CABINET MEMBER REPORT TO THE COUNCIL

Posted By: Ted Flynn
Date Posted: 01/05/2009

ROCHDALE METROPOLITAN BOROUGH COUNCIL

CABINET MEMBER REPORT TO THE COUNCIL

REPORT OF THE CABINET MEMBER FOR COMMUNITY SAFETY & LEISURE TOTHE MEETING OF THE COUNCIL ON 29th APRIL 2009

Thank you Mr Mayor for the opportunity to report to the Council the latest developments on various matters relating to the Community Safety & Leisure Portfolio.

COMMUNITY SAFETY AND LEISURE

ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR AND CRIMINAL DAMAGE

Criminal damage incident numbers have shown a continuing downward trend through 2008/09. This has contributed to a small overall annual reduction from 6583 last year to 6345 this year. Overall ASB incidents were slightly up this quarter, and overall numbers showed a small reduction, from 25,860 last year to 25,084 this year.

Over the past Quarter there have been:

• 22 Referrals to the Case Intervention Group
• 15 Referrals to various Supportive Agencies
• 3 ASBO applications (interim and full)
• 4 Referrals to the Threshold ASBO panel
• 50 Initial ASB Enquiries
• 48 Stop/ Account letters sent- 3 Pre ABC Interviews conducted

VIOLENT CRIME
Numbers of both forms of violent crime we measure showed an increase this quarter. Serious violent crimes rose markedly from 106 last quarter to 142 this quarter, taking the overall figures for the year to 440

TACKLING DRUG AND ALCOHOL MISUSE
Adult Drug Treatment
Clients in effective drug treatment as at November 2008 is 1058, with a year end projection of 1075, short of the 11239 target set. Du to the reporting nature of this target, performance will always be delayed by 12 weeks (plus an additional 4 weeks for reporting). We will not know the final year end figure until August 09, however we acknowledge that the partnership is not going to achieve the 2008/09 target. The projection is based numbers entering into effective treatment. In Rochdale at least 85% of new treatment journeys are effective (higher than National average), therefore if we can improve engagement then we have a good chance of achieving the 2009/10 target which is now the main focus.

The DAAT have commissioned a new Psychosocial Intervention Service (REACH). The new service is just becoming fully operational and it is hoped that the new service will address the low number of new clients entering treatment.

Addiction Dependency Solutions have just initiated a new programme called STROLL. STROLL is an intensive programme aimed at individuals who are committed to remaining drug free. Participants take part in outdoor activities including rock climbing and fell walking.

The National Treatment Agency and Department for Work and Pensions are introducing a new scheme so individuals claiming benefits who cite substance misuse as a barrier to entering employments will be referred to treatment services. This is likely to become a mandatory requirement following Royal Assent of the Welfare Reform Bill.

Adult Alcohol Treatment
Number of Clients engaged with Alcohol Treatment Services (LAA Stretch) as at end of February 09 is 839 against a year end target of 840.

Performance on the whole has improved since 2007/08. Work with the entire Criminal Justice Team is ongoing to address specific issues that are having a negative effect on performance

TOWNSHIP SAFER COMMUNITIES ACTIVITY
The last quarter has seen the successful implementation of 4 weekly tactical meetings, the following is a summary of the multi agency activity that has been carried out in each of the townships to combat the key crime and disorder activities.

Rochdale
• Anti Social Behaviour - Kingsway Ward, Kirkholt Ward. PCSOs x 10 deployed in Police vehicle and Detached Youth Outreach on foot Friday evenings. 164 Young people stopped and accounted.
• Theft From Motor Vehicle - Police pod deployed 8/2/09. 27 vehicles fitted with clutchhead screws to reduce theft of registration plates.
• Vehicle Crime in town centre - Parking Services working toward 3 new Secure Car Park awards by March/09.
• Licences Premise in town Centre – Anti Social Behaviour issues early hours particularly Saturday & Sunday. Threats made to council street cleaners. CSO liaised with Police, RMBC Licensing, GMP Licensing, TCM and Env Services to arrange joint meeting
• Burglary hotspot Bamford - CSO delivered Home Security leaflets to all properties in the area.
• Smartwater - 500 properties on Newbold to be offered scheme 02/04/09 - 10/04/09.

Heywood
• 2 Elderly peoples residential premises have been visited – security measures have been carried out by Home Improvement Agency on recommendations by me. Other recommendations for further measures have been made to Adult Care Services.
• Work with RBH Guiness Trust and Norther Counties around Angel Meadow and Darnhill Anti Social Behaviour Issues
• Feel Safe in Heywood – £20,000 to be given to Heywood for Community Safety initiatives – to be split into £3,000, £7,000 and £10,000 pots. This resulted in a Community Event organised by Heywood Young Advisors on Saturday 28th March at St. James Church Hall to which communities were invited to vote on the initiatives put forward to decide which projects they felt were a priority. The event was attended by approximately 70 members of the community. The following were the winning bids in each section:
£3,000 – Community Clean-ups
£7,000 – Best Bar None Scheme
£10,000 – Transport to Pilsworth Retail Park


Pennines
• CCTV placed in a number of areas in Newhey, Wardle, Milnrow and Bellshill in response to recent incidents of anti-social behaviour and criminal damage.
• Mobile Police Station deployed during Burglary Operation Beauty on hot spot areas such as Bellshill and Smallbridge. The vehicle is now performing weekly surgeries on Saturdays at various locations throughout Pennines.

Middleton
• 13 mobile cameras, are currently installed at various locations in Middleton, to address Anti Social Behaviour 2 3G Dome deployable cctv cameras, designated for Boarshaw and Langley, are also in use for Anti Social Behaviour issues.
• Mosquitoe systems - A total of eight are now installed across Middleton, at sites identified by relevant agencies. - The sites are subject to regular reviews and evaluation.
• Funding has been used to purchase and distribute over £1500 of personal attack alarms across the township.
• New Tri –Signs (Light Column mounted) have been deployed across the Township. These advertise crime reduction advice to local residents and passing traffic.
• In an effort to address robberies and PIN theft from ATM sites, all cash dispensers in Middleton Centre now have marked out sterile zone queuing areas. This was funded by elected members and was well received by both the public and high street banks.
• In accordance with the TSCP action plan to improve facilities for young people in Middleton, Community Safety are the lead agency and working with other stakeholders, to provide three new kick pitches in the Middleton area. Panning has now been approved and a program of works agreed, starting at Little Heaton school in The Easter holidays. The total build for all three should be completed by early summer.

LEISURE SERVICES

Heritage and Arts Service

Community Curates: Middleton
Pensioners from Hollin Estate, Middleton have been working with the museum service for several weeks selecting objects for the first community display in the new Middleton Arena museum case. The group has chosen the Middleton Textile Industry for their themed exhibition and displayed their work during the middle of March.

Heywood Heritage
Following the installation of a new museum case within the newly refurbished Heywood library a display of Heywood related objects have been installed. The museum service has also secured £5000 of Heywood Township funding for a cross generational heritage project and will engage the community in developing new displays for the library.


Sports and Leisure

Heywood Sports Culture and Leisure Village

It is anticipated that the Council’s Cabinet meeting on 30 April 2009 will give authorisation for Kier NW to be awarded the contract for construction of the SCLV Project. Works are expected to commence on site in May with building handover in April 2010 and external works completion by end July 2010.

The SCLV Project comprises the construction of a new multi-purpose building (incl Sports Hall, Swimming Pools, Fitness Studio, Dance Studios, Youth Gym/Base, Training Suite, Community Room and ancillary accommodation), new 60m x 40m ATP, new Car Park and improved natural turf pitches. The Gaskell Pool and Changing Pavilion will be demolished. The Jack Talbot Sports Hall will remain (future use to be determined).

External funders have contributed a substantial portion of the capital cost of the SCLV as follows :-
• Heywood NDC £4million
• Football Foundation £1million
• Sport England £0.5million

Fitness Memberships

Middleton Arena has now seen over 3,100 new members join the Health and Fitness Gym since its opening in January 09.
Since the inception of Link4Life in April 2007 health and fitness members now total 4802 a growth of 175%.

Attendances continue to grow across all facilities;

 Heywood Civic had over 300 more visits this year compared to the same period of February 2008.

 Middleton Arena had over 1,900 visits to the Live life event held on 2nd March along with over 10,000 swimming attendances in February; it was another busy month for the Arena.

 Central Leisure had a total of 21,850 visits, including 5,000 visits to the fitness suite and 1,163 fitness class attendances.

Central Leisure Centre has recently worked in partnership with the Jericho Foundation, a charitable organisation who works with ex-drug users and ex-offenders

LIBRARY SERVICE

Official Re-opening of Heywood Library

On 28th February, I joined the Mayor and Mayoress, Heywood Members past and present and Jim Dobbin MP for the official re-opening of Heywood Library following extensive refurbishment. I am pleased to report that the day was a great success, with almost 700 people joining in the celebrations.

Library staff are working hard to sustain this interest, including the launch of a new Reading Group, a talk by New York Times bestselling author, John Hart on 22nd April, storytimes for younger children and “silver surfer” taster sessions.

Heywood Joint Service Centre – the “Phoenix Centre”

As Members will be aware, Heywood Library will form an integral part of the new Heywood Joint Service Centre. Building work on the centre is now well advanced and we aim to create the physical link to the library with minimum disruption to our customers. The Centre will also incorporate a new Express Library in the reception area.

World Book Day 5th March 2009

To celebrate World Book Day, Rochdale Libraries invited groups from the Gateway Centre for adults with learning difficulties and the Shamwari Project, an organisation that works directly with asylum seekers and refugees, to meet author Adele Geras at the Wheatsheaf Library. Adele spoke enthusiastically about her life as a writer and her involvement in the “Quick Reads” initiative for emergent readers. I am pleased to inform Members that this event received national recognition when it was featured on the Reading Agency website as an example of good practice.


Thank you Mr Mayor, I will be pleased to answer any questions from Members of the Council about these or any other matter relating to the Community Safety & Leisure Portfolio.

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