To consider a response to the Community Services Scrutiny Review of Community Engagement with the Community Safety and Drugs Partnership.

In welcoming the report from the review group of the Community Services Scrutiny Committee, the Cabinet Member Environment and Strategic Housing thanked all those involved for the work undertaken.  It was stated that the report outlined a number of recommendations for both the Environment and Strategic Housing, and Corporate and Customer Services and Human Resources portfolios and an action plan had been developed, which outlined a proposed response for each recommendation.  The following additional points of clarification relating to the action plan were made:

·         R1:  Arrange a presentation to councils via HALC (including non members) on the work of the partnership.

·         R3: Action Owner to be amended to read Deputy Chief Executive (Interim)

·         R6: additional words to action to read ‘and build database for involvement in consultations’.

·         R9: It would be proposed that the Community Services Scrutiny Committee would monitor progress of the action plan.

The Leader invited the Chairman of the Scrutiny Review, Councillor Patricia Morgan to speak on the report and she commended it to Cabinet for their consideration and stated that there was a huge opportunity to strengthen and improve community engagement.

In discussions the following points were raised:

·         Available grant funding to combat anti-social behaviour should not concentrate solely on the city and market towns, but additionally should support larger villages on the fringes.

·         Volunteers who had strong connections to their communities were undertaking much valuable work.

·         The Community Access Points established across the county had been well received.

·         The strengthened engagement with the Youth Council was agreed to be beneficial.

RESOLVED That: the proposed response to the recommendations arising from the Scrutiny Review be approved.