OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY COMMITTEE

20 DECEMBER 2022

Safety Review � Internal Stakeholder Consultation

Timetable
*Meeting*	*Date*
Overview and Scrutiny Committee	20 December 2022

Will this be a Key Decision?

Urgency

Not Applicable

Final Decision-Maker

Overview and Scrutiny Committee

Lead Director

Angela Woodhouse, Director of Strategy, Insight & Governance

Lead Officer and Report Author

Oliviya Parfitt, Democratic Services Officer

Classification

Public

Wards affected

All

Executive Summary

This report outlines the next steps of the Committee�s review into town centre safety.

Purpose of Report

Decision

This report makes the following recommendations to the Committee

1. To continue its Safety Review through interviewing internal stakeholders in attendance; and

2. To provide direction on the next steps of the review

Safety Review � Internal Stakeholder Consultation

1. CROSS-CUTTING ISSUES AND IMPLICATIONS

Issue	Implications	Sign-off
Impact on Corporate Priorities	The four Strategic Plan objectives are: � Embracing Growth and Enabling Infrastructure � Safe, Clean and Green � Homes and Communities � A Thriving Place The recommendations of the report support the continuation of the Safety Review commenced at the 6 October 2022 meeting of the Committee. The outcomes of the review could materially improve the Council�s ability achieve all corporate priorities, due to the Committee�s role in reviewing and recommending actions on its work topics.	Director of Strategy, Insight & Governance
Cross Cutting Objectives	The four cross-cutting objectives are: � Heritage is Respected � Health Inequalities are Addressed and Reduced � Deprivation and Social Mobility is Improved � Biodiversity and Environmental Sustainability is respected The recommendations of the report support the continuation of the Safety Review commenced at the 6 October 2022 meeting of the Committee. The outcomes of the review could materially improve the Council�s ability achieve all cross-cutting objectives, due to the Committee�s role in reviewing and recommending actions on its work topics.	Director of Strategy, Insight & Governance
Risk Management	See Section 5 of the report.	Director of Strategy, Insight & Governance
Financial	The proposals set out in the recommendation are all within already approved budgetary headings and so need no new funding for implementation.	Democratic Services Officer
Staffing	We will deliver the recommendations with our current staffing.	Director of Strategy, Insight & Governance
Legal	In accordance with Part 1A of the Local Government Act 2000 (as amended by the Localism Act 2011) the Council is operating under Executive Arrangements. These arrangements must include provision for the appointment of one or more Overview and Scrutiny Committees to review and scrutinise the Executive decisions made, or other actions taken � LGA 2000, Section 9F	Legal Team
Information Governance	The recommendations do not impact personal information (as defined in UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018) the Council processes.	Senior Information Governance Officer
Equalities	The recommendations do not propose a change in service therefore will not require an equalities impact assessment	Equalities and Communities Officer
Public Health	We recognise that the recommendations have the potential to positively impact the population health or that of individuals.	Democratic Services Officer
Crime and Disorder	The report�s recommendations will not impact Crime & Disorder, however the Committee is likely to propose recommendations aimed at positively impacting crime and disorder in concluding the Safety Review.	Director of Strategy, Insight & Governance
Procurement	No impacts identified.	Director of Strategy, Insight & Governance
Biodiversity and Climate Change	There are no immediate implications on biodiversity and climate change at this stage of the review. If any implications arise, these will be highlighted at that time.	Biodiversity and Climate Change Officer

2.�� INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

2.1 At its meeting on the 6 October 2022, the Committee formally began its Safety Review. The review focuses on examining the current measures in place, and identifying any improvements required, in ensuring the safety of individuals within Maidstone Town Centre.

2.2 The review continued at the Committee�s 18 October 2022 meeting, where representatives of Kent Police, Kent County Council, Kent and Medway Violence Reduction Unit and One Maidstone were in attendance to give verbal evidence to the Committee. �The minutes of that meeting can be accessed via the link provided in section 9 of this report.

2.3 At the conclusion of that meeting, the external stakeholders were asked the following question:

1 - �What would you like Maidstone Borough Council to do, that we are not doing?�

The Kent and Medway Violence Reduction Unit and KCC submitted a response, and this has been provided in appendix 2 to the report.

2.4 The Committee also requested that Housing Associations operating within the Town Centre be asked the following questions:

1 � �How do you (as an organisation) deal with Anti-Social Behaviour issues in relation to enforcing your tenancy agreements?�

2 � �Whether they would like to consider setting up a specific email response system for MPs and Councillors�

Any responses received ahead of the 20 December 2022 meeting will be distributed to the Committee with the Chairman�s agreement.

2.5 The next stage of the review is to interview internal stakeholders as part of the evidence collection process. This should take place with consideration given to the previous two meetings, and the written evidence submitted by external stakeholders (as outlined in points 2.3 and 2.4 above) attached to this report.

2.6 The internal stakeholders invited have been listed below, with consideration having been given to the review�s scope attached at appendix 1 to this report.�

Communications Manager

Community & Strategic Partnerships Manager

Head of Housing and Regulatory Services

2.7 For this part of the review, the Committee may want to focus their questioning on the key themes identified from the 6 and 18 October 2022 meetings. These were based on the questions asked and sentiments expressed by the Committee and Officers. These are attached at appendix 3 to the report.

Example Questions may include:

� How have the improved safety measures been communicated to the public?

� Do you think there needs to be an improvement in how safety measures are communicated with the public?

� What can Members do to support improved safety in the town centre?

� Is there anything Officers would like to raise regarding the suggestions put forward by External Stakeholders?

� Is there any updated information available since the last meeting of the review, on the training being provided?

2.8 This report and associated appendices will be sent to the internal stakeholders to support them in preparing to attend the 20 December 2022 meeting of the Committee.

3. AVAILABLE OPTIONS

3.1 There is no preferred option from an officer perspective, as this report aims to support the Committee in continuing its review by providing the relevant supporting information required.

4. RISK

4.1 The risks associated with this proposal, including the risks if the Council does not act as recommended, have been considered in line with the Council�s Risk Management Framework. We are satisfied that the risks associated are within the Council�s risk appetite and will be managed as per the policy.

5. CONSULTATION RESULTS AND PREVIOUS COMMITTEE FEEDBACK

5.1 This report supports the Committee in the continuation of its Safety Review.

6. NEXT STEPS: COMMUNICATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DECISION

6.1 As agreed by the Committee in July 2022, this review into safety is part of a wider review into Safety & Enforcement. The safety element of the review was to encompass:

Safety in the Town Centre (commence in September 2022)

Night-time Economy (commence in December 2022)

6.2 Due to the delay in progressing the review, in part due to having to cancel the September 2022 meeting and giving precedence to the call in received at the November 2022 meeting, the Committee is now likely to complete the safety in the town centre element of the review in January 2022. The Night-time economy aspect of the review will likely start in either January or February 2022. This will delay the review into the Council�s enforcement, and it may not be possible for this review to be completed before the end of the Municipal year.

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Projected Timetable

Review Focus

Meeting Date/s applicable

Safety Review

20 December 2022

24 January 2022 � recommended actions presented to committee.

Night-Time Economy Review

24 January 2022 � begin night-time economy evidence collection

21 February 2022 � continue evidence collection/recommended actions agreed.

21 March 2022 � recommended actions agreed/formal report on both aspects presented to committee for consideration.

6.3 This has been included for information and is reflected within the Committee�s work programme included within the agenda papers for this meeting.

7. REPORT APPENDICES

The following documents are to be published with this report and form part of the report:

� Appendix 1: Review Scope

� Appendix 2: Requests received from External attendees at the 18 October 2022 meeting.

� Appendix 3: Themes identified from 6 and 18 October 2022 Meetings

� Appendix 4: Data from previous resident survey�s relating to safety in the town centre (to follow)

8. BACKGROUND PAPERS

Agenda papers and minutes of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee Meetings held on 6 and 18 October 2022:

6 October 2022: Your Councillors - Maidstone Borough Council

18 October 2022: Your Councillors - Maidstone Borough Council

Communities, Housing and Environment Committee Agenda (Acting as the Crime & Disorder Committee), 2022-2025 Community Safety Plan and Strategic Assessment � March 2022: Your Councillors - Maidstone Borough Council