Agenda and minutes

Resolved:

that Councillor Rae be elected Chair of the Central Area Committee for the 2024/25 municipal year.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Holmes.

Resolved:

that the Minutes of the meeting held on 21 February 2024 be signed as a true record.

Resolved:

that the Order of Business be confirmed as printed on the Agenda.

County Councillor Bridgeman declared that he was an employee of Ipswich Borough Council.  

Residents are encouraged to ask questions at Area Committee meetings. Questions will be answered by an appropriate Officer or Councillor.

To ask a question, residents simply need to email areacommitteequestions@ipswich.gov.uk including their name and address, a contact telephone number, their question, and which Area Committee they wish the question to be asked at. We ask that questions be submitted by 10am two working days before the day of the meeting in order that relevant information can be brought to the committee; for this meeting the deadline is 10am on Monday 2 September 2024.

Questions may be asked by residents without prior notice having been given, with the permission of the Chair, however it may not be possible for an answer to be given at the meeting. Priority will however be given to those residents who have submitted questions in advance.

All questions must either be:

·         relevant to the area committee they are to be asked at, or;

·         relevant to Ipswich as a whole and be asked by a resident of the area covered by the committee it is to be asked at.

Please note that questions or representations must not contain:

·         references to identifiable individuals (whether by name or other information) unless the consent of that individual has been obtained and included with the notification;

·         potentially defamatory or provocative or abusive comments;

·         discriminatory remarks.

Please note that responses will not be provided where the question requires the disclosure of confidential or exempt information.

If for any reason a question which has been submitted in advance is not able to be asked at a meeting, the Council will, within 14 days of the meeting date, reply to the resident asking the question explaining why and if possible providing a written answer.

6.1.       The Chair reported that 8 questions had been received in advance of the meeting.

6.2.       Question 1: Back Hamlet ‘Dead End Road Signs’ are clearly displayed at the Junction of Devonshire Road however, as previously raised vehicles are driving through Suffolk University car park. The Council spent a huge sum of money removing the roundabout at the junction of Fore/Back Hamlet and Duke Street with obvious intent making Back Hamlet effectively a Dead End Rd from Foxhall Road end. No doubt the intent was traffic reduction of vehicles using Back Hamlet. I have emailed the University and have had a response that I will forward to this email separately – I would like to see the dead-end sign enforcement by blocking the road off making it No Entry into the Uni Car Park from vehicles driving down Back Hamlet formerly making it a driving offence to drive through the University car park.

6.3.       The following response was provided by Suffolk County Council:

Suffolk County Council do not support restricting access into the University, and they would expect the University would strongly oppose any such restriction. The University is private land and how they manage their site is a matter for them.

6.4.       Question 2: I’ve made repeated complaints regarding the road gutters/surface water drains being blocked opposite 111 Back Hamlet in the parking bay and outside 66 Back Hamlet, also other drains between the Zebra crossing and The Vault, where it floods with water and drains in Duke Street. The response was inadequate saying they are on a ‘general scheduled maintenance’ with no date for any works to be carried out obviously they need cleaning out properly and promptly.

6.5.       The following response was provided by Suffolk County Council:

The gullies in Back Hamlet are next due to the cyclically cleaned around February 2025. The last scheduled cleaning date for most of the gullies was July 2023, also, some were last cleaned in April 2024. There are 3 gullied between 20-76 Back Hamlet that could not be cleaned in May 2023 due to obstruction by parked cars. The gullies in Duke Street were last cleaned in May/June 2023 and are next due for cyclic cleaning around March 2025. Some gullies near Pownall Road were not cleaned at the time with reported out of hours access being required, whilst one in this area was also obstructed. This was reported to the relevant team.

6.6.       Question 3: In relation to the previous question it has been impossible for me to find out from every single agency being Anglian Water, Suffolk Highways, IBC, SCC and Environment where the water goes I assume it ends up in the waterfront but seemingly no one knows – my concern is the rubbish which is a prolific problem in Back Hamlet especially electronic vapes powered by lithium batteries ending up being flushed down the surface water drains together with cigarette butts, plastic and metal bottle tops and whatever else will pass the road drain grate  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

7.1.        Inspector Partridge, Ipswich Central SNT, provided the policing update and confirmed that efforts had been dedicated to the national response toward the disorder which took place in the Summer. Dedicated patrols had been undertaken locally to ensure Ipswich communities had extra reassurance and Officers had been engaging with residents during the heightened disorder. No disorder of this type had been reported in Ipswich.

7.2.        As part of the national disorder, a number of Officers had been dispatched to other Constabulary’s which had impacted what the Community Policing teams could achieve during this time. Demand within Ipswich had also meant Officers were required to undertake other key investigations.

7.3.        ASB within parks continued to be considered and following increased reporting of this in both parks and central Ipswich, Officers were working hard to carry out patrols to reduce this. The Crime & Design Officer had visited Christchurch Park to provide advice about how safety could be increased.

7.4.        Since May, Police in Ipswich Central had undertaken 94 hours dedicated to ASB patrols which hopefully offered reassurance. The night time economy continued to be policed and there had been a slight rise in events during the Summer and the team was working closely with premises and partners to reduce offending. Other areas being considered included reducing offending against women and girls, working with the SOS bus, undertaking training, and working with IBC around how streets could be made safer which would continue throughout September and Fresher’s week.

7.5.        Councillor I Lockington asked if there was a specific area of Christchurch Park being considered for ASB. Inspector Partridge advised that work was being undertaken with park rangers to identify which areas were most vulnerable and looking at areas in the park where ASB was reported. Crime and drug related issues were often around the furthest entrance of the park, so work had been dedicated towards exits and entrances however, it was important to note that although this was where most ASB was recorded, it did not mean that this was exactly where the crime was taking place.

7.6.        Councillor Cook reassured residents that Councillors had a monthly meeting with the Police of which issues were raised and considered.

7.7.        Councillor Gibbs thanked Suffolk Constabulary for their quick response to an incident at the weekend where a number of young people had been climbing scaffolding dangerously. Since then, discussion had taken place with the construction site to ensure the site was safe and not accessible.

7.8.        A resident asked if Police had any powers with regards to cars parked across pavements affecting the ability for prams and wheelchairs to use the footpath. Inspector Partridge confirmed that parking enforcement did not sit with the Police and the only time they would interject was if a car was left in a dangerous manner. Councillor Kreidewolf clarified that obstruction on pavements was not the responsibility of the IBC Parking Enforcement team as this responsibility had not been delegated to the local authority.

7.9.        Inspector Partridge noted that  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

8.1.        Ms Leys, Assistant Director for Operations, reported that since the last meeting, the following Making a Difference (MAD) budget spends had been made:

·       £150.70 – Eastern Angles Fundraising Equipment

·       £290 – New Wolsey Theatre Suffolk Refugee Support Service

8.2.        Ms Leys highlighted the following unspent budget items that would be returned to the Central Area Committee unallocated budget:

·       £410 – unspent Venue Hire and Publicity Budget

·       £744.30 – unspent Making a Difference funding

          This would result in a starting unallocated budget of £16,154.30.

8.3.        The Committee was asked to consider how much funding to allocate to establish a Making a Difference budget for 2024/25 and it was agreed that this budget should be set at £1,500.

Resolved:

that the Committee:

a)    note the financial statement in Appendix 1 to the report;

b)    note the return of unspent budgets to the main unallocated Central Area Committee budget as follows:

-       £410 Venue Hire [2023/24];

-       £744.30 Making a Difference [2023/24];

c)    allocate £500 per ward, a total of £1,500, from the Central Area Committee budget to establish a Making a Difference (MAD) budget for 2024/25.

Reasons:

(a)  to provide details of the amount of funds available to the Area Committee to deliver the priorities in its Action Plan;

(b)  to release any Central Area Committee budget funding where there is no further expenditure anticipated;

(c)  to allow the Central Area Committee to devolve up to 10% of its annual budget to support small scale community initiatvies.

Resolved:

That the Central Area Committee allocate £400 from the Central Area Committee budget for costs associated with advertising and venue hire for the Central Area Committee for 2024/25, as detailed in Appendix 1 to the report.

10.1.     Miranda Acres, Ipswich Love, presented the funding request which sought £500 from the Central Area Committee budget towards the expansion of its website’s platform, to add further events and purchase marketing materials for further promotion of its services. It was noted that £500 was being requested from all five Area Committees as this was a web-based Ipswich wide site.

10.2.     Ms Acres explained that the website had been running since January 2024. The aim of the website was to join up Ipswich as a whole and to raise positivity about the town. The platform was used to promote events taking place all over Ipswich and included information about Top Up shops, local fetes and other activities.

10.3.     As well as promoting events, people were also invited to get in involved and write articles or love letters to the town, of which 60 had been published so far. Work was being undertaken with Ipswich Central to create a public display of all the love letters received to be presented as part of an exhibition.

10.4.     Ms Acres confirmed that Ipswich.love was formed by volunteers and £6,000 had been spent towards creating and building the website using their own expertise. The funding requested would go towards publicity, marking materials and improving the website further.

10.5.     Councillor Inga Lockington asked how money would be raised in the future. Ms Acres confirmed that the plan was to create merchandise which could be sold across the town and noted that this was not a commercial venture. Funding would be sought from private individuals and businesses as well as possible sponsorship opportunities. Currently, the group was self funded.

10.6.     Ms Acres explained that although there were other event websites for Ipswich, these were concentrated on IBC and Ipswich Central events. Part of Ipswich.love’s USP was to connect the town as a whole.

10.7.     County Councillor Richards asked where the exhibition of love letters would be held. Ms Acres confirmed the exhibition would commence in November and would be displayed in Central Ipswich.

10.8.     County Councillor Bridgeman complimented the website and asked if they knew how many people had visited it. It was confirmed that for local events, the website rated much higher for engagement than Facebook. This was because they could concentrate on Ipswich and use more search engine optimisation unlike the algorithms used by Facebook and Instagram.

Resolved:

That the Central Area Committee allocate £500 from the Central Area Committee budget to Ipswich.Love for the expansion of its website’s platform.

Reason: to improve connectivity in Ipswich by celebrating and signposting to events, people and culture in Ipswich through its website and online community.

11.1.     Bryony Hope and Lucy Bayliss, DanceEast, presented the funding request which sought £1,337.50 as contribution towards covering the costs of its Springboard Junior and Springboard Adults programmes, including outreach work.

11.2.     DanceEast had been established for more than 40 years and over time the organisation had evolved. Outreach work represented a large part of their programme and work was undertaken with a number of different communities and organisations, such as the Dementia Cafes and East Anglian Children’s Hospice, in a way where dance could enhance people’s lives.

11.3.     The funding application was specifically toward funding the Springboard Junior and Spingboard Adult programmes which were for children, young people and adults with learning difficulties. 19% of the population in Ipswich identified as disabled which included learning disabilities and the classes helped to boost health, self-esteem and confidence, and was particularly aimed towards people who might be experiencing barriers to improving their physical health or being active. It was noted that being part of a class of people helped to connect others and provide a feeling of community.

11.4.     Prior to the pandemic the springboard classes had been well attended however, numbers had fallen. It was hoped that by addressing this, it would help benefit those experiencing barriers around isolation greatly. Classes cost between £5-£6 and a bursary fund, which was criteria based, had been established to provide funded places for those who could not afford to attend.

11.5.     Councillor Riley noted that some of the funding requested as also towards funding the workshops and asked about the long term sustainability of this. It was explained that a new fundraising strategy had been launched which would be looking at their approach to funding and considering ways the programme could be developed further for long term sustainability. Currently, they were continuing to undertake outreach work and increasing attendees.

11.6.     Councillor I Lockington asked how the programme had been funded prior to the pandemic. It was explained that there was more money back then and that there had always been some form of subsidy for the classes however, costs were increasing. As a funded charity DanceEast was consistently identifying new and different ways of funding activities.

11.7.     Councillor Jones asked how long the classes were held for. it was confirmed that each class was around an hour with socialisation before and after in the community building.

11.8.     Councillor T Lockington suggested that a bid could be made to the local Parkinson’s Branch for funding.

Resolved:

that the Central Area Committee allocate £1,337.50 from the Central Area Committee budget to DanceEast as contribution to cover the costs of its Springboard Junior and Springboard Adults programmes, including outreach work.

Reason: to provide a safe environment for disabled learners to participate in physical activity, socialise and meet new people.

12.1.     Discussion took place around the priorities for the Area Action Plan. County Councillor Richards suggested that Living Environment and A Thriving Town Centre be added.

12.2.     It was noted that applicants would be referred to the Area Action Plan to ensure that their application met the needs and were encouraged to include this as part of their application.

12.3.     It was agreed that Living Environment be added and the rest remain the same as 2023/24.

Resolved:

that the following priorities be adopted as the priorities of the Central Area Committee Area Action Plan for 2024/25.

·       Domains of Deprivation: ‘Crime’, ‘Education, Skills and Training’, ‘Health and Disability’

·       Corporate Strategy: ‘Promoting Community Wellbeing and Fairness in Ipswich’

Reason: Priorities provide the basis of an action plan that will enable the Area Committee to clearly communicate its vision and priorities for the area and will help demonstrate how its budget is being allocated to deliver the priorities set for the area.

13.1.     The Chair reported that a question had been raised by a resident at the last meeting with regards to works to be done to the TPO on the Robinia Tree adjacent to the car park entrance of Westwood Court and why residents had received a letter on 18 January 2024 notifying them of works to be done under the provisional TPO when they hadn’t yet received the notification of the TPO being made.

13.2.     Clarification had been sought from the Planning Department who advised that there was an overlap of the process. As the applicant was ware of the provisional TPO they submitted a TALF application to do works to the trees. This was submitted before legal made the provisional TPO however, this was accepted as the Council knew that by the time the decision would be made on the TALF application, the provisional TPO would be in place. In any event, the provisional TPO provided the opportunity for residents to have their say on the application. The Planning & Development Committee had since considered the planning application and the TPO was confirmed as made.

14.1.     Councillor Kreidewolf expressed frustration that the railings around civic drive roundabout which were removed a year ago had not been reinstated by Suffolk County Council although this was due to be completed by the end of August 2024.

14.2.     County Councillor Bridgeman echoed Councillor Kreidewolf’s sentiments and advised that he was still waiting for yellow lines to be installed at Upper Brook Street/Dogs Head Street and would keep chasing this.

Wednesday 30 October 2024, 7pm, Museum Street Methodist Church

Wednesday 15 January 2025, 7pm, All Saints Church Hall

Wednesday 12 March 2025, 7pm, Zoar Baptist Church

15.1.     The Chair reported that the dates of future meetings were listed on the Agenda, with the next meeting scheduled for Wednesday 30 October 2024 at 7pm.