D Wadsworth, Elderslie Community Council; J Anderson, Howwood Sports & Hobbies Group; M Brown, Johnstone Business Consortium; W Dean, Johnstone Community Council; A McBain, Johnstone Seniors Forum; D Fowles, Lochwinnoch Community Council; M Lavery, Quarrelton Tenants’ & Residents’ Association; N McBride, Renfrewshire Early Years Forum; W Crawford, Renfrewshire Walking Network; J Black, Sandyflats Tenants’ & Residents’ Association; and Y Akyum and A McKechnie, Renfrewshire Youth Voice.

Councillor Gilmour, Convener, presided.

Chief Inspector S Wright, Police Scotland and M Ferguson, Head of Health & Social Care (West Renfrewshire), Renfrewshire Community Health & Social Care Partnership.

D Gillies, Head of Facilities Management (Community Resources) (Lead Officer); S Graham, Partnerships Planning & Development Manager (Chief Executive’s); D Hawthorn, Head of Child Care and Criminal Justice and E Gordon, Community Learning Officer (both Children’s Services); C Robertson, Warden Services Manager (Community Resources); and D Low, Senior Committee Services Officer (Local Area Committees) and A McNaughton, Senior Committee Services Officer (both Finance & Resources).

The Convener intimated that there were additional items in relation to (i) an application for grant funding from Johnstone Business Consortium; (ii) a request to adopt a project to paint one of the three underpasses at Spateston; and (iii) an application for funding from the Renfrewshire Council Citizens Fund from Kilbarchan Improvement Projects (KIPCO) which had not been included in the notice calling the meeting.  The Convener was of the opinion that the items, which were dealt with at 9 and 10 of this Minute, were urgent, in order to determine these timeously, authorised their consideration.

There was submitted a report by the Director of Finance & Resources relative to an application for local area committee funding from Johnstone Business Consortium for £4,163 towards the cost of an Easter fun day for children in Johnstone town centre.

The Convener proposed that an award of £1,000 be granted and this was agreed.

Thereafter, the Senior Committee Services Officer (LACs) advised that he had been approached by a local community warden who had suggested that the LAC consider improving one of the three underpasses at Spateston as a key local project.  He proposed that, if the LAC agreed to adopt the project, approval be given to the purchase of masonry paint at an approximate cost of £600 which would be met from the General Grant Fund.  This was agreed.

DECIDED:    

(a)  That an award of £1,000 be made to Johnstone Business Consortium toward the cost of an Easter fun day in Johnstone; and

(b)  That the LAC agree to purchase masonry paint up to the value of £600 for the improvement of one of the three underpasses at Spateston.

Given that this was the last meeting before the forthcoming local government elections, the Convener intimated his thanks to members and officers for their attendance, support and participation during his tenure as Convener of the Johnstone & The Villages Local Area Committee.

There were no declarations of interest intimated prior to the commencement of the meeting.

Under reference to paragraph 2 of the Minute of the meeting of the Johnstone & The Villages Local Area Committee (LAC) held on 17 November 2016, there was submitted a report by the Head of Health & Social Care (West Renfrewshire) relative to investment in Older People services in Renfrewshire.

The report advised the key and significant investments in Older People services delivered over the last five years, including a major recruitment campaign to appoint an additional 50 Care at Home Workers.  Spending in Renfrewshire had increased from £8.7 million in 2011/12 to around £13.2 million in 2016 at a time when other Health & Social Care Partnerships were outsourcing and/or reducing service provision.  

The Head of Health & Social Care (West Renfrewshire) also advised that Dr Stuart Sutton was the new Clinical Director for Renfrewshire Health & Social Care Partnership and that the post had a lead responsibility for Clinical Governance, providing leadership and support for GPs and other NHS contractors working within Renfrewshire.

A new logo had been produced for Renfrewshire Health and Social Care Partnership which would be rolled out in the coming months.

DECIDED: That the report be noted.

There was submitted a report by the Director of Community Resources providing a progress update on Renfrewshire Community Safety Partnership activities carried out in this LAC area from 1 October to 31 December 2016.   

The report provided information on community safety statistics; environmental enforcement and improvement activities; protecting vulnerable residents; building safer communities; diversionary activities; and a spotlight on gender based violence.  

Under reference to paragraph 3 of the Minute of the meeting of this LAC held on 17 November 2016, the report also provided information relative to incidences of youth disorder that had caused damage to public parks and play equipment.

DECIDED: That the report be noted. 

The Senior Committee Services Officer (LACs) advised that the undernoted question had been received for inclusion in the Open Session and outlined the procedure to be followed, intimating that the questioner would receive a written response to her question and any supplementary question within 10 working days of this meeting.

There was submitted a question from R Shields in the following terms:

“Does the committee share the public safety concerns of local residents regarding the insufficient light emitting from the new LED street lighting on residential streets, and if so, have they made any representations to that effect (eg. querying the “This lighting scheme has been designed to current British Standards for the relevant class of roads and we are satisfied with the resultant lighting levels” response from Community Resources) and gained any helpful answer?”

The Head of Facilities Management (Lead Officer) provided a response.

As a supplementary question, R Shields requested that further information be provided on the LUX capacity of LED street lighting and the environmental impact of blue lights and this was agreed.

The Lead Officer intimated that the response to this question would be provided to the questioner within 10 days of this meeting along with the response to the substantive question. The Convener advised that members of the public were, meanwhile, encouraged to advise the Head of Facilities Management of any specific roads and footpaths where street light was deemed to be inadequate.
                                                                    
DECIDED:

(a)  That a written response to both the question and supplementary question be provided to the questioner within 10 days of this meeting; and

(b)  That it be noted that a review of street lighting would be conducted by Renfrewshire Council on conclusion of the current street lighting replacement contract.

 

Under reference to paragraph 5 of the Minute of the meeting of this LAC held on 17 November 2017, the Head of Child Care & Criminal Justice delivered a presentation on Domestic Violence.

DECIDED: That the presentation be noted.

 

 

The Partnerships Planning and Development Manager gave a presentation relative to the Community Planning Partnership development of a Local Outcome Improvement Plan (LOIP), Locality Plans and Local Area Committee Review.

It was noted that engagement with communities on development of the LOIP/Locality
Plans would take place in February/March and May/June 2017. The Local Outcome
Improvement Plan and Locality Plans would require to be signed off by September 2017
prior to publication by 1 October 2017 and proposals for the LAC review would be
developed by October 2017.

DECIDED: That the presentation be noted.

There was submitted a report by the Director of Development and Housing Services
relative to an update on Paisley’s bid to become UK City of Culture in 2021 and the key
dates of the bidding process during 2017.

DECIDED: That the report be noted.

There was submitted a report by the Director of Finance & Resources relative to the installation of a park bench as part of the Mary Barbour memorial on the Low Green, Kilbarchan.

The report explained that the LAC meeting held on 21 May 2015 had recommended to the Finance & Resources Policy Board that £6,000 be awarded from the Renfrewshire Council Citizens Fund to erect a memorial cairn, park bench and interpretive board on the site, in recognition of Mary Barbour.  The final cost of the memorial cairn and information plaque, including additional ground works that were required, was £7,862 and the LAC was now requested to homologate the action by the Director of Finance & Resources to provide an additional £1,862 towards the cost of constructing the memorial cairn and interpretive board.  As the bench had yet to be purchased and installed a further award of £700 from the Kilbarchan element of the Renfrewshire Council Citizens Fund was also now requested to meet the cost of completing the project.

DECIDED:  

(a) To recommend to the Finance & Resources Policy Board that a further award of £700 be made from the Kilbarchan element of the Renfrewshire Council Citizens Fund to meet the cost of installing a commemorative bench at the Mary Barbour memorial cairn, Kilbarchan; and




(b) To recommend to the Finance & Resources Policy Board that that the additional allocation of £1,862 to meet the cost of constructing the Mary Barbour memorial cairn from the Kilbarchan element of the Renfrewshire Council Citizens Fund be homologated.

There was submitted a report by the Director of Finance & Resources relative to the Johnstone & The Villages LAC budget for 2016/17.

DECIDED: That the report be noted. 

There was submitted a report from the Director of Finance & Resources relative to the submission of applications to Renfrewshire Council Citizens Fund by Kilbarchan Community Council for funding to purchase additional Christmas tree lights and Kilbarchan Improvement Project (KIPCO) for funding to install double glazing to two downstairs windows of the Old Library Building, Kilbarchan.

DECIDED:  That it be recommended to the Finance & Resources Policy Board that £2,000 be awarded to Kilbarchan Community Council and £1,180 be awarded to KIPCO from the Renfrewshire Council Citizens Fund.

 

 

 

There was submitted a report by the Director of Finance & Resources relative to the date of the first meeting of this LAC in the new financial year following the local government elections being held on 4 May 2017.  The report proposed that the next meeting of this LAC be held on 8 June 2017 and this was agreed.

DECIDED: That it be noted that the next meeting of this LAC would be held at 6.00 pm on 8 June 2017 in Johnstone Town Hall.