The Chairman of the Task Group has been invited to attend the meeting to present the report.
The Report will be circulated separately.
Minutes:
The Chairman welcomed Councillor Charlie Edwards, Chairman of the Late Night Economy in the Lancaster District Informal Task Group, to the meeting.
Councillor Edwards gave the Committee an overview of the work that had been undertaken by the Informal Task Group.
It was reported that the Task Group had gathered evidence from many different sources such as the Police, Pubwatch, NHS, BID both Morecambe and Lancaster, as well as Council officers from Licencing, Environmental Services and Street Cleansing.
The following issues were highlighted by the Task Group through its themed meetings:
· Littering
· Night-time economy blending with the day time economy
· 4.00 am to 6.00 am most problematic time
· Litter
· Music
· Anti-Social Behaviour
· Safety of women
· Serving alcohol to people who are intoxicated
· Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) for Lancaster
The report highlighted the good work that was being undertaken by the local Pubwatches and the need for a group to continue the work and liaison that had been established by the Task Group.
One key issue that emerged was the need to continue, in some form, CCTV within Lancaster City Centre.
The Committee discussed the findings and recommendations of the Informal Task Group and made a few minor amendments to the recommendations.
Resolved :
It was unanimously agreed that the report of the Informal Task Group be approved, with the recommendations as amended and set out below :-
Recommendation 1
(a) That the Community Safety Partnership be requested to establish a Sub-Group to continue the work of the Scrutiny Informal Task Group with the membership mirroring the existing Task Group, including Pubwatch.
(b) That the Community Safety Partnership Sub-Group consider appropriate levels of training of licensed premises staff and receive updates provided by Pubwatch representatives of Lancaster and Morecambe.
(c) That the newly formed Sub-Group consider the city centre’s ability to gain Purple Flag Status and also investigate the introduction of a rewards system for well-run licensed premises.
Recommendation 2
(a) That based on the evidence heard, the Task Group recommends to Council that it continues to give its full support to the Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) covering the central area of Lancaster.
(b) That updates on the use of the PSPOs be reported to the annual Community Safety meeting of the City Council’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee.
(c) That the feasibility of the PSPO for Morecambe Town Centre and Promenade be assessed by Lancaster City Council and the Police and reported to the City Council’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee.
Recommendation 3
That, after considering the evidence provided, it be recommended that CCTV is vital to the infrastructure of Lancaster city centre and Morecambe. The Task Group agrees that public CCTV is a vital community asset which provides reassurance, deterrence and response.
Further to this, it is recommended that work continues with all of the potential partnership participants on building a business case for how a partnership approach to the delivery of a repurposed CCTV system might operate and that a report on this is quickly developed and presented to the Cabinet for consideration.
Recommendation 4
(a) That the proposed Community Safety Partnership Sub-Group meet with Lancaster University and the University of Cumbria’s senior management and the Student Unions regarding policy and practice on alcohol education, consent, health and safety, alongside the annual consideration regarding student admissions to A & E and calls upon the Emergency Services, in liaison with the University Hospital of Morecambe Bay Trust (UHMBT) and the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).
(b) That the proposed Community Safety Partnership Sub-Group examine the Universities’ Codes of Conduct regarding off-campus behaviour and the use of sanctions for anti-social behaviour relating to alcohol and put forward any recommendations to the Universities for consideration.
Recommendation 5
That all Members of the Licensing Act Committee take part in an annual early hours visit with the Licensing Team as part of their mandatory training.
Recommendation 6
That the City Council’s Policy on the training of staff in licensed premises be reviewed.