EXECUTIVE MEMBER REPORT TO COUNCIL
WEDNESDAY, 18th JANUARY 2005
LIBRARIES
Asylum Project - A new initiative has just begun at the Asylum Resource Centre at Erimus House in Middlesbrough. Library staff meet Asylum seekers as they enter the centre, to promote the wide range of Library services available. Bookstart packs have been given to young children, and a reading corner is being created with dual language books for children in Kurdish, Farsi, Arabic and other languages. Initiatives with the Librarys' Peoples Network team are also being explored, as many of the visitors to the Center use computers to communicate with family.
World Book Day - All employees of MBC and HBS will receive World book Day vouchers with their pay slips at the end of February. These allow a £1 discount on a selected range of books. The vouchers will also be given to library users provided they borrow a book!
PLANNING & REGENERATION PROGRAMMES
Single Programme - An event was held at the Riverside Stadium to formerly re-launch the Enterprise Academy. The event, Tomorrow’s Legends was hosted by Alistair Brownlee of Century FM and short presentations were given by The Mayor, George Cooke, Enterprise Academy Project Director, and Gareth Southgate, Middlesbrough Football Club captain.
Single Regeneration Budget - The commissioning and installation of the All Saint’s Bells began in November 2005.
External Funding - The Big Lottery Fund Reaching Communities scheme was launched on 8th December, with a potential £500,000 funding available (per project) over five years. The authority can submit an unlimited number of applications. Projects should assist the most excluded in society.
Local Development Framework - Work is progressing on the preparation of the Local Development Framework (LDF). Following consultation on the LDF Issues and Options in the summer, preferred options for the LDF Core Strategy have been produced. Public consultation on the Core Strategy will be undertaken from the 21st December 2005 to the 1st February 2006.
The Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) was adopted by Council on the 7th December. The SCI sets out how the public will be consulted in relation to planning applications and the preparation of the LDF.
The LDF Annual Monitoring Report was approved by Single Member Executive on the 16th December and submitted to the Secretary of State on 28th December. This meets BVPI 200c and is a determinant for the award of Planning Delivery Grant for 2006/7.
Central Gardens - On 20th December, the Executive agreed the principle of additional development at Central Gardens and approved the development brief setting out requirements for the site and how it will complement MIMA, the adjacent new public square and cultural quarter. It is anticipated that expressions of interest will be sought during March, with selection of short-listed developers by May 2006.
Marton Village and The Grove Conservation Area - A conservation area character appraisal and management plan has been prepared. It concluded that Marton Village and The Grove has sufficient special historic and architectural significance to declare a conservation area. This was approved by the Executive member.
The next steps are to consult with residents and stakeholders during January/February 2006. The appraisal report will then be amended in light of the consultation exercise if necessary. Executive approval for will be sought before the end of March 2006 to formally declare a conservation area.
West Lane (East) - Yuill Homes has been selected by West Middlesbrough Neighbourhood Trust as the preferred developer for this site. A high quality scheme is now being developed comprising 138 houses and bungalows, including 25 for rent through Endeavour. A planning application will be submitted shortly. It is anticipated that the first phase of development will begin on the cleared part of the site during early summer 2006 with the first houses completed by the end of the year.
Planning application - the re-development of the Humphrey’s Garden Centre in Linthorpe for 11 flats and a bungalow was granted planning permission on 9th December 2005.
Applications for Middlesbrough College for residential developments of the Kirby, Longlands and Prissick Sites were received in December. These were accompanied by the planning application for the new college building/car park at Middlehaven.
Older Housing area - adverts have been issued for masterplanning and community engagement services for the Older Housing project. Appointment of consultants is expected in February 2006. The project has been successful in its bid for NRF funding, a total of £1.5 million has been agreed for 2006-2008.
St Hilda’s - Erimus have 27 tenants left (out of 205) with 4 out of this number having agreed a move and awaiting completion. To date from the 78 privately owned properties, 27 voluntary acquisitions have been completed, 11 offers accepted and being progressed to completion. 28 offers have been made, but not yet agreed.
North Ormesby - Trinity Crescent estate previously had 200+ Council-built dwellings demolished (2002 -04); 57 dwellings remain, with 11 privately owned and 7 Erimus Housing tenants. Planning application was submitted in November 2005 for the first phase of the development -10 bungalows and 14 houses, to start on site early 2006, including 20 homes for rent/ shared ownership.
Grove Hill – Consultants continue to work on developing more detailed information on the parameters/constraints of potential options for change. Erimus Housing will commence a door knocking exercise in the most fragile areas in January 2006.
Whinney Banks - The first phase of development is now underway (Bellway Homes) and includes a range properties for rent through Tees Valley Housing Group. Road and sewer construction is underway and foundations are largely in place. The first houses are programmed to be ready for occupation in spring 2006 and this first phase of development should be completed by June 2006.
Local Housing Assessment – recent draft guidance from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister heralded a new approach to local housing assessments, focusing attention on the regional and sub-regional context within which housing strategies are developed. The emphasis in future will be merging housing needs with housing market assessment into one composite strategy.
Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland and Stockton on Tees councils’ have jointly agreed to appoint consultants to undertake a study of the three local authority areas. The study will take around six months to complete and is expected to commence January 2006.
Home Energy Conservation Act (H.E.C.A) – a legislative requirement is for local authorities to produce an annual report which shows the annual progress towards energy usage and carbon dioxide emissions.
Middlesbrough Council submitted its annual H.E.C.A. report (covering the period 1st April 2004 – 31st March 2005) to Government Office North East. The report showed an annual improvement in energy efficiency of 3.02% in Middlesbrough’s housing stock. This means that Middlesbrough has now reached a cumulative total of 29.76% since 1996. The target set by the Government in 1996 was for each local authority to reach an overall improvement figure of 30% by 2010.
Sub-Regional Choice Based Lettings - The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) is making available £4m over three years (2005-08) to fund new sub-regional and regional Choice Based Letters (CBL) schemes. The first bids were submitted for the 2005/06 round in October 2005. The Council’s bid jointly with Erimus has been successful and £105,000 has been awarded to progress the sub-regional scheme.
ECONOMIC & COMMUNITY REGENERATION
Local Enterprise Growth Initiative (LEGI) - Middlesbrough Council has an opportunity to access significant funding in support of its agenda to encourage a more entrepreneurial enterprise economy. The Council has been working with Stockton on Tees Borough Council as well as a range of partners on a LEGI proposal which was submitted on the 9th Dec and seeks 57 million pounds of LEGI funding. If the proposal is approved the LEGI will provide flexible, devolved investment in the most deprived Neighbourhood Renewal areas, to support locally developed and owned proposals that pursue new or proven ways of stimulating economic activity and productivity through enterprise development. The proposal has been developed as part of the Stockton-Middlesbrough Initiative (SMI). The LEGI application process has been taken forward via the economic subgroups of both Stockton’s and Middlesbrough’s LSPs, and has included consultation with a range of stakeholders and agencies. Business consultation took place to establish what concerns and issues existing businesses have. A key stakeholder event was also held to engage with the existing organisations working on both enterprise support and development.
The vision for ‘SMI Enterprise’ is to develop an enterprising urban core at the heart of the Tees Valley that will increase wealth, income and employment opportunities for Stockton and Middlesbrough residents by:
• generating a culture of entrepreneurship;
• capitalising on the opportunities for business growth;
• alleviating barriers to business growth and competitiveness;
• connecting people, particularly hard-to-reach groups, to economic opportunities.
To do this, SMI Enterprise will transform the Stockton Middlesbrough urban core through an innovative and co-ordinated programme of activities that will help build competitive businesses, develop competitive residents and create a competitive city region.
Growth and Competitiveness Grant - The second grant panel was held at the beginning of December. £49,500 was allocated to six Middlesbrough businesses that are expanding or growing in the town.
Neighbourhood Renewal Fund - Bids have been submitted for NRF funding to support work tackling worklessness and developing business. Bids which have received initial endorsement are as follows:
1. Network of Intermediaries
2. Area Based Initiatives
3. Foundation to Construction
4. Business Grants for Growth
5. Middlesbrough Business Engagement Strategy
Full applications will now be worked up and submitted in January.
Clusters Progress - The Clusters celebrated a very successful year with an event on December 14th at MTLC. The event looked back over the many service improvements achieved as a result of partner agencies consulting and working with the clusters. environmental projects led by Groundwork and community safety initiatives led by the Police. The event was noticeable by the level of enthusiasm by all those present and the keenness to see further progress in 2006.
NRF Approvals - The Middlesbrough Partnership Executive allocated £16.7 million of NRF resources to help tackle some of Middlesbrough's greatest challenges. Initiatives supported cover a wide range of areas including tackling worklessness, crime and anti-social behaviour. Resources are also being targeted at children's services, environmental improvements, healthier lifestyles and housing. Initiatives will commence on 1st April 2006 and be funded for two years.
Accountability Sessions - The second round of accountability sessions were held, chaired by the Mayor. These meetings are discussions about progress being made in the Partnership's Action Groups. A range of actions have been identified from the discussions aimed at removing barriers to better performance. There are six sessions covering each theme of the Community Strategy. Each meeting involves the relevant Executive Member and Chair of the Action Group, along with officers in support from the Partnership Team, Council, Government Office and the Community Network.
Local Area Agreement - The Partnership Team is providing key support in the early stages of the development of a Local Area Agreement (LAA) for Middlesbrough. Middlesbrough is required to have a LAA agreed and signed off by Ministers by March 2007 to take effect from April 2007. Partners and communities, through the Partnership's structures, are very keen to support the work of the Council in securing a LAA that helps improve services for Middlesbrough people. The LAA will include targets in four key areas: children and young people; safer and stronger communities; healthier communities and older people; and economic development and enterprise. The priorities and targets as set out in the Community Strategy 2005 will provide a starting point for our work on agreeing priorities
MUSEUMS & GALLERIES
mima has worked to produce the first monographic publication on the Dutch artist Felieke van der Leest. It will be published and distributed at V&A Museum; KunstRAI & Galerie Louise Smit, Amsterdam; Galerie Deux Poisson in Tokyo and through Charon Kranssen in New York.
Following completion of the mima communications strategy, media activity has been a strong focus of the month. Features have been organised and interviews set up with the Evening Gazette, Northern Echo, regional What’s On magazine, and Culture and The Crack Magazines. These features will all be appearing before the end of January.
Work continues to progress on the delivery of the new gallery and public square. During December the following works have been progressed.
• Construction has progressed with a current focus on ceiling installation in the gallery and the main area of soft landscaping within the square.
• The tender briefing document for the appointment of caterers to run the gallery café has been prepared.
• Designs for the interior of the café and retail space are developing as part of the percent for art element of the scheme.
• An application to draw down £2,446,575 from the Arts Council England grant was submitted.
• A temporary education post to support the interpretation of the collections has been advertised.
• The Dorman Museum has run a series of films for schools in the run up to Christmas. This has involved over 1000 school children over a three week period.
An historic archive about the construction, by Dorman Long, of the Ishmail Khadiv bridge in Egypt has been donated to the museum. The donor, a British diplomat, travelled all the way from Surrey to present the items to Cllr David Budd at the museum.
Improvements supported by the Clusters included
