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Agenda and minutes

Items
No. Item

1.

Membership

To note any changes to the membership of the Committee.

Minutes:

1.1       Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Heather Acton, Cabinet Member for Communities and Regeneration and from Councillor Guthrie McKie.

Media

2.

Declarations of Interest

To receive declarations by Members and Officers of the existence and nature of any pecuniary interests, or any other significant interest in matters on this agenda.

 

 

Minutes:

2.1       There were no declarations of interest.

3.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 152 KB

To agree the minutes of Committee’s meeting held on 10th May 2021.

Minutes:

3.1       RESOLVED: That the minutes of the meeting held on 10 May 2021 be approved and signed as a correct record of proceedings.

4.

Update from the Cabinet Member for Communities and Regeneration pdf icon PDF 339 KB

Councillor Heather Acton, the Cabinet Member for Communities and Regeneration, to provide an update to the Committee on current and forthcoming issues in her portfolio.

Minutes:

4.1       The Committee had received apologies for absence from the Cabinet Member for Communities and Regeneration, Cllr Heather Acton. The Committee was informed that they could submit questions in writing about the Cabinet Member’s portfolio in writing, and they would be taken forward for as action items. 

5.

Update from the Cabinet Member for Housing pdf icon PDF 502 KB

Councillor David Harvey, the Cabinet Member for Housing Services, to provide an update to the Committee on current and forthcoming issues in his portfolio and to answer questions from Members.

Minutes:

5.1      Cllr David Harvey, Cabinet Member for Housing,provided a written update and responded to questions about the ongoing resident survey, which aimed to measure resident satisfaction with Council housing. The Committee queried the reliability of the responses to the survey. The Committee welcomed Councillor Harvey’s reply, which explained that the sample size of the survey and the quality and diversity of responses was likely to have a low margin for error, and that on first inspection, the responses received were consistent with known issues. The Committee accepted that more robust interrogation of the results of the survey would follow.

 

5.2      The Committee was given an update about the Churchill Gardens Pilot, and the multi-agency panel. The Cabinet Member clarified that the multi-agency panel was a measure to collaborate with several fields and disciplines where objectives were shared.

 

5.3      The Committee discussed the Smart Homes initiative, and was informed that interim results from the trial period of the Smart Homes programme would be available in October or November for scrutiny by the committee. It was raised that residents generally needed to have an active internet connection so that they could benefit from these innovations. The Committee was pleased to hear that a voucher scheme was under consideration that would get residents connected at very favourable rates.

 

5.4      Regarding drones checking the status of repairs and home conditions, the Committee was advised that, whilst there may be a teething period where residents were sceptical of drones inspecting their property, this technology was expected to be very useful. The Committee heard that, when repairs were needed in high places, the birds-eye view they offered would be valuable.

 

5.5      The Committee discussed the issue of anti-social behaviour on Council Property, and the enforcement measures that the Council could take against persistent anti-social behaviour. The Committee heard that only one eviction had been necessary over the last year, and that there were approximately 30 Notice of Possession Orders (NPOs) active or being processed. The Committee further heard that these NPOs would allow the Council to indicate to residents that, were they to misbehave or act anti-socially, they would be evicted, and that courts would have the ability to pass that measure rapidly.

 

5.6      The Committee was advised that cases of anti-social behaviour could be sensitive and complex, and that the Council endeavoured to respond to each case with the requisite nuance. The Committee discussed how situations involving families where only one member behaved anti-socially complicated enforcement against anti-social behaviour.

 

5.7      The Committee noted that the Cabinet Member aimed to reshape the agreements signed with tenants to emphasise neighbourliness as a key component. The Cabinet Member explained that a pilot scheme investigating two Council Estates would seek consensus on tenants’ expectations of good behaviour and that this would enable the Council to respond more effectively to cases of poor behaviour in Council-owned properties.

 

5.8      The Committee suggested benchmarking, using analysis of other countries, which could be a valuable exercise for the Council. Singapore was named  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

6.

Report on Nuisance Caused by Noisy Vehicles and Car Meets pdf icon PDF 788 KB

To receive a report outlining the issue of nuisance caused by noisy vehicles and car meets in Westminster. The report outlines the enforcement options for both the Council and Metropolitan Police Service, including the limitations of current legislation; current evidence; current activity to mitigate the issues in Westminster; and a proposed plan of action.

 

Minutes:

6.1      The Committee received a report from Calvin McLean, Director of Public Protection and Licensing and Alex Juon, Team Manager in Public Protection and Licensing at Westminster City Council, regarding noisy vehicles and car meets in the City. The Committee also welcomed Simon Brooker, Chief Inspector for the Metropolitan Police Service, and Tim Davies, Head of Environmental Health for the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, who lent their expertise and experience to the presentation and discussion of the report.

 

6.2      The Committee was given an update about existing and new measures which the Council had at its disposal in order to tackle the issue of noisy vehicles and car meets. Officers presented Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPOs) as a measure which empowered the Council to order people to cease drinking or surrender their alcohol.

 

6.3      The Committee was informed that RBKC had trialled the use of acoustic cameras, which aimed to detect high decibel levels in localised areas. The Committee further heard that this trial had seen some success in reducing numbers of car meets and vehicles causing nuisance in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.

 

6.4      The Committee was presented with details of the acoustic camera trial in RBKC by Tim Davies. The Committee heard how the trial had taken place over the three months before 25 December 2020 and how instances of car meets had fallen over this three-month period, although it was uncertain whether this could be attributed directly to acoustic cameras.

 

6.5      The Committee heard that many residents in RBKC took this matter extremely seriously, with RBKC receiving multiple letters and emails of complaint, and petitions formed to encourage RBKC to take more action against car meets.

 

6.6      The Committee was advised that, according to the data held by RBKC and the Metropolitan Police Service, the chief culprits in car meets and noisy vehicle disturbances were people who drove into London, such as (but not limited to) young men from Essex with customised cars. The Committee was further advised that, contrary to popular resident opinion, most Fixed Penalty Notices (PCNs) were not applied to owners of ‘super-cars’ during Ramadan, for example. The Committee welcomed the news that RBKC had seized one vehicle, following an incident witnessed by enforcing officers.

 

6.7      The Committee was further advised that co-operation between boroughs was essential in this matter, as there was likely to be displacement from one borough to neighbouring boroughs, depending on which Council cracked down on car meets more severely.

 

6.8      The Committee invited Chief Inspector Simon Brooker to give a verbal update from the perspective of the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS). The Committee was reassured that the MPS was supportive of the implementation of PSPOs but was advised that the MPS wished to put in place as many tactical options as possible. The ability to pursue remote prosecutions via evidence from acoustic cameras was also commended by Chief Inspector Brooker.

 

6.9      The Committee heard that policing priorities focused on violence and major disturbances,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

7.

Work Programme pdf icon PDF 218 KB

To receive a report on the Committee’s work programme for the municipal year 2021/2022.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

7.1       The Committee received a report on its work programme from Artemis Kassi, Lead Scrutiny Advisor/Statutory Officer. The Committee was advised that it would be timely to discuss air quality at the next meeting of the Committee in October, ahead of COP26.

 

7.2       The Committee requested that post-COVID19 recovery, and the environmental implications of major works and construction in the City be raised as connected matters to discuss as part of the wider discussion around air quality.

 

7.3       The Committee received an update on the scrutiny function from Artemis Kassi, who indicated that, with increased resource, the Policy and Scrutiny Team would be able to provide a more detailed Work Programme to the Committee after the summer recess. The Committee welcomed Lewis Aaltonen, who joined the team as a Policy and Scrutiny Co-ordinator.