Agenda item

Re-purposing Morecambe Bus Station as a young people hang-out area to help combat anti-social behaviour

(Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor Warriner)

 

Report of Chief Officer (Health & Housing)

Minutes:

(Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor Warriner)

 

Cabinet received a report from the Chief Officer (Health & Housing) which sought approval to re-purpose Morecambe Bus Station as a youth hang-out area, helping to meet young people’s needs to congregate socially and at the same time positively addressing anti-social behaviour in an area of need.

 

The options, options analysis, including risk assessment and officer preferred option, were set out in the report as follows:

 

 

Option 1: Approve the re-purposing of Morecambe bus station as proposed.

Option 2: Do not approve the proposal.

Advantages

Establishing a dedicated youth hang-out area meets clear and established community needs: (a) helping protect resident and business communities to be protected from anti-social behaviour, (b) meeting the needs of young people to congregate socially in a suitably safe, well managed space.

 

Doing so without major costs of new-build would give new life to an existing public facility at lower cost than demolishing it. 

Any logistical issues and complexities arising from an established youth hang-out area would be avoided, noting that young people related ASB would continue to be responded to in existing ways.

Disadvantages

Essential repair and maintenance costs, Wi-Fi connectivity and additional cleansing costs (met within existing Public Realm budgets).

 

Health & safety incidents or safeguarding issues may arise from time to time (managed by further considerations putting appropriate risk assessments and safety controls in place).

 

The opportunity to relieve the council of the financial liability for this building would be lost.

 

It would be necessary to identify further financial provision to demolish the building if the initiative is unsuccessful or, given its location within the Morecambe Area Action Plan, in the event that a significant development/

regeneration proposal is brought forward.

This possibly rare opportunity and attendant benefits listed under Option 1 would be missed.

Risks

The bus station serving as a hang-out area could potentially become a location of ASB incidents, however the assessment of the police and council ASB team is that on balance a positive impact would be made on ASB levels overall in the locality and the behaviour of young people using the hang-out area would be monitored.

 

In the normal way of public facilities, and due to the intended attraction of young people to the building, personal injury insurance claims might occasionally arise.  The council’s Insurance Officer has been notified of this proposal.

Avoidable levels of young people related ASB would continue to manifest in Morecambe town centre facilities, residential areas and public open spaces that a hang-out area could have prevented.

 

The officer recommendation is Option 1, subject to residual risk being deemed as acceptable (i.e. medium risk) and the financial implications being in line with those identified within this report.  It is expected that the potential risks as highlighted can be successfully managed through careful monitoring and intervention by the Council’s ASB team in conjunction with other partner agencies such as the Poulton neighbourhood PCSO team.  A review would be undertaken in due course, to evaluate the initiative’s success.

Morecambe bus station presents a possibly rare opportunity to positively address young people’s needs and create a youth hang-out area making use of existing premises having no identified alternative uses, which is readily available at low cost, and in doing so to meet a clear community need for action to address an anti-social behaviour priority.  Any incidents of ASB arising from the use of Morecambe bus station would need to be responded to, managed and kept under review, however such incidents are likely to be fewer than existing at present.

 

Councillor Warriner proposed, seconded by Councillor Hughes:-

 

“That the recommendations, as set out in the report, be approved.”

 

Councillors then voted:-

 

Resolved unanimously:

 

(1)             That in principle, approval be given for Morecambe bus station to be re-purposed for the use detailed in this report, subject to the proposal being deemed as having an acceptable level of residual risk (i.e. medium) following full assessment, and sufficient budgetary provision being identified as follows:

-          the refurbishment costs of up to £7K being funded from the Corporate Property Reserve; and

-          all other one-off and ongoing costs, including future repair and maintenance, Wi-Fi connectivity and any additional cleansing costs, being funded from existing Public Realm budgets.

(2)             That subject to (1) above, the Chief Officer (Environment), in consultation with the relevant Portfolio Holder and the s151 and Monitoring Officers, be given delegated authority to implement the decision.

(3)             That the effectiveness of the initiative be monitored and evaluated and reported to the Cabinet Member for Health and Housing by September 2019. 

 

Officers responsible for effecting the decision:

 

Chief Officer (Health & Housing)

Chief Officer (Environment)

Chief Officer (Resources)

Interim Head of Legal & Democratic Services

 

Reasons for making the decision:

 

A strong community demand has been identified, evidenced strongly in the Morecambe area, for diversionary activities and the establishment of safe hang-out areas for young people.  Making use a suitable pre-existing facility may present the quickest, simplest and least expensive short-term way of meeting this need.  The decision presents an opportunity to test the positive impact the City Council can make on anti-social behaviour by creating a young people’s hang-out area in Morecambe and this will support future determination of wider provision of hang-out areas.

 

Supporting documents: