Agenda and draft minutes

Apologies were received from Peter Robottom, Ella Davies, Valerie Bishop, Paul Bolton-Jones, Peter Weeks, Jenny Hodges.   

1 (a)     Budget Freeze

The Neighbourhood Partnership was informed that Bristol City Council had announced a total freeze on non-essential spending to enable it to balance its annual budget for 2016/17 and to prepare for a five-year £92m financial budget reduction from next April to include non-essential maintenance, recruitment and new or renewed contracts for goods and services.

The spending freeze, which included Community Infrastructure Levy money, would remain in place until the Council had firm plans for a balanced budget this year and next, along with a more developed five-year plan.  Section106 money, however, was not currently constrained under this arrangement.

The spending freeze would have serious implications for the Neighbourhood Partnership’s Wellbeing general budget as all council spending had been suspended including money that had been agreed to spend previously but had not yet been paid out to applicants.

With regard to proposed spending as set out in the Wellbeing report for this meeting, the Neighbourhood Partnership felt that applications could be approved subject to it being made absolutely clear that the approval would be subject to any financial decision by Bristol City Council regarding release of funds. A suitable form of wording would be composed to explain the current situation to wellbeing applicants explaining that although their applications had been approved the money was not yet available. Members of the Neighbourhood Committee confirmed that they would do all they could to ensure that spending commitments were honoured.

It was considered that some S.106 money could be used to fund specific schemes in place of the general budget. It was also requested that clarification be sought from the Planning Obligations Manager (S.106 money) with regard to the funding of street trees in relation to the Parks and Gardens definition.

To note any declarations of interest from the Councillors.  They are asked to indicate the relevant agenda item, the nature of the interest and in particular whether it is a disclosable pecuniary interest.

Any declarations of interest made at the meeting which is not on the register of interests should be notified to the Monitoring Officer for inclusion.

Councillor Liz Radford expressed an interest as a member of St. Peter’s Church and

Westbury Park Church in respect of grant applications.

To agree the Minutes of the previous meeting as a correct record.

The Minutes of the meeting held on 26 September 2016 were confirmed as a correct

record, as amended at the Neighbourhood Partnership’s pre-meeting, and signed by

the Chair.

Up to 30 minutes is allowed for this item.

Any member of the public or Councillor may participate in Public Forum.  The detailed arrangements for so doing are set out in the Public Information Sheet at the back of this agenda.  Public Forum items should be emailed to democratic.services@bristol.gov.uk and please note that the following deadlines will apply in relation to this meeting:-

Questions - Written questions must be received 3 clear working days prior to the meeting.  For this meeting, this means that your question(s) must be received in this office at the latest by 5 pm on 29 November 2016.

Petitions and Statements - Petitions and statements must be received on the working day prior to the meeting.  For this meeting this means that your submission must be received in this office at the latest by 12.00 noon on 2 December 2016.

            Comments on public forum statement(s) –

            (1) Road safety - Julian Road/Church Road, Sneyd Park

            The Neighbourhood Partnership noted the concerns raised during the public session and that this had been the subject of a petition to Bristol City Council in September of this year. The Transport Working Group Chairman (Alan Aburrow) said that he had contacted highway officer dealing with this issue and had received the following information –

‘The petition had been responded to and measures had already been undertaken (removal of centreline, introduced road narrows signs and spoken to the bus companies). Road safety funding could not be used as there were greater needs elsewhere and any further measures would need to be funded through the NP.

There were no other immediate measures to consider. It seemed to be a very localised issue and no other complaints had been received about it.

Prior to this the issue was about hedges overgrowing the footpath and making it too narrow to pass. These have subsequently been cut back following threats of enforcement action.’

            (2) Highway safety issues Grange Court Road, Westbury on Trym

The Neighbourhood Partnership noted the concerns raised during the public session and was sympathetic to the points as emphasised. The Transport Working Group Chairman (Alan Aburrow) undertook to respond to the statement author to explain that due to the recent spending freeze the Neighbourhood Partnership was not in a position to allocate any funds for new revenue schemes, such as minor traffic schemes, until advised otherwise. With regard to the parking issues in Grange Court Road, this had already been logged in the Council’s “Traffic Choices” Tracker system and had previously been reviewed by the Transport Working Group. 

                        There was no update for this meeting. The Chairman asked that statistics for the area be chased up. Neighbourhood Co?ordinator agreed to do. 

                        Wellbeing (including UWE domestic abuse application)

The Partnership received a report of the Neighbourhood Co?ordinator regarding the allocation and recommendations of the Wellbeing Panel.

On being put to the vote the Neighbourhood Committee voted and unanimously -

Resolved - that subject to applicants being clearly informed of the Council’s current spending freeze and that money would not be released until this had been resolved, the current Well Being allocationbe noted and the funding allocation approved as set out below -

20. (a) UWE Domestic Abuse application

The Neighbourhood Partnershipwas reminded that at its last meeting an application from the University of the West of England in respect of domestic abuse issues was considered and deferred for further information.  The Project proposed running a conference and a subsequent training programme for volunteers to help ‘intervene’ in domestic dispute incidence.  The amount requested was £1,209.40. Discussions with the Applicant’s had taken place to find out more detail and to share views. The funding to be subject to all five north Bristol Neighbourhood Partnerships contributing to the Project.

The Neighbourhood Committee members considered the Application further and on  being put to the vote there were three in favour and two abstentions.

Resolved – that subject to the Applicant being clearly informed of the Council’s current spending freeze and that money would not be released until this had been resolved,  funding of the University of the West of England Domestic Abuse Project for £1,209.40 be approved subject to all five north Bristol Neighbourhood Partnerships contributing to the Project.

20. (b) Transformers Youth Fund

The Neighbourhood Partnership was reminded that the Avon and Somerset Police Community Trust had been managing the Transformers Fund, a small grant aimed at working with young people and delivering youth activities.  The Trust had found that it had been difficult to attract enough projects and therefore had agreed to devolve £5,000 of the fund to each of Bristol’s Neighbourhood Partnerships. 

The fund would be administered through the Neighbourhood Partnership Well Being Small Grants Process, and can be allocated from September this year.  All funds must be allocated by March 2017 and all projects must be finished by February 2018.  Monitoring must be submitted by applicants one month after the end  ...  view the full minutes text for item 20.

The Neighbourhood Partnership noted the report. There were three requests for funding two from S.106 funds and one, Old Quarry Sensory Garden Project, from the general budget. Given the recent spending freeze it was proposed to fund the Old Quarry Sensory Garden Project from the S.106 fund also as this source of money was exempt from the spending freeze.

Two other items were also proposed for resolution by the Neighbourhood Committee -

(1) The cost of the design work for the Old Quarry sensory garden be funded from S106 (not CIL) up to a maximum of £4k and the design work for Stoke Lodge sensory garden be funded from S106 up to a maximum of £4k;

(2) Maximum spend on Old Quarry Sensory Garden Project and Stoke Lodge Sensory Garden, funded from S106, be £10k each;

On being put to the vote the Neighbourhood Committee voted unanimously in favour of the proposals as set out above.

A vote was then taken on all three projects as recommended by the Environment Working Group, Councillor Liz Radford did not take part in the vote in respect of recommendation 1 due to a declaration of interest.

On being put to the vote the Neighbourhood Committee unanimously –

Resolved – 

1. That the application by the Parish Church Westbury Park for kitchen works be approved with funding of £7,646,59 to be released from the Neighbourhood Partnership’s S106 fund from the 99 Devonshire Road Project;

2.  That the funding source for the Old Quarry Sensory Garden Project Design, up to a maximum of £4k, be approved and be funded from the Neighbourhood Partnership’s S106 fund; 

3. The Stoke Lodge Sensory Garden Project Design, up to a maximum of £4k, be approved and be funded from the Neighbourhood Partnership’s S106 fund;

4. The Old Quarry Sensory Garden Project installation works and the Stoke Lodge Sensory Garden Project installation works be approved and be funded from the Neighbourhood Partnerships S106 fund up to a maximum of £10k each;

5. Resolutions 2, 3 & 4 to be funded from the remaining S106 funds from the Hiatt Baker project, The Former Dairy Crest Depot Project and the 21 North View Project.

Tree report

Tree report and verbal update was noted.

Proposal for Neighbourhood Committee to endorse a total £9,145 for spend on replacement trees as set out in the report 25 plus 6 trees) from the general budget if and when money became available.

On being put to the vote the Neighbourhood Committee unanimously  -

Resolved - to endorse a total £9,145 for spend on replacement trees as set out in the report 25 plus 6 trees) from the general budget subject to the spending freeze and that money would not be released until this had been resolved.

Budget freeze

At this point of the meeting the Neighbourhood Partnership invited Councillor Asher Craig Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods to speak about the current spending freeze.

The following points provide a  ...  view the full minutes text for item 21.

            The Partnership considered a report of the Neighbourhood Co-ordinator updating on various issues.

            Resolved – that

1.     The date of the next forums be noted;

2.     The current budget of the NP be noted;

3.     The meeting schedule and proposed dates be noted and the Neighbourhood Co-ordinatorbe notified of changes in due course;

4.     The updates on the NP’s devolved budgets and the update on non-devolved S106 funding allocated to the NP area be noted;

5.     The BCC Corporate Strategy 2017-22, the potential cuts to NP funding and the review of the NP structure be noted;

6.     The description of the upcoming Clean Streets Campaign be noted and that the NP Environmental Working Group progress involvement in the campaign.

.

(1) W-o-T library to respond to budget cuts, information could be shared if others found it helpful;

(2) Fencing of Stoke Lodge Parkland/Playing Fields planning application not yet delegated to a Development Control Committee, important for those who wish to, to send in written objections to the proposal.