Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were given on behalf of Councillors Purvis and Sanders.  Councillor Winnington deputised for Councillor Sanders.

There were no declarations of members' interests. 

RECOMMENDED that the minutes from the meeting held on 31 July 2015 be confirmed and signed by the Chair as a correct record.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 31 July 2015 be confirmed and signed by the Chair as a correct record.

It was confirmed that today's meeting replaced the meeting that had been scheduled for 16 October.

At its meeting held on 28 September 2015,  the TECS scrutiny panel resolved to submit to Scrutiny Management Panel (SMP) for consideration a review to replace that proposed by SMP at its 31 July 2015 meeting.

The proposed new review topic is "Community safety - looking at the roles of Community policing, community wardens, city centre managers, the fire service, neighbourhood watch and CCTV."

SMP is invited to consider whether or not to agree the review topic proposed by TECS.

RECOMMENDED that Scrutiny Management Panel consider whether or not to agree the topic put forward for review by the TECS scrutiny panel at its meeting on 28 September 2015, instead of that proposed by SMP at its meeting on 31 July 2015.

The Chair introduced this item and explained that the TECS panel had at its September meeting discussed the transport topic that had been agreed at Scrutiny Management Panel on 31 July.  TECS had put forward a number of reasons why they had reservations about reviewing the transport topic, including that

·         A number of forums have debated public transport

·         The council's influence over private transport companies is limited.

• There would be a cost to the council in implementing any recommendations

Instead they had suggested a community safety topic for review. The topic TECS had put forward was around looking at the roles of community policing, community wardens, city centre managers, the fire service, neighbourhood watch and CCTV.

Members of SMP considered the revised topic suggested by TECS.

They generally considered the review to be in a worthwhile area but felt that the actual wording could be tightened up and suggested that this could be considered at the TECS panel meeting in collaboration with Rachael Dalby.  Ms Dalby would be able to advise on how the review topic title could be worded

• to ensure there was no overlap with the work of the Safer Portsmouth Partnership and to consider how the SPP and TECS could work together.
• To ensure that there was no duplication of work carried out by other scrutiny reviews
• To ensure the review looked at areas it could influence

Members suggested that the review could include consideration of how communities could engage and "self-help" in some areas, for example by utilising Neighbourhood Forums. In addition, the review could perhaps look at how TECS interrelates with the Safer Portsmouth Partnership and could investigate ways in which they could work together to reduce demand on services and instead to rely more on community self-help.

Members unanimously agreed the change in the topic area as requested by the TECS panel.

RESOLVED that the Scrutiny Management Panel agree to the request from Traffic, Environment and Community Safety Scrutiny Panel (TECS) to review a Community Safety topic before the suggested transport topic and that the exact wording for the review be agreed by TECS at its next meeting.

The next meeting will be held to scrutinise the budget and has to be timed accordingly.  It is expected to be held on Friday 4 December, at 2pm in Conference Room A but will be confirmed nearer the time.

The meeting concluded at 12.15pm.