Agenda and minutes

To receive any declarations of interest from any councillor on any item on this agenda.

None.

To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 11 February 2019.

The minutes of the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 11 February 2019 were agreed as a correct record.

The Head of Environmental Health and Community Safety, Neil Greenwood, has submitted a report, which will be presented by Mr Greenwood and the Neighbourhood Services and Community Safety Portfolio Holder, Councillor Roger Berry.

Councillors will be invited to comment and ask questions.

The Head of Environmental Health and Community Safety, Neil Greenwood, submitted a report to enable the committee to undertake its annual scrutiny of the Community Safety Partnership.

Mr Greenwood presented the report and referred to the summary and anti-social behaviour (ASB) figures for 2018/19 as set out in the report. He pointed out that although all crime indicated a year on year increase, a recent change in the way that Lancashire police had been asked to record offences made it difficult to compare the current figures with previous periods. He also referred to the work of Wyre Council’s Community Safety Partnership (CSP) in 2018-19 as set out in the latter part of the report. In respect of the recorded crime increases, the Neighbourhood Services and Community Safety Portfolio Holder, Councillor Berry, explained that domestic responses which the police had previously documented as incidents were now recorded as crimes, multiple crimes (e.g. assault and criminal damage) occurring during the same incident were now recorded as separate crimes and any previous crimes discovered on arrest were routinely added to the figures. This amounted to a massive increase in recorded crime which could take 2-3 years to stabilise sufficiently to give accurate comparative figures.

Further information on the crime figures and activities of the CSP was provided and in response to questions from members of the committee, including:

·         the burglary conviction rate reported in national and local press,

·         the reduction in ASB at Marine Hall and the reclassification of some ASB as public order offence,

·         promotion of the White Ribbon campaign at leisure centres in co-operation with YMCA,

·         mobile camera evidence collection,

·         integrated team with only key partners at each meeting,

·         Civic Centre-based neighbourhood policing presence to head off social problems in Poulton at an early stage,

·         CSP investment in Shop-watch, DNA kits, Chelsea’s Choice and further CCTV in Knott End on Sea area.

Decision

That the report and the comments of the Head of Environmental Health and Community Safety and Neighbourhood Services and Community Safety Portfolio Holder be noted.

Updated summaries of the 2018/19 and 2019/20 Overview and Scrutiny Work Programmes have been submitted. Councillors will have the opportunity to comment on the proposals and make further suggestions.

The Democratic Services and Councillor Development Officer, Duncan Jowitt, referred to the Committee’s work programme for 2018/19, which had been submitted with the agenda. He said the draft report of the Public conveniences task group would be prepared by Scrutiny Officer Peter Foulsham following his return from holiday later that week and would be submitted to the 29 April 2019 meeting.

The committee questioned whether it was necessary to have a meeting so close to the local election on 2 May and the chairman said that he would discuss with Mr Foulsham whether committee approval of the task group report would be required or whether to defer it until after the election.

Members asked when any follow-up arising from the Domestic Abuse task group would be brought back to the committee. Mr Jowitt said that he would acknowledge the request for an update within the minutes and ensure that it was brought to the attention of the Scrutiny Officer.

Decision

That the current position be noted and action taken as above in respect of the April 2019 meeting and the Domestic Abuse task group.

To consider setting up a task group

Following from Councillor Fail’s suggested amendment to item 9 (Council Tax 2019/20 report) at the 7 March 2019 meeting of the Council in his role as Leader of the Opposition, the committee considered whether to convene a task group to consult with businesses and the public and to look at all the possible options for a reinstatement of the Poulton to Fleetwood rail link and decide which option(s) the council should support.

Decision

That a Rail Transport in Wyre task group be convened to undertake a fact finding mission to determine what practical issues would need to be overcome and which option(s) to recommend that the council should pursue as the best way forward. The committee suggested that representatives from the following should be invited to participate:

·         Fleetwood Back on Track

·         Poulton & Wyre Railway Society

·         Blackpool Transport - tram / light rail system

·         MP Paul Maynard's proposed Fylde Loop tram system