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Notes:
Blog for December and January:
Aside from the usual corporate management meetings between directors and Cabinet Members that regularly occur, December was a quiet month on the Cabinet front for me as I only had an item to present that was for information rather than a specific policy change or implementation of strategy.
Again I had only one item to present at the January Cabinet Meeting and this inevitably had a lot of public interest as it was to propose the next steps in allocating pitches for use by Gypsies and Travellers as part of our forward planning policy. As the council's administration had announced its position publicly that it was predisposed not to support any of the suggested sites outside of the sandy Lane area, there was only 15 members of the public in the gallery at the Cabinet meeting. A pale shadow of the 150+ that would attend before Christmas. In short the District Council will be consulting on further sites that were suggested during the first consultation period. These sites are in the Sandy Lane area and if approved will meet the Local Authority's obligations to provide 28 additional pitches by 2017.
Aside from the routine municipal cycle of Cabinet meetings I attended the first meetings of the new Building Services and Watercourse Management Shared Services. I also was delighted to attend the opening of Stonham Young Persons' Drop in Service in Kidderminster. The centre provides a place where young people aged 16-25 can seek advice and assistance if they are facing homelessness. Open from 11.30 am - 3.30 pm on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, the service works in partnership with local organisations including Wyre Forest Nightstop, St Basils, Community Housing, Wyre Forest District Council and Worcestershire County Council Supporting People. It will provide a valuable service for young people who are facing the challenging prospect of nowhere to live. The District Council provided £16,800 towards the renovation of the building which includes facilities for washing and cooking and an advice or counselling room.
I also volunteered myself to take part in a sponsored ‘rough sleep' later in the year which will entail going 24 hours surviving only on what the local intervention services provide us. I am keen to take part because this as it will give me a better understanding as to how the council works to prevent homelessness in the District. I always think it is important to experience our services from the customers' point of view.
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