Agenda and minutes

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the meetings of the Overview and Scrutiny Commission held on 17 and 20 March 2014.

Following a query raised by a member of the Commission, the Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Commission meeting held on 17 March 2014 confirmed that he considered the minutes to be an accurate reflection of the discussion that took place at the meeting.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the Overview and Scrutiny Commission meetings held on 17 March 2014 and 20 March 2014 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

Matters Arising

At its meeting on 30 April 2014, Council had considered a report on the Call-In of the Executive Decision to introduce a no right turn restriction Beehive Road/B3408 London Road Binfield and had resolved to recommend to the Executive Member that the original Executive Member decision should not be implemented.  A resolution requesting more detailed analysis on the traffic flow around the junction be carried out before any further decisions were taken in relation to this matter was also approved.

Information requested by members at the meeting on 20 March, concerning economic activity rates, and staff turnover in the Children, Young People and Learning Department, had been circulated separately to members.

Members are requested to declare any disclosable pecuniary or affected interest, including the existence and nature of the Party Whip, in respect of any matter to be considered at this meeting.

Any Member with a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest or an affected interest in a matter should withdraw from the meeting when the matter is under consideration and should notify the Democratic Services Officer in attendance that they are withdrawing as they have such an interest. If the Disclosable Pecuniary Interest is not entered on the register of Members interests the Monitoring Officer must be notified of the interest within 28 days.

Councillor Mrs Birch declared an interest as the spouse of the Executive Member for Adult Social Care, Health and Housing.

Councillor Mrs McCracken declared an interest as the spouse of the Executive Member for Culture, Corporate Services and Public Protection.

Any other items which, pursuant to Section 100B(4)(b) of the Local Government Act 1972, the Chairman decides are urgent.

There were no urgent items of business.

To receive submissions from members of the public which have been submitted in advance in accordance with the Council’s Public Participation Scheme for Overview and Scrutiny.

There were no submissions from members of the public in accordance with the Council’s Public Participation Scheme for Overview and Scrutiny.

Meeting as the Crime and Disorder Committee, to discuss with representatives of Thames Valley Police and Council representatives of the Community Safety Partnership:

1          The performance of the Community Safety Partnership in 2013-14

2          The Community Safety Plan for 2014-15

3          How the Probation Service contributes to meeting the objectives of the Community Safety Partnership.

Meeting as the Crime and Disorder Committee, Assistant Chief Constable John Campbell, Chief Inspector Dave Gilbert, Timothy Wheadon Chairman of the Community Safety Partnership, Ian Boswell Community Safety Manager and Alison Koen, Community Safety Officer, were welcomed to the meeting.

Ian Boswell, Community Safety Manager gave a presentation in respect of the performance of the Bracknell Forest Community Safety Partnership during 2013-14.  The presentation included an overview of the Partnership’s make up, priorities and challenges, resourcing and comparator data.

The Community Safety Partnership was a statutory partnership which was well supported by all agencies involved in its work.  Both statutory and non-statutory partners were fully engaged with the Partnership’s work bringing their own areas of expertise to the table.

For the past few years, Thames Valley Police and the Community Safety Team had been focused on reducing crime levels across the area and tackling the public’s disproportionate fear of crime. Work that was proving successful as crime levels continued to fall. Total recorded crime levels were now at their lowest level since 1998 and between 2008/9 and 2013/14 there had been a 42% drop in recorded crime. The innovative development of a Community Safety Team that was shared between the Police and the Local Authority and the strength of the Bracknell Forest Community Safety Partnership, were considered to be key to this success. Measures of note for the Partnership during 2013-14 included:

• 5% reduction in all crime
• 25% reduction in burglary from dwellings
• 15% reduction in criminal damage. 
• 8% reduction in violence with injury
• There had been 47 incidents of robbery which represented a 38% increase on the previous year however this was considered relatively low when compared against neighbouring Local Police Areas (LPAs) e.g. Slough LPA (139 incidents), Windsor and Maidenhead LPA (60 incidents) and Reading LPA (146 incidents)

It was reported that when compared against the performance of the closest fourteen

comparator police areas Bracknell Forest LPA had been ranked as being the fifth best performing LPA in the comparator group.  The independently managed Crime Survey of England and Wales also indicated a significant drop in the levels of crime experienced in the Borough over the past year.

In December 2013, the Community Safety Partnership carried out a strategic assessment the results of which were subsequently used to inform the Community safety Partnership’s 12 crime and disorder priorities for 2014/15.  Of these twelve priorities tackling Domestic Abuse and IT related crime and internet safety would be key work areas over the coming year.

Tackling domestic abuse was seen as being a key priority area for the Partnership during 2014/15 not only because of the impact that it had on victims but also because of the impact that it would have on other priority areas. Domestic abuse had a broad definition that covered threats, harassment, fear of intimidation and violence against a person and whilst the statistics relating to domestic abuse were rising a significant amount of work had taken place to raise awareness of the problem and encourage  ...  view the full minutes text for item 74.

Forthcoming items on the Executive Forward Plan of a corporate nature are attached for consideration.

The Commission received and noted a report summarising the Executive Key and Non-Key decisions relating to corporate issues.

To appoint Mrs Linda Wellsteed to the Children, Young People & Learning Overview and Scrutiny Panel, as a Parent Governor representative.

The Commission received a report seeking approval to appoint a Parent Governor Representative on to the Children, Young People and Learning Overview and Scrutiny Panel.

The Council’s Constitution stipulates that Council will appoint members of the Overview and Scrutiny commission and the Commission shall then appoint members of the Overview and Scrutiny Panels.

At its meeting on 30 April 2014, Council resolved that Mrs Linda Wellsteed, a Parent Governor at Brakenhale School be appointed as a parent governor representative to the Overview and Scrutiny Commission for a term of four years. 

RESOLVED that the Overview and Scrutiny Commission appoint Mrs Linda Wellsteed as a parent governor representative to the Children, Young people and Learning Overview and Scrutiny Panel for a term of office of four years.

To note the progress against the Overview and Scrutiny work programme for 2013-14 and the reports from Overview and Scrutiny Panel Chairmen on each Panel’s progress against the work programme.

The Commission received a report providing an update on the Overview and Scrutiny Work Programme for 2013-14, with particular reference to the Working Groups of the Commission. 

It was noted that the Overview and Scrutiny Annual Report 2013/14 had been approved by Council on 30 April 2014.  The majority of the work in the 2013/14 work programme was now complete and work would now commence on the 2014/15 work programme.

It was requested that Members respond to Councillor Finnie’s recent request for information to feed into the Working Group Review of Cultural Services as soon as possible.

It was noted that the Children, Young People and Learning Overview and Scrutiny Panel had identified a small number of concerns over the 2014/15 budget and these were being worked through.

The Commission noted the report and thanked officers for the support that they had given the Council’s Scrutiny process over the past year.