To receive apologies for absence.

Apologies were received from Councillor JF Johnson.

To receive details of members nominated to attend the meeting in place of a member of the committee.

None.

To receive any declarations of interest by members.

None.

To receive the minutes of the meetings held on 11 July 2017 and 21 August 2017.

RESOLVED:       That the minutes of the meeting held on 11 July 2017 and 21 August 2017 be approved as a correct record.

To receive any written questions from members of the public.

Details of the scheme and related guidance are available here:

 https://www.herefordshire.gov.uk/info/200148/your_council/61/get_involved

Please submit questions to councillorservices@herefordshire.gov.uk

The deadline for the receipt of questions is Wednesday 6 September 2017 at 5.00 pm.

Accepted questions will be published as a supplement prior to the meeting.

None.

To receive any written questions from members of the council.

Deadline for receipt of questions is 5.00 pm on Wednesday 6 September 2017.

Accepted questions will be published as a supplement prior to the meeting.

Please submit questions to councillorservices@herefordshire.gov.uk

None.

To ask the committee to determine whether it wishes to make any recommendations to the executive on the draft pre-submission Travellers’ Sites development plan document (DPD) which would strengthen the emerging policy approach.

The Committee was asked to determine whether it wished to make any recommendations to the executive on the draft pre-submission Travellers’ Sites development plan document (DPD) which would strengthen the emerging policy approach.

The Senior Planning Officer (SPO) presented the report.  She commented on the preparation of the evidence base which informed the assessment of the need for new pitches, proposals for the provision of residential pitches, the proposal to develop a temporary stopping place, noting that the proposed site still required further discussion with Highways England, and the inclusion of an enabling policy to make provision for travelling showpeople.

In the course of discussion the following principal points were made:

·        It was asked whether the proposed provision was sufficient noting that the government’s revised definition of travellers and travelling showpeople on which the assessment of need had been based was the subject of a legal challenge.

·        The SPO commented that it was likely that the legal challenge would take some time to resolve and therefore the council had to seek to progress its policy based on the current government guidance.  If the government issued new guidance in due course the policy may then need to be reviewed.

·        A number of questions were asked about the policy governing the proposed temporary stopping place (TSP) and how this would operate in practice, the importance of communicating policies to the wider public to provide clarity, whether it was a suitable site, noting the proximity to the A49 and the railway line, and whether one such site was going to be sufficient.

·        In response the Senior Planning Officer and the Licensing, travellers and technical support service manager (LTTSSM) and the Programme director housing and growth commented:

·        There was no proposed general policy in relation to the provision of temporary stopping places because it was considered that the proposed site would meet the need identified in the Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Assessment.

·        The TSP would be managed in accordance with recognised good practice.  There were established legal procedures to manage the length of stay.

·        Those using the site would have to abide by conditions governing occupancy.

·        Experience of other local authorities suggested that bringing in sanitation and waste disposal facilities as and when required was preferable to making permanent provision on a TSP.

·        There would be occasions when the number of unauthorised encampments exceeded the space available on the TSP.  However, it was important to recognise the benefits the TSP would provide, noting that West Mercia Police strongly advocated the provision of such a site and the environmental health service supported it. It would allow the authority to provide basic sanitary facilities and have arrangements in place with regard to access to health services and education when required.

·        Management arrangements should ensure clear communication between agencies including the police to ensure, for example, that travellers were not directed to the TSP from another part of the county when it was already full.

·        It was questioned whether the assessment of the extent to which need  ...  view the full minutes text for item 25.

To endorse the Youth Justice Plan 2017/18 for approval by full Council and consider whether there are any comments the committee would wish to make that would inform the production of the Plan for 2018/19. 

The Committee was asked to endorse the Youth Justice Plan 2017/18 for approval by Council and consider whether there were any comments it wished to make that would inform the production of the Plan for 2018/19.

The Head of Service, West Mercia Youth Justice Service, presented the report. He noted the significant changes the service had recently faced including the transfer of responsibility for the service to the Office of the West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), a new client management information system, a new national assessment and planning framework and a team restructure.  He also drew attention to the actions to improve service provision in 2017/18 under 7 main priorities, summarised at paragraph 10 of the report.

In response to questions the HS commented:

·        that the transfer to the office of the PCC had occurred in parallel with a restructure to meet service need on a reduced budget.  This had adversely affected staff morale.  The action plan recognised this with a priority of ensuring team morale was good.  He considered morale was improving.

·        The tool for tracking reoffending of current cases in real time was working well.

·        The small numbers of offenders in Herefordshire did mean that disproportionate swings in the statistics could take place complicating comparison with other authorities.

·        A different model of decision making for out of court disposals was being piloted in Shropshire exploring the possibility of appropriately diverting more young people from formal justice sanctions through offering a wider range of options to support informal resolutions.  If the evaluation concluded this approach was successful it would be rolled out to other areas.

·        A detailed assessment of the role mental health issues played in offending had taken place and the contribution of substance abuse had formed part of that consideration.  Substance misuse had been identified as a risk factor associated with reoffending for 20% of first time entrants.  There was a team of substance misuse workers with one part/time post allocated for Herefordshire.   He confirmed that there was liaison with the public health team through the community safety partnership.  An action plan had been produced to address findings from the assessment of mental health issues.

·        The pattern of male/female offending with some 80% of offenders being male was broadly replicated across the country.  There were a number of studies on this point.  Because there were so few young female offenders in the county there was some concern as to whether the service was meeting their needs.

·        The service was exploring the possibility of developing a programme to assist young people with their numerical and literacy skills.

·        There was a spike in offending at the ages of 17/18.  He confirmed that transitions from the youth offending service to the national probation service were planned in each case.  If it was considered an individual was not mature enough to adapt to a transfer they continued on their current order until it expired.

·        The first time entrant rate was higher than the average rate for West Mercia and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 26.

To review the committee’s work programme.

The Committee reviewed its work programme.

It was requested that further consideration be given to the inclusion of the delivery of housing growth targets in the work programme.

RESOLVED:  That:

(a)        the draft work programme as set out at appendix 1 to the report be approved; and

(b)       the terms of reference for the Minerals and Waste local plan standing panel as set out at paragraph 7 of the report be endorsed.

The next scheduled meeting is Tuesday 26 September 2017.

Tuesday 26 September 2017 at 10.30 am.