Agenda and minutes

Venue: Grey Room - York House - Windsor

Contact: Shilpa Manek  01628 796310

Items
No. Item

80.

WELCOME AND INTRODUCTIONS

Minutes:

Angela Clark welcomed all to the Forum.

 

Angela Clark expressed a special welcome to Councillor Singh, Anna Robinson and Barbara Richardson for attending the Forum.

 

Angela Clark also welcomed the residents that had attended.

81.

APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

To receive any Apologies for Absence.

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Bowden, Carroll, Johnson and Stimson, Rachel Kinniburgh, Tim Clare, Interim Head of Housing at RBWM and Housing Solutions.

82.

MINUTES FROM LAST FORUM pdf icon PDF 108 KB

Forum to agree the Minutes of the last meeting on 25 March 2019.

Minutes:

The minutes of the last Forum on 25 March 2019 were approved subject to added Dominic Manley to the attendance and including an important point that Liz Kelsall had raised that no one in the Council was taking ownership and leading the way for the housing concerns for the future. There was no one over-seeing the overall areas of housing, education, planning, transport and health.

 

RESOLVED Unanimously: that the minutes of the Forum on 25 March 2019 were a true record subject to the two changes above.

83.

MATTERS ARISING - CHAIR AND VICE CHAIRMAN NOMINATIONS

To appoint Chairman and Vice Chairman.

Minutes:

Lisa Hughes proposed that Angela Clark remain as Chair. This was seconded by Peter Hayley.

 

RESOLVED Unanimously: Angela Clark remain as Chair.

 

Robin Pemberton proposed that Lisa Hughes remain as Vice Chair. This was seconded by Dominic Manley.

 

RESOLVED Unanimously: Lisa Hughes remain as Vice Chair.

84.

MATTERS ARISING - WELCOME NEW MEMBERS

Chairman to welcome new Members to the Forum.

Minutes:

The Chair welcomed all.

 

The Forum wanted to know the roles of the Councillors. Councillor Singh explained that he had just been newly appointed to the Forum and he saw his role as a conduit between the Forum and the Council. He felt his role was to reflect the concerns that the Forum had and try and get them resolved or delivered.

 

The other forum member, Councillor Bowden was a very experienced councillor with a broad brief across the council. Having both councillors would give good representation from both Windsor and Maidenhead. Councillor Bowden was Chairman of Windsor Town Forum and Councillor Singh was Chairman of Maidenhead Town Forum.

85.

MATTERS ARISING - AAF TERMS OF REFERENCE pdf icon PDF 28 KB

Forum to note the Terms of reference.

Minutes:

Anna Robinson, Strategy and Performance Manager, informed the Forum that they could amend their ToR rather than having to seek full Council approval for any changes. However, any proposed changes should be referred to democratic services before implementation to ensure they were compatible with governance requirements.

 

Anna Robinson advised the Forum that they agreed an immediate change to update the reference to the council’s most recent Equality Policy.

 

RESOLVED Unanimously: to update the reference to the council’s most recent Equality Policy in the ToR.

 

The Vice Chair suggested a change of name for the Forum. The current name did not explain what the Forum did. The Vice Chair suggested the Disability Forum. Liz Kelsall explained to the Forum that when dealing with young children, parents and carers did not consider learning difficulties as a disability, so suggested Learning Difficulties & Disability Forum.

 

The Chair suggested that the Forum members suggest a new name and the item to be discussed at the next meeting.

 

ACTION: Clerk to place on next meeting agenda

 

86.

MATTERS ARISING - MAIDENHEAD TOWN CENTRE REGENERATION

Barbara Richardson to update the Forum on the Maidenhead Town Centre Regeneration work.

Minutes:

Barbara Richardson, Managing Director, RBWM Property Company Ltd, initially provided an update from the last meeting’s minutes as follows:

 

·         There will still be blue badge spaces at the front of the Town Hall, as off-street parking. Barbara Richardson would pick this up with the Operations Team.

·         The Chair suggested two spaces outside the registrar office but was advised that this would all soon be constructed with new landscaping.

·         The Vice Chair informed the Forum that there were three level access spaces in the Town Hall car park when it was there and these could be reserved for members attending council meetings. These had not been replaced anywhere. The two spaces on the main road were very used. Barbara Richardson informed the Forum that the three spaces from the Town Hall car park had been replaced into the members’ car park for use by staff. Barbara Richardson would pick this up with the Operations Team to see if they could be accessed by way of reservation for visitors to the Town Hall.

 

ACTION: Barbara Richardson to speak with the Operations Team on two points above.

 

·         Barbara Richardson informed the Forum that ShopMobility car park was still going to be temporarily placed in West Street during the construction of the new car park but this was always the plan and it was only the timing that had changed.

·         Barbara Richardson informed the Forum that the northern side of Queen Street did not need to be closed for the redevelopment of The Landings. The Vice Chair said it was still closed. Barbara Richardson would check why this was closed.

·         Barbara Richardson informed the Forum that there were due to be seven social housing disabled units in a later stage of development. These would be at an affordable level and under shared ownership. There were other schemes soon coming too.

·         Barbara Richardson advised the Forum that there were to be seven social rental properties in the York Road development. However, none of these were designed to disabled access standards. Private developers did not want to produce social rented units due to the income from the tenure type not covering the cost to build them. This is why they are in short supply. However, the Prop Co is looking at putting 30% social rent on its sites, with some cross subsidy from shared ownership in order to deliver more affordable homes at this level. They would be considering disabled access units, even though this was not a planning policy requirement.

·         Barbara Richardson advised the Forum that if someone would explain as to what was required, she was happy to champion and try and provide. Some properties were coming forward that she could consider. A report was due to be presented to Cabinet in August to approve the property company business plan so could include in the mix specialist housing for adults and children.

 

Barbara Richardson gave the Forum an update on what was in process now. The following points were highlighted:

 

Town Centre

·         The council  ...  view the full minutes text for item 86.

87.

MATTERS ARISING - PLANNING APPLICATIONS

Lisa Hughes to update the Forum on Planning Applications.

Minutes:

Lisa Hughes, Vice Chair, informed the Forum that she had reviewed thirty-three planning applications between April and June 2019 and had commented on nine of them.

 

Lisa Hughes also attended:

 

Friends of Battlemead Common 18 Jun 2019

Lisa Hughes was representing users with disabilities at this multi-group forum. The inaugural meeting took place on 18 June 2019 and was invited to give a presentation on the barriers faced by people with disabilities in accessing greenspaces.

 

Ascot Place-Making Workshop 26 Jun 2019

Lisa Hughes attended the workshop, facilitated by RBWM planning, alongside around 40 other community members. A SWOT analysis and vision for Ascot was developed in round table discussion. Lisa Hughes drew attention to the need for accessible new homes.

 

Great Western Railway Disability Focus Group meeting 2 Jul 2019

In January GWR asked some passengers with disabilities or additional needs, and relevant charities, to provide input to the development of staff disability awareness training. The workshops were filmed. In July the focus group was invited to a follow-up meeting in Bristol at which GWR’s strategic training partner presented the training.

It was an exceptional training programme, including the filmed contributions from PwD, short filmed dramas of passengers journeys in which the focus group’s words and situations had been built into the script (and actors with disabilities were used in the dramas), plus a training booklet and online course. So far they had trained over 750 staff members, including the whole Executive Team, and by next July would have trained all 6,000 employees.

The commitment of GWR time and money, the excellent training programme developed and a genuine engagement with service users was not only a beacon among train / public transport providers but across the public and private sector.

 

Local Access Forum meeting 4 Jul 2019

Lisa Hughes updated the LAF on the work of the Accessibility Working sub-group and their recommendations. The forum was not quorate therefore no decision could be made but the chair would write to the absent members to seek their approval for accepting the recommendations. The sub-group had recommended an initial focus on improving accessibility at six sites around the borough. These were; Battlemead Common, Runnymede at Old Windsor, Cock Marsh, Green Way, Ockwells Park and the Thames at Boulters Lock.

 

88.

ITEMS - GOVERNMENT CONSULTATION FOR CHANGING PLACES

Angela Clark to inform the Forum on the Government Consultation for Changing Places.

Minutes:

The Chairman informed the Forum of a consultation for a new proposal to have a changing places facility at all public places. The Chairman requested that Members sent their responses on to the Chairman by Monday 15 July 2019 in order for a response to be sent from the RBWM Access Advisory Forum.

 

89.

ITEMS - HOUSING FOR ALL WITH DISABILITIES INCLUDING TRANSITION AND INDEPENDENT LIVING FOR YOUNG DISABLED ADULTS

(a)    Preparing for Adulthood (Presentation by Achieving for Children: Colin Symons)

(b)    Choices for Living (Presentation by Optalis: Vernon Nosal)

(c)     Housing for all with disabilities (Presentation by Vice Chair: Lisa Hughes)

 

 

Minutes:

Colin Symons, Team Manager Preparing for Adulthood, CYPDS, Achieving for Children, gave a presentation, attached.

 

Questions asked by the Forum included the following:

·         How many young children with an EHCP were on the disability register as it was voluntary to add yourself to the register. The figure was unknown. The Forum would encourage people to join the disability register.

 

ACTION: Colin Symons to inform Forum of how many young children are registered on the Disability Register.

 

·         What happens to young adults who cease secondary school and the transition back to the borough after education? Colin Symons informed the Forum that these children would fall under other teams, depending on individual cases. If it was a permanent move then all details would be passed over to new local authority.

 

Vernon Nosal, Head of Statutory Services, Optalis, gave a presentation, attached.

 

Questions asked by the Forum included the following:

·         Barbara Richardson pointed out that accommodating out of the borough was very costly emotionally and financially. If a site was needed in the borough, it was a three to five year period to provide. Vernon Nosal informed the Forum that there was no provision in the borough for people that needed to come out of hospital.

·         Collette Gray, member of the public, asked why there was no provision for people with autism. Vernon Nosal that there was a specialism autism worker. Vernon would look into the case.

·         All the information was out there. More commitment was required from Councillors, AfC and Optalis.

 

Lisa Hughes, Vice Chairman, gave a presentation on Accessible homes for RBWM residents with disabilities.

 

ACTION: Place on next meeting Agenda.

ACTION: Send all presentations to Councillors Johnson and Carroll.

ACTION: Send all presentations with minutes to all Forum Members.

ACTION: Invite Councillors Johnson and Carroll to next meeting.

90.

ITEMS FOR FUTURE MEETINGS

Forum to suggest any items for the next Forum.

Minutes:

The Chairman and the Vice Chairman were happy to receive items from Forum Members to include at future meetings.

91.

DATES FOR FUTURE FORUMS

The Forum to note dates of future Forums are as follows:

 

Monday 9 September 2019

Monday 9 December 2019

Monday 16 March 2020

 

All Forum will take place in the Grey Room, York House, Sheet Street, Windsor SL4 1BY at 11.30am.

Minutes:

The next Access Advisory Forum would be on Monday 9th September 2019 at 11.00am in the Grey Rooms, York House, Sheet Street, Windsor.