Neil Barrington (Langbank Community Council); Councillor Tom Begg; Councillor Michelle Campbell; Jacqueline Doherty (Langbank Parent Partnership); Councillor Natalie Don; Councillor James MacLaren; Councillor Iain Nicolson; Jacqui Reid (Erskine Development Trust); and David Woodrow (Bishopton Community Council).

Councillor Campbell, Chair, presided.

K Graham Head of Corporate Governance (Lead Officer), A Armstrong-Walter, Strategic Partnerships & Inequalities Manager; S Graham Partnerships Planning and Development Manager; S Kraft, planning and Policy Reform Assistant:  and P Shiach Committee Services Officer (all Renfrewshire Council).

J Love, Community Learning Officer (Renfrewshire Council).

K McGee (Police Scotland) and A McNiven (Engage Renfrewshire).

Councillor Jim Harte; Margaret Morrison (Inchinnan Community Council); Sam Mullin (Erskine Community Council); and Hayden Sutherland (Bishopton Development Trust). 

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

The Minute of the meeting of Erskine, Inchinnan, Bishopton and Langbank Local Partnership held on 19 June 2019 was submitted and approved.

DECIDED: That the Minute be approved. 

There was submitted a report by the Chief Executive relative to the Celebrating Renfrewshire Youth Participatory Budgeting exercise.

The report intimated that the Youth Challenge Fund component, renamed Celebrating
Renfrewshire: by young people for young people, of The Erskine, Inchinnan, Bishopton and Langbank Local Partnership budget had been allocated during September 2019 by a participatory budgeting exercise for young people aged 12 to 25 years.  Young people co-produced the process of voting and 384 young people from Erskine, Inchinnan, Bishopton and Langbank areas voted. 

The results of the Celebrating Renfrewshire Participatory Budgeting exercise for September 2019 was appended to the report.

Emma Feeney and Ross Gardiner from the Youth Steering Group, gave a presentation to members on the outcome of the youth participatory process.  There followed a question and answer session.

DECIDED:

(a) That the outcome of the youth participatory budgeting exercise for this Local Partnership be noted; and

(b) That the presentation be noted.

There was submitted a presentation by members of Members of the Erskine Youth Council on the work undertaken on the Erskine Mural Project.

The Youth Group indicated that they were working with young people in Erskine who had an interest in giving back to their community, and with Tragic O’Hara an experienced mural painter and artist.

Through the mural, the Youth Council hoped to combat antisocial behavior such as vandalism and to demonstrate that young people could contribute to their comm unity in positive ways.

The Youth Council advised that four potential sites had been identified and the underpass chosen was Rashielea 3

The site was chosen for its central location. It was often used by young people, needed brightening up and the mural would create a more positive and welcoming environment.

The presentation provided information on the finalised mural designs and the next step which included hosting a 5-day community vote between 15 and 20 November through Erskine social media pages and a ballot box at Bargarran Community Centre; painting the mural on Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 November; and hosting a community event to celebrate the finished mural on Friday 29 November 2019.

Members of the Erskine Youth Council were then heard in answer to questions from members on various aspects of the presentation.

DECIDED: That the Presentation be noted.

There was submitted a report by the Chief Executive relative to the priority areas for focus agreed at the meeting of the Erskine, Inchinnan, Bishopton and Langbank Local Area Partnership held on 4 April 2019.

The priorities agreed at that time were: -

• Health and wellbeing;
• Connectivity;
• Community identity;
• Planning and environment;
• Community empowerment; and
• Intergenerational work.

The Partnership considered the following in relation to these priorities: -
• Youth services;
• Services for older people;
• Social isolation;
• Community buses/health and wellbeing;
• Transport and the timing of transport;
• Environment/climate change/education;
• Recycling – why we recycle and what happens to it;
• Officer attendance at Community Council meetings;
• Policing/Community policing and fostering relationships

Members worked in groups to review the local priorities for the area.  After discussion, and following feedback from groups the following local priorities were identified; youth services; older people services, social isolation; transport and timings of transport; environment/climate change/education; recycling; officer attendance at Community Council meetings; and policing/community policing/co-operation and fostering relationships. The Tackling Poverty & Welfare Reform Manager grouped the reviewed local priorities under key themes of community transport; recycling; climate change; social isolation; and health. It was proposed that an appropriate Officer from the Renfrewshire Community Link Team attend a future meeting to provide information on the initiative A Local Information System for Scotland (ALISS). This was agreed.

Based on the key themes and discussion at the meeting, the Tackling Poverty and Welfare Reform Manger advised that the local priorities identified would be grouped under each of the key themes for discussion at future meetings of the Local Partnership.

DECIDED:

(a) That the Erskine, Inchinnan, Bishopton and Langbank Local Partnership priorities of  youth services; older people services, social isolation; transport and timings of transport; environment/climate change/education; recycling; officer attendance at Community Council meetings; and policing/community policing/co-operation and fostering relationships be approved and grouped under the key themes of  community transport; recycling; climate change; social isolation; and health for discussion at future meetings of the Partnership; and

(b) That it be approved that an appropriate Officer from the Renfrewshire Community Link Team attend a future meeting to provide information on the initiative A Local Information System for Scotland (ALISS).

There was submitted a report by the Chief Executive advising that at the meeting of Erskine, Inchinnan, Bishopton and Langbank Local Partnership held on 19 June 2019, nine projects in total had been awarded funding with two awards subject to specific conditions and one project continued for further information.

Fusion Youth Ministries had applied for £5,300 to fund an outdoor ticketed event. The Partnership agreed at the meeting on 19 June to award the grant to underwrite the cost of the event with the award to be refunded if ticket sales covered event costs. The Tackling Poverty and Welfare Reform Manager advised that the relevant accounts were not available at this time and that a report would be submitted to a future meeting of the Partnership.

The Breastfeeding Network had applied for £6091 to fund breastfeeding support to local women. The application had been continued on the basis that further information would be sought from the group about the local impact of this project. The response from the group was contained within the report.     

An infographic giving the flavour of some of the key projects funded and indicating how these related to local priorities for The Erskine, Inchinnan, Bishopton and Langbank Local Partnership was appended to the report.

The Tackling Poverty and Welfare Reform Manager was heard in answer to questions from members of the Partnership in relation to both applications. 

DECIDED:

(a) That the grant of £6091 awarded to the Breastfeeding Network be ringfenced and that representatives from the Breastfeeding Network be invited to attend the next meeting of the Partnership; and

(b) That the report be otherwise noted.

There was submitted a report by the Director of Finance & Resources relative to the Erskine, Inchinnan, Bishopton and Langbank Local Partnership budget for 2019/20.

The report advised that the Local Partnership provided funding through the General Grant Fund and the Celebrating Renfrewshire Youth Fund following a participatory budgeting exercise.  An Appendix to the report detailed the funding allocated at the Erskine, Inchinnan, Bishopton and Langbank Local Partnership meeting held on 19 June 2019. This indicated that the Partnership had a remaining balance of £11,447.68 which included £6091 ringfenced for the Breastfeeding Network.

Councillor Campbell proposed that the residual balance of £5356.68 be reallocated to the Celebrating Renfrewshire Youth Fund to be distributed among youth organisations using the algorithm which had been used during the Participatory Budget exercise. In the event that no grant was allocated to the Breastfeeding network, the £6091 would also be reallocated to the Celebrating Renfrewshire Youth Fund. This was agreed.

DECIDED:  

(a) That the residual balance of £5356.68 be reallocated to the Celebrating Renfrewshire Youth Fund to be distributed among youth organisations using the algorithm which had been used during the Participatory Budget exercise;

(b)   That in the event that no grant was allocated to the Breastfeeding network, the £6091 would also be reallocated to the Celebrating Renfrewshire Youth Fund; and

(c) That the report be otherwise noted.

There was submitted a report by the Chief Executive relative to a review of Local Partnerships.

The report intimated that following the establishment of the Local Partnerships in September 2018, it had been agreed that there would be a review of arrangements after one year of operation and it was anticipated that the review would begin in January 2020.

Since January 2019, Local Partnerships had agreed their membership, identified some initial local priorities and distributed their grant funding.  In addition, the Youth Challenge Fund had been distributed across all seven Local Partnerships using a participatory budgeting approach.

The report proposed that the Local Partnership review cover the key areas used throughout the consultation and development of the Local Partnership model.  This allowed for consistency and comparison with previous engagement and consultation exercises as well as fair consideration of the proposals implemented which included function; membership; boundaries; meetings; and grants.

It was important that a wide range of views could be heard as part of the review and the report suggested that the following methods be used in order to gather feedback: a review of all correspondence and feedback received since the establishment of the Local Partnerships; a further invitation for all Local Partnership members to input to the review on all topics in writing, with the opportunity to do this online, on paper or face-to- face; and an opportunity for wider community members to feedback online or on paper.

Local Partnership members were asked to contribute their views on the scope of the review to make sure it covered all the necessary areas.  In addition, members were asked to provide views on how the review should be carried out.

DECIDED:  That members of the Local Partnership provide views, to Community Planning, on both the proposed scope and approach for the Local Partnership review, as outlined in section 3 of the report.

There was submitted a report by the Chief Executive relative to meetings of Erskine, Inchinnan, Bishopton and Langbank Local Partnership in 2020.

The report intimated that, when formed, it was agreed that Local Partnerships would meet three times per year.  In 2019, Local Partnerships met four times, in recognition that there was additional business required to get Local Partnerships up and running.

The report proposed that meetings in 2020 be held around the months of April, August and November; that grant funding allocations for the 2020/21 financial year be made at the April meeting; that wider engagement events be held in early 2020; that an event be carried out in each Local Partnership area which would be open to the wider community to attend.

The Convener proposed that a further meeting be arranged for the end of January 2020.

Members agreed unanimously that the meeting proposed for January include a presentation on recycling, and that the Breastfeeding Network be invited to attend in relation to its grant application.

DECIDED:

(a)  That meetings of Local Partnership be held around April, August and November and that members be advised of the date, time and venue for these meetings; and

(b) That a further meeting be arranged for late January 2020 to include a presentation on recycling, and that the Breastfeeding Network be invited to attend in relation to its grant application.