The chair welcomed all to the meeting.  Reference was made to the code of conduct and all were asked to abide by the code for the duration of the meeting.

The minutes of the previous meeting were agreed.

Updates from the previous meeting.

Balderstone & Kirkholt Members and Ward Fund spend 2021

Balderstone Park flowers and planter relocation
To plant flowers and shrubs around the library and give the park a brighter and improved look - Cost - £3055.

Queen Victoria Street speeding and drug dealing
GMP advised they will escalate residents’ concerns regarding plain clothes officers patrolling the side streets and a speed operation will commence in the future.

Crompton Avenue drug dealing
The Youth Service and GMP have held a meeting to discuss this matter and walk rounds are planned in order to tackle this situation.

Springhill footpath
Councillor Meredith updated the meeting that he had held a walk around meeting with local residents along with the Rights of Way Officer for the Council.  Concerns are now appeased due to the new footpath which has been installed, and further concerns regarding the appearance of the fencing will be addressed in due course.

PC Jones provided the update as the Neighbourhood Beat Officer (NBO).

·           Statistics were provided for the past three months as follows:

o    Residential burglary            18

o    Business burglary                7

o    Robbery and theft                35

o    Theft from persons              3

o    Possession of drugs            3

o    Vehicle offences                  30

o    Shoplifting                            3

o    Public Order offences         46

·           Local priorities are:

o    Speeding

o    Anti-social behaviour

o    Drugs

·           GMP Rochdale have seen a significant increase in the theft of high specification vehicles.  Operation Navigator targets taking of and from motor vehicles.  A new neighbourhood task force has been set up to address concerns and residents are urged to report any intelligence online on GMP’s website.

·           Chief Constable is currently focussing more on neighbourhood policing than response.

·           Police surgeries are being held once a month on Wednesdays at 10-11am at The Strand Community Hub.

·           Residents raised concerns regarding anti-social behaviour issues at the locations of St Mary’s Church and also near to the Stoneyvale area.

Action 1: PC Jones to address concerns.

·           Resident raised a concern about the lack of speed signs on the Kirkholt estate.

Action 2: Councillor Meredith to discuss speed signs with Highways Engineers.

Litter bin near Stoneyvale
A resident raised a query about who has responsibility of the servicing of the bins located near to the canal.  Councillor Meredith advised it was the Council.  The resident described issues concerning the bin previously located near to Stoneyvale (over the bridge) and it needs replacing.  Councillor Meredith advised he will raise the matter.
Action 3: Councillor Meredith to raise the matter with the Council’s Environmental Management Department

Councillor Meredith
Residents were advised that Queen Victoria Street will be resurfaced in April and Hartley Lane has also been added to the resurfacing programme for this year.  Footpaths on Shaw Road will also be resurfaced this year.

Councillor Meredith spoke of working alongside Rochdale Boroughwide Housing to address housing complaints.  Concerning the litter issues, there has now been a designated streets cleaning team member appointed for the estate.  Free bulky waste collections are also being introduced which will be limited at two collections per year with three items permitted on each collection.  New bin requests will also be free of charge.  Residents commented that Rochdale Boroughwide Housing Officers are no longer visible on the estate.  Councillor Meredith stated they were looking at a new model to address this issue.

Councillors have been working closely with GMP to address speeding concerns around the ward with speed awareness days set up with use of the speed guns; repeat offenders will get issued letters and visits from GMP to give warnings.  A new signalled crossing will be installed on Balderstone Road and a masterplan is in the talks to address pedestrian safety.

Councillor Massey
Councillor Massey commented he was very pleased with the Kirkholt Christmas Tree and he had received positive comments from residents in the ward.  He added that he has requested that Rochdale Boroughwide Housing look at providing a robust fencing around it to deter vandals whilst the tree establishes its initial growth.

Great news about Rochdale being entered into the Britain in Bloom’s ‘Small City’ category.  A ‘Come and Grow’ event is held at Q Gardens every Wednesday from 10am-3pm and on Thursdays at 10am-12 noon at Kirkholt Community Centre there are Food Education classes being held to advise residents on how to grow and cook their own produce.  A Big Spring Clean event will be held March-April – details will be on social media.

He advised the hedges and fencing had now been completed at Balderstone Park, with all investments being completed in order to secure the park from off-road biking.

A collection facility for the refugees of Ukraine has been created at The Strand Hub.

Councillors surgeries take place at The Strand on Wednesdays at 12 noon and social media will continue to be used to share information.

Councillor Nickson
No update.

Kirkholt Million
A newly produced booklet entitled ‘Tales from Kirkholt’ was circulated to residents attending the meeting.  The new community room is nearing completion and it is close to the date that the keys will be available.  A request was made for new members to sit on the board and take responsibility for future decisions to be made.  It was commented that further engagement is needed with the residents of the new build houses on the estate.

Rochdale Boroughwide Housing

The Strand Community Hub

The hub is getting busier, with regular activities now available every day:

·           Theatre in Flow every Monday from 10am.

·           Various training courses available on Tuesdays throughout March and April (see Rochdale Boroughwide Housing website for more details).

·           One Man and His Pan cooking sessions every Wednesday from 10am.

·           Job Club on Thursdays from 11am and Digital Skills after that from 12.30pm.

·           Finally, the HMR Circle Lunch Club every Friday.

All activities are fully funded and free of charge for participants.  Call into reception to find out more.

Community Cafe

·           Now working with a cafe manager to make the steps to getting the cafe open again.

·           It is hoped to have limited opening hours from April, working up to full opening hours after volunteer training and induction.

·           The cafe will be focussed on creating a social space for local people to feel welcome and linked to the Age Friendly Neighbourhoods project.

Lovel Development

·           Some work placement opportunities are coming up at the development site on The Strand for those interested in brick laying/groundworks, please contact Hannah.Green@rbh.org.uk for more details.  Access to a CSCS card possible for those who don’t have one.

HMR Circle
M Wynn attended to update on the activities and events in Kirkholt as follows:

·           Monday – HMR Circle Digital Support Service at 2-3pm in Kirkholt Medical Centre.

Free instruction and the loan of equipment to get online.  Thanks to additional funding HMR Circle can give a free tablet computer and 6 months of data using MyFi.

·           Tuesday – HMR Circle Dinner Drivers

A freshly cooked, restaurant quality 2 course meal delivered to people’s doors by the HMR Circle Volunteer Drivers Service.  Meals are £3.50 each including delivery for recipients to warm up at home.  Delivery approximately 1pm.

·           Wednesday – HMR Circle Repair, Refurbish & Renovate

Men in Sheds meets The Repair Shop meets Fix it, Flog it. A weekly free workshop to drop in to repair, refurbish and renovate old tools, benches and other bits and bats around the Q Gardens community garden from 11am.

·           Also Wednesday – HMR Circle Community Garden

Working with friends at Rochdale Boroughwide Housing, HMR Circle are helping to bring Q Gardens back to life; plenty new crops and flowers, developing traditional and raised beds, poly-tunnels, greenhouses, even a small pond.  Always get a brew and usually soup made from the produce that has been grown.  Every Wednesday from 11am.

·           Friday – HMR Circle Lunch Club at The Strand Community Centre

Every Friday from 12 noon.  A delicious  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

To be confirmed.