Resolved:  That all items on the agenda be web-cast.

Apologies were received from Councillors Mrs Paterson and Mrs Parvin.

It was noted that Councillor Chittenden was substituting for Councillor Mrs Paterson.

It was noted that Councillor FitzGerald was a visiting Member with an interest in Agenda Items 8, 9 and 10.

a)  Disclosures of interest.

b)  Disclosures of lobbying.

c)  Disclosures of whipping.

Councillor Mrs Gibson declared a prejudicial interest during Agenda Item 8, “Leader of the Council: Plans and Priorities for 2009/10” when Maidstone Housing Trust (MHT) issues were raised, as she was a Board Member for MHT.

Resolved: That all items be taken in public as proposed.

Members requested that the following amendments to the minutes of the meeting held on 21 April 2009 be made:

·  Minute ? 98, paragraph 6, bullet point 2: change “where” to “were”;

·  Minute ? 98, paragraph 6, bullet point 4: remove the words “however staff would need to be paid for this time”.

Councillor Marchant also requested that he be sent details of the European Legislation that required that casual staff be paid holiday pay.

Resolved:   That

a)  The minutes of the meeting held on 21 April 2009 be agreed and duly signed by the Chairman subject to the following amendments:

  i.  Minute ? 98, paragraph 6, bullet point 2: change “where” to “were”;

  ii.  Minute ? 98, paragraph 6, bullet point 4: remove the words “however staff would need to be paid for this time”;

b)  The minutes of the meeting held on 27 May 2009 be agreed and duly signed by the Chairman; and

c)  Councillor Marchant be sent details of the European Legislation that required that casual staff be paid holiday pay.

Interview with Leader of the Council, Councillor Chris Garland.

The Chairman highlighted to the Committee a letter that had been received from Dr J M Speight with regard to the Sustainable Community Strategy (SCS) consultation.  He requested that the Leader respond to this in his presentation, and that officers be invited to the next Committee meeting to respond to Dr Speight’s concerns, particularly with regard to the timescales for consultation.  Dr Speight requested that the Assistant Director of Development and Community Strategy be invited to that meeting, and also stated that he was disappointed with the lack of response to his e-mail by the Committee.  The Chairman reassured Dr Speight that the Committee was taking the issue seriously.

The Leader of the Council, Councillor Chris Garland, stated that he understood Dr Speight’s concerns with regard to his consultation response not being fully included in the SCS consultation.  However, Dr Speight’s report had included some good ideas, particularly regarding public engagement, which were being considered by officers and the Local Strategic Partnership (LSP) Board.  The SCS was an evolving document and these ideas could be worked into future versions.  Councillor Garland maintained that the SCS consultation had been both rigorous and robust.

Mid-Kent Improvement Partnership (MKIP)

Councillor Garland considered MKIP to be one of the key drivers to deliver substantial savings in light of economic pressures, reduced income from services such as planning, and the likelihood of a reduced Revenue Support Grant.  MKIP was also valuable in terms of shared skills and knowledge.  It was national Conservative policy to pursue shared services.  Proposals this year included a shared Human Resources (HR) function, and the Head of HR was already assisting Swale Borough Council with this.  It was likely that the arrangement would include a designated HR Officer for each Council, with one main strategic unit for all four councils.  This would deliver £300,000 revenue savings per year for the Council, though this would not happen in 2009-10.  Shared services in Legal were also being pursued, though it was essential that this did not result in a loss of sovereignty for the Council.  A shared Revenues and Benefits service was being investigated which would deliver savings of £1.3 million.  MKIP had long term aspirations to combine back-office functions into one building for all four councils, and possibly to then offer those services to other local authorities.

Councillor Garland emphasised that there were no current plans to pursue unitary status through MKIP.

With regard to shared services, a Councillor stated that while the Scrutiny partnership with Tunbridge Wells Borough Council worked well in some ways, there was concern over the reduction in support for Scrutiny.  The Leader stated that it was not the place of the Executive to get involved in the management of Scrutiny, however he noted that the Scrutiny Section was placed under pressure last year due to a higher than average number of call-ins.  The Chairman informed the Committee that the Corporate Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee was carrying out a review of the Overview and Scrutiny Function this  ...  view the full minutes text for item 16.

Interview with:

·  Cabinet Member for Community Services, Councillor Marion Ring;

·  Community Development and Social Inclusion Manager, Ian Park;

·  Sports, Play and Youth Development Manager, Jacqueline Bobb; and

·  Community Safety Co-ordinator, David Hewetson.

The Chairman welcomed the Cabinet Member for Community Services, Councillor Marion Ring, the Community Development and Social Inclusion Manager, Ian Park, and the Community Safety Co-ordinator, David Hewetson, to the meeting.  The Chairman informed Members that further to Mr Hewetson’s attendance at an earlier meeting, crime statistics that had been requested had now been received and would be included on the next meeting agenda.

Councillor Mrs Ring referred Members to her action plan for 2009-10 (attached at Appendix A) and highlighted that for all actions, she needed to work with partners.  It was vital that the right partners were in place and were prepared to deliver on key actions.

In response to a question, Mr Hewetson explained that the community safety booklet that had been distributed to 40,000 households in the Borough had no cost to the Council.  The Kent Police Authority had covered most of the cost, with advertising revenue making up the shortfall.  The booklet had only gone to 40,000 households as it was part of a free publication.  Copies had also been given to public bodies and parish councils.

With regard to Borough Grants, following a best value review these had to help the Council to meet its strategic priorities.  All applications were scored on this basis.  The budget for these had been cut this year.  For those applicants who had been unsuccessful in obtaining a grant from the Council, an officer was meeting them individually to assist them to apply for alternative funding.  There would not be money available for parishes to bid for projects this year.

A Councillor asked what progress had been made on cold-calling zones.  Mr Hewetson explained that cold-calling zones were a preventative measure, with posters being put up informing cold-callers that it was a “no cold-calling” zone.  Police, councillors and Neighbourhood Watch were aware of this, so if a cold-caller was reported, it could be dealt with more effectively.  Two cold-calling zones were in place in the Borough and were proving to be worthwhile.  The project was being led by the Neighbourhood Watch Officer at Mid-Kent Police.

It was highlighted by a Committee Member that youth services were delivered in conjunction with KCC, however KCC’s spend on youth services was quite low.  The Cabinet Member was asked whether enough support was received from KCC.  Councillor Mrs Ring stated that KCC had not been as forthcoming with funding as she would like, so she was working hard to ensure that they played a big enough role.  She requested that Kent County Councillors kept encouraging KCC to make an appropriate contribution.  Members agreed that a written report on KCC’s involvement in and contribution to the Council’s youth services should be received in 3 months.

Other issues discussed included:

·  Last month had seen a 9.8% decrease in crime compared to an overall drop of 7.8% last year, though there were seasonal increases in violent crime and issues with double counting of some crimes;

·  The transfer of the CCTV control room was due to take  ...  view the full minutes text for item 17.

The Acting Overview and Scrutiny Manager outlined the topics that had been put forward as work programme items following the work programming workshop on 27 May 2009.  It was also highlighted that the Committee was also responsible for scrutiny of the Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership following the implementation of that aspect of the Police and Justice Act 2006.

The Chairman stated that it was important for the Committee to press for continued support for the Scrutiny Section to ensure that all of the work that the Committee wished to carry out could be done.  The Committee agreed to write to the Chief Executive with regard to this.

The Committee agreed to carry out a review of rail services to London, noting that these were being cut and residents were being forced to use alternative train stations to access services.  Additionally, Maidstone was a Growth Point and appropriate public transport for the growing population was therefore vital.  It was agreed that parish councils should be consulted as part of this review.

A review of holiday play schemes was also approved, and it was suggested that this should take two months later in the year.

A Member highlighted that the Sustainable Communities Act was dynamic and an exciting opportunity and Scrutiny could help officers to develop proposals.  The Acting Overview and Scrutiny Manager confirmed that the Act fell within the remit of the Corporate Services OSC, however permission could be obtained from the Chairman of that Committee to take on the review.  The Committee agreed to request this permission and, subject to this, invite the lead officer to the Committee’s meeting in July to provide an update on the Council’s response to the Act.

A written update on the progress of the Mental Health Working Group was requested for the July meeting.

Resolved:  That

a)  A letter be sent by the Chairman on behalf of the Committee to the Chief Executive, copying in Group Leaders, with regard to resources for overview and scrutiny;

b)  A major review of railway services between Maidstone and London be carried out;

c)  A review of holiday play schemes be carried out later in the Municipal Year 2009-10;

d)  Permission be requested from the Chairman of the Corporate Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee to take on scrutiny of the Sustainable Communities Act;

e)  Subject to (d) the lead officer on the Sustainable Communities Act be requested to provide an update on the Council’s response to the Act at the July 2009 meeting; and

f)  An update on the Mental Health Working Group be provided at the July 2009 meeting.

The Committee agreed to begin its review of railway services at its July 2009 meeting, alongside consideration of the Sustainable Community Strategy consultation and an update on the Sustainable Communities Act as agreed during earlier items, and agreed that due to the number of issues on the agenda, suggested timings should be included.

Resolved:  That

a)  The Committee begin its review of railway services at its meeting on 14 July 2009; and

b)  The agenda for the 14 July 2009 meeting include suggested timings for items.

6:30 p.m. to 9:05 p.m.

CABINET MEMBER FOR COMMUNITY SERVICES

ACTION PLAN 09/10

Introduction

This is a wide ranging portfolio and it covers the following:

  Young People

·  To be the lead Cabinet Member for young people

Lifelong Learning

·  To be the Lead Cabinet Member for Lifelong Learning

Health

·  To be responsible on behalf of the council for all health and community health matters including the development, in conjunction with the council’s partners, of the Community Health Plan

Crime and Disorder

·  To be responsible for all aspects of community safety in the borough

Social Inclusion

·  To formulate and review policies to achieve a more socially inclusive society in Maidstone

·  To guide, advise and provide a strategic overview on social inclusion issues

External Affairs

·  To take responsibility for relationships with external partners and agencies, including parish councils ( Kent County Council (KCC), the Primary Care Trust (PCT) and the Police.

My priorities for the year within my brief are as follows:

  Young People

·  To oversee the opening of the Youth Café on a sustainable basis

·  To support the development of the Maidstone Youth Forum for the engagement of all young people in the borough with Kent County Council

·  To support the development of a joint District Youth Strategy for the Borough

·  To seek opportunities for additional funding to enhance the provision and support for children in need in respect of the Hotfoot Play Schemes and other activities organised and facilitated by the council

·  To work in partnership with KCC Youth Service and the YMCA to develop youth involvement and participation in positive activities at the play areas in Park Wood, Mangravet and Clare Park as part of their refurbishment

Lifelong Learning

·  To work with KCC to help ensure that the proposed Maidstone Skills Studio serves the needs of the community.

·  Through the LSP and the Children and Young People’s Local Partnership Boards to support actions within the council’s remit to improve educational attainment and skills/qualifications levels within the borough.

·  To continue to lobby education and training providers on behalf of local community education needs.

Health

·  To help ensure the efficient and effective use of the Choosing Health Plan and other related funding initiatives to promote public health and associated community development activities within the borough

·  To lead and develop the multi-agency Maidstone Health Action team as a thematic sub-group of the LSP to achieve improved health outcomes

·  To deliver a programme of healthy lifestyle initiatives from out of the Urban Blue bus in various locations within the borough, in partnership with other agencies.

Crime and Disorder

·  To work closely with the SMP to continue to reduce levels of crime, disorder and anti-social behaviour

·  To  work with police and partners to increase public reassurance and improve perceptions on ASB and crime reduction NI 17 and NI 27)

·  To promote the development of a multi-agency Community Safety Unit at Maidstone House by January 2010

·  To ensure the re-location of the CCTV control room to Maidstone House is effectively managed and achieved within budget by January 2010

·  To publish a  ...  view the full minutes text for item 21.