Children, Culture and Communities Scrutiny Committee	1 May 2025
Report of the Director of Housing and Communities

Clear Hold Build progress report

Summary

1. This report provides an update on the delivery of the Clear Hold Build initiative in the Clifton area of York, following its launch in March 2024. The report provides an update on the strategic plan and work being undertaken across the priority themes

Background

2. In January 2023, the Home Office announced the national expansion of Clear, Hold, Build (CHB) to every police force in England and Wales by March 2024, to improve the response to serious and organised crime (SOC) at the local level. The core aims of CHB are to reduce the SOC threat, reduce crime and help local communities become more resilient to SOC in the future. The Clear and Hold phases are a targeted police response to disrupt criminal activity and maintain control of the area to prevent future escalation. The Build phase engages wider partners and the community themselves to work together to reduce the risk of crime re-emerging.

3. York is delivering this initiative in the Clifton area through the work of a multi-agency approach whereby partners work together to maintain a tactical response to crime and anti-social behaviour in the area supported by a more strategic plan to provide ongoing support to the community.

4. CHB is a place-based operational framework which provides a model of uniting the resources of the police, partner agencies and the local community. CHB is designed to be cost-efficient through utilising existing resources and assets in an area. The framework consists of three phases, designed to be deployed flexibly:

· Clear removes the immediate SOC threats through coordinated enforcement work by police and partners to target and disrupt organised crime groups (OCGs) and their spheres of influence through arrests and disruption activity.

· Hold involves interventions and further disruption activities to consolidate and stabilise the Clear phase, so that remaining OCGs cannot fill the void created.

· Build involves delivering a whole -system approach through interventions that tackle the drivers of crime and reduce the risk of SOC re-emerging in the future.

Clear Hold Build project delivery

5. Operation FOLD is the police operation name assigned to the Clear Hold Build project in Clifton. The Operation FOLD team comprises two dedicated Police Officers who work with the local PCSOs and the Neighbourhood Policing Team in Clifton to target and disrupt those involved in criminality. The aim of the team is to make Clifton a much less desirable place for them to operate. Serious and organised crime covers many areas of threats including firearms, human trafficking, exploitation, fraud, cyber-crime, corruption, burglary and robbery. Whilst many of these threats are not present in Clifton, what the Police do know is present, and a concern for residents is the supply and use of controlled drugs. The team have conducted an amount of work in Clifton to develop the information and intelligence around those responsible for illicit activity in the form of targeted activity in known areas resulting in stop searches of individuals and arrests. The team have executed a number of warrants at properties across Clifton. Many of these warrants have been targeting those involved in the supply of illicit drugs. A number of county lines have also been disrupted, with appropriate arrests being made of individuals involved with OCGs.

6. In all sites, Clear is led by the police due to the enforcement focus of this phase. However, delivery partners have supported this phase by using the powers to help disrupt SOC from all angles. With regard to Hold, responsibility is shared between partners and police. Build is mainly led by delivery partners due to the work and resources aligning with the purposes of this phase.

7. The Clifton Clear Hold Build partnership has developed a Strategic Build Plan which sets out the following strategic objectives

· To robustly pursue those engaged in serious and organised crime in order to stop or seriously curtail activity in Clifton

· To prepare and protect the community of Clifton from OCG activity filling the space created as a result of robust action in the ‘clear’ phase and allowing time to consolidate positive gains made.

· To prevent the social and economic environments associated with OCGs being able to thrive by identifying and implementing longer term whole-system measures to create more resilient communities resistant to the re-emergence of OCGs activity.    

8. Currently moving towards the Build phase our strategic aim is “To create a whole systems approach to delivering multi agency and community empowered interventions, creating a more resilient community to mitigate Serious Organised Crime related harm”.

9. The Strategic Build plan documents the key objectives and delivery principles of the Build phase.  This will contribute towards the provision of sustained improvements, ensuring the project stays focused and continues to provide improvements to the local area, facilitating positive engagement with voluntary and community sector organisations and providing a platform for meaningful community engagement. A successful build phase has reflected the continued partnership working fostered as part of the hold phase, providing an environment for the local community to thrive and prevent the re-emergence of organised crime. To build sustainable resilience with the community the following delivery themes have been identified:

· Housing – To work in partnership to prevent and deter housing related issues linked to organised crime

· Crime and Anti-Social Behaviour – To work in partnership to prevent and deter Organised Crime and ASB

· Environment and Infrastructure – To sustain a clean and pleasant environment improving residents’ perceptions of where they live, building pride and confidence

· Education and Skills – To work in partnership to improve education and skills opportunities within the local area

· Young People – To promote the voice, influence and participation of young people

· Violence Against Women and Girls (including domestic abuse) – To reduce the violence and abuse that disproportionately affects women and girls, including domestic abuse, and to improve the confidence and resilience of women and girls in the community &

To acknowledge that people of any gender can experience or perpetrate violence and abuse of this nature and to ensure the inclusion of men and boys where appropriate

· Health (Drugs and Alcohol) To work in partnership to improve health outcomes for the local community

· Mental Health – To work in partnership to achieve positive mental health outcomes for citizens

10. A presentation providing an update against the strategic plan from theme leads is attached at Annex A. This describes the significant partnership activity that has taken place across the themes from both the Silver and Bronze groups of Officers and partners. The impactful build phase of Connecting Clifton has been reliant on multiple factors and inter-dependencies to establish more and effective ways of multi-agency working, of which the community is part of, and reflecting the design principles of the emerging Neighbourhood model. This further reflects a collaborative mindset, relational person based practice amongst partners, a shared ambition and commitment to investing in resource provision. The approach aims to consult and engage the community throughout phases, ensuring responses are designed with the community and based on need. This has reflected an asset based community development approach, where we have built on community assets and are constantly connecting people to local opportunities and building social and neighbourhood networks.

11. Two Connecting Clifton community newsletters have also been delivered to all of the households within Clifton, updating residents on the progress of the initiative. The newsletters have been well received by the community and have demonstrated the excellent level of partnership working taking place across the Connecting Clifton CHB project. A copy of the latest newsletter is attached as Annex B.

Council Plan

12. Clear Hold Build, links to the following core commitments within the Council Plan

· Equalities and Human Rights: Working with all communities to ensure that residents, businesses and visitors are able to feel safe within Clifton.

· Affordability: Working closely with the most disadvantaged to ensure that victims of crime and antisocial behaviour are supported and that a holistic approach to problem solving is delivered with education and early intervention at its heart. Financial inclusion programmes have also been targeted within Clifton supporting residents to maximise their income and overcome poverty.

· Climate: The CHB plan has a strong environmental theme reflecting environmental volunteering and social action, supporting the improvement of local parks and green spaces. Young people through the local schools have been significantly involved in local projects helping to raise awareness of environmental action and climate change.

· Health: Working in partnership to address health inequalities and ensure that communities and individuals are supported to address their health needs where it is impacted by crime and antisocial behaviour. CHB has brought a number of initiatives to the community including the Healthwise programme, Health Champions and Health Trainers all helping residents to improve their health and wellbeing.

Risk Management

13.    There are no identified risks relevant to this report

Implications

14.    There are no implications in relation to this report which requires no formal decisions as it is a report for information only.

Recommendations

15.    Members are asked to note the information related to the delivery of the Clear Hold Build project in Clifton. 

Reason:

To update Members on the progress of Clear Hold Build.

Contact Details

Author: Joe Micheli Head of Communities	Chief Officer Responsible for the report: Pauline Stuchfield Director of Housing and Communities
	Report Approved	ü	Date	22 April 2025
Wards Affected:  Clifton
For further information please contact the author of the report

Annexes

Annex A - Clear Hold Build presentation March 2025

Annex B – Connecting Clifton Newsletter

Abbreviations

Clear Hold Build – CHB

Serious and Organised Crime – SOC

Organised Crime Groups – OCGs

Police Community Support Officer - PCSO