Agenda and minutes

To receive declarations of interest from Members on items included in the agenda.

There were no declarations of interest.

Apologies were received from Councillor Tagg and Councillor Wemyss.

To receive the minutes of the previous meeting of this Committee held on 7 June 2012.

RESOLVED:            That the minutes of the meeting held on 7 June 2012 be agreed as a correct record.

To consider a scrutiny brief regarding the potential move out of Kidsgrove Police Station and into Kidsgrove Town Hall by the local policing team and how policing of Kidsgrove and the rural area will look in the future.

Chief Inspector Neil Hulme, Local Policing Team Commander for Newcastle Borough, will attend as a representative from Staffordshire Police to verbally present the issue for discussion, with an opportunity for questions and suggestions from Members.

The Committee received a presentation from the Local Policing Team Commander for Newcastle Borough regarding the move of the local policing team in Kidsgrove into Kidsgrove Town Hall.

Refurbishment work was to commence at Kidsgrove Town Hall in early September with the move of the Police into the town hall anticipated to take place from mid to late October. The Police could understand why communities were concerned about police stations seemingly shutting down and wanted to reassure the Kidsgrove ward councillors that they were committed to being in Kidsgrove and that they wanted to be at the heart of the community. There would be no reduction in hours as a result of the move. The Police only utilised a small element of Kidsgrove Police Station and since 2005 all prisoners had been taken to Etruria. The definition of a police station had changed; historically there had been a need for a police station with cells to detain prisoners, it was now necessary to be located in a front-facing environment within the community. The town hall would be a much better environment being bright, airy and modern.

There would be savings from the Police moving into Kidsgrove Town Hall, these would not be hugely dramatic but saved losing officers. If more money was spent on buildings there would be less money for officers. The aim was for officers to be out and about on the streets, police officers could respond to incidents when out in the community, not from sitting in a station.

The move of the Police into Kidsgrove Town Hall was about effectively working together with partners; just being in the same building did not mean that partners were working together. There were other partners at Kidsgrove Town Hall: the Town Council, the Citizen’s Advice Bureau and Families First (Staffordshire County Council). Vulnerability was a growth area, with many partners coming into contact with the same vulnerable people. There had been initiatives in the locality such as partners collaborating to visit the vulnerable elderly population in order to discuss bogus officials with them, which had worked well. It could almost be seen as a template of how the Police would like to work with partners, with all partners looking beyond their own specific discipline. It was felt that Locality Action Partnerships were the key to working together. The Police felt that partners were at the early stage of a journey. We should be working together as one public sector and if we as public bodies struggled to navigate services how could the general public be expected to.

It was considered by Members that the closing of the current police station had not been dealt with in the best way and had been hidden away. There had been unsuccessful attempts to obtain information about the move and Members questioned how people would be kept informed now. The Police recognised that there was a need for engagement. Engagement was needed both internally with Police staff and externally  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

To consider any business which is urgent within the meaning of Section 100B(4) of the Local Government Act 1972.

There was no urgent business considered.