Agenda and draft minutes

To note the names of apologies given and deputy members who are attending the meeting in place of appointed members.

Apologies for the meeting were noted as above.

To receive any disclosure of interests from Members and Officers in matters to be discussed.

Note:  Councillors are reminded of their obligations to declare disclosable pecuniary interests, personal and/or prejudicial interests in accordance with legislation and the Council’s Code of Conduct.      

If you require advice, please contact the appropriate Democratic Services Officer, prior to the meeting.

Councillor Williams declared a personal and non-pecuniary interest regarding item 6 “Community Safety Partnership Performance Review” as he was nominated by the Council as a deputy member to the Police and Crime Panel.

No announcements were made.

That the minutes of the meeting be signed as a correct record.

RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the previous meeting held on 6 February 2024 be approved and adopted.

To receive and note questions asked and statements made from members of the public on matters which fall within the remit of the Committee.

Members of the public and visiting councillors may speak at the committee, provided they have registered to speak three working days in advance.  Please complete this form (https://forms.office.com/r/Y87tufaV6G) by 5pm on 29 February 2024 or call (01962) 848 264 to register to speak and for further details.

Councillor Lee addressed the committee regarding the following agenda items: Community Safety Partnership Review, Q3 Finance & Performance Monitoring Report and the Forward Plan of Key Decisions and his contributions were captured within the agenda items below.

Councillor Bolton addressed the committee regarding the agenda item: Q3 Finance & Performance Monitoring Report and his contribution was captured within the agenda item below.

RECOMMENDATION:

1.       That the Committee acknowledge the Community Safety Partnership (CSP) progress report and agree any matters of significance to draw to the attention of the Cabinet Member for Community and Engagement or Cabinet generally.

Councillor Danny Lee addressed the committee and highlighted the following points.

1.    Acknowledged the positive impact of the Community Safety Partnership and its efforts recorded in the performance update report particularly the reduction in Anti-Social Behaviour Reports as indicated in Figure 3 table for Quality of Life.

2.    Concern was expressed about the implications of the upcoming shutdown of the current landline telephone system, with a phase for completion by 2025, and its relevance to Winchester community safety. Particularly how residents would report criminal incidents or obtain blue light medical services during power outages in the absence of landlines.

3.    He queried the contingency plans for maintaining communication in the event of widespread power outages affecting both landline and mobile phone communications, especially considering the lack of battery backup for many mobile phone towers.

4.    Councillor Lee wished to bring these concerns to the attention of the Cabinet and the wider Community Safety Partnership. Her requested reassurances from partners and other agencies that collaborative efforts were underway to develop solutions with clear information and advice for communities to alleviate anxiety, with a focus on promptly supporting the vulnerable and elderly.

These points were responded to by Laura Taylor, Chief Executive.

Councillor Kathleen Becker, Cabinet Member for Community and Engagement introduced the report, ref SC091 which set out proposals for the Community Safety Partnership Performance (CSP) review, (available here).  The introduction included the following points.

1.    That the council fulfilled its statutory duty to tackle crime and disorder through dedicated officer roles. It was also acknowledged the vital role of Ward councillors as the community's observers.

2.    The council's efforts align with the corporate vision to enhance safety for everyone, whether they live, work, or visit the district.

3.    Over the past year, the CSP had seen notable successes, including enhanced enforcement efforts, successful grant applications to the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, and increased collaboration with other local CSPs.

4.    Addressing anti-social behaviour had been a priority, with the partnership engaging in various activities such as additional patrols, distribution of anti-social behaviour (ASB) flyers, and the implementation of acceptable behaviour contracts. Officers had received a nomination for their efforts in the Tackling Anti-Social Behaviour category at this year's Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Awards.

5.    The report also detailed the partnership's focus on domestic violence and abuse, stressing an inclusive approach to support all victims.

6.    An increase in young people coming to the attention of partner agencies post-pandemic had led to a targeted response from the CSP, including outreach projects, mentoring, and early intervention to mitigate negative community impacts.

7.    Efforts were ongoing to gather and compare data with other services to benchmark and enhance CSP performance.

Chief Inspector Korine Bishop also addressed the Committee, and the following points were raised:

1.     The introduction of new policing priorities by the Chief Constable, aimed at simplifying focus areas into the relentless pursuit of criminals, prioritizing victims, and ensuring exceptional local policing.

2.     There was an emphasis  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

RECOMMENDATION:

That the Scrutiny Committee raises with the Deputy Leader or relevant Cabinet member any issues arising from the information in this report, ref CAB 3441, which is being presented to Cabinet on the 14 March 2024 and considers whether there are any items of significance to resolve or to be drawn to the attention of Cabinet.

The Chairperson advised that it had, regretfully been necessary to cancel the meeting of the Performance Panel, scheduled for 26 February 2024. Therefore, the Committee would undertake the scrutiny review of the Q3 Finance & Performance Monitoring report at this meeting.

Councillor Neil Cutler, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance and Performance introduced the report, ref CAB 3441 which set out proposals for the Q3 Finance & Performance Monitoring Report, (available here). The introduction included the following points.

1.    He referred to the strategic priorities of the Council, detailed in Appendix 1, and gave an overview of its plans and objectives.

2.    A financial update covering both revenue and capital for the general fund and the housing revenue account up to the end of December, as shown in Appendix 3.

3.    The latest data against the strategic performance indicators and update on progress of the Council's Tier 1 programmes and projects.

4.    New data regarding fly-tipping.

Councillor Danny Lee addressed the committee and highlighted the following points.

1.    He appreciated the progress and support during the cost of living crisis but expressed concern over the closure of the Bishop Waltham Citizens Advice Bureau office, particularly for vulnerable and elderly individuals.

2.    He noted the district's high uptake for the Hampshire County Council Solar Together initiative and sought clarification regarding the rollout of Electric Vehicle Charging Points and the necessity for more local electric vehicle infrastructure. He suggested a Key Performance Indicator (KPI) to measure this.

3.    He sought clarification regarding the differing building retrofit standards and raised questions regarding accredited build standards stipulated for council homes.

4.    He suggested the establishment of KPIs to ensure new homes achieved value for money in terms of energy efficiency and environmental impact standards. Additionally, the need for recording and publishing total carbon energy savings for new and retrofitted homes.

5.    He proposed further qualitative and quantitative data to inform the delivery of carbon emission reduction targets.

6.    He raised specific questions regarding TCE7 and TCE9 in Appendix 4, page 96.

7.    He sought clarification regarding the nature emergency target and recommendations for increasing carbon sequestration aligned with nature emergency targets, as shown on pages 118-119.

Councillor Neil Bolton addressed the committee and highlighted the following points.

1.    He sought clarification on how carbon credits were generated in the South Downs National Park amidst the felling of trees due to Ash die back.

2.    He queried the scheme mentioned on page 59, regarding carbon assessments for businesses, including the number of assessments conducted by the end of 2023 and plans for 2024.

3.    On page 60, he sought further information regarding the solution officers had devised for tenants' storage issues post-retrofitting loft insulation and the associated costs.

4.    He sought clarification on whether retrofit works were exclusively carried out on void properties, as mentioned on page 60.

5.    Re page 71, he sought clarification regarding the costs of constructing six Passivhaus properties and how value for money would be determined for this  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

To note and comment upon the first draft of the 2024/25 work programme.

The Chairperson advised that an agenda item regarding waste and recycling had been planned for this meeting but had now been scheduled for decision in May 2024. As the committee had wanted to scrutinise this item prior to a decision, a new date of 20 May 2024 was proposed for the committee to meet.

The committee reviewed the draft work programme for 2024/25 which showed the pre-programmed items such as budget papers and quarterly performance reports. The Chairperson advised that she undertook regular reviews of forthcoming key decisions with the Chief Executive and would look to adjust the work programme accordingly.

RESOLVED:

That the latest version of the work programme was noted.

Forward Plan of Key Decisions. 1 March 2024 – 31 May 2024

Councillor Lee raised with the committee regarding environmental social governance factors and using these factors in investment decisions. He also sought clarification regarding the Forward Plan of Key Decisions, and particularly the routine treasury management decision contained in the forward plan. Councillor Cutler responded to the points raised and it was recommended that these points be raised with the Audit & Governance Committee.

RESOLVED:

That the Forward Plan of Key Decisions for the period 1 April 2024 – 30 June 2024 be noted.