Jun 18, 2014 - best solution in the long term. 3. Local updates ... about making the Borough really sparkle when it host
Ovenden Ward Forum For more information, go to www.halifaxnorthandeast.com; email
[email protected]; or ring 01422 255402 Date:
Wednesday 18 June 2014
Venue:
Kevin Peace Children’s Centre, Ovenden
Meeting Note Present: Councillor Helen Rivron (Chair), Councillor Bryan Smith, Councillor Anne Collins, Mark Brazil (Calderdale Council); Laura Gleeson (Pennine Housing) Jolene Craig, Hannah Saltonstall (Jephson Housing ), David Walsh (Threeways Centre), Vicky McGhee, Karen Scanlon (Ovenden Initiative). 22 Residents Apologies: None given 1. Welcome and introductions 1.1.
Cllr Helen Rivron welcomed everyone to the meeting and asked everyone to introduce themselves.
2. Your issues and open forum 2.1.
Ashville/Tennyson Street fly tipping – Issue with flytipping and litter around the bin store/coal sheds at Ashville Street/Tennyson Street in Lee Mount. The Council’s Safer Cleaner Greener Team has now cleaned up the rubbish but this is a recurring issue. Environmental Health can take enforcement action against flytippers however this often relies on community intelligence to identify perpetrators. It was suggested that the demolition of the bin stores might be the best solution in the long term.
3. Local updates 3.1.
Ovenden Phoenix football – 12 young people attended the ward forum to give an update on their newly formed group. The project is borne from the aspirations and ambitions of the young people themselves. It is their idea; their commitment to make changes through doing something positive; their effort to get things started, and, to get organised to begin to realise their ambitions. Altogether there are 30 young people, aged 16-25 from the Mixenden, Ovenden and Illingworth areas. The group are looking to create a registered open age football team and are currently being supported by Ovenden and Mixenden Initiative, West Yorkshire Fire Service and Ovenden West Riding FC.
Threeways Centre offered use of their 5 aside court facilities. They will be fundraising at the following community events and have asked people to come along and support them: Illingworth Fire Station Open Day – 28 June, 11am- 4pm Ash Green Summer Fair - 28 June, 11am – 1pm Car Wash at Illingworth Fire Station – 26 Jul, 10 – 4.30pm Emergency Services Day, Birkenshaw Fire Service Headquarters – 12 July 3.2.
North Halifax Neighbourhood Awards – Feedback from the recent neighbourhood Awards night at Trinity Academy in May. There were four winners from the Ovenden area: Kirsty Healey (Young People of the Year), Mick Gavan (Contribution to Sport and Play), Adrian Hill (Contribution to a Safer Cleaner Greener Environment), and The North Halifax Skills Centre (Contribution to Work and Training). More details on all the winners at www.halifaxnorthandeast.com
3.3.
Calderdale Citizens Celebration Awards – Open to nominees from all wards in Calderdale. It was suggested and agreed that the winners from Ovenden from the North Halifax Neighbourhood Awards should be considered as nominees. Councillors and Neighbourhood Teams will agree the overall nominee to put forward for Ovenden. Nominate online by 30 June at www.surveymonkey.com/s/citizenaward2014
4. Council and local service updates 4.1.
Changes to Neighbourhood Policing and Future of Police and Communities Together (PACT) meetings - Neighbourhood police officers are currently reviewing how they deliver PACT meetings in each ward and a discussion was held about the future of the meetings in Ovenden. Feedback received below, will be passed to the Police: It was felt strongly by residents that the Police must attend Ward Forums as a minimum because often issues are raised which require a Police input. Discussed possibility of tagging police updates onto other community meetings in the area but it was felt that existing Neighbourhood Watches are not currently strong enough groups and would need more development A resident pointed out that the Police’s social media accounts are a good way of keeping informed, and more publicity around this could be done. Residents said they like Police to look into the possibility of virtual/online PACTs as currently offered in Upper Valley. Resident also felt meetings were better attended when the PACT was at the same venue every time.
4.2
£5k Ward Forum Budget Allocation – At full budget Council in February the Council decided to allocate each ward forum a £5k budget, and each ward is being asked how the money should be spent in the area. The Council’s consultation listed 3 options for consideration, and these were discussed in the meeting as a group along with any other ideas. Then people took a break for an informal chat in groups, and filled in their consultation forms. The Neighbourhood Team has aimed to get 50 surveys from Ovenden, and the comments from the ward forum meeting will be fed back to the Council with the other responses received.
4.3
Moorside School update - Cllr Collins gave a brief update on progress of the development of the new school due to be built in the grounds next to the existing school, to ease transition. The school will be a 1 form entry school.
4.4
Take up of 2 year old funding - Cllr Collins asked people to encourage family and friends who might be eligible, to take up the free childcare for 2 year olds. For more information please contact local Sure Start Children’s Centres, or go to http://halifaxnorthandeast.com/2014/06/13/free-childcare-for-2-year-olds-dontmiss-out-on-your-childs-free-place/
5 Anything else 5.2
Clean Ups - A fortnight of cleaning has kicked off across Calderdale and it’s all about making the Borough really sparkle when it hosts the Tour de France on Sunday 6 July. The Neighbourhood Teams, Community Wardens, volunteers, businesses and community and residents’ groups can get involved. Equipment and bags will be provided and the Council will help with the removal of anything collected at the end of the day. In Ovenden the clean- up is on Thursday 26 June. (Meet at the top of Ovenden Way at 9.30am) Volunteers need to dress for the occasion. Strong, comfortable boots or shoes will be needed; perhaps also warm, waterproof clothing and headgear. Gloves are essential if litter picking by hand.
5.3
Allotment Project – Members of Beechwood Library Work Club (part of North Halifax Work Support) took part in a focus group for a piece of research in May, to help the Council understand why some families cope with financial change better than others, and what are the barriers to financial resilience. One of the biggest factors identified in the discussion was food poverty in Ovenden and it was agreed that the group would like to take on and develop an allotment to produce fresh fruit and vegetables for individuals and their families in Ovenden. Following discussions with Threeways Centre the group will begin working with Threeways as volunteers, on an identified piece of land at the old Ridings site, to develop for community growing. The group has some gardening experience, and
plans to produce enough fruit and vegetables to sustain the winter months, and create menu cards for quick and easy dishes like soups and stews. Threeways Centre will provide most of the tools and equipment needed, and the group will look to small funding pots to purchase seeds, fruit trees and other items. Long term they would like to link in with food banks and engage more volunteers. If you are interested in volunteering to develop the allotment, please contact Karen Scanlon on 01422 255402. 5.4
The Allotment Project will be an agenda item at the next ward forum in September, where hopefully if it’s nice weather we’ll be able to have a look at the allotment in progress.
6 Dates of next meetings 6.2
Thursday 4 September at Centre at Threeways, Nursery Lane, Ovenden, Halifax, HX3 5SX. 6pm for 6.30 start.
Follow us on Twitter @hxnorthandeast
Find us on Facebook! hxnorthandeast
