Councillor Judith Williams

Councillor Yvonne Holyoak

Councillor Tudor Bebb

Councillor Charles Armstrong

Housing, CCTV

Community Development Sustainability

Arts

RESOURCES

REVENUE BUDGET:

• Significant underspend on staff salaries due to carrying long term vacancies.

• Additional £80,000 allocated for homelessness not spent as still pursuing contract negotiations with Severnside Housing.

CAPITAL BUDGET:

• An additional £600,000 approved for private sector housing renewal support.

• Support for Housing Associations budgeted at £3 Million now ceased due to abolition of LASHG.

CAPITAL SCHEMES

• Approval awaited from the Housing Corporation on schemes to provide 55 units of Social Housing under transitional LASHG arrangements. 77 units provided since October 2001

• 2 properties provided under the new lease back arrangements.

• Scheme to provide 36 units on the Grit Storage at Underdale road has failed due to nationally imposed timeframes.

• Bids for £342,619 community initiatives funding were considered by members 14 August 2003.

• Tenders for mobile CCTV received and evaluated order placed.

• CCTV installed at Castlefields Shopping Centre and discussions ongoing with Wales and Border trains re integrating station CCTV into town centre system.

STAFFING

Currently three posts are vacant.

Housing Assistant. New member staff starts on 8^th September.

Housing Enabler. Advertised twice no suitable candidates. Criteria under review.

Community Development Officer. New member of staff starts 1^st September.

The section has been at least 2 staff down (from a compliment of 14) since before the start of the year.

In addition the sustainable development officer leaves on 31^st August 2003.

KEY ACTIVITIES

Housing

We continue to struggle to deliver the promised 500 units of Social Housing. The value of land within the development boundary has risen such that it is virtually impossible for Housing Associations to compete. The Planning policy and new SPG on the provision of affordable housing is starting to deliver with agreements signed in the last few weeks to provide 16 units.

We have submitted bids to provide 55 units of social housing under the Transitional LASHG arrangements, but still await a response from the Housing Corporation.

The new Private Sector Housing Renewal Policy has been adopted and funding made available for small grants and equity release. Following a two year moratorium, it is an exciting time to be able to enable improvements in the private sector.

The Housing in multiple occupation Officer has started following a long vacancy and the inspection programme has started.

Our Homelessness Strategy has been adopted and approved by Government levering in an addition £35,000 per annum homelessness grant. This has enabled the continuation of a bond scheme for homeless people over 25 and a rent in advance scheme for under 25’s, packs for people fleeing domestic violence and support for the Domestic Violence help line.

A new homelessness contract has been drafted and sent to Severnside Housing, who are currently considering and costing it.

Supporting People went live in April 2003 and at the final reconciliation in July 2003 we confirmed that almost £7 million of housing related support services are now being provided through this county wide partnership. Service reviews have now started.

Demand for disabled facility grants remains high and I am pleased to report extremely high levels of customer satisfaction with the service.

Community Development.

The Raising Aspirations Partnership project continues to go from strength to strength with over 50 young people now having received mentoring support.

The community safety annual action plan has been approved and the action groups are now moving into the deliver phase. Last year over 80% of the actions planned were delivered. See http://www.safetypartnership.org.uk/

Discussions are progressing on the establishment of a single countywide Community Safety Partnership and Strategy to improve co-ordination and reduce duplication across Shropshire.

Tenders for relocatable CCTV have been evaluated and an order placed.

Demand for Community initiatives grant has grown with bids for £342,619 in the latest round against a budget of £179,000.

Work has started on developing a ward action plan for Underdale whilst support for the Harlescott Safety Forum and Meole Estate Community Action continues.

A community fun day has been held in Castlefields and in Harlescott.

5 drugs awareness music events have been held with over 2500 young people attending.

A course for young people from Ditherington has been organised to enable them to experience, free of charge, two weeks of midweek djing skills as well as a supporting website (no longer online)

Arts Development

A competition has been opened for the West End public art commission resulting in a high level of interest from some renowned artists. The winner to be decided in January 2004.

A competition has also started for 10 arts based community regeneration projects (5 urban and 5 rural) with the successful projects to be delivered this financial year.

The Creative Industries project is drawing to a close with four residencies, 2 events and a public art commission to be completed before close in December 2003.

Discussions have started on the development of a Cultural festival for Shrewsbury (2004/2005), tying in the Arts festival, Music festival and incorporating live performance.

Carl Jaycock’s work ‘In search of our ancestors’ winner of the 2002 Arts Festival has been secured for the town.

Sustainable Development.

The Youth environment day was held on 4^th July with over 160 young people attending to take part in workshops about sustainable development.

Our most successful Green Day was held on the 6^th July with over 2500 people attending to see 50 displays.

The travel plan working party continues to meet regularly and has made good progress on the development of policies for the sustainable travel plan.

An extensive allotment use consultation exercise has been undertaken with a view to developing an allotments strategy.

Corporate Issues

The Community Partnership is striving forward with the concept of developing an overall vision of the Borough as an Environmental Centre of Excellence and officers are supporting this process.

Balancing housing markets and clean safe public space are the two service areas, which form part of the Comprehensive Performance Assessment. The draft self-assessment frameworks have been completed.

SIGNED

Service Manager

Director

Portfolio Holders

Judith Williams

Yvonne Holyoak

Tudor Bebb

Charles Armstrong