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MINUTES OF THE MAIDSTONE LOCALITY BOARD PRIORITY FOCUS GROUP
2 March 2012 1.00 3.00pm, ROOM 1C, MAIDSTONE HOUSE
Present: |
Cllr Gary Cooke (GC)
Cllr Marion Ring (MR)
Cllr Steve Beerling (SB) Cllr Mike Fitzgerald (MF)
John Taylor (JT)
Zena Cooke (ZC)
John Littlemore (JL) Duncan Bruce (DB) Abi Jessop (AJ)
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Vice-Chair Maidstone Locality Board, Deputy Cabinet Member for Education, Learning and Skills, Maidstone South East Division, KCC Cabinet Member for Environment, Shepway North Ward, MBC Fant Ward, MBC Boughton Monchelsea and Chart Sutton Ward, MBC Director of Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce and Chair of Economic Development and Regeneration Delivery Group Director of Regeneration & Community Services, MBC Head of Housing and Communities, MBC Community Partnerships Officer, MBC Community Engagement Officer, KCC
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Apologies: |
Martin Adams
Keith Abbott |
Area Manager, Kent Fire & Rescue Service, Chair of Safer Maidstone Partnership Director School Resources, Education , Learning and Skills Business Partner, KCC
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MINUTES |
ACTION |
DEADLINE |
1. |
Welcome by the Chair for the Meeting Cllr Gary Cooke, Vice-Chair Maidstone Locality Board, Deputy Cabinet Member for Education, Learning and Skills, Maidstone South East Division, KCC
Cllr Cooke welcomed everyone present to the first meeting of the Maidstone Locality Board Priorities Focus Group.
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2. |
Apologies for Absence Two apologies notified see above |
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3. |
Review of existing priority areas Cllr Gary Cooke, Vice-Chair Maidstone Locality Board, Deputy Cabinet Member for Education, Learning and Skills, Maidstone South East Division, KCC Zena Cooke, Director of Regeneration & Communities, MBC In a wide ranging discussion, the following points were raised: · Worklessness must make inroads into constant flow of 16-24 yr olds not ready for work · MLB must not reinvent wheel, build on what has been achieved with the LSP to date · Assess what has been achieved in the past 3-5 yrs · MLB must add value, and bring projects in on time. All projects must have a home and lead Member · Many community groups (32 in Park Wood alone) all competing for limited resources · Routes into work apprenticeships are often misunderstood complex link between low pay and loss of benefits · Ask young people what they see as their routes into work routines/skills/life planning · Raising of school leaving age to 17 and then 18 · Re-draw the local regeneration architecture too many silos · Type of employment in Maidstone has changed radically over last 20 yrs no longer a manufacturing centre. · Bring in partners and hold them to account · Housing Associations must be part of the solution · Working with local partners including housing associations operating in the borough to employ local people and to take on apprentices etc. · Infrastructure investment must be considered · Need to address measures relating to poverty. Take one tangible aspect of poverty e.g. families with children under 5yrs, older persons poverty, in receipt of pension credit, benefits campaign · Rural issues housing, jobs, cost of travel
Agreed:
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4. |
Review of existing delivery groups Cllr Gary Cooke, Vice-Chair Maidstone Locality Board, Deputy Cabinet Member for Education, Learning and Skills, Maidstone South East Division, KCC Zena Cooke, Director of Regeneration & Communities, MBC
Agreed:
Summary of information requirements: Employment: Employed by ward Length unemployed 16-24 NEETS and 18-24 Young People, year by year cohorts, time series trends Vacancy details, availability by sector/location Urban v rural unemployment analysis
Poverty: IMD maps, benefit claimant rates Transport costs and Fuel poverty Older persons on pension credit House repossessions, VAT registrations/deregistrations Homelessness applications Free school meals Car ownership & usage Rural crime ASB, heating oil theft
Environmental improvements: Perception data, residents surveys Fly tips Missed collections Abandoned cars Empty houses and empty office/business/retail units Complaints House price and rent data
All above to be shown as far as possible by ward/families/older persons/disabled
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5. |
Focus Group recommendations to Maidstone Locality Board
1. Community Budgets This important area of work was agreed as the MLBs key work stream at its 20 January meeting.
2. Tackling Worklessness This meets both MBC and KCC corporate priorities to grow the local economy and ensure that residents have the skills and abilities to remain in the workforce. This priority has two themes: (a) Youth employment (b) Adult employment
3. Tackling Poverty This priority is clearly interlinked with Priorities 1 and 2, and to MBC corporate outcome (Residents are not disadvantaged because of where they live or who they are, vulnerable people are assisted and the level of deprivation is reduced), but also enables a more detailed focus on tackling poverty as it affects particular groups. The priority has three themes: (a) Families with children under 5yrs (b) Older persons (c) Disabled persons
4. Local Environmental Improvements This links to MBC corporate outcome (Is a clean and attractive environment for people who live in and visit the borough), and is vital to change residents perceptions of deprived areas of the Borough. This priority will necessitate close working with housing associations operating in the area.
Although not a priority, the following is part of MLBs role, and a mechanism for engaging all sectors. Communication and engagement with the business sector The Maidstone Locality Board must ensure that businesses and local employers are engaged with locally agreed key priorities, and that it enables economic development by addressing barriers to growth. The Maidstone Locality Board will lobby at the highest political level on behalf of those living and working in the Borough. |
All to note |
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Close Meeting ended 14.30pm |
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