Halton Together Network Meeting

at Halton Stadium

 

on Monday 18th October 2004

 

QUESTION TIME

 

Attendance

Andy Guile- Halton YMCA Foyer Project, Ann Turner Culverhouse, Soroptomists Women’s Aid, Barbara Haley – Halton OPEN, Beth Edwards Windmilll Hill Residents Federation, David Jones – Halton Manic Depressive Group, Dee Graal – Widnes & Runcorn Cancer Support Group, Greg Lamkin – St. Ambrose C.E. Church, John Frodsham – North West Cheshire Scout Council, John Parle – Widnes Rotary Club, Karen Turner – Kitchen Invaders, M Hill – Widnes Old People’s Welfare Committee, Michael Fry – HAFS, Mike Shepherd – Murdishaw Community Forum, Nora Rimmer – Runcorn Residents Federation, Pamela Wallace – West Bank Community Forum, Shelagh Kearney – The Four Estates Ltd., Susan Ellison – Centre 8 Drama Group, William Edwards – Windmill Hill Community Forum/Environmental Forum, Brian Miller – Halton Crossroads, Karen Jacobs – HBC, John Duvall – HBC, John Purcell – HBC, Karen Marcroft – HBC, Ian Grady – HBC, David Atkinson – HITS, Ray Jones – St. Mary’s and St. Paul’s.

 

Apologies

Angela Kaye – Hough Green Millennium Arts Project, Annie Holligan – The Galligu, Bill Packer – Cheshire Asbestos Victim Support Group, Carol Houghton – Youth to Lourdes, Chris Walsh – HASH, Evelyn Hayes – Scribes & Scribblers, John Maguire – Tenants & Residents Federation, Karen Tonge – Halton Table Tennis Ltd, Larraine Robinson – Halton Parkinson’s Group, Louise Tanner – Groundwork Mersey Valley, Mandy Blythe – Vicarage Lodge Pre-School Community Playgroup, Peter Moriarty – Our Lady’s Pre School, Sharon Peterson – Halton Happy Hearts

 

Panel

Roger Phillips – BBC Radio Merseyside (Chair), David Parr – Chief Executive Halton Borough Council, Simon Edge – Division manager Housing Halton Borough Council, Nora Rimmer – Runcorn Residents Federation, Andy Barrett – Liverpool Housing Trust, Stuart Baxter – Halton Borough Council

 

Roger Phillips welcomed everybody to the meeting then went on to introduce the panel members.

 

Due to the large response from the community it was decided that only six questions would be addressed on the evening but panel members were asked to submit written responses to all questions.

 

 

 

POLICING ISSUES

 

Question 1 – Supt Dave Booth - Police

 

There has been talk of increased police activity in the press recently, can you advise if this is true and if so what sort of extra numbers of police and man hours are we talking about?

 

In terms of resources there has been an increased number of policing activity.  There has been a 5/6% increase in officers in the last 2 years (21 community safety officers) which is far in excess of the rest of Cheshire.  Priotities are:

·           Theft

·           Burglary

·           drugs

·           public reassurance

 

There has been a 20% decrease in crime this year.  Vehicle crime showed a 60% decrease last year and a 5% decrease this year.  The drugs team has been funded by the Halton Strategic Partnership and this has been very successful.

 

PAD meetings are held over the months in the different areas and 3 priorities per month are set.

 

On the question of night time economy, would there be more policing?

 

There are pub watch schemes.  Tackling night time economy is about everybody working together.  The police division are determined that they are going to succeed on this.

 

Why hadn’t many people heard about the PAD meeting?

 

David said that they advertised in various ways and it needs people who have been along to bring more people with them or tell more people about it.  It is well publicised but not well attended.

 

Their needs to be an evaluation to find out how they can communicate this better.  One suggestion was to have more daytime meetings.  Also that local radio could advertise this more.

 

ENVIRONMENT

 

Question 2 – Stuart Baxter Halton Borough Council

 

What effect would a ban on smoking in public places have on our environment and would you be in favour of it?

 

Firstly a ban would cover only enclosed public places, not all areas.  The impact of not smoking in the workplace is a major health issue.  Evidence that smoking and secondary smoking is very dangerous cannot be ignored.  About 9,500 NHS beds are occupied by smokers. Secondary smoke is one of the main causes of asthma and there is growing evidence that the public are in favour of some kind of smoking ban in public places.

 

Manchester Council have taken the ban at work one step further and prevented employees from taking smoking breaks.  Although Halton has a non-smoking work environment, employees are allowed to smoke outside. 

 

A comment was made that people who are made to smoke outside are treated like second class citizens.

 

It was contested that the Lancaster University research found that health problems in Halton were due to a multitude of factors and not just smoking and that the top 2 factors were lifestyle and poverty.  It’s a question of education and individuals should be able to make their own choices.

 

HOUSING

 

Question 3 – Andy Barratt – LHT, Simon Edge – HBC, David Parr - HBC

 

When the capital funding is exhausted, will you be able to maintain the properties to a decent standard or will they slowly revert back to a similar condition as now when revenue is the only source of income?

 

Information and videos were available which have already been distributed to all residents.  In the first few years £85 million will be spent revenue.  Details were also discussed about life expectancy, for example how long a kitchen would last – 2 kitchens in 30 years.

 

Attendees were assured that there will not be a surcharge on rent.  There is a big concern generally about rents, but the way the government is calculating the rents means that there will not be huge differences.

 

ENVIRONMENT

 

Question 4 - Stuart Baxter Halton Borough Council, David Parr - HBC

 

What are the environmental impacts of a second bridge crossing and do the positives outweigh the negatives?

 

Several studies have already been carried out to look at the impact on the river and the ecology round the river, air quality and land adjacent to the river.  There will be certainly be social and economical impacts.  Whether the positives outweigh the negatives is a difficult question.  Major consultancies are being used to look at the impacts.  Actually doing nothing about a second bridge also has impacts, eg. major air pollution.  Any major impacts can be addressed and these will be very carefully reviewed.  There has been massive public consultation so far and this will continue until a decision has been made.  The existing bridge will also be modified to take more public transport.

 

Quite a lot of modelling has been done around regional traffic and the existing bridge being used for local traffic.  There is a strong likelihood that there could be tolling on the bridge, but this is yet to be decided and the public will be involved in this.  As the Government are unlikely to give the full money and funding will need to be got for the rest of the money.

 

Surveys to date shows that most people would prefer to have another bridge and pay for it rather than not have one at all.

 

The Council is not prepared to fund this through Council Tax and will be getting this money through usage.

 

QUESTION 5 – Supt David Booth - Police

 

A recent call to police control resulted in a 15 minute delay in submitting the details of the incident.  As first point of contact this is very lengthy and would seem to support criticism around slow response times.  Can the system be improved in any way?

 

Call handling is taken very seriously within the constabulary.  Calls are too numerous to enable visits to all.  Need a system of prioritising.  This is:

 

  • Prioritise 999 first.
  • Incidents that needed an immediate response.
  • Vulnerable people
  • Incidents in the process of happening.

 

People are given an indication of how long there enquiry is likely to be dealt with. 

 

The biggest call is youth nuisance but isolated incidents are not usually dealt with.  The information is stored and analysed and if a trend is apparent it is highlighted as a hotspot and prioritised.  The police cannot possibly go out to every incident.

 

999 calls are for life threatening emergencies – not incidents.  People need to get some education on what exactly is a 999 call and what is the next priority, and people need to be told how long it is going to be before somebody will deal with them.  Call centre staff are well trained in knowing what is an emergency and what is not.

 

There was a suggestion that an alternative three digit number should be in operation for incidents.

 

 

 

 

 

 

HOUSING

 

Question 6 - Andy Barratt – LHT, Simon Edge – HBC, David Parr - HBC

 

Housing corporation involvement policy for housing associations, state that involving residents is an essential ingredient of quality housing services, how will you involve residents and staff?

 

Also looking at

·        Sustainability of tenant involvement

·        Accessing resident views

 

The opportunity exists for every tenant to influence the Board of the Housing Associations.  1/3 of the Board will be tenants and these are supported by a steering group.  Tenants will be encouraged to become members of the committee.  Halton’s Tenants Federations have been asked how they would like to be run.  The tenant representatives have been voted in by tenants.

 

Roger thanked everybody for coming and all the panel for their contributions.

 

Andy thanked Roger.

 

Karen Jacobs – November 8th at 10am – 1pm – short presentation on employment hours.