Agenda item

This is an opportunity for public questions to be addressed to the chair.

Residents or persons working in the borough may ask questions on any matter in relation to which the council has powers or duties.

Responses may be supplied in writing following the meeting.

The following public questions were put:

1.  Why was the Cleaner, Green, Safer proposal for Mint Street not funded?

Councillor David Noakes explained that the project proposals had been of high quality, and councillors had had difficult decisions to make, as the funding had been oversubscribed by 2 to 1. The chair said that councillors and officers would help groups who had submitted unsuccessful proposals to find alternative sources of funding.

2.  Could a group for Borough and Bankside be set up, which is outside of the council structure and supported by sponsorship?

The chair explained that officer time was the main cost factor in running the meetings. Officer time would not be available to any group outside of the council structure. Councillor Tim McNally said that he was meeting with a body in the area who may want to help facilitate such a group, but said people should wait to see how the new arrangements would work. There was a general discussion about options for setting up a group independent of the council, and about the work of the Democracy Commission. The chair said she would ask Councillor Abdul Mohamed, cabinet member for equalities and community engagement, for feedback on the issues raised.

3.  Will future savings be made by reducing the number of councillors?

The chair explained that this was unlikely, as it was officer time that was the main cost factor, and that councillors’ time was given free.

The chair reminded attendees that the next meeting of the community council would be on 25 April 2012 at the Crypt in St George’s.

Councillor Hickson informed the meeting that the British Legion were looking for volunteers for the poppy appeal. Details of this could be found in the events diary on page 2.