OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY COMMITTEE

21 MARCH 2023

 

Safety in the Town Centre Review Covering Report

 

Timetable

Meeting

Date

Overview and Scrutiny Committee

21 March 2023

Executive

18 April 2023

 

 

Will this be a Key Decision?

 

No

 

Urgency

Not Applicable

Final Decision-Maker

Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

 

Any agreed actions arising from the review will be presented to the relevant Decision Maker in April 2023

Lead Director

Angela Woodhouse, Director of Strategy, Insight & Governance

Lead Officer and Report Author

Oliviya Parfitt, Democratic Services Officer

Classification

Public

 

Wards affected

All, but High Street Ward in particular

 

Executive Summary

 

A report supplemented by the draft Committee report to conclude ‘The Safety in the Town Centre’ review. Once agreed, the report will be presented to the relevant decision makers from April 2023.  

 

Purpose of Report

 

Decision

 

 

 

 

This report makes the following recommendations to the Committee

1.   That the Committee consider the report attached at Appendix 1 and agree any amendments they wish to make to the report; and

 

2.   That draft report attached at Appendix 1 to the report, amended by the Committee as appropriate, be agreed and submitted to the relevant decision makers.

 

 



Safety in the Town Centre Review Covering Report

 

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

 

We do not expect the recommendations will by themselves materially affect achievement of corporate priorities at this stage.

 

Any actions agreed by the Committee as part of their review will be considered by the relevant Officers and Decision makers. This will take place via the presentation of the Committee’s formal report and Overview and Scrutiny Recommendation Action and Implementation Plan (SCRAIP).

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

 

Any actions agreed by the Committee as part of their review will be considered by the relevant Officers and Decision makers. This will take place via the presentation of the Committee’s formal report and Overview and Scrutiny Recommendation Action and Implementation Plan (SCRAIP).

Director of Strategy, Insight & Governance

Risk Management

See Section 5 of the report.

 

Director of Strategy, Insight & Governance

Financial

Any recommendations agreed by the Committee as part of their review will be considered by the relevant Officers and Decision makers. This will include a consideration of the budgetary implications and will take place via the presentation of the Committee’s formal report and Overview and Scrutiny Recommendation Action and Implementation Plan (SCRAIP).

 

Section 151 Officer & Finance Team

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 Committee to review and scrutinise the Executive Decisions made, or other actions taken relating to the exercise of Executive functions. – LGA 2000, Section 9F. Any actions agreed by the Committee as part of their review will be considered by the relevant Officers and Decision makers. This will take place via the presentation of the Committee’s formal report and Overview and Scrutiny Recommendation Action and Implementation Plan (SCRAIP).

Team Leader Contentious and Corporate Governance

Information Governance

The recommendations of this report do not impact personal information (as defined in UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018) the Council processes.

 

Any recommendations agreed by the Committee as part of their review will be considered by the relevant Officers and Decision Makers. This will take place via the presentation of the Committee’s formal report and Overview and Scrutiny Recommendation Action and Implementation Plan (SCRAIP). If required, the Privacy Notice for Councillor’s will be updated to make it transparent that data will be shared with Kent Police.

Senior Information Governance Officer

Equalities

The recommendations do not propose a change in service therefore will not require an equalities impact assessment.

Equalities & Communities Officer

Public Health

 

 

By reducing the fear of crime, we recognise that the report's recommendations will have a positive impact on population health and well being.

 

Any actions agreed by the Committee as part of their review will be considered by the relevant Officers and Decision makers. This will take place via the presentation of the Committee’s formal report and Overview and Scrutiny Recommendation Action and Implementation Plan (SCRAIP).

Head of Housing & Regulatory Services

Crime and Disorder

The report’s recommendations will not impact Crime & Disorder however the Committee’s recommendations are aimed at positively impacting crime and disorder.

 

Any actions agreed by the Committee as part of their review will be considered by the relevant Officers and Decision makers. This will take place via the presentation of the Committee’s formal report and Overview and Scrutiny Recommendation Action and Implementation Plan (SCRAIP).

 

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.

 

Any actions agreed by the Committee as part of their review will be considered by the relevant Officers and Decision makers. This will take place via the presentation of the Committee’s formal report and Overview and Scrutiny Recommendation Action and Implementation Plan (SCRAIP).

 Democratic Services Officer

 

 

 

 

 

2.      INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

 

2.1     A review into ‘Safety in the Town Centre’ review (safety review) has been held by this Committee between October 2022, to February 2023. These meetings were attended by a variety of internal and external stakeholders, with the agenda papers and minutes for those meetings accessible through section 9 of this report.

2.2     A list of possible actions suggested by Officers that had contributed to the review were presented to the Committee in February 2023, for the Committee to consider as part of formulating its recommendations. The recommendations presented were based on the sentiments expressed by the Committee across the review; all the actions were agreed, alongside additional recommendations formulated by the Committee.  

 

2.3     The comments made by the Committee at that meeting have been included within the (draft) Committee report attached at appendix 1 to the report.

 

2.4     The Committee is asked to consider and approve the report for submission to the relevant decision-makers. The Committee should make changes to the draft report where it feels these are necessary.

 

2.5     The relevant decision-maker to the recommendations contained within the (draft) Committee report attached at appendix 1 is the Lead Member for Communities and Public Engagement.

 

 

3.   AVAILABLE OPTIONS

 

3.1     Option 1 – Amend and/or Approve the (draft) Committee report as contained within appendix 1 to the report.

 

3.2     Option 2 – Do not amend and/or approve the (draft) Committee report as contained within appendix 1 to the report. This is not recommended, as this will prevent the Democratic Services Officer from formally submitting the Committee’s report (and recommendations) of the review to the relevant decision-makers. This will prevent the consideration of the Committee’s recommendations and prevent any subsequent actions from being taken.

 

 

4.        PREFERRED OPTION AND REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS

 

4.1     Option 1 as outlined in point 3.1 of the report.  

 

 

5.       RISK

5.1    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.

 

 

 

6.       CONSULTATION RESULTS AND PREVIOUS COMMITTEE FEEDBACK

 

6.1     The timeline of the Committee’s undertaking of the review is as follows:  

 

Committee Meeting

Action

July 2022

The Committee agreed to undertake a review into Safety in the Town Centre

6 October 2022

The Committee received a presentation from external and internal stakeholders

 

18 October 2022

The Committee questioned external stakeholders

 

20 December 2022

The Committee questioned internal stakeholders

 

21 February 2023

The Committee received suggestions and formulated the recommended actions resulting from the review.

 

 

7.       NEXT STEPS: COMMUNICATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DECISION

 

7.1     If agreed, the report will be presented to the relevant decision makers as outlined in point 2.5 of the report.

 

7.2     In receiving this Committee’s report, the Executive will then be presented with an Overview and Scrutiny Recommendation Action and Implementation Plan (SCRAIP) at a future meeting. This SCRAIP will contain comments from the relevant officers on any considerations and/or impacts arising from each of this Committee’s recommendations. This will ensure that the decision-makers are presented with all the relevant, appropriate and applicable information before reaching a decision. This is standard practice and is reflective of good governance.

 

 

8.        REPORT APPENDICES

 

·         Appendix 1: (draft) Committee Report: Safety in the Town Centre Review

 

 

9.        BACKGROUND PAPERS

 

Agenda and Minutes for the Overview and Scrutiny Committee Meeting held on 6 October 2022: Your Councillors - Maidstone Borough Council

 

Agenda and Minutes for the Overview and Scrutiny Committee Meeting held on 18 October 2022: Your Councillors - Maidstone Borough Council

 

Agenda and Minutes for the Overview and Scrutiny Committee Meeting held on 20 December 2022:  Your Councillors - Maidstone Borough Council

 

Agenda and (draft) Minutes for the Overview and Scrutiny Committee Meeting held on 21 February 2023: Your Councillors - Maidstone Borough Council