Issue - meetings

To seek approval for the merger of Redditch Community Safety Partnership (RCSP) with Bromsgrove Community Safety Partnership (BCSP) and Wyre Forest Community Safety Partnership (WFCSP).  This would result in the creation of a North Worcestershire Community Safety Partnership (NWCSP).

(Report attached)

A report was considered which set out proposals for the creation of a North Worcestershire Community Safety Partnership. Officers explained the rationale for bringing this measure forward at this stage. The Home Office grant each year to fund community safety activity had been reduced in recent years and was facing further reductions in 2012/13. Local Responsible Authorities had capacity issues and were finding it increasingly difficult to bring forward suitable representatives for the meetings of the relevant Partnerships across the County. Furthermore, it was unclear as to how the introduction of Police and Crime Commissioners would impact on the activities of the Partnerships.

The other Responsible Authorities within Worcestershire had had the opportunity to consider and comment upon a move to either a single county-based Partnership or to two Partnerships, in the north and south of the County. There had been agreement that the status quo was unsustainable and that a move to two Partnerships be supported.

It was noted that the Overview and Scrutiny Committee had discussed the proposed merger of the Partnerships in the north of the County and had recommended that the status quo be maintained in order that a local Redditch focus be retained and in order that scrutiny might more adequately be carried out. In order to allay some concerns it was noted that the delivery arm for community safety would be unaffected and the tasking group structure would remain the same. In addition, the relevant Portfolio Holder undertook to discuss with relevant representatives from the south of the County any issues that had arisen with the scrutiny of the Joint Partnership operating across those three Districts.

RECOMMENDED that

1)         Redditch Borough Council approve the merger of Redditch Community Safety Partnership with Bromsgrove Community Safety Partnership and Wyre Forest Community Safety Partnership resulting in the creation of a North Worcestershire Community Safety Partnership; and

2)         subject to endorsement by each of the Responsible Authorities of the merger, authority be delegated to Officers to take the necessary steps to implement the merger, including the establishment of governance arrangements and entering into any agreements, also subject to endorsement by the relevant Community Safety Partnerships;

and RESOLVED that

3)         Members note the continuation of locality-based operational and responsive partnership working through the operational Tasking Group and its theme groups; and

4)         Members note the intention to review the County-wide partnership arrangements by 2014.