Agenda and minutes

To issue a welcome to those present, and to confirm if there are any apologies for absence.

The Chair welcomed those present to the meeting.

Apologies were received from Cllr Halford.

Apologies were received from Cllr Joshi – Cllr Modhwadia substituted.

Apologies were received from Cllr Chauhan – Cllr Gopal substituted.

Members will be asked to declare any interests they may have in the business to be discussed.

Members were asked to declare any interests they may have had in the business to be discussed.

There were no declarations of interest.

The minutes of the meeting of the Culture and Neighbourhoods Scrutiny Commission held on 15 January 2025 have been circulated, and Members will be asked to confirm them as a correct record.

AGREED:

That the minutes of the meeting of the Culture and Neighbourhoods Scrutiny Commission held on 15 January 2025 be confirmed as a correct record.

The Chair is invited to make any announcements as they see fit. 

The Vice-Chair in the Chair noted that the Chair had now joined the executive and would no longer Chair the Commission.  The Vice Chair would Chair the meetings until the end of the municipal year.

The Chair noted that members of Economic Development, Transport and Climate Emergency Scrutiny Commission had been invited to the meeting to help with the discussion on the item on Project Harmony and Public Space Protection Order Updates, as the topic was relevant to their Commission.

Any questions, representations and statements of case submitted in accordance with the Council’s procedures will be reported.

The Monitoring Officer reported that none had been received.

Any petitions received in accordance with Council procedures will be reported.

The Monitoring Officer reported that none had been received.

The Director of Neighbourhood and Environmental Services and The Head of Safer Communities present a report to provide the Scrutiny Commission with updates and an overview on the work of Project Harmony.

The Director of Neighbourhood and Environmental Services and The Head of

Safer Communities presented a report to provide the Scrutiny Commission with

updates and an overview on the work of Project Harmony.

Members of the Economic Development, Transport and Climate Emergency Scrutiny Commission had been invited to the meeting to assist with the discussion of the item.

The Director of Neighbourhood and Environmental Services and noted that the report looked at what was being done to tackle Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) in the city centre.

The Service Manager for Safer Communities presented the report.

Key points other than those on the slide (attached with the agenda pack) included:

• A partnership approach was taken.
• Significant patch walks took place, looking to disrupt ASB where possible.  An example of this was an encampment that had been covered in graffiti and waste.  This had been cleared up and the people involved had been engaged with and given support from different agencies.
• An incremental approach was taken.  It was aimed to work with individuals on a trauma-support basis, signposting to services where possible.
• Legal proceedings for injunctions for aggressive beggars were underway.
• The Community Safety Partnership Bus was used for events where staff would engage with people, distributing leaflets and advice, both in estates and in the city centre.
• Public Space Protection Orders (PSPOs) were a power the Council had under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, aimed at protecting people from ASB in public spaces.   It aimed to restrict activities associated with ASB by issuing Fixed Penalty Notices (FPN) of £100.  If these were then breached and a prosecution was made, this could go up to a £1000 fine.
• Consultations had taken place regarding: Loitering, begging, charity and subscription collectors, e-scooters, alcohol, loudspeakers and temporary structures.  The results had been collated and the implementation phase was commencing.  Signage was being put up ready for enforcement. 
• The Steet Lifestyle Operational Group (SLOG) discussed problem individuals and how they could be supported.

The Deputy City Mayor for Housing, Economy and Neighbourhoods added that the PSPOs were a good step forward, but further consultation would be necessary on other parts of the city in order to avoid displacement from the city centre.  The scheme needed to be joined up with partners such as the Police.  Further to this it was acknowledged that this was a difficult space to work in, however it was good that the approach was trauma-informed as the people dealt with were vulnerable, with potential issues such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.  Therefore, it was necessary to take people’s circumstances into account and protect public safety at the same time.

The Director of Neighbourhood and Environmental Services added:

• Patch walks took place around once a month with up to thirteen officers, including partners.
• With all interventions, when taking an incremental approach, it was necessary to understand issues.  As such, the Homelessness team were often the first point of contact.  Voluntary Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) partners were also involved.
• The steps up  ...  view the full minutes text for item 117.

A presentation will be given outlining the results of the public engagement work in 2023 and the secondary research undertaken in 2024 as part of the Community Service Services and Library Needs Assessment.

The Director of Neighbourhood and Environmental Services introduced the report which presented the findings of the needs assessment of the previous year. 

Engagement with residents had explored how to best meet their requirements.

Regular engagement was anticipated moving forwards, due to the positive outcomes of this work.

The Head of Neighbourhood Services gave an overview of the report. Key points to note were as follows:

• This was an overview of engagement work over 18 months, incorporating two substantial reports.
• The assessment was scoped around neighbourhood services, buildings and facilities. This included 25 libraries, community centres and multi service centres.
• There was a strong push for communities to be involved in running a local setting.
• Ward funding was not considered in the report, as this had come to scrutiny in the previous year.
• The programme followed a strategic planning approach as laid out on the Government / DCMS website.
• Under the Public Libraries and Museums Act, there was a statutory duty to provide a comprehensive library service. The Local Authority determined how to best develop this provision.
• The main public facing engagement work had taken place between July and September 2023, this was the initial primary research and public engagement.
• The engagement and secondary research reports were published in October 2024.
• Consultation on transformation proposals was planned for the first half of 2025.
• Engagement had been scoped to explore 4 considerations:

o   Where greatest needs were within the city and how these mapped to current service provision.

o   How people were using community services and libraries.

o   What residents thought about future Neighbourhood Services needs.

o   Models and good practice.

• There was a significant response to the engagement work which included a public engagement survey, a children’s version of the survey, 12 focus groups and stakeholder interviews.
• Representation had been positive with engagement from all communities. More women had responded than men, the largest group respondents by age were in the over 65 age group. A separate survey for children and young people under 16 showed respondents spoke multiple languages, with English being the most frequently spoken language (92%), then Gujarati (60%). Many spoke more than one language.
• The greatest concerns raised by residents were cost of living, physical health and mental health.
• When asked what residents wished to change for their future, responses included wanting to become more physically active and to meet more people.
• The post-Covid impact on physical and mental health was noted. Library and community centres were well placed to support in this.
• Residents felt the most important things on offer at libraries were books, digital services, social space, advice / information, children’s and family activities.
• At community centres people wanted to attend community groups, to meet people and experience events.
• People most needed health and well-being support from the centres and libraries.
• It was evident that residents perceived libraries as being much more than books and reading. A high value was placed on Core Universal Offers and Children’s provision, for example school holiday activities were in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 118.

Members of the Commission will be asked to consider the work programme and make suggestions for additional items as it considers necessary.

The work programme was noted.

There being no further items of urgent business, the meeting finished at 7:07pm.