PRESENT: Chair Karen Leakey, Vice-Chair Pam Freegard, Secretary and Archivist Kevin Leakey, Treasurer John Phillips, Muhammad Chaudhry, John Freegard, Kate Johnson, Susan Kane, Kay Malko, Cluniford and Evelyn Mason, Rebecca McIntosh, William Murray, Beryl Phillips, Val Purvis, Saheed Rahman, Madge Sutton, Ros Timlin.
ALSO PRESENT: Councillor Derique Montaut, PC Diffin, Tim French
APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE: John and Vi Clark, Paul Izquierdo, Alan Jones
CONFIRMATION OF THE MINUTES: 02 November 2011 meeting. These Minutes were confirmed and signed a true record. Proposed by Pam Freegard and seconded by John Freegard
MATTERS ARISING FROM THE NOVEMBER 2011 MINUTES: None
NEIGHBOURHOOD POLICE TEAM REPORT: The new Inspector would be attending the January 2012 meeting.
The 2 Goan Groups had been dissolved and one new one had been formed, the new Committee had none of the committee members from the 2 dissolved ones. Mark Walker and Councillor Montaut had been involved in setting the new group up. The new Chair was called Roland; he was in his mid-twenties and wanted to do more work with the young people.
There was a problem with housing and some unscrupulous Landlords in the area, who weren’t too bothered who they housed in their properties. The Police were working with the Housing Department at SBC to try and place more suitable people in rented accommodation in the Broadgreen Area.
Prostitution – To tackle the problem it needed 2 Officers to carry out an operation, which was often a struggle to do. In November they carried out 4 operations and made 32 kerb crawler and 16 prostitute arrests, there was also a multi-agency operation, but it wasn’t too successful and no figures had been given to the Police Team from this.
To allow more operations to be carried out, the shift patterns of the Police Team were being looked at. There seemed to be no particular pattern to the nights or times prostitutes were working. Using number plate recognition, it appeared that the majority of kerb crawlers were from outside of Swindon, and if a particular vehicle was of interest they were stopped. The paperwork involved in these arrests often took between 5 and 6 hours to complete, so it was being looked into to see if civilians could do this instead.
It was reported by a resident that a number of people had been seen getting out of taxis, going into alley ways for a few minutes, then returning to the taxi and driving off.
WARD COUNCILLORS REPORT: Councillor Montaut passed on news that the ballot concerning the transfer of council housing to a housing association was underway and the results should be known at the start of 2012.
The 3 vandals who ripped lead off of the bandstand in Theatre Square, causing £3000 of damage were only told to pay £300 each in compensation and do 100 hours community service, leaving the Council to pick up the rest of the bill to repair the building.
There were still complaints about the railway station forecourt work.
CORRESPONDENCE:
Sent – To Chris Hitchings, re Whalebridge work vans parking on the grass by Corporation Street, vehicles turning right from Fleming Way into Medgbury Place.
Received – From Chris Hitchings – once the traffic was switched at Whalebridge, vans would not be parking on the grass, and it was noted about the traffic turning right.
SBC - informing us of exhibition at the Oasis regarding Great Western Way highway improvements – this arrived after last meeting and exhibition had now taken place.
PLANNING –
Notification of a planning application on the former police.
S/11/1632 - 23 Manchester Road SN1 2AB - Change of use of part ground floor to class A2 – turn into a unit for cash conversion and changing money for the increasing level of nationalities living in and around this area - Application pending consideration - Case Officer – Mr Rob O’Carroll
TREASURERS REPORT, to 31 October 2011: John Phillips
Proposed by John Freegard and seconded by Pam Freegard
ANY OTHER BUSINESS: Ros thanked people for the kind wishes and thoughts given to her, following the passing of her Dad.
Meeting closed at 7.25pm.
