Agenda and minutes

At this point, Members are asked to declare:

·        any personal interests not included on the Register of Interests

·        any prejudicial interests or

·        any disclosable pecuniary interests

which they may have in respect of business on this agenda.

Members were asked to declare any personal interests not included on the Register of Interests, or any prejudicial or disclosable pecuniary interests that they might have in the business on the agenda.  None were declared.

To approve and sign the minutes of the meeting of the Community Safety Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting of 3 September 2014.

Resolved:  That the minutes of the meeting held on 3 September 2014 be approved and signed as a correct record.

At this point in the meeting members of the public who have registered their wish to under the Council’s Public Participation Scheme may do so.  The deadline for registering is 5.00pm on Tuesday 4 November 2014.

Members of the public may register to speak on:

·        An item on the agenda

·        An issue within the remit of the Committee

Filming, Recording or Webcasting Meetings

“Please note this meeting will be filmed and webcast and that includes any registered public speakers, who have given their permission.  This broadcast can be viewed at http://www.york.gov.uk/webcasts.

Residents are welcome to photograph, film or record Councillors and Officers at all meetings open to the press and public. This includes the use of social media reporting, i.e. tweeting.  Anyone wishing to film, record or take photos at any public meeting should contact the Democracy Officer (whose contact details are at the foot of this agenda) in advance of the meeting.

The Council’s protocol on Webcasting, Filming & Recording of Meetings ensures that these practices are carried out in a manner both respectful to the conduct of the meeting and all those present.  It can be viewed at http://www.york.gov.uk/downloads/download/3130/protocol_for_webcasting_filming_and_recording_of_council_meetings

It was reported that there were no registrations to speak at the meeting under the Council’s Public Participation Scheme.

A presentation will be given by Mike Ryan, Director for North Yorkshire Local Delivery Unit, on changes in the Probation Service.  [A copy of the presentation has been added to the on-line agenda papers]

A presentation was given by the Director for North Yorkshire Local Delivery Unit, on changes in the Probation Service.  [A copy of the presentation is attached to the online agenda papers for this meeting].  Details were given of the context within which the changes were being implemented and of the new providers who would deliver services from early 2015.   Members also noted the systems that would be in place to monitor the contracts.

Resolved:  That the update be noted.

Reason:     To ensure that Members are kept informed of the work of the Probation Service.

Members are asked to note the report from the Cabinet Member for Homes and Safer Communities. 

Members considered a report from the Cabinet Member for Homes and Safer Communities.  The Cabinet Member highlighted the following issues:

·        River safety – details were given of the River Safety Campaign and of the work that was taking place to provide rescue equipment and make physical improvements to improve safety.

·        Domestic violence – although York would sign up to the North Yorkshire Domestic Violence Strategy, the city would also have its own strategy in place.  Members were pleased to note the support given by the Police and Crime Commissioner in respect of the North Yorkshire and City of York Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC). 

·        Hate Crime – The Cabinet Member expressed her concern with regard to the language and terminology used about some members of the community.  Further discussions would take place regarding this matter.

Members questioned the Cabinet Member regarding matters within her portfolio, including the arrangements that the Environmental Protection Unit (EPU) had in place to monitor noise levels from concerts at the Race Course.

The Cabinet Member was asked about the effectiveness of Cold Calling Zones.  She stated that the arrangements appeared to be working well in her ward and that she would seek to provide information on the city wide position in her next report.

Resolved:  That the report be noted.

Reason:     To ensure Members are informed of the priorities and challenges of the Cabinet Member.

This report provides Members with a further update on the implementation of the recommendations arising from the previously completed Community Resilience scrutiny review, and asks Members to sign off any recommendations considered to be fully implemented.

Members considered a report which provided a further update on the implementation of the recommendations arising from the previously completed Community Resilience scrutiny review.  Members were asked to sign off any recommendations considered to be fully implemented.

Officers gave details of the work that had taken place, as outlined in the report. 

Members questioned why the Community Resilience Plans that were in place were in the more rural areas and that there were none for the city centre.  Officers explained that the plans were community led and that generally communities who were at risk of being isolated in the event of an emergency were more willing to engage in the process of putting a plan in place.  The Community Resilience Plans were intended to augment the statutory city-wide plans that were in place. 

Officers stated that it was intended to make further contact with all parishes, residents’ associations and wards to offer further assistance with putting Community Resilience Plans in place.  Members agreed that it would be useful to await the outcome of this further engagement before signing off the recommendations.

Resolved:  That the recommendations not be signed off at this stage and that a further update be provided in the future.

Reason:     To enable the implementation of the recommendations to be reconsidered after the further planned engagement with communities has taken place.

This report reviews the impact of the Council’s new process for dealing with horses that are fly grazing on council land.

Members considered a report that reviewed the impact of the Council’s new process for tackling horses that were fly grazing on council land through the work of the horse bailiff.

Officers gave details of the arrangements that were in place.  Members’ attention was drawn to Table 1 in the report.  Officers stated that figures were now available in respect of the numbers of horses found in the hot spots in August and September.  There had been four horses found at hot spots in August and three horses found at hot spots in September.  It was noted that the September figures included the addition of an additional hot spot on the Osbaldwick Link Road. 

Officers stated that the figures demonstrated that the measures that had been put in place had been effective but that work was ongoing with the RSPCA regarding animal welfare and training for owners. 

Officers were asked about the arrangements that were in place to ensure that the owners of horses on council sites had not been banned from owning horses by the Courts.  Officers stated that although it was sometimes difficult to confirm ownership of a horse, in cases where ownership was in breach of a court order or a tenancy agreement, appropriate action would be taken. 

Resolved:  That the work of the horse bailiff be noted.

Reason:     To ensure the committee is kept updated on the arrangements in place.

(i)           Members are asked to give consideration to the committee’s work plan.

(ii)          A verbal update will be given on ongoing scrutiny reviews.  Members are also asked to consider appointing an additional member to the Discretionary Charges in Waste Management Task Group.

(i)           A verbal update was given on ongoing scrutiny reviews:  

A-Boards Scrutiny Review

The draft final report of the A-Boards Scrutiny Review would be presented to the Committee at their meeting on 7 January 2015.  The Chair and Scrutiny Officer had met with the Assistant Director for Transport, Highways and Waste to discuss the way forward following the delays that had occurred.  A report would be provided that included details of the issues concerned and examples of best practice.    Information that the Task Group had gathered would be fed into the report.  Members reiterated their concerns at the delays that had occurred in progressing the review.

Discretionary Charges in Waste Management Review

Members noted that the first meeting of the Discretionary Charges in Waste Management Task Group had been scheduled to take place on 28 October 2014.  However the meeting had been postponed following a change to the membership of the committee.  Members were asked to consider appointing another Member to the Task Group.

Members stated that the review had originally been intended to identify any savings that could be fed into the budget planning process.  However, as the review would not be completed within the required timescale for its recommendations to feed into the budget planning process, it would not be worthwhile to proceed with the scrutiny review in the current municipal year.

Members commented on the arrangements for green waste collections and suggested that the timetable that had been circulated to residents did not accurately reflect the collection dates that had been agreed.  The Chair agreed to raise this anomaly on behalf of the committee.

(ii)          Consideration was given to the committee’s work plan.  Members were invited to put forward suggestions for inclusion on the plan. 

Clarification was sought as to why the finance and performance monitoring report had not been included on the agenda although this had been requested at the previous meeting.  Officers stated that, because of the decision to postpone the Cabinet meeting, the second quarter monitor reports were not yet available to scrutiny committees but would be presented at the meeting in January 2015.

Resolved:  (i)      That the update on the ongoing scrutiny

                             reviews be noted.

(ii)          That the scrutiny review of  Discretionary

Charges in Waste Management not proceed in this municipal year.

              (iii)     That, subject to the inclusion of the

                             following items the work plan be approved:

·        Update on North Yorkshire Police changes in operational activity in respect of York

·        Feedback from representatives on the Police and Crime Panel

·        Update on fly posting, advertising vans and hoardings

·        Anti-Social Behaviour Team update on new legislation including the introduction of “Community Trigger”

          Reasons:   (i)      To monitor the progress of the work of the

                                  task groups.

                           (ii)       Because of the timescales involved, it

would not be possible for recommendations arising from the review to inform this year’s budget planning process.

(iii)        To ensure that the committee has a planned programme of work in place.