Present:

Councillors

In Attendance:

Mr Gary West, Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service Mrs Sarah Robinson and Mr Iain Girvan, Head of Neighbourhood Services South, Blackpool Council Ms Catherine Jones, Member Services Officer, Blackpool Council

Apologies:

Apologies were received on behalf of Councillor Mrs Henderson MBE, Councillor Hunter and Councillor Green.

1. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

There were no declarations of interest on this occasion.

The Panel agreed the minutes of the meeting held on 12^th June 2013, subject to the following amendments:

Apologies submitted from Mrs Barbara Charlton.   

Mr West, Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, updated the Panel on service related performance and the emergency cover review.

It was considered that overall performance had been very satisfactory and the figures from September also seemed to be positive.

The Panel was informed that an emergency cover review was taking place and that over the next four years a number of fire engines could be lost across the County, including one from Forest Gate Fire station.

The proposals were due to affect staffing at South Shore station in 2016 - 2017, which would operate the same Day Crewing Plus duty system of working as Bispham Station, therefore reducing the staffing levels by half. The impact Lancashire-wide would be an additional 16 seconds response time, but Mr West was confident that performance would not be affected and that Lancashire was still one of the best responding fire services in the North West. The proposed cuts were based on performance and factual evidence that incidents of fire were reducing across the country. Consultation was due to close on 20^th October 2013.

Industrial action had taken place the previous week and one fire engine had been in operation. It was anticipated that there would be further industrial action, but if there was a serious or critical incident then fire fighters would return to work.

The Panel considered the Police report that had been submitted for information. It was considered that there had been a number of increases across all areas and that issues of concern could be taken to the Police and Community Together (PACT) meetings. It was requested if more context about crime levels could be provided in the reports, as percentage figures did not provide a full picture.

Youth membership and how to make the Panel and Forum more interesting for young people was discussed. It was queried if Highfield Humanities College could be approached for ideas on how to engage young people and members of the Panel stated that they would be happy to speak to the children at the school. Mr Smith, Councillor Stansfield and Mrs Charlton were to approach the Head Teacher of Highfield Humanities College regarding this.

In terms of promoting the involvement of the current community members of the Panel, the Panel was to address the possibility of undertaking project group work and Mr Smith and Mrs Robinson were to attend the Gateway Area Panel meeting, to gather information on how it approached its role.

Mr Girvan advised that there had been some positive work taking place within the South Shore area wards, including youth activities in Highfield and Squires Gate wards over the summer.  It was considered that this could have been a cause for the decrease in reports of antisocial behaviour in those wards.

Issues raised at the Area Panel meeting on 12^th June were addressed.

Weed spraying was taking place on a hotspot basis and Panel members were to advise the Neighbourhood Services team of any particular hotspots.

The Planning Enforcement Team was investigating the issues raised at School Road garage and needed to be given time to do this properly.

The request for speed / speed limit signs on Squires Gate Lane on lampposts had been responded to at the Area Forum. It would not be possible, due to the road having a 30 miles per hour limit. The Department for Transport did not allow 30 miles per hour signs to erected in built up areas, except where speed limits changed. This was to avoid confusing drivers. The Panel felt that the town had a problem with road safety, but could only ask the Police to put more resources into road traffic. The Council’s Road Safety Team was to be invited to the Forum to provide a marketplace stall and answer any residents’ queries.

The Panel volunteered to help the Road Safety Team and / or Police with speed guns along Squires Gate Lane and Mrs Robinson would contact the Panel with the arrangements.

The Panel expressed strong opposition to the work due to take place at the junction between St Annes Road and Watson Road. It was queried what consultation had taken place with the local residents and councillors, what the result of the consultation had been and if there was anything that could be done by those residents that did oppose it.  

Councillor Evans would chase what was happening with the layout of the bus stop opposite the Half Way House.  

The change to the position of the ‘Give Way’ sign on Balham Avenue had been reported to EON.

Ward councillors for Stanley ward were looking to finance the erection of bollards round the little white cottage on Common Edge Road.

It was planned for more trees to be planted along the grass verges on Squires Gate Lane, in February 2014.

The Stanley ward councillors were hoping to finance tree planting along the stretch of road from Booths store to Midgeland Road.

All bus drivers at Blackpool Transport Services Limited had been instructed to stop at all relevant bus stops, regardless of whether other buses had just passed. Mr Lindop from Blackpool Transport Services Limited had asked to be advised if this did not happen

(Mrs Matthews left the meeting).

Mrs Robinson presented the Neighbourhoods Services performance report from April 2013 to end August 2013.

(Councillor Evans left the meeting).

Street cleansing requests had increased in number and there had also been an increase in noise nuisance reports. This would be monitored to see if it was a seasonal issue. 

Fly tips had been mainly occurring in Squires Gate ward. It was being investigated if someone was commercially picking up and tipping. The Panel noted that people clearing commercially should be licenced. It was queried if the tip on Ecclesgate Road was legal and this was under investigation by Planning Enforcement.

The Bag It, Bin It campaign was continuing.

It was requested if a refuse bin could be installed at the top of Willowbank Avenue/ Collyhurst Avenue, as there were no bins on the block of streets from Highfield Road / St Annes Road to the Halfway House / Squires Gate Lane to Common Edge Road.  Stanley ward councillors were to consider funding a bin on Midgeland Road and Common Edge Road.

Mrs Robinson and Mrs Charlton were to meet to discuss the possibility of setting up a pilot to undertake an audit of the area based on a scoring system. This would enable the Panel to identify areas that could be improved.

At the Forum in July 2013, the 81% of attendees had voted that their attendance and involvement with the work of Forum was helping to make South Shore a better place to live. This question would be put to the Forum again in the future, to measure satisfaction.   

The Panel noted that the gathering of mobile homes by the little white cottage was being investigated.

Background Papers: None

At the Forum meeting on 2^nd May 2013, the Forum had approved applications for £7,860.00 to Our Lady of the Assumption Community Centre for refurbishment works to the male and female toilet facilities, £2,422.00 to Friends of Highfield Park for pavillion improvements and £6,000.00 to St Mary’s Scout Group for camping equipment. The remaining budget for the South Shore Area Forum was £14,717.92.

It was requested if groups that had received Area Forum funding could provide feedback at Forums as part of a ‘We gave, you did’ section of the meeting and if information could be displayed at the marketplace. This was to be investigated for future Area Forum meetings.

A mock up of an Area Forum leaflet was to be brought to the next Panel meeting, for roles to be allocated to community representatives to investigate possible printers and costs.  

At the time of publishing the agenda, no applications for funding had been received and the deadline for applications to be received for consideration at the Area Forum meeting on 23^rd October 2013 was 5pm on 18^th October 2013.

Background Papers: None

The Panel invited the Fairness Commission to deliver a presentation at the next meeting and requested if they could attend future marketplaces.

The marketplace was to be attended by the Road Safety Team, Healthwatch and Blackpool Clinical Commissioning Group. The Neighbourhoods Services Team would arrange for the mobile youth club to be set up outside the venue and arrange for artists who had completed work in the Highfield Ward area over summer to attend the marketplace to display their work.

The venue for the Area Forum meeting on 23^rd October 2013 would be Highfield Humanities College, as agreed at the last Forum meeting on 22^nd July 2013.

A query was raised regarding the increase in traffic on Squires Gate Lane and if illuminations traffic was being redirected to Squires Gate Lane from the motorway, rather than via Yeadon Way.

An issue was raised regarding backlogged traffic at School Road caused by the traffic lights. There was a 7.5 tonne sign on the road, but heavy vehicles were using it.

It was noted that there was a Health Show at the Winter Gardens on Saturday 5^th October 2013.

The Panel agreed:

1) That a presentation be delivered by the Fairness Commission.

2) That marketplace stalls be provided by the Council’s Road Safety Team, Healthwatch, Blackpool Clinical Commissioning Group and artists who had completed work in Highfield Ward.

Background Papers: None.

The Panel noted the date of the next meeting as 11^th December 2013 in Committee Room B at the Town Hall, commencing at 5.00 p.m.

The meeting ended at 7.10 p.m.

Any queries regarding these Minutes, please contact:
Catherine Jones, Member Services Officer
Tel: 01253 477034, or alternatively, E-mail: catherine.a.jones@blackpool.gov.uk

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