Note in Brief
Neighbourhood Governance
Note of Southall Broadway Ward Forum
Held on Tuesday 15th February 2011, at Southall Town Hall, 1 High Street, Southall UB1 3HA
Present: Councillors, Mohammed Kausar, Zahida Abbas Noori (Chair) Surinder Varma
Apologies: Sri Nimalan – Ward Envirocrime Officer
Attendees: 25 residents attended the meeting
Officers present: Dennis Frost (DF) Neighbourhood Governance Coordinator
Sergeant Shahid Malik – Southall Broadway Safer Neighbourhoods Team
Invited guests: Samantha Stevens – National Census
No. / Note / Question /Action Point /Welcome and Introductions
The meeting began at 7:03 pm, with Councillor Zahida Abbas Noori welcoming those present. She introduced her fellow councillors Mohammed Kausar and Surinder Varma – and also the supporting officers noted above.
Additional item:
Councillor Noori welcomed Samantha Stevens who gave a presentation about the forthcoming National Census. It was important to achieve as complete a census return as possible, in order that the council and other public bodies in Ealing receive their full funding entitlement, which is distributed using the census figures.
An information note, outlining the key messages was available for residents to take away. / Councillor Noori asked for questions:
How much would publicly funded bodies loose from a less than complete return?
Samantha Stevens replied that the figure was £22,000 for each uncompleted return over the 10-year period before the next census.
1. / Update on local Southall Broadway issues
Councillor Noori reported on a number of matters:
Beaconsfield Road junction – right turn filter
- the traffic survey had been completed and the scheme costed – at £52,000. Councillor Noori recommended that further progress should await a Transport for London funded proposal to make significant improvements to north/south traffic flows through Southall, along South Road and Lady Margaret Road.Southall Gas works site
- the allocation of Section 106 planning funds to be received from this development is being discussed, with more details being available in due course.2. /
Local police update from Safer Neighbourhoods team
Sgt. Shahid Malik provided ward crime figures for the four months: Sept-Dec 2010 (attached). Overall the totals were showing a downward trend.A new bookmaker has been licensed in Abbotts Road, despite Police objections.
A cannabis factory and a separate crack house have been identified and closed down. /
Southall Broadway Safer Neighbourhoods Team – details:
Team members
· Sgt Shahid Malik· PC Rubaie Kahlon
· PC Jas Gill
· PCSO Angela Mirzai
· PCSO Kevin Galstaun
· PCSO Kamal Birring
Address
· Southall Broadway Team, Southall Sports Centre, Beaconsfield Road, Southall, Middlesex UB1 1DPPhone
· 020 8721 2771· 07766 558816
Email:
Web site
www.met.police.uk/saferneighbourhoods
Councillor Noori asked for questions:
i) Councillor Varma asked if Sgt Malik could report on the recent Police meeting with betting shop owners.
Sgt Malik noted that the meeting – called by the Police Borough Commander, and which Sgt Malik attended – was very productive. The Commander had asked proprietors to be tough on customers behaving badly. In particular entrance doors should be kept closed and no drunkenness tolerated. Sgt Malik felt that the meeting had produced an immediate improvement in activity around betting shops in the ward.
ii) Why has there been a large fluctuation in the number of drug cautions?
Sgt Malik replied the number of cautions was linked the to amount of surveillance he was able to organise.
Iii) Councillor Kausar drew residents’ attention to the 2010 Residents’ Survey in which 70% of ward residents felt safe. He thanked the Police for their efforts in achieving this level of satisfaction.
iv) Are there any applications pending for new betting shops?
Sgt Malik noted there was one application, which was in its early stages.
v) Councillor Noori reported that she had asked if Southall Broadway could be made a special policy area – as Ealing Broadway – where it is recognised that the numbers of pubs, clubs and restaurants have reached saturation levels and new applications for alcohol licences are opposed.
3. /
Envirocrime report
Councillor Noori noted that the Ward Envirocrime Officer had sent his apologies for absence. However, he had submitted a written report (attached) that was circulated at the meeting. The report listed prevention activity in the ward from November 2010 - January 2011.The priority area had been waste and refuse investigations, followed by dealing with abandoned and untaxed vehicles and issues concerning street trading. / Council’s Envirocrime Team details:
Sri Nimalan, Envirocrime Prevention Officer
Ealing Council, Customer Service Centre, Perceval House,
14 -16 Uxbridge Road, Ealing W5 2HL
Office hours: Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm
Tel: (020) 8825 6000 (Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm)
E-mail:
There seems to be an inordinate amount of flytipped rubbish at the junction of South Road and St Joseph’s Drive.
Councillor Kausar noted that the report dealt at some length with work to tackle this problem. Councillor Noori added that the ward had agreed to pay for some palladin bins at this location.
Stalls outside shops continue to obstruct the pavement
Councillor Noori noted that the report also dealt with this matter, including details of recent prosecutions.
Councillor Noori announced that she would be taking item 5 next.
5. /Ward funded projects for 2010/11
Councillor Noori provided an update on the ward funded projects in progress. All the listed projects were in hand.Particular points:
Disabled parking bays – of the six identified locations, council officers had recommended that only two be proceeded with.
Southall carnivals contribution – Southall councillors had agreed to defer discussion of this item to the next ward forum. .
Southall Broadway festive lights – this project had not taken place, because of problems with the contractor.
Bankside fencing – councillors has postponed this project while discussions with British Waterways about safety measures were continuing.
4. /
Public Forum
Councillor Noori asked for questions and comments / i) What is being done about creating more car parking spaces in Southall?Councillor Kausar replied that the council had allocated £5.5million to build a new car park, which will be completed in the next three years. Councillor Noori added that work is under way to identify a suitable site.
ii) Why has there been a significant increase in the cost of residents’
parking permits?
Councillor Noori explained that the council is facing a difficult situation, with a significant cut in government funding. Councillor Kausar added that the cut was in the region of £66million, which had forced the council to both make savings and increase income where it could.
iii) Was the ward still able to fund the local Youth Cricket Project
DF replied that the removal of the artificial cricket pitch in Spikes Bridge Park (situated in Lady Margaret ward) had limited the scope of this project. However the organisers noted that matches were now being held at Warren Farm and in Hillingdon, nearby.
Action: DF to liaise with the project organisers about funding
6. /
Possible additional ward funded projects
DF reported that the ward budget for 2011/12 would reduce to £37,500 because of the pressures on council funding.
To date a number of projects had been suggested, including:
- support for Kings Hall Methodist Church, who are working to deal with rubbish and anti-social behaviour in the church entrance
- tidying the alleyway at Palace Parade, between 24 and 25 South Road
- support for a major exhibition The Southall Story, to be held this year at the Dominion Centre. Costs to be shared between the Southall wards- Bankside – safety fencing (see 5) above)
- Southall Park – more public exercise machines
Councillor Noori asked that further suggestions be submitted to ward councillors or to the Neighbourhood Governance Co-ordinator DF. / Councillor Noori asked for other suggestions.
Residents felt that in these difficult times, the council’s funding to voluntary organisations should be maintained.
Could the pavement on the east side of Villiers Road be resurfaced?
Councillor Noori commented that ward councillors were lobbying for a number of ward roads and footways to be resurfaced as part of the council’s 2011/12 programme.
7. / Dates of next meetings
The dates of future meetings were confirmed:
- 29 June
- 22 September
- 14 February 2012
Venues will be confirmed in due course.
Dennis Frost
21: March: 2011
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