Agenda item

The Portfolio Holder for Community Safety and Customer Contact will be held to account for matters within his portfolio relative to this Committee.

Discussion:

The Portfolio Holder for Community Safety and Customer Contact, Councillor Peter Hicks, attended the meeting to be held to account for the areas of his portfolio that fell within the remit of this Committee.

Members asked questions and commented and Councillor Hicks responded as follows:

·              Community Safety

Further to questions as to the reported validity of crime statistics and the impact of this on future operations the Portfolio Holder assured Members that the Community Safety Partnership would continue to address local community safety issues, which was evidenced by the establishment of an alcohol subgroup on the Partnership. Responding to further questions the Portfolio Holder advised the Committee that burglary figures were down nationally and that instances of burglary tended to go in waves; a potential consequence of a large number of instances being committed by a small number of people.

Following comments as to an instance of begging in Medway the Portfolio Holder advised Members that he was certain this illegal activity would be addressed. He also undertook to review the powers available to stop instances of cycling within the pedestrian zones of Medway’s high streets.

In response to a question on illegal workers in Medway the Portfolio Holder made reference to the Council’s approach to working in partnership with other agencies, such as the UK Border Agency, to remove people who were illegally in the UK or working illegally.

·              Enforcement

Responding to questions as to instances of fly tipping and untidy land the Portfolio Holder advised that action was taken to prosecute whenever there was sufficient evidence. It was noted that there had been 12 convictions for fly tipping and waste related offences and one conviction for untidy land. The Committee was however advised that the Council did not receive the fines awarded for successful prosecutions, only the costs.

The Portfolio Holder also advised Members that proposals to introduce Dog Control Orders across Medway were being brought forward. These orders would control when dogs were required to be kept on leads. 

·              Environmental Health

In response to questions concerning the findings of the consumer watchdog Which?, as to inspection checks of food premises in Medway, the Portfolio Holder assured the Committee of the Council’s commitment to safeguarding food hygiene standards and to the continuation of the inspection of food premises. Members were advised that the Council would not hesitate to issue, as appropriate, the necessary notices to ensure businesses were complying with food hygiene regulations.

·              Trading Standards

         Responding to questions the Portfolio Holder highlighted the work of the Trading Standards team in addressing the sale of prohibited goods, such as the sale of alcohol to persons underage, and emphasised that the council would act whenever evidence was available.

         In relation to questions as to the work undertaken to tackle the sale of illicit tobacco, the Portfolio Holder advised that whilst the use of Tobacco sniffer dogs was an additional cost to the Council this approach could be repeated as part of a wider multi agency approach.

·              CCTV

The Committee was informed of a recent successful visit by Kent’s Police and Crime Commissioner and Chief Constable to Medway’s CCTV hub. It was noted that the hub, which handled cameras for Medway, Gravesham, Maidstone and Swale, had also been short listed for two award categories in the 2014 Local Government Chronicle awards.

·              Travellers

Whilst noting that planning was outside his remit the Portfolio Holder advised the Committee that the development of a planning policy for traveller sites would need to be addressed in the context of the emerging Local Plan and suggested that this was within the wider context of north Kent.

·              Emergency Plan

The Portfolio Holder advised the Committee that Medway Council worked hard to prepare responses to a number of different emergencies, Recently, work had included the co-ordination of the early stages of the flood storm surge and supporting the Council’s on-going response during the emergency.

Decision:

The Portfolio Holder for Community Safety and Customer Contact was thanked for attending the meeting and for answering Members’ questions.