To notify the Chairman of any items that appear later in the agenda in which you may have an interest.

Members had no interests to declare.

To confirm as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting held on 2^nd May 2006.

The minutes of the meeting held on 2^nd May 2006 were confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

It was reported that the organising committee for the World Jazz Band Competition was visiting Shildon the following evening to discuss whether Shildon could be the venue for next year’s competition.

It was reported that a public meeting was to be held on Monday 7^th August 2006 in the Civic Hall regarding the proposal to establish a community radio station.

A representative of Shildon Police will attend the meeting to give a report of crime statistics and initiatives in the area.

Acting Sgt Simon Rogers was present at the meeting to give details of the crime statistics for the area.

The reported crime figures for May and June were as follows:

Members were given details of Operation Parkdale, which was aimed at tackling anti-social behaviour.

Reference was made to the ‘Black Path’, rear of Burnie Gardens where youths could frequently be found, sitting in trees, drinking alcohol and using abusive language.  It was reported that in response to the problem, arrangements would be made for a police presence on the Black Path on the evenings of Friday 21^st and Saturday 22^nd July 2006.

Concern was expressed regarding the problem of youths congregating in the recreation ground and drinking alcohol.  It was noted that the police were aware of the problem and would be making arrangements for the CCTV van to be deployed there.

It was reported that arrangements had been made to hold a public meeting on Tuesday 1^st August in the Civic Hall, Shildon to the discuss the problem of anti-social behaviour.  Mrs. Helen Goodman M.P. for Bishop Auckland Constituency would be present.

Reference was again made to the difficulties encountered in trying to contact the Police on the non-emergency telephone number. It was agreed that a letter regarding the problem should be sent to John Reid, Secretary of State for the Home Department, with a copy to the Chief Constable, Durham Constabulary.

A representative of Sedgefield Primary Care Trust will attend the meeting to give an update on local health matters and performance figures.

Councillors Mrs. A.M. Armstrong and Mrs. K. Vasey attended the meeting to give an update on local health matters.

Reference was made to the future PCT configuration in County Durham.  It was reported that Sedgefield, Dales, Chester-le-Street, Easington, Derwentside and Durham PCTs were to merge into one organisation - County Durham PCT and Darlington PCT was to remain.

It was proposed that Darlington PCT and County Durham PCT would maintain separate Boards and Chief Executive Officers, however share PEC (Professional Executive Committee) and management arrangements.

The Chief Executives of ‘reconfigured’ PCTs, which included all County Durham PCTs and Middlesbrough and Langbaurgh PCTs, were undergoing a set of assessment processes to ensure that they were fit for the purpose of being a Chief Executive Officer of a new PCT.  Preferred candidates would then be selected for the jobs.  The same ‘standards’ and assessment processes’ would be applied to the Chief Executive Officers of PCTs that had not been reconfigured as part of the ‘Fitness for Purpose assessment’.

The appointment of Directors to the Strategic Health Authority had been processed at a national level. ‘NHS North East would only have 3 Executive Directors, alongside David Flory as Chief Executive Officer. 

Specific reference was made to the launch of the PCT Life Awards 2006 to recognise health care staff for their outstanding individual contributions in helping to improve the quality of health care received by patients in the area.

Nomination forms for the awards were available in Sedgefield PCT offices, GP surgeries, dentists, pharmacies, opticians, health centres, community hospitals and libraries in the borough.  

To consider the attached report of the Head of Strategy and Regeneration.

Consideration was given to a report regarding the Local Improvement Programme and the potential for funding in the Area 4 Forum locality.  (For copy see file of Minutes).

Nicola Woodgate attended the meeting to present the report.

It was explained that £3.8m in total had been allocated over three years to 2008/09 for the Local Improvement Programme across the Borough to tackle the issues as outlined in the Council’s Community Strategy.  The allocation for the Area 4 Forum locality was as follows:

Local communities and partner Town and Parish Councils could submit project proposals at any time.  The projects would be appraised and scored and then discussed at an Area Forum meeting.

The role of the Area Forum was to provide a view as to the priority of the project within the area.  The project would then be considered by the Council’s Management Team and Cabinet.  The latter would decide whether or not to support the project.

Projects eligible for support through the Local Area Improvement Programme would need to demonstrate that they met the following key criteria:

Ø               Conformity to the newly created Department for Communities and Local Government (formerly the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister) Regeneration criteria which states:

‘the carrying out of works or activities on any land where the land or a building on the land is vacant, unused, under-used, ineffectively used, contaminated or derelict; and the works or activities carried out in order to secure that the land or the building will be brought into effective use’.

Ø               Clear linkages to the delivery of the Council’s Community Strategy and its key aims and planned outcomes.

Projects were also expected to meet the following secondary criteria:

Ø        Appropriate levels of community consultation should have been carried out.  A clear need for the project must be identified.

Ø        The project should have specific measurable benefits.

Ø         How any recurrent or revenue funding implications would be managed, should have been considered.

Ø         Value for money should be clearly demonstrated to include any match funding from other grant sources as well as accessing a minimum of three quotations regarding the proposals for work.

Ø        Where the applicant was a Town or Parish Council, there should be a financial contribution of at least 1/3^rd of the total costs of the project, to ensure that the resources made available were addressing local priorities as well as those of the Council.

Any interested groups were advised to contact the Community Project Development Officer at the Council Offices to discuss initial project ideas.

The Chairman will take questions from the floor.

Residents expressed concern regarding the state of Shildon Town Centre and requested that works be undertaken to put it back to its ‘former glory’.  They were of the view that the CCTV cameras, which were now fully operational, would afford protection and deter any further vandalism.

Specific reference was made to the glazed panel in the bus shelters, which had been broken since September 2005.  The Forum requested that the panels be replaced as a matter of urgency.  They rejected the officers’ proposal of putting steel panels at the bottom of the shelters.  

It was agreed that a letter expressing the Forum’s concerns be sent to the Council’s Director of Neighbourhood Services and that an appropriate officer be invited to attend the next meeting of the Forum.

It was reported that a Scrutiny Review Group had examined the way in which Area Forums currently operated, evaluated their effectiveness and considered how they could be improved. 

The recommendations of the Review Group had been submitted to The Council’s Cabinet for consideration.

It was pointed out that one of the recommendations was to move the public question time to the beginning of each meeting.  Members of the public could submit a question prior to the meeting, which officers/councillors would endeavour to answer at the meeting.  A question posed at the meeting may not receive a full response until a later.

19^th September 2006 at Shildon Sunnydale Leisure Centre at 6.30 p.m.

Tuesday 19^th September 2006 at Shildon Sunnydale Leisure Centre at

6.30 p.m.