Agenda item

To receive a report from Councillor Wright, the Portfolio Holder Culture and City Centre Strategy.

Councillor Wright presented her report which was taken as read.

Councillor Wright, the Head of Service – Net Zero and City Centre and Head of Service – Environment and Waste responded to Members’ questions in the following terms:

• the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) had been supportive in the past, including giving grants which were well received, what was required across the country as well as in Exeter was more police officers. The demise of the PCC would return funds to the policing budget which should have a positive impact on operational policing and on the streets of Exeter;
• the new city centre strategy would include the action plan and would be produced with relevant partners but the timeline had been impacted by Local Government Reorganisation. Before the strategy was finalised it would be ensured that partners could deliver their parts. The Strategy would be added to the Executive Forward Plan to seek consent for public consultation;
• the CCTV covered as far down as Fore Street but the Council had worked with Devon County Council who had traffic cameras in Cowick Street could be monitored giving the Control Centre sight of them;
• the yellow signs were all within sight of cameras and it was known that people were less likely to call the police if they felt they were being followed but they might ring the control centre. Each yellow sign had the number of the nearest camera on them in order that people didn’t need to say where they are and locations of cameras could be shared with councillors;
• dialogue with ward councillors would be helpful regarding potential sites for additional cameras as they did obtain information which the police didn’t always receive from residents. Crime statistics had informed current camera locations as well as ensuring good coverage of the city centre area;
• the InExeter hyper local ASB Group had worked hard with ward councillors on issues as well as local businesses;
• data from the CCTV control centre would be tracked and shared. A walk-around the city centre with Mr Cox had taken place and it had been identified that some signs were too high and were programmed in to be adjusted;
• Councillor Wright was Member Champion for the SWAN charter and all organisations signed up to the scheme must have a champion. Bystander information was no longer available as part of the scheme but the aim was to encourage men to stand up when they saw inappropriate actions from others. Some venues that had signed up to the Charter have been removed. The CSP intended to look into the SWAN charter in the new year. The Charter was linked to the Best Bar None initially and this did require reaccreditation. These schemes had been resource intensive using short-term government funding which had now ceased. Organisations were still working within the ethos of the Charter;
• Data from MyExeter would be utilised at an operational level but may feed-in to strategic priorities in future;
• the Chair of the ASB sub-group of the CSP was to be handed over to Exeter City Council due to politicisation of ASB and the Monitoring Officer was looking at the constitution with regard to the mechanism for the CSP to feed back into the council and would report back;
• a review of council processes for encampments and traveller sites was being undertaken as there was a clear processes by which officers collaborated but this was not currently shared clearly with councillors until there were travellers within their ward. There was tension between new police powers which did not allow them to move people on unless there was a designated site for them to move to and designated sites provisions did not take into account two-tier authorities. Work with Devon County Council hadn’t been fruitful in the past and protected characteristics must be taken into account. Scheduled activities on Exeter City Council land did allow eviction as this was not classed as common land; and
• whilst incursion was a strong word, encampments and incursion were the terms used in legislation. Outreach is important but also some people are street-attached rather than homeless.

During discussion Councillor Rolstone commented that in leading a well-run council the revision of the processes and committees, especially in Planning were highlighted as best practice at a recent training session held nationally.

The Chair moved the recommendation, seconded by Councillor Kevin Mitchell, that the report be noted and following a vote was CARRIED.