London Road Area L.A.T
Tuesday 1st December, 2015, 18:15 for 18:30 – Calvary Church
1. Apologies and Introductions
apologies: Sandy Crowhurst (NLCA), Charles Dudley (UOS), Clr Louisa Greenbaum, Andy Keeffe (UOB), Andy Winter, Frances Lowe-Clarke (NCLA).
Present
Lindsay Debach (worker), Lucy Dunleavy – Stanley Road; Vice Chair, Scott Judge – resident, Terry Reed-resident, Penny Morley-resident (Older People’s Council), Nicola Harrison-PCSO, Sharon-PCSO, Marie-Louise Maeder (Town Team and resident), Mike Hedgethorne, Tony Firmin, P.Wells (Chair), Cllr Pete West.
Sarah Mitchell-St. Mungo’s Broadway
Outreach service with people rough sleeping and working to get them out of rough sleeping; 8 workers in total (much reduced); does much work in Level Area, Morley Street, task and targeting enforcement days. Contact details and emergency response details:
Please put on website the following information
Reporting someone rough sleeping to our team:
StreetLink
http://www.streetlink.org.uk
Phone number is 0300 500 0914
Also the council have an open consultation portal regarding rough sleeping which will feed into city strategy. Please advice members of this and encourage feedback.
http://consult.brighton-hove.gov.uk/portal/bhcc/housing/rough_sleeping/rough_sleeping_position_paper
There is a Council “Summit” meeting on rough sleeping 4th December
Richard Barraball – Resident, Cllr Pete West, Nicola-UOS Housing and resident
(16 present)
2. Policing and Licensing
1. Update and policing priorities
Reviewed Police Stats for Level including burglary, vandalism, street drinking, theft
Sharon: lots of factors for why crime figures fluctuate: lack of reporting, spikes with gangs, espc in the summer (warm weather)
-recent issue with petty theft associated with gang activity in the level; drug arrests
-lots of phones being stolen whilst skaters are skating
-drug users and drinkers targeting bags
NEEDLES ON LEVEL
-P.W: What about a bin for needles left in level toilets?
-Sharon: now a sharps bin in the toilet; many drug-users cleaning up after themselves now but still finding lots of needles in the back of McDonald’s and Hanover Crescent.
-Sarah: have been distributing single-shot injection boxes to ameliorate problem; Pavilions has set up needle exchange that operates out of Ditchling road, but distance hinders people from using that facility. (???- is this correct- P.W)
-Pete West: one of the problems on the level was dispensing packs of needles rather than one at a time. But now better than it was around the level due to loos being closed certain times of day.
-Sharon: Level has got better but made other areas worse.
SPIKE IN SUSPICIOUS BEHAVIOUR
-P.W.: Violence and suspicious behaviour seemed to have spiked, based on statistics.
-Sharon: violence sounds extreme but could be just mild threats (e.g. aggressive customers late at night)
DOG LEADS
-Penny: What is the official position with dogs not on leads?
-Sharon: Official rule is all dogs that aren’t in a park should be on a lead, but most dog wardens say if the dog isn’t causing a problem, then it’s fine.
It was agreed that policing priorities are unchanged:
– prevention of shoplifting in London Road
– surveillance for and prevention of any resurgence of drug-dealing, street drinking, anti-social behaviour on Level
– prevention of intimidating behaviour on London Road
CUTS TO POLICE FORCE
-P.W.: Has additional funding been found for policing?
-Sharon: There will possibly be cuts for neighbourhood policing and PCSO roles.
-current PCSO’s will need to re-apply for their role and there may be redundancies.
-have a big meeting on 15th December; certain number of vacancies wanted by July;
2. Consultations
1. Licensing
P.W.: Currently a consultation to re-establish/confirm the terms and conditions of boundaries around London Road (Closes 5th January 2016)
quote from Licensing Email:
A copy of the draft SOLP can be found on the council’s website http://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/licensingact as well as on the council’s consultation portal http://consult.brighton-hove.gov.uk/public/bhcc/ehl/statement_of_licensing_policy/statement_of_licensing_policy
Pete: Recommends people have a look at the consultation, as it’s policy that can influence a lot if people respond. This policy is then applied when establishments are looking for a license to sell alcohol.
Action point:
P.W.: will put licensing consultation on the website
Will put collective response on behalf of L.A.T. based on policies discussed in the past (as below):
In London Road the existing matrix has served well and London Road LAT supports its continuance.
3.5.3 the Sensible on Strength initiative has had a very good effect in the London Road area
3.24 says “3.2.4 The Licensing Authority will keep the Cumulative Impact Zone and Special Stress Area under review. Should the authority find that problems of crime and disorder or nuisance are not improving, or are worsening, the Special Policy will be reviewed.” We presume that this cannot act retrospectively i.e. if licences are granted and that problems are increasing, then presumably licences cannot be revoked.
3.2 – typo: “eastwards until it’s junction with Freshfield Road,” i.e. should read “its” without apostrophe. I note: “
3.6.1 Licensing authority will have regard to areas highlighted by the Street Community and Drug Activity Profile, produced by the Safe in City Team at Brighton Police Station. This document is available on the following page of our website http://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/licensingact. These hot spot areas are considered high risk for street drinkers and the Licensing Authority will have regard to prevention of crime and disorder by virtue of street drinking and anti-social behaviour when considering applications in this area. ” – which is a valuable provision in the policy.
Philip Wells – London Road Area LAT Chair 18/12/15
3. UDPATES
1. Viaduct Road – mostly no replies to our request for updates
-had asked for an update form Mat Gest about updating appearance of the buildings, no reply
-Had emailed Emma Sheridan with no reply
Wheelie bins/recycling not getting put back, or put out; many students live in the area which could be causing the problem (no long-term retention in learning when to put recycling/wheelie bins out)
Pete: Emma Sheridan must determine traffic
P.W.: Emma Sheridan, who gave a presentation about new traffic patterns, said she would update in the autumn to see how things are going
Mike: Asked if we could have Cllr Gill Mitchell-Council Chair of Environment, Transport and Sustainability-on fairly urgently
P.W.: Will write to Gill Mitchell and ask either that GM come, or ask her to ensure the appropriate office comes to give an update to the situation.
Pete: we should contact Mark Prior (head of transport)
Tony: said urgent action should be taken. Viaduct Road is worse that before the campaign to clean it up began.
2. Triangle, Roundhill
P.W.: Has met informally with Maureen Winder from Triangle, and Rob Stephenson from Roundhill society:
-for them issues with HSMO’s and students was a topic of concern
-focus of our concerns tends to be trading and shopping.
3. London Road Traffic
P.W.: became aware of the agenda of Environment Transport and Sustainability meeting 24/11/15 It included a report which would set a policy to prioritise various possibilities of traffic schemes, including priorities of Church Road in Hove and Boundary Road in Portslade
– London Road/A23 Preston circus was mentioned as a candidate but not recommended as a priority. On enquiry the Council Officer said this could change if triggered (say) by a big development plan in the vicinity.
-Ann Townsend (LR business association) ha said they would like easier access of London road so people could more easily get to the car park & would like two way traffic going south on London road so drivers have access to London Road car park via York Hill.
Pete: spoke to Gill Mitchell, who explained the priorities would be funded by local transport funding. She confirmed that priorities did not include London road. Pete emphasized the traffic difficulties to those living North of Preston Circus. Gill Mitchell had mentioned the possibility of getting money from Local Enterprise Partnership for London Road
-Pete West said that we should soon hear about a development scheme; hopes funding from that will give a contribution for Preston Circus
Additionally, Pete wanted a strong commitment from the council about getting funding for London Road and also mentioned getting better signage for London Road Car Park (difficult access by narrowness of York Hill) which should be achievable without big input of money.
Mike: Chris Gilbert, who spoke at the Open Evening, mentioned that the last bit of area to get improvement is Preston Circus;
Discussion of various traffic issues ensued, including:
– problem areas near Cheapside, where London Road now is only one lane – Richard B. proposed strongly that all north-bound traffic be routed up that way.
-bottom of Anne Street – where pavement widening improvements have caused a bottleneck when buses are waiting to turn right and blocking that single lane.
-St. Peter’s Place
It was determined that traffic would be asked to be a priority; P.W. requested traffic issues be a priority at the committee meeting
Pete: St. Peter’s Place will be part of the valley gardens scheme
P.W.: Should also include how traffic flows into the south of London Road
Mike: the LAT isn’t in favour of diverting traffic to cheapside; northbound they haven’t been designed to take this traffic
P.W.: Summary: Had asked at the ETS committee meeting that traffic issues be prioritised, without stating what outcome would be preferred.
4. PAST AND FUTURE PLANS
1. Date of next meeting:
P.W.: should we have a next meeting in January, bearing in mind the time needed to set up a meeting and the intervening holiday period.
Mike + Tony: Should have a meeting in January
Penny: couldn’t we make it toward the end of January. Suggested 2nd week
Next Meeting to be 12th January
Then 2nd February
2. Newsletter
Tony: took about 12 hours to distribute to the whole area; must be a team effort to deliver next time. Thanks were expressed for this heroic effort.
3. November Open Evening
Very informative about the area; Chris Gilbert did a retrospective presentation on developments in the quarter
4 . Financial position – any ideas about raising funds
Upcoming LAT Chairs meeting (8/12)
P.W.: is there anything we wish to put into the agenda for this (e.g. funding open Evenings, newsletters)?
Penny: How much did we used to receive for this?
P.W.: used to get £15 an evening; put in a claim for hire of the hall
Mike: were able to cover the cost of the newsletter from some funding we had only because we didn’t have to pay for delivery;
P.W.: Apparently Patcham LAT has thousands of pounds; meet 4x a year; our LAT is different because they are mostly concerned with a settled residential area as distinct from trading area.
Pete: we have a broad agenda; answers to some of problems lie further away; many more around area; but not complete coverage; this L.A.T is one of the biggest successes; should get Peter Castleton to come to a meeting and make him aware – February was suggested.
Discussion Ensued of sending the L.A.T. newsletter to the council
Penny: council looking for committees for Fairness Commission; should send one to Emma Daniel; all about what people do in their local communities; should send to ED to make aware of what the LAT has done
P.W.: agenda of LAT chairs meeting is on website
5. AOB (please notify before the meeting) – the meeting closed at around 20.00 with a happy Christmas being wished to all members.
Next Meeting to be 12th January, 2nd February.
London Road Area Local Action Team 