Agenda, decisions and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors: Daniel Allen, Gary Grindal, Terry Hone and David Levett.

Audio Recording – 29 Seconds

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors: Daniel Allen, Gary Grindal (Chair), Terry Hone and David Levett.

To take as read and approve as a true record the minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on the 7 January 2020.

RESOLVED:  That the Minutes of the Meeting of the Committee held on 7 January 2020 be approved as a true record of the proceedings and be signed by the Chair.

Audio Recording – 49 Seconds

RESOLVED:That the Minutes of the Meeting of the Committee held on 7 January 2020 be approved as a true record of the proceedings and be signed by the Vice-Chair.

Members should notify the Chair of other business which they wish to be discussed at the end of either Part I or Part II business set out in the agenda. They must state the circumstances which they consider justify the business being considered as a matter of urgency.

The Chair will decide whether any item(s) raised will be considered.

There was no other business notified.

Audio Recording – 1 Minute 8 Seconds

There was no other business notified.

Members are reminded that any declarations of interest in respect of any business set out in the agenda, should be declared as either a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest or Declarable Interest and are required to notify the Chair of the nature of any interest declared at the commencement of the relevant item on the agenda.  Members declaring a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest must withdraw from the meeting for the duration of the item. Members declaring a Declarable Interest, wishing to exercise a ‘Councillor Speaking Right’, must declare this at the same time as the interest, move to the public area before speaking to the item and then must leave the room before the debate and vote.

(1)       The Chair welcomed those present at the meeting, especially those who had attended to give a presentation;

(2)       The Chair advised that, in accordance with Council Policy, the meeting would be audio recorded; and

(3)       The Chair drew attention to the item on the agenda front pages regarding Declarations of Interest and reminded Members that, in line with the Code of Conduct, any Declarations of Interest needed to be declared immediately prior to the item in question.

Audio Recording – 1 Minute 26 Seconds

(1)       The Vice-Chair welcomed those present at the meeting, especially those who had attended to give a presentation;

(2)       The Vice-Chair advised that, in accordance with Council Policy, the meeting would be audio recorded;

(3)       The Vice-Chair drew attention to the item on the agenda front pages regarding Declarations of Interest and reminded Members that, in line with the Code of Conduct, any Declarations of Interest needed to be declared immediately prior to the item in question.

To receive a presentation from Hertfordshire Constabulary.

Inspector James Lant thanked the Chair for the invitation to address the Committee and provided Members with a verbal presentation.

The Chair thanked Inspector Lant for his detailed presentation.

Audio Recording – 2 Minutes 50 Seconds

Inspector James Lant thanked the Vice-Chair for the invitation to address the Committee and provided Members with a verbal presentation, as follows:

Crime Statistics:

·                North Herts had continued to see an ongoing decrease in crime – there was a 2.9% crime reduction since the 1st April 2019, equating to 263 fewer offences within North Herts across the year;

·                There had been an increase of 6.4% in Anti-Social Behaviour which equated to 132 more incidents - the focus point being in Letchworth;

·                Burglary was down by 27 % which equated to 187 fewer offences;

·                Vehicle crime was down by  24.8% which equated to 156 fewer offences; and

·                There had been a 16.9% reduction in burglaries in Letchworth. However, Letchworth South East saw an increase in burglaries.

Areas for continued focus:

·                Violent crime had increased by 10% however it  was believed to be interlinked with the increase in ASB and recording of Domestic Abuse aligned to positive confidence in reporting; and

·                There was a 6.5% increase in Domestic Abuse in Letchworth.

Campaigns:

·                21 November 2019 - Vehicle Crime Awareness, campaign targeting specifically Keyless car thefts;

·                17 – 23 November  2019 - International Fraud Recognition Week

·                6th Nov – Crime Prevention Roadshow – Letchworth

·                9th Nov – Environmental Action Day – Letchworth: and

·                12th - 19 October 2019 – Hate Crime Awareness week - Hate Crime campaigns with Jackie’s Drop-in and multi-ethnic forum

Other information:

·                First Priority setting forum took place in December 2019;

·                Speed enforcement and Anti-Social Behaviour had been taken on board as a priority;

·                Operation Kinematic had been launched as the response to a significant increase of ASB crimes and incidents being reported in Letchworth town centre.

·                Together with North Herts District Council, the Constabulary’s Children and Young Persons Gang Team were exploring opportunities in working with Lives not Knives which would be focused on the issues in Letchworth;

·                Three dispersal orders in Letchworth (all Kinematic); and

·                Aim was to increase Officers’ use of legitimate and effective ‘Stop and Search’.

The Vice-Chair thanked Inspector Lant for his detailed presentation and invited Members to raise any questions.

The following Members raised questions:

·                Councillor Mike Rice; and

·                Councillor Sue Ngwala.

In response to questions raised, Inspector Lant responded as follows:

·                The success and detection rates were not currently available to him. However, those could be provided to Members via the Community Protection Manager. Some of this data may also be available online;

·                Members of the public were encouraged to report crime in order for the police to get a full picture of which crimes were taking place;

·                There was a risk that children were being exposed to illegal drug use in schools. However, the police were engaging with pastoral leads and ensuring that early intervention was made to prevent drug-use in schools; and

·                If Parents were concerned about drug-use in a school, they should attempt to raise this with the school first before contacting the police.

Ms Zoe McDevitt, 6^th Platoon Army Cadets of Letchworth thanked the Chair for the opportunity to address the Committee and the youth military organisation gave a verbal presentation in respect of their grant application.

The Chair thanked Ms McDevitt for her presentation.

Audio Recording – 26 Minutes 55 Seconds

Ms Zoe McDevitt, 6^th Platoon Army Cadets of Letchworth thanked the Vice-Chair for the opportunity to address the Committee and the youth military organisation gave a verbal presentation in respect of their grant application, as follows:

·                The organisation was open to young people aged between 12 and 18 years old;

·                There were a number of benefits to joining including: learning new life skills and taking part in various activities, volunteering within the local community and being present at high profile events such as Remembrance Sunday and Armed Forces Day;

·                The organisation provided cadets with a sense of belonging as well as teaching values such as respect, loyalty and self-discipline; and

·                Grant funding was being asked for in order to purchase more equipment for the cadets.

The Vice-Chair thanked Ms McDevitt for her presentation.

To receive petitions, comments and questions from the public including:

(1)       Letchworth Garden City Collaborative

Grant Applications:

1.         Green Care;

2.         6^th Platoon Letchworth Army Cadets; and

3.         Letchworth Roller Hockey Club

Mr Ray Wilson, Green Care at Norton CIC, thanked the Chair for the opportunity to address the Committee and gave a power point presentation regarding their grant application.

The Chair thanked Mr Wilson for his presentation.

Audio Recording – 35 Minutes 40 Seconds

Mr Ray Wilson, Green Care at Norton CIC, thanked the Vice-Chair for the opportunity to address the Committee and gave a PowerPoint presentation regarding their grant application, as follows:

·                Green Care at Norton was a social, therapeutic and horticultural project based at the allotments at Norton, Letchworth;

·                The project started in July 2019 and its first client joined in November of that year;

·                The aim of the project was to work with individuals who were lonely, isolated and in long-term unemployment;

·                In order to engage with individuals, Mr Wilson worked alongside settle – Tenancy Support, the job centre and Create Community Network;

·                The project sought to encourage healthier eating as clients were able to eat what they had grown; and

·                Surplus food was given to food banks.

The following Members asked questions:

·                Councillor Mike Rice; and

·                Councillor Sean Prendergast.

In response to questions raised, Mr Wilson responded as follows:

·                There were currently two volunteers;

·                The maximum number of participants would be 10 as some required one to one supervision; and

·                Match funding had been received from Letchworth Civic Trust and Hertfordshire County Council. The latter had granted £3,300 to the project.

The Vice-Chair thanked Mr Wilson for his presentation.

Ms Christine Walker, Letchworth Rink Roller Club, thanked the Chair for the opportunity to address the Committee and gave a verbal presentation regarding their grant application.

The Chair thanked Ms Walker for her presentation.

Audio Recording – 49 Minutes 19 Seconds

Mrs Christine Walker, Letchworth Rink Roller Hockey Club, thanked the Vice-Chair for the opportunity to address the Committee and gave a verbal presentation regarding their grant application, as follows:

·                The club was founded in 1984 by the Allen family;

·                There were currently 160 memberships;

·                Letchworth Rink Roller Hockey Club were one of the best teams in England;

·                Training took place on a Wednesday evening at North Herts Leisure Centre and on a Thursday evening at Knights Templar;

·                The junior teams (under 13s and under 15s) had 100% record that season;

·                Players had historically been selected to play for England;

·                Four of the under 17s had been chosen to play for the England squad in the European Championships in Portugal in September 2020;

·                The under 15s team had represented England in the European Championship in two of the last three years;

·                The cost of participation was high owing mainly to hall hire costs for training and tournaments;

·                The cost of a junior membership was just over £500 for a year;

·                A good pair of roller skates would cost around £300;

·                A full goal keepers kit would cost up to £1,000;

·                The membership costs discouraged some juniors from joining. Therefore, the grant requested of £2000 would fund four junior memberships for those who were financially disadvantaged; and

·                Additional fundraising was taking place to raise £500 to pay for a fifth junior membership.

The following Members asked questions:

·                Councillor Helen Oliver.

In response to the Member’s question, Mrs Walker responded as follows:

·                There were a number of people already in mind that would benefit from this help. There would also be small print on the flyers informing people of the help available; and

·                It would be a good idea to take referrals from other agencies who know of individuals who would benefit from taking up the sport but were otherwise unable to do so.

The Vice-Chair thanked Mrs Walker for her presentation.

Mr Peter Willcox, St Thomas’s Church, Wilbury, thanked the Chair for the opportunity to address the Committee and gave a verbal presentation in respect of their grant application.

The Chair thanked Mr Wilcox for his presentation.

Audio Recording – 56 Minutes 50 Seconds

Mr Peter Willcox of St Thomas’s Church, Wilbury, thanked the Vice-Chair for the opportunity to address the Committee and gave a verbal presentation in respect of their grant application as follows:

·                St Thomas’s Church was built in 1938;

·                The back door, also installed in 1938, was now in need of replacement;

·                A request of £2,000 was being made for the installation of the door; and

·                The total amount needed for the new back door was £2,476. The additional amount would be found through church funds.

The Assistant Community Engagement Officer provided further information in relation to the grant application, as follows:

·                The church provided a hub for the community as the Wilbury Community Café was held in the church hall once a month along with a parent and baby/toddler group and an over 60’s group. Therefore, a number of people would benefit from this new door.

The Vice-Chair thanked Mr Wilcox for his presentation.

To receive a verbal presentation from the Chair of Letchworth Garden City BID.

Mr Hugh Ottewell, the newly appointed Chair of Letchworth Garden City BID, thanked the Chair for the opportunity to address the Committee and gave a verbal presentation.

The Chair thanked Mr Ottewell for his presentation.

Audio Recording – 1 Hour 11 Minutes 13 Seconds

The Letchworth BID Manager agreed for Mr Hugh Ottewell, the newly appointed Chair of Letchworth Garden City BID, to present his report.

Mr Ottewell thanked the Chair for the opportunity to address the Committee and gave a verbal presentation, as follows:

·                Mr Ottewell was voted in as Chair of Letchworth Garden City BID in November 2019;

·                There were four Executive Board members and 17 Governors;

·                BID meetings took place monthly;

·                The Executive board met every 2 weeks;

·                There were four key priority areas:

·                To enhance Letchworth and make it lively and well-promoted;

·                Businesses working together;

·                To promote a welcoming and attractive and accessible environment and town; and

·                Developing our offer.

·                The key objective was to promote Letchworth as a place to work and live.

Councillor Helen Oliver added that she had received feedback from Transition Town Letchworth regarding the re-greening of Letchworth, who had hoped that consideration was given to perennial and edible plants.

The Vice-Chair thanked Mr Ottewell for his presentation.

Ms Stacey Orrow, Letchworth Garden City Collaborative, thanked the Chair for the opportunity to address the Committee and provided the Members with a verbal presentation in respect of her organisation.

The Chair thanked Ms Orrow for the presentation.

Audio Recording – 1 Hour 23 Minutes

Ms Stacey Orrow, Letchworth Garden City Collaborative, thanked the Vice-Chair for the opportunity to address the Committee and provided the Members with a verbal presentation in respect of the organisation, as follows:

·                Letchworth Garden City Collaborative was formed 7 weeks ago;

·                The organisation was created as a result of Ms Orrow feeling that she was the only person from her demographic of business;

·                Ms Orrow felt there was a divide in the business demographic which impacted upon footfall in the town;

·                30 representatives had been pulled together;

·                The aim was to strengthen the communication between those in power and those who required help;

·                The aim of Letchworth Garden City Collaborative was to create a strong collaborative network and community of Letchworth based businesses in order to contribute to the economic issues faced in Letchworth;

·                The aim was also to communicate with, educate and utilise resources of the network in order to improve individual businesses and the Garden City; and

·                Ms Orrow was a hairdresser and her business was located in the back room of social housing property on the Jackman’s estate.

The Vice-Chair thanked Ms Orrow for the presentation and stated that she looked forward to further updates.

A Member stated that the organisation embodied the principals of Letchworth of working together and investing in the community.

REPORT OF THE POLICY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT MANAGER

To advise the Committee on the current expenditure and balances of the Area Committee budgets.

To bring to the Committee’s attention details of recent requests received for Area Committee Grant Funding, made by community groups and local organisations, which conform to the Authority’s Grants Policy approved by Cabinet on June 14th 2016.

RESOLVED:

(1)     That the budgetary expenditure, balances and carry forwards from the Discretionary Budgets be noted; and

(2)     That the actions taken by the Community Development Officer to promote greater community capacity and well-being for Letchworth Garden City be endorsed.

REASON FOR DECISION:To keep Members of the Committee apprised of the latest developments in community activities in Letchworth Garden City.

Audio Recording - 1 Hour 37 Minutes

The Assistant Community Engagement Officer drew Member’s attention to the report entitled Grants and Community Update and advised that there was no further update to provide. However, Members were welcome to raise any questions.

Members thanked the Community Engagement Team for their work.

RESOLVED:

(1)     That the budgetary expenditure, balances and carry forwards from the Discretionary Budgets be noted; and

(2)     That the actions taken by the Community Development Officer to promote greater community capacity and well-being for Letchworth Garden City be endorsed.

REASON FOR DECISION:To keep Members of the Committee apprised of the latest developments in community activities in Letchworth Garden City.

RESOLVED:  That grant funding of £2,052 be awarded to Green Care at Norton CIC to assist with the cost of the supply and installation of a polytunnel and learning shed.

REASON FOR DECISION:  To improve services provided by local organisations and groups which are accessed by the community.

Audio Recording – 1 Hour 4 Minutes 7 Seconds

RESOLVED:  That grant funding of £2,052 be awarded to Green Care at Norton CIC to assist with the cost of the supply and installation of a polytunnel and learning shed.

REASON FOR DECISION:  To improve services provided by local organisations and groups which are accessed by the community.

RESOLVED:  That grant funding of £2,500 be awarded to Letchworth Rink Roller Hockey Club in order for the club to provide 5 free year-long memberships to under 18’s.

REASON FOR DECISION:  To improve services provided by local organisations and groups which are accessed by the community.

Audio Recording – 1 Hour 7 Minutes 22 Seconds

RESOLVED:  That grant funding of £2,500 be awarded to Letchworth Rink Roller Hockey Club in order for the club to provide 5 free year-long memberships to under 18’s.

REASON FOR DECISION:  To improve services provided by local organisations and groups which are accessed by the community.

RESOLVED:  That grant funding of £2,500 be awarded to St Thomas’s Church Wilbury for the purchase and installation of a new back door.

REASON FOR DECISION:  To improve services provided by local organisations and groups which are accessed by the community.

Audio Recording – 1 Hour 8 Minutes 49 Seconds

RESOLVED:  That grant funding of £2,500 be awarded to St Thomas’s Church Wilbury for the purchase and installation of a new back door.

REASON FOR DECISION:  To improve services provided by local organisations and groups which are accessed by the community.

RESOLVED:  That grant funding of £2,500 be awarded to the 6^th Platoon Letchworth Army Cadets to assist with the cost of the supply of new equipment in order to improve the level of training and resources.

REASON FOR DECISION:  To improve services provided by local organisations and groups which are accessed by the community.

Audio Recording - 1 Hour 29 Seconds

A Member queried the information detailed at 10.4 on page 23 within the report which stated that the grant funding applied for in that round added up to £6.052.

In response to this, the Assistant Community Engagement Officer responded that the total grant funding applied for in that round now added up to £8,052.

Upon being put to the vote, it was:

RESOLVED:  That grant funding of £2,500 be awarded to the 6^th Platoon Letchworth Army Cadets to assist with the cost of the supply of new equipment in order to improve the level of training and resources.

REASON FOR DECISION:  To improve services provided by local organisations and groups which are accessed by the community.

To receive any verbal reports from Members regarding Ward matters and Outside Organisations.

Councillor Helen Oliver updated the Committee on the following matters:

(1)       Date of the next meeting of the Transport Forum; and

(2)       Next opening day of the Community Café.

Audio Recording – 1 Hour 38 Minutes 23 Seconds

Councillor Helen Oliver updated the Committee on the following matters:

(1)       The Grange Community Café would be taking place on Saturday 14 March at the Grange Baptist Church; and

(2)       On Monday 9 March, the Transport User Forum took place. The most pressing issues for residents were buses and community transport.