Agenda and minutes

An apology for absence was received from Councillor R H Price, JP.

To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meeting of the Panel held on 11 November 2014.

It was AGREED that the minutes of the meeting of the Public Protection Policy Development and Review Panel held on 11 November 2014 be confirmed and signed as a correct record.

There were no Chairman’s announcements.

To receive any declarations of interest from members in accordance with Standing Orders and the Council’s Code of Conduct and disclosures of advice or directions received from Group Leaders or Political Groups, in accordance with the Council’s Constitution.

There were no declarations of interest or disclosures of advice or directions made at this meeting.

To receive any deputations of which notice has been lodged.

There were no deputations made at this meeting.

The Panel will receive an update on the Police Reorganisation from Chief Inspector James Pegler.

The Panel received a verbal report from Inspector Kevin Cuffe of Hampshire Constabulary on the continuing reorganisation of the Police, with particular reference to the Fareham area. Inspector Cuffe indicated that Chief Inspector James Pegler, who had been invited to attend the meeting, was unable to be present as he was away on a course.

Inspector Cuffe reported that, since his last report to the Panel on 3 June 2014, the investigation hub, based in Portsmouth, was up and running. Detectives and uniformed investigation officers located there covered the Portsmouth, Fareham, Gosport and Havant and Waterlooville areas.

Response and patrol teams providing round the clock cover for Fareham, Gosport and Park Gate were temporarily operating from Fareham police station. This arrangement was under continual evaluation and a site had been identified for the teams to move into later in the year; the aspiration was for the site to be operational in July 2015. Currently the teams were reporting to Fareham Police station and then deploying to areas where it was anticipated they would be needed. There was a County-wide arrangement in place, whereby response and patrol teams from across the region were deployed where they were needed.

The principle custody provision for the Fareham and Gosport areas was at Waterlooville, with Portsmouth Central as the back-up. There was currently still custody provision at Fareham Police station at weekends, but it was uncertain how long this would remain. It was anticipated that there would be a new facility built for long-term custody provision for the east Hampshire area.

Neighbourhood officers were due to reach their new (reduced) level of staffing with effect from 1 April 2015. The Fareham neighbourhood officers would continue to operate from Fareham and the constabulary’s estates team was negotiating with Fareham Borough Council about their possible location at the Civic Offices, with the aspiration being from July 2015. A meeting between the parties concerned was due to take place during the week beginning 16 March 2015.

The force’s control room was still in existence and operators now had the option of diverting calls to a resolution centre, where matters could be dealt with by telephone where appropriate or, if not, they could be referred to the investigation team based at Portsmouth. This system seemed to be working well and the force was investing in more officers to deal with the post call receipt demand.

Inspector Cuffe then answered members’ questions concerning his report. It was further noted that: where possible, initial enquiries could be carried out by telephone, thereby avoiding the need for an officer visit and that the resolution unit was primarily concerned with crime; at that moment in time, there was one police constable and one police community support officer on duty at Fareham police station but that, generally, there were 65 response control officers (5 teams of 13 officers) based at Fareham police station and responsible for covering the wider area, of which 20-30% were on duty at any one time; after providing an initial response, these officers would pass cases to the investigations hub for follow-up and would not actually have caseloads of their own; in addition, where these teams used to have one common start time, they now had staggered start times; taking all suspects arrested to Waterlooville or Portsmouth was a drain on officer time, but that it was a situation caused by the significant reorganisations – in the last five years, over 600 posts had been lost and that, by 2017, there would be 1000 less officers in Hampshire; Park Gate police station was currently a base for a neighbourhood policing team, with the rest of the station being used by a different department; with effect from April 2015, there would be a designated PC and PCSO as the points of contact for each ward and they would be supplying their contact details to the respective ward councillors, together with head teachers of any schools in the ward; the Parkway site was currently being used by a specialist central referral unit for the whole area which had formerly been based at Netley; the initial points of contact for a member of the public wishing to speak to the police were the 101 telephone number, the Hampshire Constabulary website and an intercom facility at all police stations, even if they were closed; there were concerns at the lack of communication from the police, including the estates team, about changes and reorganisation; the new Chief Inspector for Fareham was due to take up her post in May 2015; the role of neighbourhood policing teams would be to look at ways of reducing and preventing crime but not to investigate it; and that police officers, in addition to their normal duties, worked a pattern of being on call for 24 hours a day on a one week on, two weeks off basis.      

At the invitation of the Chairman, Councillor Cartwright addressed the Panel during the consideration of this item.

It was AGREED that Inspector Cuffe be thanked for his report.   

To consider a report by the Director of Community, which reviews the Panel’s Work Programme for 2014/15 and gives consideration to a draft work programme for 2015/16.

The Panel considered a report by the Director of Community which reviewed the Panel’s work programme for 2014/15 and suggested a draft work programme for 2015/16.

At the invitation of the Chairman, Councillor Cartwright addressed the Panel during the consideration of this item.

It was AGREED that:-

(a)          the outcome of the work programme for 2014/15, as shown in Appendix A to the report, be noted;

(b)          for 2015/16, consideration be given to having shorter written reports at meetings, with the emphasis being placed more on presentations from officers giving details of specific aspects of work carried out in relation to the services in the public protection portfolio, to stimulate discussion amongst members and to assist with policy review;

(c)          the incoming Chief Inspector for the Fareham area be invited to attend a future meeting of the Panel (in person) to further report on the reorganisation of the police;

(d)          it be noted that, whilst external agencies could not be compelled to provide written reports, background information on policing would usually be available in any future report from the Community Safety Partnership;

(e)          consideration be given to having a presentation on local drug enforcement, possibly in connection with the work of the Community Safety Partnership;

(f)           the biennial review of the Parking Enforcement Policy be added to the work programme for 28 July 2015; 

(g)          any further suggestions for areas of work to be considered at future meetings be made to the Director of Community;

(h)          subject to (b) to (g) above, the proposed work programme for 2015/16, as shown in Appendix B to the report, be approved; and

(i)            the draft work programme for 2015/16, as shown in Appendix A to these minutes, be submitted to the Council for endorsement.

With reference to the review of the Panel’s work in 2014/15 (minute 7 above refers), the Head of Environmental Health reported that the Fareham and Gosport Environmental Health Partnership had been honoured at the Improvement and Efficiency (IESE) Awards. The Partnership won the Silver Award in the ‘Delivering Through Efficiency’ category, in recognition of its outstanding work in reducing costs whilst at the same time improving service quality. Fareham’s Executive Member for Public Protection and Gosport’s Deputy Leader attended the awards ceremony with the Head of Environmental Health.

At the invitation of the Chairman, Councillor Cartwright addressed the Panel during the consideration of this item.

It was noted that Fareham and Gosport had come second out of 200 local authorities in this particular category and that there had been a reference made to it in the local press.

It was AGREED that everyone involved be congratulated on the award.

To consider a report by the Director of Community on air quality in the Borough and on the response to the annual report submitted to Defra.

The Panel considered a report by the Director of Community on Air Quality in the Borough and which gave an update on the response to the annual report submitted to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). The Principal Environmental Health Officer, Pollution North, presented the report and, in addition, showed some slides indicating the location of diffusion tubes in the Borough and summaries of readings from them.

At the invitation of the Chairman, Councillor Cartwright addressed the Panel during the consideration of this item.

It was AGREED that the content of the report and the progress that has been made to date in respect of Local Air Quality Management be noted. 

To consider a report by the Director of Community on the Food Standards Agency Food Safety Service Plan.

The Panel considered a report by the Director of Community on the Food Standards Agency Food Safety Service Plan.

(Councillor Mrs Trott left the meeting at 7.19pm).

It was AGREED that the Food Safety Service Plan, as shown in Appendix A to the report, be commended to the Executive for approval.