Update (item 9).

Ann-Marie Davies, from Transport for Buckinghamshire (TfB), circulated the Local Priorities bids for 2012/13 and she explained that not all the bids meet the local priorities but the priorities can change.  She apologised to members for not being able to have circulated the list before the meeting but the information has only just been completed.

Ann-Marie explained that TfB uses a criteria matrix scoring system which looks at criteria such as accessibility, road safety, improvements to congestion and encouragement towards alternative methods, ie. walking.

During discussion of the current bids, members made the following comments and asked the following question.

The representative from Padbury parish council provided more information around their bid for a new footpath for Main Street.  The reason for the project is around speeding and it is a very dangerous stretch of road which is used by children.  The parish council feels that £18,500 is expensive for what is needed and believes there are alternative methods which could be used to the same effect, such as grass matting around the area.  A SID (Speed Indicator Device) would be installed at the same time to coincide with the new road surface.  Ann-Marie responded by saying that it looked as though this project could be scaled down and a cheaper alternative option could be submitted.  She agreed to discuss this with Padbury after the meeting.

Action: Ann-Marie Davies/Padbury Parish Council

A Member made the point that joint funding with the parishes will mean that more projects can be undertaken.

The representative from Adstock parish council said that the parish council would be prepared to put £3k towards the new bus shelter and County Councillor David Rowlands agreed to put £1k from his Community Leader’s Fund.  It was agreed that Ann-Marie would revisit the costings in light of this and let the parish council know.  A Member asked whether a second-hand bus shelter would be available.

Action: Ann-Marie Davies

A Member questioned the estimated cost of installing a pedestrian crossing at London Road in Buckingham (£90,000).  Ann-Marie explained that the high costs relate to the energy costs and the new road surface which would be required.  She went on to say that a feasibility study would always be carried out first before any work was undertaken.  A Member went on to suggest that the LAF considers paying the costs associated with the feasibility study.  The Chairman felt that pedestrian crossing projects should really be considered by the road safety team and the LAF budget should be used to fund local projects.  Councillor David Rowlands said that he is meeting with the Cabinet Member for Transport soon and he said he would mention this to him.  He went on to say that it would be useful to see what comments Buckingham Town Council have made in relation to this project.

A Member suggested that there may be some Section 106 funding available to put  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

This item was taken before agenda item 8 – Transport for Buckinghamshire Update.

In his absence, Sara Turnbull, Lead Area Officer, took Members through Mark Grindall’s report on Local Priorities and an update on the delegated budget.  She started by explaining that in previous years, funding has been made up of the Local Priorities revenue budget to be allocated in line with the priorities agreed by the LAF in its local area planning process, plus its share of the Transportation budget.  From April 2012, these two budgets have been merged to form a single Local Priorities budget to allow for more flexibility.

The Buckingham LAF has been allocated a total of £62,603.27 (£46,603.27 + £16,000 unspent from 2011/12).

• £17,338 has already been allocated and agreed by the LAF in this financial year to the following projects:
  • Buckingham Youth Film - £5,838 (agreed at 29/03/12 LAF meeting)
  • Additional support from Carers Bucks for carers living in the LAF area - £10,000 (agreed at 29/03/12 LAF meeting)
  • Social enterprise challenge (a strategy to provide an opportunity for disadvantaged young people to engage with the business world particularly entrepreneurs) – this was agreed outside of the meeting under the "Head of Service/LAF Chairman decision" protocol outlined in previous LAF meetings and reports. -£1,500

The Chairman explained that this leaves the LAF with £45,265.27 to allocate to projects.  He asked for Members agreement to use £26,603.27 for Transport related schemes (the amount originally allocated to TfB schemes) and the balance to be used for non-transportation schemes.

Members AGREED

Having agreed to this allocation, the remaining budget for non-transportation schemes is £18,662.

Sara Turnbull took Members through Mark Grindall’s report relating to a funding request from Whaddon Parish Council for £10,000 towards a traffic calming initiative.  She explained that Mr Stewart, Chairman of Whaddon Parish Council, has already secured funding from Milton Keynes but needs further funding from the LAF.  She said that it is a very innovative idea which promotes cross-boundary working.

Speaking on behalf of Mr Stewart who sent his apologises for the meeting, Sir Beville Stanier (AVDC District Councillor) said that Graham’s report was excellent and felt that he could not add anything to this already very comprehensive report.

The Chairman asked for Members of the LAF to agree to spend £10,000 on this project.

Members AGREED

The Chairman congratulated Mr Stewart, Sian Thomas from TfB and Mark Grindall for all their hard work.

The remaining unallocated budget is now £8,662.

There will be a 20 minute period for public questions.  Members of the public are encouraged to submit their questions in advance of the meeting to facilitate a full answer on the day of the meeting.  Questions sent in advance will be dealt with first and verbal questions after.

The Chairman asked for any questions.  Mr Philip Gaskin, a member of the public, asked a question in relation to works undertaken by Bucks County Council on Brackley Lane in Calvert.  His question was around ongoing road and drainage problems.  Ann-Marie Davies from TfB said that she would look into this in further detail after the meeting and respond directly to Mr Gaskin.  Mr Gaskin provided copies of correspondence and photographs which were given to the Democratic Services Officer to pass on.

Action: Ann-Marie Davies/Liz Wheaton

Terry Cavender, the representative from Akeley Parish Council, encouraged Members of the LAF to review and comment on the Minerals and Waste Strategy which can be viewed via the Bucks County Council’s website.

Terry Cavender went on to say that he had a request from the Chairman of Akeley Parish Council to ask for the LAF’s views on the nerighbourhood parish plan as Akeley Parish Council felt that it was an expensive thing to do and wondered what other parishes thought.  During the discussion, Members made the following points.

• Parish Plans are now known as Community-Led Plans (CLPs).  A Member advised all parishes to have a CLP and to keep it up-to-date as it can help to inform the planners as to what is going on in the area.
• Community Impact Bucks can help parishes with their plans.
• CLPs do link in with the Aylesbury Plan so it is important for parishes to take the time to do one.  Buckingham Town Council has employed someone to develop their plan using grant-awarded monies.

Buckingham Town Councillor, Mr Harvey informed Members of the election taking place on 15 November for a Police and Crime Commissioner who will replace the current Police Authority.  He agreed to circulate further information after the meeting which he asked Members of the LAF to share with their local areas.  He said he would be happy for Members to contact him via the Buckingham Town Council’s website.

Sara Turnbull, Lead Area Officer from Bucks County Council, went on to say that a fuller discussion around the implications of the new Police and Crime Commissioner could take place at the September LAF meeting.

Action: Sara Turnbull/Liz Wheaton

The representative from Padbury Parish Council asked Members of the LAF whether any of the parishes were undertaking an Air Quality Assessment.  If so, please could they let Padbury know so that they can discuss this further.

Action: LAF Members

Presentation by Karen Adamson, Adult Social Care.

This item has been deferred to a future meeting.

Sue Burke will present to Members on Domestic Violence.

The Chairman welcomed Sue Burke, Domestic & Sexual Violence Co-ordinator.  Mrs Burke started by saying that she is the link community safety officer for the LAF area.  She took Members through her presentation and made the following main points.

• 1 in 4 women will be a victim of domestic violence and 1 in 10 men will be a victim of domestic violence.
• Professor Sylvia Walby has undertaken some research to find out how much domestic violence costs local authorities.  Based on her findings, the cost to Bucks County Council is £53.5 million (this does not include voluntary sector or the human cost).
• The vision is to promote a "zero tolerance and co-ordinated response to people at risk of domestic violence in Buckinghamshire ensuring that those who are affected are identified, supported, protected and empowered."  All partner agencies are working towards this.
• There are a number of domestic abuse champions working within the community.
• Independent Domestic Violence Advisors support high risk domestic violence victims.

During discussion, Members of the LAF asked the following questions.

• Does the County Council receive a subsidy towards the costs associated with domestic violence or does it come out of the taxpayers council tax?  The officer explained that the County Council funds a number of the support groups along with other health organisations.  She said that she could find out more about this after the meeting.

Action: Sue Burke

• A Member asked whether the officer could supply some information on domestic violence which parishes could print in their magazines.  The officer agreed to circulate something after the meeting which parishes could use in their magazines.

Action: Sue Burke

• Do you link with young carers?  The officer responded by saying that they do.
• A Member said that it can be a judgement call in terms of when two people are just arguing and when domestic violence activity may be occurring.  The officer agreed and said that if anyone felt that they had witnessed domestic violence, then they can call Crime Stoppers anonymously.

The Chairman thanked Sue Burke for her very informative presentation.

Inspector Emma Garside will provide Members with an update of police activity in the local area.

The Chairman welcomed Inspector Emma Garside who started by reiterating the importance of the role of the Police and Crime Commissioner as local areas will be able to influence some of the decisions around police priorities.  She went on to provide a general update on the following items.

Moreton Road Police Station – this site is currently up for sale but there have been no offers yet.  In September, the team will relocate to the Buckingham Industrial Estate.

Front Counter opening times – the revised opening times have now been confirmed (Monday-Friday, 10am-2pm) and these will come into effect on Monday 2 July.

Additional police post – there will now be 5 police constables and 6 PCSOs in the area as it is one of the busiest LAF areas so additional resource is required.

Events – Silverstone is coming up and Inspector Garside explained that many of the campsites are within the Thames Valley Police area.  At the recent Motor GB event, there was a decrease in the number of crimes this year (11 crimes in total of which 7 were in the Thames Valley Police area).  The Torch relay on Monday 9 July has meant that additional police resources will be required but it is hoped that it will be a day of celebration and there will be no police incidences.

Inspector Garside reported the following crime figures for the area and provided an update on local policing activity.

• The end of year figures show that the crime rates in the area are down which is good news – the number of reported crimes fell from 614 last year to 582 this year.
• In Buckingham Town there has been a 33% decrease in serious acquisitive crime (a fall from 102 reports to 68).
• There have been four burglaries from dwellings in the Buckingham Town area and there has also been a spate of cars being stolen but someone has been identified and an arrest has now taken place.
• There has been an increase in shop lifting in Buckingham.
• Serious Acquisitive crime has also decreased in the rural areas (from 64 reports to 46).
• Two local garages (Chapman Motors and Buckingham Ford) have teamed-up with the police to assist with fitting anti-theft screws onto vehicle number plates.
• 20% of burglaries from dwellings occur because the property is left unsecure so there is a campaign in the area to advise people of how to make their property safe and secure.
• There is a TAG rugby event taking place in Buckingham and further information on this will follow soon.
• There has been a significant reduction in plant theft (ie. tractors being stolen) but there has been an increase in the number of thefts from construction sites.
• Speeding and Anti-Social Behaviour still remain priorities in the area.  Inspector Garside explained that police enforcement works best in conjunction with other initiatives.  The number of reports of anti-social behaviour have lessened and the University has done a lot of work in helping to address this  ...  view the full minutes text for item 13.

The Chairman welcomed Tim Parkins, from Bucks Fire and Rescue, to the meeting.

 Mr Parkins read out the following update:

"The service continues to target the completion of home fire safety checks in all homes in Bucks and particularly those where people are elderly, live alone or with young children.  From April 2011 to March 2012, over 600 homes in this area benefitted from this free service and a similar target has been set for this year.

Alison Still is the Aylesbury safety co-ordinator and she will be assisting me and my teams in completing the safety checks and other community safety initiatives within the Vale.  We have also recently received grant funding to provide, where necessary, new electrical devices including adaptable plugs for EU purchased appliances, extension lead, adaptors, electric blankets and deep fat fryers.

Like many other partnership organisations, we continue to make our final preparations for Silverstone and London 2012 with the focus on the torch relay and also resourcing the sites associated with the rowing and canoeing at Eton Dorney.

We are also working with others to run a multi-agency training flood event in the town in mid-September.

Buckingham Fire Station has no issues with recruitment and the RDS unit continues to be one of our best performing units with nearly 100% availability.

The station has responded to 73 incidents since 1 April and includes a number of road traffic collisions along the A413 and a number of water rescues in the Padbury area.

If people require further information on current events or enquires about home safety checks, they can visit our website at www.bucksfire.gov.uk or contact me at Buckingham Fire Station on 01280 812133 or by email at tparkins@bucksfire.gov.uk

An information leaflet on the Home Fire Risk Checks was circulated to Members.

The Chairman thanked Mr Parkins for his update.

The Chairman introduced Ann Kiceluk, Lead Area Officer from Aylesbury Vale District Council.  She updated Members on a number of items.

The Olympic Torch Relay on Monday 9 July – it should be arriving in Buckingham around 10.20am.  Volunteers are still required for stewarding duties along the route.  There will be no waste collection that day.

Choice-based lettings – this is around the way housing is allocated and as part of the Localism Bill the power is now on local authorities to make its own decisions on how it allocates its housing.  AVDC is currently looking at all the options and a wider public consultation on this issue will be run in the Autumn.

New ratings for hygiene standards – National Food Hygiene Standards have been introduced and more information on this is available vis the FSA website.

Parking enforcement changes – NSL has now taken over the responsibility for on-street parking whilst AVDC enforcement officers patrol council car parks and they will make adhoc checks on taxis which has broadened their role.

New Homes Bonus Scheme – the consultation has now ended.  Members and officers are now looking at the feedback from the consultation and face-to-face meetings with the parishes will be arranged soon.  District Councillor Robin Stuchbury asked when the report is due to go to Cabinet and he asked whether he could see a copy of this report.  Ann Kiceluk said that she would let Matt Partridge know of his request.

Action: Ann Kiceluk

New waste and recycling arrangements – the new bins will start to be delivered around the county from 2 July and from 4 September, the new arrangements will start.  A number of concerns were raised by Members in relation to the procedures for people living in terrace homes, flats, etc.  Ann agreed to send out further information after the meeting.

Action: Ann Kiceluk

The Chairman thanked Ann for her update.

There were no questions under this item.

• Fostering and Adoption summary attached for information.

Members were asked to note the Fostering and Adoption summary attached to the papers.

The next meeting is due to take place on Thursday 27 September 2012.  Venue to be confirmed.

Future meetings:

Thursday 13 December 2012

The next meeting is due to take place on Thursday 27 September 2012.  Venue to be confirmed.

Future date – Thursday 13 December 2012.