PARISH COUNCIL PROPOSAL - EXTRACTS FROM MINUTES OF MEETINGS OF SHARD END WARD COMMITTEE

7 November 2005

PARISH COUNCIL PROPOSAL

695 Councillor Ward informed the meeting that the Ward Councillors were currently considering the possible establishment of a parish council in Shard End Ward.

He pointed out that if a parish council was set up it would enable service delivery to be devolved to Ward level and went on to outline examples of the types of decisions that could be made by a parish council such as repair and maintenance of public footpaths and traffic calming measures. He advised that the parish council would be funded by adding a precept to the Council Tax.

A brief discussion ensued and whilst some members of the public welcomed the idea of a parish council others were concerned at how much it would cost and did not think that they should have to pay an extra amount to receive services which they felt they should already be getting.

In response to a question, the Chairman advised that a leaflet explaining the functions etc. of a parish council would be circulated to members of the public as part of the consultation process.

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12 December 2005

PARISH COUNCIL PROPOSAL

711 Councillor Ward informed the meeting that the Ward Councillors were currently considering the possible establishment of a parish council in Shard End Ward.

He pointed out that if a parish council was set up it would enable service delivery to be devolved to Ward level and went on to outline examples of the types of decisions that could be made by a parish council, such as repair and maintenance of public footpaths and traffic calming measures. He advised that the parish council would be funded by adding a precept to the Council Tax and that a leaflet explaining the functions etc. would be circulated to members of the public as part of the consultation process.

A member of the public pointed out that services such as cleaning the play area and emptying litter bins were not being carried out. Councillor Ward undertook to obtain further details at the end of the meeting.

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14 January 2006

PARISH COUNCIL PROPOSAL

723 Councillor Ward informed the meeting that the Ward Councillors were currently considering the possible establishment of a parish council in Shard End Ward.

He pointed out that if a parish council was set up it would enable service delivery to be devolved to Ward level and went on to outline examples of the types of decisions that could be made by a parish council, such as repair and maintenance of public footpaths and traffic calming measures. He advised that the parish council would be funded by adding a precept to the Council Tax and that a leaflet explaining the functions etc. would be circulated to members of the public as part of the consultation process. It was expected that the precept would be about an extra £1 per week.

Members of the public generally welcomed the idea of a parish council and hoped that it would lead to a more helpful and efficient service and improve provision of services for example, an increase in the number of Street Wardens in the area.

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20 February 2006

PARISH COUNCIL PROPOSAL

737 Councillor Ward informed the meeting that the Ward Councillors were currently considering the possible establishment of a parish council in Shard End Ward.

He pointed out that if a parish council was set up it would enable service delivery to be devolved to Ward level and went on to outline examples of the types of decisions that could be made by a parish council, such as repair and maintenance of public footpaths and traffic calming measures. He advised that the parish council would be funded by adding a precept to the Council Tax and that a leaflet explaining the functions etc. would be circulated to members of the public as part of the consultation process. It was expected that the precept would be about an extra £1 per week.

Members of the public were concerned that they would be expected to pay a precept in addition to the Council Tax.

In response to a question, Councillor Ward advised that the number of parish councillors had yet to be decided and initially the proposal would be that the parish clerk would not receive a salary.

The Chairman suggested inviting parish councillors from Chelmsley Wood and Frankley to a future meeting to outline how a parish council operated.

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13 March 2006

PARISH COUNCIL PROPOSAL

749 Councillor Ward informed the meeting that the Ward Councillors were currently considering the possible establishment of a parish council in Shard End Ward.

He pointed out that if a parish council was set up it would enable service delivery to be devolved to Ward level and went on to outline examples of the types of decisions that could be made by a parish council, such as repair and maintenance of public footpaths and traffic calming measures. He added that the Government was currently considering increasing the powers of parish councils and advised that the parish council would be funded by adding a precept to the Council Tax and that a leaflet explaining the functions etc. would be circulated to members of the public as part of the consultation process. It was expected that the precept would be about an extra £1 to £2 per week, generating a budget of approximately £3/4million per annum.

The Chairman pointed out that Chelmsley Wood had its own parish council and that Castle Vale was currently in the process of establishing a parish council.

Members of the public did not support the proposal and felt that the suggested services should be already being provided at no additional cost.

10 April 2006

PARISH COUNCIL PROPOSAL

A parish council would enable service delivery to be devolved to ward level and would be funded by adding a precept to the council tax of about an extra £1 per week per household.

Members of the public did not support the proposal and considered that the council tax was already too much and that the suggested services should be already being provided at no additional cost.

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12 June 2006

PARISH COUNCIL PROPOSAL

782 Councillor Ward informed the meeting that the Ward Councillors were currently considering the possible establishment of a parish council in Shard End Ward.

He pointed out that if a parish council was set up it would enable service delivery to be devolved to Ward level and went on to outline examples of the types of decisions that could be made by a parish council, such as repair and maintenance of public footpaths and traffic calming measures.

Councillor Ward, in referring to the beatsweepers and street wardens, explained that the jobs were subject to time limited funding. He pointed out that it was important to identify an alternative source of funding and that the establishment of a parish council would, hopefully, enable the posts to continue.

A parish council would give local people the opportunity to become more involved in what happened in their community via the election of parish councillors who would be accountable to members of the public.

It was hoped to establish a steering group to investigate how parish councils operated in other areas and Councillor Ward asked that any members of the public interested in serving thereon to speak to him at the end of the meeting.

He advised that the parish council would be funded by adding a precept to the Council Tax and that a leaflet explaining the functions etc. would be circulated to members of the public as part of the consultation process. It was expected that the precept would be about an extra £1 to £2.50 per week per household.

A member of the public informed the Ward Committee that Badger's Way was not part of a beatsweeper rota and Councillor Ward undertook to investigate the matter. He also undertook to ask the Highways Department to investigate the possibility of introducing dropped kerbs in the road. Councillor Ward advised that a clean up operation was due to take place in the vicinity of Badger's Way from 1100 hours to 1600 hours on 22 July 2006.

A member of the public advised that Middle Leaford was also not part of a beatsweeper rota and Councillor Ward undertook to investigate the matter.

In response to a request by a member of the public, Mr L McKevitt, Local Services Directorate, undertook to investigate the possibility of installing a litter bin at the entrance to the car park in Glebe Farm Road, Shard End.

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17 July 2006

PARISH COUNCIL PROPOSAL

796 The Chairman informed the meeting that the Ward Councillors were currently considering the possible establishment of a parish council in Shard End Ward.

He pointed out that if a parish council was set up it would enable service delivery to be devolved to Ward level and went on to outline examples of the types of decisions that could be made by a parish council, such as repair and maintenance of public footpaths and traffic calming measures.

The Chairman, in referring to the beatsweepers and street wardens, explained that the jobs were subject to time limited funding. He pointed out that it was important to identify an alternative source of funding and that the establishment of a parish council would, hopefully, enable the posts to continue.

A parish council would give local people the opportunity to become more involved in what happened in their community via the election of parish councillors who would be accountable to members of the public.

A steering group to investigate how parish councils operated in other areas had been established and had recently visited Chelmsley Wood Parish Council. The Chairman asked that any members of the public interested in serving on the steering group to speak to him at the end of the meeting.

He advised that the parish council would be funded by adding a precept to the Council Tax and that a leaflet explaining the functions etc. would be circulated to members of the public as part of the consultation process. It was expected that the precept would be about an extra £1 to £2.50 per week per household.

A member of the public informed the Ward Committee that, in his experience of Kingshurst Parish Council, he had not found it to be beneficial.

In response to a question, the Chairman advised that if a parish council was established members of the public would not be able to opt out of paying the precept which would be collected as part of the council tax. However, the parish council would be responsible for setting/reviewing the precept.

A member of the public suggested that the steering group should draw up a business plan/cash flow plan to establish how much income from the precept would be necessary in order to fulfil and support the functions of a parish council.

In response to a question, the Chairman advised that the process for disbanding a parish council would be the same as for establishing one.

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18 September 2006

PARISH COUNCIL PROPOSAL

814 The Chairman informed the meeting that the Ward Councillors were currently considering the possible establishment of a parish council in Shard End Ward.

He pointed out that if a parish council was set up it would enable service delivery to be devolved to Ward level and went on to outline examples of the types of decisions that could be made by a parish council, such as repair and maintenance of public footpaths and traffic calming measures.

The Chairman, in referring to the beatsweepers and street wardens, explained that the jobs were subject to time limited funding. He pointed out that it was important to identify an alternative source of funding and that the establishment of a parish council would, hopefully, enable the posts to continue.

A parish council would give local people the opportunity to become more involved in what happened in their community via the election of parish councillors who would be accountable to members of the public.

A steering group to investigate how parish councils operated in other areas had been established and had recently visited Chelmsley Wood Parish Council.

He advised that the parish council would be funded by adding a precept to the Council Tax and that a leaflet explaining the functions etc. would be circulated to members of the public as part of the consultation process. It was expected that the precept would be about an extra £1 to £2.50 per week per household.

In response to a question, the Chairman advised that it was hoped that it would be more cost efficient to provide some services via a parish council rather than from the City Council.

A member of the public thought that the body should not be known as a `parish' council as it would not be connected to the church in any way. The Chairman advised that a name had yet to be decided. He added that the establishment of a parish council required the support of at least 10% of people living in the Shard End Ward.

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16 October 2006

PARISH COUNCIL PROPOSAL

829 The Chairman informed the meeting that the Ward Councillors were currently considering the possible establishment of a parish council in Shard End Ward.

He pointed out that if a parish council was set up it would enable service delivery to be devolved to Ward level and went on to outline examples of the types of decisions that could be made by a parish council, such as repair and maintenance of public footpaths and traffic calming measures.

The Chairman, in referring to the beatsweepers and street wardens, explained that the jobs were subject to time limited funding. He pointed out that it was important to identify an alternative source of funding and that the establishment of a parish council would, hopefully, enable the posts to continue.

A parish council would give local people the opportunity to become more involved in what happened in their community via the election of parish councillors who would be accountable to members of the public.

The Chairman advised that the parish council would be funded by adding a precept to the Council Tax and was expected to be about an extra £1 to £2.50 per week per household.

Ms F Cortez and Ms A Withington, who served on the Shard End Parish Council Steering Group, informed the Ward Committee that they had recently visited Frankley Parish Council to find out how it operated, what changes had occurred in the area since the establishment of the parish council and how the information and experiences might be applied in the Shard End area.

The following leaflet was tabled at the meeting:-

(See document No. 1)

The Chairman advised that the establishment of a parish council required the support of at least 10% of people living in the Shard End Ward and in response to questions pointed out that parish councillors would be volunteers who would be elected by local people and would not be salaried. He added that the services provided by the parish council would be additional to those already provided by the city council and that the money raised from the precept would be kept in a separate account from that identified as council tax. Expenditure and allocation of the precept would be determined by parish councillors.

Councillor Bridle considered that the establishment of a parish council would give the Shard End area a certain status and more `clout' to get things done and she encouraged members of the public to join the steering group.

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13 November 2006

PARISH COUNCIL PROPOSAL

846 The Chairman informed the meeting that the Ward Councillors were currently considering the possible establishment of a parish council in Shard End Ward.

He pointed out that if a parish council was set up it would enable service delivery to be devolved to Ward level and went on to outline examples of the types of decisions that could be made by a parish council, such as repair and maintenance of public footpaths and traffic calming measures. A Government White Paper entitled `Strong and Prosperous Communities' set out the role and purpose of a parish council.

The Chairman, in referring to the beatsweepers and street wardens, explained that the jobs were subject to time limited funding. He pointed out that it was important to identify an alternative source of funding and that the establishment of a parish council would, hopefully, enable the posts to continue.

A parish council would give local people the opportunity to become more involved in what happened in their community via the election of parish councillors who would be accountable to members of the public.

The Chairman advised that the parish council would be funded by adding a precept to the Council Tax. In response to a question, the Chairman advised that the amount of the precept had not yet been determined.

Ms F Cortez, who served on the Shard End Parish Council Steering Group, informed the Ward Committee that she had recently visited Frankley Parish Council to find out how it operated, what changes had occurred in the area since the establishment of the parish council and how the information and experiences might be applied in the Shard End area. Ms Cortez urged anyone wishing to join the steering group to speak to her at the end of the meeting.

The Chairman advised that the establishment of a parish council required the support of at least 10% of people living in the Shard End Ward. He added that the services provided by the parish council would be additional to those already provided by the city council.

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11 December 2006

PARISH COUNCIL PROPOSAL

868 The Chairman informed the meeting that the Ward Councillors were currently considering the possible establishment of a parish council in Shard End Ward.

He pointed out that if a parish council was set up it would enable service delivery to be devolved to Ward level and went on to outline examples of the types of decisions that could be made by a parish council, such as repair and maintenance of public footpaths and traffic calming measures.

A parish council would give local people the opportunity to become more involved in what happened in their community via the election of parish councillors who would be accountable to members of the public.

The Chairman advised that the parish council would be funded by adding a precept to the Council Tax. In response to a question, the Chairman advised that the amount of the precept had not yet been determined.

The Chairman advised that the establishment of a parish council required the support of at least 10% of people living in the Shard End Ward. He added that the services provided by the parish council would be additional to those already provided by the city council.

In response to a question, the Chairman advised that no timetable was available for implementing a parish council but he urged members of the public and representatives of local businesses to get involved by joining the Steering Group which had recently been established. He added that ways of getting feedback from residents were being considered. A member of the public suggested that the meetings of the steering group should be minuted and made available for information.

In response to a question, the Chairman advised that members were currently seeking clarification as to whether or not a referendum would be necessary as part of establishing a parish council.

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15 January 2007

PARISH COUNCIL PROPOSAL

880 The Chairman said that this was a standing item on the agenda for meetings of the Ward Committee. A Steering Group of local residents was considering the options in respect of a parish council, including costs and benefits. He reiterated the points made at the previous meeting (Minute No. 868 refers) as to the types of decisions which a parish council could take. In response to questions, the Chairman outlined how the precepting process would work. He said that he had now established that a referendum was not required, but a petition from 10% of the electorate in an area could call for a parish council to be established.

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10 February 2007

PARISH COUNCIL PROPOSAL

898 The Chairman informed the meeting that the Ward Councillors were currently considering the possible establishment of a parish council in Shard End Ward. He advised that the steering group had decided to change the name of the proposed body from `parish council' to `community council'.

He pointed out that if a community council was set up it would enable service delivery to be devolved to Ward level and went on to outline examples of the types of decisions that could be made by a community council, such as repair and maintenance of public footpaths and traffic calming measures.

A community council would give local people the opportunity to become more involved in what happened in their community via the election of community councillors who would be accountable to members of the public.

The Chairman advised that the community council would be funded by adding a precept to the Council Tax, however the amount of the precept had not yet been determined.

The Chairman advised that the establishment of a community council required the support of at least 10% of people living in the Shard End Ward. He added that the services provided by the community council would be additional to those already provided by the city council.

In response to a comment, the Chairman undertook to ensure that leaflets explaining the proposals and details of future meetings of the steering group were delivered to residents, particularly those in the vicinity of Shard End Crescent and Ownall Road, Shard End. It was important for members of the public to receive information about meetings which could affect where they lived. He added that everyone would have the opportunity to be involved and comment on the process and he urged anyone wishing to serve on the steering group to speak to him at the end of the meeting.

A member of the public expressed concern that if a community council was established, residents would be expected to pay more for services which he considered should already be provided under the current system.

The Ward Committee considered that a community council would enable money to be spent more efficiently and that decisions would be made locally rather than centrally. A community council would give the area a stronger voice.

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12 March 2007

COMMUNITY COUNCIL PROPOSAL

914 The Chairman informed the meeting that the Glebe Farm area was not included in the proposals for a community council. However, another initiative was proposed for the area which would be known as the Neighbourhood Management Approach. The project was funded by central government and one of the functions of the initiative would be to ensure that the City Council and other public service operators fulfilled their duties.

Ms K Prosser, Ward Support Officer, pointed out that the two year programme would focus on particular neighbourhoods and that the Glebe Farm area had been chosen for the project. The project was geared towards local people leading the way in their area and encouraging them to develop a pride in where they lived. Leaflets, explaining more about the scheme, would be delivered to local residents in the near future. A number of walkabouts were planned to kick start the process and a meeting was scheduled to be held on Monday, 26 March 2007 at 1900 hours in Audley Primary School, Audley Road, Stechford.

In response to a question, Ms Prosser advised that the first walkabout would probably take place in the afternoon. However, an evening walkabout was also planned. It was hoped that they would seek out the `nitty gritty' issues which were not necessarily picked up by the estate walkabouts currently carried out by housing officers.

The Chairman urged members of the public to attend the meeting and get involved in the scheme and pointed out that a management board comprising local residents, key partners, elected members and community organisations was proposed.

In response to a question, the Chairman highlighted how work to improve and redevelop the shops in Shard End Crescent had progressed and hoped that a similar scheme could be developed for the Glebe Farm area in the future.

Councillor Bridle hoped that the initiative would make a difference to the area in the next six to twelve months.

Inspector K Portman, West Midlands Police, undertook to arrange for a representative of the Bordesley Green Management Board to attend the meeting on 26 March 2007 to give a brief presentation on the work of the board.

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16 February 2008

COMMUNITY COUNCIL PROPOSAL

1034 The Chairman outlined the advantages of a community council, gave details of where they had been established, such as Frankley and responded to questions by members of the public. She added that the possibility of not having to pay an extra tax levy was currently being investigated.

In response to a comment regarding housing in Shard End, the Chairman pointed out that a rally was due to take place on 26 February 2008 at 1330 hours outside the Council House, Birmingham.

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