Annual Report 2002

Last year I published my first Annual Councillors Report 2000/2001.It was well received by everyone. So much so I produced a part year report in July. I believe it is only a matter of time before all elected members will have to publish information on their actions on a yearly basis. This report will cover the whole of this calendar year.

This therefore has become my second Annual Councillors Report that I have produced primarily for my own constituents and for the members of Wednesfield North Labour Party. I hope it will further inform everyone that reads it of the work currently being undertaken by myself on your behalf. As this report is to be made available on the World Wide Web, I have decided to describe both Wolverhampton City and Wednesfield North. This may help those persons who may not be familiar with the City or the area.

· The report contains the type of cases that I have dealt with in the year.

· There is information on the amount of casework undertaken.

· Also election data following the Municipal Election in May 2002.

As the year has reached its conclusion the City Council has received its assessment from the Government in the form of the Comprehensive Performance Assessment. This is probably the most important document the City Council has received in modern times, it is a report compiled by the Audit Commission; who have informed us that Wolverhampton Council is classed as being ‘Weak’. This assessment is controversial and a description ‘Weak’ is defined, as the Council is “providing low standards of service”. This document is available to the public and will be a huge influence on future service delivery.

I for my part believe that the description given by the CPA is a fair assessment of where the Authority is currently. I am very willing to answer further questions on this important document, and the conclusion it comes too. I am keen that as a Councillor we address the areas of greatest concern quickly. Housing repairs in particular has not faired well and is of particular concern to me. As housing repairs are the top issue at Advice Surgery.

There are a number of other issues that are pertinent to my report and give a useful snap shot on how we are developing here in Wolverhampton and Wednesfield North. Not everything is bad!, and there is much good work taking place.

· The ‘Rough Sleepers’ count for 2002 indicate that there were only 2 people that met the Governments criteria of rough sleeping. The initiative to count took place on the 26/11/02 between the hours of midnight and 5.00am. Over 30 volunteers were co-ordinated by the Homeless Service Unit, for this operation searches were made in all the major parks and the City centre and town centres of Bilston and Wednesfield. I am relieved that the City has such a low numbers of rough sleepers

· The Ashmore Park Community Action Plan has been agreed.

The following paragraphs are a declaration of my personal interest in line with the advice offered by the Standards Board of England.

I am 52, married to Mary and live in Wednesfield. I own the freehold to my property. I do not own any other land interests within the City of Wolverhampton. I am the Corporate Affairs Director for Travel West Midlands, part of the National Express Group. I am a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Transport & a Fellow of the Institute of Logistics and Transport. I am also Chair of South Staffordshire Water Company, Customer Consultative Committee. [An Annual Report on the Work of this Committee is also available] I am also a Member of the St Thomas Parochial Church Charity Committee, and have served on this Committee now for a number of years. The Government has been introducing New Standards for Members. This statement is made to lift the publics understanding and awareness with regard to ensuring better local government at all levels. It is important that Council Members activities are transparent. A full declaration of my personal and financial interests is available for inspection by the public at the City Council where it can be viewed.

For the record I am a Member of the Labour Party, the Co-Operative Party, Rail Maritime and Transport Trade Union. I am also a member of the Birmingham Press Club. During the period covered by this report I have not received any gift, or hospitality connected with my role as Councillor.

The City of Wolverhampton and the Council.

The population of Wolverhampton is estimated at being 240,500. We are one of the United Kingdoms newest Cities receiving letters patent from Her Royal Majesty, HRH Queen Elizabeth in January 2001.

The Council comprises of 60 Councillors representing 20 Wards. The controlling Party in Wolverhampton is the Labour Party. It has 34 Councillors and therefore is the biggest political party in the Council. The Councils executive is made up of a Leader, Councillor Lawrence and a Cabinet and five Cabinet Teams.

These teams have oversight of Lifelong Learning, Social Care Housing and Health, Law and Resources, Finance and Physical Resources, and Regeneration. The Cabinet and each of the Cabinet teams are scrutinised by a Monitoring and Development Panel.

Wednesfield North Ward

Wednesfield North has an electorate of 9,200. It is geographically in the North East of Wolverhampton. At the heart of Wednesfield North is a large housing estate. This is the Ashmore Park estate. It was once wholly owned by the Council, providing a good source of social housing.

In 1980 this estate contained 3042 Council owned homes.

In the year 2000, Council housing stock had reduced to 1503, as people took advantage of the ‘Right to Buy’ legislation. We have seen a whopping 50% sale rate in the City Council housing stock on Ashmore Park in just 20 years.

It is now predicted that by the year 2006 social housing on Ashmore Park will have been reduced to just 1150 dwellings [source; City Councils Housing Business Plan 2001]. We know that currently we have around 43% of residents in Wednesfield North without central heating [source Report on the Public Health of Wolverhampton 2001] Wednesfield North is changing radically with new challenges being faced as old ones fade away.

Unemployment in Wednesfield North is currently low with the rate standing at 3.4% at the time of writing this document. The average unemployment rate for the City is a corresponding 6.5% or 6582 persons. As the year ended we were informed by the Boundary Commission that the Wednesfield North boundaries are to change. It is now expected that we will have all out elections 2004. Fought on new boundaries.

Wolverhampton City Council Elections 2002.

In May of this year I faced a Municipal Election the result was very pleasing giving me another term on the City Council. Looking at my Web Page on the Councils own Web Site will allow access for the full election results across the City.

I have laid out some figures so that a quick glance will give you some election detail;

Election Data

Date Name Votes Majority Poll Total Poll

May 1998 Bateman 1,589 442 32.36% 2972

May 2002 Bateman 1,713 683 34.56% 3031

Education Issues.

Over the last 12 months the Council has made a huge effort to play a part in refurbishing schools, and the largest ever capital investment in local schools has been made by the Authority. During this period schools in Wolverhampton recorded better GCE results than the year previous. In Wednesfield North though we continue to suffer from the fact that some local people still have difficulty in getting their children accepted into Coppice High School. The agreed intake for September of this year left many disappointed residents.

I was surprised to find out that in this year more than 24% of Coppice High School was made up of children who’s parents live in another Borough! Indeed some 29 % of this September’s intake were from children living in some other town/district and not Wolverhampton.

I have been pressing the School and the City Education Authorities to look closely at a building project that will allow the school to take more local

Children.

At present this looks to be highly unlikely. I raised the issue of entrance again at the November meeting of the Full City Council and was given some assurances by the Chair of Education Councillor Helen King that the Authority was to look with the school at the entrance criteria. I know that some local persons who act as School Governors and who play an important role in the Governing of Coppice High school have been concerned about these local arrangements. I hope that in this New Year approaching [2003] we will be able to quell the criticism and see more local children gain access to the school. All the local schools had to face up with attacks from vandals. This is very costly to Council Taxpayers and very disruptive for the children’s own educational development. We do need to see if we can reduce and stop this petty cycle of damage and disruption.



Law and Order Issues.

The argument about the need for a police station on Ashmore Park continues to be made by me. I am very keen to see such a facility. The fear of crime is one of the biggest issues in the Ward and it comes over when I am on the doorstep time after time. Therefore I continue to press for what constituents want to see. My overall relationship with West Midlands Police is a healthy one, but it is an issue that in itself leads to tension from time to time. Some of the complaints that I have dealt with in this year are listed and relate to: Speed issues in Peacock Ave., Linthouse Lane and Broad Lane North.

· Neighbour nuisance on Ashmore Park and Wyvern Park.

· Trouble on the walkway between Coppice Farm estate and Ashmore Park, again young people destroying the hedgerows and setting fire to property, gang fights in this area has also been a difficulty.

· Allegations relating to sexual abuse and other related matters have also been made to me by constituents.

· I have also had residents contact me about fights and poor police performance. Also issues relating to under-age drinking, and the selling of alcohol to youngsters.

The selling of alcohol is a growing problem that is leading to anti social behaviour. I have reported all of these issues to the police. I do hope that this particular problem, will be tackled by the police with re-newed vigour.

Anti-social behaviour is bad enough, but when it is alcohol fuelled in young people who do not have the means to cope with it. It usually becomes a police issue. Police Advice Surgery are now held on Ashmore Park at locations including; Belle Hair Hairdressers and Ashmore Park Library.

Amongst the most unusual of the cases reported to me by residents, was the sad case of a man battering a hedgehog to death. The resident who reported the matter to the police was not happy with the police response. The force has now dealt with the case, but it is a very sad reflection on life.

The Wolverhampton Crime and Disorder Audit ranks Wednesfield North as a low crime area with total crimes at 0-1000 for 1999-2000 and 2000-2001. However a report produced by consultants CSR Partnership ‘Neighbourhoods in Wolverhampton’ suggest that within the Ward. There are little pockets of crime. These are listed as “three neighbourhoods that stand out in terms of rising crime; Coppice Farm [highest increase in the rate per 1,000population] Broad Lanes [North&South] although this rise still leaves them below the City average.”

This is an issue that I took up with the Authorities. I certainly do not think that those neighbourhoods recognise the unique status that this report gives them. It remained of grave concern to me even as the year moved towards its end. Priority policy areas for the City Council in terms of tackling crime have been published. I very much agreed with the broad themes which are the requirement for Safer Neighbourhoods. Burglary and Robbery reduction feature as part of the main elements. Tackling Vehicle Crime, and Racial Incidents/Racial Harassment, Domestic Violence and Substance misuse are all major areas of crime that are being focussed on.

In all I have written 200 pieces of correspondence which have been generated during the course of the year relating to law and order issues.

New Style Local Government

In my first annual report last year [2001] I drew attention to the fact that we were now operating with a Leader and Cabinet. It is a new style of local government. I reported that there were many of my colleagues who were unhappy with this type of local government. I can inform you that there is still very much this same feeling in some parts of the Council. Though both Councillors and electors are beginning to see the full power of scrutiny.

I can report that the City Council is committed to improving Wolverhampton as a City. It has decided to sharpen its consultation with residents. Not only is the tried and trusted methods of consultation taking place through surveys, user panels, small group discussions and community events. But Wolverhampton also has Local Partnership Networks, and Area Housing Committees, along with Tenants and Resident Groups, plus Community Association Forums and other Interest Groups all playing a part in determining change. Now new Neighbourhood Forums are now in place with budgets for improving local neighbourhoods.

Our Wednesfield Neighbourhood Forum has a budget of £50k to spend. It has been slowly pulling itself into an effective and important structure. But it has still away to go before the electors of Wednesfield recognise its worth. Please consider as a citizen your own role. If you would like to know more about Local Government or if you would like to know more about Citizens Panels or you would like to join one. Please telephone 01902 554042, or look on the Councils own web site. If you can make your own views known through one or all of these structures.

Skateboarding

This is an issue that has caused much concern in the Ward, there is a huge following for skateboarding and the City Council has yet to really embrace it in a way that is meaningful for its followers. Here in Wednesfield North we have seen boarders using the roofs of local schools and social services buildings to zip up and down. Not only is it dangerous but it is very costly and damaging to community facilities. I have presented a petition to the City Council raised by youngsters in the Ward. Asking for a Skateboard Park to be constructed within Ashmore Park. It is a matter that should get the full community backing, and I shall press hard for this facility for the petitioners. As the year came to an end there has still been no sign that the Council will be able to provide this facility here in Wednesfield North.


Smith Type Homes

There are a small number [26] of defective ‘Smith’ type homes on Ashmore Park. They have been a source of poor living conditions for some time. During the course of the year a row blew up about the way that the Council had been dragging its feet to refurbish these homes. I can report that a programme was drawn up and a public meeting was held on September 26, which I and my colleague Councillor Gwen Stafford Good attended.

One of the pleasing aspects of the public meeting was the agreement to bring forward the central heating programme for these 26 homes. As Christmas arrived all these homes were due to have the heating up and working. The setting out of Design and Tender proposals were submitted to Social Care Housing and Health Cabinet Team in October –tenders were issued and returned at the end of November. We are still on course to see construction work starting on the 26 homes that will be refurbished in February 2003.

Essington and Wyrley Canal.

I have been active in getting the British Waterways Board to tackle the rapid growing Azzolla water weed in this canal. This is a foreign species of weed that grows so rapidly it pushes out the natural indigenous species that colonises the canal. Following complaints from Wednesfield Anglers and others I have been informed by BWB that an action plan is to be developed to deal with this weed. I will continue to keep a watchful eye on the issue.

PVCU Window Installation Programme.

More than 4,000 council owned homes have now had their windows completed in the North East of Wolverhampton. £4m is being spent on the programme each year. But there are still many homes in Wednesfield North waiting to be dealt with. This is one of the biggest case items that I have at Advice Surgery. Priority policy at the North East Area Housing Committee is key to this issue.

Flooding Issues

Flooding problems in Hodson Close and St Albans Close are still under the investigation of Severn Trent Water Company. Severn Trent Water Co has informed me that it is important that all flooding incidents be reported to the company, the freephone number is 0800 7834444 to enable the company to build up a profile of flooding problems in the area.

Advice Surgery Information.

I continue to operate an advice surgery. This takes place on the last Friday in the month at Ashmore Park Library, also a Sunday Surgery is held at the Ashmore Park Residents Association, which is located above the Library. See the posters in the library for the dates, or my Web Page on Wolverhampton Councils owns Web Site.

Since I have been producing these reports. I have written more than 1500 items of correspondence concerning Constituents cases.

I can also report that I continue to have a good working relationship with Ken Purchase MP who represents Wolverhampton North East in Parliament. Ken has been very supportive. There have been a number of cases where I have requested his help. I would like to use this report to thank him publicly for his advice help and assistance.

Membership of City Council Committees

I am a Member of the City Councils Superannuating Committee. The Planning Committee and I am a Member of the Regeneration Scrutiny Monitoring and Development Panel.

I hope that you have found this report interesting. If you would like to expand on any of these issues or have any other comments please contact me.

In conclusion this report has provided me with an opportunity to set out many of the themes that I have been pursuing in my role as a City Councillor through-out the year. It has been at times a very difficult year, and there have been quite difficult decisions to make.

I just hope that I will be able to continue providing help and advice to constituents of a worthwhile nature in the coming year. In 2003 we will have the final report on the Boundary Commission which will of course alter the electoral boundaries in Wolverhampton.

This will in itself alter the shape of not only the political make-up of the Council it will alter much of the make-up of many of the traditional Wards in the City.

In Wednesfield North we are very likely to see Bellamy Lane, Orchard Road and part of Prestwood Road, being absorbed into our current Wednesfield North Ward. This will be a good match and should lead to little difficulty in assimilation.

Finally I am pleased that the Metro extensions seem to have again progressed this year. [A separate comment on this development is available]

For further information on this report or any other issue, please contact me on philip.bateman@btopenworld.com or on 01922 403960.