Agenda for Environment & Community Safety Overview & Scrutiny Committee on Monday, 14th September, 2009, 4.00pm
navigation and tools
Find it
You are here - Home : Council and Democracy : Councillors and Committees : Agenda and minutes
Agenda and minutes
PDF 194 KBVenue: Council Chamber, Hove Town Hall. View directions
Contact: Mary van Beinum, Scrutiny Support Officer
| No. | Item |
|---|---|
|
Minutes: 11a Declarations of Substitutes
Councillor Amy Kennedy was substituting for Councillor Sven Rufus; Councillor David Smart had given his apologies.
11b Declarations of Interests
Councillor Ian Davey declared a personal and non-prejudicial interest in item 18 as a part-time worker with a cycling charity
11c Declaration of Party Whip
There were none.
11d Exclusion of Press and Public
In accordance with section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, it was considered whether the press and public should be excluded from the meeting during the consideration of any items contained in the agenda, having regard to the nature of the business to be transacted and the nature of the proceedings and the likelihood as to whether, if members of the press and public were present, there would be disclosure to them of confidential or exempt information as defined in section 100I (1) of the said Act.
RESOLVED: That the press and public be not excluded from the meeting.
|
|
|
Minutes of the Previous meeting held on 22 June Minutes: 12.1 The minutes of the meeting held on 22 June were agreed and signed by the Chairman. |
|
|
Chairman's Communications Minutes: 13.1 The Chairman told the Committee that each Scrutiny Committee Chairman would be meeting regularly with the relevant Cabinet Member(s) and Director.
13.2 An additional formal meeting of ECSOSC would be held following 9 December Cabinet, in the form of a budget seminar. This was being scheduled for 2pm on Friday 18 December in Hove Town Hall. Similar meetings were being planned for the other O&S Committees. |
|
|
Public Questions/Letters from Councillors/Notices of Motion referred from Council Minutes: 14.1 There were none. |
|
|
Older People and Community Safety Scrutiny Panel Report of the Acting Director of Strategy and Governance. Additional documents: Minutes: 15.1 Councillor Mo Marsh, Chair of the Scrutiny Panel on Older People and Community Safety, introduced the Panel’s report and answered questions. Councillor Marsh reminded the meeting that the matter had been raised at the Community Safety Forum (CSF); and thanked the Panel Members and all partner organisations, residents and officers who had been involved.
15.2 The Committee Chairman thanked the Members of the Panel and all those involved including the Director of Age Concern who had brought this to the attention of CSF. Councillor Morgan referred to both distraction burglars and rogue traders who can have a serious impact on predominantly older people.
15.3 The Head of Community Safety answered questions on discouraging cold calling.
15.4 The Committee noted the importance of working in partnership on the matters raised in the Panel’s report.
15.5 When confirmed by ECSOSC the report would be forwarded to CSF for information.
15.6 The Committee wished to add an additional recommendation; that the report be publicised as widely as possible.
15.7 RESOLVED; 1) that the scrutiny panel’s report be endorsed. 2) that the report recommendations be referred to the council’s Executive, the council’s Community Safety Forum for information and to the appropriate partner organisations 3) In line with the scrutiny panel’s recommendation 18, that monitoring actions following the scrutiny review, be included in the Committee’s work plan 4) In line with the scrutiny panel’s recommendation 18, that community safety work regarding minority older groups, be included in the Committee’s work plan 5) that the report be publicised as widely as possible. |
|
|
Performance Improvement Report 2008 - 2009
Report of the Acting Director of Strategy and Governance. Additional documents: Minutes: 16.1 The Performance Analyst introduced the Performance Improvement Report 2008-2009 and said that for a number of reasons some data was not yet available.
16.2 Members discussed the 5 performance indicators that are significantly below target.
16.3 The Head of Community Safety said NI 15; number of the most serious violent crimes per 1000 population; included domestic crime and violence. Regarding NI 30; reoffending rate of prolific and priority offenders; the cohort had been broadened and performance was affected by the need to appoint an additional case officer and allow time for the scheme and monitoring to become established. More details could be provided if wished.
16.4 The Committee asked whether the presentation can be clarified with a summary analysis.
16.5 RESOLVED; 1) That the committee are updated on progress against key indicators within the Local Area Agreement and other indicators within the National Indicator Set.
2) That in future ECSOSC receives an outline report covering a sample of different national and local indicators that fall within the Environment directorate in greater detail. Over time this will allow a fuller understanding of the data that is presented in the performance indicator report.
|
|
|
CityClean Refuse and Recycling Collection Complaints Report of the Director of Environment. Minutes:
17.1 The Assistant Director CityClean presented the report on the number and type of complaints about refuse and recycling collections across the city. The data showed trends over one year before, during and after the changes to the rounds and introduction of communal bins in central parts of the city.
17.2 The graphs show the number of complaints for each of recycling collections, refuse collections and communal bins. When put in context, the maximum number of complaints per month represented less than 1% of all households for each of missed recycling and missed refuse collections.
17.3 Regarding communal bins, though the number of bins has increased from 200 in August 2008 to 700 now, the number of complaints per bin has decreased from 5.5% to 2.9%.
17.4 The aim was still to get all complaints levels lower, speed up response times and increase customer satisfaction levels.
17.5 Answering questions the Assistant Director CItyclean said there had been problems with handling the volume of telephone calls and emails because of the scale of the changes and slow back office systems. The level of complaints and telephone call abandon rates are reducing as the services settle down. The ICT team are fully involved in improving the systems operating across Cityclean.
17.6 Recycling rates at area or ward level were difficult to assess as most refuse and recycling rounds do not match. With regard to the potential for communal bin recycling and a recycling campaign this is included in the Waste Strategy which has been subject to public consultation and more research on waste content was being planned.
17.7 The Committee also discussed the timing of trade waste collections, wheelie bin lids and green waste collections.
17.8 RESOLVED 1) that the trends in the complaints in relation to refuse, recycling and communal bins be noted
(2) that the plans to further improve service quality now that efficiency savings have been delivered and operational changes have bedded in, also be noted.
|
|
|
Scrutiny Panel Scoping Report of the Acting Director of Strategy and Governance. Additional documents: Minutes: 18.1 The Head of Scrutiny presented the scoping report on three issues with a view to consideration as to the most appropriate topic for the next ECSOSC scrutiny panel. Additional information was given by the Assistant Director, Sustainable Transport.
18.2 The current Local Transport Plan (LTP) runs from 2007 – 2008 to 2010-2011. ECSOSC would be involved in consultation on the Council’s third LTP in the New Year; the Panel would include consideration of both cycling and reducing the number of killed and seriously injured. The meeting heard that a Cycling Project Board had recently been set up.
18.3 The Committee felt that all three matters were worthy of a scrutiny review. After discussion it was agreed to establish a scrutiny panel to investigate the road safety measures being taken by the Council and its partners, and issues affecting the number of killed and seriously injured and to make recommendations if necessary.
18.4 RESOLVED: that a scrutiny panel be established as minuted at 18.3 above.
|
|
|
ECSOSC Work Programme Additional documents: Minutes: 19.1 Two requests were made for reports to future meetings;
--information on concessionary bus fares for children and young people, and making the use of buses as easy, cheap and safe for them as possible.
-- ‘Operation Reduction’ - policing the use of drugs
19.2 Councillors had been contacted by concerned residents about Downland Management and asked for an update following the Committee’s letter to 30 July Environment Cabinet Member Meeting.
19.3 RESOLVED that these items be added to the Committee’s work programme |
|
|
Item to take forward to CMM, Cabinet or Council To note the Older People and Community Safety to be taken forward to the Executive. Minutes: 20.1 Item 15, Older People and Community Safety Scrutiny Report would go forward to the Community Safety Forum for information, and to Cabinet and relevant partner organisations for reply. |