Report of the Strategic Director (Neighbourhoods)

This report provides an update on the range of work delivered to address the priorities in the strategy and includes updates on our city centre and Wynnstay Grove Public Space Protection Orders (PSPOs).  It also includes information on how partners work to help people feel safe in the city centre, including the role of Licensing, taxi marshals, pubwatch and event security.

The Committee considered the report of the Strategic Director (Neighbourhood Services) which provided an update on the range of work delivered to address the priorities in the strategy and included updates on the City Centre and Wynnstay Grove Public Space Protection Orders (PSPOs). It also included information on how partners worked to help people feel safe in the city centre, including the role of Licensing, taxi marshals, pubwatch and event security.

Key points and themes in the report included:

• Tackling neighbourhood crime and antisocial behaviour;
• Keeping children and young people safe;
• Tackling serious harm and violence;
• Tackling drug and alcohol driven crime; and
• Protecting communities through changing offender behaviour.

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

• To recognise the positive, multi-agency work taking place in the Withington and Ladybarn area to tackle anti-social behaviour;
• Plans to expand training, for example on Martyn’s Law, to licensed premises outside of the city centre; and
• To request more information on the Complex Safeguarding Hub, including what the thresholds were for referral to the Complex Safeguarding Hub, what percentage of referrals were not dealt with through the Hub because they did not meet this threshold and how Manchester’s threshold compared to other Greater Manchester authorities.

The Chair informed Members that the Chair of the Licensing Committee was unable to attend this meeting but had asked for his thanks to be passed on to the Licensing Team, GMP, partner organisations and the Scrutiny Committee for their work to keep residents and visitors to Manchester safe.

The Community Safety Lead reported that, if a referral was not appropriate for the Complex Safeguarding Hub, this did not mean that they would not receive support and that a range of other support could be offered, with a focus on early intervention.  She stated that she would ask colleagues in Children’s Services to provide further information in relation to the Member’s questions on the Complex Safeguarding Hub.  She informed Members that the Complex Safeguarding Hubs across Greater Manchester were in contact with each other to understand how other Hubs across the region were working and to share good practice.  In response to a Member’s question about PSPOs, she reported that the PSPO in relation to street drinking was in place across the city, not just the city centre, although it was not a blanket ban on street drinking and was used to tackle anti-social behaviour.  She advised that begging was not covered by any of the PSPOs currently in place in the city but that there was a well-established approach to begging, focused on getting people the right help and support, and that this approach was used across the city.

The Principal Licensing Officer advised that the training referred to would be expanded to the district centres next year.  In response to a question from the Chair, he confirmed that the multi-agency partnership was city-wide and routinely considered issues outside of the city centre.

The Ward Councillor for Piccadilly Ward requested confirmation that none of the five Fixed Penalty Notices which had been issued in relation to the City Centre PSPO had been issued to people who were genuinely homeless.  The Community Safety Lead confirmed that none of these had been issued to homeless people.

The Statutory Deputy Leader highlighted how partners were working together to make communities safer and the importance of this multi-agency, collaborative approach, particularly in the light of reduced resources.

The Chair thanked everyone for their work and recommended that the Statutory Deputy Leader write to the Secretary of State to highlight the importance of adequate funding to do this work.  The Statutory Deputy Leader agreed that he would write to the Secretary of State and circulate a copy of the letter to all Members of the Committee.

Decisions

1.            To note that the Statutory Deputy Leader will write to the Secretary of State to highlight the importance of adequate funding to do this work and will circulate a copy of the letter to all Members of the Committee.

2.            To note that the Community Safety Lead will liaise with Children’s Services to provide the Member with a response to her questions about the Complex Safeguarding Hub.

3.            To request that Members be kept informed of the training taking place regarding Martyn’s Law and ACT (Action Counter Terrorism) training.