Agenda item

Report number DCS12 by the Director of Community Services.

(Attached)

DECISION:

(1)    To approve the permanent employment of one Street Warden post based in the Earlesfield area;

(2)    To defer appointment to the second Street Warden post pending further information on the funding aspect;

(3)    Subject to (2) above, consideration be given to locating a Street Warden in the Harrowby ward area of Grantham.

Considerations/Reasons for Decision:

(1)     Report number DCS11 by the Director of Community Services outlining the background to the Street Warden Programme.  A successful bid was submitted by the Council to the Home Office in October 2001 for two street wardens to be employed in the Earlesfield area;

(2)     Presentation given at the meeting by PC Cummins and PCSO McBride on the success of the Street Warden scheme which had been recognised at national level and  the positive impact that it had had on the quality of life for residents of the Earlesfield estate.  PC Cummins also spoke on the Police’s “Community Engagement” initiative of which the Street Warden was an integral part and the achievements of the Earlesfield Team over the last 18 months in tackling anti social behaviour, crime, drug related issues, graffiti, and the promotion of community participation to improve the quality of life for residents;

(3)     Details, appended to the report and described by PC Cummins, of the multi agency team work approach to support the street wardens and the range of projects instigated by the team.  Whilst performance data in relation to reduced crime and anti-social behaviour should be available by the end of March 2005, the Home Office representative and the Divisional Commander of Police (South Division) have high regard for the work of the team and the improvements achieved in the Earlesfield area;

(4)     Details of total costs of the Street Warden service for 2004/05 and 2005/06 based on either one or two full time posts (a separate exempt information appendix to the report detailed staff costs associated with ceasing the service);

(5)     Options for alternative sources of funding to minimise the additional costs that will fall on the Council as a result of continuing the service;

(6)     Support for continuation of the service from the Corporate Manager Democratic & Legal Services and the Director of Regulatory Services and the suggestion that, if continued, one of the two posts be allocated to the Harrowby area and potentially other local “hot spots”;

(7)     Representation from a local ward member on the positive impact of the work of the Street Warden ;

(8)     Information provided by PCSO McBride at the meeting about the funding for the existing PCSOs taken on in 2002 who were now on a permanent contract.  Future PCSOs that come on stream from this year onwards will initially be on a 2 year fixed term contract and then renewed.  On the basis that the current Government remained in office, there were plans to increase the number of PCSOs to 25,000 by 2008.  The Cabinet and Chief Executive indicated that they were unaware of this information which would need to be taken into account.  For this reason and a query over the funding gap between the cost of one and the cost of two street wardens, the Cabinet agreed to defer confirmation of the second post until further information was available.