Action Note of Ward Forum held on Wednesday 1st October 2008, at the Town House, Inverness at 7.30 p.m.
Attendees
Cllr Donnie Kerr (Chair)
Cllr Peter Corbett
Cllr Bet McAllister
Cllr Janet Campbell
David Haas, City Manager
Jimmy Flint, Ward Manager
Douglas Gillespie, Assessors
Brian Murison, Development Manager, Finance Services
Marie Mackintosh, Inverness Partnership
Stefan Krause, Inverness BID Co-ordinator
Chief Inspector Julian Innes, Northern Constabulary
Douglas Wynd, Safe Inverness Co-ordinator
Jean Ramsay Smith, Inverness Chamber of Commerce
Joyce Grant, Pyramid
James Grant, Pyramid
Fiona Dislington, Heirs and Graces
8 members of the public
Representatives from:-
Hilton, Milton & Castle Heather Community Council (2)
Inverness South Community Council (3)
Lochardil & Drummond Community Council (1)
Crown Community Council (1)
Apologies
Pat Hayden, Crown Community Council
Agenda
1 Welcome and introduction. Councillor Donnie Kerr opened the meeting by welcoming those attending and those invited to make a contribution.
2 Community Safety Update from Chief Inspector Julian Innes. Following the update there were a number of questions raised by members of the public as listed below;
Q1: There are two community beat officers for Dalneigh and Kinmylies how are they distributed?
Answer: There is one beat officer for Dalneigh and one for Kinmylies and Scourgie, so at least one is on duty at any one time.
Q2: We need more Police in the Town Centre to cope with drink and drug crime.
Answer: There are two Police Officers assigned to the Town Centre and regular offenders are being monitored with the beat officer Paula Lloyd acting effectively. The Force recommends ASBOs to the court, however, when used to restrict entry to the Town Centre the problem is just dispersed.
Q3: Drunks are smashing telephone boxes in Lombard Street, in the early hours of the morning and police stay in cars and are not on foot.
Answer: Police Officers are present even in cars and can respond quickly to any incident. We will identify the source of the problem regardless of it being a licensed premise selling too much alcohol to one individual. We will deal with it. Any other complaints can also go to the Licensing Board.
3 Ward Discretionary Budget
The City Manager gave an update on the current status of the discretionary budget for the Inverness Central Ward.
4 – Working together for a Thriving City
General discussion took place and comments/questions being raised with Marie Mackintosh, Inverness Partnership Officer, as listed below:
1. Priority can be given to the removal of the “unauthorised roof gardens” on many of the buildings in the City Centre (Jim Alexander of the City Heritage Trust noted that grants were available, and had been given recently) to building owners to improve the state of their buildings.
2. Huntley Street needs improvement through ‘Streetscape Phase Two’.
3. Cromwell Tower (owned by the Common Good Fund) should be given attention. Action: City Manager
4. The drainage channels in buildings adjacent to Stephens Brae remain blocked and need to be dealt with. Action: TEC Services
5. Litter in Drummond Street and Lombard Street in the early morning is appalling and should be removed.
6. The result of community conversations held in Dalneigh need to be made available and we need to develop options for Dalneigh Community including improvements for children through improved sports facilities and having a Community Development Plan put forward. Action: City Manager
7. The traffic lights at the Town Centre junction of Post Office Lane and Academy Street are not properly phased with many vehicles sticking on the box junction.
Action: TEC Services
8. View House – City Heritage Trust wants to preserve it, and the Civic Trust want to employ a specialist engineer to give a report clarifying that the building could be saved.
9. Choked gulleys are still a major problem in the City Centre
Action: TEC Services
10. Global Sign - Academy Street entrance to market – must be removed – Legal to send letter. Action: Legal Services
5 Future Forums
Items for next forum could include:
- Facilities for review of past themes and outcomes
- Anti social behaviour
- Homelessness – nowhere to sleep in city centre, making a case for a separate community council I.E presentations on what the Community Council can do for you.
Request made to rotate location of Ward Forum away from Town House.
6 Date and location of next Forum
To be advised.