Neighbourhood Panels
continuing to support local communities
There have recently been 2 meetings in the Panel area: The first - a 'special'Joint Neighbourhood Panels' Update on the Wicken Fen Vision - took place on Wednesday, 7th July at Bottisham Village College with an exhibition in the first phase of the meeting. This gave local residents and parish representatives the opportunity to talk in detail to staff from a range of agencies about specific perspectives.
The exhibition was followed by a Question Time when detailed questions were discussed with Panel members (from the National Farmers'Union, the Environment Agency, Cambridgeshire Horizons, the County and District Councils, as well as the National Trust. Cllr Carl Poole chaired this phase of the meeting and all questions were answered. The discussion was educative for all concerned, with an appreciation of the need for 'balance'in provision and usage of the designated area.
The second - a 'regular'Panel meeting on 29th June at the Ellesmere Centre in Stetchworth, at which Cllr Carl Poole was re-elected as Chairman of the Panel and Cllr Michel Scarff was re-elected as Vice Chairman.
As ever, (in the two and half years that the Panels having been running) ALL the issues of concern raised at the Panel meeting in March had been actioned. Further information on Stagecoach 'bus timetables will be published on 26th July.
Rohan Wilson from Sustrans outlined possible routes of a potential cycleway/ footpath from Lode to Waterbeach Station. Printed maps will be available from the National Trust from 12th September, although detail can be accessed from the Sustrans and National Cycle Network.
Jane Hollingworth from ECDC spoke about provision and care for older people in the District and explained that there is currently a County-wide review of home improvement agency services, a review of all sheltered and 'extra care' accommodation and an ECDC house condition survey. Housing teams have plans for potential redistribution of residents from care/sheltered schemes into 'extra care' provision and they have also been mapping domiciliary care. 'Extra care' accommodation is proving to be the preferred option for many.
Residential care will be retained for those with specific (and appropriate) needs e.g. the increasing numbers of those with Alzheimer's or dementia.
Sgt Sean MacLoughlin outlined actions taken by the Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT) to address the policing priority set by the Panel at the last meeting in March:
Devise preventative measures to combat potential seasonal increases in Anti- Social Behaviour (ASB) across the Panel area
Full details of the actions taken are outlined on pages 5/6 in the current Neighbourhood Profile document [June, 2010] that all participants received. The Profile can be accessed from www.eastcambs.gov.uk and then (under N) using the AZ section from Neighbourhood Panel webpage.
Inspector Bartlett spoke of 2 initiatives which are unique to East Cambridgeshire
- the Safer Schools Project -which seeks to build strong relationships with schools and trust with their students and staff. Already 6 out of 9 schools in the Panel area are involved in the Project (with 27 from 33 schools in the District being involved) The Project was commended by Carl Poole and the Panel as being innovative and entirely worthwhile and the piloting of revised (3 step) Alcohol and ASB processes, with a series of positive interventions.
Sgt MacLoughlin explained the NPT's actions to combat drugs activity in the Panel area, and he asked local residents to report if ever they found small quantities of burnt tin foil in areas. He then outlined the numbers of cases of targeting offenders (and the numbers of arrests made), together the numbers of parking and speeding enforcements.
Total crime is up in the Panel area (from 131 in the corresponding months of 2009 to 147 this year) and but reported ASB is slightly down (from 113 to 111) Both crime and ASB are up compared to the previous 3 month period, showing the normal seasonal increase.
Sgt MacLoughlin outlined the emerging trends in each of the 4 wards in the Panel area and in he Dullingham villages -this detail is outlined on pp. 13/14 of the Profile. Inspector Bartlett outlined the 'People's Priorities'(for the County as a whole) ASB (including fly-tipping, dog fouling and littering) with appropriate use of the ANPR database and partnership working with Mark Mehaffey (Clean Neighbourhood Enforcement Office at ECDC)
Speeding in rural areas;
Obstructive parking outside schools
Inspector Bartlett explained that these priorities are embedded in the NPT's objectives (and so will always be focused on as part of 'normal business') In discussion the following issues were raised:
Concern at the proposed cuts to Locality teams;
Concern at possible cuts to police (beat) teams -offset in East Cambs by some restructuring of PCSO teams;
The need for cooperative measures between the NPT and the Suffolk force in tackling issues in and around Cheveley/Newmarket.
No specific issues raised from Swaffham Prior at this meeting.