Agenda and minutes

The Chair (Councillor J Walker) welcomed everyone present to the third meeting of the Chorley South Community Forum and indicated that representatives of Chorley Borough Council and its Community Forum partners (Lancashire County Council, the Parish Councils within the Forum area, Lancashire Constabulary and Central Lancashire Primary Care Trust) were present at the meeting to answer residents’ queries.

Apologies for absence were submitted on behalf of Borough Councillor Nora Ball, Parish Councillor Ireland (Coppull Parish Council) and Inspector Jo Keay (Lancashire Constabulary).

The minutes of the last meeting of the Chorley South Community Forum held on 20 June 2007 at Coppull are attached for confirmation.

(a)         Confirmation

         The minutes of the second meeting of the Chorley South Community Forum held at the Royal British Legion Club, Springfield Road, Coppull on 20 June 2007 were confirmed as a correct record.

(b)    Matters Arising

         (i)         Sandons Farm, Adlington – Extraction of Sand and Landfill

                  A number of local residents drew attention to the assurance that had been given at the last Forum meeting that the Borough Council would be represented at any future Public Inquiry into an appeal against the Lancashire County Council’s refusal of planning permission for sand extraction and landfill at Sandons Farm, Adlington.

               The residents complained that the Council’s Officers had not been present at the commencement of the Inquiry on Tuesday, 6 November 2007 to register their intention to speak in support of the refusal of planning permission.  Reference was also made to the fact that the Council’s arguments had been presented earlier that day on the second day of the Inquiry by a former Officer of the Council.

                  In response, Paul Morris (Chorley Council’s Deputy Chief Executive) confirmed that he had been advised that three Planning Officers, including the Corporate Director (Business) (the Head of the Department), had attended the Inquiry on the first day and registered a wish to speak at the following day’s proceedings.  The two Officers attending the second day’s hearing had included the former Development Control Manager, who had now left the Council’s employ, but who had been in a better position to put forward the Council’s arguments as the Officer principally responsible for dealing with the planning application within the Borough Council.

                  A few residents also queried the reasoning behind the decision to hold the inquiry at Shaw Hill Golf and Country Club, Whittle-le-Woods, as opposed to a venue in Adlington.

                  In the light of the strength of feeling expressed by the local residents, the Chair and Paul Morris undertook to raise the issue with Donna Hall (Chorley Council’s Chief Executive) and ensure that residents present at the meeting were given an explanation of the facts surrounding the Council’s involvement in the planning inquiry.

A copy of the schedule detailing the action taken on issues raised at the Chorley South Community Forum meeting held on 20 June 2007 is attached.

Copies of a schedule detailing the action that had been taken on relevant issues raised at the Chorley South Community Forum on 20 June 2007 were distributed at the meeting.

County Councillor Pat Case reported that the first 20mph speed limit zone would shortly be introduced in Eccleston.  Councillor Case also advised the Forum that the Lancashire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Sustainable Development was currently examining the best means of implementing 20mph speed restrictions on selected roads across the county (eg through road calming measures).  The schemes would need to be self policed, with an ability for known offenders to be prosecuted.  The Executive Member was expected to make a policy statement shortly.

The Vice-Chair (Councillor Ken Ball) intimated that the promised speed detector devices had not yet  been installed on Spendmore Lane, Coppull and stated that the Police’s mobile surveillance equipment appeared to be used only occasionally in the Parish area.

Parish Councillor Robert Yates referred to Adlington Town Council’s wish to purchase a speed indicator device, but had been warned of the health and safety issues to be considered before the device was installed.  The Police Officers present at the meeting offered to advise the Town Council on this issue.

The Vice-Chair notified the Forum that the Inquiry into the appeal by the owners of Highfield Farm, Coppull, against the refusal of retrospective planning permission for the composting of shredded green waste and the construction of a concrete pond was due to take place on 23 November 2007.  Councillor Ball hoped that the Council’s Officers would attend to support the opposers of the proposal.

Representatives from the following organisations will attend and report on any local issues/initiatives within the area of the Community Forum.

The Chair welcomed Police Sergeant Brown and his colleagues who were invited to advise the Forum of current Police initiatives and activity within the Chorley South Community Forum area.

Sergeant Brown drew particular attention to the success of the ‘Operation Summer Nights’ campaign conducted throughout the area during July and August.  The multi-agency approach had involved the Police working alongside its partners on visiting several ‘hot spots’ and other locations known to be susceptible to anti-social behaviour and criminal damage by young people.  The purpose of the visits had been to raise awareness of community safety and drink/drug related matters to the young people.  The campaign had resulted in a marked reduction in anti-social behaviour and criminal damage incidents during the summer months and alcohol had been seized from under-age drinkers.

Sergeant Brown also referred to the ‘Operation Bright Sparks’ campaign, another multi-agency campaign undertaken over the period from Halloween (31 October) to Bonfire Night (5 November) to warn of the dangers of bonfires and fireworks, which had also proved effective in reducing the number of incidents and accidents across the County.

The residents’ expressed concern at the dangers being created to other traffic and pedestrians by speeding motorcyclists on rural lanes and fields.  In response, Sergeant Brown explained the Police’s difficulties in enforcing speed restrictions as the Police did not employ an off-road cycle team capable of chasing offenders.  The problem could be eased by landowners restricting access to private roads and fields and by the confiscation of cycles whenever the Police apprehended offending motorcyclists.  The Police Officer confirmed that the Police will take appropriate enforcement action, whenever practicable, and would encourage landowners to take responsible action to prevent unauthorised access onto their land and property.

Councillor Catherine Hoyle referred to the lack of continuity caused by the recent changes in the local Neighbourhood Policing Team for Adlington.  In reply, Sergeant Brown accepted that a number of personnel changes had been made over recent months, through personal reasons in many cases.  Sergeant Brown expected, however, that by December the Neighbourhood Team should include a full complement of Police Officers and Police Community Support Officers.  A new Police Sergeant had also recently been recruited to the Coppull Neighbourhood Policing Team.

Coppull Parish Council has indicated that its Chair wishes the meeting to discuss Chorley Council’s ‘Alleygates’ scheme.

Other issues may be raised at the meeting.

Prior to the Forum meeting, each constituent Parish Council had been invited to submit any issues or questions which they wished to raise or promote at the meeting.  In response, the following issue was debated at the meeting:

(a)         Alleygates Scheme

         The Chair of Coppull Parish Council (Parish Councillor D Cole) advocated more extensive use of ‘alleygate’ schemes as a deterrent to youths and motorcyclists causing nuisance in rear alleyways.

         PC O’Brien confirmed that the Multi-Agency Problem Solving (MAPS) Team selected a number of alleygate schemes to implement throughout the Borough each year according to the funds available and the scheme’s priority listing.  All requests for alleygate schemes were examined and costed, with a view to as many as possible being implemented within the available funding limits.  Chorley Council had allocated £40,000 in its 2007/08 revenue budget, which had financed the cost of 16 recent schemes.  The budget provision for 2008/09 would be agreed shortly as part of the budget setting exercise.

         Anyone wishing to put forward suggested locations for future alleygate schemes was invited to notify the MAPS Team at the Council’s Bengal Street offices.

An Officer from the Neighbourhoods Directorate will attend the meeting to explain and demonstrate the available service design options for future kerbside refuse and recycling collections.

The Chair introduced Simon Clark, Chorley Council’s Environmental Health Manager, who had been invited to address the Forum on the Council’s plans to enhance its refuse collection and recycling service.

Mr Clark reported that the Council’s current Refuse Collection and Recycling Contract was due to expire at 31 March 2009 and explained the option for a redesigned service for which the Council was hoping to invite tenders.  The proposals had been drawn up in the light of the responses to a recent survey which had revealed widespread support for both the continuation of an alternate weekly collection service and wheeled bins for recyclable materials.

In essence, the preferred option incorporated the following elements:

?       the new contract would commence in April 2009 and run for 10 years up to 2019, with the introduction of a new fleet of vehicles after 5 years;

?       all collected waste, including recyclable materials, would be deposited at the Leyland Waste Technology Park, instead of landfill sites, from 2010;

?       plastic sacks and containers would be replaced by an additional bin, with a pod insert, for the disposal of cans/plastic bottles/glass and paper/cardboard, in addition to the current bins for residual household waste and garden waste;

?       the introduction of a separate container for the kitchen waste of terraced, non-garden properties to be collected weekly;

?       a single vehicle would be used to collect waste, rather than the present use of several collection vehicles;

?       tailored solutions (such as the use of ‘cow bins’ for specified waste products) would be examined for properties in multi-occupation, according to available financial resources.

Mr Clark accepted that some residents would experience problems in accommodating up to 3 bins.  The proposals only represented the Council’s current preferred option and the Authority was consulting residents to obtain their feedback on the plans before form decisions on the contact specifications were made.

Anyone wishing to comment on the plans to alter the refuse collection and recycling contract was requested to notify Simon Clark or any member of the Waste Collection Team at the Civic Offices, Bengal Street, Chorley.

An Officer from the Primary Care Trust will attend the meeting to give a short presentation of the PCT’s Community Engagement Development Strategy and Action Plan.

A copy of the consultation letter outlining the details is attached.

The Chair welcomed Alison Johnson (Associate Director (Community Engagement) with the Central Lancashire Primary Care Trust) who showed a DVD highlighting the PCT’s promotion of its three principal goals:

?         Increasing longevity and improving quality of life;

?         Expanding services where they are most needed;

?         Empowering people and communities.

Ms Johnson invited views and comments on issues connected with and surrounding the PCT’s main aspirations so that the organisation could tailor services to meet local needs in its efforts to provide the best service possible.

Response cards were distributed at the meeting for completion and return to the Primary Care Trust.

The Chair will report at the meeting on the outcome of the recent survey to identify the 3 big issues affecting the Chorley South Community Forum area.

The Chair reported that the outcome of the recent survey to identify the three main concerns affecting the Chorley South Community Forum area had been inconclusive in that the majority of responses had identified issues that were outside the direct control of Chorley Council.

The Council would need, therefore, to seek other opinions and determine how best the £12,500 allocated in the Council’s budget to fund appropriate projects in each of the four Community Forum areas should be spent.

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 local services affecting the community.

Question cards will be available at the meeting for members of the public to complete and hand in before the start of the meeting.  Where possible questions will be answered on the night.  If a question cannot be answered a written response will follow. 

The Chair invited the local residents present at the meeting to raise questions and express views on any matters relating to the provision of local services or issues affecting the Adlington, Anderton, Coppull, Heath Charnock and Rivington Wards.  In addition, a supply of Question Cards was made available at the meeting as an opportunity for residents to write their enquiries or views on the cards.

The Chair indicated that the appropriate Officer and/or Partner representative would endeavour, if possible, to provide a direct response to questions and issues raised at the meeting.  If this was not possible a written reply would be sent to the questioner as soon as possible.

The following issues/questions were raised at the meeting:

(i)      A resident referred to the importance of the grass verges on Bolton Road, Anderton being regularly maintained as an attractive gateway feature to the Borough.

         Response:  Councillor Pat Case explained that the Lancashire County Council, as the Authority responsible for the maintenance of the grass verges, reimbursed Chorley Council for the cost of Chorley undertaking two grass cuts per year.  There was, however, recognition within the meeting that two annual cuts was insufficient and it was agreed that the Lancashire County Council would be requested to authorise and fund at least three annual cuts of the Bolton Road, Anderton grass verges.

(ii)     A resident drew attention to the dangers being created by speeding motorcyclists on the canal towpath at Adlington and suggested that the situation might be alleviated by the erection of prohibition notices on the towpath and the installation of an appropriate barrier to restrict access across the bridge.

         Response:  The Council’s Officers promised to forward the suggestions to the County Council and the Director of Streetscene, Neighbourhoods and Environment for their consideration.

(iii)    A resident referred to the use of Agency nursing within parts of the NHS, which she claimed was an expensive means of providing health care services and was reducing the employment of full-time, qualified nursing staff.

         Response:  Alison Johnson promised to feedback the views expressed to the Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

(iv)    The following additional issues/questions were raised on question cards presented after the close of the Forum meeting:

(v)     “Can the grass verges, etc along Bolton Rod be cut more than 3 times a year, preferably once a month as Chorley Borough Council do?  Can this area not be adopted by Chorley Council and included in their grass cutting programme (far superior).  Please also continue to respect our daffodil planting programme!”

(vi)    “Why was no representative of Chorley Borough Council in attendance at the Sandon’s Farm Inquiry at 10.00am on Tuesday, 6 November 2007, and if there was, why did he/she not register to speak?”

(vii)   “What do Councils spend their money on that they did not spend money on 5 or 10 years ago?”

(viii)  Could the ‘Coppull’ sign at the Charnock Richard end be more appropriately placed, eg at the Bridge?”

Replies to the question cards would be sent to the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 28.

Members of the Public will be invited to express their views on the format of the meeting and to submit issues for consideration at the next meeting.

The Chair indicated that the next meeting of the Chorley South Community Forum was scheduled to take place on Wednesday, 23 January 2008 at a venue to be determined.