Agenda and minutes

Venue: Council Chamber - Guildhall, Bath. View directions

Contact: Mark Hayward 01225 396975  Email: mark_hayward@bathnes.gov.uk

Items
Note No. Item

15 mins

1.

Agreement of the Minutes of the previous meeting 15.05.18 pdf icon PDF 3 MB

Minutes:

The forum members were asked if there were any requests for corrections to the draft minutes. No requests were made and the minutes were agreed by Cllr Rob Appleyard and seconded by Cllr Patrick Anketell-Jones.

15 mins

2.

Neighbourhood CIL for Bath pdf icon PDF 76 KB

An update will be provided to the forum on the recent funding decisions that have been taken for Neighbourhood CIL for Bath projects.

 

Minutes:

Cllr Rob Appleyard reported on the recommendations made by the Bath City Forum Working Group for Neighbourhood CIL in the meeting which took place on 3rd July 2018.

Freeview Road Parking Twerton

The panel still require confirmation on serval points in the scheme from Highways. As long as these come back without issue the project will not need to return to the panel.

Once fully satisfied a recommendation for £34,000 for area C and area E

 

Combe Down Rugby Club

The panel felt that this application would be looked at as three separate requests.

The request for funding for the tarmacking of the Rugby Club Car Park was declined. The working group felt that local users from the adjacent development would not need to travel to the club by car when they are so close by. The benefit for visitors from visitors further afield would be greater. This was not seen as to have strong benefits to the local community. 

The infrastructure provided by having a two way flow between the school and the playing field clubhouse was seen as an idea that should be supported. This project linked up the facilities and would create safe access to integrated facilities that would allow the community to integrate. £15,348 plus VAT was quoted as the cost for this part of the project. This part of the project was recommended for funding by the working group.

The request for funding for improvements to the changing rooms, trench and pipe installation and a new boiler were supported by the panel. The community need this infrastructure to be in place to maximise the use of the space for a range of activities. £11,035 plus VAT was quoted as the cost for this part of the project. This part of the project was recommended for funding by the working group.

Two Tunnels Greenway Signage

The two tunnels signage project application fully identified the requirements for providing better directions for cyclists on a number of routes across Bath.

The panel felt that this project request for £6,000 was to be supported as getting residents out of their cars and more active is of great benefit to communities.

The panel asked if the project has considered the needs for future signs where developments in Bath have not get been completed. They would support a slightly higher bid if this needs to be built in to the project.  This was recommended for funding by the working group.

Brickfields Park Bench

The request for £1,455 to provide a bench in the brickfields park was agreed by the panel. The application costings showed the cost include ten years maintenance. 

This green space is used by increased numbers of residents for exercising, dog walking and children’s play. 

Beat the Street Bath

The panel concluded that they did not support this application.

There were a number of concerns around how affective that the project would be in the longer term. It was felt that a lack of information around how the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 2.

25 mins

3.

B&NES Council Consultations

Councillor Paul Myers, Cabinet Member for Economic and Community Regeneration will lead a discussion requested by the forum on B&NES Council Consultations.

Minutes:

Virginia Williamson explained that his agenda item for The Bath City Forum had been included at her request. Bath City Forum members had received paperwork on this topic that had been circulated earlier.

 

Cllr Paul Myers explained to the forum that he welcomed the opportunity to discuss this topic with them as this is an area of work that he has already looked at, and recognises that there is further work that can be done with the communities across all of Bath and North East Somerset.

 

The PowerPoint presentation which Cllr Myers used is included within the meeting minutes.

 

There were a number of points that were discussed during the presentation:

 

  • We are all part of the consultation process.
  • The process of consultation has many levels which need to be clearly defined.
  • When consulting the Council needs to be able to set out the points in the process and where and when they need to have discussions about the options.
  • There are examples when the Council wish to consult on areas such as the setting of the budget. There is still a place for sharing the position and asking about the impacts, but this needs to come with an explanation.
  • Good consultation will give participants a true sense of involvement. 
  • Improvements to Council consultation are already underway, the approach on Bath Breathes, the Parking Strategy and Modern Libraries.
  • The Council have taken an inclusive approach to engagement; how Neighbourhood CIL is spent, the setting up of a Third Sector Group, the Parish Charter and Fix my Street all show a commitment to a more collaborative approach.
  • There are complex governance structures that the Council have to work within, how we make this easier to understand can be addressed.

 

 Comments / Questions

 

Cllr Lin Patterson raised the issue about consultation and when will the changes take place and when can we expect to see the results of the changes.

 

Cllr Tim Ball asked if we convinced we are sure about ‘what consultation is’? Residents often feel that the decisions go ahead regardless of what is feedback.

 

Cllr Peter Turner felt that the Council need to build relationships with the local communities and good consultation is good means of delivering this.

 

Roger Driver explained that rules are set out nationally on what needs to be done when consulting on statutory duties. Having a memorandum of understanding in place will help the entire parties involved feel included.

 

Penny McKissock commented that the Sure Start discussions which took place in 2002 left a legacy in South West Bath this was due to the methods that were used.

 

Nicolette Boater thanked Cllr. Myers for his presentation. She agreed that stakeholder engagement is an integral part of effective governance and decision making and respectful, trusting, collaborative, relationships is critical to this. She would like to support a more robust and transparent consultation framework being developed.

Cllr Joe Rayment commented that the Council holds elections every four years to give a mandate for elected members to make  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

25 mins

4.

Joint Community Safety Plan - PCC pdf icon PDF 539 KB

Samantha Jones and Adam O’Loughlin will introduce the Joint Community Safety Plan document with emphasis on the ‘local’ Bath area. Forum members will be asked to feedback on if this documents it correct, anything has been missed and if anything new needs to be added (whilst acknowledging resource constraints).

Minutes:

Samantha Jones presented an overview of the Joint Community Safety Plan (included with the minutes)

 

The plan has been put together by a range of partners for the B&NES area and a great deal of discussion on input has taken place within the partnership meetings. The themes that have been discussed at the Area Forum meetings have been lifted from the minutes to form the area priorities. 

 

The forum was asked to feedback on whether the priorities that have been listed for Bath and the Environs are correct.

 

Cllr Tim Ball

An understanding of our different communities and what they require needs to show the range of differences and expectations that exist.

 

Cllr Peter Turner

The scrutiny panel that took place yesterday (16/07/18) explained how the ASB powers that are available have been used in Keynsham Town Centre. The use of the real time public contact data which is generated by ‘click sense’ allowed solutions to be quickly designed.

Response – Yes, the data being available for the Police morning briefing gives the opportunity to have a strategy that is based on the information that the public have provided. By door knocking and working with difficult families in housing association properties actions were taken. 

 

30 mins

5.

Street Homelessness and Activity pdf icon PDF 1 MB

David Walton (DHI) and Rowan Wooton (Julian House) will discuss with the forum the issues of homelessness on the street and street activity. The aims will be to provide information around the numbers involved in Bath and carry out some myth busting around these issues.

Minutes:

The forum received a presentation on Street Homelessness in Bath & North East Somerset from:

Roanne Wootten Operations Director Julian House

Tony Yates Assertive Outreach Worker DHI

David Walton Housing Director DHI

 

The presentation looked at the local pattern for rough sleeping in B&NES, the causes of why people are homeless and how street outreach workers are helping in Bath.

 

The BANES Homelessness Partnership has received additional government funding of £300K which was allocated to areas that have more than twenty or more street homelessness people.

Following consultation with rough sleepers the areas of new intervention have been strategically planned and will be targeted in the following ways: 

  • Hospital Discharge.
  • Rapid Assessment and Re-engagement
  • Mental Health Outreach (AWP).
  • Housing First.

 

The Streetlink service provides the opportunity for the public to help in the reporting of people that may be in need of help. This is available on line or through the mobile phone app. The service has recently shown how effective it can be as fifteen reports were mare in the period of one week.

 

Questions and Comments

 

Cllr Bob Goodman – Having spent time with an outreach worker about a year ago I saw for myself the real value that the specialised outreach bring to people who get to know them.

 

Cllr Peter Turner – I appreciate the work that is being carried out and would like the aim to be that all street homeless come off the street. I do see and hear about the level of begging that is carried out in Bath after 7pm which is then used for buying drugs.

Response – there is a commitment to women on the street that are more vulnerable. Offers of accommodation are made and over twenty people are in safe house accommodation at any one time, this does mean we are mostly full. There are individuals that refuse accommodation as they do not feel comfortable, this can be down to violence or aggression that they have suffered in the past.

 

Cllr Jasper Becker – How bad is the situation with fake begging on the streets and how bad is the impact on mental health caused by weed or other drug misuse?

Response – Bath and Keynsham has seen a professional beggar situation which has been picked up by outreach workers and on social media. The Police have been really good at acting upon information.

Rouge Sleepers have often experienced traumatic childhood experiences, when this has been the case it often leads to a greater risk of substance misuse. Support is available, from September 2018 there will be two outreach workers, and in addition a weekly drop in surgery is held at The Beehive in Southdown Bath. 

 

Roger Driver – The Wellness activity that takes place in the City where students help and handouts are given does not seem to be co-ordinated be a professional service and is not as well joined up as it could be.

Response – Food is always available to anybody who is in a  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

15 mins

6.

Initial Forum Development Feedback pdf icon PDF 469 KB

Andrew Page will provide the forum with a summary of the information that was gathered at the recent forum development workshop. The forum will need to agree the next steps for the work that is needed on development of the forum and what agenda items they wish to cover at future meetings. 

Minutes:

Andrew Page explained that last week a session had taken place at Widcombe Social Club for forum members to look at the aims of the forum, how well we are meeting these and what more can be achieved.

The views were collected at the meeting and be email from those who could not attend. The next step is to have an item on the agenda at the next meeting which will allow the forum can take forward any realistic ideas.