Agenda and draft minutes

An apology for absence was received on behalf of Councillor Mark Hinman.

To note any urgent items of business which the Chairman has consented to being considered under the provisions of Section 100(B) 4(b) of the Local Government Act 1972.

There were no urgent items of business to be considered.

Members should declare the existence and nature of any Disclosable Pecuniary Interest and Non Statutory Interest as defined by the Members’ Code of Conduct in respect of:

a)  any business on the agenda;

b)  any urgent additional items to be considered;

c)  any matters arising out of those items;

and if appropriate, withdraw from the meeting at the relevant time.

No declarations of interest were made.

To consider the minutes of the Climate Change and Communities Scrutiny Committee meeting held on 28^th January 2025.

Moved by Councillor Emma Stevenson and seconded by Councillor Cathy Jeffery

RESOLVED that the minutes of a Climate Change and Communities Scrutiny Committee held on 28^th January 2025 be approved as a true and correct record.

Members should contact the officer whose name appears on the List of Key Decisions for any further information). NB: If Members wish to discuss an exempt report under this item, the meeting will need to move into exempt business and exclude the public in accordance with the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985 and Local Government Act 1972, Part 1, Schedule 12a for that part of the meeting only.

The Committee considered the List of Key Decisions and Items.

A Member noted the Executive Members listed in the document required updating.

RESOLVED that the List of Key Decisions and Items to be considered in the private document be noted.

The Environmental Health Team Manager presented the report to the Committee.

The Council was responsible for issuing premises licences under the Gambling Act 2005 (the ‘Act’).

The Act had three licensing objectives:

• prevent gambling from being a source of crime or disorder, being associated with crime or disorder, or being used to support crime;
• ensure that gambling was conducted in a fair and open way; and,
• protect children and other vulnerable persons from being harmed or exploited by gambling.

The Council had a statutory requirement to prepare a Statement of Principles (the ‘Policy’), which would act as a guide for Members, applicants, responsible authorities, and members of the public.  Its aims were to promote fair, consistent, and proportionate decision making.

The Council was required to review and publish its policy every three years.

The Joint Environmental Health Service had conducted a review of the existing Policy and identified the need to:

• Modify the format of the Policy to ensure it remained cohesive and consistent with that of neighbouring local authorities;
• Ensure the Policy was consistent with legislation and statutory guidance;
• Increase the clarity of the Policy;
• Update local demographics; and,
• Provide clarity on delegations.

The fundamental principles of the Policy remained the same.  However, upon review it was felt the Policy would benefit from being restructured and reformatted, with some content clarified.

The current Policy and Local Area Profile were attached at Appendices 1 and 2.  The revised draft Policy and Local Area Profile were attached as Appendices 3 and 4.

An equality impact assessment had been carried out and a draft copy was attached at Appendix 5.

If approved by the Licensing and Gambling Acts Committee on 30^th April 2025, a 12 week public consultation would be carried out, the results of which would be presented back to the Committee for consideration before a final draft was recommended to Council for adoption.

The report detailed the review’s findings.

Questions / topics raised included: the requirement of Gambling Licences for small gatherings; the Council’s website not being friendly for finding out information and if social media could be utilised; and safeguarding.

Moved by Councillor Cathy Jeffery and seconded by Councillor Carol Wood

RESOLVED that: 1) The Committee reviews the revised draft Statement of Principles      under the Gambling Act 2005 and provides comments for consideration by the            Licensing and Gambling Acts Committee; and,

2)    The Committee notes the intention to carry out a public consultation and present the findings back to the Licensing and Gambling Acts Committee, before a final draft is recommended to Council.

The Scrutiny Officer presented the report to the Committee.

The Committee had agreed to undertake a Review of Council’s Energy Policy for Local Housing as part of the 2023-24 Work Programme.

The Committee had put together 5 recommendations, as outlined in the attached Appendices, which had assisted the Council in improving policies and standards for energy in local housing stock:

• 2 recommendations had been achieved;
• 2 were on track and would hopefully be completed within the original target date; and,
• 1 had been extended.

A Member recommended the online publication of properties’ energy efficiency.

Moved by Councillor Emma Stevenson and seconded by Councillor Carol Wood

RESOLVED that: 1) Scrutiny Members note the progress against the review             recommendations;

2)    Scrutiny Members acknowledge any exceptions to delivery and clarify the additional action required by the service;

3)    Scrutiny Members make its report and findings public, in accordance with Part 4.5.17(4) of the Council’s Constitution; and,

4)    Officers continue to implement the recommendations and submit a further report in twelve months’ time highlighting progress and any exceptions to delivery.

The Scrutiny Officer presented the Work Programme 2024/25, attached at Appendix 1, to the Committee.

Moved by Councillor Emma Stevenson and seconded by Councillor Cathy Jeffery

RESOLVED that Members review this report and the Programme attached at Appendix 1 for approval and amendment as required. All Members are advised to contact the Scrutiny Officer should they have any queries regarding future meetings.

The Community Safety Officer presented the report to the Committee.

The report provided the necessary background information for the Committee when completing its Annual Review of the Community Safety Partnership (CSP).

The Committee was consulted prior to the review to establish current issues and key lines of enquiry.  Relevant officers were also approached prior to the review to ensure Members were fully briefed on current developments and service delivery during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Attached at Appendix 1 was an update on the CSP and its current delivery.

Attached at Appendix 2 was the CSP Plan.

The CSP’s mission statement was to “work together to reduce crime and disorder and improve the quality of life for you and your Community”. The presentation covered:

• Why a CSP Partnership exists;
• CSP’s were a Statutory Responsibility;
• Statutory organisations in the CSP;
• The Bolsover CSP Strategic Group;
• The Bolsover CSP Plan and Priorities;
• The Police and Crime Commissioner Priorities (2022-2025);
• The CSP Plan Priorities 2023 – 2026 (Refreshed 2025); and,
• What had been achieved.

To a question on the types of Youth Diversionary Activities, the Outdoor Recreation Officer informed most young people preferred group activities with their friends (e.g. music jams – mini Glastonbury’s).  For some events 40-50 interested parties would attend without the need to advertise (word-of-mouth amongst friend networks).  On average, 30 attended all activities.

On the possibility of the installation of a skatepark in South Normanton, the Outdoor Recreation Officer offered to attend a local Parish Council meeting to get in mind what might be preferred.  The Committee discussed funding options (residential developments, UK National grants, etc.).  One option voiced by some Members was to use Council assets and savings before it was dissolved and replaced by a unitary council under Local Government Reorganisation efforts.

Continuing, the Community Safety Officer highlighted a sign posted outside schools for driver speed awareness.

Shoplifting remained high though the total crime level was decreasing.

To a question on the current waiting lists to access support for victims of Domestic Abuse (including children), the Community Safety Officer informed the current waiting times was due to resourcing issues.

The Committee was informed of a recent spate of deliberate fires in derelict buildings that had taken place.

The Community Safety Officer passed over to Inspector Matthew Brown of the Derbyshire Constabulary to elaborate on the work of the CSP.

Specific numbers on drug trafficking and shoplifting were provided to the Committee, with it being noted overall crime and instances of Anti-Social Behaviour and acts of burglary dropping – this may have been down due to the use of “nudge theory” and an uplift of the Safer Neighbourhood Teams (SNTs).

SNTs were local officers assigned to community areas (e.g. Bolsover SNT, Clowne SNT, Shirebrook SNT, etc.) which then made it possible for the retention and apprehension of outstanding suspects (i.e. people who were ‘Wanted’).

Key areas to improve included victim satisfaction levels (to update in person or over the phone instead of via email and text services)

Raised by  ...  view the full minutes text for item CLI38-24/25

To move:-

“That under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended), the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in the stated Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act and it is not in the public interest for that to be revealed.” [The category of exempt information is stated after each item].

RESOLVED that under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended), the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in the stated Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act and it is not in the public interest for that to be revealed.

The Community Safety Officer presented the exempted report to the Committee.

Information on the Community Safety and Enforcement Team’s structure (as of December 2024) was provided.

Services the Rangers provided were listed and included:

·       Patrols;

·       Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB);

·       Crime prevention;

·       Fly tipping;

·       Needles/Sharps removal; and,

·       Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPO) Enforcement.

Between 1^st January 2024 and 31^st December 2024, the total number of Ranger Reports was 7,601 (Housing 28%, Patrols 15%, ASB 15%, Environmental 6%, Fly tipping 6%, and Other 30%).

Examples of Customers’ comments included:

• “Just wished to pass on my thank you to your Enforcement officer. He helped us at an RTC earlier by controlling the traffic, this allowed me to help a student officer with the crash.  It is greatly appreciated. Few people would’ve volunteered to help in the way that he did- so thank you!”
• “I would like to thank everyone involved from the lady on the out of hours phone, the emergency electrician and the community rangers who attended the water leak at our Bungalow.”
• “The community rangers have just left.  I've got lots of safety stuff- alarms etc.  Thank you for sending them to me.  I do feel safer now.”
• “I will never know how to thank them as they have truly made a massive positive impact in my life!”

Feedback recited by officers included:

• “The Customer told me that she is so grateful for the Ranger’s regular contact, they often see her patrolling the street and I felt this had really been making a difference to them.”
• “They have been fitted window and door alarms as well as an alarm for handbag. They are so impressed with the service and ask me to pass on their thanks.”
• “Customer came in and thanked us for quick prompt action on help removing a vehicle blocking mobility access.”

Number of ASB acts included: 24 Community Protection Warnings; 9 Community Protection Notices; and 1 Premises Closure.

Existing (Shirebrook and Langwith Junction, Langwith and Whaley Thorns, Dog Control, and Nuisance Vehicle) and new as of March 2025 (Bolsover Town Centre and surrounding Areas) PSPOs were detailed.

The process of a particular case the Anti-Social Behaviour Team handled, ending in a Premises Closure, was reported in detail to the Committee.

The Committee discussed issues relating to electric scooters, vehicle speeding and the intricacies of the Bolsover PSPO (feedback from the first consultation had reshaped the designated area).

Moved by Councillor Carol Wood and seconded by Councillor Emma Stevenson

RESOLVED that: 1) Members review the supporting documents to refresh their             knowledge of current delivery; and,

2)    following briefings by the officers present, Members scrutinise current and planned delivery of the CSP, making recommendations where required, in accordance with Part 3.6(7) of the Constitution