Minutes of April 2008
CLOUGH HALL RESIDENTS' ASSOCIATIONMINUTES OF MEETING HELD ON TUESDAY 1st APRIL 2008
AT HOLLINWOOD SHELTERED HOUSING at 7.30pm
PRESENT :-
COMMITTEE: - G Sutton, C Brammer, B Collis, J Gallacher, M Moore, C Brough,
T Dale, C Gallacher.
GUEST SPEAKERS: - Clr John Taylor- Leader Staffordshire County Council, Andy Burns- Finance Director Staffordshire County Council, PC Rob Dolman, CID Officer DC Angela Goodwin.
GUESTS :- Mr P Leigh and Mr S Wyatt - William Sutton Housing.
Mr R Burns, Mrs T Evans, Mrs K Capper.
COUNCILLORS - Clr S Burgess, Clr J MacMillan, Clr J Evans, Clr D Richards, Clr L Griffiths, Clr P Crank,
RESIDENTS: - 33
TOTAL ATTENDANCE: - 56
APOLOGIES: - Peter & Hazel Hammond, Paul Fisher, Sandra & John Rogers, Kath Viles, Gina & Frank Gibson, Laura Sutton, Ken Lee, A Durose, Mr & Mrs Kelly, C Poole.
The Chairman welcomed Councillor Taylor, Mr Burns, PC Dolman and CID Officer DC Angela Goodwin; he also welcomed the local councillors, Sam Wyatt and Philip Leigh from William Sutton Housing, and committee members from Planning for Real. He thanked Sue and Paul Fisher of Suprint, and CHRA members who had helped to distribute leaflets.
Quiz Night - to be held on Wednesday May 14th; tickets cost £2:50 per person including refreshments.
Grants - CHRA have struggled to get grants this year, but Chris Brough won a combined scanner, printer and copier for the Residents' Association at the Staffs Police Innovation Fair.
Graham then introduced PC Rob Dolman, Community Police Officer for Talke and Talke Pits, and CID Officer DC Angela Goodwin.
DC Angela Goodwin explained that
- Since Jan 1st she has been responsible for investigating burglary dwellings in the area, and that victims of crime are a high priority.
- One person has been given a custodial sentence, and two others are on police bail pending further enquiries.
- Some property has been recovered
- The burglaries have usually taken place during hours of darkness while the properties were empty, and all types of property have been targeted.
She asked residents for ideas which would be taken up if possible, and encouraged them to phone in to report any suspicious incidents. She explained that following a burglary door to door enquiries were made, and that anyone who felt unsafe should phone the police on the usual number - 08453 302010 - or if it was urgent ring 999; leaflets are also available giving crime prevention advice. Residents were asked to make sure that doors were locked, and to be aware of their neighbours.
PC Dolman said that there have been 64 burglary dwellings in the area (Talke, Talke Pits, Butt Lane and Clough Hall) since Jan 1st, the earliest at 4pm and the latest at 6am. PCSO Colin Stepney has given alarm devices to those people affected, and more have been ordered and should be available shortly. Interested residents should contact PCSO Stepney or Kidsgrove Police Station. Aspire Housing has also been contacted as some Aspire homes have been targeted.
PC Dolman agreed with concerned residents that properties around wooded areas in Kidsgrove were being targeted. DC Angela Goodwin then responded to questions from residents:
Q. If Smartwater had been in use by the police in the area, surely this would have helped to prevent some of the burglaries and to identify those responsible?
A. I have no knowledge of Smartwater, but I will explore it.
Q. I was a victim at the end of January, but have had no communication from the police since then. Is there a lack of liaison within the police?
A. I will look into this, it is important to give feedback.
Q. What additional resources are there in the area to try to solve the problem?
A. There are personnel in place but their work won't be publicly seen; PCSOs are in the area at relevant times, and this is the main priority for Inspector Jarvie and the Command Team at Newcastle.
Q. How are the burglaries occurring?
A. The rear of the property is targeted; windows have been broken or forced. Some of these properties did have alarms - if an alarm goes off, ring the police.
Q. Would it be possible for you to give us a resume in a few months time?
A. I will personally come back to report, but some things cannot be disclosed.
Residents also commented on vehicle crime in the area, the numbers of youngsters roaming around in the middle of the night, children drinking in Clough Hall Park, and the fact that the police need more funds. PC Dolman responded that vehicle crime seems to be fuelled by drink, the police can only check out youngsters and take their names, and that there are 4 ASBOs still in place from last year. He emphasised that the police need evidence - the courts rely on witnesses and evidence.
Graham then thanked PC Dolman and DC Angela Goodwin, and introduced Councillor John Taylor and Andy Burns (Finance Director) Staffordshire County Council..
Councillor Taylor explained that he was speaking as the Leader of Staffs County Council, and that he is not a member of the Police Authority and so is not responsible for police funding and staffing - it is the Police Authority which sets the budget for the police following recommendations from the Chief Constable.
He then asked Andy Burns, the Finance Director of Staffs County Council, to explain how the County Council spends its budget.
Mr Burns first presented handouts for residents to take later, and also directed them to the website http://www.staffordshire.gov.uk/ for further information.
He explained that:
- The Police Authority spends £200million pounds per year; £60million pounds of this - a relatively small proportion - comes from taxpayers, the rest from government grants and business rate payers.
- The County Council is the largest organisation in the county, with 30,000 employees; Staffordshire is the 5th largest county in England, and it has the 8th largest council.
- The aim of the County Council is to make Staffordshire the best place to live, visit, work, and invest.
- All public money is spent to match the needs of Council priorities, and the Council works with District and Borough Councils and other service providers.
- County Council Services contribute to 5 themed areas of work:
1. Children and young people.
2. Healthier communities and older people.
3. Safer and stronger communities - working in liaison with the Police Authority.
4. Economic development and enterprise to increase economic prosperity (Staffs is relatively poor compared with the North West and South East).
5. Sustainable development for the future - the Green Agenda.
County Council priorities (which are detailed in a range of publications) are set out by Councillor Taylor and his Cabinet.These priorities are as follows:
1. Services for vulnerable people.
2. A clear shift to prevention (including crime prevention) to prevent later problems, eg the need for residential care.
3. Local delivery of services - Staffordshire is a large county which includes very different areas.
4. A customer centred organisation - services need to meet local needs.
5. Moving to the frontline.
6. Getting the basics right - external assessments are showing improvements in this area.
7. Service improvement.
8. Climate Change - to meet the challenge of the Climate Change Agenda, resources must be used wisely and efficiently.
The priorities are to spend more, more quickly.
Mr Burns then went on to speak of the pressures and challenges faced by the Council:
1. The increasing number of older people, with increasing demands on social care and health services.
2. The shift from manufacturing to service industries in the county.
3. The pressure on the roads from increasing car numbers.
4. Health inequalities - life expectancy is significantly different in different areas.
5. Climate change.
6. Efficiency savings - the Council has become more efficient in the last few years.
Finally he explained that the total budget amounts to £1.2billion per year, or £100million per month, 23% of which comes from council tax, and the rest from direct grants and other income.
Half of this budget is spent on schools (schools are funded from a Dedicated Schools Grant which can only be used to fund schools), and the rest in decreasing amounts on adult social care, highways maintenance and waste management. The County Council risk Government capping if council tax rises by more than 5%.
The council tax paid by a Band D taxpayer in the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme is distributed as follows:
Staffs County Council 71.1%
N-u-L Borough Council 12.3%
Police Authority 12.0%
Fire and Rescue Authority 4.6%
Total 100%
Graham thanked Andy Burns for an excellent talk and invited questions to Councillor Taylor and Mr Burns following a break for refreshments.
Q. A question was asked in respect of car parking in Cedar Avenue - are there plans for a feasibility study in the near future?
A. There will be no feasibility study because the funding is in place, and work will start in Nov 2008; a feasibility study was done originally, and the plan is to tarmac the whole area. Discussions are to take place with Aspire Housing next week regarding a contribution from them. (Following a query from a resident Councillor Taylor emphasised that tarmac was the only option.) Clr Taylor together with other local Councillors have worked hard on this project for some considerable time and residents warmly welcome a final resolution to this problem.
Q. The issue of car parking by the Sutton Trust properties - has that been followed up?
A. Yes - it needs to be done in partnership, but something will be done in the not too distant future.
Q. What does the Parish Council fund?
A. Extra councillors, the Town Hall, the upkeep of allotments. Not every area has a Parish Council; this one was formed when Kidsgrove amalgamated with Newcastle Borough.
Q. Are the ‘Welcome to Staffordshire' signs in Butt Lane and at the top of Kidsgrove Bank being replaced? Both are a disgrace.
A. Signage is important and is being looked at.
Q. Can we have new Christmas lights in Kidsgrove - they have not been changed for at least 5 years and some are not working.
A. Councillor Richards (Kidsgrove Town Council) - new lights have been purchased for
Kidsgrove.
Councillor Taylor - New Lights for Butt Lane will be available this year.
Q. Could the money for the Parish Council be directed to the Police instead?
A. No, the Parish Council was determined by the 1974 reorganisation.
Q. The canal is a gateway into Kidsgrove, and it is a disgrace. Can it be improved?
A. Councillor Richards - the Town Council is setting up a Canal Town Group, and taking advice from Stone which has done this successfully.
Q. Why are council run care homes and day centres being closed, and why have the opening hours of waste disposal centres been reduced?
A. There are increasing numbers of older people who want to stay in their own homes, and will need services to support them. Council run homes are more expensive than private placements, (£450 per week as opposed to £350 per week) so the money released will help people to stay in their own homes longer. If services are provided early enough, less residential care will be needed, but more people can be funded if private care homes are used. Those currently in council run care homes have been assessed and will have to move; initially this will cost the Authority more, but not individuals.
Now that home recycling is increasing, less waste is being taken to recycling centres; most are used at weekends, so if they are closed for 2 days a week (adjacent centres on different days) money is saved which can then be used for extra facilities. We are in the process of negotiating an agreement with Cheshire that residents of Kidsgrove can use the recycling centre at Alsager.
Q. Why was the Health Centre moved to Mount Road? It costs £8 to get there and back by taxi and there is no bus service.
Q. Can we have an amplifier system so those sitting at the back can hear?
(This was noted by the Chairman and the Vice Chairman.)
Q. Council run homes are closing - if you were an elderly person who had been burgled would you like to live in your own home? Could some of the extra cash be focused on flashpoints?
A. We are working with Housing Associations regarding Extra Care Housing, where you have your own front door but care is provided in the building. Lots of facilities are closing and this land could be contributed by the Council - the rest would be up to the Housing Association.
Q. Can't we have more funding for the police?
A. If we are not careful, we won't have the right level of funding in the right place.
Q. If £5,000 per person per year is saved by purchasing in the independent sector, will this money be ring fenced and used only for the elderly? Services need to improve, not stand still.
A. It is ring fenced - it becomes part of the budget for Social Care and Health and the end product will be better service.
Graham then thanked Councillor Taylor and Mr Burns, and invited Chris Brough to give the following updates:
- Clough Hall School - have agreed with CHRA to run a 4 week course ‘Computers for All'. This will run from Tuesday 15 April for 4 weeks, 9:15 - 10:45. Anyone interested please leave your name.
- Dog fouling in Beech Drive and Park Ave - Councillor Silvia Burgess will follow this up.
- Report any suspicious actions to the police - phone 08453 302010 - report the incident, the time, and ask for an incident number; or - phone Crimestoppers 0800 555111, and don't forget the local councillors' surgeries on the first and middle Saturdays of the month.
Finally, Graham announced that
- A litter pick is being organised and will take place shortly.
- Funding has been given from the Community Chest to develop CHRA's own website - this should be completed in 6 - 8 weeks; there will be links to other appropriate sites, eg Trading Standards, the police.
- People (including adults) are picking and trampling on daffodils which have been planted around the area - residents put a lot of time and effort into planting these bulbs.
- The next meeting will be held on May 13th; the speaker will be Philip Knight from Staffs Wildlife Trust, and he will be talking about Gardening for Wildlife.
- A joint meeting with the 50+ Forum will be held on May 22nd at 6:30 at Clough Hall School on the subject of ‘Council Tax - Is It Fair?'. Fiona McAvoy from the Taxpayers' Alliance will be speaking, and Councillor John Taylor has agreed to join the panel.
After thanking everyone for attending, he then closed the meeting.