Agenda and minutes

Members are asked to declare any interests they may have in the business to be discussed and/or indicate that Section 106 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 applies to them.

Members were asked to declare any interests they may have in the business to be discussed and/or indicate that Section 106 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 applied to them.

No declarations were made.

There were no announcements.

The minutes of the meeting held on 22 April 2002 have been circulated to Members and the Cabinet is asked to confirm them as a correct record.

RESOLVED:

that the minutes of the meeting held on 22 April 2002, having been circulated to Members, be confirmed and signed by the Chair as a correct record.

Councillor Draycott submits a report introducing the Crime and Disorder Strategy 2002-2005. The City Council has a statutory duty under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 to produce, jointly with other partners, a three-year Crime and Disorder Strategy for Leicester. The Cabinet is asked to endorse the Leicester Partnership Against Crime and Disorder’s Crime and Disorder Strategy 2002-2005, and to recommend it to Council for approval.

There will be a presentation at the meeting detailing the main points of the Crime and Disorder Strategy.

Copies of the Crime and Disorder Strategy are attached for Members of the Cabinet only. Copies of the Strategy can be obtained from the City Council’s website (www.leicester.gov.uk) under the link to Council meetings and decisions or by phoning (0116) 252 6022.

Councillor Draycott submitted a report presenting the Crime and Disorder Strategy 2002-2005. It was noted that it was part of the City Council’s statutory duty under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 to produce jointly with other partners, a three year Crime and Disorder Strategy for Leicester.

Councillor Draycott highlighted the main points of the Strategy, noting the successes of the previous strategy and the lessons learnt, the residents survey undertaken to determine the public’s concerns and the priorities for the strategy arising from all the consultation. She also commented this was a good example of partnership working with a variety of other agencies.

Members of the Cabinet queried ways in which victims of domestic violence could be encouraged to report incidents. In response the meeting was told there was already a helpline set up which had increased reporting of these crimes. A standardised reporting form had also been introduced for use by a range of agencies. This had improved the public’s access to advice and assistance, and enabled the development of a comprehensive database on domestic violence.

RESOLVED:

                        that Council be recommended to adopt the Crime and Disorder Strategy 2002-2005 as attached to the report, as the City Council’s corporate Crime and Disorder Strategy.

Councillor Westley submits a report informing the Cabinet of the recommended scope of the Best Value Review of Crime and Disorder. The Cabinet is asked to; approve the Scope for the Review, approve an extension to the review of approximately three months and to note that the Youth Offenders Team and Drugs and Solvent Misuse services will limit their contribution to the review to reducing domestic burglary and anti-social behaviour in certain parts of the city as they have their own strategy and plans.

Councillor Draycott submitted a report informing the Cabinet of the recommended scope of the Best Value Review of Crime and Disorder. She reported that the review had been through the Members Best Value Working Group and had been modified as a result of discussions and this report detailed how the review would be taken forward.

RESOLVED:

(1)that the Scope for the Best Value Review of Crime and Disorder as set out in the report, be approved;

(2)that an extension to the Review of approximately three months to the Corporate Best Value Review programme,  be approved, in order to use performance data from the Crime and Disorder strategic audit to inform the Review; and

(3)to note that the Youth Offenders Team and the Drugs and Solvent Misuse Services, which had their own strategy and plans and reported to national bodies with their own inspection framework, would limit their involvement in this Best Value Review to their contribution in reducing domestic burglary and anti social behaviour in certain parts of the City.

Councillor Kavia submits a report that seeks the views of the Cabinet on the Proposed Modifications to the Deposit Draft Structure Plan, taking in to account the final Regional Planning Guidance for the East Midlands (RPG8). The Cabinet is requested to; approve the process and timetable; note the implications of Regional Planning Guidance 8 and to approve the Decisions and Reasons on the Panel’s Recommendations set out in Appendix 2 and the Proposed Modifications set out in Appendix 4.

The minutes of the Strategic Planning and Regeneration Scrutiny Committee held on 17 April 2002 are attached to the report.

The Appendices to the report have been attached for the Cabinet only. Copies of this document can be obtained from the City Council’s website (www.leicester.gov.uk) under the link to Council meetings and decisions or by phoning (0116) 252 6022.

Councillor Kavia submitted a report presenting the Proposed Modifications to the Deposit Draft Structure Plan, taking in to account the final Regional Planning Guidance for the East Midlands (RPG8). It was noted the Structure Plan had been discussed by the Leicestershire and Rutland County Councils and by a district Council symposium following the Examination in Public into the Structure Plan. There was now general agreement on the main points of the plan including the controversial issue of allocation of housebuilds.

Councillor Osman queried whether there were environmental issues to be overcome when building on brownfield sites. The Head of Development Plans in response stated there was a balance to be achieved when developing sites in achieving suitable environmental safeguards, and commented there were policies in the structure plan which did address this issue.

The minutes of the Strategic Planning and Regeneration Scrutiny Committee held on 17 April 2002 were attached to the report and it was noted that the Scrutiny Committee had endorsed the proposed modifications.

RESOLVED:

that Council be recommended to:-

(i) approve the process and timetable;

(ii) note the implications of Regional Planning Guidance 8;

(iii)approve the Decisions and Reasons on the Panel’s Recommendations set out in Appendix 2 of the report; and

(iv)approve the Proposed Modifications to the Structure Plan, as set out in Appendix 4 of the report.

Councillor Westley submits a report seeking approval to the outcome of the fundamental challenge stage of the review; the proposed review routing; the Terms of Reference for the review and asking the Cabinet to note the principles previously agreed by the Cabinet in the light of ‘Revitalising Neighbourhoods’.

Copies of the Local Environmental Services – Interim Report are attached for Members of the Cabinet only. Copies of this document can be obtained by phoning (0116) 252 6022.

Councillor Holden submitted a report seeking the Cabinet’s approval to the outcome of the fundamental challenge stage of the review process, the final scope and terms of reference for the review and recommended routing of the review for Local Environmental Services.

Further to the report, additional information had been circulated to the Cabinet which was the report of the Independent Consultee on the Interim Report. Any further issues arising from this additional information could be discussed at the Members Best Value Working Group or Cabinet if necessary.

RESOLVED:

(1)that the outcome of the fundamental challenge, be approved;

(2)that the proposed review routing; i.e. waste disposal and collection (PFI project) through the performance management route and the remainder via service assessment, be approved;

(3)that the Terms of Reference for the review, be approved ;

(4)that the principles previously agreed by Members in the light of  'Revitalising Neighbourhoods' which are as follows, be noted:

(i)                 the creation of a new department (Environment, Regeneration and Development) which will play a major role in delivering Local Environmental Services. This is done with a view to:

-          a new distinction between strategic service commissioning of services linked to cultural and environmental policies;

-          remove the barriers of compulsory competitive tendering, bring service delivery and quality monitoring together; and work towards delivering services at a local level;

-          Improve the co-ordination of services and communication; 

-          deliver the savings of £125, 000 over and above any 2002/ 2003 budget savings as a result of bringing together the facilities management.

The meeting closed at 5.28pm.