Monday, March 08, 2010

My First Report

My First Report
Parish Council Forum

Date and Time: Thursday 4 March 2010 at 7.00 pm
Venue: Rutland County Council Chamber Catmose
Cllr’s M Brookes, M Dodds and J Lucas from Oakham Town Council attended


Helen Briggs, Chief Executive, Rutland County Council:
Update RAF Cottesmore.

15th December 2009, the MoD announced that the harrier force stationed at RAF Cottesmore will disband and transfer two squadrons to RAF Wittering, over a three year period. The first Squadron will move by 1st April 2010. The remaining will then transfer to RAF Wittering by 1st April 2011. It is planned the station will then close by 2013.
Since December 2010 RCC has led a multi-agency team comprising of Rutland County Council. RAF Cottesmore, Government Office East Midlands, East Midlands Development Agency, job centre Plus and the Primary care trusts to Understand the impact of this closure and what interventions the council and partners will need to make to limit the disruption to the community.
Its likely Mod personnel will continue to live in the homes on the base after the transfer from the base for sometime.
The MoD still has to make a decision on the future of the site and this will be subject to the impending Strategic Defence Review.

Updates to Councillors, local businesses and the community will be sent out as progression on this evolves.


Janine Rodger, Councillor and Portfolio Holder for Regulatory Services, Rutland County Council:
Information about Rutland best Kept Village Competition.

This competition replaces The Rutland Tidy Village competition which was run for 53 consecutive years up to 2008 The new competition aims to promote sustainability, environmental responsibility and community improvement. The competition will be held with two categories of villages: Best kept large village and best kept small village.

Further information available at: www.rutland.gov.uk/bestkeptvillage


Mark Naylor, head of Adult operations and Commissioning, Rutland County Council:

Mark Naylor also spoke on behalf of Children’s Services: Safeguarding children and vulnerable adults.

He started by reminding as us this was everybody’s business.
He highlighted Stop abuse, a joint venture supported by Leicester City Council, Leicestershire Constabulary, Leicestershire County and Rutland PCT, Leicestershire Partnership trust, NHS Leicester City, Rutland county Council and University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust.

Physical abuse, Sexual abuse, Emotional abuse, Financial abuse of Adults was covered

He explained Abuse is when someone does or says something to anyone which makes them upset or scared. Abuse is when someone tries to take away your rights. You maybe afraid to say to say something to tell them to STOP.

Everybody has the right to live their life free from violence, fear and abuse. Every body has the right to live in safety. You have these rights, whoever you are, It doesn’t matter if you are old or disabled or ill.

If you are being abused you can report this to a Social worker, Nurse, Police Officer, Care Worker, Family & Friends, Doctor and Care inspector.

For further information here in Rutland about Stop Abuse please contact Rutland social care services: 01572 758 341 www.rutland.gov.uk

We were also told keeping children safe is everybody’s business.

We were given a leaflet of the same title from Local Safeguarding Children Board Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland.

Further information is available on the LSCB website www.lscb-llr.org.uk
Police Tel: 0116 222 2222
Emergency team (out of hours when the Children and Young People’s Service local office is closed ) Tel; 0116 2551606

It was also stated there had been 38 safeguarding adult reports during 09/10
Rutland currently has 8 children on protection plans and 28 currently looked after children.


Kevin Brooks, Head of strategic projects, Rutland County Council.

Kevin Brooks explained the role of Access to Services in Rutland whilst we enjoyed cakes provided with the logo iced on top.
Kevin Brooks and Anna Rodley are currently carrying out a survey to find what services could be provided out in the communities and ways in which people could access public services.
Should the council Twitter and use SMS services?
Could the mobile library be used for Benefit Advice and other services.
Job Centre plus was mentioned Rutland is the only County in the UK that does not have any Job Centre plus services.
I thanked Kevin Brooks on behalf of the 400 plus Rutland unemployed, single parents and others for putting Job Centre Pus on the Councils current agenda.
We all have to travel some distance out of the county to access this service at a considerable financial cost. I mentioned I have written a number of letters to our MP Alan Duncan concerning Job Centre Plus.

Kevin Brooks and Anna Rodley would like to know your thoughts on the following questions.

Do you know anyone in your community who struggles to access services they need?
If so, do you know which services are hardest for them to access?
Do you know why?

The questionnaire is available to complete at www.rutland.gov.uk/access2services


Heather Wells, Councillor and Portfolio Holder for Children and Young People’s Services, Rutland County Council

Cllr Heather Wells spoke about the Post 16 Consultation, the vote on this subject will be held at Monday’s full Council meeting. 8th March 2010 7 pm. It was felt the media coverage had been biased. Anyone members of the public wishing to attend Monday’s Council should arrive at 6.30 pm Mrs Briggs said there total capacity for health and safety reason was limited to 160 seated members of the public and admission would be based on a first come first basis. In the past post 16 Consultation had been held in venues able to host over two hundred members of the public.

Finally we were presented with the Parish Briefing.

This includes RAF Cottesmoore Update, Rutland Hippos! and information about Rutland’s Best Kept Village Competition 2010: How Green is Your Village?
This is also available on-line: at www.rutland.gov.uk

Future meetings of the Parish Council Forum: 28th June 2010 7 pm, 6th September 2010 7 pm, 30th November 2010 7 pm, 3 March 2011 7 pm
(NB- these are all subject to formal adoption by full Council)


Report created by Cllr Martin Brookes 6th March 2010