Cabinet will; be requested to note the strategic reviews of environmental services and community safety, and approve proposals to align based on the constituency committee areas.

Councillor George Davies introduced a report by the Chief Executive which informed of the significant progress that had been made to implement neighbourhood working.  The report set out the first steps to realign services to the neighbourhood working model following Strategic Service Reviews of Streetscene and Community Safety. 

The Cabinet noted that the interlinked services had a far reaching impact on the quality of life for local residents.  There were a number of aspects of local environmental quality (LEQ) that contributed to overall quality of life within communities.  Increasingly, health practitioners and researchers were proving the benefits of good quality local environment to the health and wellbeing of individuals.  The Department of Health identified a number of research findings that linked poor LEQ with three key health risks:  Physical Inactivity; Social Impacts (people not getting out and about and socialising within their community); and Air Pollution. 

The report also informed that if left unchecked, minor anti-social behaviour, such as littering, graffiti and damage, could spiral into increased crime and disorder; the ‘broken windows’ effect.  An indifference to minor forms of social and physical disorder could lead to an erosion of social control and therefore neighbourhood decline.  The Cabinet noted that there was also a correlation between public perceptions of anti-social behaviour (and crime) with public confidence in councils and police to tackle the issues.  Research had suggested that community engagement (the heart of neighbourhood working) had a positive influence on both public confidence and perceptions. 

Strategic Service Reviews had formed the foundation upon which progression to full neighbourhood working could be built and the first step in the redesign of services across the public sector to provide localised responses to the needs of local people.

Those service areas were significant issues for local residents.  This point was illustrated by data which showed that Elected Members and MPs reported an average of 199 issues a month to Streetscene relating to highways and waste alone (based on data from April 2012 to March 2013).  Members, as community leaders, would be empowered to make best use of these resources at Constituency level.  This would inspire their communities to come together with public services to find the right solutions to address local needs and improve residents’ lives.

Councillor Phil Davies moved an amendment to the recommendations set out in the report, Councillor George Davies seconded it and it was

RESOLVED: That

(1)  the Cabinet agrees the principle of locating placed-based staff in Constituency Service Hubs;

(2)  the detailed proposals flowing from the strategic reviews of Streetscene and Community Safety services be delegated to the relevant Portfolio Holders to agree;

(3)  the Cabinet agrees that a further report be produced for its consideration on other placed based services which could be devolved into the Constituency footprints; and

(4)  the Cabinet agrees to ensure that neighbourhood working is central to the Council’s overall approach to public service transformation and its current review of assets to support asset based community development and increase neighbourhood resilience.