Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from Councillors Paul Bass, Guy Hollis, Mike Stannard and Penny Drayton. Councillor Karen Bates attended the meeting as a substitute for Councillor Penny Drayton.

In connection with agenda item 5, Councillors Catherine Oliver, Linda Smith, Steven Barrett and Frank Mahon declared an interest as Parish Councillors.

The minutes of the meeting held on 8^th February 2023 to be confirmed as a correct record.

The minutes of the meeting held on Wednesday 8^th February 2023 were agreed as a correct record.

Public questions is an opportunity for people who live, work or study in Buckinghamshire to put a question to a Select Committee.

The Committee will hear from members of the public who have submitted questions in advance relating to items on the agenda. The Cabinet Member, relevant key partners and responsible officers will be invited to respond.

Further information on how to register can be found here: https://www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/your-council/get-involved-with-council-decisions/select-committees/

There were no public questions.

The Committee will receive an update on the work that has been taking place to promote and implement the Council’s Town and Parish Charter following its adoption in July 2022.

Contributors:

Cllr Steve Bowles, Cabinet Member for Communities

Roger Goodes, Service Director, Partnerships, Policy & Communications

Simon Garwood, Senior Policy Officer

The Chairman welcomed Councillor Steve Bowles, Cabinet Member for Communities; Roger Goodes, Service Director, Policy and Communications, Simon Garwood, Senior Policy Officer, and Lloyd Jeffries, Service Director, Resources – Business Operations, to the meeting.

During the presentation, the following key points were raised:

·       As a new Council there was an aspiration to strengthen the relationship between Buckinghamshire Council and the local town and parish councils. The Town and Parish Charter was published in July 2022. Its purpose was to outline this commitment and articulate some key areas to help cement a strengthened relationship.  It can be found at https://www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/community-and-safety/parish-town-and-boundary-information/town-and-parish-charter/.

·       An independent review had been commissioned in partnership with Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes Association of Local Councils to improve trust and understanding. It was recommended that Buckinghamshire Council should produce a short document as a one-way commitment to local town and parish councils.

·       The Charter had three main sections:

- Effective communication: Ensuring that a wide range of channels were available for two-way communication;

- Effective services and Collaboration: Working together to ensure the best possible outcomes;

- Planning process: Ensuring local councils’ involvement in planning decision-making.

·       The Cabinet Member for Communities had been appointed as the lead member for relationships with town and parish councils. Simon Garwood was the strategic officer lead and point of contact for town and parish councils, who was also responsible for implementing the action plan.

·       A town and parish survey would shortly be launched to identify areas of need and collect feedback on key services. A strategic engagement framework would be developed which would map all formal meetings and engagement and identify any gaps. Over the coming months, a ‘Think Local’ campaign would create a greater understanding of the needs and challenges of local councils amongst officers across the Council.

The following points were noted during the Committee’s discussion:

·       Members commended the work on the Town and Parish Charter. Facilitating improved communication and a productive relationship with town and parish councils was identified as important by the Committee.  A Member who was also a Parish Councillor commented that they had experienced improved communication and engagement and they thanked the Cabinet Member and Officers for their work.

·       A Member noted that the Charter did not mention Community Boards very much. The Cabinet Member was asked how he felt the Boards were evolving and how they would fit in with the Charter. In response it was noted that the Community Boards and their structures would be reviewed over the coming year. The Cabinet Member agreed that Community Boards needed strong links with town and parish councils, and they would be asked their views on Community Boards in the forthcoming survey.

·       A Member raised concerns about the specific situation in High Wycombe as an unparished area, expressing the view that residents in High Wycombe were at a disadvantage. Mr Goodes noted that the introduction of a new parish or town council would require a governance review to be carried out and this would need to be linked  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

The Committee will consider the Safer Buckinghamshire Strategy, a partnership strategy which will be considered and approved by Cabinet in May 2023.  Members will have the opportunity to discuss the priorities that have been identified and to understand the next steps, including how an action plan will be developed in order to implement the strategy effectively.

Contributors:

Cllr Steve Bowles, Cabinet Member for Communities

Gideon Springer, Head of Community Safety, Buckinghamshire Council

The Chairman welcomed Gideon Springer, Head of Community Safety, to the meeting, and invited Steve Bowles, Cabinet Member for Communities, to present the report.

During the presentation, the following key points were raised:

·       The Safer Buckinghamshire Plan for 2020/23 outlined the priorities of helping communities become more resilient; protecting vulnerable adults and children; addressing the impact of drugs, alcohol, and poor mental health; reducing levels of crime and harm; tackling domestic violence and abuse and dealing with offenders. The strategy required partner organisations to share skills, knowledge, and resource to ensure Buckinghamshire was a safer place to live, work and visit.

·       Over the past three years, the Council had launched its street warden team to cover both High Wycombe and Aylesbury town centres.

·       Buckinghamshire Council had been awarded accreditation as a Friends Against Scams organisation. The Council’s Community Safety Team were working alongside Thames Valley Police to establish a local multi-agency task and finish group to raise public awareness for fraud and scams.

·       The Safer Buckinghamshire Strategy 2023-2026 sets out five priorities:

1.      Neighbourhood Crime

2.      Anti-social Behaviour

3.      Serious Violence

4.      Violence against Women and Girls

5.      Exploitation of Vulnerable People

The following points were noted during the Committee’s discussion:

·       A Member raised concerns about the raising crime rate in High Wycombe, particularly in terms of drug dealing activity at the station. It was noted that the Council was actively working in partnership with Thames Valley Police to tackle this issue, predominantly through secret intelligence which train companies were informed about. The British Transport Police were also involved, particularly in relation to the exploitation of vulnerable people.

·       Currently, no statistical information about the exploitation of vulnerable young people was available due to the difficulty of evidencing such crimes. Many young people would not share such experiences due to fear of reprisals. However, there was a national referral mechanism for this issue which also kept a record of the number of referrals at a national level.

·       The Police and Crime Commissioner (PCP) provided a community safety grant of circa £450,000 per year, which was guaranteed for up to a three-year period. After this time, the funding could be reduced as the current PCC’s tenure would also end after three years. This would impact the services offered. The Cabinet Member assured the Committee that he would lobby to keep the funding in place in the future. The PCC was also a member of the Safer Buckinghamshire Board, which reviewed all grant and funding applications. The PCC received quarterly reports about how their funds were spent.

·       The Community Safety Board aligned their strategy with the Opportunity Bucks strategy to focus on wards with high crime rates. High crime wards did not exactly align with Opportunity Bucks wards, but they were in close geographical proximity. A key priority was to focus on reducing crime and antisocial behaviour in those wards in partnership with the police. Small working groups had been set up to identify how to improve crime rates in these areas, in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

The Committee will receive an update on the ongoing work of the Resilience service, with particular focus on their work with town and parish councils who wish to develop community resilience plans.

Contributors:

Cllr Steve Bowles, Cabinet Member for Communities

The Chairman invited Steve Bowles, Cabinet Member for Communities, to present the report.

During the presentation, the following key points were raised:

·       The new Community Resilience Service commenced on 1 April 2022. The majority of the year was spent developing the service and launching the winter framework, which received positive feedback. Based on this work, a summer framework was being developed. A power outage plan and cyber action plan were also being developed.

·       Community engagement was an important part of community resilience and a recent exercise in Marlow had been very well received. A survey of Town and Parish Councils was underway and of 75 responses so far, 47 had expressed an interest in holding workshops to consider community resilience planning.

The following points were noted during the Committee’s discussion:

·       A Member noted that there were discrepancies between the amount of resilience planning carried out by different Town and Parish Councils. The importance of finding the right balance between coordination, communication with residents and intervention was highlighted.

·       In preparation for the national emergency alert test taking place at the weekend, the customer service centre had been made aware of a potential rise in contact from concerned residents. At present, it was not possible to use a similar system for local alerts.

·       A member raised the issue of High Wycombe being unparished and asked what could be done to liaise with the local community around resilience planning.  Lloyd Jeffries explained that engagement could still take place via faith groups and other voluntary organisations in the town.

·       A Member emphasised the important work carried out by volunteers in relation to community resilience. However, concerns were also raised around the availability of sufficient resources in the event of an emergency. Mr Jeffries assured the Committee that coordination with different services, such as strategic flood management, and external partners, such as the Thames Valley Local Resilience Forum, was a key priority to ensure community resilience. He also expressed confidence in the plans that had been developed and the resource available for responding to difficult situations going forward. The experience of Covid had demonstrated how communities can work to support their most vulnerable in a time of crisis.

The Chairman thanked the Cabinet Member and Officers for their attendance and contribution to the meeting.

The Chairman will remind members that a Work Programming discussion will be arranged via MS Teams in May.

Work programme suggestions are welcomed and can be put forward to the Chairman or Kelly Sutherland, Scrutiny Manager at any time.

The Chairman thanked Members for their questions and contributions throughout the year. A work programming discussion would be held on Teams in May. The scope for the inquiry on digital exclusion was currently in development.

The next meeting will take place in June – exact date to be confirmed shortly.

The date of the next meeting would be held in June, with the date to be confirmed.