Apologies

Mike Bunney (Treasurer), Parry Brooks, Tony & Beverly Ruth, Dave Hamilton, Harry Cutler, Shirley McKenna

Present

Councillors: David Smith, Bob Chapman, Lisa Northover, Linda Bailey, Chris Wakefield

Council: Dawn Bevan Neighbourhood manager, Linda Macguire

Committee: Stephen Humphrey, Gary Sherbourne, Ben Prescott, Kathie Pearce,

Can we make poverty history in Boscombe?

Bournemouth contains nine of the ten most deprived areas in the south west. Four are in Boscombe West ward.
The Chair promoted the credit union – local people should save there to support residents in the area who can't access finance through banks etc.
Issue raised about IT poverty – increasingly difficult to access information and services except via the Internet - limited service at the library.

Barry Etheridge – Street People's Action & Awareness Group

Founded in 2003
About empowering people to help themselves. Often, even where services are in place, the targetted users don't know how to engage the service.
2006 – travelled 800 miles back from Inverness, and saw a lot about how services are provided.
Is the problem the solution? One size doesn't fit all – timescales and solutions will not suit everyone.
Number one issue to fix at the town hall is education and information and more ways to involve the 'target users.' People who are disadvantaged, have addiction problem etc. don't know how to engage in shaping the services being targetted at them, and the opportunities are limited – “2pm to 4pm on a Wednesday afternoon.”
Big issue for people renting is landlord 'top ups' – charges over and above the rent that the council covers, that has to be found from people's limited benefits that have to cover all their other living expenses.
A key definition in the Homelessness act excludes single men – assumed private sector would cover it off. But private sector requires deposit which is unaffordable for many.

Future of Area Forums

Area forums are part of the Council's constitution
Council advised the Committee a week ago of a review of area forums; deadline 14th April for our feedback
Some discussion about the lack of time to provide a considered view
Action chair: chair to ask Tejinder for more time.
Action Cllr Dave Smith – raise his concerns to officers about the proposed timescales.
Some discussion about challenges of publicising forum meetings.

Vision for Boscombe Precinct

The Chair wrote to Roger Ball and Mike Holmes following the last meeting, representing the conclusions that the meeting reached.

Advised that there's a sum of money for lighting and street furniture.

Some discussion about meetings that have happened since the last Forum meeting.

Cllr Wakefield updated meeting on plans

Promote side streets using the banner hangers on streetlights
Pushing landlords to sort out appearance of shops that need tidying up
Review underway of layout of market
Deep clean of precinct
Work to deal with the damaged surface; Councillors pushed for bricks to be relayed, not tarmac
Beach development: shops will be signposted
Longer term work on the corner plots, and speciality markets
Some areas in the precinct have been identified as not having enough cctv coverage.
Police are putting extra resource into tackling petty crime in the precinct, including drug dealing and related crime.
Park and ride bus service june/july/august

Dorset Arts Week

Now stretching over 16 days.

AOB

Changes will be happening to how Safer neighbourhood teams in the Police, Atlas meetings, etc. are run and organised; running of the 'three priorities'. Initiatives include more 'cops on the corner' events.

Action: Councillors - Section 106 – size of funds, funding channels

Future meetings

Mon May 12th 7 - 9pm

St Georges Wellspring Centre, Haviland Road

"Time for a radical rethink on drugs policy?"

Sat June 7th 11 -1pm

St Clements Church Hall, Hamilton Close

Question Time with special guests, plus meet the committee

Mon July 7th 7 - 9pm

St Georges Wellspring Centre, Haviland Road

"I'll tell you what I want, what I really really want!"

Not the spice girls but REAL community say on local planning decisions - BCCA, The hawkwood road car park sell off, David Lloyd and funding of precinct improvements

Sat Aug 2nd 11 - 1pm

St Clements Church Hall, Hamilton Close

Open Agenda

Monday Sept 1st 7 - 9pm

St Georges Wellspring Centre, Haviland Road

AGM

website: http://boscforum.notlong.com