Agenda and minutes

Venue: Civic Suite, Gibson Building, Kings Hill, West Malling

Contact: Committee Services  Email: committee.services@tmbc.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

PART 1 - PUBLIC

OS 19/27

Declarations of interest pdf icon PDF 3 KB

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest made in accordance with the Code of Conduct.

OS 19/28

Minutes pdf icon PDF 185 KB

To confirm as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 29 August 2019

 

Minutes:

RESOLVED:  That the Minutes of the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 29 August 2019 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

 

Matters for Recommendation to the Cabinet

OS 19/29

Review of Community Safety pdf icon PDF 282 KB

A number of options are set out for consideration regarding a review of community safety, including CCTV provision.

 

A scoping report was taken to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee on the 29 August 2019. A copy of this report and associated annexes is included in the Part 2 items on the agenda.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The joint report of the Director of Central Services and the Director of Street Scene, Leisure and Technical Services set out a number of options for consideration regarding a review of community safety and the provision of CCTV.

 

Representatives from Kent Police and Clarion Housing attended the meeting and gave examples of partnership working to demonstrate the value of the Community Safety Unit (CSU) and CCTV in addressing crime and disorder.   Members discussed the value of ‘live’ monitoring as opposed to ‘passive’ monitoring, the potential for new technologies to monitor in a different way and the financial and value for money implications of retaining the operation.   The role of the CSU in addressing crime and disorder was also discussed.

 

RECOMMENDED:  That, in respect of CCTV: 

 

(1)          the operation be retained at its current level; and

 

(2)          the Borough Council write to the Kent Police and Crime Commissioner and the Chief Executive of Clarion Housing Group regarding the level of financial contribution towards the operation of CCTV.

 

*Referred to Cabinet

 

RECOMMENDED:  That, in respect of the Community Safety Partnership:

 

(1)          growth to the Borough Council’s budget be accepted and the provision of the Community Safety Services be retained at the current level of resource; and

 

(2)          the Borough Council write to the Kent Police and Crime Commissioner and the Chief Executive of Clarion Housing Group regarding the level of financial contribution and general support towards the operation of the Community Safety Unit.

 

*Referred to Cabinet

Decisions taken by the Committee

OS 19/30

Review of Disabled Facilities Grants - Scoping report pdf icon PDF 202 KB

This report provides Members with background information on the Council’s Disabled Facilities Grants programme and the wider Better Care Fund. Options for inclusion in the review of the service are presented for consideration.

Minutes:

The report of the Director of Planning, Housing and Environmental Health provided background information on the Borough Council’s Disabled Facilities Grants programme and the wider Better Care Fund.  

 

Options for inclusion in the review of the service were also set out for consideration.  Further information on whether cost recovery of grants could be applied to housing associations, more detail on the specific areas of the discretionary and mandatory disabled facilities grants and more detail from Kent County Council regarding ‘top slicing’ were also identified for inclusion in the review.  It was hoped that this further information would provide better context for the benefit of decision making.

 

Members suggested that representatives from the West Kent Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), the Peabody Home Improvement Agency, Clarion Housing Group and Age UK should be invited to the next meeting of the Committee to participate in the discussion.

 

 

RESOLVED:  That:

 

(1)    the content of the report be noted;  and

 

(2)     a further report be submitted to the meeting of the Committee on 21 January 2020 regarding the options identified in section 1.10 of the report, and including the additional options identified by the Committee (summarised above).

Matters for consideration in Private

OS 19/31

Exclusion of Press and Public pdf icon PDF 4 KB

The Chairman to move that the press and public be excluded from the remainder of the meeting during consideration of any items the publication of which would disclose exempt information.

Minutes:

There were no items considered in private.

 

PART 2 - PRIVATE

Matters for Information

OS 19/32

Review of Community Safety - scoping report of 29 August 2019

(Reason - LGA 1972 - Sch 12A Paragraph 7 – Prevention, investigation or prosecution of criminal offences)

 

(Attached as an Annex to the Part 1 report)

Minutes:

(Reason - LGA 1972 - Sch 12A Paragraph 7 – Prevention, investigation or prosecution of criminal offences)

 

The scoping report of the Director of Central Services and the Director of Street Scene Leisure and Technical Services dated 29 August 2019 was attached for information and noted by Members.