Agenda item

This report sets out progress made within the areas covered by the Portfolio Holder for Resources which fall within the remit of this Committee.

Discussion:

The Committee received an overview of progress made on the areas within the scope of the Portfolio Holder for Resources which fell within the remit of this Committee.

The Portfolio Holder responded to Members’ questions and comments as

follows:

• Public Space Protection Orders – In response to a question concerning the level of enforcement action under the Public Space Protection Orders, the Community Safety and Enforcement Manager advised that the number of tickets issued by the Council for dog related offences was low. As it was the Police that dealt with enforcement for alcohol and general anti social behaviour offences, this information would be supplied direct to the Member outside of the meeting.

• CCTV monthly reports and thresholds for the provision of new CCTV cameras - The Committee noted that a monthly report was generated by the CCTV control room listing activity levels on all CCTV cameras and requested that a copy of this monthly report be supplied to the Committee.

It was noted that if a Ward Councillor, member of the public or a Council officer considered that a location would benefit from the provision of a new CCTV camera, due to anecdotal evidence on increased activity in an area, this could be reported to the Community Safety team for investigation as set out within the report. However, there was a threshold which was required to be met before a CCTV camera could be provided and it was stressed that if a CCTV camera was provided, should the camera show no activity, Information Commission rules required that the camera be removed as CCTV cameras were not permitted to be used as a preventative measure.

The Committee requested that information as to the CCTV camera threshold be circulated outside of the meeting.

• Medway Task Force - Referring to the work of the Medway Task Force in both Luton and Wayfield and Gillingham North Wards, it was noted that both projects had provided positive results and the Committee sought information as to whether this work could be expanded to other parts of Medway.

In response, the Portfolio Holder referred to the successful award of £111,000 from the Home Office Safer Streets Fund for specific use in the residential area north of Gillingham High Street and advised that the Medway Task Force continued to investigate other funding opportunities. Meanwhile, the Task Force also continued its work in Luton.

He advised that it would not be possible to expand the work of the Task Force across the whole of Medway as the Task Force was specifically aimed at dealing with specific areas in certain Wards where there were issues that needed to be addressed.

• Support for the homeless – The Committee sought an assurance that rough sleepers were receiving support and advice from the appropriate agencies and were not the subject of enforcement, particularly where they had set up a tent encampment.

In response, the Portfolio Holder advised that Medway’s Housing Department and Public Health’s Blue Light Project were continuing to work with vulnerable people and rough sleepers many of whom had a range of complex issues and therefore required intense interventions. During the first Covid–19 lockdown there was a specific drive to remove rough sleepers from the streets and re-locate them into accommodation where possible.

He advised that in the past, before the Housing First Policy was introduced, housing providers were only willing to accept homeless individuals with drug and alcohol dependence if they were prepared to sign up to a rehabilitation programme but this was no longer the case. However, there were still a small number of rough sleepers who did not want to be relocated into accommodation.

The Portfolio Holder also gave an assurance that rough sleepers who were in tent encampments were not treated by way of enforcement action in the same way as a traveller incursion.

The Committee requested that a briefing note on the work of the Blue Light Project be circulated to the Committee.

• Environmental enforcement – Referring to Appendix 1 to the Council Plan Performance Monitoring report, clarification was sought as to the number of Fixed Penalty Notices issued by the Council in comparison to other local authorities.

In response the Portfolio Holder informed the Committee thatthe issuing of Fixed Penalty Notices was currently being carried out for the Council by a private company and approximately 90% had involved smoking and litter offences. It was confirmed that enforcement now included the Pentagon Shopping Centre.

Unfortunately, although the teams were active in enforcement, the fines levied by the Magistrates Court were at a low level and did not match the nuisance caused by the offenders.

The Portfolio Holder agreed to ask that the Community and Enforcement Safety Manager supply the Committee with information as to the Fixed Penalty Notices issued to date along with a copy of the recent report to the Procurement Board.

The Head of Business Intelligence referred to the Appendix to the Council Plan Performance Monitoring report and advised that this contained over two years of data on environmental enforcement. She advised that there had only been one successful prosecution in recent months due to the Courts being closed as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. In addition, it was pointed out that, where possible, wardens try to act proactively with the offender before issuing a sanction and this could be the reason why this authority’s level of issuing tickets may not be at the same level as other local authorities.

• Illegal tobacco - Clarification was sought as to the retail value of illegal tobacco seized as part of Operation Ignite in August. The Portfolio Holder agreed to check this outside of the meeting and advise Members of the correct valuation.

During discussion, the Portfolio Holder stressed the importance of receiving intelligence as to the identification of premises dealing in illegal tobacco so that enforcement action could be taken to remove sometimes poor quality tobacco from the market, especially as it could be more harmful to health than ordinary tobacco. He therefore agreed liaise with the Council’s Communications Department to promote and encourage reporting of these premises.

• Trade Waste - The Committee noted that since the 5 September 2020 the Environmental Enforcement Team had been working with the Medway Task Force in Gillingham North area and had dealt with 393 jobs, details of which were broken down in paragraph 4.5 of the report. Clarification was sought as to whether it had been possible to obtain intelligence relating to the 9 trade waste violations as these had the potential to include hazardous waste and pollutants.

In response the Portfolio Holder agreed to ask officers to provide a detailed briefing note on this to the Committee. 

Decision:

The Committee:

a)            noted that officers in consultation with the Police will supply direct to the Member concerned information as to the enforcement action by Police under the Public Space Protection Orders relating to alcohol breaches and general anti social behaviour.

b)            requested that officers circulate a copy of the monthly report produced by MCG on the CCTV cameras.

c)            requested that a briefing note be supplied setting out the threshold for the provision of a CCTV camera.

d)            requested that a briefing note be supplied on the number of Fixed Penalty Notices issued by the private company along with a copy of the recent report to the Procurement Board

e)            noted that the Portfolio Holder will check the figure set out in paragraph 7.4 of the report relating to the value of illegal tobacco seized by Operation Ignite in August 2020.

f)             requested that a briefing note on trade waste violations be circulated to the Committee setting out what it involves and whether intelligence is helpful to identify offenders.

g)            agreed that a briefing note be supplied on the work of the Blue Light Project.

h)            noted that the Portfolio Holder for Resources will speak to the Council’s Communications Team concerning possible publicity for the reporting of illegal tobacco sources.