Agenda item

Councillor John A. Wilson, Cabinet Member for Community and Leisure Services and Councillor Marion Ring, Cabinet Member for the Environment to give an update on the outcomes of their priorities for the Municipal Year 2013-14

The Cabinet Member for Community and Leisure Services and the Cabinet Member for Environment provided the Committee with an end of year update on their priorities for the 2013-14 municipal year.

The Cabinet Member for Community and Leisure Services highlighted the following areas within his portfolio:

-  Young People

-  Road Safety

-  Health Inequalities

-  Housing Services

-  Parks and Leisure Services

The following issues were discussed:

-  The powers and duties of the West Kent Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG)

-  The work carried out by the Safer Maidstone Partnership

-  Youth participation and engagement activities

-  Arriva bus driver behaviour in pedestrianised areas

-  Bus driver education workshops

-  Statistics (from 2009) in relation to road safety including those killed or seriously injured

-  The number of 16-18 year olds not in education, employment or training and unemployment figures for under 24 year olds

-  Ways to maximise capacity in the private rented sector including schemes that would provide incentives to private landlords

-  The different types of affordable housing

-  Bringing empty homes back into use 

-  The aim and purpose of the Borough Update and the Communities Newsletter

-  Road Safety messages

-  Building relationships with Parish Councils across the borough

-  The Parish Charter

-  The Active Maidstone Awards and the re-profiling of budgets in order to develop a targeted programme to increase physical activity / reduce obesity

The importance of building relationships between Overview and Scrutiny and Cabinet was discussed. It was explained that the Scrutiny Coordinating Committee had asked the Centre for Public Scrutiny to facilitate a briefing session which would have a clear focus on building relationships between Cabinet and Overview and Scrutiny.

Following the positive contribution made by the Committee during the development of the Play Areas Strategy, the Cabinet Member for Community and Leisure Services stated he would welcome the opportunity to develop the relationship between Cabinet and Overview and Scrutiny and would take part in the Centre for Public Scrutiny activity.

The Cabinet Member for Environment highlighted the following successes: 

-  The Waste Management Strategy

-  Recycling

-  Savings in relation to the waste and recycling contract

-  Partnership working

-  Improved street cleansing litter scores

-  Commercial waste

-  Developments at the crematorium 

In addition the Cabinet Member for Environment tabled the following documents (attached at Appendix A, Appendix B and Appendix C):

-  Environment Portfolio Priorities Review of 2013/14 (Appendix A)

-  A finalised proposal from the National Flood Forum for the Maidstone Community Engagement and Support Programme (Appendix B)

-  Green Travel Champion Activity Pack (Appendix C) 

The following issues were discussed:

-  Litter penalties

-  Dog watch / Irresponsible dog owners

-  The crematorium – including costs, customer service and the customer range

-  The Maidstone Safety Advisory Group

-  Cigarette litter

-  Waste management

-  Street cleansing area-based working

-  Signs to prevent litter

-  The Air Quality Management Area Action Plan

-  Flooding – including roles and responsibilities of different organisations

-  The Green Travel Champion scheme

-  The role and responsibilities of Kent County Council in relation to fly-posting 

The Committee congratulated the Waste and Street Scene team for the work they had carried out in 2013/14. 

RESOLVED:

That:

(a)  The Cabinet Member for Community and Leisure Services be asked to provide the Committee with up to date figures for road safety (the number of killed and seriously injured) across the borough.

(b)  The Community Partnerships Manager be asked to (i) clarify the aims and objectives of the Communities Newsletter; (ii) provide information on who it is sent to; and (iii) send a copy of the latest edition to Members of the Committee.

(c)  The Head of Housing and Community Services be asked to work with the Council’s Communications Manager to ensure road safety messages are included in the Borough Update.

(d)  The Head of Housing and Community Services be asked to facilitate a briefing session for all Members in order to improve understanding in relation to affordable housing options.

(e)  The Head of Housing and Community Services be recommended to update the Parish Charter and be asked to provide further information on timescales.

(f)  The Older Persons Services Review suggestion (outlined in the Future Work Programme) be updated to include consideration of loneliness.

(g)  The Cabinet Member for Environment be recommended to send Dog Watch Cards to Parish Councils and Members of Maidstone Borough Council in order to promote the scheme across the borough.

(h)  The Head of Environment and Public Realm be asked to work with the Communications Manager to publicise the success of the Council’s zero tolerance litter penalty scheme. For example, by highlighting the number of litter penalties issued, in the Borough Update.