Agenda and minutes

The Chair, Councillor Birchall opened the first meeting of the Coppull Parish Area Forum by thanking and welcoming everyone to the meeting pointing out that this would be an open discussion on issues facing the Coppull community.

Apologies for absence were submitted on behalf of Councillor K Ball.

Report attached

The meeting received for information the Membership and Terms of Reference of the Coppull Area Forum.

A period of 30 minutes will be allocated to allow members of the public to raise questions and express views on any matters relating to the provision of local services in the Coppull Parish area.

A period of 30 minutes had been allocated to allow members of the public to raise questions and express views on any interests relating to the provision of local services in the Coppull Parish area.

The following topics were discussed and the Chair and Members of the Forum gave a response, where possible:

?       Concern that work done on the Coppull Parish Plan by the Parish Council would be taken off them.

?       Concern at Health and Safety issues regarding the overflow of waste bins, waste blowing away, and waste spillage on the road caused by the Contractor.

?       Issue of the use of waste recycling bags and missed collections in the Bentham Street/Springfield Road area.

?       A claim that there was a deterioration of the Council’s refuse collection service, and what was being done to reimburse the Council Tax Payers at Coppull.

?   Reference was made to a field in the Springfield Road North area being used for youth activities.

?       Why was so little done for the youth in Coppull during the half-term period and a lack of communication with reference made to a clash of meetings at the Parish Hall on 16 March.

?       Letter sent to Coppull Parish Council proposing a car parking scheme in Coppull.

?   Coverage of CCTV cameras.

?       What was the Authority doing for the youth of Coppull particularly in the Springfield Road area.

?   Reference was made about a meeting open to the public taking place on 16 March at 2.00pm at Coppull Parish Hall to discuss the possibility of community management and to identify volunteers to sit on a Steering Group.

Members of the public were advised that if they did not wish to raise a question in the Open Forum they could complete the card and give it to the Democratic Services Officer at the end of the meeting.  The cards would then be sent to the appropriate Council Service Unit or Partner Organisation.  Questions submitted arising from the cards will be included on the agenda for the next meeting.

After the meeting the authority received ten questions submitted on cards and responses were sent to the persons who submitted the question.

The following topics were raised on the question cards after the meeting:

·       Due to the deterioration of the refuse collection service, what is being done to reimburse the Council Tax Payers at Coppull?

·       What area does the CCTV cover?

·       Use of British Legion Car Park.

·       Lack of activities for teenagers in Coppull.

·       Keep clear markings outside Chip Shop on Spendmore Lane.

·   Proposed car parking scheme in Coppull and response.

·   Demolition of wall by footpath Park Road, German Lane and Arcon Road.

·       Wigan Lane, Jolly Tar Lane rubbish damaged in rows and spread in fields.

·       Traffic Management and road safety at bottom end of Coppull.

·       Police strategies for dealing with motorcycle enthusiasts on land.

County Councillor Forshaw introduced himself to the meeting and invited issues to be raised with him.

He pointed out that the Youth Club was open three nights a week and that a new Youth Worker had just been appointed for the Chorley area.

List of questions submitted by the Parish Council enclosed

The following are responses provided at the meeting to questions submitted by Coppull Parish Council:

1.      Motorcycles on Council-owned land  The Parish Council would like to ascertain how motorcycles/quad bikes can be stopped from using council-owned land?  This includes Ellerbeck East and West, accessed along Coppull Hall Lane and Wigan Lane.  Motorcyclists have destroyed fences for access and cause distress and danger to walkers and wildlife as well as noise nuisance to adjacent properties.

            Response by Roger Handscome, Head of Property Services

            I presented a paper on the motorbike nuisance to the Borough/Parish Council's Liaison meeting held on 20 January 2005 and received a favourable response to a suggestion that we combine the normal police/neighbourhood warden route of discouraging use with the provision of a purpose built facility in the Borough.

            When it came to identifying two possible sites I encountered opposition from Coppull, Charnock and Adlington Parish Councils, resident's groups, action groups etc and, on reporting back to the Council’s Executive Cabinet on 29 September 2005 was instructed not to pursue the initiative in the Borough but to continue deterrent measures with the police and neighbourhood wardens.

            In the specific case mentioned we combine enforcement with physical deterrents in the form of gates, fences, stiles etc to allow proper use but preclude motorbikes.  Unfortunately it takes only a small section of fencing to be broken to allow the bikes in so it is a continual process to keep up with repairs and replacements.  We have, however, recently trialed some new fencing and gates at the edge of the Gillibrand estate where we have always had a motorbike problem and this seems to be proving successful, albeit quite expensive.  It could be a model for these other problem sites.

            Incidentally the Ellerbeck Action Group which was set up to oppose my plans to develop this site as a proper motorbike track have lobbied the Chief Executive, Donna Hall and asked for a meeting to discuss the same points raised by the Parish Council.  The Council would continue to work with the Police and Neighbourhood Wardens.

2.        Coppull Community Centre  There is concern about the dilapidated condition of the Community Centre on Springfield Road.  How can funding be arranged to bring it back to a pristine condition which the residents of Coppull can enjoy?

            Response by Jamie Carson, Head of Leisure and Cultural Services

            External works in hand to improve appearance from outside. This includes replacement of damaged fire doors.  Internal work undertaken to comply with Disability Discrimination Act.  Community Leisure Services will replace the glass at far side of the building when we renew the window frames - there is a bid in the Asset Management Plan for 2006/07 for this work.

3.      Chorley Community Partnership  It is felt that Coppull does not get the same support from the Police and the Community Safety Partnership as other areas in the Partnership.

            Response by Tim Rignall, Head of Corporate and Policy Services

            The Community Safety Partnerships work is led by the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5b

Collette Gill, Director of Service Modernisation and Service Development attended the meeting to give a general update on Primary Care Trust developments relevant to the Coppull area, highlighting the Trusts ‘Balance for Life’ Strategy, a falls prevention programme will be piloted in Coppull for patients from Chorley, Coppull and surrounding areas and will be launched in March 2006.

The pilot will target those people at a high risk of falling.

Reference was also made to patients choosing a hospital to be treated with a leaflet produced showing the star ratings for each service.

Representatives of the above organisations will be in attendance to provide an update on relevant issues.

Inspector Janet Edmundson attended the meeting together with Sgt Alan Clayton and PC Keith Armistead from Coppull Neighbourhood Policing Team.

A brief power point presentation on ‘Neighbourhood Policing and PACT (Police and Communities Together) reference to any local policing issues.

An invitation went out to everyone to attend the next PACT meeting at 6.00pm on 7 March at the Coppull Leisure Centre.

At the moment the Police were looking for volunteers and training would be given to operate the inquiry desk at Coppull Police Station.

It was noted that there was poor attendance at PACT meetings and that there was a need to get the message across to people.

The key message was better communications.

Member of the Public will be invited to express their views on the format and arrangements for this meeting and to submit items for consideration at the next meeting.

Feedback/Items for next meeting

Members of the public were invited to express their views on the format and arrangements for the meeting and to submit views for consideration at the next meeting.

Feedback cards had been placed on each chair to enable people to indicate their views and request inclusion on the members list. 

The feedback from the meeting was encouraging for the future and that the meeting had provided the opportunity for problems and issues to be aired.

The Chair thanked everyone who attended.

It was noted that future meetings of the Area Forum would be held on Tuesday, 13 June 2006 and Wednesday, 20 September 2006.