Forth Neighbourhood Partnership
Minute of Business Meeting
on
Monday 24 January 2011 at 2pm
at
NELO, 8 WestPiltonGardens
Present: Chair:Councillor Allan Jackson; Councillor Cammy Day;Councillor Elaine Morris;George Gordon (Granton & District Community Council);Ken Jobling (Trinity Community Council); ); Peter Strong, Martina McChrystal, Henry Coyle, Jim Pattison (Services for Communities); Roy Douglas (Muirhouse and Salvesen Community Council);Barbara Lawson (Telford College); Derek Suttie (Children & Families);
Apologies:); Councillor Steve Cardownie;Dave Pickering (Forth Voluntary Sector Forum); Christine McKay (Children & Families); Betty Stevenson (Muirhouse and Salvesen Community Council), Ian McKay (NHS Lothian)
- Declaration of Interest
- Welcome
- Minute of Meeting of 17th November
- Matters Arising
Cllr Day asked if it was still intended to hold a local event around employability – either as part of a Forth NP Public Meeting or as a separate event. Peter Strong suggested it may be better to wait until the FSF decisions are taken and we are clear about what projects will be funded and what their remit will be.
Councillor Morris suggested we should involve some of the larger locally based employers, and TelfordCollege and local community councils would also like involved. Councillor Day suggested involving Hazel McDonald from Scottish Business in the Community who is based in the North Office.
It was agreed that PS would produce a paper for the next Business meeting on 7 March outlining options on how to take this forward, with a view to an event sometime in April/May.
- Neighbourhood Environment Programme
Councillor Morris asked why project 52 and 53 were to be continued pending progress on Trinity House development andclarity on section 75 funds. She questioned if they would qualify for section 75 and even if they didshe felt it could be an appreciable time before funding agreed.
PS said that he understood public consultation was under way with a view to starting developing the site in the near future, and that the previous planning consent had stipulated section 75 payments to remodel the junction at South Trinity Road/Ferry Road. The feeling of the Clean, Green & Safe Action Group wastherefore that it would be inappropriate to carry out work that might be ‘ripped up’ if a major reconstruction of the junction was to take place as part of development.
Cllr Day suggested the ‘footway build out’ (project 53) was the more pressing project because of road safety concerns and suggested that this be referred back to CG&S for scoring and approval. This was agreed.
- Participatory Budgeting/Community Grants Fund
- Forth NP had previously agreed to use the balance of this years’ Community Grants fund of £13,998, to pilot a participatory budgeting model similar to one being planned by Leith NP.
The process was publicised widely including emails to local groups and Community Councils, posters in Neighbourhood Centres and other public buildings, a feature on Forth Neighbourhood Partnership website and articles in CEC Outlook and North Edinburgh News.
By 23 December applications had been received from 10 organisations at a total value of £11,742. A further 3 applications totalling £2,778 were received after the closing date.
Given the low number of applications, particularly from the target group of smaller grass roots groups, a decision was taken to cancel the planned event at Edinburgh’s TelfordCollege on the 28th January and a number of options on how to proceed put forward. These included postponing holding a participatory budgeting event this year and allocating the remaining balance of the CGF fund in the usual way.
Councillor Morris expressed surprise that in the current climate more groups hadn’t applied and asked how it was publicised and if there were any indications as to why so few applications were received. JP said that the initiative had been widely publicised and that, following a limited response by early December, further emails were sent to local groups and Community Councils and another appeal made to CLD staff to encourage applications.
It may be that some smaller projects were put off by the prospect of having to make a presentation or of needing to have a constitution, but at the moment we can’t be sure why application rate was low.
It was noted that Leith NP had had to put application dates back in order to encourage more applications and that the evaluation of the Leith event may provide some guidance.
It was agreed to postpone holding a PB event in this financial year.
Councillors Day and Morris suggested that in the meantime the meeting should consider the applications that had been received.
Following discussion it was agreed to approve the following applications subject to them supplying any outstanding information.
Applicant / Amount / PurposeRoyston Wardieburn CC (For Kids & Co.) / £1,000 / Buy soft play equipment for kids group.
North Edinburgh Social History Group / £1,000 / Develop an exhibition from materials collected by group and tour local centres.
Puppet Animation Scotland / £400 / Run a 2 day animation workshop for young people aged 12 – 18yrs. Culminating in creating a 3-4 minute film. Project has support of and be based in NEA.
Muirhouse Housing Association (on behalf of Muirhouse Residents Group) / Application1
£1,000 / Run a school holiday film club (School children) & Bi-monthly Tea Dances (older residents).
As above / Application2
£1,000 / After School Club at Muirhouse Library
As above / Application3
£1,000 / Sunday Afternoon Youth Events (secondary school age) & Monthly under 5’s events
Warm Hearts Quilting Group / £784 / Making bed quilts and knee rugs for Eagle Lodge Care Home.
WardiePrimary School (Eco Committee). / £607 / Creation of a pond in school grounds to help pupils increase knowledge of natural world.
The Prentice Centre / £978 / Run a drop in session for young people of 16+ looking at future life choices.
Friendsof Forthview Primary
/£617
/Set up a Peer Early Intervention Group (PEEP) involving parents in improving life chances of children.
West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre
/£994
/Put group of young people through Dynamic Youth Achievement Award.
TOTAL APPROVALS
/£9,380
/The meeting agreed not to fund the following projects
Applicant / Purpose / CommentJump (Joined up Masterplanning / Run public information workshops linked to Granton regeneration. / Insufficient priority. Community benefit not fully demonstrated.
Also awaiting outstanding ‘end of project’ reports for previous awards.
Edinburgh Leisure - Learn to Swim / Swimming lessons for Forth resident in age groups:
8+
13-17yrs
Adults. / Insufficient priority. Activities would appear to be more appropriately funded by another body – in this case Edinburgh Leisure.
Edinburgh Leisure – Physical Activity for people with a disability. / Provide fitness classes for people with a disability over a 15 week period. / Insufficient priority. Activities would appear to be more appropriately funded by another body – in this case Edinburgh Leisure
Sierra Metro Gallery / Stage an exhibition of a Scottish Artist’s work. / Insufficient priority. Community benefit not fully demonstrated.
No constitution or articles of association provided.
Collective Gallery / Contribute to cost of free music workshops for Forth residents. Culminating in a performance and 7” vinyl record. / Insufficient priority. Community benefit not fully demonstrated.
No constitution or articles of association provided.
Waterfront Nursery / Contribution towards cost of ‘Turtle Kiddy Bus’ for Waterfront Nursery. / Insufficient priority. Community benefit not fully demonstrated.
Activities would appear to be more appropriately funded by another body – in this case Edinburgh’s Telford College/Waterfront Nursery.
Craighall Crescent Stair Partnership / Install a secure bike storage rack in stairwell to encourage more residents to cycle, to increase security and to enable more bikes to be stored efficiently in small space. / Insufficient priority. Community benefit not fully demonstrated.
The balance of the grant fund is £13,998 and awarding the grants approved above would leave a balance of £4,618.
It was agreed to publicise the availability of grant, invite more applications from local groups, to keep the maximum grant to £1,000 and to offer to help projects in completing grant applications.
- Action Groups – Update from Chairs
A written report was circulated summarising recent activity.
GG asked if the times of the meetings could be varied to include afternoons and evenings to encourage more community involvement. JP will speak to CMcK about this.
It was noted that Roy Douglashas agreed to take over chairing the group in near future – with Christine chairing in the interim.
Cllr Day noted that the Craigroyston cluster continues to have poor attainment results and asked if the Action Group can address this. Cllr Jackson suggested that the Councillors would request information from within the Council on achievement levels locally and bring this information back to the Partnership.
GG asked if the closure ofRoyston primary school had adversely affect attainment results – no information available at moment
Cllr Morris expressed concern that she had difficulty in engaging with some of the local primary schools as they did not always respond to queries.
Health & Social Care
A written report was circulated summarising recent activity.
Councillor Morris said she was pleased to have got progress on Health Information points after several years of pushing for them.
Councillor Day said he was disappointed to note the closure of Barri Grub which for so long had pioneered healthy eating in the ward.
Clean, Green & Safe
A written report was circulated summarising recent activity.
GG said that the Action Group had agreed to put the Food Growing Initiative out to tender to ensure fairness and get best results.
PS said that as the initiative is likely to be funded via NEP then we may have to use the Council’s NEP contractors to carry out some of the work.
Cllr Morris said that opening up the tender process is the best way forward. She mentioned a very impressive food growing initiative in Inverleith and hopes we can have one in Forth very soon.
PRAG
Henry Coyle gave a verbal update.
- At the last PRAG in OctoberSteven Whitton from NHS Lothian and Alan Howie from CEC gave an update on the proposed Partnership Centre in Muirhouse.
- Development of the preferred option and business case is subject to affordability and feasibility studies. Once these have been agreed by NHS and CEC, more detail will be available about the services, size of building(s) and location. Following the determination of affordability the next steps will involve community and other stakeholder consultation
- They hoped to be able to provide a draft ‘road map’ soon outlining the next steps in the development of the Centre and would provide information to the PRAG.
- A design team has been appointed and a key stakeholder group will be established to steer the masterplanning of the central area.
Councillor Morris and Day said they had been approached by young people from MYDG who would like to see the replacement for the sports pitch lost at Craigroyston to be in Muirhouse or as near as possible.
RD said that the pitch at Muirhouse needs drainage work and can’t cope with demands.
Cllr Day asked that Credential Holdings be involved in stakeholders discussions.
Henry said that the Stakeholders Group and the Action Plan will address these issues and that he will discuss timing of future PRAG with Fred Marinello.
- Fairer Scotland Fund update – Martina McChrystal
MMcC said that a meeting on Forth NP FSF will take place immediately after this Business Meeting in order to make any input into a final report due to go to the Budget Review Group on 31 January.
- Agenda Planning and dates for next meetings
- Any other business
- Date of Next Meeting
PS.
PS
MMcC
JP/CMcK
All Cllrs
HC/FM
MMcC
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