BACKGROUND
Bellingham Local Assembly Action Plan
Your Assembly, Your Say
BACKGROUND
GENERAL – COMMUNICATIONS AND FEEDBACK
This action plan reflects the Bellingham Assembly’s priority areas identified through Assembly meetings and via outreach to local groups and individuals.
The 5 areas identified by local people as priorities are:
1. Youth provision and perception of young people
2. Anti-social behaviour
3. Environment
4. Poor parks and insufficient play areas
5. Older people’s issues
All of the ideas that people raised within the priorities can be found in the ideas document.
Colour key
GENERAL – COMMUNICATIONS AND FEEDBACK
Summary of idea / Actions / Deadline / Completed / Outcome and/or next stepsA - Use twitter as an engagement tool for Bellingham Assembly / Get agreement from the Coordinating Group / Mar 12 / Yes
Get agreement from the Communications team / Mar 12 / Yes
Create account / Mar 12 / Yes
Get picture for the account / Mar 12 / Yes
Attract 100 followers / Dec 12
Revise follower target / Jan 2013
B - Compile a newsletter after each Assembly meeting to feedback what happened / Draft report – February 2012 meeting / Mar 2012 / Yes
Print report – February 2012 meeting / Apr 2012 (delayed, purdah)
Distribute report to contact list – February 2012 meeting / May 2012
Draft report – June 2012 meeting / Jul 2012
Print report – June 2012 meeting
Distribute report to contact list – June 2012 meeting
Draft report – October 2012 meeting / Nov 2012
Print report – October 2012 meeting
Distribute report to contact list – October 2012 meeting
Draft report – March 2013 meeting / Apr 2013
Print report – March 2013 meeting
Distribute report – March 2013 meeting
C – Produce an end of year report about the Assembly’s activity and what has been done with the funding and achieved through the Action Plan / Draft report – 2012 / Nov 2012
Print report – 2012 / Nov 2012
Distribute report to contact list – 2012 / Dec 2012
Put report on the Local Assemblies website / Dec 2012
A. PROVISION AND THE PERCEPTION OF YOUNG PEOPLE
Summary of idea / Actions / Deadline / Completed / Outcome and/or next stepsA1 – Support young people get access to computers when the library is not open / Look at whether there is any statistical evidence that suggests that young people need access to computers at this time. / Mar 2012 / Yes / 2009 as part of a media consumption survey LBL asked about internet access – 70% do have access, 26% have none. Across the borough 90.6% of adults have used the internet according to a Jan 2012 GLA survey.
Include a question in the youth questionnaire aimed at Sedgehill School about the availability of internet access / Dec 2012
A2 – Identify what opportunities there are for young people to volunteer / Research what opportunities there are in the borough for young people to volunteer / Apr 2012
Compile a fact sheet with opportunities and contact details in case of enquiries/at assembly meetings / May 2012
A3 – Work with the Terry Palmer Boxing Academy to widen participation in boxing classes / Establish the current level of take-up of boxing classes at the Terry Palmer Boxing Academy / May 2012 / Emailed Terry – 12/04/12 / The Assembly awarded funding to support the Boxing Academy in 2011/12.
Establish the demographic background of young people using the Terry Palmer Boxing Academy / May 2012 / Emailed Terry – 12/04/12
Review the statistics and determine if further action is needed / May 2012
A4 – Teach people to cook healthily / Contact Primary Schools in Bellingham to establish what programmes are currently running to encourage healthy cooking programmes / Jun 2012
Contact Community Centres to establish what programmes are currently running to encourage healthy cooking programmes / Jun 2012
Review outcomes to determine whether further action is necessary / Jun 2012
A5 – Dance classes / acting classes etc in the community centre / Research what activities currently run at community centres / Apr 2012
Review outcome to establish if there is a demand for more activities of this type / Apr 2012
A6 – More football activities / Research what opportunities there are in the borough for young people to play football / Apr 2012 / -
Compile a fact sheet with opportunities and contact details in case of enquiries/at assembly meetings / Apr 2012
Include a question in the youth questionnaire aimed at Sedgehill School about the need for more football activities in the area / Dec 2012
A7 – Support day trips for local families / Check the family fun day organised by Lewisham Youth Service (Ken Parsons) and funded by the Local Assembly is going ahead / Mar 2012 / Yes
Review outcomes of family fun day to establish if it was successful / Sept 2012 / -
A8 - More subsidised after school provision / Identify what provision currently exists / Oct 2012
Review findings / Oct 2012
A9 – Support Gateway Youth Project Brighter Futures / Establish what the project is / Jun 2012 / -
Establish if Assembly assistance is needed and in what form
Review potential to help
A10 – Youth led forum assemblies for young people / Youth Assembly / Sept 2011 / Yes / Limited participation – need to find a different way to engage – draft youth engagement strategy
Develop youth engagement strategy / Mar 2012 / Yes / Adopted by Coordinating Group
Visit Sedgehill School Youth Leaders to discuss the possibility of developing a survey for pupils / Sept 2012 / Deadline moved back as no response
A11 – Develop links between the local scouts and older people (shared with priority E) / 8th Lewisham Scouts awarded £315 of assembly fund in June 2011 to hold an intergenerational party / Nov 2011 / Yes / Event was successful
B. ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR
Summary of idea / Actions / Deadline / Completed / Outcome and/or next stepsB1 – out of hours patrol / Contact the Safer Neighbourhood Team to identify what their current patrols are and if they are likely to change in the future / Apr 2012 / Emailed Police 12/04/12 / Response from SNT: shift patterns are continually changing. Limits of SNTs e.g PCSOs not allowed to work past midnight. Due to police budget constrains unlikely to be more resources in near future for additional patrols. No further action possible on this general point by the Local Assembly.
Conduct an exercise to adopt crime hot spots at the Assembly to see if patrol patterns need to be changed / Oct 2012
B2 – Faster response time by Police to residents complaints / Contact the Safer Neighbourhood Team to find out what the response times are to residents complaints / Apr 2012 / Yes / Current response times I Grade calls within 12 minutes; S Grade calls within 1 hour; E Grade calls within 48 hours and supervised within 72 hours; R Grade calls no specific time limit. SNTs own response time generally within 48 hours. No further action the Assembly can take unless there are specific problems..
B3 – Increased patrols around school starting and ending time / Contact the Safer Neighbourhood Team to identify what their current patrols are and if they are likely to change in the future / Yes / SNT response: After school patrols are conducted by nominated school officers. SNT also assists especially when schools break up for holidays. No further action the Assembly can take unless there are specific problems.
Conduct an exercise to adopt crime hot spots at the Assembly to see if patrol patterns need to be changed / Oct 12
B4 – Dog fighting is a problem / Contact the Police to find out if there is a dog fighting problem / Dec 2011 / Yes / The Police had increased high visibility patrols in Bellingham Green and Riverpool Park – no offences found. No specific allegations made. To pursue this need specific information.
Conduct an exercise to adopt crime hot spots at the Assembly to see if patrol patterns need to be changed / Oct 12
B5 - Stop groups of youths drinking in the park around Randlesdown Road and train station / Contact the Police to find out what is being done about street drinking / Dec 2011 / Yes / No drinking zone introduced in Nov 2011 in Randlesdown Road.
Contact the Police to find out what the impact of the no drinking zone has been since it was introduced / May 2012 / Emailed Police 12/04/12 / SNT response: Street drinking currently a minor problem with a couple of street drinkers. Mainly causes litter issues. Have conducted 5 seizures since September 2011 and have served 2 warnings. Continuing to monitor the area for this problem.
B6 – run a keep fit workshop and the outdoor gym in Home Park / Ask Friends of Home Park if they know about the project / Apr 2012 / Emailed Anthony – 12/04/12 / They requested the project and have been in contact with Glendale to find out if it is possible for a summer fitness programme to be commissioned.
Chase up Glendale about whether they are planning to commission a summer fitness programme in the park / May 12 / Waiting for reply
B7 – CCTV – install more and keep existing in operational order / Contact the Police to identify the current situation with regard to CCTV cameras / Dec 2011 / Yes / SNT undertook Ward CCTV review during the summer making sure that they knew which council CCTV cameras were working and the area they covered. Also noted the CCTV cameras numbers and their location. Also conducted a camera review in Randlesdown Road and the new Morley's Chicken has installed cameras. For more CCTV cameras need specific information.
Conduct an exercise to identify where CCTV cameras are needed / Oct 2012
B8 – Communicate with SNT on how they can support residents through the Assembly / Assembly Coordinator to attend ward panel where possible to highlight the work of the assembly / Ongoing / Attended in February 2012
B9 – Dog fouling on bridges to Perry Hill / Identify who has responsibility for dealing with dog fouling in this area / Apr 2012 / Yes / Contact department to request action
Contact the agency responsible to request the conduct a patrol of the area / Apr 2012
C. ENVIRONMENT
Summary of idea / Actions / Deadline / Completed / Outcome and/or next stepsC1 – Support Farmstead Road Community Garden to stay open / The Garden was awarded Assembly funding in 2011/12 to install an electricity supply and a sewage system at the garden, both of which are urgently required and will help to sustain the garden as a long-term community project. / Sept-11 / Yes / Await monitoring information to review the success of this project and to establish outcomes and if further support is needed
*C2 – Traffic calming measures required for Meadowview Road* / Councillors to contact Steve Gough to ask what the current situation is with traffic calming measures for Meadowview Road / Mar-12 / Yes / Traffic engineers have requested that Meadowview Road is placed on the Small Scale Traffic Management list for Traffic Calming 2012/13. An assessment will be done to determine speeds and if Meadowview Road meets the criteria, for traffic calming measures – look at this in June
Check the list of eligible schemes (should be available in June) to find out if Meadowview Road is on it / Jun-12
Conduct survey/canvass of the road to find out resident’s views
D. POOR PARKS AND INSUFFICIENT PLAY AREAS
Summary of idea / Actions / Deadline / Completed / Outcome and/or next stepsD1 – Vineyard Close – revamp disused small play area / Contact Christina Evwierhoma (Lewisham Homes) to ask for the background to this issue, she had previously said she would look into awards for funding. / Apr-12 / Emailed Christina on 18-04-12
D2 – Home Park changing rooms refurbished and opened / Contact Anthony Scully to find out if he knows the situation with the Home Park changing rooms / Apr-12 / Yes / A local football group expressed an interest in running the changing rooms if the funds could be found to restore the building. LBL agreed that the contract would be put out to tender. The football group that originally expressed an interest then withdrew their interest and no other parties responded in regard to using the building as a changing room. LBL currently looking to put it out again for tender. If no offer can be found Friends of Home Park would rather it was demolished. Awaiting decision about tending process before further action.
D3 – More park benches in and around Bellingham – Southend Park / Establish who has responsibility for Southend Park / May-12
Determine if there is a need for more benches
E. OLDER PEOPLE’S ISSUES
Summary of idea / Actions / Deadline / Completed / Outcome and/or next stepsE1 – More social services . community groups to help with form filling and entitlement of benefits / Research what help is currently available / Jun-12
Produce a fact sheet for distribution
E2 – Ask for ‘Dial a Ride’ transport rates to be dropped because they are not affordable to those not on benefits or low income pensions / Research what the current costs are of Dial a Ride / Jun-12
Ask if there are any plans to change these costs in the future
E3 – Fund the older people’s social club as they are due to close because of a lack of funding / Awarded funding in 2011/12 which allowed the group to continue / Sept-11 / Yes / Await monitoring information to review the success of this project and to establish outcomes and if further support is needed
E4 – Talking books delivery / Research what is currently available in Lewisham / May-12
E5 – Older people’s events in a large dance hall with service providers offering advice and information as well as funding- 20s,30s, or 40s theme / Bellingham Golden Oldies awarded funding in 2011/12 which allowed the event to go ahead / Sept-11 / Await monitoring information to review the success of this project and to establish outcomes and if further events would be beneficial
E6 – Joint party with scout groups and elders of Bellingham to celebrate 85 years – old time musical hall part children’s show / Scouts awarded funding in 2011/12 which allowed the event to go ahead / Sept-11