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Notes:
WYRE FOREST DISTRICT COUNCIL
ANNUAL REPORT OF ACTIVITIES 2007/08
COUNCILLOR GRAHAM BALLINGER
WARD - GREENHILL
Activities
Through regular monthly newsletters (Focus) circulated all across Greenhill Ward, I keep in touch with the electorate as part of a Liberal Team of three District and two County Members. Issues which continue to affect the public in the past year are street cleanliness, (very poor state of roads/pavement surfaces in the ward); anti-social behaviour where lack of Police presence on the street is significant, refuse collection/recycling and planning matters. These subject areas represent most of the matters referred to me by the public during the 2007/2008 Council year.
I make every effort to be responsive and helpful at all times to the public who are, after all, fully responsible for electing us to Office (and keeping us there). My home telephone number and address is readily available and is regularly used by the public and increasingly contact through my email address.
As a new Governor at Kings Charles I School, I am still interested in the consequences of the Wyre Forest Schools Review. The disposal of the Lea Street school site is also causing anxiety locally.
I have attended meetings in Greenhill as part of the Partners and Communities Together (PACT) initiative which, after a slow and confusing start, are now making a significant impact on the community.
Council Activities
Corporate Service & Performance Scrutiny Committee (Chairman)
Audit Committee
Budget Review Group (Chairman)
No Barriers Review Panel
Newswyre Review Panel
Outside Bodies
District Council Leisure Board Member representing Wyre Forest District Council on the Management Board for the 3 District Leisure Centres.
Regular attendee at Greenhill Tenant Consultative Committees and occasionally at Offmore/Comberton Tenant Consultative Committee (TCC) and Aggborough/Spennells Tenant Consultative Committee (TCC). I attend meeting of the Horsefair, Broadwaters and Greenhill Partnership. (School Governor King Charles 1).
Achievements During the Year
I consider the on-going relationship that I have built up over many years as a District Councillor (first elected to Wyre Forest District Council in 1979), together with my experienced Ward colleagues, have enabled our team to have yet another very successful year. I was also elected to Worcestershire County Council in April 2007 following the sad death of my colleague Mike Oborski for the St Chads Division which included much of my Greenhill District Ward. Improvements in street cleaning, more links achieved through PACT meetings on law and order are some of the significant improvements. Feedback from local residents through our response sheets has focussed our directions. Frustrations still focus on a County related issue, that is road and pavement conditions, but perhaps the extra money available from Worcestershire County Council in 2008/2009 will alleviate some of the problems.
Members' Surgeries
A high percentage of elderly people in the Ward means that evening surgeries are not popular and I visit people in their homes at their request and spend much time talking to residents during the regular distribution of our newsletters.
Training and Development
Scrutiny 21/05/2007
Code of Conduct 29/05/2007
Audit Training 20/06/2007
Attendance Percentage for 2007/08
94%
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