Sgt John Hillman.

Approximately 25 members of the public attended the meeting.

Apologies were received from a local resident, Keith Manning, who had wished to attend but was unable.

No declarations of interest were made.

Minutes of the meeting held on 30 March 2009 attached

The minutes of the meeting held on 30 March 2009 be received and approved.

Sgt John Hillman of the Ham, Petersham and Richmond Riverside Safer Neighbourhood Team will be in attendance to address any policing issues that residents may have.

Sgt John Hillman updated the meeting on the work of the Ham, Petersham and Richmond Riverside Safer Neighbourhood Team. Previously, ward residents had identified priorities for the team to focus on, which included combating theft from motor vehicles, anti social behaviour, drugs and pedal cycle theft.

Sgt Hillman gave a comparison of annual crime rates in the ward looking at 2009 in comparison with 2008. Figures for ‘violence against the person’ and ‘theft of pedal cycle’ had risen slightly but in all other key focus areas the number of offences had been reduced. Areas where a significant reduction of offences had been recorded included burglary, which had dropped from 59 incidents in 2008 to 49 incidents in 2009; drugs offences had been reduced from 33 to 12 per year and theft from motor vehicles had been reduced from 46 to 28 incidents.

Sgt Hillman reported that recently three drugs searches had been carried out, leading to charges, and it was with the assistance of the local community that the team were able to carry out these operations. In addition, two people had recently been arrested in relation to bicycle thefts and since this time no further cycles had been stolen. In terms of anti social behaviour, this continued to be a problem in Ham Parade and Terrace Gardens, mainly during summer months, but anti social issues were now less prominent in the Ashburnham Road area.

In relation to a question regarding staffing, Sgt Hillman explained that the local team currently consisted of one Sergeant, two Police Constables (PCs) and three Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs). A new WPC was due to join the team in January 2010.  The PCSOs were carrying out community work such as free bicycle marking and had been working with primary schools in the area. The team were also investigating reports of rough sleepers on Ham Lands.

The meeting discussed issues surrounding a public house in Petersham where incidents of anti social behaviour had been reported. Residents were informed that problems of noise could be monitored and addressed via the Council’s Environmental Health and Licensing departments. It was advisable for local residents to keep a log of any incidents of late or excessive noise at the location, and all information would then need to be forwarded to the Licensing team. Ward Councillors and the Police Safer Neighbourhood team were also working with residents to ensure that the public house in question did not contravene licensing regulations.

In response to a query about working hours, the Sgt Hillman informed the meeting that officers were able to be flexible with their shift patterns in order to combat issues such as drug dealing. Since the creation of the Safer Neighbourhood team, crime rates in the area had been significantly reduced and this was in part due to the flexible nature of the team.

The meeting will receive an update on any actions or issues arising from the last meeting not covered elsewhere on the Agenda.

Ham Village Green

Councillors informed the meeting that as a result of the Council’s £150,000 Parks Improvement Scheme, works had now been completed at Ham Village Green. This included improvements to the main footpath, refurbished and widened bins and benches and a knee-high rail bordering the Green. Additional work that was envisaged included creating gaps in the rail in order for people to access the bus stop more quickly, and more tree and bulb planting in the area near to Woodville Road.

Ham Car Park near Ham House

In relation to the proposal to charge for parking at the car park near to Ham House, it was explained that a large number of complaints had been received. As there were also certain financial constraints, the project had been deemed unfeasible. Parking charges would no longer be introduced at this location.

A)     Thames Young Mariners

B)    Petersham Road: traffic calming and road works

C)    Sudbrook Gardens planning applications

D)    Car park charges in Richmond Park

E)     Thames Water works – Richmond Hill area

F)     Doughty House Gallery

Thames Young Mariners

Councillor Miller updated the meeting on issues surrounding the area of Ham Lands at the boundary of the ward, where the Thames Young Mariners were located. In September residents had been concerned that an area of vegetation had been cleared. This area of land was owned by Surrey County Council and was an important area for flora and fauna. In response to this occurrence it had been agreed that Surrey County Council would work more closely with the London Borough of Richmond and that any future work planned for this site would be communicated in advance. In addition, Councillors reported that a new ‘Friends of Ham Lands Group’ had met recently and it was hoped that the formation of this local group would encourage standards to be upheld in the management of the nature reserve. Members of the group had undertaken to collect the opinions of all users of the area such as dog walkers and cyclists. It was proposed that Richmond Council would also assist in the creation of a strategy to manage the lands. Public meetings were planned for Spring 2010 to consult residents on future schemes for Ham Lands.

A resident asked about the use of the facilities at Thames Young Mariners. Councillor Miller explained that an agreement had been reached with Surrey County Council whereby groups in Ham were able to secure the same preferential rates for activities at the Young Mariners as Surrey groups. The meeting discussed the history of the site. It was now used less frequently for large sailing events but Surrey Council still viewed it as an important leisure area. In terms of the land which had been cleared, it was explained that replacement planting would take place in 2010. Councillors noted that Richmond Council would be working closely with Surrey Council via the Thames Landscape Strategy project, which would help to secure the future of this important wildlife habitat.

Petersham Road: traffic calming and road works.

The meeting was reminded of the history of the traffic calming measures on Petersham Road, which had been introduced two years previously following a high rate of accidents on the road. Since the introduction of the scheme, which involved speed humps and a 20 mph zone, there had been no serious accidents involving injuries and the average speed had been reduced by up to 20% at certain locations. However, some residents who lived on the road had complained of noise and vibration associated with traffic driving over the humps. Though the Council’s tests had indicated that the level of vibration was below that which would be expected to cause damage, the Council had agreed to carry out adjustment works to the humps in conjunction with the road resurfacing works scheduled for early 2010. After these alterations the level of noise would be recorded again to assess whether this had been reduced.

An email was read from Mr Keith Manning, a resident of Petersham Road, who was unable to attend  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

Devolution and Engagement Working Party Consultation: Discussion on the development of Area Consultation Meetings. Councillor Williams will deliver a short presentation on this issue.

Devolution and Engagement Working Party Consultation (discussion on the development of Area Consultation Meetings).

Councillor Williams updated the meeting on the progress of the Devolution and Engagement Working Party that had been reviewing the Area Consultation Meetings (ACMs). The meetings were first held in 1984 and their format had changed little since this time. The aim of the Working Party was to transform these meetings into ‘Ward Committees’ and to improve levels of public participation. The following proposals were being made by the Working Party:

• Meetings could be held quarterly rather than twice a year to encourage continuity.
• Ward Councillors could be given limited decision making powers for local issues, i.e. for environmental or traffic projects.
• A sum of around £10,000 could be allocated to each ward for local projects.
• Ward Committees could be combined with Police Liaison Group meetings and other local partners such as NHS Richmond and Richmond Housing Partnership could become more involved.
• A Ward Co-ordinator could be employed to clerk meetings and to look after the interests of the ward. One co-ordinator could cover three wards.
• Friends groups could be encouraged (such as the Friends of Ham Pond) who would work together to improve local facilities.
• Ward Committees could be consulted on the Council’s spending plans

The Working Party aimed to pilot the Ward Committee project after the 2010 local elections, depending on budget allocation.  Councillor Williams explained that the idea was to give more autonomy to each ward, as well as to increase public involvement in Council issues.  Members of the Working Party had visited other local authorities such as Lewisham, where a greater level of public participation had been achieved at area meetings through the provision of a small ward budget which could be allocated according to the wishes of the residents. Ham, Petersham and Richmond Riverside ACMs were relatively well-attended, in comparison with other Richmond wards, but the aim was to increase attendance across the borough.

In response to queries Councillor Williams explained that the exact funding details for the Ward Committees had yet to be agreed, but various possibilities were being investigated, including using pre-existing budgets for consultation. It was explained that the new government initiative: the ‘Duty to Involve’, required local authorities to be active in seeking citizen participation in decision-making. Ward Committees were just one method by which the Council could seek to consult with and engage the local community. Other methods included the Council’s website, newsletters, and citizens panels, for example. It was agreed that it was important to attempt to reach members of the public who were not currently engaged with the Council and its work.

Members of the public will be invited to ask questions.

(It may be necessary to provide written answers to questions asked on the evening.)

No further public questions were received.

No announcements were made.

A)     Date of next meeting

            [Date to be confirmed for the Spring/Summer 2010 Meeting]

B) Suggested agenda items for next meeting

The date of the next meeting was to be confirmed. The next meeting would need to be held following the local elections in May 2010.