Agenda and minutes

These were received from Councillors Brennan, Atkinson and Denham.

The office of Chair and Deputy Chair alternates between the County Council and City Council, with the previous year’s Deputy becoming Chair the following year. Last year, the Chair and Deputy were Exeter City Council and Devon County Council Members respectively.

In accordance with the agreement that the Chairmanship and Deputy Chairmanship should alternate annually between the City and County Councils, it was:-

RESOLVED that:-

(1)     Councillor Leadbetter be appointed Chair for 2018/19; and

(2)     Councillor Edwards be appointed Deputy Chair for 2018/19.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 16 November 2017 be approved and signed by the Chair as a correct record.

Councillor Thompson referred to problems caused by travellers occupying City Council owned land, notably Exhibition Fields. As well as the City Council taking necessary eviction procedures she referred to health and social services issues relating to travellers which fell within the remit of the County Council. She asked for improved liaison between the two authorities to ensure a co-ordinated approach to address the problems caused by travellers as they arise.

Other Members detailed the anti-social problems associated with travellers, such as noise, nuisance and threats to neighbours, damage to land and extensive littering and it was noted that local Councillors in the Pinhoe area had been active on behalf of residents to rectify the problems caused. Although improved provision for the travelling community would assist in reducing the problems, it was recognised that the travellers themselves should seek to cooperate more and not disrupt community life.

The Communities and Commissioning Manager advised that the Devon Communities Team included a traveller liaison service and he undertook to liaise with the City Council’s Director of Place to improve co-ordination between the two Councils on this issue.

The Director advised that Councillor Thompson should raise a request with the Chair of the City Council’s Place Scrutiny Committee to require a report on travellers’ issues and the City Council’s Director of Place would then be able to respond to the concerns explaining the current activity of the Council and proposing any improvements.

RESOLVED that Councillor Thompson liaise with the Chair of Place Scrutiny Committee requesting an item on traveller related issues, identifying how the issues could be better addressed, including mechanisms for greater collaboration between the County and City Councils.

The terms of reference and membership (attached) as set out in the appendix to these minutes were approved.

The Programme Manager Communities and the Communities and Commissioning Manager spoke to a presentation on a proposed crowdfunding pilot for Exeter.

This would then take place as part of a Devon wide pilot led by Devon County Council alongside local districts including Teignbridge, West Devon, East Devon and Devon and Cornwall Police

Crowdfunder.co.uk had been chosen as the platform to use as a leader in this field. It was based in Cornwall, had strong links with the University of Exeter and had supported a successful crowdfunding scheme introduced for Plymouth City Council over the past three years. For the Exeter pilot, it was proposed that this Board commit £60,000 which would be combined with £40,000 from the Sport England Local Delivery Pilot.

Four examples were provided of potential schemes and how the funding would be broken down.

Criteria for the fund would be for projects that:-

·         address inequalities;

·         improve health and wellbeing and get people active;

·         develop creative community based solutions to problems; and

·         develop and manage buildings, assets and green spaces to enhance our city

The Communities and Commissioning Manager advised that the criteria of the project would align with those of the Devon Communities Strategy around the principles of Connection, Control, Fairness and Working differently.

The Programme Manager Communities advised that a launch date had been agreed for the Devon pilot of 12 July where Members would be welcome to attend and could sign in using the link  https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/crowdfund-devon-launch-workshop-tickets-47015121494.

A later date would be set for an Exeter launch to invite stakeholders including Community Associations, community activists and interested stakeholders etc. Members were advised that community builders would have important roles in promoting and supporting groups to apply.

The Director (JY), responding to a Member, advised that the pilot would be focussing on relatively low contributions rather than the funding of large projects and stated that, as wider strategies for the Board had not been identified to date following the workshop earlier in the year, the priorities had been suggested by officers for agreement by the Board.

It was suggested that, as criteria had been agreed in setting up the site, if groups met the criteria a decision to support would need to take place quickly and it was proposed that decisions would be made in liaison with the Chair and Deputy Chair of the Funding Sub Group. The role of the Funding Sub Group would be to monitor progress and make recommendations for changes where appropriate.

Members welcomed the pilot project with one Member referring to assistance given by the Board towards the City’s grass cutting regime and that this commitment should be borne in mind as the pilot progressed.

RESOLVED that:-

(1)        the Crowdfund Exeter pilot be agreed;

(2)        £60,000 be allocated to the pilot; and

(3)        the Board Funding Sub Group be requested to monitor progress of the scheme.

(a)  Exeter Community Health and Wellbeing Board

Minutes of the meeting held on 26 February 2018.

(b)  Community Safety Partnership – Executive Group

Minutes of the meetings held on 25 January and 25 April 2018.

Exeter Community Health and Wellbeing Board

The Board noted the minutes of the meeting held on 26 February 2018.

Community Safety Partnership

The Board noted the minutes of the meetings held on 25 January and 25 April 2018.

Note that the Quorum of the Funding Sub Group is three, the Sub Group comprising three from the City Council and four from the County Council. The Membership in 2017/18 was:-

3 from Exeter City Council - Councillors Bialyk, Denham and Edwards (Chair)

4 from Devon County Council - Councillors Aves, Leadbetter, Hannaford, and Prowse

The Chair and Deputy Chair of the Funding Sub Group are the Chair and Deputy Chair of the Board.

To note the following dates of Sub Group meetings, commencing at 2.30pm:-

Thursday 5 July 2018

Thursday 6 September 2018

Wednesday 9 January 2019

Wednesday 6 March 2019

RESOLVED that the:-

(1)     Chair, Deputy Chair, Councillors Bialyk, Denham, Aves, Hannaford and Prowse serve on the Funding Sub Group;

(2)     following dates of Sub Group meetings starting at 2.30pm be noted:-

·                     date of next meeting to be agreed

·                     Thursday 6 September 2018

·                     Wednesday 9 January 2019

·                     Wednesday 6 March 2019

The following dates of future Board meetings were noted, all commencing at 5.30pm in the Civic Centre:-

Thursday 20 September 2018

Thursday 15 November 2018

Thursday 31 January 2019

Thursday 20 June 2019

Thursday 19 September 2019