LAT minutes February 2014

London Road Area Local Action Team Minutes

Tuesday 4^th February / 18:15 for 18:30 at Calvary Church, Viaduct Road

1. Welcome, apologies and introductions –

Apologies: Amanda Healey, John Holden, Cllr Pete West, Karen Ashdown, Lorinda Holness (University), Colin Henderson (City College), Sandy Crowhurst (North Laine Community Association), Andy Winter (BHT), Emma McCrea

Present: Wahid Ibrahim, Borhan Khayal, Nile Amos (Community Safety Projects), Lucy Dunleavy, Cathy Reeves, Simon Bannister, Alan Brigginshaw (resident, Stanley Road), Bob and Sylvia Chiltern (Viaduct Road), Sam Bryant (Sussex Community Rail) project – on 7^th June there will be a celebration of the Brighton-Seaford railway turning 150 years old, also a street party), Ruth Anslow (HISBE), Cllr Ian Davey, Kara (Watkin-Jones, Co-op development), Paul Hughes (Watkin Jones), Andrew Green (One Brighton development), Daphne and Mark du Boissier, John Lucas (trainee reporter), Tony Firman (local resident), Mike Hedgethorne, Bob Curtis (Small Traders Association) Scott Crossley (Equinox), James Murphy (CRI), PCO Sharon Birt, PCO Nic Harrison, Eve (Winchester Street, London Road planters), Richard Barraball, Joe Nichols (Portas pilot), Ben Alltimes, Philip Wells, Katharine Crompton (Note taker)

= 31 in attendance

PJW – please note that Charlotte Overton-Hart has tendered her resignation as Vice-Chair, Katharine Crompton has volunteered to take minutes till June, but we need a suitable person to serve as V-C.

Matter is held over.

Vote of thanks/valediction for Charlotte O-H – suggestion to all sign a card for her next time.

2. Minutes from previous meeting (December 2013)

Agreed

3. Policing matters and Licensing

a. Review of our three possible policing priorities for this month. Last month’s were:

• Graffiti and flytipping (plus possible drug dealing) in Stanley Road

• Shop-lifting in London Road

• Prevention of intimidating behaviour on London Road with particular regard to interaction with children

Simon Bannister: feedback on Stanley Road mini-meeting (Thursday 30^th Jan 2014)

Meeting was well attended – informative. Stanley Road looks alright, but there are a lot of issues that residents have. Certain issues will be explored, and then there will be another meeting. Local residents comment on: Litter, noise, flytipping (mattresses, chairs etc), graffiti. Police comment about graffiti – hard to catch people doing it – encouraging public to call in, take pictures etc.

General discussion: Shoplifting now higher on police agenda – lots more of it recently. Town centre liaison officers doing a really good job – encouraging more reporting. Doing various action days etc. PW asks whether higher stat number on “theft” is because of TCLOs, PCs say they think it is encouraging traders to call police about shoplifting. HISBE says they haven’t had a huge problem but have had fresh meat stolen, but they have lots of CCTV. PCOs say street drinkers not necessarily interacting with children – rather children were worried that they were there – should go off the priority list. Agreed.

New priorities:

• Graffiti and flytipping (plus possible drug dealing) in Stanley Road

• Shop-lifting in London Road

• Prevention of intimidating behaviour on London Road

b. Licensing and ‘Sensible on Strength’ – appeal hearing on B&W stores is due 24/25 February and a “negotiating approach” has been received by the Council.

General discussion: things are a lot better. Scott Crossley (Equinox) reports on outreach. They usually pass drinkers on to other institutions – whole range of support. Lots of drinkers are using less HSA, which is a good thing. There are some problems with dog-walking area of Level. Plan to reduce large groups of street drinkers in future. Two entrenched individuals from St Peters now have been in rehab for two months – one of them changing and doing really well, which is very encouraging.

Mr Ibrahim from B and W stores people: once they realised there was a problem they looked for solutions. Can’t always recognise them street drinkers, but have put in a lot of tight policies. Problem has been reduced. Didn’t know about LAT before.

Tony F. thanks them for coming along – says it was good to do and to come along to meeting – hope to see you regularly.

Ian Davey – Mr Ibrahim’s barrister has written to the council. The conditions B and W are keeping are: no advertising of alcohol, no single sales, electronic tillprompt to check age, personal license holder on premises at all times, sign to street drinkers, enhanced training for shop assistants.

PW really pleased to hear of changes. Suggests B and W stores make a generous donation to equinox as a goodwill gesture.

Mr Ibrahim leaves, group discussion. Donation idea does not commend itself to everyone. Conclusion of discussion: as a group we are agreeable to negotiation, suggestion of goodwill donation is presented as a suggestion from PW.

4. Portas Pilot project

Joe Nichols – a lot has been happening in London Road – branding being launched on Monday. Website: www.visitlondonroad.co.ukgoing to be on Juice.fm. TCLOs are getting more and more reports from businesses. Next town team meeting 17^th February.

5. Elder Place project – update

Charlie Rallings commissioned to do murals. Found lots of artists. May (Fringe Festival) is target to show evidence of transformation.

Providence Gardens project moving on well, next stage has been approved by Council Committee.

Query: can old phoneboxes in York Place be removed? BT going to do assessment.

Consultation about London Road’s potential on council website – http://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/content/planning/major-projects-planning/london-road-consultation

Ian Davey – nothing new to say about Valley Gardens project but waiting for money to come. The planning department is looking at the whole stretch – eventually from Preston Circus down to Aquarium, the Valley Gardens part is currently bidding for funding.

Open Market has had some unforeseen delay – perished water mains etc – opening early April.

6. Matters arising, ongoing and updates

a) Co-op redevelopment

Work is ongoing, up to roof-level on most elevations, now doing internal things. 650 cubic meters of concrete have so far been poured etc. Show flat to be open soon. Doing local employment scheme – trying to take on local people, Visits from University of Brighton.

Comment: Lack of northern pavement on Baker Street is rather dangerous. Also Baker Street/London Road – making blind corner more transparent?

b) Pedestrian crossing timings:

From Austin Hunter: We did spend a long time looking at what could be done to help. We ended up configuring all of the signals and crossings in London Rd so that the pedestrian crossings came around more often. The plan that we put in place halved the interval between crossing times.

The challenge we have here is balancing the needs of this major through route for traffic leaving Brighton with pedestrians. If we let the pedestrian crossings go to the green man at random times it will have a significant impact upon traffic.

If you could give us more detail on the issues you would like us to focus on I can take this back to the team.

Comment: details requested to send back to Austen Hunter

c) Level

Nothing additional to report.

d) Pavement cycling – Viaduct Road, New England Road

Comment: N.E.Road children keep getting knocked down. Sylvia Chiltern says top of Viaduct road getting disgusting because of Wheelie bins on the pavement which is rather narrow. Problems with rats etc.

Comment: On London Road – deep puddles at pedestrian crossings.

e) Richardson’s Yard

Nothing to report.

g) London Road Traders Association

Nothing to report.

h) Valley Gardens

Consultation recently held – meant to be traffic neutral for London Road. But should be better for traders e.g. Moksha are very enthusiastic.

i) Open Market

nothing additional to report.

7. AOB. Any other items, please notify Chair at philipwells@btinternet.com before the meeting.

Katharine C had query about LAT meeting publicity. Meetings are announced in London Road Trader publicity (Portas), there are also mentions in the Argus. The last major mail-out (3000) was some time ago now. Simon Bannister comments on current survey of LAT meeting potential etc.

meeting closed around 20.00

Dates of next meeting: Tuesday March 4th 2014.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LondonRoadLAT

Website: https://londonroadlat.wordpress.com/

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Police Statistics for November 2013:

London Road/York Place

Anti-Social Behaviour (drinkers, street noise) 21

Burglary 2

Criminal damage 1

Medical (drugs/drinking) 6

Road Traffic Collision 8

Suspicious 21

Theft 19

Theft – just shoplifting 12

Violence (assault, fighting, robbery, domestics) 11

Police Activity (warrants/arrests etc) 9

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Police Statistics for December 2013:

London Road/York Place

Anti-Social Behaviour (drinkers, street noise) 24

Burglary 9

Criminal damage 8

Medical (drugs/drinking) 1

Road Traffic Collision 5

Suspicious 27

Theft 22

Theft – just shoplifting 26

Violence (assault, fighting, robbery, domestics) 21

Police Activity (warrants/arrests etc) 10

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Police Statistics for January 2014:

London Road/York Place

Anti-Social Behaviour (drinkers, street noise) 15

Burglary 2

Criminal damage 5

Medical (drugs/drinking) 4

Road Traffic Collision 5

Suspicious 30

Theft 26

Theft – just shoplifting 32

Violence (assault, fighting, robbery, domestics) 13

Police Activity (warrants/arrests etc) 12