Agenda item

Joint report of the Town Clerk and Commissioner (copy attached).

The Committee considered a joint report of the Town Clerk and Commissioner of Police setting out proposed arrangements and appointments for the Police Committee Special Interest Area (SIA) Scheme for 2012/13. The report also informed of key developments in each of the areas over the past year and provided an overview of the priorities for each special interest area over the next twelve months to assist the individual Lead Members to better scrutinise progress and measure success.

The suggestion to stop the Specialist Crime SIA from the Scheme was discussed and it was felt on balance that this area meshed well with that of Public Protection; it was subsequently agreed to merge the two areas with the Chairman taking the role of Lead Member.

The division of the Community Engagement portfolio so as to create a Lead Member each for both the residential community and the business community was discussed, with it agreed that Don Randall should continue as the Lead for the business community. He subsequently offered to cover both roles for the interim period until such time as a suitable Member for the community engagement role was identified and the division of work areas could be finalised.

In respect of the new Public Order & Road Safety SIA, Alderman Gowman indicated that she felt her role as the Committee’s representative on the Streets & Walkways Sub-Committee linked well and it was agreed that she should be the Lead Member.

A suggestion was made that Members should be reminded when the annual review was coming up so as to facilitate greater involvement in the preparation of the update reports; further, the reports should contain a list identifying those priorities which had been set out for the area the previous year so as to allow progress made to be measured more effectively.

RESOLVED: That:-

(a)      the achievements set out in the respective area reports for the year 2011/12 be noted, and the key priorities identified for the year 2012/13;

(b)       Lead Members be appointed for the below areas in the Scheme as follows:-