Agenda and minutes

(Assistant to the Chief Executive)  To report the appointment of any substitute members for the meeting.

The Panel noted there were no substitute members.

(Assistant to the Chief Executive). To declare interests in any items on the agenda.

In considering whether to declare a personal or a prejudicial interest under the Code of Conduct, Overview & Scrutiny members are asked pay particular attention to paragraph 11 of the Code in addition to the more familiar requirements.

This requires the declaration of a personal and prejudicial interest in any matter before an OS Committee which relates to a decision of or action by another Committee or Sub Committee of the Council, a Joint Committee or Joint Sub Committee in which the Council is involved and of which the Councillor is also a member.

Paragraph 11 does not refer to Cabinet decisions or attendance at an OS meeting purely for the purpose of answering questions or providing information on such a matter.

No declarations of interest were made.

To agree the notes of the last meeting held on 7^th April 2011.

The notes from the 7 April 2011 meeting were agreed as a correct record.

(Chairman / Lead Officer) The Overview and Scrutiny Committee has agreed the Terms of Reference of this Panel and associated Work Programme. This is attached. The Panel are asked at each meeting to review both documents.

Terms of Reference

1.         Councillor Breare-Hall wanted to know if the Panel were able to scrutinise the new SITA contract. The Panel noted that this was still in its early stages, but when things had developed more fully it should come to this Panel.

2.         The Panel also expressed concern about attracting members of the public to their crime and disorder meetings. They were told that the meetings were advertised via press releases, on the Council’s website and via local councils. These meetings were prescribed by the government to enable the Council to monitor the Community Safety Partnership. This would become essential with the coming of the Police and Crime Commissioners.

They noted that officers were still looking to members to supply ideas for topics to be explored for future meetings and possible venues this Panel could be held at. Councillor Mrs Smith noted that there had been a rise in domestic abuse and perhaps this should be looked by the Panel.

3.         With the demise of the Highways Panel it was noted that this topic would not be coming to this Panel, as it lay with the County Council.

Work Programme

The Panel noted that most of the six monthly reports referred to on the work programme were being considered at this meeting. They noted that:

• Item 2(d), progress towards appointment of a PCC – a report by Essex Police on the future policing arrangements for Essex would be going to the September meeting of the main Overview and Scrutiny Committee;

• Councillor Spencer asked for an updating report on improving recycling in flats and houses of multiple occupation. This was agreed, and a report will be brought to a future meeting;

• They were disappointed that the promised notes of the Bobbingworth Nature Reserve (former Landfill site) Liaison Group meeting in March were not available on the agenda. Officers promised that this would go to the next meeting; and

• Councillor Spencer would also like a report on the use of Solar Panels on council owned properties. They Panel noted that there was a trial being carried out at present and Mr Pledger would be the officer to contact about this. 

The Safer Cleaner Greener Action Plan was published in 2010 following approval by this Panel. Progress during the first quarter is attached for the Panel’s information.

RECOMMENDATION:

To note the first quarter update of the Safer Cleaner Greener Action Plan.

The Assistant Director, Environment and Street Scene, Jim Nolan, introduced the first quarter progress on the Safer Cleaner Greener action plan. He noted that the Crucial Crew event had just finished, having just over 1200 year 6 students attending. The High Sheriff of Essex who had attended the event had been very impressed with the day and the children and had written to the council complementing them on this event.

Councillor Knight asked if officers could work with younger pupils, say year 4, to educate them in such things as waste and recycling.  It was noted that the Council’s waste team already visited primary schools and gave appropriate talks on waste and recycling.

The Council had scored a significant success with the vulnerable victim’s visits, give out reassurance and valuable advice to victims of crime in the district. A ‘lift and lock’ campaign was presently in operation to warn householders to lock their doors properly last thing at night. There were also officers who visited homes under the ‘safe and sound’ initiative to give talks to the public, and there had been very good feedback on this scheme.

The Panel noted that the separate sheets updating the Council’s draft climate change strategy and the local biodiversity action plan had not been included in the agenda. They have now been attached to these minutes for information.

            RESOLVED:

That the first quarter update of the Safer Cleaner Greener Action Plan be noted.

(Director Environment and Street Scene)To consider the attached report.

The Assistant Director, Environment and Street Scene, Jim Nolan, introduced the progress made against the Action Plan associated to the CCTV Strategy. The action plan should be reviewed every six months. It should be noted that excellent progress had been made against the tasks and target dates. There was no intention to amend the core strategy document at this time.

The Action Plan’s “When” column should have stated that it was measuring from February 2010.

The Panel noted that:

• At Roundhills, Waltham Abbey, the system  that was housed in a shop in Waltham Abbey, and was therefore not accessible 24/7, has now been moved and re-housed in a readily accessible locked cupboard. The system has also had two cameras added;
• Officers were awaiting agreement with Epping Forest College to mount a camera on their tower;
• Epping High Street, subject to budget cuts, will have two ornate camera columns installed – key areas identified for these are by Costa Coffee and by Marks and Spencer and Greggs. These will be wireless and future proofed;
• The Pyrles Lane upgrade (designing out crime) was now completed;
• An Automatic Number Plate Recognition Camera  (not linked into the national computer database) had been installed at North Weald Airfield in an attempt to stop tailgating and the Wheeled Bin compound is now covered by CCTV;
• Limes Farm Community Hall – ongoing work being done.
• The Safer Communities Team have also got six re-deployable cameras, all of which have been deployed. All systems are now fit for purpose.

Councillor Spencer asked if notices saying CCTV could be put up where there are no cameras installed. He was told that the Council would be leaving itself open to being sued if it did this. Officers did not advocate the use of dummy cameras or signs.

Councillor Breare-Hall asked what sort response had there been from residents to the use of CCTV in the district. He was told that there had been no response from the residents. However, the Council had a partnership analyst who worked out where the CCTV cameras needed to go and the ramifications of these placements. They would not be put in unless there was a need for them. A survey of the public concerns was about to be launched and officers would use the results to weigh their priority selection in the future.

Councillor Smith added that they were always taking the opportunity to upgrade the CCTV systems to digital, and therefore, evidential quality, which got a lot of positive feedback from the police.

            RESOLVED:

            That the progress against the adopted CCTV Action Plan be noted.

(Director of Planning & Economic Development) To consider the attached report.

The Director for Planning and Economic Development, John Preston, introduced the updating report on the Council’s Green and Carbon Reduction Measures. He noted that the Environmental Co-ordinator was manually collating data from the last three years’ records from the casual and essential car millage, the lease car mileage, the litres of fuel purchased from fuel cards for fleet vehicles and machinery and the electricity and gas use in Council operational buildings.  This data is then fed into a calculator tool provided by the Department of Energy and Climate Change to obtain carbon emissions in kilograms. Once the emissions for the Council’s baseline year (2008-2009) had been calculated and compared with emissions from the following years, a more accurate pattern of carbon emissions would be known than is currently available. The data will also form a firm basis from which to make informed and realistic decisions about future CO₂ reduction targets from the Council’s operations.

The Panel noted that:

• The refurbishment of the Condor building had resulted in some heating savings;
• The smarter driving programme, which our fleet drivers have taken part in had two further rounds for other officers, which was helping reduce fuel consumption. This course was not mandatory but strongly encouraged;
• There was a lot of work to do to get the Council started including a need to challenge people to take on this new strategy; and
• However the database needed to be developed to show us where to go from here.

Councillor Breare-Hall said that a cost benefits analysis was needed on the virtue of paying for driver tuition and savings made in fuel consumption.

            RESOLVED:

            That the work of the Environmental Co-ordinator be noted.

(Director of Planning and Economic Development) Attached are the minutes from the Waste Management Partnership Board (WMPB) and the Green Corporate Working Party (GCWP) for the Panel’s information:

WMPB Minutes for 20 October 2010; 12 January 2011 and 6 April 2011(in draft).

GCWP Minutes for 29 March 2011 and 26 April 2011.

The Panel received two sets of minutes from recent Waste Management Partnership Board meetings, from their 20^th October 2010, 12 January 2011and 6 April 2011 meetings. They also received the minutes from Green Corporate Working Party from their 29 March 2011 and 26 April 2011 meetings.

The Panel were concerned that some of the minutes went back some time and would like them nearer the time they were published, as the older they were the less worthwhile they were.

The Panel noted that:

• Other sites had been looked at for the depot relocation from Langston Road;
• Officers were unsure if recycling sacks had now been delivered to local Village Halls;
• Although there would be room at the Oakwood Hill facility for the cleansing vehicles it may be that transport would have to be provided for staff from North Weald, but this was still unclear at present.

Councillor Stallan would like the relevant Portfolio Holder to comment on:

• Any alternative options to share Harlow’s depot and why was these not presented to the Cabinet;
• What are the ‘Political obstacles’ referred to under the item on depot relocation; and
• What was the current situation on this?

            RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the Waste Management Partnership Board and the Corporate Working Party be noted.

(Director Environment and Street Scene) Attached are the draft (unapproved) minutes of the latest meeting of the IAA working Group for information.

The Panel noted that the government was trying to make it easier for businesses to recycle their waste. They also considered the probable increase in fly-tipping once the Civic Amenity site opening times are reduced and to perhaps have the CCTV and rapid response unit ready to go into action.

            RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the Essex Waste Inter Authority Member Working Group be noted.

(Director Environment and Street Scene)To consider the attached report.

The Panel noted the updating report on the Safer Cleaner Greener enforcement activities for the six month period ending 31 March 2011.

Councillor Breare-Hall noted that Council land had seen the second largest amount of fly-tipping incidents and he wondered if there was anything that the Council could do about this. He was told that officers were starting a campaign on this problem. A lot of it was that people were being lazy. It may be that the Council would put more bins out, the more bins the more likely they were to be used. This campaign was just starting up and would last into the autumn.

The Panel noted that:

• There were 729 recorded incidents of fly-tipping;
• 4 prosecutions for fly tipping had been concluded during this period;
• There were 8 noise abatement notices served; and
• 6 Fixed Penalty Notices (FPN) were issued, 1 had not been paid and the offender had been taken to court and fined.

            RESOLVED:

That the Safer Cleaner Greener Strategy Enforcement Activities for the period 01 October 2010 to 31 March 2011 be noted.

Food Standards Agency Audit – Officers are expecting a written response to the follow up visit undertaken by the FSA. A verbal report will be given to the Panel at the meeting.

The Panel noted that the Food Standards Agency had not written to the Council as yet in their follow up to their visit to our offices. They had sent a preliminary email saying they were satisfied that all standards had been met and that some of our areas were considered as examples of best practice. The Panel asked that this letter be put in the Council Bulletin when available.

Officers were also introducing the “scores on doors” system and had received £12k to implement this.

            RESOLVED:

That the letter from the Foods Standards Agency be put in the Council Bulletin on receipt.

Exclusion: To consider whether, under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public and press should be excluded from the meeting for the items of business set out below on grounds that they will involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in the following paragraph(s) of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act (as amended) or are confidential under Section 100(A)(2):

The Local Government (Access to Information) (Variation) Order 2006, which came into effect on 1 March 2006, requires the Council to consider whether maintaining the exemption listed above outweighs the potential public interest in disclosing the information. Any member who considers that this test should be applied to any currently exempted matter on this agenda should contact the proper officer at least 24 hours prior to the meeting.

Confidential Items Commencement: Paragraph 9 of the Council Procedure Rules contained in the Constitution require:

(1)        All business of the Council requiring to be transacted in the presence of the press and public to be completed by 10.00 p.m. at the latest.

(2)        At the time appointed under (1) above, the Chairman shall permit the completion of debate on any item still under consideration, and at his or her discretion, any other remaining business whereupon the Council shall proceed to exclude the public and press.

(3)        Any public business remaining to be dealt with shall be deferred until after the completion of the private part of the meeting, including items submitted for report rather than decision.

Background Papers:  Paragraph 8 of the Access to Information Procedure Rules of the Constitution define background papers as being documents relating to the subject matter of the report which in the Proper Officer's opinion:

(a)        disclose any facts or matters on which the report or an important part of the report is based;  and

(b)        have been relied on to a material extent in preparing the report and does not include published works or those which disclose exempt or confidential information (as defined in Rule 10) and in respect of executive reports, the advice of any political advisor.

Inspection of background papers may be arranged by contacting the officer responsible for the item.

            RESOLVED:

That, in accordance with Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public and press be excluded from the meeting for the item of business set out below as it would involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in the paragraphs of Part 1 of Schedule 12(A) of the Act indicated and the exemption is considered to outweigh the potential public interest in disclosing the information:

Agenda                                                                       Exempt Information

Item No           Subject                                               Paragraph Number

11                    Strategic Intelligence Assessment                 7

(Director Environment and Street Scene)To consider the attached report.

Paul Gardener, the Safer Communities Officer, took the Panel through six month refresh of the annual Strategic Intelligence Assessment (SIA). By law the SIA has to be ‘refreshed’ annually; the statistical period would be from 1 October to 30 September each year. This six month ‘refresh’ period was from 1 October to 30 April and was taken to capture any emerging problems.

The SIA identifies the key crime and disorder priorities based on available data from relevant partner organisations. The assessment identifies the top 5 or 6 priorities, using a priority selection matrix, which are then subject to further, in depth analysis which looks at the problem triangle of Offender, Location and Victim. From this analysis is produced a partnership plan with specific actions to address the identified priorities.

University College London has said that is an extremely good way of to carry out this type of analysis and the partnership has managed to procure a very good analysis, who is working for several local authorities, using restricted police data. It had been noted that the year on year priorities are burglary, domestic abuse, auto crime and anti-social behaviour with an emerging trend of shoplifting. These will be targeted by specific operations.

Currently the partnership is performing quite well, with crime down by 7% and Anti Social Behaviour down by 6.3%, unfortunately Domestic Abuse was slightly up. Taken as an overall figure there has been a 3.6% reduction which is better than last year.

The Strategic Assessment is being developed over a three year period with the main assessment being prepared at the beginning and then updated for the proceeding years.

The Panel noted that until recently the Council had funded a cross border officer, now he has gone there was a need to keep hold and develop that cross border work but without the officer in post. He had produced a closing report and a draft of this came to this meeting which resulted in an action plan.

            RESOLVED:

That the six month ‘refresh’ of the Epping Forest Safer Communities Partnership Strategic Intelligence Assessment be noted.

To consider which reports are ready to be submitted to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee at its next meeting.

There were no particular items to be submitted to the next Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting.

To note the future meeting dates of this Panel. They are:

*11 October 2011;

10 January 2012;

*21 February 2012; and

10 April 2012.

*The two meetings dedicated to Crime and Disorder issues are the October and February dates.

The dates of future meetings of the Panel were noted.