Agenda and minutes

An update on the recruitment to the three vacant co-opted member posts

The Chair thanked everybody for their attendance.

The Chair read out a statement explaining that due to the forthcoming West of England Mayoral Election there are restrictions in place that prevent the meeting entering into any discussion that relate to the West of England Mayoral Election or issues raised by the campaigns.

The Chair read out the apologies that were received in advance of the meeting and noted the substitutes in attendance.

The Chair asked the forum members to join him in welcoming the three new co-opted members, Virginia Williamson, Leslie Redwood and Alaa Al Khourdajie.

Cllr Dine Romero asked that in future rounds of recruitment that the candidates are invited to make a short presentation to the panel. Cllr Bob Goodman felt that this would be a useful addition to the process in the future.

Jeremy Boss explained that he wished to declare an interest as he has been appointed as a Non-Executive Director to the Board of the Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust (RUH).

The minutes of the previous meeting on 2nd February 2017 were agreed as an accurate record.

Sally Harris asked for clarification on the note made that stated that Andrew Pate would return to a future meeting to take questions on budget issues. Cllr Bob Goodman explained that the expectation is that this will happen and it will be raised at the next agenda setting meeting.

Cllr Lin Patterson wished to provide an update following the last forum meeting. Lin explained that she walked out of the last meeting due following the refusal by The Chair to take a vote of a proposal that was put forward.

Lin explained that she will continue in her role as a member of The Bath City Forum and explained; where a diverse group of people and communities exist in our City like ours, it is important that there is a strong mix of people involved in the discussions at the forum.

Pam Jones attended this meeting to update on the work that has taken place in Bath around the changes that are being made to Waste collections.

• Letters were included within the council tax bills that were sent out earlier this month.
• The number of contact enquiries from the public that have been made appears to have peaked in the first week and are now reducing.
• Eighty household visits have taken place and the issues around where bins will be located have been resolved.
• An approach has been agreed for 6000 properties within Bath to continue to receive weekly collections using 70 litre bins/bags.

Questions

Cllr Rob Appleyard – How were the public made aware that there were alternative receptacles available?

Response – All residents were told the option that had been selected for their property in the letter they received. If they contacted us to explain reasons why the default option was not right for them we have investigated and where appropriate offered alternatives.

If there are residents that feel they have not got the right option they can still contact us to discuss.

Action – Pam Jones will share the document that breaks down the data from visits that have taken place with residents.

Chris Roche – The Parade Gardens in Central Bath has recently seen litter strewn across the lawns, has this been a result of the level bin collections decreasing?

Response – It is not thought to be the case.

Action – Pam Jones will check if there has been any change made to the Parade Gardens collections.

Cllr Dine Romero – It appears that the residents have not been told openly about the option of a smaller bin being available. Was a criteria set out?

Response – The default position is that we are not offering a pick and mix offering and the 140 litre option is what our starting point has been. Where it is clear that an alternative option has to be offered we have worked on suitable solutions for the individuals.

The routes for collection of waste need to be as efficient as we can make them and the method of how waste is presented is key to this.

Cllr Ian Gilchrist – The discussions that have taken place between Michael Robertson and me have been helpful.

The ‘waste doctor’ visits that have taken place appear to be hardwired and there needs to be some adjustment on the criteria that is being used.

Response – The visits for the whole of B&NES has totalled 137. We have used mapping tools where appropriate to do so to help in speeding up our responses.

Cllr Peter Turner – The discussion that took place on the Alfred Street trial included points about the design of the handles on the bags, identification of whose bags are whose and Councillors being provided with a hotline number to deal with resident’s issues.

Response – This feedback has been received.

George Samios – The idea was previously put forward  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

Cabinet Member for Policy, Localism and Partnerships, Cllr Paul Myers will provide details on how the Bath City Forum can influence the funding for Bath from the new Community Empowerment Fund.

Councillor Paul Myers was present to provide information on the Community Empowerment Fund that is being introduced this year.

• The purpose of the fund is to help with engagement within communities and to create stronger links.
• The fund will be available to Parish Councils, Town Councils and Bath City Forum for projects that improve the Public Realm. Paul will be writing to these organisations to confirm details of the scheme next week.
• The amount that will be received equates to 50p per head. £44,430 for the City of Bath for this year.
• Applications will be a simple light touch process that will be agreed by the Divisional Director for Strategy and Performance.
• Where an interest is expressed we will be looking for matched funding or volunteer time to be provided.

Questions

Cllr Bob Goodman – Could CIL money be used to match the funding?

Action – Paul Myers will check if this will be possible.

Cllr Shaun Stephenson-McGall – asked, with the financial pressures that the Council is under, are the £20 million in cuts being replaced with this £44,430 the most effective use of this funding? And would it not be better to split the funds into the different ward areas?

Response – The Ward Councillor Imitative Funds are already in place for Ward level projects. Volunteering groups are keen to carry out work with Town/Parish Councils; to deliver localism in Bath requires the sharp end of volunteering group involvement.

This is an opportunity to get some money out in a different way to projects that the Bath Forum recommends.

Cllr Dine Romero – asked, how will the harder to engage communities access funds, they can be often missed as they do not always know how to articulate what they need.

Response – The Bath City Forum is here to look at Bath’s needs and advice, we have co-opted members as well as Councillors to bring a balance.

Sally Harris - Can Bath recommend a number of different projects? And is there a process / criteria for reporting the outcomes?

Response – We want there to be a flexible approach to the applications with ideas going through the Chair of Bath City Forum. If additional guidance were to be required this could be produced at a later stage.

The Forum should record what projects are agreed and look to report back on the outcomes through the meeting’s agenda.

Cllr Matthew Davis – I would be keen to support the Broadmoor Lane Play area in Weston through the use of this fund, would this be a suitable use?

Response - Yes, an expression of interest would need to be raised with the Forum and they would respond to this.

Cllr Bob Goodman – I would see the expressions of interest being submitted through the sub group that are also looking at CIL funding for the forum.

Adam Reynolds – Can an explanation be given of what is meant by Public Realm. 

Response – Some of the drivers for this scheme  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

The Bath City Forum Economic Development sub group met on the 1 March and as part of their feedback it was requested that ‘Creating a City Identity for Bath’ be presented to the Forum.

Steve Fuller from The House was in attendance to present on ‘creating a City Identity for Bath’

Questions / Feedback

Cllr Dine Romero – this project needs to embrace the areas of Bath that are outside of the City Centre.

Response – We are happy to make the inclusion of the outer areas more explicit. There needs to be clarity on where there is the greatest need in the City for money to be spent and to be inclusive of the talent that sits across all of the areas.

Cllr Peter Turner – There are many people in the City that have ‘sight’ the bigger challenge is to have ‘vision’.

Response – We agree we will need to invite everybody in, those with an interest with come along, other wont; it does take time for full delivery.

Rosie Phillips – Unification is needed and by reaching out to the further away communities brings in diversity and quirkiness that would otherwise be lost.

Response – We would not want to be seen as a ‘vanilla’ place.

Cllr Shaun Stephenson-McGall – Jobs, Growth, Tourism, Visitors are spoken about but Bath has a shortage of Housing. The Universities growth rate can’t continue in the way that it has as thousands more students can’t be accommodated in Bath. 

Bath has ‘the haves’ and ‘the have-nots’ in the City, this is how Bathonians see the Council. The Partners that we look to work with are not inclusive.

Response – we look at People, Places and Business, if we are an inventive City we will find a way which involves the whole of the City. The Forum should look set out who the partners should be.

Cllr Lin Patterson – If the Bath City Forum were to be the sponser, who will be paying for the work?

Response – The work is carried out free of charge on a voluntary basis.

Cllr Paul Myers – It has been great to see through this presentation what Bath is trying to achieve and how this replicates what a number of Towns and Parishes are trying to do. It is worth considering the neighbours who commute into Bath and what stake they have in the City.

Cllr Rob Appleyard – I like the project, is it within the remit of The Bath Forum to be the sponsor?

Response Jeremy Boss – The Officers and the members of the economic development sub-group feel that this is tangible, holds no risks, creates opportunity and does not create a clash. It was recommended by John Wilkinson that the Bath City Forum considered this.

Cllr Bob Goodman – The work carried out by the Economic Development Sub-Group led to today’s presentation being given.

The sub groups for Bath City Forum will provide updates on any work that has been carried out and the next steps for the groups.

CIL

Waste & Environment

Economic Development

Transport

Housing

Health & Wellbeing

Economic Development Sub Group

Jeremy Boss presented on the work which has taken place within the Economic Development Sub Group.

Leslie Redwood presented on the Destination Bath Plan.

Questions and Feedback

Adam Reynolds – There are aspects of Bath that get overlooked, is invest in Bath just about tourism or are you interested in other aspects also?

Leslie Redwood – We are looking for more than just tourism in the consultation any feedback that covers economic growth will be welcomed.

Sally Harris – There are many visits made to Bath by people who are priced out of living in the City, these are essentially day visitors but are contributing to the economy.

Leslie Redwood – It would be great to here from this group as they can comment on areas such as commuting, pollution and movement around the City.

Tim Newark – Is there a danger that there is duplication with the Bath Bridge work?

Leslie Redwood – There have been a number of previous destination plans produced which have always been part of our work (BTP); the last edition expired in 2016. The work being offered by the bridge is voluntary and there will need to be thought given to making sure the two areas of work complement each other.

Further steps are going to be required and the next steps will need to include engagement from the forum on the direction we need to be taking with the Destination Bath, Consideration to the broader themes covered by the City Identity and a workshop for those who are interested in working on these ideas.

Cllr Dine Romero – If the two groups can work together and complement each other the overlaps can be dealt with. Is it possible that there are overlaps with the City of Bath Mayor?

Cllr Lin Patterson – The Bridge ideas seem to have a more diverse offering whereas Destination Bath is more Tourism focused. There needs to be a way that we avoid one swallowing up the other.

Virginia Williamson – the distinct difference between the two presentations appears to be that The Bridge has a fresh beyond tourism approach whereas BTP has a renewal of their plan that needs to take place.

Jeremy Boss – The Destination Plan will be happening and The City Identity needs to find the customers that it will need to work with in Bath. The work on both plans can be managed in a way that avoids overlaps.

Cllr Fiona Darey – There is an opportunity to bring skills together and complement each other through the work of both plans. We must agree how to the next steps are taken forward.

Cllr Rob Appleyard – there needs to be an understanding of the groups we are working within and a proposal needs to be set out clearly.

Cllr Shaun Stephenson-McGall – As only half of B&NES is Bath why has a broader sponsor not been found, does this indicate that the vison is seen as not important?  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

An update on planning for the 2017 Bath City Conference,

Cllr Bob Goodman explained that The Bath City Conference has taken place for the last five years and this event will be taking place again in 2017. It is hoped that Forum members will play a greater part in this year’s conference.

There is a call to create a steering group to work on the organisation of this year’s event and to input into fresh ideas for the day.

Action: Forum Members wishing to be part the Bath City Conference sub-group need to contact Mark Hayward bathcityforum@bathnes.gov.uk to confirm their interest.

Action: Bath City Conference sub-group to arrange a first meeting within the next two weeks.

Cllr Paul Myers – A separate event, the ‘B&NES EXPO’ is to be planned for the Parishes and Towns of North East Somerset. It is hoped that The Bath City Forum would accept an invitation to attend.

Cllr Rob Appleyard – As the Bath City Forum is not set up to discuss North East Somerset issues would it be better to keep this separate.

Chris Roche asked if there is a procedure update from the Chair following the issues raised at the last Forum meeting.

Cllr Bob Goodman explained that the agenda setting group will meeting in April and will include this in their discussions.

Cllr Bob Goodman - reminded Forum Members that invites to the Bath Rugby Club pre Consultation meetings have been sent out.

Cllr Shaun Stevenson-McGall - asked if feedback would be taken on the layout for the meeting.

Response - The room layout for this meeting was different due to room availability issues at The Guildhall and there being a number of presentations throughout this meeting.

The next meeting will return to the normal boardroom set-up in The Banqueting Room at The Guildhall.

Any suggestions to improve the set-up / experience of future meetings should be sent to Mark Hayward bathcityforum@bathnes.gov.uk