Overview and Scrutiny Committee - Thursday, 3rd September, 2020 7.00 pm - Agenda and minutes

Venue: Remote meeting - please find the live link below

Contact: Administrator, Adele Taylor  Tel. (01252) 398831, Email.  adele.taylor@rushmoor.gov.uk

Link: click here for the live stream

Items
No. Item

16.

Minutes of the Previous Meeting pdf icon PDF 77 KB

To confirm the Minutes of the Meeting held on 23rd July, 2020 (copy attached).

 

Minutes:

The minutes of the meeting held on 23rd July, 2020 were agreed as a correct record.

 

17.

Aldershot Town Football Club - Representations from the Shots Trust

A request has been received from the Aldershot Town Football Club Supporters Trust (the Shots Trust) for the Committee to consider representations on issues relating to the Football Club, in particular

 

·         The conclusion of a new lease of the site in line with the principles set by the Cabinet

·         The engagement approach between the Football Club and its supporters

·         Future options for running the Football Club

 

In accordance with the Council’s Public Speaking Procedure Rules the following members of the Supporters Trust have asked to speak to the Committee

 

·         Nick Bond (Trustee)

·         Laura Smart (Secretary)

·         Alan Hilliar (Board Member)

Minutes:

The Committee was informed that a request had been received from the Aldershot Town Football Club Supporters’ Trust (the Shots Trust) for it to consider representations on issues relating to the Football Club. The representations related in particular to:

 

·         the conclusion of a new lease of the site in line with the principles set by the Cabinet

·         the engagement approach between the Football Club and its supporters

·         future options for running the Football Club

 

The Chairman welcomed Alan Hilliar, Laura Smart (Trust Secretary), and Nick Bond (Trustee), to the meeting to make the representations. Mr. Hilliar, explained that they were representing members of the Shots Trust and wanted to raise concerns, on their behalf, for the future of the Club linked to the new long term lease and future potential development of the ground.

 

Ms. Smart gave an overview of the current financial position of the Club, it was noted that currently creditors stood at £1.2 million, up from £113,000 in 2014, when the Club was taken over by the current owners. These losses had been underwritten by loans, primarily from the Club’s directors, who had contributed, to date, over £1 million to the Club. The Shots Trust felt that the Club saw the extension of the lease and potential redevelopment as a lifeline to pay back the loans leading to an uncertain future for the Club. Ms Smart raised some questions on behalf of the Shots Trust relating to:

 

·         The position of the new lease and the processes being followed

 

·         The assignment of the lease and the conditions to be met by the leaseholder

 

·         The viability of the Club in the long term

 

Mr. Bond, long term supporter of the Club and Trustee of the Shots Trust, raised concerns about the footballing aspects of supporting the Club, off field activity and the potential redevelopment. He pointed out that over the years the Club had slipped into non-league football, having once played against teams now at a higher level like Bournemouth, Reading, Swindon, Bradford City and Oxford United.

 

Mr. Bond was of the view that communication with fans was abysmal. He stated that recently the Club had taken the decision to stop free entry for under 11s with a paying adult. The Shots Trust felt that this would lose the Club more adult supporters, reducing gate numbers.

 

Mr. Bond then expressed the view that the Club needed to create a culture of intention and vibrancy to enable it to survive. The option to redevelop the ground could not be more welcomed by fans, and he felt that a successful team could command gates of 5,000 or more. Attendance was currently at 1,500 and falling due to a lack of success and leadership. He suggested that increased gate numbers would increase footfall in the town centre, generating income for the town. Change was needed, and help required to ensure the ground was redeveloped with a real say from fans on the facilities that could be made available.

 

Mr.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 17.

18.

Community Safety and Policing - Update pdf icon PDF 92 KB

To receive an update from Inspector Troman and Police Sergeant Phil Mayne, Hampshire Police, and James Knight, Community Safety Team Leader, Safer North Hampshire, on the current position and to highlight the following issues raised by the Committee:

 

·         Fear of crime (Switching off of street lights at night)

·         Crime clear up rates

·         Rough sleepers and street drinkers

·         Antisocial behaviour in parks

·         COVID-19 crime issues

·         Racial issues

·         Speeding/Speed Watch

·         Drug use/drug related crime

A briefing note on some of these issues is attached. The Portfolio Holder for Operations has been invited to the meeting for this item.

Minutes:

The Committee welcomed Police Inspector Kirsten Troman and Police Sergeant Phil Mayne (Hampshire Police) and James Knight, Community Safety Team Leader, Safer North Hampshire, who were in attendance to give a general update on community safety in the Borough and to provide information on a number of issues raised by Members. These were:

 

(1)  Crime clear up rates  Members were advised that the integrity of the crime data was subject to high levels of scrutiny to ensure that the force correctly reported crime data and to instill the trust and confidence of the public. It was reported that the data for Rushmoor had been compared with data from the Hampshire and Isle Of Wight (HIOW) force area average. Some specific categories were as follows:

 

Type

HIOW

RBC

Outcomes attached to crimes where formal action was taken

 

-1.6% on previous year

-4% on previous year

Most serious violence  where formal action was taken

+18% on formal action  taken outcomes

stayed the same – key focus to achieve more

Violence with injury where formal action was taken

-8.7% compare to last year

dropped further – recruitment of Inspector Troman would free up PS Mayne to focus on this area and improve outcomes going forward

Burglary residential

+14%

up three times on previous year

           

(2)  Racial Issues – Police use of stop and search was considered an essential tactic for the force and would help considerably with the work PS Mayne would be carrying out relating to high harm crime. An independent scrutiny structure was in place. It was also noted that each quarter Chief Inspector John Halfacre posted a stop and search scrutiny overview report on the Hampshire Police website, alongside the other forces across the region. 

 

In the first 6 months of 2020 it was noted that 245 stop and searches took place, of which 24% resulted in positive action being taken. Of the 245 stop and searches that took place, 185 were white, 20 were Asian and 29 were black.

 

The Black Lives Matter movement was raised. In Rushmoor only one event had taken place and no real issues had occurred. Hampshire Constabulary had a very structured and staged approach to managing protests to enable the right to protest and community life to continue around it. It was noted that some scrutiny would take place over the coming months around engagement with different ethnic groups and cultures within the community. There was already a strong relationship with the Nepali Community Leaders but it was felt this needed to be built on with other groups within the community.

 

(3)  Speeding/Speedwatch – it was noted that there was a three tier approach to speeding:

 

·         Community Speed Watch – Volunteer led approach, halted due to COVID-19. It was hoped to reinstated this in late September, 2020. There was reliance on volunteers to highlight the dangers of excess speed and the implications should offenders continue

·         Neighbourhood Policing enforcement teams

·         Safer roads  - road policing division

 

A request was made that the Road  ...  view the full minutes text for item 18.

19.

Council Business Plan - Q1 Performance Monitoring pdf icon PDF 202 KB

To review the corporate projects performance data for Q1 2020/21 (copy attached). The Portfolio Holder for Democracy, Strategy and Partnerships has been invited to the meeting for this item.

Minutes:

Cllr Adrian Newell, the Portfolio Holder for Democracy, Strategy and Partnerships introduced the Quarter 1 Performance Monitoring. It was noted that in July, 2020 the Council had agreed the updated three year Council’s  Business Plan based on four themes:

 

·         People

·         Places

·         Partnerships

·         Better Public Services

 

It was advised that quarterly update monitoring reports for Cabinet were provided on all four aspects of the Business Plan: Corporate Projects, the ICE Programme, the Regeneration Programme and the Organisational Health dashboard. For the purposes of this meeting the quarterly monitoring focused on the Corporate Projects only. 

 

It was noted that overall 72 % of the projects were on track or completed. Key successes in the quarter had been highlighted and projects that had been delayed due to COVID-19 had been identified. It was also noted that since the last report a “trend” column had been added to compare progress since the previous quarter and a colour coded RAG (Red/Amber/Green) status checker had been added.

 

It was noted that the ICE and Regeneration Programmes would be focssed on at future meetings.

 

The Chairman thanked Cllr Newell for his presentation.

20.

Work Plan pdf icon PDF 169 KB

To review the current work plan (copy attached).

Minutes:

The Committee noted the current work programme and it was agreed that it would be considered further at the next meeting of the Progress Group.