Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from Councillor Lakhmana with Councillor Khatra substituting.

RESOLVED: That the minutes of the meeting held on 30 July 2014 be agreed as a correct record.

This witness session into diversifying the Street Champions Initiative was divided into two sections; the first dedicated to gathering evidence from 2 active street champions and the second set aside for officers from IT and Community Safety Team to present on the support for Street Champions provided by their service areas. The following is a summary of evidence heard.

Street Champions

The Street Champions, from Eastcote and East Ruislip Ward and Pinkwell Ward, presented to the Committee. They noted that they had volunteered for the role to help make improvements to their local areas which, in some respects, were run down and in need of Council intervention. It was noted that many residents did not seem to care about their local environments and that it was rewarding to be in a position to affect change in your area.

Throughout the course of the session, Street Champions and Members highlighted the following points:

§  There was relatively little feedback following the report of an issue in the current system. The Contact Centre did provide a reference number and advised that an issue had been logged but there was rarely a detailed response concerning what work would be undertaken or how long work would take to complete. Street Champions noted that they valued it when officers from the relevant department rang to discuss an issue and provide information on how it would be resolved.

§  The quality of some of the work undertaken by the Council to resolve issues was poor and it was suggested that managers undertake spot checks to ensure a higher quality and longer lasting resolution. Furthermore, it was felt that some of the Council's responses were not joined up or strategic with, for instance, grass cutters leaving grass in road gullies leading to blockages.

§  Street Champions had varying degrees of involvement with their Ward Councillors. Some Ward Councillors had been extremely helpful in getting issues resolved but others had not responded to numerous queries. There was strong support for the idea that issues be reported directly to Ward Councillors as well as to the relevant Council department. This would ensure that Councillors were aware of the issues in their area and could provide assistance if required. It was noted that such a function was not currently possible on the online reporting system.

§  Most reports were submitted through the online reporting system. This was because reporting directly to the Contact Centre involved being on hold for long periods of time.

§  There was a feeling that it would be valuable to have meetings between local Street Champions so that they could share experiences.

§  One Street Champion noted that she did not feel valued by the Council as the only response she received was that an issue was "logged" or "closed". However, it was noted that the events held by the Council to bring Street Champions together were positive and did give a sense that the Council appreciated the work of volunteers.

§  There was a  ...  view the full minutes text for item 15.

RESOLVED: That the Forward Plan be noted.

RESOLVED: That the work programme be noted.