Agenda item

The Area Council Manager presented the item.  Members were made aware that the current environmental service provided by Twiggs would finish 31^st March, 2017.  For the service to continue after this date a recommissioning exercise would need to be undertaken.  The meeting discussed the merits of recommissioning a Clean, Tidy, and Volunteering Service, the draft specification for which was attached, and all were in support of recommissioning.  A number of suggestions were made in order to improve the service specification, and it was agreed to amend the final version in order to take these into account.

The meeting went on to discuss the Dearne Development Fund, which in the previous financial year had allocated around £80,000 to a number of projects that delivered to the priorities of the Area Council.  For the current financial year, £50,000 had been allocated.  Members noted the high quality of projects being delivered as a result of the fund, and the impact seen in the area. A proposal was made to allocate a further £30,000, with this being used as match funding to drawn additional monies into the area where possible.  All members were supportive of the proposal.

It was noted that officers had recently held discussions with Community Link Officers, recently employed by Dearne ALC, around possible support from the Fund.  The meeting discussed possible future possibilities, but noted the historical issues with the ALC, including the cost and inaccessibility of the ALC as a venue.  It was suggested that relationships with the ALC could help improve this.

The Area Council Manager referred to the work undertaken to improve the railway embankment.  Many partners had been involved with Network Rail providing £20,000 towards the scheme.  The meeting heard how students from Sheffield University had also been involved in undertaking a feasibility study around the design of the scheme and future funding possibilities. 

Members heard how many residents had been involved in the work and the area had improved considerably as a result, with a sustained reduction in fly tipping and graffiti.  The work had featured in social media, and feedback had been extremely positive. It was noted that the biodiversity in the area was being mapped and newts had been discovered.

Members praised the scheme and the impact seen in the area. A suggestion was made to record the good practice undertaken in delivering the project to replicate in other similar areas.  The Area Council Manager proposed that £10,000 of Area Council finance be allocated to the railway embankment scheme in order to support further work, using this finance for match funding wherever possible.

Members noted the current levels of finance within Ward Alliance Fund budgets, and a decision was taken to devolve an additional £10,000 per fund, to be allocated through existing approval mechanisms.

RESOLVED:-

(i)        That approval be given to procure a Clean, Tidy and Volunteering Service, to a value of £75,000 per annum for a one year period, with the possibility to extend this for a further year period;

(ii)       That the specification of requirements for the Clean, Tidy and Volunteering Service be approved, subject to minor amendments made by the Interim Executive Director Communities, in consultation with the Service Director Environment and Transport;

(iii)      That a further £30,000 is allocated to the Dearne Development Fund, to be allocated through the process previously agreed;

(iv)     That £10,000 per ward be delegated to Dearne North and Dearne South Ward Alliances, to be allocated through existing Ward Alliance Fund procedures; and

(v)       That £10,000 be allocated to support the railway embankment scheme, with final approvals for expenditure delegated to the Interim Executive Director Communities.