Agenda and minutes

Agenda and minutes

Communities and Equalities Scrutiny Committee - Tuesday, 11th January, 2022 10.00 am

Venue: Council Chamber, Level 2, Town Hall Extension. View directions

Contact: Rachel McKeon 

Media

Items
No. Item

1.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 304 KB

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 7 December 2021.

Minutes:

Decision

 

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 7 December 2021 as a correct record.

2.

Crime and Policing

Discussion on crime and policing in Manchester with the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, and Deputy Mayor, Baroness Beverley Hughes.

Minutes:

The Committee welcomed Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, and Baroness Beverley Hughes, Deputy Mayor of Greater Manchester.

 

Some of the key points that arose from the Committee’s discussions were:

 

  • That Ward Councillors across Greater Manchester had been raising concerns about the performance of Greater Manchester Police (GMP) over a number of years but that it had taken the report of HM Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) for action to be taken and how could Ward Councillors be involved and make their voices heard in future;
  • Serious youth violence, including the need for a trauma-informed approach and for improved information-sharing;
  • How much could realistically be achieved given the funding cuts;
  • The closure of police stations and the loss of that as a link between the public and the police;
  • What was being done to improve the 101 non-emergency telephone number;
  • Concern about the level of communication with victims of crime after they had reported the crime; and
  • Concern about an increase in car crime and burglaries and a lack of visible policing on the streets.

 

Andy Burnham informed Members that he had had concerns about GMP when he was an MP and that he had brought that experience into the role of Mayor of Greater Manchester.  He outlined the journey from 2017, when he was elected as Mayor, to the HMIC inspection of 2020, which had judged that the service provided to victims of crime by GMP to be a serious cause of concern.  As part of this, he highlighted the review of how GMP and partner agencies had responded to Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE), the Kerslake Report into the preparedness for and response to the Manchester Arena Attack and issues with GMP’s computer system, which he advised, the Deputy Mayor had asked for a review of.  He reported that these had created a picture of the issues within GMP, the final piece of which had been the HMIC report, which had made it clear that fundamental change was needed, resulting in the decision to change the leadership of GMP.  In response to the Member’s question about how Greater Manchester could avoid getting into this situation again in future and how Members could be involved, he recognised the importance of engagement with local Councillors and highlighted the introduction of named accountable police teams at a neighbourhood level and meetings with local Councillors and MPs, including police accountability processes taking place in public.  He advised that improvements had been made in GMP and that he felt confident that further positive changes would be seen in 2022.

 

Baroness Hughes agreed that the involvement of local Councillors in contributing to, monitoring and scrutinising changes was essential and advised that this was best focused at the local level.  She outlined the changes to the leadership structure since the new Chief Constable had started, including the appointment of new Chief Superintendents for each borough, and how these changes contributed to improved partnership working, communication and problem solving in neighbourhoods.  She encouraged Members to engage at a  ...  view the full minutes text for item 2.

3.

Proposed Public Spaces Protection Order - restricting alcohol consumption in public places pdf icon PDF 259 KB

Report of the Head of Compliance, Enforcement and Community Safety and Community Safety Lead, Compliance, Enforcement and Community Safety 

 

This report provides information about the outcome of the statutory consultation regarding the potential introduction of a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) to restrict the consumption of alcohol in public places and proposes the introduction of a new PSPO.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee received a report of the Head of Compliance, Enforcement and Community Safety and the Community Safety Lead, Compliance, Enforcement and Community Safety which provided information about the outcome of the statutory consultation regarding the potential introduction of a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) to restrict the consumption of alcohol in public places and proposed the introduction of a new PSPO.

 

The main points and themes within the report included:

 

  • Background information;
  • Early engagement;
  • The statutory PSPO consultation and the responses;
  • Equality Impact Assessment and the European Convention on Human Rights;
  • Risk of displacement;
  • The proposed PSPO;
  • Enforcement; and
  • Next steps.

 

Some of the key points that arose from the Committee’s discussions were:

 

  • Would there be resources available to enforce the PSPO;
  • That communication with the public needed to make it clear that this was not a ban on drinking alcohol in public places;
  • Was this PSPO necessary and proportionate, given the laws that were already in place on being drunk and disorderly and on anti-social behaviour;
  • How effective had previous PSPOs been;
  • Concern about the wording in the survey and the timing of it during the pandemic when pubs were not open and people’s experience of street drinking was not typical of what it would have been in normal circumstances; and
  • Some Members stating their support for additional powers to address anti-social behaviour and make communities a better place to live, including a suggestion that in some areas officers should work with local bars.

 

The Community Safety Lead informed Members that PSPOs like this had been in place in some parts of the city previously but that these had expired and, that rather than just consulting on extending the existing PSPOs, a decision had been made to consult with residents across the city on whether this would be useful in other areas too.  She advised that engagement and enforcement action in relation to the PSPOs would be targeted, based upon reports of anti-social behaviour, rather than widespread action against anyone who was street drinking and that, where these PSPOs had been in force previously, the police had been able to enforce this within their existing resources.  She recognised that communication was key, including making the public aware that this was something that would be enforced to address anti-social behaviour, rather than being used routinely.  She advised that the existing PSPO in the city centre had been enforced proportionately to tackle problems in particular areas and that a similar approach would be taken if the proposed PSPO was introduced.  The Head of Compliance Enforcement and Community Safety reported that this work would include engaging with people who were street drinking and referring them to support services, where appropriate.  The Executive Member for Neighbourhoods advised that this proposal took into account historical concerns about street drinking, citing examples from his ward, not just concerns raised during the pandemic.

 

The Community Safety Lead advised that this was an additional power that could be used to address anti-social behaviour with a  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

4.

Climate Change - Events pdf icon PDF 470 KB

Report of the Strategic Director (Neighbourhoods)

 

This report provides an overview of the current City Council approach to:

  • help to address the environmental impact of events in the city.
  • acknowledging the ongoing impacts of COVID-19.
  • what future measures the Council can implement to influence sectoral change and further minimise the carbon footprint of these events.

Minutes:

The Committee received a report of the Strategic Director (Neighbourhoods) which provided an overview of the current City Council approach to help to address the environmental impact of events in the city, acknowledge the ongoing impacts of COVID-19 and what future measures the Council could implement to influence sectoral change and further minimise the carbon footprint of these events.

 

The main points and themes within the report included:

 

  • Background contextual information;
  • Climate Change Action Plan 2020-25;
  • Sustainable event guides;
  • Single use plastics;
  • Temporary power: reducing the need for generators;
  • Engagement of suppliers; and
  • Next steps.

 

The Chair of the Environment and Climate Change Scrutiny Committee praised the work taking place but advised that more should be done in relation to smaller, community events and that the link between the Events Team and Parks Team should be improved.  She reported that more should be done to address the rubbish left after these community events and cross-contamination of different types of waste.  She asked whether any workshops could be provided to local community groups to help them to understand what should be done. 

 

The Head of Event Development advised that he would look into work with Parks and what additional measures could be put in place in relation to smaller, community events.  He reported that workshops were being arranged for events funded through the Community Events Fund and that he would look into whether this could be expanded to cover groups whose events did not fall into this category.  In response to a Member’s question, he advised that his team were involved in the festive markets and a number of specialist markets and that he would look at what more could be done in relation to these.

 

The Executive Member for the Environment informed the Committee that discussions were taking place with the Head of Neighbourhoods about how learning from community events could be embedded into smaller events in neighbourhoods, focusing on reducing waste.

 

In response to a Member’s question about the use of plastic bottles at the Manchester Marathon, the Head of Parks, Leisure, Events and Youth acknowledged that this was an issue and advised that his service was working with the organisers to develop a plan to address this.  He reported that the initial focus of work to address the environmental impact of events had been on the larger events but that the Events and Parks Teams were working to ensure that the learning from these events would be shared and embedded more widely to also reduce the impact of smaller events.  In response to a Member’s question, he confirmed that Friends Groups would be involved in this work.  In response to a question about the use of generators for events, he highlighted the information in the report about work to reduce the need for generators.

 

Decision

 

To note the report.

5.

Climate Change - Leisure Estate pdf icon PDF 377 KB

Report of the Strategic Director (Neighbourhoods)

 

This report describes the work that has been undertaken over the last three years to retrofit and improve the sustainability of the Council’s leisure estate, this contributes to the decarbonisation of Manchester City Council’s operational estate and more generally to the climate change emergency. The report outlines the Carbon Reduction Programme (CRP) that is underway to deliver energy efficiency and carbon reduction measures across the estate.

 

Minutes:

The Committee received a report of the Strategic Director (Neighbourhoods) which described the work that had been undertaken over the last three years to retrofit and improve the sustainability of the Council’s leisure estate.  This contributed to the decarbonisation of Manchester City Council’s operational estate and more generally to the climate change emergency. The report outlined the Carbon Reduction Programme (CRP) that was underway to deliver energy efficiency and carbon reduction measures across the estate.

 

The main points and themes within the report included:

 

  • Current emissions;
  • Carbon Reduction Programme;
  • Leisure operator measures;
  • Impact of carbon reduction measures; and
  • Next steps.

 

Some of the key points that arose from the Committee’s discussions were:

 

  • To welcome the progress being made and that these achievements should be promoted;
  • Improving the sustainability of 3G pitches through using cork infill instead of rubber crumb; and
  • The impact of people travelling to leisure facilities.

 

A Member reported that at the Committee’s July 2021 meeting, the Committee had asked officers to look into how leisure centre users could be discouraged from using single-use plastic bottles as well as the use of paper towels to wipe down equipment between users and he asked what progress had been made.  The Head of Parks, Leisure, Events and Youth informed Members that these issues had been raised with the leisure operators, who had been asked to focus on addressing these issues.  He advised that progress was being monitored on a quarterly basis on the use of consumable items in leisure centres and he suggested that the Committee receive a report on recycling in 12 months’ time.  In response to the question about playing pitches, he advised that Manchester was leading the way in experimenting with the use of cork infill instead of rubber crumb on the pitches that were planned for Hough End but that at this stage the longevity of and the maintenance required for this type of pitch was not known.  He agreed that it was important to look at sustainable solutions for pitches and advised that, if cork infill proved to be a reasonable solution, the Council would look at using it elsewhere within the city.  He informed Members that the Council’s Leisure Strategy set out an aim that all residents should live within 20 minutes’ public transport or walk time of a leisure facility and that decisions on the location of new leisure facilities had been made on this basis, supporting the shift towards more people using public transport instead of cars.  He advised that the Leisure Strategy was being refreshed, taking into account the Council’s declaration of the Climate Emergency.  The Chair of the Environment and Climate Change Scrutiny Committee advised that the leisure operators should promote the use of public transport or active travel to access their facilities and that work should also take place with Transport for Greater Manchester on this.

 

The Executive Member for the Environment supported Members’ comments about promoting the achievements made in improving the sustainability of the leisure estate.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

6.

Overview Report pdf icon PDF 267 KB

Report of the Governance and Scrutiny Support Unit

 

The monthly report includes the recommendations monitor, relevant key decisions, the Committee’s work programme and any items for information.

Minutes:

A report of the Governance and Scrutiny Support Unit was submitted. The overview report contained a list of key decisions yet to be taken within the Committee’s remit, responses to previous recommendations and the Committee’s work programme, which the Committee was asked to approve.

 

A Member requested an update report on the City Centre PSPO which had been introduced in 2020, to which the Chair agreed.

 

Decision

 

To note the report and agree the work programme, subject to the above amendment.