Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from Councillor Connor and Councillor Dennis.

To approve the Minutes of the Overview and Scrutiny Panel meeting held on 15 December 2015.

Councillor Campbell proposed, Councillor G. Coleman-Cooke seconded and Members agreed the minutes as a correct record of the ordinary Panel meeting held on 15 December 2015.

To approve the Minutes of the Extraordinary Overview & Scrutiny Panel meeting to be held on 26 January 2016.

Minutes to follow.

Councillor Campbell proposed, Councillor Curran seconded and Members agreed the minutes as a correct record of the extraordinary Panel meeting held on 26 January 2015.

Madeline Homer, CEx explained to Members that although Cabinet did not accept, the executive acknowledged the OSP concerns and suggested that the Panel includes within its work programme a review of the process of prioritisation for capital projects. They however added that this scrutiny would not involve the Panel in making decisions regarding any capital projects or programmes, but would allow OSP the opportunity to comment on the criteria used to prioritise capital projects.

Members noted the report.

Penny Button, Head of Safer Neighbourhoods gave a rundown of the key aspects of the new format for the draft Thanet Community Safety Partnership Plan for 2016/17. The main features of the new approach are that the Plan now highlights key priorities for three themes which are:

1.  Reducing offending and reoffending;

2.  Safeguarding our most vulnerable people;

3.  Improving community confidence and agency collaboration.

Each of these themes will have a delivery group whose initial task would be to provide details of the action plan for their respective theme priorities. The officer then requested the Panel to offer suggestions and recommend the draft Plan to Cabinet for onward submission to Council.

Members acknowledged that this was a new approach and it would take them some time to get used to it. They were concerned that no action plans had been identified at the early stages of drafting the Plan and that there were some community safety concerns like crime and antisocial behaviour where the Partnership ought to show that they have a proactive Plan to tackle these issue as opposed to having a reactive approach.

Members reiterated the point that the Plan ought to address perception issues that the Partnership was proactive and not reactive to fighting crime in the district. Penny Button said that the action plans would be ready in May 2016. She said that the new approach would offer flexibility to the Partnership in order to reactive to emerging issues during 2016/17. One Member advised that officers could consider inviting the Thanet Independent Police Advisory Group to the Partnership’s stakeholder meetings and in response officers said that they were aware of the Group and would be inviting them to future stakeholder meetings.

The Chairman said that officers would need to reword some sections of the draft Plan to include Member suggestions so that the Plan is viewed as being proactive.

Councillor Campbell proposed, Councillor Parsons seconded and Members agreed to that subject to the suggested changes to the wording of some sections of the draft Plan, that, taking into consideration recommendations from the Community Safety Partnership Working Party meeting on the 01 February 2016, the Overview and Scrutiny Panel recommends to Cabinet the focus areas in the Thanet Community Safety Plan 2016/17 as set out in Annex 1 for onward submission to Council.

Madeline Homer advised the meeting that Martyn Cassell would be leaving the Council’s employment and thanked him for the support he provided to the work of the Panel.

Councillor Campbell proposed, Councillor D. Saunders seconded and Members agreed to formally thank Mr Martyn Cassell for the support he gave to the work of the Overview and Scrutiny Panel, particularly for the Community Safety Partnership Working Party.

Madeline Homer also advised the meeting that she was working on the terms of reference of the QEQM Hospital Cabinet Advisory Group.

Members noted the report.

Councillor Campbell, proposed, Councillor Bambridge seconded and Members agreed that Councillor Stummer-Schmertzing, Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Enterprise Development be invited to next meeting of the Panel to make a presentation on issues relating to Thanet Regeneration.

However the Chairman said that in order for him to invite Councillor Stummer-Schmertzing, Members across the political groups ought to forward to him specific questions that they would like the portfolio holder to come and address. These questions could be sent to the Panel Chairman after the meeting.

Members noted the report.