Agenda and draft minutes

Jon Whitfield (Centre Manager) and Penny Stotesbury (KCC Area Youth Worker) spoke about the needs of local young people.

KCC undertook a consultation on 2 April at Westcourt Primary School and in Dartford and to find out what issues the young people had.  The four biggest concerns were drug and alcohol abuse, knife crime and teenage pregnancy.

Discussions took place on each of the tables, to find out what leisure activities the young people take part in and any suggestions for other activities.

Table 1

Young people currently use:

·      Cascades Football Dome

·      Bluewater (transport to get there is costly at £3.50 each way)

·      Subway restaurant

·      Shorne Country Park – frisby, football, socialising – mixed groups

·      AEI sports ground

·      Cinema (don’t go regularly but would go to Woodville Halls if it was more regular)

·      Gym at North-West Kent College (only costs £1)

·      Woodlands Park (disappointing there is currently no catering/toilet facilities)

They would like to see:

·      Another football centre closer to where they live as transport costs are an issue

·      More indoor sports facilities

·      Dedicated music venue

·      Need to look at other mediums to reach young people such as Face Book, text, mail.

Table 2

·      Accommodation and homes for 16+ age group who don’t live at home with parents, as well as jobs are vital..

·      The fear of crime is quite high

·      Perception of young people is often wrong, more likely to be the victims of crime than perpetrators.

·      Travel for young people in the rural areas for activities is a problem but equally across town can be difficult.  Young people really want activities near by.

·      Cost of leisure centres is too much for many

·      Lack of football ground facilities

·      Freedom pass is up to 16. Really 17 year olds have the same issues and need transport as well.

·      More sports facilities, but semi-formal activities so young people can give less commitment.

·      Positive media coverage of young people needed

·      Young people want to be listened to

·      Could more sports fields be used after school?

Table 3

Q – Have you taken part in the consultation activities?

Yes – event at Swan Valley School

Q – How was the involvement process?

Some activities were not fun but understood that needed to take part in it all

Taken part in a number of courses organised through the youth service – including trips which were interesting

• A lot of projects are territorial.  Recognise that youth service are trying to get rid of barriers so that they are open to all, but young people won’t trav who have an involvement in collecting, reporting and analysing data el. Some would not come up here as it is “Kings Farm”. People from Riverview will come here. Making it fun – “sex, drugs and sausage rolls”

• Going to a youth centre is regarded as a bit geeky. Not the cool kids who are involved with “knife crime”
• Cost is an issue - £6,400 to run the centre, but the heating bill is £8,000. Have a separate staffing budget but no money for marketing. Word of mouth is most valuable.
• Young people at the table said that they went to Ebbsfleet Youth Centre – Liz asked the young people to come and they were happy to do this to support Liz.
• Public transport is often a limiting factor – not just the times but also the routes and prices.
• Need to take a whole borough approach

Q – What type of catalyst would be needed?

Something exciting to spark their interest

• For  ...  view the full minutes text for item 23.

Update on the Development Plan

Working towards the next consultation stage, the Draft Plan eill go out to consultation in November and hope to submit to government next August.

It will be a public consultation and will be going out to meet the public as well as talking to interest groups and land owners.  There will be a series of public meetings for people to express their views. We are looking at what other mechanisms are available.  Need to take account of lifestyle changes, age etc.

Question and answer session

Q. You’ve explained the process very well – can you please tell us about the public consultation?

A. The next consultation due to take place around November 2009 with the plan being put to government in August 2010

Q. Can anybody respond to the consultation?

A: We will do all we can to encourage the public to participate and are open to

suggestions as to how we can improve this.

Q. How does the Transport Quarter fit in to the plan?

A: We are looking to submit a planning application – we are in the middle of a

consultation on the plans at the moment.  There has been an exhibition in

Town centric and the scale model is currently in the Civic Centre foyer area.

Q. As you say the LDF is going to shape the area for the next 20 years – we have been here this evening discussing issues facing young people - How are you going to engage them as it is the future of their town being planned?

A. We looked at work that the Crime Reduction Partnership has done on the needs of

young people and open space currently but we are open to suggestions as to how

we might improve this.  I would be happy to come along to any groups/meetings if

that would help.

Q. Mr Clay asked several questions but the following summarises the points he was making: -

The Council was criticised by the Audit commission about the delay in publishing its Local Development Framework.  The Council is “putting the cart before the horse” and allowing major applications before the policies for these areas are confirmed.  He felt that GBC are pre-empting any consultation and the examination in Public.

The view was expressed, by a couple of attendees that decisions should not be being made by GBC now in the absence of an adopted CS + DM DPD

A: Robust decisions can be made within the framework provided by national, regional

(SE Plan has sub-regional policies of relevance to us) and local policy, and the most

up-to-date evidence that will be underpinning the LDF.

The Town Centre Strategy does set out the four Quarter Themes and the Council

has often expressed its spatial intentions for the town

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Q. How the town centre will operate in the apparent absence of this clear policy framework will be a challenge for any proposal for the town centre – TQ, HQ etc.

A GBC  ...  view the full minutes text for item 24.

Grant Process

We have £31,990 to allocate for capital items such as equipment, building costs, fixed costs but not revenue. £16,000 will be decided by public vote.  Applications are available from Will Farmer.