|
Notes:
WYRE FOREST DISTRICT COUNCIL
ANNUAL REPORT OF ACTIVITIES 2009/10
COUNCILLOR: Graham Ballinger
WARD: Greenhill
Section 1: Ward Activities (including Surgeries)
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 Members and a County Member. Issues which continue to affect the public in the past year are street cleanliness, anti-social behaviour; refuse collection/recycling now appears to have settled although the recent suggestion of a possible return to weekly collections will not now proceed, residents are likely to have concerns regarding this. Planning issues become relevant when local concerns are raised about various proposals and the recent Bowling Club site plans are an example. These subject areas represent most of the matters referred to me by the public during the 2009/2010 Council year.
As a Governor at Kings Charles I School, I remain interested in the consequences of the new build programme as part of the Wyre Forest Schools Review recommendations. The future use of the now vacated Lea Street school site continues to cause anxiety for local residents given that the Sladen School site proposals seem not to have been resolved. The proposed resiting of the St Georges School entrance on the Birmingham Road has also raised some local objections.
I continue to make every effort to be responsive and helpful at all times to the public to whom at the end of day I am accountable as their elected member. My home telephone number and address are readily available and are regularly used by the public with increasing contact through my email address.
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. Improvements in street cleaning will hopefully result with the exercising in full of the powers available to the Civil Enforcement Officers employed by Wyre Forest District Council. Links through Partners and Communities Together (PACT) meetings on law and order, continue to significantly improve with excellent attendance from the public at these meetings. Feedback from local residents through our regular newsletter continues to focus our direction. Frustrations still focus on County related issues, although some road conditions have improved although pavements continue to be an issue.
A high percentage of elderly people in the Ward suggests a reason why evening surgeries are not popular and I visit people in their homes and community groups at their request and spend a lot of time talking to residents during the regular distribution of our newsletters.
Section 2: Council Meetings
Appointments & Appeals Committee, Budget Review Panel (Chairman), Corporate Resources Scrutiny Committee (Chairman), Council, Kidderminster Educational Foundation, Regulatory Services Review Panel.
As Chairman of Corporate Resources Scrutiny Committee and the Budget Review Panel, this has been the major focus of my Council activities for the year. For a number of years now agreement with the administration has been agreed on all party proposals. The Corporate Resources Scrutiny Committee also includes the allocation of all overview and scrutiny functions not within the specific remit of the Community & Regeneration Scrutiny Committee. It is important in this role to ensure smooth working relationships with fellow Council Members and Officers to ensure an effective performance monitoring of the Councils functions.
Section 3: Achievements
I attend meetings in Greenhill as part of the Partners and Communities Together (PACT) initiative which are now fully recognised within the community as a useful resource, albeit local advertising for these events could be improved.
I attend the Horsefair, Broadwaters and Greenhill Partnership and a number of other local groups at the request of the organisers.
Section 4: Special Knowledge
I have had a lead role in finance and performance related matters within the Council for a number of years and have inevitably built on this knowledge base over this period.
Section 5: Attendance Percentage for 2009/10
93%.
|
