Agenda item

(To receive reports from Diane Coulson, Assistant Director – Public Protection, Mark Baxter, Chief Fire Officer, Nicole Hilton, Assistant Director - Communities, Steven Batchelor, Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership Senior Manager and Lee Sirdifield, Assistant Director – Corporate, on Tier 2 Service Level Performance measures for 2021-22 Quarter 3 that are within the remit of the Public Protection and Communities Scrutiny Committee)

The Committee considered a report from Sara Barry, Head of Safer Communities, Mark Baxter, Chief Fire Officer, William Mason, Head of Culture, Steven Batchelor, Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership Senior Manager and Lee Sirdifield, Assistant Director – Corporate, which set out the performance of Tier Two Service Level Performance Measures for 2021/2022 for Quarter 3 that were within the remit of the Public Protection and Communities Scrutiny Committee.

The Chairman invited officers to remotely present the report to the Committee.  The report detailed performance measures for: Community Safety, Fire Safety, Libraries, Road Safety, Trading Standards and Volunteering.

Ryan Stacey, Assistant Chief Fire Officer also participated in the presentation to the Committee.

During consideration of the report, some of the following comments were raised:

·       Some clarification was sought regarding the classification of fires, particularly fires in skips/refuse containers.  The Committee was advised that primary fires related to property and a secondary fire did not involve property.   Therefore, fires in refuse containers would be classed as secondary fires.  It was noted that fire and rescue worked with the arson task force and fire investigators to try and establish the cause of such fires; and that where possible individuals were charged;

·       Page 29 – Deliberate Secondary Fires – It was highlighted that this target had not been met, as there had been a slight increase in the number of incidents compared to the previous year, which equated to six additional incidents over a nine-month period.  The Committee noted that the reason for the increase in the number of incidents was the weather, as more people were engaging in normal activity later in the evenings, and that more incidents happened during the summer months;

·       Reduction in the number of cooking related fires (chip pan fires).  It was reported that there had been a 14% reduction in these types of fires.  The Committee noted that this reduction had been partly due to home safety prevention activities; but the reduction was also attributed to healthier eating, as more people were now moving to healthier ways of cooking;

·       The types of fire prevalent in farming environment.  The Committee was advised that a considerable number of fires on farms were caused by an accumulation of combustible material in farm machinery, there was therefore a seasonal variation in the number of fires throughout the year.  It was also noted that a small number of fires happened in agricultural outbuilding, barns etc.  The Committee noted that some comparative investigations could be done to reveal how Lincolnshire compared with other similar rural communities in this regard;

·       Learning from the five fire fatalities in Lincolnshire and whether there was sufficient resource available to deal with such incidents.  The Committee was advised that fire and rescue worked very closely with police crime scene investigators to gather evidence from an investigatory perspective or a forensic level, depending on the level of investigation.  It was noted that lessons were learnt locally, between partner agencies, to see if anything could be done differently from a community, fire and rescue and policing etc. perspective;

·       Accidental dwelling fires caused by smoking.  No specify figures could be given in this regard at the meeting, but it was highlighted that the number of smoking related incidents across the country were on the decline.  This was largely due to the decline in the number of people now smoking.  The Committee also noted that modern cigarettes were designed not to burn at a high temperature and that their design now was less likely to cause fires.  There was, however, some concern with regard to illegal cigarettes, and it was highlighted that fire and rescue worked very closely with trading standards concerning this matter;

·       Whether there had been any update on the Greenwich Leisure Limited baselines from 2016.  It was reported that although the baseline was set in 2016, it was reviewed on an annual basis and the fact that the baseline had not changed in recent years was not because it had not been reviewed, it was because the baseline reflected the national trend;

·       The positive impact of the website for libraries both in terms of physical visits to the library, but also for people engaging with the digital service externally from their own homes.  It was felt that Covid-19 had accelerated the move to a digital environment;

·       The number of feedback forms received.  The Committee was advised that due to Covid-19, visitors had been reluctant to complete forms.  It was highlighted that a strong indicator of people’s enjoyment was the feedback left on TripAdvisor.  It was reported that all of the council’s heritage sites had achieved the TripAdvisor excellent rating;  

·       The impact of mobile libraries in rural communities. The Committee noted that the mobile library service was incredibly important in Lincolnshire. The Committee noted further that a review had been conducted previously to ensure that the service was as efficient as possible, and that this information could be made available to the Committee.  Confirmation was also given that mobile libraries still operated around the edge of Lincoln.  The Committee was advised that timetable information for mobile libraries was available on the council’s website.  It was also noted that there had been a decline in the number visits to libraries nationally, mainly attributed to people using computers and mobile phones for reading, and the availability of lower priced books via the internet.  It was highlighted that the library service would continue to explore different facets, as libraries were incredibly important part of the community hub network;

·       Avian flu update.  The Committee was advised there had been around 15 outbreaks in the county and that these were predominantly in the north and east of the county.  It was reported that fantastic support had been received from colleagues in the animal plant and health agency, colleagues from fire and rescue and colleagues from highways who had helped with office accommodation when staff needed to be in the north of the county.  Officers advised that a report would be provided to the next meeting of the Committee.  Confirmation was given to the Committee that compensation was given when birds where birds had been culled;

·       Some concern was raised about the presence of lithium batteries in children’s toys; and the presence of T-bar clear plastic tags in children’s clothing.  Officers were unable to comment regarding plastic tags but agreed to investigate whether this was an issue nationally.   There was acceptance that electronic toys were part of today’s electronic world, and that the important factor was the protection of the concealment of the battery and its stability within the toy, to not be removed.  It was highlighted that some work was being done with colleagues in the Office for Product Safety and Standards, and that a big campaign had been done around lithium batteries.  There was recognition that more that could be done around enforcement, ensuring that toys were not available where batteries were accessible and highlighting to parents the risks associated with lithium batteries.  Officers confirmed that a lot of work had been done promoting the risks associated with lithium batteries and very small magnets;

·       The selling of illegal cigarettes within the Boston area and the role of the landlord in this regard.  Officers agreed to investigate the matter further.  The Committee was advised that if a pattern of behaviour was emerging, the landlord of a shop would be warned that this type of selling was taking place and that they should have methods in place to ensure that no criminal activities were taking place.  It was noted that landlords needed to be made aware as they had responsibility, under money laundering legislation, to verify their premises were not being used for criminal means.  If activity continued, then quite rightly action would be taken against the landlord because the rent paid to them had been derived from criminal activity.  It was reported that a future report could be provided for the Committee’s consideration regarding the sources of intelligence used by trading standards;

·       The selling of alcohol coming from Russia; and ensuring that foods are labelled correctly. The Committee was advised that the trading standards team were aware;

·       Inspections of high-risk premises. The Committee noted that high-risk premises were mainly food premises.  Confirmation was given that abattoirs would not be included, as they received veterinary inspections.  However, trading standards had links with abattoirs because of the welfare of animals attending abattoirs, and the service would occasionally perform checks of the weight and measures equipment being used;

·       Whether there was sufficient capacity to help with the influx of Ukrainian refugees.  The Committee was advised that the Lincolnshire Local Resilience Forum had been assisting in supporting a coordination group that was linking the main objectives to support this area; and that officers were working with voluntary organisations to put plans in place on how the response would deal with this matter;

·       Confirmation was given that letters of thanks had been sent from the Committee to voluntary organisations;

·       The Committee was advised that a report concerning future support to volunteers would be considered by the Committee at their 19 April 2022 meeting, at which Ben Rollett, Chief Executive, Voluntary Centre Services would be attending;

·       A request was made for more voluntary support to be offered face-to-face and for some of that support to be offered in the evening either face-to-face or online.  Officers agreed to take back the comments raised; and

·       Page 54 of the report pack highlighted the number of voluntary and community groups actively supported in Lincolnshire and that the quarter one figures for every year were far higher than for any other quarter.  It was reported that the figures were cumulative, and that there tended to be that peak at the start of the year.  It was noted that organisations were counted at the first point of contact. 

The Chairman extended thanks on behalf of the Committee to officers for their presentation.

RESOLVED

That the Service Level Performance reporting against the Performance Framework 2021/22 Quarter 3 be received and that the comments raised by the Committee be noted.