Minutes of ACF Meeting
Thursday, 8th July 2010
Southwick Green Communal Lounge, Southwick

Present: - Bruce Andrews, Ruth Andrews, Fred Bathurst, Rose Boden, Bill Bone, Lisa Cook, Dave Donaldson, Wendy Farmer, David Guy, Gary Hackett, Paula Kinsella, Elsie Kitson, Richard Letchford, Sue Lane, Bob McClellan, Tony Morris, Bridget Orman, Sylvia Page, Tania Page and Linda Price.

ADC: Edward Crouch (Housing Officer) and Barry Maxey (Tenant Participation Officer).

• Welcome and introductions

Wendy welcomed everyone to the meeting and as some of those present were fairly new to the ACF, she asked everyone to introduce themselves.

• Apologies

Apologies were received from William Guy and June Moulton. 

• Minutes of the last meeting 13th May 2010

The minutes were agreed.

4.         Matters arising

• Wendy read out a letter from Edna Wye following her recent retirement from the ACF.  In this, she thanked everyone for her card and present and sent her good wishes to the ACF for the future. 
• Paula said she was told by a gas engineer who visited her property recently that he didn’t know anything about putting date stickers on gas appliances after servicing them.  She has informed Charlie Strong (Maintenance Manager) about this.

5.         Chair’s report

Wendy said that David Pannell (Executive Head of Adur Homes Services) recently invited her to a meeting in which he briefed her on the council’s proposals for the Lancing and Southwick Local Offices. 

A report will be presented to Adur’s Overview & Scrutiny Committee and to the Cabinet in September 2010.  This report is likely to propose that the Local Offices are closed at the end of December 2010 and that services are relocated to the Civic Centre.  It is also likely to recommend that the Lancing Office be retained as a tenants’ resource centre and that some walk-in services are provided from there and at other locations.

An article in the current edition of Housing Voice asks tenants and leaseholders for their opinions on the proposed closure of these offices.  The ACF will have the opportunity to comment on the report when it has been produced and may attend the council meetings to express their views in person.

There were concerns that the drop-in sessions may not be at convenient locations and will not provide an adequate substitute for the Local Offices.  It was also thought that there would be additional expenses for residents in travelling to the Civic Centre (e.g. £5 in bus fares to collect a door entry key).

6.         Treasurer’s report

A £10.00 prize has been paid to each of the two winners of the Forum competitions, leaving £2,234.10 in the bank account.

7.         Bids for environmental improvement grants

            None.

8.         Rent statements

In line with the Compact, rent statements are currently sent out quarterly (six-monthly for those paying by direct debit) and whenever requested by the tenant.  As the council is looking for savings, Barry asked members’ what they thought about reducing the frequency of these to every six months. 

Concerns were raised about tenants unknowingly falling into arrears because of changes in benefits and irregular working tax credit payments.  The value of the saving was queried and there was a unanimous vote to reject the proposal and to retain three-monthly statements.         

9.         Cabinet agenda

        The three housing-related items on the next Cabinet agenda are: -

• Administration charges for leaseholders
• Leasehold additional payment options
• Work to communal areas and external repairs to blocks of flats – Fishersgate

As most members had just received these reports, they did not feel in a position to comment upon them at this time.     

10.       Reports of committees

i)          Compact Monitoring Group

The next meeting will be held on Tuesday, 13th July at 2.00pm at the Civic Centre and will look at repairs and maintenance.  The council’s Maintenance Manager, Charlie Strong, will be attending and if anyone has a repair issue that they would like to be raised, they should contact Barry before the meeting.

Dave criticised the council in being selective in the points that they respond to when answering letters.  Tony also thought that communication from the council has “gone by the board” , citing a lack of response about a variety of issues at Shadwells Court including the cleaning of rubbish bins, the state of the lift and a disabled adaptation.  

• The Forum

The Editorial Board next meet on Thursday, 15th July 2010 and welcome contributions before that date.

• Adur Leaseholders’ Forum

The group last met on 9th June 2010 and the meeting was very well attended.  Police Inspector Jason Wilson and two PCSOs gave a talk and answered questions about policing in the area.  They also produced figures showing an overall reduction in the level of crime in Adur.

The next meeting will be the AGM on Wednesday, 14th July at 2.15pm in the ACF Office.    

• AiP

The Worthing and Adur Local Strategic Partnerships (LSP) have now joined together and have launched their “Waves Ahead” joint strategy.  An electronic version of this document is available on the LSP website and hard copies are available from the Civic Centre and local libraries. 

The group next meet on Wednesday, 28th July 2010.

v)         SHARP

SHARP has set up a sub-group to devise a survey on the views of sheltered housing residents and on the changes that have taken place in the past couple of years.

Sue said concerns had been raised at the last SHARP meeting about the failure in communications between the council, contractors, community alarm and the emergency services.  She said in one instance, Tollbridge House was without communal lights for four days because the contractor couldn’t get access to a particular cupboard.  In another case, the emergency services were going to use a ‘jack-hammer’ to get into a flat because they didn’t know the number to the key safe. 

11.      ACF Annual General Meeting

            It was agreed to hold the AGM in the Council Chamber on Thursday, 12th August 2010 from 7.00pm.  A social event will take place afterwards from 8.00pm and guests who will be invited include councillors, Andrew Gardner, Peter Latham, David Pannell, section heads, local office staff and the Contract Monitoring Officer.  

            It was also agreed to hold future ACF meetings at the Civic Centre rather than at Kingsfield Close communal room, as it was felt this venue tends to be too informal and less central.

13.       Any Other Business

• There was interest shown in the Local Crime Community Sentence project, which gives an opportunity for the community to find out more about how courts sentence offenders.  A magistrate and a probation officer go through a case and give the group an opportunity to judge whether a criminal should go to prison or be given a community sentence.  Barry to find out about arranging one of these sessions.
• Elsie expressed concern regarding reports that four public toilets are due to be axed and to be replaced by toilets in shops and pubs.  Most felt that this is not practical and that while some of these toilets may be in a disgusting condition, this is because they are not being properly maintained.
• Ruth said that while much of the bindweed has been removed from the Millennium Garden in Cross Road, Southwick, mature plants are needed to fill spaces in the bed.  These were promised last year and will be followed up.  
• The evening raffle raised £24.00 for ACF funds.

14.       Date of next meeting

The next meeting will be the AGM and will be held at 7.00pm on Thursday, 12th August 2010 at the Civic Centre.