AGENDA ITEM NO. 12
REPORT TO:
Executive Board
REPORT NO:
AMR/12/06
DATE:
17 October 2006
LEAD MEMBER:
Councillor Aled Roberts
(Corporate Governance and Leadership)
LEAD OFFICER:
Malcolm Russell – Strategic Director
CONTACT OFFICER:
Malcolm Russell (292901)
SUBJECT:
Management Arrangements for Llwyn Isaf Green
WARD:
N/A
1.
PURPOSE OF THE REPORT
(i)
To inform the Executive Board of the joint Council/Police response to recent incidents of
anti-social behaviour on Llwyn Isaf Green.
(ii)
To make recommendations for strengthening management arrangements in the future.
2.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
2.1
Recent months have seen a significant increase in the incidents of anti-social behaviour on
Llwyn Isaf Green. This report describes the main features of this behaviour, its causes and
the joint action by the Council and the Police to control it.
2.2
The report goes on to make a series of recommendations to strengthen the management
arrangements for Llwyn Isaf, including:-
-
changing signage on the Llwyn Isaf Green
specifying an enhanced Police Community Service Officer (PCSO) service via a
Service Level Agreement with the Police
establishing two specific Environmental Enforcement Officers to work in the Town
Centre/Llwyn Isaf area following recent changes to the Neighbourhood Warden
Service
redefining a joint approach to enforcement against anti-social behaviour on Llwyn Isaf
Green
2
3.
RECOMMENDATIONS
3.1
That the existing ‘no ball games’ signs are removed from Llwyn Isaf Green and
replaced with signs stating that anti-social behaviour will not be tolerated in the area.
3.2
That the Service Level Agreement drawn up with North Wales Police Force in relation
to the funding of the (PCSO) service specifies the level of support to be provided in the
Town Centre/Llwyn Isaf.
3.3
That two Environmental Enforcement Officer posts be established in the Public
Protection Department with appropriate accredited powers to enforce against antisocial behaviour in the Town Centre/Llwyn Isaf Green following the transfer of the
remaining Neighbourhood Wardens.
3.4
That consistent principles of enforcement against anti-social behaviour are defined and
implemented for Llwyn Isaf Green.
REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS
To support a more consistent and better defined response to anti-social behaviour on Llwyn Isaf
Green.
Malcolm Russell
Strategic Director
4.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
4.1
Recent months have seen a significant increase in the incidents of anti-social behaviour on
Llwyn Isaf Green. Long periods of hot weather between June and August have meant
increased activity and public use of the Green. Over recent years, we have seen the increased
playing of ball games and other recreational activity on the Green during the summer,
particularly by students. In the past, this activity has reduced at the end of the summer term.
However, this year, activity has continued throughout the summer period as other groups of
young people have congregated on Llwyn Isaf.
4.2
Some of the young people involved say that they have moved to the Green as they feel more
secure in this environment because of its CCTV coverage. They claim that they feel less
secure in other environments within Wrexham where they are likely to be picked on because
of their distinctive appearance. A core group have collected most days under the bandstand
on Llwyn Isaf during the summer period and continue to do so.
4.3
Their presence has sometimes been accompanied by an increase in anti-social behaviour
including increased noise, damage to trees and property, increased litter, the inappropriate
siting of a three-piece suite in the bandstand, loud music and use of swearing and obscene
language including swearing at members of the public and damage to flowerbeds.
3
4.4
In July, as this behaviour escalated, the Police and the Council took a stronger line in
addressing it. PCSO patrols were introduced several times a day; Neighbourhood Wardens
were temporarily re-deployed to the Llwyn Isaf area for one week, the Police Mobile CCTV
Unit was placed on Llwyn Isaf for one week in July. A series of arrests were made. This
firm action – combined with the extensive use of the Council CCTV coverage – successfully
controlled the situation for a period of weeks. However, the problem has not gone away and,
during the holiday period of August, further incidents occurred.
4.5
The Council’s policy towards Llwyn Isaf lies at the heart of this issue. Our policy has
generally been tolerant and permissive, to the extent that we have undertaken only limited
enforcement of the restrictions set out on the notice boards around the Green on “no ball
games” introduced by the previous Chief Executive several years ago. A wide range of
byelaws which apply to Llwyn Isaf allow for the control of most of the forms of anti-social
activity that we have seen in recent months. The Police now have copies of these byelaws and
have used them to enforce against different types of activity. While, the byelaws do not
specifically prevent ball games, the Council owns the land and thereby has a general right to
specify which types of activity are allowed on the Green and which are not.
4.6
A joint Police/Council officer group has met on two occasions to consider overall strategy for
Llwyn Isaf and has considered a number of alternative options. Additional bilateral meetings
between officers have occurred on a regular basis throughout the summer. As a result of
these meetings, a number of steps have been taken to improve control of the Green. These
include:(i)
Communication has been improved between different groups of Council staff and
Police as these incidents occur. Crime-link radio has been introduced for Council
security staff; the Chief Information Systems Officer has developed a protocol for
contacting CCTV staff. Arrangements are also being put in place for urgent calls to be
routed to the Wrexham Police Helpdesk rather than all calls having to go via the
Control Room at St Asaph.
(ii)
CCTV coverage of Llwyn Isaf is currently only partial. In early November, the
Community Safety Partnership will be asked to agree funding for an additional camera to be installed alongside the Old Library - which would then provide comprehensive
coverage of Llwyn Isaf and the adjacent car park.
(iii) The Police have developed a consultation group which meets on a regular basis at
Victoria Youth Centre. Staff from the Prevention and Inclusion Department have also
undertaken positive work with a number of younger people regularly congregating on
the Green.
(iv) A number of proposals have been made to alter the configuration of the Green to
prevent anti-social behaviour. These have included the introduction of picnic tables and
more flowerbeds. We do not recommend that these are pursued at this stage as they
would fundamentally alter the character of the Green.
(v)
The Transportation and Asset Management and Public Protection Departments have
intervened to ensure that inappropriate goods – which may exacerbate the current
situation – are not made available for sale at the Monday market.
4
4.7
While these activities have improved the current situation, a series of further actions are also
recommended:(i)
The Council’s position in relation to the “no ball games” notices is untenable. We are
undermining our own authority by claiming to ban something which we partially
allow. It is therefore recommended that we remove the “no ball games” signs and
replace them with more general signs stating the purpose of the Green (i.e. the
pleasure and recreation of the general public) and the fact that no forms of anti-social
behaviour will be tolerated.
(ii)
There are issues over enforcement. The Council currently does not have staff for
whom it is appropriate to enforce on Llwyn Isaf Green within their current role. The
recommendations agreed by the Executive Board on 19 September in relation to the
Neighbourhood Warden service will see a substantial expansion in the number of
PCSOs for Wrexham, including the formation of an Anti-Social Behaviour
Intervention Team. The Council will be drawing up a Service Level Agreement
(SLA) to define the aims of its contribution to this service and we recommend that an
element of this SLA should cover increased security/control of the Town Centre,
including Llwyn Isaf.
(iii)
The decisions taken by the Executive Board on 19 September will see the transfer of
upto six Neighbourhood Wardens currently in post to the Housing and Public
Protection Department to undertake other anti-social behaviour intervention duties as
Environmental Enforcement Officers. It is recommended that two of these posts are
specifically identified to work in the Town Centre/Llwyn Isaf area with a range of
accredited powers to enforce against anti-social behaviour in these areas. This scheme
will be adopted as a pilot to March 2008 with provision for an interim review in mid2007. The working relationship between the new Warden service and the expanded
PCSO service will need to be carefully worked out.
(iv)
With the increased powers of PCSOs and the introduction of two Environmental
Enforcement Officers, we recommend that a more consistent line is taken on
enforcement across a range of behaviour. Specifically, we recommend that action is
taken against all forms of anti-social behaviour where it becomes a nuisance or danger
to other members of the public. This could include prevention of ball games, use of
skateboards/frisbees and would also see enforcement against the use of bicycles on the
Llwyn Isaf Green area.
5.
CONSULTATION
5.1
The proposals set out in this report have been debated and agreed with partner agencies in the
Community Safety Partnership.
6.
SCRUTINY COMMITTEE COMMENTS
6.1
These issues have not been considered by any Scrutiny Committee.
7.
IMPLICATIONS
7.1
Policy Framework - combating anti-social behaviour is a key priority of the Community
Safety Strategy 2005-8; a ‘focal’ area in the current year and an agreed corporate priority for
2007/8.
5
7.2
Budget – the proposals set out in this paper – if agreed – will be funded from existing
budgets.
7.3
Legal - the Council’s responsibility for community safety are defined by the Crime and
Disorder Act 1998.
BACKGROUND PAPERS
LOCATION
(a) Byelaws with respect to Pleasure Copy in Members’ Library
Grounds and Open Spaces in the
Borough of Wrexham Maelor
(b) Byelaws for the Good Rule &
Government of the Borough of
Wrexham Maelor and for the
Prevention of Nuisances
WEBSITE INFO.
-