Issue - meetings

That the Community Safety Partnership Strategy and new priorities for 2021-2024 be endorsed for implementation on 1 July 2021.

The Executive considered a report setting out a proposed Community Safety Partnership Strategy and priorities covering the period 2021-2024.

The Leader of Council highlighted the work that was being carried out to address residents’ safety and their environment.  This included appointing a Community Safety Manager, a Domestic Violence Manager and an Anti-Social Behaviour Manager.

In addition, environmental health, trading standards and licensing, together with more than 150 pieces of legislation, were being brought back under the Council’s control. The Licensing and Appeals Committee, which would be renamed the Licensing, Trading Standards and Appeals Committee, and would develop, over a number of years, a Wokingham Borough Council policy for each of these services.

Councillor Halsall advised the meeting of the work that would be carried out by the Community Safety Partnership, environmental health, trading standards, licensing with health partners and towns and parishes to provide a consistent and joined up approach and also the creation of a responsive and out of hours service.

With regard to the Community Safety Strategy Councillor Halsall drew Members’ attention to the priorities for the Community Safety Partnership

and the five delivery areas as set out in the report.

The Executive Member for Communities and Neighbourhoods advised the meeting that the Community Safety Strategy was deferred from the previous Executive meeting in order that additional public and stakeholder consultation could be undertaken.  The current Strategy and priorities came to an end in March 2021 and legislation states that the Community Safety Partnership must have in place:

·       a strategy for crime and disorder, including anti-social behaviour, combatting the misuse of drugs, alcohol and other substances in the area;

·       a strategy for the reduction of re-offending in Wokingham Borough; and

·       a system for monitoring the strategy for effectiveness and make any changes where necessary and expedient.

With regard to the development of the Strategy Councillor Soane highlighted the workshop that had taken place on 10^th December 2020, as set out in Appendix 2, the consultation that had been carried out over a period of five weeks in February/March with residents and stakeholders and the input of Members and Officers of the Council.  It was noted that although the Strategy had an end date of 2024 it would be reviewed annually.

RESOLVED: That the Community Safety Partnership Strategy and new priorities for 2021-2024 be endorsed for implementation on 1 July 2021.