PRESENT: Chair Karen Leakey, Vice-Chair Pam Freegard, Treasurer John Freegard, Secretary and Archivist Kevin Leakey, Diana Banner, Muhammad Chaudhry, John Clark, Vi Clark, Kate Johnson, Kath Jones, Cluniford Mason, Ros Timlin, Pat Townsend, Roy Townsend, Bob Walter
RESIDENTS PRESENT: Y Irshad, Imtiyaz Shaiki
ALSO PRESENT:
PCSO Millarvie, Mark Walker – SBC Town Centre Locality Lead, Brian Jones, Bryan Evans Youth Engagement Service, Tim French, Kathryn Hawke, Azim Khan – Thamesdown Islamic Association, Tony Salcedas, Manchester Road shopkeepers –Nicholas Kearns, S. Mahmood, Haydar Pall
APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE: Paul Izquierdo, Kay Malko, Evelyn Mason, Rebecca McIntosh, Ishmael Stevens, Madge Sutton, PC Atkinson - Broad Street Area Beat Manager, Councillor’s – Bob and Julie Wright, Frances Barrone – SBC
DROP-IN NOTES, 05 March 2014 – Confirmed Pam Freegard - seconded John Clark
Before the commencement of the meeting, a Swindon Advertiser photographer turned up to take photos of yet another alleged parking meeting taking place at the BSACC meeting. Nobody present at the meeting admitted to inviting the Adver to this alleged parking meeting, so the photographer was asked to leave.
CHAIR REPORT
Karen and Cllr. Julie Wright attended a meeting with SBC Officer, Russell Sharland. This was to discuss the anti-social problems connected with street drinking and fly tipping, and that SBC were looking at a future way forward with joined up working, and ensuring all SBC Officers were fully aware of the powers at their disposal.
NEIGHBOURHOOD POLICE TEAM STATISTICS: 01 March 2014 to 31 March 2014
Criminal damage – 5 (2013 – 5)
Assaults – 7 (2013 – 6) (4 x domestic incidents)
Theft and Handling – 11 (2013 – 20 (8/11 relate to commercial premises)
Drugs Offences – 8 (2013 – 1) (Due to proactive stop searches and a warrant)
Dwelling Burglary – 2 (2013 – 7)
Robbery – 0. (2013 – 1)
PCSO Millarvie read out the following report:
NEIGHBOURHOOD POLICE TEAM REPORT – PC Atkinson
In the Broadgreen and Shrivenham Road beat areas victim based crime is slightly up however incidents of vehicle crime and burglaries are both down on 2013 figures. Incidents of anti-social behaviour year to date are down 2.7%. In February 2013 we received 15 calls relating to ASB.
There has been a slight increase in levels of Anti-social behaviour relating to street drinkers hanging around in the alleyways. Due to this, a patrol Tasker has been put in place to make other Swindon Police officers aware of the issue. Local town centre officers have been out on patrol and dealt with street drinkers on numerous occasions resulting in alcohol being seized and evidence being compiled for anti-social behaviour action. The street drinkers have also been notified that their pictures have been given to alcohol retailers and that they are not to be served with intoxicating beverages. Swindon Police’s licensing officer is due to review the alcohol license at premises on Manchester Road in the very near future in company with Trading Standards.
There has now been a total of 321 additional patrols carried out in the area, specifically targeting ASB in addition to routine patrols since the patrol plan was implemented in August last year. Street drinkers will continue to be targeted and dealt with robustly and I’m aware they have become an issue again since the weather has improved. The town centre NPT will be carrying out operations over the coming weeks in order to target them. Evidence will be compiled for individual ASBOs with robust conditions and to extend the town centre Section 30 Dispersal Order into Broadgreen. This will give Police the power to disperse individuals involved in anti-social behaviour for up to 24 hours, if they return or refuse to go then they can be arrested!
All the key crimes on the area during March have decreased or stayed at a steady level with the exception of drug based offences. Drug offences have gone up due to increased high visibility patrols in the area which have targeted known drug users as well as drug warrants. This has resulted in arrests and positive results for every offence.
Local Officers carried out another drugs warrant in the area in mid-March. This resulted in another Cannabis factory being located and two males being arrested for cultivation of cannabis. Drugs have a hugely negative impact on the community and we will continue to deal robustly and speedily with any offences we come across or information we are given by local residents.
We are due to carry out a week of action concerning parking starting Monday 7th April. This will involve local officers patrolling with parking attendants to target vehicles parked unlawfully, causing obstructions and otherwise not complying with local road laws. If there are any vehicles regularly causing issues then please make PCSO Millarvie aware and we will look to deal with them during this week.
Karen has informed me that she and Kevin are going to stay with the Community Council for the foreseeable. I see this as hugely positive for the area and look forward to working with them both in future to make Broadgreen a better place for residents to live. Finally my apologies to Residents. Unfortunately I have been unable to attend the meeting this month due to an Operation in the area. I will be in attendance at the May meeting and look forward to seeing you all. If anyone needs to speak with me then please use my contact details below and I will come out and see you.
Policing is an Intelligence driven business and the NPT would urge you to contact Wiltshire Police on 101 if you have something you need to tell us. Or alternatively email Community Beat Manager PC 2410 Luke Atkinson - luke.atkinson@wilthire.pnn.police.uk
PCSO Millarvie answered the following questions and queries:
Recently, the CCTV van was parked by the Health Centre, and it encouraged the street drinkers to migrate into the alleyways of Broadgreen. – The CCTV was being used as a deterrent, but at the moment the Police could only take away alcohol and move the people on, however it was hoped that a Section 30 would be implemented, meaning the offenders would be banned from the area for 24 hours. A 24-hour ban was working in the Town Centre. Both PCSO Millarvie and PCSO Rogers were undertaking as many hi-visibility patrols, on foot and on bikes, as possible. Other Police Officers were also aware of the problem and regularly patrolled when in the area.
A resident had been abused, threatened and chased in a back alley because they had asked a drinker what he thought he was doing by relieving himself against a telephone pole. This was reported to the Police, but the incident was not passed on to the NPT. – PCSO Millarvie arranged to visit the resident.
A number of other drink related problems were also discussed.
COUNCILLORS REPORT: Apologies were sent from Councillors B and J Wright, who were unable to attend due to a Council meeting being held at the same time.
CORRESPONDENCE
SENT – None
RECEIVED – Updates of work undertaken by Councillor J. Wright from issues raised at last months BSACC meeting -
pre-warning of licence applications – 142 Manchester Road, Lack of updates concerning enforcement against shops in the area, and Football parking, Shrivenham Road.
Reminder that the BSACC insurance is due for renewal shortly
PLANNING
S/13/1850 - 3 Armstrong Street SN1 2AA, S/14/0034 - 101 Graham Street SN1 2EZ, S/14/0063 - 19 Medgbury Road SN1 2AS, S/13/1771 - 25 Medgbury Road SN1 2AS, S/13/1887 - 84 Salisbury Street SN1 2AW, – Installation of external wall insulation – all five applications refused
S/PRIORH/14/0225 - Prior Approval Notification for the erection of a single storey rear extension measuring 3.89m (from original rear wall), 2.63m (maximum height) and 2.58 (height to eaves) - 43 Ponting Street SN1 2BW – Prior approval is not required - Case Officer - Mr Edward Snook
TREASURERS REPORT - to 02 April 2014: John Freegard
Proposed Roy Townsend - Seconded Ros Timlin
MEMBERS OPEN FORUM: The Chair invited non-members and non-residents to participate in the forum. The following information, issues, problems and concerns were reported and discussed –
· The ridge of a roof on a house in Medgbury Road had slipped down and away from the chimney – it looked very dangerous.
· Membership of the Community Council.
· The Broad Street Mosque expanding into the house next door – planning permission would be sought
· Residents Parking – the Mosque users wanted special dispensation to park in resident’s bays on a
Friday afternoon. There were now too many people for one prayer time, so it was split – 1.15pm and
2.00pm.
· A Manchester Road shopkeeper recently verbally abused a caretaker at the Broadgreen Centre. His wife had parked in the centre and was asked to leave as the car park was for users of the centre and not the general public. Illegal parking in the Broadgreen Centre car park is an ongoing problem and unfair on people that have paid to use the centre and cannot park there.
· Manchester Road shop owners were going to form a shopkeepers association as they were not happy with the new experimental parking changes (instant ticketing of vehicles on double yellow lines, nowhere to load/unload) and although shopkeepers were not happy about vehicles being parked on d/y lines, they felt the changes were detrimental to the running of their businesses because 2 hour parking bays at the ends of the side roads, that were being used by customers, were no longer available to use, putting off customers from shopping there. Most of residents parking bays were empty during the day as residents were at work, it had been asked why shop customers could not use the empty spaces, It was also suggested that 20 minute parking meters could be used, and whoever suggested this parking scheme was trying to ‘kill’ the shop owners businesses, and were trying to be racist.
It was pointed out that Manchester Road was a Local Centre, mainly aimed at the needs of local residents, who wouldn’t need to drive to shop there.
The shopkeepers did not believe that they had been informed about the parking consultations. – Mark Walker was pleased that they were forming an association and offered a meeting to discuss their grievances and have the person/s that designed the scheme to explain about it, but also pointed out that double yellow lines had been put in place for safety reasons, SBC did not want to introduce parking meters as it was a residents parking zone, if a business was to open in any other area of Swindon, parking for customers would have to be provided but the planning authority would consider that customers using Manchester Road would use the public car parks in the town centre (also County Ground 20p per hour), which is why parking was not required for new planning applications.
Parking consultations had been ongoing for around 18 months, all businesses and residents were informed about the consultations by personally delivered letters and the engineers and parking services had visited every shop in Manchester Road. The plans were to increase the residents parking bays and had been available to publicly view.
Businesses could apply for a commercial parking permit and there were visitor bays around the area. The reason that there was instant ticketing now, was because in the past vehicle owners had abused the 5 minute waiting rule in Manchester Road and as it was an important road into the town centre it could not be blocked by what was often 20 to 30 illegally parked vehicles blocking the road, and if people had behaved more responsibly toward parking then there would not have been a need to introduce the changes.
· Mr Khan (Broad Street Mosque) informed the residents and members at the meeting that he had been coming to the meetings for two years and the BSACC committee did not consider nor give a damn about the Mosque or the businesses. There was a large Asian community in the area and what he wanted from the BSACC was equal representation, for the Muslims for the Christians for the Mosque, for the businesses and not only for the few people that came to the meetings and dictated to ‘us’. Mr Khan also wanted to know, when we say a residents association, how many Asians were represented and attended the community council meetings?
· Mr Mahmood (Manchester Road shop owner) said that if any one put in a planning application the BSACC objected. This was a full time job and no one was working, just looking at planning applications and putting in objections against any extension or any change of use.
· Mr Kearns (Manchester Road shopkeeper) didn’t feel they had been made welcome and were told to leave the meeting before it started.
In connection with these issues, the following dialogue took place -
The Secretary – The BSACC was a residents association, Muhammad, (a resident and Mosque attendee) was on the Committee, there was a Goan representative at the meeting, and he did not know what Mr Mahmood was talking about, re. objecting to planning applications being a full time job. No shopkeepers had been asked to leave the meeting, non-members were welcome to attend as observers and two of the shopkeepers chose to leave themselves before the meeting started and return for the open forum.
The Chair – Having been Chair for the last 7 years and known Mr (Azim) Khan for the fourteen years she had been attending the BSACC, Mr Khan had been invited to all sorts of meetings during that time. During her time as Chair, she had made herself ill trying to bring all the communities together, and the only time Mr Azim Khan and Mr Mansoor Khan had come along to anything was when they wanted something. She had worked with the Youth Club for three and a half years, attended mainly by Muslim young people, and this was at the time when some of the young people had got into serious trouble, and in that time, both Mr. Khan’s had only come along to the youth club twice.
She had also worked tirelessly with Goan residents trying to get people involved, particularly when Santana was the Chair of the Goan Community.
The BSACC didn’t just represent the people at the meeting, but represented many people that didn’t attend. Many hours were spent on the streets talking and engaging with residents finding out what they felt and thought. At the last few meetings there had been a lot of bad feeling generated, culminating in a perception of a ‘them and us’ situation, which it had never been before. It seemed that what was wanted was the Community Centre, free parking where and whenever required, and the shops to be able to trade wherever and whenever they wanted.
The Vice-Chair –In the past and on multiple occasions, we had spent months putting letters through the doors of all houses in the area, and had no responses and no one came to the meetings, we couldn’t do any more and if people didn’t want to come to meetings we couldn’t force them.
Committee member – As Mr Khan had been coming to the BSACC meetings for 2 years and felt that there was no Mosque representation at the meetings, two years was ample opportunity to sort it out, so why had it not been suggested that Broadgreen residents that attended the Mosque, attended the meetings and became Members. If people wouldn’t come along, despite being invited on multiple occasions what else could we do, the meetings were open for all to attend.
In reply, Mr Khan said they wanted a fair share of the facilities, a fair share of the work and we had to be fair to each other.
Resident – Speaking on behalf of the Goan community, a lot of information about the meetings was around, however many of the Goans worked shifts and were unable to attend, as was the situation with this resident, but it was important for all residents to attend and maybe businesses as well, to understand all views. A solution was needed but it was also difficult to convince younger people to attend an hour long meeting, but he had requested that a team of Goans be found that were able to represent their community at BSACC meetings, although it might take some time.
Committee Member – Asked Mr Khan what sort of numbers that attended the Mosque were residents in the area and how many people attended Mosque on Fridays, in total?
In reply, Mr Khan said there was a total community of 300 to 400 people of various nationalities – Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Somali, Kurdish, Arabs, Turkish, Sudanese, Gambian, Ghanaian and West African who looked Jamaican but were Muslim and there were Jamaican Muslims and English Muslims as well. Around 500 people attended Mosque on a Friday.
Mr Khan then apologised if he had hurt anybodies feelings, as we were not there to attack each other, but to put grievances and difficulties to the meeting to find a solution. Everyone did a fantastic job, coming (to meetings) but what he wanted was for all of the community, including the businesses, to be there, this was the cry from the local people, the businesses, and the Muslim community who came to the Mosque everyday, for the BSACC to take the issue, discuss it and solve it for them. They had a problem and were putting it in the hands of the BSACC to find a solution, so we could all live in this area happily as brothers and sisters, as one community. They wanted to share the difficulties and share the facilities. The difficulty on Friday was for half an hour, they wanted to get together to solve this problem with the Police, Local Authority and Local Councillors.
The shop owner opposite the Mosque in Broad Street, had also asked Mr Khan to come to the meeting to find a parking space for him to load/unload his van as the space at side of his shop had been removed.
The Chair said that around 5 years ago, as part of the Tasking Meetings, there was a meeting with all parties about the same issues, both Azim and Mansoor Khan were present and it culminated in spaces being allowed for Mosque users in Carlton car park.
With regards to Mr Khan’s point that Friday parking difficulties were only for half an hour, the Secretary pointed out that earlier, the meeting had been told that there were now 2 prayer times on a Friday so more than half an hour would be required, half an hour for each meeting, and if special dispensation was offered to one group then it had to be offered to everybody, which would result in residents parking getting out of hand, and businesses needing parking could buy a commercial licence to park in the area.
After some uncertainty Mr Mahmood agreed it would be an hours parking, and Mr Khan said those attending would need half an hour.
The Chair asked Mark Walker to explain the next steps with parking, because it was SBC’s problem, not the Community Council’s –
Mark Walker – The parking changes were SBC’s and Highway’s responsibility, so the best option would be to have a separate meeting with the relevant people from Highways, to enable a better understanding of things. Mark committed to facilitate a meeting at the Broadgreen Centre within the next couple of weeks with the residents association and other interested groups and the businesses. For the last 2 years SBC had been attempting to have dialogue but people have not engaged
Mr Kearns requested that shopkeepers meet with the council prior to this proposed meeting to explain their position. Mark agreed and requested contact details to arrange it.
Meeting closed 8.40pm
