To consider any communications to be submitted by the Mayor or the Chief Executive.
Minutes:
Making Space – Markel Third Sector Care Award
The Chief Executive made Members aware that on 12th February, 2021, Making Space, Barnsley’s Dementia Gateway Service, won the Markel Third Sector Care Award in the community engagement category. The award was presented by Esther Rantzen to Cath Magee, the Service Manager of the Barnsley Dementia Gateway Service. Judges said ‘this winner achieved what often seems like an impossible task, it has pulled together multiple providers and formed a great connection with the local authority. This means they have been able to close many of the gaps that people with dementia fall through and ensure a consistent and responsive service across the local area’.
Members heard that the Markel award was designed to reward the hard work, dedication, innovation and excellence of everyone working with the voluntary care and support sector in a creative way. The award recognised the achievements of the Dementia Gateway Service pilot and Best of Barnsley Dementia Care Awards event. This brought together individuals and businesses from across the sector to recognise the very best in person centred dementia support. The award recognised the ambition of the pilot service, which had created the Barnsley Third Sector Dementia Group. This facilitates six local charities to work as one partnership to connect people with dementia and their carers to the services very early on. Judges recognised that the Barnsley Council approach was innovative and unique in responding to the challenges of raising dementia awareness and reaching people early on in their journey.
Councillor Platts, Cabinet Spokesperson Adults and Communities, remarked that dementia was a challenge for all, because of how it impacts on people and communities. The way each person responds to the impact of dementia was unique and Barnsley Council was keen to continue to support people with dementia and their carers in a way that works best for them. The Dementia Gateway Service had worked with the Council to explore and expand on opportunities. Winning the award was an important achievement for all and was a great endorsement for Barnsley as a whole and the team behind it. Thanks, and congratulations were given to Cath Magee, Service Manager of the Dementia Gateway Service, Steph Johansson, Regional Service Lead for Making Space, and the Healthier Communities Team leading on early help for dementia.
Cllr Sir Steve Houghton CBE added his thanks and congratulations, acknowledging that ensuring services were as good as they could be in this complex area was a huge achievement.
Cath Magee responded by thanking Barnsley Council for supporting Making Space, providing resource to bring services together that support the estimated 3,000 with dementia in Barnsley.
The Mayor added her thanks and congratulations.
Development Management Team - National Royal Town Planning Institute Awards
The Chief Executive gave huge congratulations to the Development Management Team who had been shortlisted in two categories in the National Royal Town Planning Institute Awards for 2021. The awards have been running for over 40 years and celebrate exceptional examples of planning. Under the category for Excellence in Planning, the Glassworks project had been named as a finalist and was part of the ongoing regeneration of Barnsley Town Centre and will deliver new retail and game changing leisure facilities, anchored by key public spaces and community assets such as the revitalised Barnsley Market and state of the art Library at the Lightbox. In addition, under the category Planning Heroes in a Pandemic, the team had also been named as a finalist for the handling of the planning application for the development of land to the north and south of Dearne Valley Parkway, Hoyland. The awards brochure stated that ‘Planning heroes during a pandemic is a worthy title for Barnsley's hard working, experienced, well-motivated and qualified planners.’ The Chief Executive praised the whole development management team on the magnificent achievement.
Councillor Frost, Cabinet Support Member for Regeneration and Culture, remarked that the Glassworks being highly commended was the latest in a long line of awards and nominations the Glassworks had received. The Planning Heroes in a Pandemic was nominated by Harworth Estates in relation to their Hoyland Application. Noted was the increase in planning applications dealt with over the past two years, with an increase in productivity seen as a result of adapting to remote working. Thanks were given to Joe Jenkinson, Head of Planning, Policy and Building Control, and his officers.
Councillor Richardson, Chair of Planning Regulatory Board, echoed the thanks and praise to the team being nominated for two awards. To achieve two nominations was outstanding, and Barnsley Council had a planning team to be proud of.
Councillor Sir Steve Houghton CBE added his praise to planning officers, noting the huge challenge, especially in light of the pandemic. Congratulations were given to Joe Jenkinson and his team for providing Members with
quality advice and for having procedures in place for involvement and engagement as part of ensuring the planning system was safe, secure, objective and followed all appropriate standards.
Following the end of furlough, and the realisation of the impact of the pandemic, it was suggested there would be huge social and economic challenges, including the need to create more jobs. The work undertaken by the Planning Department, including on the Local Plan, on Masterplans, and providing day to day support on planning issues was acknowledged to be hugely important in forging Barnsley a successful future.