Agenda item

Report of Corporate Manager (Citizen Engagement) (copy herewith)

Mr Swinn, with the agreement of the Chair circulated some notes in respect of CASPAR 3+ (Spring Boroughs) and commented upon the Spring Boroughs extended area; the lack of inputs, outputs and funding; the lack of clear focus and commenting on the County Council and Police’s ability to resource this project in light of their budget reductions.  He was pleased that Councillors would have greater involvement and commented that in his view the report needed to be reviewed and perhaps considered by Overview and Scrutiny.  Mr Swinn was thanked for his address.

Mr Winder commented on the extended Spring Boroughs area which had locally caused confusion whether the resources would be dominated by CASPAR and the effect of new developments which themselves would not be hotspots of deprivation.  Mr Winder was thanked for his address.

Councillor Glynane commented that he had been unable to get the Councillors briefing but commented that the strategy appeared to lack a community champion and suggested that recommendation 1.4 should be amended to include Councillors.

The Corporate Manager (Citizen Engagement) commented that this scheme was very important and took account of Government Guidance and Best Practice and included the Council’s partners.  A Government Consultant was advising the Council on national path finding projects and their experiences.  He noted that there was some additional funding for the Spring Boroughs area but not for the rest of the Borough.  The project was mainly about the realignment of existing Borough Council, County Council, Police and PCT resources.  He commented that outcomes and outputs had not been defined deliberately as this needed to be done at a local level recognising local needs and issues.

Councillor Hadland commented that paragraph 5.2 of the report set out the Council’s commitment and that this Cabinet meeting was the first in a series of meetings by the partner agencies to approve resourcing.

The Community Development Manager commented that local people and Councillors would be brought into centre stage and the concept of neighbourhood management was about a wider partnership to make things better.  The schemes would eventually cover the whole of the town but initially sixteen hotspots of deprivation had been identified and agreed and an attempt to bring them together and he referred to the plan displayed at the meeting.

Councillor Palethorpe commented that he agreed with the idea of community champions but did not think it appropriate that Councillors took over these projects, but rather, should help to support and service the management arrangements.