Agenda item

There will be a verbal presentation from Lindsay Hay and Gill Calloway

NP members received a presentation from Lindsay Hay and Gill Calloway about the future support and direction for the AELH NP after March 2017.

Lindsay Hay referred to 2 documents which had been recently e-mailed to Councillors which set out local decision making models for discussion concerning the future of Neighbourhood Partnerships, as well as a draft transition timeline. NP members were requested to pass any observations to the Neighbourhood Officer to feed back.

The NP noted that the proposals had been worked up by Councillor Asher Craig (Executive Member for Neighbourhoods) along with a group of Councillors who had worked with her and set out options for community “spaces”, as well asoptions for a mechanism for neighbourhood funding to be distributed across the 42 LSOA in 10% most deprived (2015 data) for all Wards with less than £30,000 in CIL. Option C3.2 was noted, whereby CIL funding would be spent across three geographic areas (North, East/Central and South) with periodic meetings to ensure this took place.

In response to a member’s question, the Neighbourhood Officer confirmed that the calculation of CIL per ward was not available but would be shortly as part of the Options work. NB. Since the NP meeting, this data has been produced and shared with Councillors.

NP members made the following comments:

(1)   The three examples of NPS quoted in Option C concerning neighbourhood funding were cohesive smaller areas and were not similar to the current AELH NP area;

(2)   Assuming that the current NP operated across 3 wards as at present, it remained unclear whether funding would be available for 2 meetings a year or 6. This required clarification Action: Lindsay Hay/Gill Calloway to confirm

(3)   It was noted that the options which were set out were attempting to address the current inequality of Section 106 funding across the city, including annual reviews to ensure continued fairness;

(4)   Further discussions concerning future arrangements were required, together with a  clearer idea as to the role of Councillors in any new arrangements;

(5)   The first priority was to decide whether or not the current AELH NP area should continue before any transition arrangements were agreed;

(6)   The NP needed to decide as to whether any boundary changes would be beneficial ie linking with the current Central Area, St Andrews which had connections with the area in terms of traffic, planning, parking and St Andrews Park, also the fact that Easton and Lawrence Hill had some community groups such as Up Our Street whereas Ashley did not, the need to link communities artificially divided by the A38;

(7)   Any new arrangements needed to take into account the need to hold Government agencies to account. There was a need to address issues of the inner city and regeneration. It might be easier to keep existing structures together but with significantly reduced budgets and consider future changes over a longer period than proposed;

(8)   It was noted that Up Our Street had obtained £45,000 funding which was less than they had asked for. The organisation’s role in delivering NP Forums in their current format would be coming to an end on 31^st March 2017. “Up Our Street” are organising a meeting with all Voluntary and Community Sector organisations in the inner city on 30^th March 2017;

(9)   The NP needed to consider non-geographic ways of operating ie youth, business etc.;

(10)                       An alternative approach would need to emerge to co-ordinate existing processes ie applying for funds etc.

In response to a member’s question, officers confirmed that they would need to clarify how the role of bodies such as the Police and Bristol Waste would continue. In addition, some work was requited for the remaining NPs to assess any potential gaps across the city through an asset mapping exercise.

Action: Lindsay Hay/Gill Calloway

The Neighbourhood Officer confirmed that she would be organising arrangements over the next 3 months to discuss this issue, including 30^th March meeting (above), a suggested two or three meetings until June 2017 for which funding remained (perhaps one in the next 2 to 3 weeks, one in May and one in June 2017.

Action: Gill Calloway