Just come back from a meeting about school dinners at Robin Hood School. I'm the vice chair of governors and the school has some issues about lots of aspects of the schools meals service provided by Crown Cuisine (part of Leeds City Council). Just 20% of children have school meals (compared to a city average of 40%).

Some of the ideas that Crown Cuisine are going to action for us are things like ditching the unpopular mash (it's not even made with real potato is it any wonder kids don't want to eat it!).

One thing that struck me is that we have a long way to go before council departments like Crown Cuisine understand that they are businesses delivering a service to customers. I don't have any ideological hang ups about wether services are delivered by the public or the private sector. I simply want was is best for the people I represent, in this case the kids at the school. I don't care if the meals are delivered by the council, a private caterer or even Father Christmas just so long as they are tasty, healthy, nutritous and value for money. And that they are good enough that kids want to buy them.

Attended an amazingly short Labour Group meeting last night to talk about this Wednesday's full council meeting. Full council is a frustrating business. Instead of being an opportunity for real debate about local issues that matter to people in Leeds it is more usually hijacked by the opposition trying to score petty political points.

Occasionly you'll see them put down a white paper (a motion) that is actually about something relevant (even if you don't agree with their position). This week we are faced with a paper from the Tories on the EU constitution (a really hot topic on the streets of Middleton - not!).

And what do the Lib Dems think is the burning issue? They want to "instruct officers to work out the Ecological Footprint of Leeds". Worthy stuff I'm sure, but not when it means spending even more time and money when we've already got a very good 'State of the Enivironment Report' produced by the Leeds Environment City Partnership.

And what do the Greens have to contribute? A paper against the use of flouride in tap water. Not for health reasons as some of you might think but because it is "a gross infringement of individual civic liberties". Pleeeaase!

And what is Labour's contribution some of you might be asking. Well we've got papers on putting council services in local post offices to make them closer and easier for people to access. And most importantly helping to increase the use and thus protect local post offices in danger of closing. For many vulnerable people having a local post office is a vital lifeline.

We've also got a paper backing the campaign for a dedicated children's hospital in Leeds.

It's your call. Which do you think are the most important issues for the people of Leeds?

I'm emailing this blog from the floor of the council chamber. I'm not going to give you a blow by blow account of the debate because frankly there is little worth reporting.
One saving grace is that the Lib Dem leader Mark Harris is on holiday so we don't have to suffer his pointless contributions. His points are usually so weak that it is hard to do anything but ridicule them. At least some of his Lib Dem colleagues put forward intelligent points - however misguided they may be.

CORRECTION - Due to a technical hitch this has only just appeared. For some unknown reason I've been unable to send email from my PDA/mobile for the last two days (receive was fine). It has now started working again, just as randomly as it stopped during the full council meeting!

Business Booming's comment on my entry of 15 July about the relatioship between councillor's and officers. He (as an occasional consultant to local government) sees "that it is driven by (often) committed and (slightly less often) highly talented officers trying to manage councillors, so that they don't get in the way too much or distract from the real issues".

He admits that he only sees it from an officer's perspective. Luckily, as I have been a PR consultant to local government, I can comment from both perspectives.

I think that he partially has a point because too many councillors have difficulty understanding their role (which is strategic and policy making) and confuse it with delivery and implementation (which is the officers role).

I think the bottom line is that there are some very good councillors and very good officers, but most are simply OK, and too many are worringly deficient.

As a councillor my biggest frustration is officers thinking that they are in charge. They are not. Councillors are democtratically elected and it is for us to make policy decisions. Officers are there to ensure that we receive the most expert and advice, information and professional guidance.

Too often officers don't think through the political (with a small 'p') implications of decisions and decide on the wrong course of action by looking at too small a picture (the dreaded silo mentality that sees everything in departments).

Likewise some councillors are guilty of meddling and interfering in their pet issues instead of deciding a policy and ensuring that officers get on and deliver it.

Below I've copied an email from a constituent and my reply. I've removed his personal details. I think it gives a good indication of the problems that we face on the Manor Farm estate and about how councillors working with local people in a new resident's group can get together anc crack them.

Thanks for your email. I'll try to deal with each point in turn:

First thing is regarding litter. For the last 3 weeks we should have had rubbish collected on a Monday and people have put bags out on the Monday morning. The dustmen have not come till Tuesday which has meant that bags have been split open by cats dogs foxes and kids spreading little over the estate. Today I come home and find out there is a letter saying the collection day is changed to Saturday. There are bags all up Manor Farm Drive that will be there until Saturday now. These will probably all be split open by the time that comes around. Can we have an emergency collection before then as we have had nothing since last Tuesday?
[Stuart Bruce] 

 

I have asked for this to be done. The problem of the bins not being collected on Mondays apparently started about two weeks ago yet the letters have only just been sent out - which is not what I have been told.

 

Second is something I mentioned regarding the one bedroom properties of which I live in one. A fence or wall would give us all some privacy and I doubt would cost that much as you would save money in needing to cut the grass behind the houses. As it stands at the moment, I have to keep my living room curtains drawn all day as kids are running within inches of my window all day. This would also make the houses more attractive to prospective tenants.
[Stuart Bruce] 

 

As well as a being your local councillor I am a director of Leeds South Homes and will take this matter up there. If I am able to sort something out it will obviously still take some time to action but I will see what can be done. 

 

Next is things like the anti social clinics. They need to be held in evenings as well as daytimes so that the people that work can also go along to them. Same goes for the walk round the estate, Evenings are the worst time on here normally between 7 and 9pm but nobody comes round then.
[Stuart Bruce] 

 

AGREED! I have already made the same point and will continue to do so. Far too many council services are just delivered  9 to 5 which is absolutely no good for people who work regular hours or even many people on shifts. I'm currently part of a working group on the council that is trying to change this. Already the Middleton neighbourhood warden has the flexibility to vary his hours so that he works in to the evening (when many of the worst problems occur). In the meantime if you want to report anti-social behaviour then you can do so by phoning 398 4701. I'd be grateful if you would also report the incident to me by emailing brief details to this email address (if you want I can pass it on to anti-social behaviour for you).

 

Illegal motorbikes and motocross carts are a difficult one to solve. The fact there is no number plates on the bikes will make it close to impossible to identify the culprits without someone who knows them reporting them. I can identify what I think is some of the houses where they meet but nothing more than that. Also the woods are becoming a dangerous place to go for a walk because of these bikes on the narrow paths, they expect you to get out of the way which can be very hard if you have a buggy. Maybe the only way is to actually designate a specific area of the woods just for this. That might keep them off the roads and paths. Only other thing is proper speed ramps which might stop the wheelies up the road.
[Stuart Bruce] 

 

Agreed. I am Chair of the Hunslet and Middleton Community Involvement Team and along with the team in Beeston and Holbeck we have just paid more than £100,000 for a dedicated team of three Parkwatch rangers on motorbikes just for our area. They have only just started working in the last few days so hopefully we should start to see some improvement. We have also paid £20,000 of our local money to but extra police time to target these criminals. Last night's Yorkshire Evening Post reported on the success of our most recent action - 'Operation Caftan. Eight suspected stolen motorbikes were seized, nine 'Section 59' notices issued (which allows the police to seize the bike if it is used in an anti-social way) and five bikers done for not having the correct documents. These raids will continue until we drive these yobs off our estates and parks.

 

Private hedges are now getting to a stage where they are blocking all the pavement in places. This is causing people to walk on the grass which has dog mess from the stray dogs that wander the estate. Can anything be done about both these problems?
[Stuart Bruce] 

 

It depends on if the houses are still council owned or if they are private. I will arrange to letters to go to Leeds South Homes tenants to warn them that they are required to keep their gardens tidy. Recently a tenant in Armley was evicted for not doing so after repeated warnings. 

 

Hope i have not bored you too much with my input and if you ahve any questions please feel free to email me back
[Stuart Bruce] 

 

You have not bored us at all. Thank you very much for taking the time to email us. By continuing to work together we will crack these problems - it will take time but we can do it!