Present at the meeting:
- Councillor K Cunliffe (Cabinet champion)(In the Chair)
- Councillor M Baines
- Councillor Mrs J Beswick
- Councillor B Bowen
- Councillor N A Bradbury
- Councillor J Eccles-Churton
- Councillor J Moodie
- Councillor Mrs A Turnock
- Councillor Mrs M J Whiteside
- Mrs C Boyd (Co-opted Member)
- Mr H Holden (Co-opted Member)
- Mr M Simpson (Co-opted Member)
30 Apologies for absence: Councillors H L Cadman, J D Hodgkinson and Ms L E Fagan and Chief Superintendent L Bruckshaw, Mrs M Burgess and Mr J Harding (Co-opted Members).
31 Minutes: The minutes of the meeting of this Panel held on 23 July 2007 were approved as a correct record.
32 Performance and future development of the drugs service: Ms N Yates from Environmental Services Department gave a presentation on the performance and future development of the services for drugs users.
Agreed: The Panel thanks Ms Yates for the presentation.
33 Development of alcohol treatment services in Wigan and Leigh: The Panel considered a report on the development of alcohol treatment services in Wigan and Leigh.
Agreed: The Panel notes the report.
34 Domestic Violence Co-ordinator: The Panel considered a report dealing with arrangements for the employment of the Domestic Violence Co-ordinator. The post had previously been funded on a short term basis, with previous occupiers of the post serving in three different parts of the community safety partnership. The Council, the Greater Manchester Police, Ashton, Wigan and Leigh Primary Care Trust and Wigan and Leigh Housing had jointly agreed to commit mainstream funding for a minimum period of five years for the establishment of this post, which would be managed within the Neighbourhood Services Division of Environmental Services Department.
Agreed: The Panel supports the proposals now submitted for the employment of the Domestic Violence Co-ordinator.
35 Development of performance indicators for a new local area agreement: The Panel considered a report reminding Members that in April 2005, the Council had entered into its first local area agreement with the Government. Since that time, the Government had been working on developing the mechanisms to ensure that local partnerships concentrated activity around those issues which were most relevant to local communities.
The Government white paper “Strong and Prosperous Communities” focused on the need for the Local Strategic Partnership (LSP) to act as “Strategic Commissioner” for a Borough approach with a view to providing responsive services which were based on community needs and aspirations. The LSP would do this by using the local area agreement as a mechanism for driving performance across a range of issues. Wigan would develop a new local area agreement.
The Panel was informed of the process for developing a new agreement to take effect from April 2008 and the opportunities for consultation on what priorities should be included in the safer and stronger communities block of the new agreement.
Agreed: The Panel notes the process for developing a new local area agreement to take effect from April 2008 and the opportunities for consultation on what priorities should be included in the new agreement.
36 Government green paper - "Homes for the future: more affordable, more sustainable": The Panel considered a report giving details of the recent Government green paper "Homes for the future: more affordable, more sustainable" on which the Government was seeking a response by 15 October 2007.
The green paper covered a whole range of housing and planning issues. Further statements from the Government were expected on the Hills review dealing with the future of social housing and the Cave review dealing with housing regulation.
The report contained initial views on a number of issues about which the Council was concerned and which would be included in the response.
Agreed: The Panel endorses the response contained in the report now submitted.
(Councillor Mrs M J Whiteside declared a personal and non prejudicial interest in this item because she is a Member of Wigan and Leigh Housing appointed by the Council).
37 Annual update of affordable housing strategy: The Panel considered a report advising Members of progress made since the introduction of the Council’s affordable housing strategy in July 2006.
Agreed: The Panel notes the report now submitted.
38 Mid year progress review of the housing strategy/housing revenue account business plan: The Panel considered a report dealing with progress in achieving the housing strategy action plan during the previous six months and progress in achieving the housing revenue account business plan during the previous 12 months.
Agreed: The Panel notes the report now submitted.
(Councillor Mrs M J Whiteside declared a personal and non prejudicial interest in this item because she is a Member of Wigan and Leigh Housing appointed by the Council).
39 Award of grant funding - Council’s gypsy /traveller site: The Panel considered a report advising Members of the award of grant funding for the gypsy and traveller site at Bickershaw. The award would enable desperately needed works to proceed on this Council owned facility with Government meeting the majority of the cost. If this opportunity were not taken, the Council would eventually need to bring the site up to an acceptable standard, possibly meeting the full costs out of its own resources.
Agreed: The Panel notes the report now submitted.
40 Children and tobacco: The Panel considered a report informing Members of the legislative changes regarding the sale of tobacco products and of the actions to be taken by Trading Standards to prevent harm to children through smoking.
The Children and Young Persons Act 1933 created a criminal offence to sell tobacco to anybody under the age of 16. On 1 October 2007 the Children and Young Persons (Sale of Tobacco etc) Order 2007 would raise the legal age for the sale of tobacco from 16 to 18, in line with alcohol. This change was designed to discourage and prevent children from starting smoking in the first place, therefore avoiding the serious health dangers associated with smoking. Products affected included cigarettes, cigars, loose tobacco and cigarette papers. Changing the legal age of the sale of tobacco followed the introduction of the smoke free legislation in July 2007 and was aimed at reducing smoking prevalence rates among young people.
Trading Standards would continue to support local retailers and help them prepare for the changes as well as providing signage, guidance material and practical advice on how to prevent sales to under 18’s. Trading Standards would also work with local schools and partner agencies, in particular HM Revenues and Customs, to address the problems of counterfeit/duty free cigarettes.
Agreed: The Panel notes the report now submitted.
41 Environmental Services quarter one service plan monitoring report 2007/08: The Panel considered a report, which was also to be submitted to the Regeneration and Environment Panels, advising Members of the Environmental Services Department’s interim service plan quarterly monitoring data.
Agreed: The Panel notes the report now submitted.
42 Wigan Community Safety Partnership – minutes: The Panel considered the minutes of the meeting of the Wigan Community Safety Partnership Executive Group held on 7 August 2007.
Agreed: The Panel notes the minutes now submitted.
43 Questions by Members at Panel meetings (if any): There were no questions.
