Agenda and minutes

Councillor Colin Powell and Councillor Suzanne Prew-Smith

RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the above meeting, having been circulated, be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

None

1.            Rolling Programme of Portfolio Holder Holding to Account

The Chair welcomed Councillor Michael Payne, Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Communications and Public Protection, Paddy Tipping Police and Crime Commissioner, Tim Wendels, Head of Estates, Nottinghamshire Police and Council officers, and invited Councillor Payne to present an overview of the crime reduction and community safety element of his portfolio, with specific reference to the PCC Policing Plan and the proposed closure of Carlton Police Station. Members had also requested an update on customer satisfaction.

Councillor Payne circulated a briefing note detailing the customer service highlights of 2014/15, including co location arrangements with Jobcentre Plus in the Customer Services Centre, the new Self Service Payment Kiosk, as well as feedback from the Gedling Conversation and recent Mystery Shopping exercise, customer satisfaction data including formal compliments and complaints. There had been a slight reduction in the number of formal complaints upheld between April and November 2014 against the two comparative years.  

Councillor Payne then presented the following overview of the Councils Community Safety work:

Partnership context

•      Gedling is part of South Nottinghamshire Community Safety Partnership (SNCSP) working in partnership with Broxtowe and Rushcliffe

•      SNCSP represented on Safer Nottinghamshire Board

•      Local governance; Domestic Violence Executive and Delivery Group, Partnership Plus, Vulnerable Persons and ASB Group, Locality Group 

Overview;  Levels of Crime

•      All recorded crime; 7.6% increase, equates to 246 more offences

•      House burglary;  7.5% decrease, equates to 18 less offences

•      Car crime; 10.3% increase, equates to 27 more offences

•      Robbery; 44.6% decrease, equates to 33 less offences

•      Violence; with injury increase of 27.5%, 100 more offences and violence without injury increase of 33.7%, 91 more offences

•      Shop theft is an emerging issue, new retail premises

Overview;  Levels of Anti-social Behaviour

•      All recorded ASB; 12.2% increase, equates to 189 more incidents

•      Top wards by volume; St Marys, Daybrook, Netherfield and Colwick, Bonington and Carlton

•      Top wards % increase compared to previous year; Killisick, Carlton Hill, St Marys, Valley and Bonington

•      Killisick, St Marys and Valley increases largely down to  single address / location, partnership plans are in place   

(The figures above are for the period April to November 2014 compared to the same months in 2013).

.

New Tools and Powers

•      Anti-social Behaviour Police and Crime Act – October 2014

•      Joined up approach across Nottinghamshire and Nottingham City

•      Previously 19 powers, including ASBO, now 6 powers including Community Trigger

•      Systems and processes all in place

Supporting Families (troubled families)

•      Phase 1 ends April 2015

•      Phase 2 is an enhanced programme for 5 years

•      From April 2015 Supporting Families will be part of a new structure within County – Family Resilience Service (working title only) for 0-19 year olds 

•      Steering Group working on new criteria against 6 “headline problems” seeking to engage and turn around 5000 families in Nottinghamshire

Supporting Families Headline Problems

1. Parents or Children involved in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 62.

The Chair reported that two of the three in-depth Scrutiny working groups nominated this year had now concluded their deliberations, and invited Members to comment on the final reports and recommendations.

A revised Homelessness and Hardship report taking account of final amendments proposed by the working group chair was circulated at the meeting.

The Transport Links to and within Gedling Borough review will be concluded by the end of the financial year.

Follow up on completed reviews

Members considered the response to a follow up request of progress on the agreed recommendations of the Inclusion and Equality in – depth review.

RESOLVED:

i.              To approve the final reports and recommendations of the Reducing Unemployment in the Borough and Homelessness and Hardship reviews and refer them both to the Cabinet meeting on Thursday 8^th January, requesting a response from the Portfolio Holder within 28 days.

ii.            To note the response received to the 6 month follow up on the agreed recommendations of the Inclusion and Equality review.  

Members considered the standing report detailing items referred to the Chair of Overview and Scrutiny Committee under the Constitution or Law, including a late item tabled by the Chair at the meeting,  as follows:

1. Items referred to the Chair of Overview and Scrutiny Committee under Contract Standing orders and Standing orders for dealing with Land.

i)             Notifications received where it has not been possible to obtain 3

quotations for a contract estimated to be between £10,000 and £50,000.

- Contract for Council to represent GBC at the Court of Appeal in the matter of Gedling Borough Council / Westerleigh –v- Timmins/AW Lymn.

ii)  Notification of decision to dispose of land or property other than the sale of council houses to sitting tenants pursuant to the right to buy.

- Proposal for the future sale of land at Teal Close, Netherfield without using

the tender process as defined in the Standing Orders for Dealings with Land.

Members requested further information to be circulated to all Scrutiny Committee Members on the item above.

- Proposal for sale of part of the unused long stay element of Carlton Square Car Park.

-   Late item: Sale of land adjacent to proposed Lidl supermarket at Daybrook

2. Items referred to Scrutiny under the Budget and Policy Framework

- None received

3. Items where the Executive proposes to take a key decision without it being published (on the Forward Plan) for at least 28 days. (New Local Authorities Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012.

- None received

RESOLVED:

to note the report and request further information on the Teal Close item

None.