To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 29^th November 2005

The Minutes of the meeting held on 29^th November, 2005 were confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.  

A representative from the Police Force will be present at the meeting to give an update in relation to crime figures etc.

Acting Inspector Steve Ball was present at the meeting to give details of the crime statistics for the area.

He explained that in respect of recorded crimes the detection rate was around 40% for the whole of Newton Aycliffe and 52% for the Town Centre area.

The crime figures for November/December were as follows :-

During discussion clarification was sought on the classification of burglary and robbery.  It was explained that burglary involved entering a premises illegally.

Reference was made to the new software which had been recently installed at the Communications Centre allowing call dispatchers to read information regarding an incident as it was being typed by the call handler.  The software also provided the call handlers with any call history and appropriate questions to be asked.  It was explained that at the current time the staff at the Call Centre were becoming familiarised with the new software.

A representative from the Primary Care Trust will be present at the meeting to report on progress

Nigel Porter and David Rutherford attended the meeting to give an update on local health matters.

It was explained that a public meeting had been held the previous week in relation to the future of Primary Care Trusts which had been arranged by the Strategic Health Authority.  At that meeting concerns had been expressed regarding the need to maintain locality arrangements.  Those comments would hopefully be taken on board by the Strategic Health Authority.  It was noted that the consultation period ended on 22^nd March 2006

Mr. Porter also updated the Forum in relation to two criminal cases which had recently been heard associated with practices within Sedgefield PCT.

The financial position of the PCT was outlined.  It was explained that a deficit for the current financial year was projected.  The aim was to contain the deficit to around £4m.

It was noted that a launch of the Strategic Framework and Action Plans, which centred around activity for young people, healthy eating and tobacco control, had recently been held in Trimdon .

Reference was made to the White Paper, ”Our Health, Our Care, Our Say” which had been published the previous day.  The Paper dealt with issues in relation to partnership working across social care, working with GPs to bring care out of the hospitals to health centres, etc., improving access to Primary Care by increasing opening hours of surgeries to meet the patients needs. The Paper also addressed NHS lifestyle checks to assess people at risk of certain illnesses and expert patient and carers programmes.

Discussion was held regarding the proposed new Health Centre in Newton Aycliffe and the difficulty being encountered in relation to its development.

Arrangements have been made for an officer from the Council’s Regeneration Section to attend to give a presentation regarding the above.

NB :          In accordance with Section 81 of the Local Government Act 2000 and the Members Code of Conduct, Councillors M. Iveson, and R.S. Fleming left the meeting for the duration and discussion of this item having declared a prejudicial and personal interest as Members of Sedgefield Borough Council Cabinet.

A. Palmer, Head of Strategy and Regeneration, was present at the meeting to give details of the above Programme.

It was explained that the Borough Council had received a substantial receipt from the sale of land and had agreed to use the money to support activities that fell within the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister’s Eligible Expenditure Definition of Regeneration and Affordable Housing.

It was pointed out that the schemes to be advanced to the Local Improvement Programme would need to demonstrate the following :-

Ø             Conformity to the specified ODPM Regeneration and Affordable Housing criteria.

Affordable Housing - provision of dwellings to meet the housing needs identified by the local authority for persons on low incomes whether provided by the local authority or a registered local landlord.

Regeneration - any projects for carrying out works or activities on any land where the land or a building on the land is vacant, unused, underused, ineffectively used, contaminated or derelict and the works or activities carried out in order to secure the bland of the building were brought into effective use.

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

Ø             Appropriate levels of community consultation and reference to any local community appraisal.

Ø             Provision of sufficient level of detail in the project submissions to show a specific quantification of the benefits to be achieved by the investment and to explain the process by which the scheme would be delivered and over what time period.

Ø             How any recurrent or revenue funding implications would be managed.

Ø             Value for money should be clearly demonstrated to include any match funding from other grant sources.

Ø             Allocations were based on the local area’s percentage share of households within the Borough.  Area 5 locality would receive £345,000 for the next five years.

It was emphasised that there was no pressure to spend allocated budgets in any one financial year as unspent money would be rolled forward into the next financial year and protected for that Area Forum.

It was reported that Area Forums along with Town and Parish Councils, Community and Voluntary stakeholders would be invited to consider schemes that would be eligible for supporting under the programme. The final decision on which schemes would proceed would be made by Sedgefield Borough Cabinet.

A team of staff at Sedgefield Borough Council would be available to support the development of the scheme and would score applications received against the criteria.

During discussion of the item a query was raised regarding the new length of time to consider an application.  It was explained that the turnaround time would be approximately three months.

In relation to request for funding it was explained that there would be a minimum limit on the size of the project of around £40,000.  Applications needed to be made by constituted community groups or Parish Councils.

In relation to a query raised regarding tendering it was explained that the applicant would make their own arrangements relating to the tendering for projects.

Next meeting is scheduled to be held on 14^th March 2006

Noted that the next meeting of the Group was to be held on 14^th March, 2006.