Issue - meetings

Draft Homelessness Strategy - Final Sign off

 

 

Meeting: 03/09/2014 - Strong and Supportive Communities Scrutiny Committee (Item 8)

8 Homelessness Review and Draft Strategy 2013 - 2018 pdf icon PDF 115 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Head of Community and Safety Services introduced the report to the Committee, which included an overview of performance and activity by the Safer Peterborough Partnership and its constituent responsible and cooperating authorities in relation to priority 2 of the 2014 -17 Safer Peterborough Partnership Plan – Tackling Anti-Social Behaviour.

 

Priority 2 within the Safer Peterborough Partnership Plan contained two separate themes:

 

1.    Tackling Anti-Social Behaviour

2.    Road Safety

 

Whilst the report, and in particular the appended performance report, evidenced performance and activity in relation to both themes, its main focus was on anti-social behaviour.

 

The Committee was asked to note the content of the report including the appended extract from the most recently available Safer Peterborough Partnership Board Performance Report.

 

The Committee was also asked in its capacity of statutory Crime and Disorder Committee as set out in section 19 of the Police and Justice Act 2006 and as detailed in part 3, section 4.2 of the Council Constitution, to apply appropriate scrutiny to the content of the report.

 

 

Observations and questions were raised around the following areas:

 

·         Members commented that they were still very concerned that Antisocial Behaviour was not being properly recorded. The Head of Community and Safety Services advised the Committee that how antisocial behaviour was recorded was dependant on what type of activity was taking place. If antisocial behaviour was being reported through the ‘My Peterborough’ App then it would be recorded as a Quality of Life issue and appear in these statistics. Personal anti-social behaviour reports were recorded separately by the police and the local authority. Antisocial behaviour reported to the police which amounted to a recordable criminal offence was recorded as a crime and would show up in the crime statistics rather than the antisocial behaviour statistics. All antisocial behaviour reported was recorded.

·         Members were concerned that the antisocial behaviour figures which were produced from the police panel, did not reflect reality and queried if all antisocial behaviour reported to AMEY was being reported and included in the statistics. Members were informed that AMEY reported antisocial behaviour through the Quality of Life reporting System.

·         Members referred to page 28 of the report and queried why, within the performance narratives, there was hardly any change in the level of reported antisocial behaviour.Members were advised that the blue bars of the graph indicated the total number of reported antisocial behaviour incidents to the police and the local authority each month and fluctuated according to seasonal trends. The red line across the graph indicated that the level of antisocial behaviour reports as measured by a rolling 12 month rate was remaining static.

·         Members commented that it was impossible to get through to anyone to report antisocial behaviour at weekends, even the My Peterborough App stopped working leaving it impossible for residents to report any antisocial behaviour, which then led them to give up reporting it. Members were informed that delays in answering 101 were acknowledged and steps were being taken to address this. Members were  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8

Meeting: 04/06/2013 - Strong and Supportive Communities Scrutiny Committee (Item 6)

6 Draft Homelessness Strategy 2013-2018 pdf icon PDF 150 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Housing Needs Manager introduced the report which provided the Committee with the Draft Homelessness Review and Draft Homelessness Strategy 2013-2018.  This was being presented to the Committee for final sign off before being presented to Cabinet and Full Council for adoption.  Also in attendance was the Assistant Housing Needs Manager and Strategic Housing Manager.  The Draft Homelessness Strategy had previously been presented to the Committee at its meeting on 7 March 2013 for comment.  The proposed draft Strategy took the form of an action plan which would be monitored on a quarterly basis throughout the life of the plan.  There were four strategic aims of the strategy:

 

·         Strategic Aim 1 – Preventing and relieving homelessness through a robust partnership approach

·         Strategic Aim 2 - Increasing access to safe, warm, healthy and affordable accommodation

·         Strategic Aim 3 – Reduce and prevent rough sleeping

·         Strategic Aim 4 – Promoting settled lifestyles and sustainable communities

 

The committee was asked to:

 

1.      Note the findings of the Homelessness Review

2.      Comment on and agree on the strategic objectives set out in the Homelessness Strategy 2013 – 2018 and approve the Draft Homelessness Strategy

3.      Approve the draft strategy to be taken forward to Cabinet and Full Council for adoption 

 

Observations and questions were raised around the following areas:

 

·         Members were concerned that the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea were actively seeking land for accommodation for their homeless population in Peterborough. The Executive Director of Operations informed Members that Peterborough City Council was not currently in negotiations with the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and that there were no intentions to do so at this stage.

·         Was the Director aware of any other Authorities wanting to acquire land in Peterborough to facilitate the type of arrangements that had recently been detailed in the Press?  The Executive Director of Operations was unaware of any other Authorities having approached Peterborough City Council to acquire land.  Members were advised that any other Authority would be entitled to buy land and build houses in Peterborough if they so wished.

·         Were officers aware of any residents who have come from London and taken up residence in the private rented sector in Peterborough?  The  Housing Needs Manager informed Members that following the introduction of the Localism Act in 2011 there were new powers handed down to Authorities to discharge their homelessness duties by making an offer of suitable accommodation within the private sector.  This gave Local Authorities freedom to procure accommodation outside of their district.  There were many London Boroughs who had looked for accommodation across the country.  Local Authorities were free to contact private letting agents across the country.

·         Members were concerned that people coming from London and taking up accommodation in the private sector would impact on the availability of accommodation for Peterborough residents.  Was this being monitored?  Members were advised that it was not a requirement for London Boroughs to inform Peterborough City Council when they placed people with private landlords. This would therefore be  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6