Agenda and minutes

Venue: The Jeffrey Room, St. Giles Square, Northampton, NN1 1DE.

Contact: Partnerships and Communities Team  0300 330 700 e-mail:  forums@northampton.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

1.

Welcomes, introductions and apologies pdf icon PDF 185 KB

Minutes:

Present: Cllr Brian Oldham (Co Chair CO), Roger Rumsey (Co Chair RR), Cllr Hadland (CH), Derrick Simpson (NBC, DS), Madeline Boys (Individual MB), Mike Hill (Ex Pensioners Voice MH), Terry Dennis (Retired TD), Nayla Mahmood (Changing Minds IAPT Services NM1) Jo Painter (VOICE JP), Bernie Reid (Victim Support BR), Fr Oliver Cross (All Saints Church FO), David Hewitt (Citizen DH), Brian Nichols (Citizen BN), Hazel Tuttle (Retired HT), Geoff Simms (Individual GS), Alan Wright (Individual AW), Tony Mallard (Individual TM), Ann Timson (Individual AT), Nisha Mejer (NBC NM2), F Nelson (Individual FN), D Nelson (Individual DN), Cllr Stone (CS).

 

Apologies: Malcolm Hill, Maureen Hill, Veronica Male, John Rawlings

 

 

 

 

2.

Minutes and Matters Arising pdf icon PDF 86 KB

Minutes:

Minutes recorded as true.

 

Item 6: Matter taken up with Environmental Services.

 

The Forum would like to be part of the Heritage project. ACTION: Add to action plan.

 

ACTION: NM2 to check if there is an update about the Environmental Services.

 

 

3.

Cllr Hadland and Derrick Simpson - Bus Station pdf icon PDF 327 KB

Minutes:

CH: Is the Cabinet Member for Regeneration.

 

There have been recent events which has lead to the roads around the town centre being gridlocked.

 

We are working with the County Council and the Police to deal with the infrastructure. The gridlock was not caused by the bus station.

 

The next major redevelopment will be the Greyfriars. This will effect traffic.

 

In the meantime the Angel Square Park and Ride system will be put into place. The influx should not make too much difference.

 

DS: NBC look at the management of the bus station. The County Council (NCC) deal with the timetables and routes. NBC and NCC work closely together to look at the highway structure.

 

The old bus station was running for years and was on 3 levels. The lifts were over 40 years old and in need of repair. There were issues with anti social behaviour.

 

The new bus station is much better to manage. The toilets are well kept. The feedback from staff and users is positive.

 

MH: Mercers Row should be reopened to help with the traffic flow in the South.

CH: Looking into this.

 

FO: I am the Father for All Saints Church and have a vested interest in the traffic surrounding the church. Expressed concerns with the traffic going into Mercers Row. There is a café which hosts many visitors and there could be safety issues.

 

DH: Does not agree that the bus station works well. Uses the station 4 nights a week and finds it frustrating. It is too small and in the wrong place. The design is not good. NBC needs to admit that they were wrong.

 

CH: The Greyfriars building cost £500,000 to run. There was office space which was unlettable. Only solution was to demolish it. An option was to rebuild on the original site. But this would have left the public without a station. Other sites were reviewed. They were not ideal.

 

CO: I use the buses and this works for me. The old bus station was unpopular and was referred to as the “Mouth of Hell.”

 

GS: Has been a bus user since 1976 and used buses across the country. The best station was Greyfriars.There was no gridlock with the Greyfriars and had good access to Victoria station. The Greyfriars site has been ruined.

The buses emit pollution including nitrous oxide.

 

CH: The air quality is a national consideration and high up on the government agenda. Compromises had to be made with the new station. People didn’t like the underpass with the old station. Now have an entrance at ground level which is seen as a benefit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

4.

VOICE

Minutes:

JP: Gave presentation on VOICE. The organisation provides support to victims of crime. Victims can contact VOICE direct. Support is tailored to the individual.

 

BN: How are you funded?

JP: Classed as a charity and funded by the Police Crime Commissioner.

 

Contact details:  

 

Call us on 0300 303 1965

Email us at info@voicenorthants.org

 

 

 

5.

IAPT - Nayla

Minutes:

NM1 explained the service that Changing Minds provides.

 

The Changing Minds IAPT Wellbeing Teams provide an innovative and person centered service for individuals in Northamptonshire, who may be at risk of or who are experiencing a period of mental distress.

IAPT stands for Increasing Access to Psychological Therapies and is a nationwide government funded initiative to improve the availability of psychological therapies for people with anxiety and depression in primary care.

People of all ages can contact the group. Can go through GP surgeries.

 

6.

Jeanette Pidgen

Minutes:

To discuss in future meeting.

7.

Community News Exchange

Minutes:

RR: Have concerns that people can take pictures in the forum without prior permission.

ACTION: RR to write to the NBC solicitor.

 

BN: Asked about the blue badge issue. Advised to attend the Disabled People’s Forum.

 

Too many leaves on the Racecourse and are not being cleared up. Moss is now growing.

 

Advised to contact the local councillor.

 

TM: Eastfield Residents Association – The Easter event will be held later on in the year.

 

DH: Signage issues in Abington Street.

8.

Suggestions for Items for Future Meetings or Forum Activities

Minutes:

Adult social care in May meeting. Dementia Action Alliance to be discussed too.

 

 

Veronica Male email asked for an update for Homelessness and the Nightshelter in future meetings.

9.

Any Other Business

Minutes:

Not discussed.

10.

Date and venues of future Forum Meetings

May 25th 1:30pm – 4pm

 

 

Minutes:

May 25th 1:30 -4pm, The Guildhall.