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Agenda and minutes

Venue: via WebEx. Members of the Public will be able to view the meeting via the Council's YouTube page (https://www.youtube.com/user/WyreCouncil/)

Contact: Emma Keany  Democratic Services Officer

Items
No. Item

32.

Declarations of interest

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

Minutes:

None.

33.

Confirmation of minutes pdf icon PDF 302 KB

To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 18.01.2021.

Minutes:

During the discussion regarding the draft minutes of the meeting held on 18 January 2021, a factual amendment was proposed by Councillor Fail, seconded by Councillor O’Neil and it was agreed that the minutes of the meeting held on 18 January 2021 be approved with the inclusion of the following sentence:

 

“Note - this was disallowed by the Chair prior to the start of the meeting.”

 

34.

Wyre Community Safety Partnership – annual scrutiny review pdf icon PDF 387 KB

Inspector Kevin Lister (Wyre Neighbourhood Inspector), Neil Greenwood (Head of Environmental Health & Community Safety) and Councillor Roger Berry (Neighbourhood Services and Community Safety Portfolio Holder) will attend the meeting to provide an update on the Wyre Community Safety Partnership.

Minutes:

The Head of Environmental Health and Community Safety, Neil Greenwood, submitted a report regarding the Wyre Community Safety Partnership.

 

Mr Greenwood, Councillor Roger Berry and Inspector Kevin Lister addressed the Committee and introduced the report.

 

Mr Greenwood pointed out that that over the last 12 months there has been a reduction in all crime across the Borough and in particular there had been a seven per cent decrease in Serious Violence Against The Person. He alluded to members that this was as a result of the loss of nightlife due to the pandemic. However, it was explained that unfortunately, there had been an increase in Domestic Violence which had thought to be as a result of the recent and on-going COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns as more people were staying at home. In addition, he explained there had also been an increase in anti-social behaviour reported.

 

A number of questions were posed by members surrounding the following topics:

 

-       Crime figures and statistics

-       Reporting of crimes

-       Burglaries in Wyre

-       Crime hotspot areas

-       Drug offences

-       Domestic Violence increases due to the COVID-19 pandemic

-       Anti-social behaviour at the rivers in Garstang

 

The Chairman proposed that the committee should look at reviewing the Domestic Abuse Task Group in the future.

 

Councillor Cropper left the meeting during this item (4).

 

The Chairman give his thanks to Inspector Lister, the Head of Environmental Health and Community and the Neighbourhood Services and Community Safety Portfolio Holder for their participation in this item.

35.

PREVENT- LGA guidance pdf icon PDF 292 KB

In late August 2020, the Local Government Association and the Centre for Public Scrutiny (now the Centre for Governance and Scrutiny) released their guidance on the effective scrutiny of counter-extremism and the Prevent duty.

 

The guidance was developed with support from the Home Office and as this meeting is themed “Police and Community Safety” it was agreed that the guidance would be brought to this committee meeting.

 

Police Constable Paul Parkes (Counter Terrorism Policing North West- Cumbria & Lancashire) and Neil Greenwood (Head of Environmental Health & Community Safety) have been invited to the meeting to introduce the guidance.

 

 

 

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Head of Environmental Health and Community Safety, Neil Greenwood and Police Constable Paul Parkes, Counter Terrorism Policing North West-Cumbria and Lancashire were invited to the meeting to introduce the Prevent organisation and the Local Government Association and the Centre for Public Scrutiny (now the Centre for Governance and Scrutiny) guidance on the effective scrutiny of counter-extremism and Prevent duty.

 

Firstly, the Head of Environmental Health and Community Safety, shared his screen with members which allowed them to see a PowerPoint display that summarised the Contest Strategy (the Government’s revised Counter Terrorism strategy) and the Prevent objectives.

 

He then highlighted to members the key aspects of the the Prevent organisation in Lancashire and the role of Wyre Council in this.

 

Police Constable Paul Parkes, also addressed the committee and explained the cases that Prevent were currently dealing with across Lancashire.

 

During the discussions of this item, members asked the following questions:

 

-       Is there a particular age profile that is more susceptible to being indoctrinated by extremist activity?

-       Has the COVID-19 lockdowns created a rise in cases?

 

The Chairman again thanked the Head of Environmental Health and Community Safety and Police Constable Paul Parkes for their attendance and contributions to the meeting.

36.

Business Plan – Quarterly Performance Statement pdf icon PDF 415 KB

The Corporate Director Communities has submitted the 3rd Quarter Performance Statement 2020/21, October – December 2020.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Corporate Director Communities submitted a report on the third Quarter Performance Statement 2020/21 (October-December 2020).

 

Members of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee expressed concerns over the following topics:

 

-       Vacancy rates in Wyre’s local high streets

-       The extrapolation of the Digital Wyre Strategy

-       Out of work benefit claimant count

-       Levels of tree planting

 

The questions posed by members were sent to the relevant officers for their consideration.

37.

Overview and Scrutiny Work Programme 2020/21 – update report pdf icon PDF 318 KB

The Corporate Director Resources, Clare James, has submitted a report updating the committee about the delivery of the Overview and Scrutiny Work Programme 2020/21.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Corporate Director Resources, Clare James, submitted a report updating the committee about the delivery of the Overview and Scrutiny Work

Programme 2020/21. The Democratic Services Officer, Emma Keany, provided a verbal update to the committee.

 

Members expressed their interest in reconvening the District Enforcement Task Group as soon as is possible. The Chairman echoed this request and expressed that at the next Overview and Scrutiny meeting this task group will commence. He also asked if the task group could receive a written statement from District Enforcement on the topic of dog fouling around the borough.

 

In addition, members highlighted their interest in setting up a future task group to review the YMCA contract. It was expressed by the Chairman and subsequently agreed that this would be postposed and revisited once the consultant’s report has been completed.

 

Councillor Ballard, the Chairman of the Citizens Advice Service Task Group, provided the Committee with a verbal update of the task group’s current position. He explained that there had been three recommendations put forward to the relevant Portfolio Holder(s) and that they have formally been invited to the 22 March 2021 meeting.  

 

After being temporarily paused, members agreed that the recommissioning of the call-in procedures task group would proceed.

 

 

 

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