Public Document Pack
To: All Members of the Community, Environment and Partnerships Committee
Councillor R Golding (Chair) Councillor K Carruthers Councillor S Day Councillor R Gardiner Councillor T Jones Councillor P Lonie Councillor A McCormick Councillor C Regan Councillor J Richards Councillor D Taylor Councillor V Rowland
Dear Councillor
Community, Environment and Partnerships Committee Wednesday, 31 May 2017
Your attendance is requested at a meeting of the Community, Environment and Partnerships Committee on:
Date: Wednesday, 31 May 2017 Time: 6.30 pm Place: Committee Rooms 1 & 2 - Deanes
Yours sincerely
Melbourne Barrett Chief Executive
For more information please contact the Democratic Services team: 01256 844844 Or email: [email protected] Visit: www.basingstoke.gov.uk/committeemeetings
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Chief Executive Melbourne Barrett MBA MRICS Executive Director of Borough Development and Deputy Chief Executive Executive Director of Borough Services Rebecca Emmett BSc (Hons), AIEMA Executive Director of Finance and Resources Kevin Jaquest BA (Hons) CPFA Public Participation Scheme
Members of the public are invited to address the committee on all items presented at a committee meeting. Public speaking on these items will take place at the same time that the item is considered.
If members of the public wish to address the meeting they should notify Democratic Services prior to the meeting.
The public participation scheme is available to access through the council’s website - www.basingstoke.gov.uk/participation
Committee Papers
If you need this information in a different format, such as large print, please contact Democratic Services.
Alternatively all documents associated with this agenda can be accessed through the Council’s website on http://www.basingstoke.gov.uk/committeemeetings
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AGENDA FOR THE COMMUNITY, ENVIRONMENT AND PARTNERSHIPS COMMITTEE
Members are encouraged to obtain any points of clarification on the reports on the Agenda in advance of the meeting.
Members of the public will be invited to speak at the relevant item
1. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE AND SUBSTITUTIONS
2. APPOINTMENT OF VICE-CHAIR
3. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
4. URGENT MATTERS To consider any items of business, other than those shown on this agenda and which, by reason of special circumstances to be stated at the meeting, in the opinion of the Chairman, should be considered at the meeting as a matter of urgency.
5. MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON 15 MARCH 2017 5 - 8
6. MOTIONS REFERRED FROM COUNCIL
Motion referred from Council of 30 March 2017
Proposer: Councillor P Harvey Seconder: Councillor G Watts
That the current situation regarding the football ground for Basingstoke Town Football Club be referred to the committee for urgent discussion.
7. CULTURAL STRATEGY: TEN-YEAR VISION FOR CULTURE AND 9 - 30 FIVE-YEAR CULTURAL STRATEGY Contact Officer: Ross Harvie The report and strategy sets the strategic direction for arts and culture in the borough for the next 5 years and a vision to aim for over the next 10 years.
8. FLY TIPPING IN BASINGSTOKE AND DEANE 31 - 90 Contact Officer: Rhys Gilbert The report provides an overview of the extent of fly-tipping activity in the borough and how the council responds to notifications of fly-tipping. The paper also includes a summary of the fly-tipping strategy being
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developed by Hampshire County Council (HCC) which makes a number of recommendations to enhance work being done by district councils to tackle fly-tipping.
9. LEISURE MANAGEMENT ARRANGEMENTS - 2018 AND BEYOND 91 - 110 Contact Officer: Mike O’Mahony Members of the committee are to receive an update on the contract negotiations to secure management arrangements for the council’s main leisure facilities, the outcomes of which are covered in this report.
10. COMMUNITY AND VOLUNTARY SECTOR GRANT SCHEME 111 - 126 PROGRAMME GRANT STRAND Contact Officer: Lesley Murphy The report provides details of the key observations and learning points from the current portfolio of programme grants, which were awarded through the Community and Voluntary Sector Grant Scheme from 2015/16 to 2017/18.
11. COMMUNITY ENVIRONMENT AND PARTNERSHIPS WORK 127 - 132 PROGRAMME The Committee is asked to note and review its Work Programme.
12. EXCLUSION OF PRESS AND PUBLIC To consider whether, in view of the nature of the remaining items on the agenda, any of them are likely to involve the disclosure of exempt or confidential information within the terms of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972
13. CONFIDENTIAL/EXEMPT ITEMS FOR INFORMATION
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Agenda Item 5
Meeting of the Community, Environment and Partnerships Committee meeting held on 15 March 2017 in Committee Rooms 1 & 2 - Deanes, Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council at 6.30pm
Members of the Community, Environment and Partnerships Committee in attendance: Councillor R Golding (Chair), Councillor R Bean, Councillor J Cousens, Councillor S Day, Councillor L Edwards, Councillor R Gardiner, Councillor T Jones, Councillor A McCormick and Councillor V Rowland
Also present:
Councillor S Bound - Cabinet Member for Communities and Community Safety
J Berry - North Hampshire Clinical Commissioning Group
A Brown - Hampshire County Council
S Bryant - Hampshire County Council
I Langley - Hampshire County Council
47/16 Apologies for absence and substitutions [Item 1]
Councillor A Court replaced by Councillor H Golding
48/16 Appointment of Vice-Chair [Item 2]
There were no nominations received for the appointment of a Vice-Chair. This position remained vacant.
49/16 Declarations of interest [Item 3]
Councillor S Day declared an interest in Item 6 on the grounds that he was currently employed by the National Health Service.
50/16 Urgent matters [Item 4]
There were no urgent matters considered.
51/16 Minutes of the meeting held on 22 February 2017 [Item 5]
The minutes of the last meeting held on 22 February 2017 were confirmed by the committee as a correct record and signed by the Chair.
52/16 Update on Mental Health Services and Support [Item 6]
J Berry, Head of Mental Health at the North Hampshire Clinical Commissioning Group, began by giving a brief review of the current provision of mental health services in Basingstoke and Deane and across the North Hampshire Clinical Commissioning Group area.
The chair then invited S Bryant, Consultant in Public Health at Hampshire County Council, to explain the work of the county council with regard to mental health. Mr Bryant began by explaining the work undertaken to date to embed prevention and early diagnosis into public health programmes and outlined a number of recent activities and initiatives to raise awareness among the public.
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Finally, K Hutfield-Christiansen, Social Inclusion Manager at Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, provided an update on the work of the council in using the concepts of ‘Psychologically Informed Environments’ and ‘Making Every Adult Matter’ to address complex issues with regard to homelessness and mental health.
The Chair invited the committee to ask questions of the invited speakers. Questions covered the following areas:
. Availability of other forms of treatment other than talking therapies.
. Delays in mental health sufferers accessing someone who was suitably trained.
. Importance of mental health services for older people who may suffer depression and anxiety.
. Raising awareness within schools, including mental health first aid training.
. Reducing the stigma of mental health issues through publicising where to get help.
. The number of mental health programmes and stakeholders may be confusing.
. Underuse/Overuse of services provided at Parklands Hospital
Resolved: That the committee -
1. Add the following items to the work programme to be timetabled in the forthcoming municipal year:
. A 12 Month Review of “Making Every Adult Matter” within the borough;
. Receive an update on the Sleeping Rough Project
2. Recommends the North Hampshire Clinical Commissioning Group consider relocation of the Wellbeing Centre, which is currently located on the edge of Basingstoke (Vyne Road), to a more central location when forward commissioning of services is considered.
53/16 Update on Supporting Troubled Families Programme [Item 7]
I Langley, Strategic Lead, Supporting Troubled Families Programme at Hampshire County Council, gave a presentation to the committee which provided an overview of the Supporting Troubled Families Programme across Hampshire and more specifically its operation within Basingstoke and Deane. Mr Langley set out the aims and intentions of interventions and explained the tailored support offered to families to resolve a range of issues that they may experience, including supporting families with children placed in the care system, truancy and anti-social behaviour.
The Chair invited the committee to ask questions of Mr Langley and his colleague A
Page 6 Brown, Basingstoke Supporting Troubled Families Programme Lead at Hampshire County Council. Questions covered the following areas:
. Difficulties that teachers and others experience in admitting individuals into Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services.
. Resistance to engagement with the Supporting Troubled Families by schools within Basingstoke.
. The difficulty and the need for a case by case consideration of circumstances where domestic violence was an issue but where the family remains in the same household.
. The risk of vulnerable individuals being exploited because employment opportunities may be limited.
. The National Supporting Troubled Families Programme Annual Report.
. Use of a troubled families champion to lead in specific geographic areas.
Resolved: That I Langley provide a web link for the Supporting Troubled Families Programme Annual Report to June Balcombe, Community Development Manager, Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, so that it may be circulated to members of the committee.
54/16 Community Environment and Partnerships Work Programme
Members noted that :
. An initial discussion of the motion referred from council regarding modern slavery was to be discussed at the committee’s meeting of 31 May 2017.
. The cultural Strategy that was to be discussed at the committee’s meeting on 15 March 2017 was to be discussed at the committee’s meeting of 31 May 2017.
. A report on Basingstoke Town Football Club’s stadium plans was to be added to the committee’s work programme to be considered in the new municipal year.
. The following items were to be added to the Work Programme to be timetabled:
- A 12 Month Review of “Making Every Adult Matter” - Household Waste Recovery Centres (motion referred from Council of 20 October 2016) - Receive an update on the Sleeping Rough Project - Waste Contract Tender: Consideration of Market Research
The meeting ended at 21:08.
Chair 1. Page 7
This page is intentionally left blank Agenda Item 7
Cultural Strategy Ten-year vision for culture and five-year cultural strategy
Cllr Terri Reid, Cabinet Member for Housing, Regeneration, Arts and Heritage
Report to CEP Committee Ward(s): All Key Decision: Yes Appendix 1: Draft Cultural Strategy Appendix 2: Draft Action Plan Appendix 3: (1) The contribution of the arts and culture to the national economy, Centre for Economics and Business Research, 2013 (2) The economic impact of Anvil Arts, BOP Consulting 2010 (3) Key research findings: the case for cultural learning, Cultural Learning Alliance, 2012 Papers relied on: www.culturallearningalliance.org.uk/evidence (4) Healthy attendance?, Scottish Government Social Research, 2013 (5) Great Art for Everyone, Arts Council England (6) Department for Culture, Media and Sport Lottery funding
Foreword - Cllr Terri Reid, Cabinet Member for Housing, Regeneration, Arts and Heritage
This report and strategy sets the strategic direction for arts and culture for the next 5 years and a vision to aim for over the next 10. The associated action plan and its outcomes will be reviewed annually to continue to monitor the achievements of this strategy. We are working in partnership more closely than ever before with our cultural partners and this joined up approach has resulted in a strategic direction and vision that works towards clear outcomes for residents, building on the place making work we are undertaking, supporting the use of arts and culture to improve educational attainment in our schools and delivering benefits to the local economy.
We want to create more opportunities for local creative businesses to thrive and use our arts and cultural facilities and organisations to benefit and improve the wellbeing
Page1 of 89 of our residents. The case studies in our strategy highlight just some of the many local projects our cultural providers are delivering with social value, wellbeing and community cohesion outcomes for those involved. We plan to improve our cultural facilities in the town centre, continue to provide work in our isolated rural communities, provide quality events throughout the year and work towards resilient and sustainable cultural organisations.
The growth of the borough population through projects like Manydown, mean that provision for residents is of vital importance in creating a place where residents want to live and work. Projects such as the Cultural Hub aim to revitalise the town centre and the improvements planned for the Leisure Park, will help us in our goals of achieving more opportunities to take part and engage in arts and culture. Basingstoke and Deane can be known as a hub for excellent arts and culture, attracting national attention, bringing visitors in and creating pride in our place. Jane Austen who was born in the borough and died 200 years ago is a lasting legacy and reminder of one local creative genius, and this strategy clearly sets out an aspiration to continue to develop the creative icons of the future.
Views of the committee are sought on:
. The strategic direction of this strategy and 10-year vision
. The associated action plan
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2 of 8 1 Background, corporate objectives and priorities
1.1 The commissioning review of Arts and Culture recommended in the improvement plan that we should, “Develop a strategic vision for how arts and cultural activities will be facilitated in the borough”.
1.2 In 2014/15 Cultural funding for strategic organisations was £1,326,117. Following the commissioning review, a reduction in funding to Strategic Grant recipients for Arts and Culture over 5 years will see funding in 2019/20 totalling £1,076,117, a reduction of £250.000.
1.3 A steering group called “Arts Vision to Reality” made up of the council, Anvil Arts, Proteus and Hampshire Cultural Trust was set up in spring 2016 to collaboratively develop a draft cultural strategy, deliver key projects such as the Cultural Hub and review of the Basingstoke Festival. The emphasis was to take time to develop relationships and trust and to bring forward ideas that all partners bought into.
1.4 A task and finish group has been developing the cultural strategy and has been identifying how arts and culture can widen its influence to contribute to some of the issues affecting growth and investment such as profile and image, educational attainment and poor quality development.
1.5 Strategic cultural funding has been awarded to Anvil Arts, Proteus Theatre Company, Hampshire Cultural Trust and Whitchurch Silk Mill on five year service level agreements to ensure sustainability and give organisations an opportunity to plan accordingly in times of reducing funding.
1.6 At the same time the officer structure was reviewed to facilitate taking on arts and culture. A new Arts and Events team has been created consisting of an Arts and Events Manager, Events Officer and Arts Development Officer. The team will implement the annual action plan in line with the council plan from 2018/19.
1.7 This strategy (appendix 1) is linked to the council plan priorities and sets out outcomes to benefit residents through its action plan (appendix 2):
Improving residents’ quality of life a. Position Basingstoke so that it is renowned internally and externally for culture. Excellent arts and culture, supported by public investment, are a key part of Basingstoke and strengthen its image and reputation. Building on this presents Basingstoke and Deane as an attractive place to live, work and visit through brokering and co-ordinating partnerships across all sectors. This will help to maximise any external funding and focus on supporting, growing and sustaining arts and culture.
Preparing for controlled and sustainable growth b. Culture helps to shape Basingstoke and Deane. As Basingstoke grows, culture can be involved in shaping the physical environment and supporting education, social and civic participation, physical and mental
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3 of 8 wellbeing. By preserving the historic fabric and updating our cultural facilities we aim to ensure an audience in the decades ahead.
Supporting those that need it c. Increase cultural creative diversity and support the aspiration for highly skilled artists making work in the borough, developing more opportunities for people to be inspired by arts and culture. We will focus supporting personal aspirations and attainment of young people through the cultural organisations existing engagement. This acts as a form of extra-curricular education and creative learning.
Glossary of terms
Term Definition Arts Council Arts Council England champion, develop and invest in great art England and culture for everyone on a national scale. The organisation is funded by central government and also distributes National Lottery funding for the arts. National Portfolio Organisation is a title given to significant flagship arts organisations who are considered to be either a leading national arts organisation or known for creating excellent art to support the delivery of key objectives, set out in the Arts Council’s strategy “Delivering great art for everyone”. This status comes with revenue investment and National Portfolio Organisations will receive investment from 2018/19 – 2021/22 in the next funding round.
Main considerations
2 Executive Summary
2.1 This strategy represents an opportunity to develop a plan for culture that will benefit residents, Basingstoke’s environment and local businesses. The strategy highlights outcomes associated with:
creating a positive reputation of Basingstoke and Deane;
supporting the wellbeing of people who live here;
benefiting the local economy through the encouragement of the creative industries;
helping toward the revitalisation of the Top of the Town;
improving educational attainment in young people.
2.2 This strategy has been developed in consultation with the Arts Council England’s 10-year strategic framework 'Achieving great art for everyone'. This should enhance further collaborative working and maximise funding opportunities from other funders.
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4 of 8 3 The Proposal
3.1 This strategy (appendix 1), created in partnership with cultural providers and stakeholders, aims to help deliver a 10-year vision for culture:
Our vision is of a Basingstoke and Deane positively known for arts and culture; a place where arts, heritage and culture are an integral part of Basingstoke and Deane’s identity and reputation, positioning the borough as an attractive place to live, learn, work and visit.
3.2 The following action plan (appendix 2) will be implemented and is designed to give the arts and events team a strategic direction for service delivery. Each of these actions have an associated timetable and are evaluated against the council plan (appendix 2).
a. Develop and enhance the relationship with key funding stakeholders, such as Arts Council England and Heritage Lottery Fund and actively encourage partnership working with its cultural stakeholders, maximising funding opportunities that benefit local arts organisations and independent artists.
b. Utilise culture in the external marketing of Basingstoke to businesses and visitors, supporting destination marketing and tourism opportunities as well as profile raising one-off large scale events and themes, increasing Basingstoke as a destination.
c. Develop projects working to support the creative case for diversity and work for children and young people, particularly growing formal and informal education opportunities for cultural partnerships and improve educational attainment levels through the use of the arts.
d. Develop creative initiatives that work for health and wellbeing social inclusion-based agendas and benefit those that need it.
e. Drive the updating of cultural facilities in the town centre and respond to opportunities related to the creation of a leading nationally recognised cultural hub that is the pride of the town centre.
f. Support the development of the events in the town centre through links with the Business Improvement District to encourage greater community cohesion and business engagement.
g. Create a new five-year business plan for Basingstoke Festival and Basingstoke Live positioning and growing both for a resilient and sustainable future.
h. Continue to support the growth of rural arts throughout the borough, creating and supporting projects in wards that are under represented by culture. Prioritise arts commissions in areas with low levels of arts infrastructure, engaging more residents. Page 13
5 of 8 i. Focus work around artists based in the borough, the art forms they represent and support the creative industries sector to grow and create jobs.
j. Build an evidence base for the arts by putting in place a robust research evaluation supporting this cultural strategy and grow audiences.
k. Provide support and advice on arts funding opportunities to cultural organisations and artists based in Basingstoke and Deane to encourage growth and investment.
l. Work with developers to ensure innovative schemes for public art contributions are implemented, creating a positive community environments.
4 Key issues for consideration
4.1 The general direction of travel covered in this 10-year vision for culture and five-year cultural strategy.
4.2 The benefits to residents and outcomes as highlighted in the case studies within this report.
5 Options Analysis
5.1 When considering what shape this cultural strategy could look like, the task and finish group considered the implications of this strategy taking an ‘arts for art sake’ approach. It was agreed this was not the best option as the opportunity to link with the priorities of the council and Arts Council England presented more opportunities to maximise external funding and grow collaboration and partnerships.
Corporate Implications
6 Legal Implications
6.1 None
7 Financial implications
7.1 This strategy represents an opportunity to maximise investment and lever external funding from other major funders.
7.2 This strategy aims to encourage stronger partnerships between stakeholders and businesses and encourages local investment in the arts. This is a key outcome of this strategy.
8 Risk management
8.1 A risk assessment has been completed in accordance with the council’s risk management process and has identified no significant (Red or Amber) residual risks that cannot be fully minimised by existing or planned controls or additional procedures. Page 14
6 of 8 9 Equalities implications
9.1 An Equality Impact Assessment has been undertaken to consider the impact of the implementation of the draft Cultural Strategy and ten-year vision for culture on the protected characteristics groups and the implications for the Public Sector Equality Duty. This assessment concluded that the strategy and vision have a generally positive impact on all groups as they supports the Creative Case for Diversity Arts Council England Goal, which aim to provide great art for all. They have a particularly positive impact on young people as they aim to improve educational attainment through culture.
9.2 The activities provided by the strategic cultural organisations as part of the action plan in this strategy will focus on council priority areas. Some of these will be targeted at specific groups e.g. people with low literacy and/or poor numeracy, disability, mental health, low income and people in rural areas. No differential impacts have been identified for any groups.
9.3 If the strategy and vision are approved, they would need to be monitored to identify any unforeseen impacts on any groups and communicated in a wide variety of ways.
10 Consultation and communication
10.1 We are developing a joined up vision for arts and cultural activities in the borough, working with Anvil Arts, Proteus and Hampshire Cultural Trust, building on the strong reputation, great facilities and wealth of talent and experience in the borough. This supports the council’s wider place making aspirations.
10.2 We will work with key partners and stakeholders to ensure they are kept informed and engaged. We will update stakeholders annually on the outcomes of this strategy and consult on our progress.
10.3 A communications strategy to keep residents and stakeholders informed and engaged and promote the innovative cultural work to a wider audience will be drafted to support each of the key themes and projects falling within this strategy.
11 HR implications
11.1 None
Conclusion
12 Summary and reason for the decision
12.1 Arts and culture are what enlivens Basingstoke and Deane. Culture is identity, places are not defined by their geographical location, but by the feel and aesthetic presence in the community.
12.2 Basingstoke and Deane has an opportunity to enable the world class cultural organisations currently resident to define the borough in this way by Page 15
7 of 8 supporting them with a cultural strategy that provides stability and commitment into the future.
12.3 Arts and culture, accessed locally, contributes to why 96% of residents agree that the area is a great place to live.
12.4 Through collaboration and an innovative approach we can develop and promote our best talents and push the boundaries of our creative ambition, fostering an environment in which the culture can flourish. A place where talent is nurtured, imagination celebrated, young people inspired, diversity celebrated and a creative chord is struck with our residents.
13 The options considered and rejected
13.1 None
Date: 11 July 2017 Decision taken by: Cabinet
Chas Bradfield, Head of Borough Development and Implementation Lead officer [email protected] 01256 845171 x 2171 Ross Harvie, Arts and Events Manager Report author [email protected] 01256 845676 x 2676 Version
Dated Status
It is considered that information contained within this report (and appendices) do not contain exempt information under the meaning Confidentiality of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972, as amended, and therefore can be made public.
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8 of 8 Appendix 1 Draft Cultural Strategy
Culture in our borough: a five year strategy and ten year vision for Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council
1. Executive Summary
There is a rich cultural life in the borough and the council is keen to protect, celebrate and enhance what already exists. This starts with the work going on in the centre of Basingstoke and reaches out to our rural communities. There are many ways in which culture can be a major player in the local economy. Contributing to our region’s community cohesion and outreach programmes; providing a catalyst and focus for growth; helping employers with both the recruitment and retention of employees through a strong local cultural offering; providing a positive profile for our region; preserving the fabric of our heritage and engendering a sense of pride in place.
Basingstoke and Deane has an opportunity to re-define its identity for the coming generations as a place where quality cultural activity is valued and supported and central to the future vision for the borough. These principles feed into economic and social regeneration at every level; attracting businesses to the area and making Basingstoke and Deane an attractive place to live and work.
We define culture in this strategy as the arts, heritage and popular assessable creative events run in the community and quite often by the community.
Basingstoke and Deane’s current investment in arts and culture is over £1.5million annually and creative industries make up 5% of all business in Basingstoke and Deane. This is significant nationally.
This strategy aims to increase the profile and breadth of Basingstoke and Deane’s cultural offer, creating a quality reputation and critical mass of arts and heritage which positions Basingstoke and Deane as a destination for people to visit and enhances the town as a place to live and work.
The annual action plan in this strategy is designed to give strategic direction for the borough development and implementation business unit at Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council.
2. About Basingstoke and Deane
The borough of Basingstoke and Deane covers an area of over 63,000 hectares (245 square miles) of north Hampshire, with Basingstoke town being the main settlement in the borough and the focus for key services and employment. The town is surrounded by attractive rural areas, including small towns and villages, with over 75% of the land within the borough defined as agricultural or woodland and a significant part being designated as a part of the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).
The number of residents in the borough has steadily increased since Basingstoke’s designation as an expanded town in the 1960s and the population stands at around 173,900. Basingstoke and Deane has a strong and diverse economy with a good balance of business across a range of sectors, including advanced manufacturing and ICT; financial and business services; logistics and distribution and environmental technologies.
1 Page 17 Appendix 1 Draft Cultural Strategy
Unemployment is at 3.2% and the economic activity rate is 85%. The economy is worth £5.2bn in Gross Value Added (GVA) and there are over 7,500 businesses with a high start- up and survival rate.
In the Local Plan period up to 2029, 15,300 new homes are to be built, with 3,500 to be located at Manydown to the west of Basingstoke. The population of the borough is expected to rise to almost 250,000 people by 2050.
3. Why do we need a strategy?
Following a period of review, the strategy affirms the importance of the cultural sector to the council and gives a clear direction for cultural development and the potential for growth in Creative Industries. It recognises the great value of arts and culture to the borough and outlines how Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council will work to maximise the benefits of culture for residents and visitors and to shape the development of cultural activity for future generations. This cultural strategy is intended to interlock with other stakeholder strategies, helping to support other council priorities and making an essential contribution to the wider strategic direction of the council. This strategy will focus on the impact and the potential growth for culture.
This strategy directly supports the Council Plan priorities of improving economic vitality, increasing skills and employment, creating neighbourhoods where people feel safe and want to live, supporting involved communities and maintaining a reputation for quality arts and leisure.
4. Culture in the area
Generally Basingstoke and Deane is an affluent borough, but there are some less affluent areas and some people living in rurally isolated areas who find it hard to access services based in the town. One of the strengths of Basingstoke’s cultural provision is that it caters for a wider range of arts and events for a town of its size, having progressed significantly from a more usual single mid-scale theatre model. This means that a wider range of people are engaging with arts and culture, attending out of curiosity and developing a love of unusual art forms. There is also a large amateur arts sector covering music, drama, heritage and dance. In order to reach as many people as possible in the borough, the council specifically created a Rural Fund programme which aims to build local audiences in rural areas of low cultural offer or engagement. Through the Basingstoke Festival and Top of the Town event commissions, there are free performances and activities which aim to engage with new audiences and disadvantaged families as well as support local business. At the heart of this strategy is an aspiration to make culture as inclusive as possible, encouraging local artists and give them a platform or voice for showcasing work at events such as Basingstoke Live and build audiences through the development of more unusual art forms such as puppetry. Popular Culture plays a key role our arts provision.
The council funds four organisations to deliver strategic cultural programmes and to manage both purpose-built and converted arts facilities in the borough. They are Hampshire Cultural Trust, Proteus, Anvil Arts and Whitchurch Silk Mill. These organisations are strategically on a five-year funding agreement to allow each organisation to develop and sustain culture for
2 Page 18 Appendix 1 Draft Cultural Strategy
the borough. The council also funds smaller cultural organisations to deliver arts-based Health and Wellbeing focused projects.
4.1 The Basingstoke region is rich in cultural provision with heritage attractions playing a key role in attracting residents and visitors to the region. Heritage venues include gems such as The Vyne, Highclere Castle and Stratfield Saye with Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council directly supporting Hampshire Cultural Trust which runs three venues offering quality attractions which together bring over 150,000 visitors a year. Of these, Milestones, in central Basingstoke, is a unique flagship museum in the South East of England which captures the history of Hampshire in a fun environment for all the family. It shows over 20,000 original objects either made or used in Hampshire in an unusual and attractive setting of buildings set out in a network of streets (Victorian, Edwardian and 1930’s) inside a purpose designed accessible building. A record of the local social, industrial and transport history can be explored in Milestones’ old cobbled streets where enthusiasts can also enjoy the collection of beautifully restored vintage vehicles. One of Hampshire Cultural Trusts long term aims is to harness Basingstoke’s fantastic reputation for the development of science, technology and its strong links with the history of innovation and technological development, from steam power to aeronautical innovation. By developing Milestones as a showcase for technological innovation, learning from the past, to understanding the present and preparing for the future, Hampshire Cultural Trust aims to create programmes which engage young people and help them make informed decisions about the science and technology field which is so important in our lives today. Basing House is an ancient scheduled monument which is just two miles from the centre of Basingstoke in Old Basing. As well as the house ruins, there is also a glorious Grade 1 listed Great Barn. The site is steeped in history having been the largest private house in England during Tudor times. It was visited by all the Tudor monarchs and was finally destroyed by Cromwell at the end of the Civil War. The site is a fully serviced visitor attraction with a visitor centre, café and shop. In addition a programme of events such as re-enactments and theatre performances regularly take place in the beautiful grounds. The Willis Museum and Sainsbury Gallery is based in the old Town Hall building at the Top of the Town in Basingstoke. The Sainsbury Gallery is a government indemnity standard exhibition space which allows it to receive works and artefacts of high value. The gallery has a programme of exceptional quality for its size, and hosts temporary touring exhibitions from national lenders such as the Natural History Museum, British Museum and Victoria & Albert Museum, as well as work from internationally renowned artists. Hampshire Cultural Trust is also a powerful player in supporting statutory and other key agendas for vulnerable young people, older people, schools and communities. It does this through its Better Life Chances programme which aims to change lives through culture and seeks to reach those who can’t be reached without targeted initiatives. The programme uses culture and the arts to raise confidence and self-esteem, increase skills and participation, broaden horizons and raise aspirations, improve quality of life and connectedness to the community and improve the health and well-being of participants.
3 Page 19 Appendix 1 Draft Cultural Strategy
Case Study – The Rise and Fall of Basing House – Hampshire Cultural Trust This partnership project with Hampshire Cultural Trust, Aldworth Science College and Basingstoke and Deane Young Carers was funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund’s Young Roots Programme. Both groups of young people learnt more about their local heritage, gained skills in research, visited a number of historic sites, improved their creativity and gained Bronze Arts Award, a Level 1 Regulated Framework Qualification.
“One young carer with additional responsibilities at home has benefitted from the project: at the first session she did not speak at all, at the second session she made a small contribution and by the filming day had grown in confidence and interest in the project. This has been a particularly significant opportunity for her and the whole group who value time away from home responsibilities to have time for their own development and enjoyment.” Sessional Worker 26 local young people have learnt more about their local heritage and specifically the story of Basing House. They visited three heritage sites, gained skills in research, interpretation of history, creative writing, film production and performance. The young people worked with heritage and arts professionals, and gained knowledge, skills and confidence throughout. One young volunteer has gained significant leadership skills and another young volunteer has improved her work experience and CV. 18 young people achieved Bronze Arts Award qualification. As part of the project, a celebration evening was held for parents and school staff to share learning, and Basing House, as a heritage site, gained a new interpretation via film, on site and online.
4.2 Proteus
Proteus Theatre Company is an award-winning producing company that believes the audience is as important as the artist. Quality, integrity and innovation are the values at the heart of all their work, and the criteria by which success is judged.
Resident in Basingstoke, at the Proteus Creation Space, Proteus has more than 30 years’ experience of creating high quality work in the borough, touring nationally and internationally. The work of the company has been seen as far afield as New York but also is performed locally throughout the rural and suburban parts of the borough.
The company is leading the way for producing touring theatre, circus and puppetry arts, most recently collaborating with the South Bank Centre in London. Proteus also supports three Associate Artists with emerging national profiles: Director Ben Mills, circus company Nearly There Yet and puppet and mask company Scratchbuilt, all who make work in Basingstoke.
Proteus plays a key role in the provision of performance and participatory opportunities for our community, regularly reaching a target audience of over 35,000 people through their work. Proteus collaborates with artists from different disciplines such as circus, puppetry and the visual arts, in order to make unique performance and participatory pieces. They make work both for and with diverse communities, from rural villages to socially excluded young people, creating amazing experiences and enriching lives through the power of the performing arts. Proteus curates, produces and programmes professional work for the
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Basingstoke Festival and the Top of Town events programme, bringing the highest quality national and international artists to the borough to make work in Basingstoke.
The extensive participatory engagement programme includes five Youth Theatres (from 6 - 25yrs) in association with Anvil Arts, activities for adults and children with physical and learning disabilities, specialised workshops for adults with mental health issues, and a large bespoke programme of reactive workshops and activities to issues pertinent to our communities. In the past this has led to large scale projects including those looking at issues of domestic violence working with families and post-traumatic stress disorder in returning military personnel.
Proteus Creation Space is the home of the company and operates a wide range of art, performance and well-being classes and activities for the local community. The ex- Edwardian school building is within walking distance from the town centre. The Creation Space provides a base for six resident visual and live performance artists and also operates Spring Park House, two empty floors of a unused office block at Basing View that is home to 12 visual artists and a further 10 live performance artists.
Proteus positively encourages Basingstoke-based artists to develop and flourish, offering free space for artists to make work and experiment in their studio theatre. The company also offers help and guidance on securing funds from other sources including Arts Council England and seed fund new commissions via the Basingstoke Festival and the Basingstoke and Deane Rural Development Fund that the company produces in collaboration with Anvil Arts as a separate commission from the council.
Case Study – Proteus and Anvil Arts, The Basingstoke Youth Theatre
Proteus and Anvil Arts run a weekly youth theatre for 6 – 21 year olds, offering up to two production opportunities on a local stage such as the Haymarket where the young performers get a chance to perform on the stage as part of the Basingstoke Festival. A recent member who has attended the group for over 6 years and was lacking on confidence and communication skills, was recently accepted onto the Central Saint Martins prestigious BA (Hons) Culture, Criticism and Curation course after completing her A Levels and a Silver Arts Award, the equivalent to a GCSE A*-C. The arts college considered her long standing youth theatre membership and extra-curricular studies when assessing her application.
4.3 Anvil Arts Anvil Arts is the largest performing arts organisation in Hampshire and runs The Anvil (concert hall), The Haymarket (theatre) and The Forge (studio) in Basingstoke.
Since it opened, The Anvil has enhanced the musical life of the south of England, transformed the image of Basingstoke and Deane and become the envy of many larger towns and cities. Audiences can hear music-making of the highest quality in acoustics which are among the finest in the country. The Haymarket, with touring drama as the bedrock of its programme, has also developed a strong
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following for work for children and families. Audiences come from all parts of the borough and the quality of the programme draws in people from miles around, building the image of Basingstoke and contributing to the local economy and the quality of life for those living in, working in or visiting the borough.
In addition, more than 30,000 local children each year have opportunities to discover their musical talents, and the power of music helps children in special schools and at risk of exclusion. This essential part of Anvil Arts work makes a long-term difference to building Basingstoke as a community.
The Anvil is part of Arts Council England’s National Portfolio of the most important arts organisations in the country. As well as direct funding, over £800,000 in Arts Council England investment is attracted to Basingstoke by The Anvil’s programme.
Case Study – Anvil Arts work for Special Educational Needs (SEN) Anvil Arts annual education programme focuses on work with young people from two Basingstoke-based Special Educational Needs (SEN) schools and is supported by special relaxed performances of the orchestra concert series and pantos at The Anvil for families with children with additional needs such as autism. Both Dove House School Academy and Saxonwood Special School in Basingstoke have engaged in projects designed to increase confidence and self-esteem of participants, encourage creativity and bring together the schools to perform at The Anvil. Dove House School Academy is committed to delivery arts-based learning to its young people and rely on arts-education to ensure their students are communicative and enthusiastic. The Navigator Project, a devised musical response based on the 1924 silent movie, engaged 50 participants with the majority showing a clear increase in confidence. The project employed artists for approximately 40 hours and the bringing together of both schools into a professional venue was valued by all.
4.4 Other Cultural Events, Activities and Artists/Organisations The Basingstoke Festival In its sixth year, the Basingstoke Festival is an annual festival in June-July which showcases the best of Basingstoke and Deane’s culture. Currently co-ordinated by the council, funded organisations are the main cultural contributors to the festival with additional events and activities from venues and communities across the borough. The festival closes with a music festival, Basingstoke Live, in the War Memorial Park in the centre of town. Basingstoke Live has an average attendance of 20,000 people annually. There are many other events in the area that add to the cultural vibrancy throughout the year including Kite Festival, Basingstoke Festival of Transport, CarFest, and OctoberFest. The council supports some of these events through its internal Arts and Events team. Jane Austen 200 2017 is the 200th anniversary of Jane Austen’s death. Jane was born in the borough, in Steventon near Basingstoke, and in 2017 there will be a programme of events and activities to celebrate her work and local connections. A sub-group of local stakeholders has been
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developed to attract funding and deliver some events. Events include historical walks, picnics in the park and a permanent memorial. Other Artists/Organisations In recent years, there have been a number of individual artists and organisations relocating to Basingstoke and Deane. Companies have formed out of studies at the University of Winchester, including Fluid Motion Theatre Company, specialising in the area of arts for wellbeing, and Myths and Legwarmers Theatre Company who make children’s theatre. Other organisations such as the award-winning Scratch Built Productions who produce handmade puppetry and theatre-based storytelling are now key to the arts ecology. There is appetite for further space to be made available to support the growth of both craft makers and visual artists.
Basingstoke and Deane is home to a vast collection of public art. Since 1989 the council has encouraged developers to include art in new developments and improvement schemes. From sculptures to seating, and gates to glasswork, this has resulted in a vibrant range of public art which can be found across the borough. By ensuring stimulating and engaging artwork continues to be commissioned, the existence of a rich cultural legacy for future generations will be guaranteed.
Case Study – Scratchbuilt Productions ‘live in’ artist studio flat at Proteus Creation Space
“I always wanted to be a professional puppet maker and before moving to Basingstoke I was making Puppets in my spare time, having to work full time in a career I wasn’t inspired by. Moving to Basingstoke into the artists flat above the Proteus Creation Space has given me a dedicated workshop, and means I can work full time, catapulting my full time puppet making business. I have easy connections to London, artists to collaborate locally and seven DIY shops to choose from. If you need material, you can find it somewhere in Basingstoke! Having the support of an artist development community theatre organisation like Proteus and venues such as the Haymarket has meant I have picked up work on my doorstep too. As soon as my partner and I moved into the Proteus Creation Space our workload tripled. We became heavily involved in all the artistic aspects of Basingstoke life and we wanted to create more work which we now try out on Basingstoke Festival audiences first. We worked on the town centre carnival, Mexican Day of the Dead and the Octoberfest beer festival. My partner Becky has developed as a producer and we created a Christmas show for Proteus that has run for three years, with funding from Arts Council England, Grants for the Arts, and now brings in people from all over Hampshire.”
Nick Ash, Artistic Director
Scratchbuilt Productions now run a national puppetry conference in Basingstoke, and since moving to Basingstoke Nick has made puppets for international companies, London theatres and television. Nick has won two critic awards including Family Arts Awards in London and an international puppetry award in Hawaii.
5. Key challenges and opportunities
The key challenges to be addressed are:
The development of Basingstoke and Deane 7 Page 23 Appendix 1 Draft Cultural Strategy
Over the next 20 years Basingstoke will continue to develop and reinforce its leading role in the region with 15,300 homes to be built by 2030. The council recognises that there is a requirement to ensure that new development is not soulless, that these new communities need good transport links for cultural organisations to progress their role in shaping that development physically, and also by helping the new communities to come together to define their identity and act as a socially unifying force. The arts offer a way of overcoming divisions, bringing all parts of the borough together on an equal footing in a shared enjoyable experience. With the planned development imminent, the involvement of the cultural sector becomes important to avoid past mistakes.
As Basing View and the Leisure Park are also revitalised during this time, there are opportunities for the early involvement of arts and culture to help widen the visitor base to Basingstoke.
The Rural Arts Development Fund brings together communities out of the town centre and builds audiences in areas with less than 5% engagement in Arts and Culture and where there is a lack of provision.
The creative economy of Basingstoke and Deane
Creative industries are the fastest growing sector in the national economy. A report in March 2016 found that they contribute almost £10m an hour to the economy, and their GVA has increased at a higher rate than the national economy every year since 1997 (1).There are proven economic impact statistics about the high return on investment in arts and culture and the effect of secondary spend by audiences and visitors on town centre businesses. A study of Anvil Arts found that the organisation generated almost £6 for the local economy for every £1 of public investment (2). Arts and culture are a key part of economic growth in the area and equate to 5% of business. Digital as well as performing arts are part of the cultural offer and are a reflection of Basingstoke’s modern economy.
Lottery funders (Arts Council England, Heritage Lottery Fund and Big Lottery) have collectively contributed over £3 million to cultural projects in Basingstoke since 2014 (6).
The council’s efforts to revitalise the Top of the Town are supported through the year-round programme at The Haymarket, by exhibitions at the Willis Museum, and by a programme of events running all year round. A large proportion of the Basingstoke Festival takes place in and around the Top of the Town and venues in the town centre. Events in 2015 attracted investment from Arts Council England as well as being supported by local business sponsorship.
Reputation and identity of Basingstoke and Deane
8 Page 24 Appendix 1 Draft Cultural Strategy
Basingstoke is known for The Anvil and the Leisure Park and has a good reputation for high quality culture. However as Basingstoke develops, ensuring it has a clear positive identity is important. Culture can be a major part of reinforcing that identity.
Building on Basingstoke’s reputation as a centre for culture with excellent quality of life helps to retain businesses in the area and attracts new businesses to invest here. Inward investment and business retention marketing highlights key messages about quality of life including culture and will continue to do so.
Case Study – Day of the Dead, a celebration for Basingstoke Top of the Town, Basingstoke
In Basingstoke we do things differently. As part of a council drive to encourage more events at the Top of the Town and forming part of the wider town centre programme to revitalise the area, Proteus Theatre Company worked with Big Adventures to come up with an alternative celebration for Halloween. Day of the Dead, a South American tradition designed to honour ancestors in a colourful celebration has run over two successive years and has encouraged in excess of 2,000 people to each event. Half Term related projects working with up to 50 young people, some of whom are classed as hard to reach, have brought diverse communities together. The event has attracted regional media attention and been received positively by local retailers and businesses for attracting people into the area.
Aspiration and young people
Anvil Arts, Proteus and Hampshire Cultural Trust between them have over 100,000 contacts with young people each year. Hampshire Music Hub also organises music teaching and school and county choirs and orchestras. Exposure to the wide range of arts on offer in Basingstoke and Deane can help to develop young people’s confidence, develop curiosity and raise aspirations to achieve.
Studies have proved that learning through the arts and culture improves attainment across other parts of the curriculum. Cognitive ability, attainment and employability are all positively affected. Participation in structured arts activities can increase cognitive abilities by 17% and learning through arts and culture can improve attainment in Maths and English. Those involved in the arts from low income families are three times more likely to progress to further education than those who are not involved in the arts. Employability of students who study arts subjects is higher and they are more likely to stay in employment. (3). There is also evidence to show that engagement in the arts develops active citizens who are more likely to vote and volunteer. Culture can also be part of a means of helping those excluded or at risk of offending and encouraging young people’s engagement outside formal education.
Through this strategy, it is the aim is for all levels of education in the borough to engage with culture.
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Health and wellbeing
Arts and culture also has a role in supporting well-being and mental health in all age-groups. A recent study found that participation in the arts, whether as an audience member or actively taking part, is significantly associated with good health and high life satisfaction (4). Cultural involvement in education, health and wellbeing, the environment, multicultural activity, helping minorities of all kinds find a voice, raising aspiration, bridging the generation gap, allowing people to participate. As the population ages there is also a role for culture in lifelong learning. Members of the Basingstoke Cultural Forum sit on the Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council Health and Wellbeing Partnership.
Case Study – Shake It Up, healthy living Primary schools project Health and Wellbeing Partnership Board in partnership with Basingstoke Cultural Forum
The aim of this creative project delivered by cultural members of Basingstoke Cultural Forum involving dance, puppetry, drama and film-making practitioners, was to increase awareness of healthy eating and exercise among young people aged 9 to 11 and encourage these messages to be shared in the home setting. Six primary schools engaged in this activity, with 360 pupils being involved in the programme overall. Evidence from schools showed engagement levels in physical activity have increased during and after the programme. 98% of young people who participated were able to identify a healthy balanced meal and its components; a healthy café menu exercise was completed by 58% at home with family members. 82% tried a new form of exercise or physical game they had not undertaken before. As a legacy of the project, an education pack was created for teachers to continue to explore the topic themes outside of sessions with artists.
6. Key themes and priorities of the strategy and the vision for the future
In order to meet these key challenges, this strategy will link to the following themes which are linked to the council plan:
Improving residents’ quality of life
a. Position Basingstoke and Deane so that it is renowned internally and externally for culture. Excellent arts and culture, supported by public investment, are a key part of Basingstoke and will strengthen its image and reputation. Building on this presents Basingstoke as an attractive place to live, work and visit through brokering and co-ordinating partnerships across all sectors. This will help to maximise any external funding and focus on supporting, growing and sustaining arts and culture.
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Preparing for controlled and sustainable growth
b. Culture helps to shape Basingstoke and Deane. As Basingstoke grows, culture can be involved in shaping the physical environment and supporting education, social and civic participation, physical and mental wellbeing. By preserving the historic fabric and updating our cultural facilities we aim to ensure an audience in the decades ahead.
Supporting those that need it
c. Increase cultural creative diversity and support the aspiration for highly skilled artists making work in the borough, developing more opportunities for people to be inspired by arts and culture. We will focus supporting personal aspirations and attainment of young people through the cultural organisations existing engagement. This acts as a form of extra-curricular education and creative learning.
The council has aligned the priorities in this Cultural Strategy to Arts Council England’s 10- year strategic framework 'Achieving great art for everyone'. This framework makes clear the Arts Council's commitment to purposeful, long-term collaborative relationships with local government to embed the arts in public life – helping to ensure that the benefits to our economy, national prestige, mental health, social cohesion and wellbeing are realised. The vision
Arts and culture are what enlivens Basingstoke and Deane. Culture is identity, places are not defined by their geographical location, but by the feel and aesthetic presence in the community. The regeneration of areas of Britain by artists has time and again demonstrated how their energy and aesthetic vibrancy attracts businesses, residents and investment, ultimately re-defining locations as attractive and desirable places of cohesion and harmony in which to live and work. Basingstoke and Deane has an opportunity to enable the world class cultural organisations currently resident to define the borough in this way by supporting them with a cultural strategy that provides stability and commitment into the future.
Arts and Culture makes us feel at home and part of a cohesive community. Arts and culture put the human side into the town, creating experiences that enrich people’s memories for a lifetime. Arts and culture, accessed locally, are a big part of the reason why 96% of residents agree that the area is a great place to live.
From the Festival and live music, through to public art and town centre regeneration, culture brings originality and joy to our residents, creating an energetic pulse to life here. It reveals a vibrant and individual character to our image, helping to make us distinctive as a destination so that people want to visit and get to know us. There are few towns in Europe of Basingstoke’s size that possess a concert hall of international standard, a producing national touring theatre company and museums and galleries holding artefacts of significant importance – a powerful and tangible symbol that the town’s art and cultural heritage is a national treasure and something of real value.
Through collaboration and an innovative approach we can develop and promote our best talents and push the boundaries of our creative ambition, fostering an environment in which the culture can flourish. A place where talent is nurtured, imagination celebrated, young people inspired, diversity celebrated and a creative chord is struck with our residents.
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Our vision is of a Basingstoke and Deane positively known for arts and culture; a place where arts, heritage and culture are an integral part of Basingstoke and Deane’s identity and reputation, positioning the borough as an attractive place to live, learn, work and visit.
References
(1) The contribution of the arts and culture to the national economy, Centre for Economics and Business Research, 2013 (2) The economic impact of Anvil Arts, BOP Consulting 2010 (3) Key research findings: the case for cultural learning, Cultural Learning Alliance, 2012 (4) Healthy attendance?, Scottish Government Social Research, 2013 (5) Great Art for Everyone Arts Council England (6) Department for Culture, Media and Sport Lottery funding
12 Page 28 Appendix 2 Draft Action Plan
Cultural Strategy Action Plan a. Develop and enhance the relationship with key funding stakeholders, such as Arts Council England and Heritage Lottery Fund and actively encourage partnership working with its cultural stakeholders, maximising funding opportunities that benefit local arts organisations and independent artists. b. Utilise culture in the external marketing of Basingstoke to businesses and visitors, supporting destination marketing and tourism opportunities as well as profile raising one-off large scale events and themes, increasing Basingstoke as a destination. c. Develop projects working to support the creative case for diversity and work for children and young people, particularly growing formal and informal education opportunities for cultural partnerships and improve educational attainment levels through the use of the arts. d. Develop creative initiatives that work for health and wellbeing social inclusion-based agendas and benefit those that need it. e. Drive the updating of cultural facilities in the town centre and respond to opportunities related to the creation of a leading nationally recognised cultural hub that is the pride of the town centre. f. Support the development of the events in the town centre through links with the Business Improvement District to encourage greater community cohesion and business engagement. g. Create a new five-year business plan for Basingstoke Festival and Basingstoke Live positioning and growing both for a resilient and sustainable future. h. Continue to support the growth of rural arts throughout the borough, creating and supporting projects in wards that are under represented by culture. Prioritise arts commissions in areas with low levels of arts infrastructure, engaging more residents. i. Focus work around artists based in the borough, the art forms they represent and support the creative industries sector to grow and create jobs. j. Build an evidence base for the arts by putting in place a robust research evaluation supporting this cultural strategy and grow audiences. k. Provide support and advice on arts funding opportunities to cultural organisations and artists based in Basingstoke and Deane to encourage growth and investment. l. Work with developers to ensure innovative schemes for public art contributions are implemented, creating a positive community environments.
1 Page 29 Appendix 2 Draft Action Plan
Actions Improving Preparing for Supporting Time scale residents’ controlled and those that need (completion date) quality of life sustainable it growth
1. Ongoing 2. Ongoing 3. annually 4. annually 5. 2022 6. March 2018 7. January 2018 for implementation in April 2018 8. Ongoing 9. Ongoing 10. annually 11. Ongoing 12. April 2018
2 Page 30 Agenda Item 8
Fly-tipping in Basingstoke & Deane Cllr H. Eachus, Cabinet Member for Regulatory Service and the Environment
Committee for Community, Environment and Report to Partnerships Ward(s): All Key Decision: No Appendix 1: BDBC arrangements for responding to fly-tipping Appendix 2: DEFRA – Fly-tipping statistics for England 2015/16 Appendix 3: Fly-tipping Strategy for Hampshire Appendix 4: BDBC fly-tipping data collection form Fly-tipping Strategy for Hampshire Papers relied on: Draft fly-tipping Communication Strategy Corporate data
Foreword - Cllr Hayley Eachus, Cabinet Member for Regulatory Services and the Environment
Fly-tipping is a significant local and national problem. It is the cause of much frustration amongst our residents, Officers and Members alike. It is a behaviour that harms our environment, potentially poses a risk to people’s health, and costs vast sums of money to clear up and dispose of. Our enforcement officers have been proactive in implementing ways of working to try and reduce this behaviour, and tackle head on those who are responsible. But it is a big task. The latest figures present challenges to the perception of how much fly-tipping there is in Basingstoke, but after scrutinising what we are doing and how we are organised, I am confident that we have robust processes in place, and personnel who are equipped to robustly deal with this issue.
Recommendation to Committee:
. This paper is presented for information, and its contents for noting and discussion
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Background, corporate objectives and priorities
This report provides an overview of the extent of fly-tipping activity in the borough and how the council responds to notifications of fly-tipping. The paper also includes a summary of the fly-tipping strategy being developed by Hampshire County Council (HCC) which makes a number of recommendations to enhance work being done district councils to tackle fly-tipping.
Glossary of terms
Term Definition The prohibition on unauthorised or harmful deposit, treatment or Fly-tipping disposal of waste (Environmental Protection Act 1990 s.33 FPN Fixed Penalty Notice Duty of care as respects waste – the duty of everyone to ensure Duty of Care their waste is handled and disposed of in a lawful way and does (DoC) not lead to an offence under s.33 (fly-tipping) (Environmental Protection Act 1990 s.34)
Main considerations
1 Executive Summary
1.1 Fly-tipping is the generic term used to describe the unlawful disposal of controlled waste. The council is pro-active and organised in its response to fly- tipping issues, however we continue to face significant problems with this type of behaviour around the borough. This is mirrored nationally in statistics on fly- tipping which continue to be on the increase.
1.2 The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) collect and monitor the extent of fly-tipping nationally, and publish data on the incidences of fly-tipping on an annual basis. The most recent release from DEFRA reported an increase in fly-tipping incidents for 2015/16 to 936,000 compared with 900,000 in 2014/15.
1.3 In Basingstoke and Deane, we rely on several datasets to inform our understanding of the extent of fly-tipping in the borough:
i) The number of fly-tipping reports made by the public to the council, a figure which has been steadily increasing in recent years;
ii) The number of fly-tipping incidents the council has cleared. This is the data submitted to DEFRA. Although the number of incidents has been in decline for a number of years, the next data release will imply incidents in Basingstoke and Deane have doubled over the last year;
iii) The weight of fly-tipped waste collected by the council has been declining over the last 4 years. This is in contrast to increases in the number of incidents recorded.
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2 of 10 2 Background
2.1 Fly-tipping is a criminal offence as detailed in s.33 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (referred to as the unlawful disposal of waste). Closely linked to this offence is the ‘duty of care’ offence detailed in s.34 which places a duty on anyone producing waste to ensure that waste is disposed of properly. This is particularly relevant when waste is transferred to a 3rd party for disposal e.g. to commercial (or opportunistic) waste carriers.
2.2 Fly-tipping offences may be dealt with by way of a fixed penalty notice, which the council has recently increased from £200 to the maximum of £400. Alternatively, where prosecution action is taken, offences can attract a fine of up to £50,000 or 12 months imprisonment if found guilty in a magistrates court, or an unlimited fine and up to five years imprisonment if convicted in Crown Court. In certain circumstances it may also be possible to seize vehicles in relation to such offences.
2.3 The Environmental Health (EH) team take a lead for the council for the investigation and enforcement of fly-tipping. This includes the coordination of activities carried out by the Community Safety Support Officers (CSPOs), and the Operations teams who carry out preliminary investigations in response to fly tipping notifications (Appendix 1).
2.4 The EH team also investigate fly-tipping incidents on behalf of Hart District Council (HDC) under the shared service street cleansing contract. Under this arrangement, which expires in 2018, HDC pay for 1 day per week of time spent on fly tipping investigations and associated work.
3 The incidence of fly-tipping in the borough
3.1 The council submits fly-tipping data to DEFRA on a quarterly basis. DEFRA publish national data annually on the incidence of fly-tipping in England which is broken down by each local authority. This data provides an indication of the local and national costs of clearing up fly-tipping. This is the data that is typically referred to and used when fly-tipping receives attention in the media. See Appendix 2 for DEFRA summary report on fly-tipping statistics in England 2015/16.
3.2 This data is limited in its reliability and relies on the assumption that each local authority in England is gathering information in the same way, has the same reporting mechanisms and interprets the guidance on how the data should be gathered.
3.3 The methodology for capturing the raw data is highly subjective and open to interpretation. As such there can be a significant degree of variation between local authorities when it comes to the data submitted and published. Therefore caution should be exercised when drawing comparisons between local authorities.
3.4 As referred to in paragraph 1.3 above, the figure the council has reported to DEFRA for the number of fly-tips collected, had been in decline for a number of consecutive years. However, the data for 2016/17 shows an increase of near to 100% on the previous year. Page 33
3 of 10 3.5 We believe the main reason for the increase in this figure is that managerial changes within the Operations team have led to greater rigour and more accurate reporting of incidents, and a standardisation of the data being captured for this purpose. It is likely the case that Operations team were historically removing fly-tipped waste, but not accurately recording the amount of waste collected.
3.6 To supplement this information, additional data has been gathered (table 1 below) to us give a more informed view on the extent of fly-tipping in the borough and the scale of the problem.
Table 1
Trend 2013/14 2014/15 2015/16 2016/17
1. Reports of fly-tipping 3.7 C from the public to 1694 1805 1989 2352 ↑ o BDBC m m2. Incidents of fly-tipped e waste removed by 1798 1308 1036 2147 ↑ n BDBC Ops teams t 3. Weight of waste a (tonnes) collected by ↓ 1725 1655 1556 1106 r BDBC Ops team as y ‘fly-tip’ waste 3.8 A s is evident from Row 1 in the above table, the number of reports to the council has been increasing since 2013/14. We have actively encouraged and promoted public engagement on the issue of fly-tipping. It is now easier than ever to report this type of issue to the council. With the widespread use of mobile apps, email, the council’s web form, or conventional correspondence, there are numerous options to suit the public’s preferred way of contacting us.
3.9 The Operations team respond very quickly to reports of fly-tipping and typically clear the waste in a very short space of time. These swift interventions are a positive re-enforcement to those who report incidents and boost public confidence in the council’s readiness to respond, and that if it is reported, something will happen.
3.10 Row 2 in the table shows the data that is reported to DEFRA – the number of fly-tips the council’s Operations team has cleared. As discuss above, this figure suggests a 100% increase when compared to the previous year. As per paragraphs 3.2 – 3.8, although these figures have risen dramatically, it is unclear whether this is because of the greater rigour in recording this data, or whether there the actual number of fly tipping incidences has increased, or a combination of both.
3.11 Row 3 represents the total amount of fly-tipped waste collected by weight in tonnes, as measured by weight of waste on council vehicles presented at the waste transfer stations. Since 2013/14 the data indicates a decrease in fly- Page 34
4 of 10 tipped waste by weight from 1725 tonnes in 2013/14, to 1106 tonnes in 2016/17 which is a positive trend.
3.12 It should be noted that this figure also includes an element of litter waste also collected by the street cleansing teams, as the loads of the two types of material are often mixed on the vehicles. The overall amount of litter waste has not increased markedly which would seem to indicate a reduction in the weight of fly-tipped waste collected. The council and HCC are currently exploring ways of improving the accuracy of this data in relation to these two waste categories.
3.13 At time of writing we do not have available the geographical breakdown on the reports of fly-tipping by ward over recent years. However, this information will be made available to the committee at the meeting.
4 Actions to deal with fly-tipping
4.1 The current arrangements to respond to and deal with incidents of fly-tipping are detailed in Appendix 1.
4.2 Of the fly-tipping incidents reported to the council, and/or where the Operations team removed the waste, 74 of these provided leads on a potential perpetrator. These were all investigated, with 25 interviews under caution being carried out in the process, leading to 9 fixed penalty notices (£200 per fine) being issued to persons found to be responsible. There are currently 15 open investigations. It has not been possible to progress the other 50 cases due to insufficient evidence.
4.3 A further 24 cases have been investigated in the same period for Hart District Council. One case has been referred for prosecution with 3 cases currently under investigation.
4.4 As the figures suggest, the number of cases where action is taken against perpetrators is low in comparison to the number of incidents of fly-tipping. Enforcement action in the context of fly-tipping is almost always reliant on 3rd party testimony and the willingness of members of the public to provide accurate and reliable accounts of incidents. Due to the nature of the majority of fly-tip incidents, it is rare that there is a witness, or enough other evidence to make a link to a perpetrator.
4.5 Witnesses are frequently unwilling to co-operate and testify because the guilty party is someone they know e.g. a neighbour. On other occasions, witnesses fail to give reliable information about when the offence took place which undermines any further action.
4.6 Cases where enforcement action can be progressed usually involve capturing the act of fly-tipping in photos or on video, with vehicle details. This will usually come from a third party where the fly-tip has occurred in a remote location and the witness has no relationship with the perpetrator or the location. In this type of situation witnesses are more likely to co-operate.
4.7 Other successful investigations have involved an individual’s correspondence being found amongst the waste, and further enquiries reveal they have used a Page 35
5 of 10 cash in hand/white van type collection and can evidence this. As the individual concerned may have committed an offence under s.34 by failing to make reasonable checks, they are often more compelled to co-operate. However these cases can often pose significant challenges in proving an offence beyond reasonable doubt.
4.8 The council has for many years advocated a ‘zero tolerance’ approach to fly- tipping. However, as the number of incidents of fly-tipping that we respond to is high compared to the number of cases where enforcement action is possible, there is a risk that this message might be undermined.
4.9 We have taken the opportunity to re-inforce this message, by increasing the fixed penalty fine level for fly-tipping, from the default £200 (as introduced by regulations) up to £400. This change sends a strong and clear message to the public about how seriously the council takes the issue of fly-tipping.
5 Communication Strategy
5.1 The Communications team has drafted a communication strategy to support a waste responsibility campaign. The objectives of this are to encourage residents to take pride in where they live by reporting incidents of fly-tipping, and supporting residents with information on what they should do with their waste. This aims to contribute to reducing incidents of fly-tipping in the borough through awareness of waste responsibility along with the risk of fines and prosecution.
5.2 Key messages for the campaign include how the council is cracking down on people illegally dumping their rubbish, reminding people that fly-tipping not only spoils the countryside and local community, but also could also lead to an unlimited fine and even a prison sentence.
5.3 A key element of the campaign is to remind residents that they have responsibility for their waste even if they are paying someone to take it away, and what steps they ought to be taking. The campaign also encourages residents to support this the campaign by reporting fly-tips, or someone dumping rubbish with as much information as possible so the council can take further action.
5.4 Communications methods within the strategy include; media relations, social media including targeted advertising and communications within groups that offer ‘man in van’ services, Basingstoke & Deane Today, community magazines and also direct and digital media.
5.5 The recent changes to the opening hours and the introduction of charges at the borough’s household waste recycling centre, run by Hampshire County Council, has also been another driver for reminding residents that fly-tipping is illegal and the steps they need to take to dispose of their rubbish responsibly.
6 HWRC Changes
6.1 The recent changes implemented (and proposed) by Hampshire County Council (HCC) to their Household Waste and Recycling Centres (HWRC), has raised concerns that some residents could be discouraged from disposing of Page 36
6 of 10 their waste responsibly. The charges for certain waste types and the curtailing of operating hours do not incentivise the use of these sites nor make accessing them easier. Such changes are unlikely to improve the incidence of fly-tipping in the borough and do not encourage the responsible disposal of household waste.
6.2 Although these changes may result in an increase in fly-tipped waste by individuals, or by illegal commercial waste carriers employed by householders, there is currently no statistical information available that can evidence these concerns. However, this is something we will be monitoring.
7 A Fly-tipping Strategy for Hampshire
7.1 Hampshire County Council launched a project in November 2016 to establish a ‘Fly-tipping Strategy for Hampshire’ which was adopted on 23 March 2017.
7.2 As the waste disposal authority, HCC incur large costs for disposing of all of the county’s fly-tipped waste. Although no precise figure is quoted, the estimated costs (as calculated by DEFRA) for the collection, investigation and disposal of fly-tipped waste for Hampshire in 2015/16 was £710,000. As such, there is a compelling financial argument to reduce this cost to the public purse. A strategy to engage Hampshire’s district councils in this work is the only vehicle available to HCC to try to reduce incidents of fly-tipping.
7.3 The HCC strategy supported by the council (shown in Appendix 3) has three aims.
Stimulate and maintain a change in behaviour amongst residents businesses and landowners that helps reduce the amount of fly-tipping in Hampshire, underpinned by a common understanding of fly-tipping as a socially unacceptable behaviour.
Jointly agree the most efficient process for reporting, collecting and disposal of illegally dumped waste.
Work together to maximise investigation and enforcement resources to ensure we use these in the most efficient and cost effective way, to achieve improved outcomes.
7.4 In summary, the HCC strategy promotes collaborative working, shared resources, common working practices, and promotes waste responsibility messages through education and various communication methods. Key performance indicators are also to be developed which are likely to be linked to reductions in fly-tipping. The implementation of the strategy will be accountable to the Project Integra partnership, and reporting mechanisms set up for this purpose.
7.5 The council supports the aspirations of the HCC strategy to significantly reduce incidences of fly-tipping. There is clear merit and an opportunity to re- establish a professional officers group, improve and develop relationships with the Police, Trading Standards and representatives of private land owners, all of which the strategy aims to do. These improved relationships should make local enforcement more effective. Page 37
7 of 10 7.6 However there may be significant practical challenges to some of what is proposed which constrain what it (or any strategy) could deliver.
7.7 In our experience the vast majority of fly-tipping incidents are localised and opportunistic, rather than being organised and systematic. The amounts of waste concerned are usually small scale in nature and do not contain evidence of the perpetrator nor a witness to the incident.
7.8 Enforcement resources across the borough and district councils, combined with the practical difficulties with progressing enforcement cases represent the biggest threats to the aspirations of the strategy and what it seeks to achieve.
7.9 The expectations arising from the HCC strategy will need to be carefully managed as it is likely that the success (or otherwise) of this approach will require the active participation of all the district councils in Hampshire and HCC.
8 Summary of current and future Basingstoke and Deane actions
8.1 As outlined in the report the council has robust processes and procedures for dealing with incidences of fly tipping in the borough, which includes actively pursuing fly tippers using the available legal means. The committee is requested to consider endorsing the council’s approach and specifically the following:
8.2 To continue with the existing arrangements for responding to and investigating reports of fly-tipping.
8.3 To note the recent implementation of an increase in the fine level and early payment option, for fixed penalty notices.
8.4 To finalise and implement a BDBC Communication Strategy for fly-tipping.
8.5 To initiate dialogue with local Police, Trading Standards teams and Housing Associations to explore opportunities for support and assistance in investigating and dealing with incidents of fly-tipping.
8.6 To support the countywide HCC strategy and participate in the professional officers group for the benefit of the borough.
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8 of 10 Lead officer Colin Rowland, Head of Environmental Services Report author Rhys Gilbert, Principal Environmental Health Officer Version Final Dated 13/4/2017 Status Open It is considered that information contained within this report (and appendices) do not contain exempt information under the meaning Confidentiality of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972, as amended, and therefore can be made public.
Page 39
9 of 10 Appendix 1 - BDBC arrangements for responding to fly-tipping
The level and type of response required to reports of fly-tipping will depend on the nature of the fly tip and teams and officers are organised to respond accordingly which is outlined below:
The Operations team receive all initial reports of waste that is fly-tipped. Assistant Street Cleaning Managers (ASCMs) make the first response by visiting the location and looking for evidence of the perpetrator amongst the waste.
The scale and recklessness of fly-tips can vary considerably. For those incidents at the lower end of the scale e.g. a resident placing miscellaneous item(s) against their back fences etc. ASCMs or CSPOs will approach these directly and challenge the behaviour, with a view to the resident removing the items back to their property. A warning notice is issued to confirm this. If this is not adhered to, the matter is escalated to the EH team for further investigation.
Where waste has been fly-tipped on land (rather than discarded outside people’s own property), ASCMs will make the first response to search for evidence of the perpetrator in amongst the waste. Where none is found and the waste is on council land it will then be cleared. When evidence is found this will be seized and escalated to the EH team. Similarly, where informants report having witnessed an incident of fly-tipping this will be investigated by the EH team.
Fly-tipped waste will only be cleared by BDBC from council owned land. Often, land ownership will be unclear from an initial report and the ASCMs will establish ownership prior to arranging for the waste to be cleared.
Where land ownership is a 3rd party (e.g. Housing Associations) they will be notified and asked to remove it. Should there be any evidence found amongst the waste this will be escalated to the EH team.
In their role in patrolling the borough, the CSPOs and the ASCMs have been highly effective in getting residents to remove their own waste on those occasions where it has been possible to identify the perpetrators. This has resulted in 53 fewer instances of waste being removed by the Street Care teams for Q1 to Q3.
Co-ordination & support
Officers from Environmental Health, Community Safety and Operations teams meet monthly to review fly-tipping activity and reports, working arrangements and review cases where appropriate. This ensures there continues to be good communication, clarity and consistency in the scope and role of what each team is doing in respect of fly-tipping and also take a more strategic view of any problem locations. Cllr Hayley Eachus also attends these meetings on a quarterly basis.
The CSPO and Operations teams target particular areas where they identify persistent environmental problems including how residents deal with their waste. Part of the actions in response includes targeted leaflet dropping to promote ‘waste responsibility’ and providing residents with information on how to dispose of waste that is not part of normal collections. This also provides an opportunity to engage in person with residents and discuss waste and various other issues affecting their neighbourhoods.
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10 of 10 Appendix 1 - BDBC arrangements for responding to fly-tipping
The level and type of response required to reports of fly-tipping will depend on the nature of the fly tip and teams and officers are organised to respond accordingly which is outlined below:
The Operations team receive all initial reports of waste that is fly-tipped. Assistant Street Cleaning Managers (ASCMs) make the first response by visiting the location and looking for evidence of the perpetrator amongst the waste.
The scale and recklessness of fly-tips can vary considerably. For those incidents at the lower end of the scale e.g. a resident placing miscellaneous item(s) against their back fences etc. ASCMs or CSPOs will approach these directly and challenge the behaviour, with a view to the resident removing the items back to their property. A warning notice is issued to confirm this. If this is not adhered to, the matter is escalated to the EH team for further investigation.
Where waste has been fly-tipped on land (rather than discarded outside people’s own property), ASCMs will make the first response to search for evidence of the perpetrator in amongst the waste. Where none is found and the waste is on council land it will then be cleared. When evidence is found this will be seized and escalated to the EH team. Similarly, where informants report having witnessed an incident of fly-tipping this will be investigated by the EH team.
Fly-tipped waste will only be cleared by BDBC from council owned land. Often, land ownership will be unclear from an initial report and the ASCMs will establish ownership prior to arranging for the waste to be cleared.
Where land ownership is a 3rd party (e.g. Housing Associations) they will be notified and asked to remove it. Should there be any evidence found amongst the waste this will be escalated to the EH team.
In their role in patrolling the borough, the CSPOs and the ASCMs have been highly effective in getting residents to remove their own waste on those occasions where it has been possible to identify the perpetrators. This has resulted in 53 fewer instances of waste being removed by the Street Care teams for Q1 to Q3.
Co-ordination & support
Officers from Environmental Health, Community Safety and Operations teams meet monthly to review fly-tipping activity and reports, working arrangements and review cases where appropriate. This ensures there continues to be good communication, clarity and consistency in the scope and role of what each team is doing in respect of fly-tipping and also take a more strategic view of any problem locations. Cllr Hayley Eachus also attends these meetings on a quarterly basis.
The CSPO and Operations teams target particular areas where they identify persistent environmental problems including how residents deal with their waste. Part of the actions in response includes targeted leaflet dropping to promote ‘waste responsibility’ and providing residents with information on how to dispose of waste that is not part of normal collections. This also provides an opportunity to engage in person with residents and discuss waste and various other issues affecting their neighbourhoods.
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2nd March 2017
Fly-tipping statistics for England, 2015/16
Fly-tipping is the illegal deposit of waste on land, contrary to Section 33(1)(a) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. Local authorities and the Environment Agency both have a responsibility in respect of illegally deposited waste. This includes local authorities and the Environment Agency collecting and reporting data on fly-tipping in their area. This statistical notice covers data reported by the local authorities in England.
Key points For the 2015/16 year, local authorities dealt with 936 thousand fly-tipping incidents, a 4.0 per cent increase over 2014/15.
Just over two thirds (67 per cent) of fly-tips involved household waste, an increase of 6.5 per cent from 2014/15.
Consistent with previous years, the most common place for fly-tipping to occur was on highways, which accounted for 50 per cent of total incidents in 2015/16, a 7.9 per cent increase on 2014/15.
Incidents of fly-tipping on footpaths and bridleways increased by 8.0 per cent in England in 2015/16 whilst those in back alleyways decreased by 6.7 per cent compared to 2014/15.
A third of all incidents consisted of a quantity of material equivalent to a ‘small van load’. The second largest size category for fly-tipping incidents was a ‘car boot’, which accounted for 29 per cent of total incidents by size. These findings are also consistent with the 2014/15 year.
The estimated cost of clearance for fly-tipping to local authorities in England in 2015/16 was £49.8 million.
Local authorities carried out 494 thousand enforcement actions in 2015/16 at an estimated cost of £16.9 million, nearly £700 thousand decrease on 2014/15.
Data for each local authority, plus a time series for total incidents for each local authority, is available in a dataset which is available to download. There have been no data revisions to this Statistical Release since it was published. Enquiries on this publication to: Karen Bradley, Waste Statistics Team, Defra, Floor 2, Foss House, 1-2 Peasholme Green, York, YO1 7PX. Email : [email protected]. For media enquiries contact Defra Press Office: 020 8225 7317.
An Official Statistics publication. These statistics have been produced to the high professional standards set out in the Code of Practice for Official Statistics, which sets out eight principles including meeting user needs, impartiality and objectivity, integrity, sound methods and assured quality, frankness and accessibility. More information on the Official Statistics Code of Practice can be found at http://www.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/assessment/code-of-practice/index.html. Page1 43
Note on data methodology and interpretation
Defra received full returns for the 2015/16 year from 301 out of 326 local authorities, 25 local authorities therefore had missing data and did not respond to data requests, or data validation queries remained unresolved. 6 local authorities had at least one missing quarter for 2015/16 and 13 local authorities had discrepancies between waste or land type data not equalling total incidents. 5 local authorities had provided a return; however land type data was either missing, incomplete or incorrect. Estimation was required based on previous returns for the aggregate figures in the case of no data, incomplete or inconsistent returns in order to produce consistent comparison against the previous years. There was one local authority known to make a change in their basis for reporting incidents using customer reported incidents only and some estimation was required for the aggregate total in order to produce a consistent comparison and trend.
The estimates made for the 7 local authorities total incident data were missing account for 47 thousand incidents in the 2015/16 data, 5 per cent of the aggregated total of fly- tipping incidents. The estimates made for the 5 local authorities with missing, incomplete or incorrect land type data account for 31 thousand incidents, 3 per cent of the aggregated total for fly-tipping incidents by land type. The remaining 13 local authorities of the 25 local authorities requiring estimation accounted for a small proportion of total incidents (80 incidents in total).
9 further local authorities had blank data for tipper lorry size clearance costs or significant load size clearance costs, but had reported incidents of these sizes. As clearance costs for fly-tipping incidents of this size vary, where possible, an estimate was made based on how much on average the local authority spent clearing incidents of these sizes for the previous 2014/15 year.
Due to a higher level of estimation made for the 2015/16 year some caution is needed in the interpretation of the trends. Direct comparison between local authorities may also not be appropriate as there can be some differences in approach, where there is a level of discretion in using the guidance on reporting. The situation is complex and can be influenced by population density, housing stock, demographics, commuter routes, the rigour with which local authorities identify incidents or encourage the public to report incidents, training of street crews, and increased used of more sophisticated methods for capturing and reporting incidents. Trends over time for a particular local authority may be a fairer comparison and a time series of total incidents for each local authority is available for download. There can be relatively high variation between years and between local authorities. 88 local authorities are showing a decrease of fly-tips since the 2012/13 year; whereas 226 show an increase and 2 local authorities have shown no change.
2 Page 44
Figure 1: Trends in the number of fly-tipping incidents in England, 2007/08 to 2015/16 (in thousands)
1,400 1,284 1,165 1,200
947 1,000 900 936 820 852 800 744 711
600
400
200
0 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15 2015/16
Incidents of fly-tipping had shown steady declines between 2007/08 and 2012/13 until 2013/14 when there was an increase to 852 thousand incidents. The number of fly-tipping incidents increased again in 2014/15 and in 2015/16 with 936 thousand incidents. This was a 4.0 percent increase on 2014/15.
Many local authorities have started to improve the way they capture and report fly-tips over the past few years, so the increase over time should be interpreted with some care. It has also been brought to Defra’s attention that the definitions used to describe fly-tips are interpreted broadly from the guidance.
The estimated cost of clearance of fly-tipping to local authorities in England in 2015/16 was nearly £50 million, a decrease of 0.3 per cent (£143 thousand) from the clearance costs reported in 2014/15.
Incidents involving the Environment Agency or cleared by private landowners are not included in this Notice. Details of the 125 incidents of large-scale, illegal dumping dealt with by the Environment Agency in 2015/16 are reported separately and are available here.
3 Page 45
Figure 2: Fly-tipping incidents by land type in England, 2007/08 to 2015/16 (in thousands) 700 Highway Council Land
600 Footpath - Bridleway Back Alleyway
Other * Private - Residential 500 Commercial/Industrial
400
300
200
100
0 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15 2015/16
*Other includes agricultural, watercourse, railway and other unidentified land.
Figure 3: Fly-tipping incidents by land type in England, 2015/16 as a proportion of total incidents, compared with the previous year 50% 45% 2014/15
40% 2015/16 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5%
0%
Other *
Highway
CouncilLand
BackAlleyway
PrivateResidential - Footpath-Bridleway Commercial/Industrial *Other includes agricultural, watercourse, railway and other unidentified land.
Fly-tipping incidents on highways have consistently been the most common land type over time. In 2015/16 there were 470 thousand incidents compared to 436 thousand incidents in 2014/15, an increase of 7.9 per cent in 2015/16 and accounted for 50 per cent of all incidents.
4 Page 46
Fly-tipping on council land and footpaths and bridleways each made up another 16 per cent of all incidents in 2015/16. In 2015/16, footpaths and bridleways became the second most common land type by increasing by 8.0 per cent to 154 thousand incidents and council land decreased by 3.0 per cent to 148 thousand incidents.
Incidents of fly-tipping incidents on back alleyways amounted to a further 11 per cent of all incidents at 102 thousand incidents in 2015/16, a decrease of 6.7 per cent.
5 Page 47
Figure 4: Breakdown of most common fly-tipping waste types: Household and commercial waste in England, 2007/08 to 2015/16 70%
60% Total household waste ('Black 50% bags' and 'other) Household Waste (Other) 40% Household Waste (Black Bags)
30% Total commercial waste ('Black bags' and 'Other') 20% Commercial Waste (Black Bags) 10% Commercial Waste (Other)
0%
Household waste (other) could include material from house or shed clearances, old furniture, carpets and the waste from small scale DIY works. Commercial waste (other) could include pallets, cardboard boxes, plastics, foam and any other waste not contained in bags or containers and not due to be collected.
Most fly-tipping incidents are household waste (the sum of ‘black bags’ and ‘other’) and in 2015/16 accounted for 67 per cent of all incidents. The majority of this was household waste (other).
Total household waste has increased from 590 thousand incidents in 2014/15 to 628 thousand incidents in 2015/16, an increase of 6.5 per cent. The household waste sub-categories, ‘black bags’ and ‘other’ have also increased by 9 thousand incidents (5.5 per cent) and 30 thousand incidents (6.9 per cent), respectively.
The second most common waste type in 2015/16 was total commercial waste with 62 thousand incidents, accounting for 7 per cent of total incidents. This was a 19 per cent decrease on 2014/15 where 77 thousand incidents of commercial waste had been reported.
The decrease in 2015/16 in total commercial waste incidents is due to a reported decrease in commercial black bags. These decreased 31 per cent, from 48 thousand incidents in 2014/15 to 33 thousand incidents in 2015/16. Other commercial waste has remained fairly constant from the 2014/15 year, remaining at 29 thousand incidents.
6 Page 48
Figure 5: Types of fly-tipping other than household and commercial waste in England, 2007/08 to 2015/16, as a proportion of total incidents
8% Construction, Demolition, Excavation 7%
6% White Goods
5% Green Waste 4%
3% Other Electrical
2%
Tyres 1%
0%
Other Unidentified
2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15 2015/16
For some waste types, such as green waste or electrical goods, it is not always possible to tell whether they originated from households or businesses.
A notable increase is for white goods, which has been increasing since 2012/13, white goods had another smaller increase for the 2015/16 year with 49 thousand incidents compared to 42 thousand incidents in 2014/15.
Since 2007/08, green waste has been steadily declining over time, and accounts for 4 per cent of total incidents in 2015/16.
Tyres have also been decreasing over time, and accounts for 1 per cent of total incidents in 2015/16.
Since 2014/15, other unidentified incidents have increased by 2.6 per cent and still account for 6 per cent of total incidents.
Incidents with construction/demolition/excavation material and other electrical have increased since 2014/15 by 9.5 per cent and 14.6 per cent respectively.
The proportions of asbestos, clinical, animal carcass, vehicle parts, chemical drums, oil and fuel incidents are all below 1 per cent of total incidents.
7 Page 49
Figure 6: Fly-tipping incidents by size in England, 2015/16 (in thousands) 300
250 2014/15 2015/16 200
150
100
50
0
SingleItem
SmallVan Load
Car Car boot or less
SingleBlack Bag
Transit VanLoad TipperLoad Lorry
Significant/Multi Loads Incidents recorded by size category relate to those investigated and cleared by the local authority. For a number of reasons, but primarily due to incidents on private land, which an authority may not clear, total incidents by size category will not match total incidents recorded by location/type.
Most fly-tipping incidents were equivalent to a ‘small van load’, a consistent finding over time. In 2015/16, 308 thousand incidents or a third of incidents were reported to be the size of a small van, a 10 per cent increase on 2014/15.
The second-largest size category is equivalent to a ‘car boot or less’, also consistent over time. In 2015/16, fly-tipping incidents the size of a ‘car boot or less’ increased by 2.3 per cent to 271 thousand incidents from 265 thousand in 2014/15 and made up 29 per cent of all incidents.
Single items, which cover items such as furniture, mattresses etc. accounted for 17 per cent of total incidents and has increased by 6.2 per cent from 146 thousand incidents in 2014/15 to 155 thousand incidents in 2015/16.
Clearance costs for ‘single black bag’ (£7), ‘single item’ (£29), ‘car boot or less’ (£29), ‘small van load’ (£56) and ‘transit van load’ (£115) are all standard costs. Local authorities have to report actual costs for categories: ‘tipper lorry load’ and ‘significant/multi loads’.
Costs for size categories with a unit cost: ‘single black bag’, ‘single item’, ‘car boot or less’, ‘small van load’ and ‘transit van load’ equalled £43.7 million in 2015/16, a 2.2 per cent decrease from £42.7 million in 2014/15. Larger loads (‘tipper lorry’ and significant/multi loads’) where local authorities can report their own costs fell by 15 per cent on 2014/15, bringing the overall clearance cost for 2015/16 down. 8 Page 50
Figure 7: Fly-tipping enforcement actions in England, 2007/08 to 2015/16 (in thousands) 600
500
400 Investigation Warning Letter 300 Duty of Care Inspection Statutory Notice 200 Others Total Actions 100
0
2015/16 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15 2007/08 ‘Others’ is the sum of fixed penalty notices, stop and search, vehicles seized, formal caution, prosecution and injunction
Table 1: number of fly-tipping enforcement actions in England, 2007/08 to 2015/16 (in thousands)
Duty of Fixed Warning Care Statutory Penalty Year Investigation Letter Inspection Notice Notice Other Total Actions 2007/08 277 123 42 33 24 6 504 2008/09 274 129 54 39 22 6 525 2009/10 298 117 51 37 26 8 537 2010/11 276 139 63 47 33 10 568 2011/12 253 85 52 50 39 11 490 2012/13 231 72 48 32 35 7 425 2013/14 300 65 48 45 37 6 500 2014/15 315 75 45 38 38 4 515 2015/16 315 70 44 25 36 5 494 Note: Total actions taken does not include vehicle seized Other includes prosecutions, vehicles seized, stop and search, formal caution and injunctions.
494 thousand enforcement actions were carried out in England in 2015/16, a 4.0 per cent decrease (of 20 thousand enforcement actions) since 2014/15. Local authorities spent £16.9 million on enforcement actions in England in 2015/16, down from £17.6 million in 2014/15.
Investigation actions are the most common action taken against fly-tipping incidents over time, accounting for 64 per cent of total enforcement actions with 315 thousand investigations in total for 2015/16, the same number of actions for 2014/15. 9 Page 51
Local authorities issued 70 thousand warning letters in 2015/16, and accounted for 14 per cent of total enforcement actions, a 5.6 percent decrease from the 75 thousand warning letters in 2014/15.
44 thousand duty of care inspections were carried out in 2015/16 accounting for 9 per cent of total enforcement actions, a 3.1 per cent decrease from 45 thousand duty of care inspections in 2014/15.
25 thousand statutory notices were issued in 2015/16, accounting for 5 percent of total enforcement actions, a 34 per cent decrease from 38 thousand in 2014/15.
36 thousand fixed penalty notices were issued in 2015/16, accounting for 7 per cent of all enforcement actions, a 5.9 per cent decrease from 38 thousand in 2014/15.
There were just over two thousand prosecution actions taken in 2015/16.
10 Page 52
Figure 8: Fly-tipping prosecution outcomes as a proportion of total prosecution outcomes in England, 2007/08 to 2015/16 100% Custodial Sentence 90%
80% Community Service
70%
60% Cases Lost
50% Other (successful 40% outcomes)
30% Absolute/Conditional 20% Discharge
10% Fine
0% Succesful
Prosecutions
2010/11 2008/09 2009/10 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15 2015/16 2007/08 Table 2: Fly-tipping prosecution outcomes in England, 2007/08 to 2015/16 Absolute/Conditional Other (successful Community Custodial Fine Discharge outcomes) Cases Lost Service Sentence
2007/08 1,624 217 169 102 54 42 2008/09 1,497 203 168 51 60 16 2009/10 1,859 178 258 76 45 34 2010/11 2,023 173 73 57 35 7 2011/12 2,487 180 76 29 39 4 2012/13 1,839 165 106 23 16 18 2013/14 1,685 183 56 36 19 10 2014/15 1,492 128 95 31 35 21 2015/16 1,838 136 67 44 32 18 Other successful: Any other positive results awarded by the court this period.
Local authorities carried out 2,135 prosecutions for fly-tipping offences in England in 2015/16, an increase of 18 per cent on 2014/15. Costs of prosecution actions also increased by 20 per cent from £288 thousand in 2014/15 to £347 thousand in 2015/16.
The success rate for prosecution actions against fly-tipping are very high over time. For 2015/16, 98 per cent of prosecutions resulted in conviction, consistent with 2014/15.
The majority of prosecution outcomes are fines, where these were issued in 86 per cent of the outcomes from action taken against fly-tipping incidents.in 2015/16, with a 23 per cent increase in the number of fines since 2014/15. The value of total fines reported for 2015/16 was £677 thousand, a 16 per cent increase on the £583 thousand reported in 2014/15.
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DATA USES, CONTEXT, METHODOLOGY, FEEDBACK AND REVSIONS POLICY
User Statement
Data on fly-tipping is collected to inform policy making and to provide local authorities with a management tool which enables a problem solving approach to be taken. It records the number of fly-tipping incidents, the type of material tipped, location and size, together with enforcement action taken. The data are used by local and central government, researchers and the public.
Context
Fly-tipping is the illegal deposit of waste on land contrary to the Section 33(1)(a) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. Fly-tipping is a significant blight on local environments; a source of pollution; a potential danger to public health; a hazard to wildlife and a nuisance. It also undermines legitimate waste businesses where unscrupulous operators undercut those operating within the law.
Local authorities and the Environment Agency both have a responsibility in respect of illegally deposited waste. Local authorities have a duty to clear fly-tipping from public land in their areas and consequently they deal with the vast majority of fly-tipping on public land, investigating these and carrying out a range of enforcement actions. The Environment Agency is responsible for dealing with large-scale, serious and organised illegal dumping incidents which pose an immediate threat to human health or the environment. Flycapture used to be the database for local authorities and the Environment Agency to report fly-tipping. However Flycapture has now been replaced by the Fly-tipping Module in WasteDataFlow which became live on 1st October 2015. Responsibility for dealing with fly-tipping on private land rests with private landowners and is not subject to mandatory data reporting.
Incidents involving the Environment Agency or cleared by private landowners are not included in this Notice. Details of the 125 incidents of large-scale illegal dumping dealt with by the Environment Agency in 2015/16 are reported separately and are available here.
The Environment Agency has worked with authorities to improve reporting quality and has produced guidance to reduce the possibility of double counting in authority returns. This can occur for example when an incident is recorded at the point a local authority is notified and also by a waste management contractor who clears up the fly-tip.
Methodology
1. These statistics are based on the returns made to the Fly-tipping Module in the WasteDataFlow database by local authorities in England from April 2015 to March 2016. The Fly-tipping Module is the national system used from 2015 to record the incidents and cost of clearing and enforcing against illegally deposited by local authorities and the Environment Agency. Private landowners are not required to report fly-tips on their land although some choose to do so voluntarily. It should be noted that the private land data included in this notice do not reflect the full scale of the problem as most cases on private land go unreported. Detailed guidance and explanation is given in separate guidance available here.
2. Local authorities gather their data from a number of sources and departments. Incidents reported by the public through call centres, operatives on the ground 12 Page 54
collecting and recording, Enforcement Officers, contractors and management companies. Many authorities await verification from investigations before recording public reports as fly-tips.
3. Data is requested in respect of incidents cleared or investigated by local authorities and separately the enforcement actions taken against fly-tippers. These can often be collected and reported by separate teams. Therefore data can be entered onto the system by one or more persons within an authority. This may lead to some discrepancies and a level of uncertainty. Data verification and quality assurance is carried out by WasteDataFlow personnel and Defra. This is done by a quarterly check of specific aspects of the data to identify any possible anomalies which would be queried with authorities.
4. Estimates costs are calculated based on typical unit costs for dealing with the different types of incidents. Costs were provided by a small selection of local authorities between 2003 and 2006 when the Flycapture database was being set up. In August 2015 Defra undertook an exercise to update the cost basis by surveying 100 local authorities that had previously indicated a willingness to participate. Unfortunately both the quantity and quality of response data was insufficient to provide robust factors as replacements and historic ones have had to be retained.
5. A breakdown of data for each local authority is available on the Defra website. In assessing the figures local authorities should not be classified as ‘good’ or ‘poor’ performers based purely on numbers of fly-tips. The position is complex and population density, housing stock and commuter routes can all have an impact. Those reporting higher incident numbers are often those taking the issue seriously and being rigorous in identifying incidents. Large authorities may have large enforcement teams using modern, sophisticated methods (covert surveillance, smartwater) to catch professional fly-tippers.
6. As part of enquiries made as part of the quality assurance process, several authorities reported that the increase in the number of incidents reported compared to previous years was a result of the introduction of new technologies; such as on-line reporting and electronic applications as well increased training for staff and a more pro-active approach to removing fly-tipping and have explained this as a factor in the increase in the number of incidents reported. For reasons explained about variability of reporting by local authorities please see the dataset showing the trend in total number of incidents by local authority since 2012/13, available with the local authorities’ data for 2015/16 here.
7. Enquiries remained unresolved for one local authority at the time of publication of this statistical notice where there were differences in the basis of reporting. Defra are aware that for the 2015/16 year, one local authority has provided figures based on customer-reported fly-tips with what they considered in line with other local authorities whereas in previous years it was based on all incidents of fly-tipping, so was potentially inconsistent and wouldn’t provide a reliable trend. Therefore Defra made an estimate in line with previous years to note the trends of fly-tipping over time but the reported data for this local authority was published in the local authority data set. This estimate does have a significant influence on the overall trend.
8. Non-response: many of the returns for 2015/16 were either missing or had possible data anomalies or reporting inconsistencies and there were unresolved data validation queries. Poole had submitted one quarter data and Defra have made
13 Page 55
estimates for previous years; an estimate was made for the full year based on the aggregated total. Brighton and Hove, City of Bristol, Daventry, Mole Valley, North Somerset and Westminster had missing quarters’ returns and so estimates for the remaining quarters were made at a national level.
a. Croydon had reported extremely large numbers in the categories marked ‘other’ for waste type and land type and were unable to provide an accurate figure so an estimate for the full year over all categories was made.
b. For Barnet, Bracknell Forest, Christchurch, Hounslow, Kettering, Lewisham, Norwich, Tamworth, Weymouth and Portland clearance costs were estimated for the size of waste categories relating to ‘tipper lorry size’ and ‘significant/multi load’.
c. Where category for land type or waste type data breakdowns did not sum to the totals entered, a small adjustment was made to the category with most incidents: Bromsgrove, Carlisle, Mid Devon, Newcastle Upon type, North Dorset, Redditch and Tewkesbury had waste type ‘other’ (unidentified) incidents estimated. Richmond upon Thames, Tameside, and Tower Hamlets had household black bags estimated. Land type measures were estimated for Eastleigh. Private/Residential estimates were made for Leicester, a council land estimate was made for Redditch and Newcastle upon Tyne, Back alleyways were estimated for South Tyneside, Highways were estimated for Mid Devon, North East Derbyshire and North East Lincolnshire.
9. Website: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-environment- food-rural-affairs
Feedback
We welcome feedback on the data from all users including how and why the data is used. This helps us to understand the value of the statistics to external users. Please see our contact details at the bottom of the first page of this notice.
Revisions Policy
Defra will provide information about any revisions made to published information in this statistics release and the associated datasets. Revisions could occur for various reasons, including when data from third parties is unavailable or revised data has been input to the Fly-tipping Module of WasteDataFlow.
14 Page 56
HAMPSHIRE
FLY-TIPPING STRATEGY
Page 57 Hampshire Fly-tipping Strategy
Contents
1. Introduction ...... 3
1.1 Vision of the strategy ...... 3 1.2 Current situation – scale of the problem ...... 3 1.3 Drivers for change ...... 5
2. Background ...... 6
2.1 What is fly-tipping? ...... 6 2.2 What are the factors are that contribute to fly-tipping in Hampshire? ...... 6 2.3 Responsibilities and powers ...... 7 2.4 Penalties for fly-tipping ...... 7
3. Scope ...... 7
4. Developing the strategy ...... 8
5. Aims and objectives ...... 9
6. Strategy governance ...... 11
7. Monitoring progress of the strategy ...... 11
8. Costs and funding ...... 11
Appendix A - Action Plan ...... 12
Appendix B - Fly-tipping Instances in Hampshire ...... 25
Appendix C - Fly-tipping Responsibilities in Hampshire ...... 28
Appendix D - Penalties for fly-tipping ...... 30
1 Page 58 Hampshire Fly-tipping Strategy
Foreword
“Fly-tipping is a criminal act. It is a significant concern for Hampshire residents, and is a financial and environmental cost to Hampshire County Council, all of Hampshire’s other Local Authorities and a number of other bodies and Hampshire landowners. It impacts upon businesses, communities, and Hampshire’s natural environment, including its two National Parks (the New Forest and the South Downs), and its wide ranging rural areas.
For this reason, we are seeking to work in partnership to tackle the issue of fly-tipping head on. We will focus on developing new and robust tactics to raise awareness about fly-tipping and the responsibilities for dealing with waste, improve our reporting and intelligence on fly- tipping instances, and utilise resources efficiently to increase capture and prosecution of perpetrators.
Within this partnership approach and collective responsibility, we will seek to clarify all partners’ roles in dealing with fly-tipping incidents, and ensure that all are empowered to deal with these incidents effectively.
In doing so, we seek to bring about a significant reduction in the unacceptable social, economic and environmental harm caused by fly-tipping. This will also ensure we keep Hampshire a beautiful place to live and work for generations come.”
Councillor Rob Humby – Hampshire County Council
2 Page 59 Hampshire Fly-tipping Strategy
1. Introduction
1.1 Vision of the strategy
This strategy will aim to deliver the vision of
“A future for Hampshire where we work together to ensure that all parties take responsibility for their waste, so as to bring about a significant reduction in the unacceptable social, economic and environmental harm caused by fly-tipping”.
The Strategy will target illegal fly-tipping activities by coordinating, supporting and enhancing the prevention, investigation and enforcement activities of partner organisations to tackle the problem and reduce the number of incidents in Hampshire.
The Strategy will be delivered through enhanced partnership working and increased collaboration between all relevant bodies and organisations in Hampshire, to ensure the best outcome for our residents and businesses.
Strategy delivery is set out in Appendix A of this report.
1.2 Current situation – scale of the problem
“Fly-tipping is a significant blight on local environments; a source of pollution; a potential danger to public health; a hazard to wildlife and a nuisance. It also undermines legitimate waste businesses where unscrupulous operators undercut those operating within the law” – Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA)1
Fly-tipping is a criminal offence and one of the most common forms of anti-social behaviour. It poses a significant negative environmental, social and financial issue nationally and in Hampshire. It blights the countryside, is a threat to livestock and local wildlife, a source of pollution, a danger to public health, and attracts other forms of anti-social behaviour and environmental crime such as arson, littering, graffiti and dog fouling.
Fly-tipping can also affect both the tourism and inward investment potential of an area as well as the value of local homes. It undermines legitimate waste businesses as illegal operators avoid waste disposal costs and undercut those who abide by the law.
The consequence of fly-tipping is not only a significant risk to local communities, but also a considerable draw on valuable local authority budgets and other responsible bodies’ resources which could be better directed elsewhere, as well as a cost to private landowners.
1 DEFRA - Fly-tipping statistics for England, 2014/15 gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/469566/Flycapture_201415_Statistical_relea se_FINAL.pdf 3 Page 60 Hampshire Fly-tipping Strategy
According to the latest available data published by DEFRA, 900,000 incidents of fly-tipping were reported by Local Authorities in England in 2014/15 at an estimated cost to clear of nearly £50million, excluding disposal costs. This is up from 852,000 incidents reported in 2013/14, at an estimated cost of £45.2million to clear.2 These costs however exclude much of the waste dumped on private land, for which landowners are liable to dispose of at considerable cost. It is estimated that the average cost to a rural landowner is £800 per incident.
Local fly-tipping incidents in 2015/16 in the Hampshire Economic Area (HEA area, including all Hampshire Local Authorities) have also increased from 2014/15 although it is observed that there has been a general decrease over the past five years in the Hampshire County Council area (excluding Portsmouth and Southampton City Councils).
Figure 1: Fly-tipping instances in Hampshire3
20,000
18,000 17,338 17,440 17,330 15,972 16,000 14,911
14,000
12,000 9,357 10,000 8,975 8,740 8,419 8,131 8,000
6,000
4,000
2,000
0 2011 - 2012 2012 - 2013 2013 - 2014 2014 - 2015 2015-2016
Hampshire CC area Hampshire Economic Area
In 2015/16, there were still an estimated 8,131 incidents of fly-tipping reported in the HCC area, with the County Council and District and Borough councils spending an estimated £710,000 of taxpayers’ money on collecting, investigating and disposing of this illegally dumped waste.
The costs above do not include those that will have been incurred by private landowners during the same period.
2 DEFRA - Fly-tipping statistics for England, 2014/15 gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/469566/Flycapture_201415_Statistical_relea se_FINAL.pdf 3 DEFRA – Flycapture from 2011/12 - 2014/15 and WasteDataFlow from 2015/16 onwards 4 Page 61 Hampshire Fly-tipping Strategy
The most common place for those incidents which are reported to occur in Hampshire on public land is on the Highway (50% of incidents), on bridleways and footpaths (20%) and Council land (17%).
The type of material involved includes household, construction and commercial wastes. In terms of scale these are most commonly single item incidents (52%), the size of a small van load (18%) or the size of a car boot or less (17%). For further information, please refer to Appendix B.
1.3 Drivers for change
There are three key drivers for developing a joint approach to tackling and reducing fly- tipping in Hampshire:
A. Environmental, social and financial impact: The environmental and social harm caused by fly-tipping is unacceptable. If levels of fly-tipping remain constant in 2016/17 this will lead to a requirement to dispose of waste arising from over 8,000 incidents across Hampshire.
With increased costs for collection, investigation and disposal activities, the overall cost for 2016/17 could be greater than the £710,000 incurred in 2015/16, again not including the considerable cost to the private landowner. This money would be better directed towards other services, particularly in a climate where local authorities and other public bodies are increasingly required to make difficult decisions about where to focus their resources due to cuts in Government funding.
B. Improved partnership working: There are a number of bodies within Hampshire, as well as private landowners, who are impacted upon by fly-tipping and who incur costs as a result of fly-tipping incidents. However, the current position is relatively fragmented with various organisations in Hampshire tackling the issue within their own areas of jurisdiction to varying degrees of success.
The delivery of joined up anti fly-tipping campaigns has already proved to be successful in others areas of England including Buckinghamshire, Kent, Suffolk and Surrey, many of which have seen noticeable reductions in fly-tipping incidents following intervention.
There is also existing positive action already being taken within district and borough councils and other bodies in Hampshire to prevent and enforce against fly-tipping. The aim is to share information and resources to develop a holistic best practice approach in Hampshire to tackle the problem of fly-tipping through a joint strategy.
C. Public perception: It is acknowledged that fly-tipping is an issue of particular interest to Hampshire residents and businesses, evidenced by correspondence received by local authorities, regular concerns expressed by private landowners and other rural interests, and the level of coverage in the local media.
5 Page 62 Hampshire Fly-tipping Strategy
Fly-tipping impacts upon local environmental quality in a way that is immediately visible. It can have an impact upon house prices and local businesses and often can be viewed alongside other environmental crimes such as graffiti, whereby it is associated with a general decline in local standards. In Hampshire it is also particularly associated with a damaging impact upon the highly valued countryside. These are all reasons why it is an issue of concern to the public, and one which needs to be addressed.
Any perceived impacts on the levels of fly-tipping as a result of changes made to waste management in Hampshire should be monitored as part of the introduction of those changes.
2. Background
2.1 What is fly-tipping?
Fly-tipping is the illegal disposal of waste without an environmental permit and is a criminal offence, in line with Section 33(1) (a) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. The types of fly-tipped waste can range from a black bag of household waste to large quantities of domestic, commercial or construction waste.
Fly-tipping is not the same as littering. There is no official statutory definition of litter, but it is most commonly assumed to include materials that are improperly discarded and in smaller volumes. Among the most common types of litter are cigarette butts, sweet packets and wrappers, non-alcoholic drink related litter and fast food related litter.
2.2 What are the factors are that contribute to fly-tipping in Hampshire?
A report4 referencing research by the National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group (NFTPG) found the primary causes of fly-tipping are: financial gains or savings lack of waste disposal facilities or access to them laziness and an attitude that it’s someone else’s responsibility to clear up the waste.
In addition to the above, there are a number of other reasons that are believed to be contributing to the amount of fly-tipping in Hampshire: Increased economic activity (e.g. housing/home development) contributing to larger amounts of construction waste. Agencies scaling back enforcement activities with fly-tipping not treated as a priority (likely to be associated with reduced budgets). Prevention measures not working. Rural characteristic of some areas of the county offers opportunities to fly-tip waste with relatively low chance of being spotted.
4 http://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/SN05672/SN05672.pdf 6 Page 63 Hampshire Fly-tipping Strategy
2.3 Responsibilities and powers
Local authorities and other responsible bodies have a legal or statutory responsibility in respect of dealing with fly-tipping, which varies depending on the circumstances. However, if waste is dumped on private land it is the responsibility of the landowner to remove and dispose at a cost to them. Please refer to Appendix C for detailed respective responsibilities in Hampshire.
The powers for enforcement in Hampshire lie with the Environment Agency and District and Borough Councils. The level of enforcement resource across the county is somewhat varied between the different District and Borough Councils. This has also been as a result of budgetary pressures on local authority funding.
2.4 Penalties for fly-tipping
Fly-tipping is a criminal offence that is punishable by a fine of up to £50,000 or 12 months imprisonment if convicted in a Magistrates' Court. The offence can also attract an unlimited fine and up to five years imprisonment if convicted in a Crown Court. There are also a range of other possible penalties for fly-tipping, which can be found in Appendix D.
3. Scope
This strategy is a partnership approach led by Hampshire County Council, alongside Hampshire’s Waste Collection Authorities, Unitary Authorities, and other organisations listed below. Not all organisations listed are directly responsible for dealing with Fly-tipping but all are working collaboratively to help address the issue.
Hampshire Waste Collection and Unitary Authorities
Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council East Hampshire District Council Eastleigh Borough Council Fareham Borough Council Gosport Borough Council Havant Borough Council (Norse South East) Hart District Council New Forest District Council Portsmouth City Council Rushmoor Borough Council Southampton City Council Test Valley Borough Council Winchester City Council
7 Page 64 Hampshire Fly-tipping Strategy
Other Organisations
Country Land and Business Association Campaign to Protect Rural England Hampshire Environment Agency Farming Community Network Forestry Commission Local Farmers Hampshire Constabulary National Farmers Union National Trust New Forest National Park Authority South Downs National Park Authority Additional organisations may be involved as the strategy and action plan are developed.
4. Developing the strategy
This strategy has been and will continue to be developed through engagement with the relevant partner organisations, as shown in the timeline below:
September 2016 Outline of strategy and partnership approach agreed. September 2016 – November 2016 Completion of three working groups helping to outline the action plan. December 2016 – March 2017 Strategy, action plan and governance arrangements agreed, in consultation with all partners. April 2017 onwards Delivery phase including the publication of the strategy and action plan. Fly-tipping partnerships and projects officer in post.
The strategy is intended to be a live document that will evolve over time and will act as a mechanism for enhanced partnership working and collaboration.
This strategy will look to address the following common issues:
I. Education of residents and businesses - Many households are unaware of their ‘Duty of Care’5 responsibilities when disposing of their waste (i.e. to keep waste safe, and to make sure it’s dealt with responsibly and only given to businesses authorised to take it). Similarly, research shows that 56% of UK businesses are not complying with their ‘Duty of Care’ related regulations6.
5 Waste Duty of Care Code of Practice: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/waste-duty-of-care-code- of-practice 6 http://www.rightwasterightplace.com/news/2016/4/11/duty-of-care-awareness-campaign-launched-as- research-suggests-56-of-uk-businesses-are-not-complying-with-the-law 8 Page 65 Hampshire Fly-tipping Strategy
II. Data recording - Not all incidents of fly-tipping are recorded or are recorded in a consistent way. Encouragement and support will be offered to private landowners to report any incident, even though it is their responsibility to remove any fly-tipping at their own cost.
III. Management of incidents on the highway - Lack of clarity when it’s the responsibility of the District or Borough Council or the relevant Highways Authority in two-tier areas to clear a fly-tipping incident that has occurred on the Highway.
IV. Partner enforcement resources and working with land owners - Different levels of access to information, and resource to assist with investigation and enforcement activities against fly-tipping.
V. Cross-border working with neighbouring local authorities - With a focus on the wider national picture.
5. Aims and objectives
This strategy will initially focus on delivering the following three key aims and objectives, which will address the priorities listed above:
Aim one: Stimulate and maintain a change in behaviour amongst residents, businesses and landowners that helps reduce the amount of fly-tipping in Hampshire, underpinned by a common understanding of fly-tipping as a socially unacceptable behaviour.
Objectives: Creating awareness of the financial and environmental impacts of fly-tipping. Educating the residents and business about their “duty of care” responsibilities when disposing of waste. Highlighting the consequences of fly-tipping. Enabling and encouraging landowners to help prevent fly-tipping. Encouraging and enabling the reporting of fly-tipping incidents. Making it easier to report fly-tipping.
(Addresses key issue/priority I and II in section 4 above)
Aim Two: Jointly agree the most efficient process for reporting, collection and disposal of illegally dumped waste.
Objectives:
Establish and agree a common understanding of the legislation in relation to fly- tipping to help define roles and responsibilities in the process to make responses to instances more effective.
9 Page 66 Hampshire Fly-tipping Strategy
Improve the recording of fly-tipping incidents that are reported by all responsible bodies, working towards a consistent and comprehensive approach. Explore the idea of a supplier framework agreement, which will allow any contracting body to select from a number of registered suppliers for the removal of all waste including waste that is difficult to handle, ensuring best value from each clearance. Work with neighbouring authorities and at a national level to improve reporting, given that fly-tipping doesn’t stop at county borders.
(Addresses key issue/priority II, III and IV in section 4 above)
Aim Three: Work together to maximise investigation and enforcement resources to ensure we use these in the most efficient and cost effective way, to achieve improved outcomes.
Objectives:
Establish a network and platform to share intelligence on fly-tipping incidents, as well as best practice and resources on prevention and enforcement between partner organisations. Use technology to assist with intelligence gathering and enforcement activities. Identify resources that can be applied to enforcement activities and processes. Work with neighbouring authorities to investigate and bring enforcement action against serial offenders. Ensure enforcement is used to good effect with maximum penalties and fines to help serve as a deterrent to future incidents.
(Addresses key issue/priority III, IV and V in section 4 above)
Key actions to be taken to achieve aims and objectives are highlighted in Appendix A.
The delivery of the aims and objectives in the strategy will work towards achieving the following outcomes:
It will become easier for people to understand how they can dispose of their waste responsibly. Effective mechanisms are put in place to catch those responsible for fly-tipping, leading to a higher conviction rate with greater penalties being levied where possible. A decrease in the number of fly-tipping incidents across Hampshire, improving the environment and reducing the cost to the taxpayer and private landowners.
10 Page 67 Hampshire Fly-tipping Strategy
6. Strategy governance
Strategy oversight and multi-agency co-ordination will be provided through Project Integra (PI). PI is a partnership of the 11 Hampshire Waste Collection Authorities (WCAs), Hampshire County Council, the unitary authorities of Portsmouth and Southampton and Veolia UK, the integrated waste management contractor.
As a PI agreement would commit PI partners, it is intended that partner stakeholders outside of PI would be engaged through an agreed terms of reference. This document would be relevant for all partners (PI and non-PI).
A representative working group will be established to deliver the actions and support the strategy.
7. Monitoring progress of the strategy
The aims, objectives and actions to be delivered during 2017/18 are detailed in Appendix A.
Progress will be regularly monitored and reported to PI (as above). Key Performance Indicators will be developed to support reporting. These could potentially include numbers of incidents, volumes of waste, numbers of prosecutions, costs incurred, costs avoided.
8. Costs and funding
The delivery of the strategy will initially be financed by Hampshire County Council’s Economy, Transport and Environment Department through the recruitment of a two year fixed term post. The post will cost an estimated £50,000 per year including both salary and on-costs.
The role holder will lead on co-ordinating the delivery and reporting of the aims, objectives and actions of the strategy and will co-ordinate intelligence sharing and collaboration between partners. To facilitate this, the post holder will develop and lead a fly-tipping working group including a reporting mechanism to PI. The Fly-tipping Partnership and Projects Officer will sit within the Hampshire Trading Standards team as it is believed this is where it will add the most value given the access to existing intelligence resources and enforcement partnerships. This would support the delivery of the aims and in turn actively support the various partners’ enforcement roles.
The ongoing funding of the strategy will be reviewed at the end of the first year of delivery, with reference to both achievements measured against key performance indicators, and the potential for ongoing funding.
It is intended that this post will be in place by April 2017.
11 Page 68 Hampshire Fly-tipping Strategy
Appendix A - Action Plan (* Lead Partners identified at an early stage, subject to change)
Aim One: Communications Stimulate and maintain a change in behaviour amongst residents, businesses and landowners that helps reduce the amount of fly-tipping in Hampshire, underpinned by a common understanding of fly- tipping as a socially unacceptable behaviour. Objectives Actions Key tasks Lead and Progress to Status Timescale (cross cutting against Partner(s)* Date RAG multiple actions [italicised]) Creating awareness of Formally agree Increase and improve the use Hampshire the financial and resources and of social media. County environmental impacts of communications Council fly-tipping. plan. Highlight hotspots as case studies. Havant Educating the residents Borough
Page 69 Page and business about their Council “duty of care” responsibilities when Test Valley disposing of waste. Borough Council Highlighting the consequences of fly- Southampton tipping. City Council
Enabling and encouraging Produce Develop branding and Hampshire landowners to help communications campaign material. County prevent fly-tipping. materials ahead Council of launch. Target communications to: Encouraging and enabling Havant the reporting of fly-tipping residents Borough incidents. perpetrators Council businesses Making it easier to report planning applicants Test Valley landowners Borough 12
Hampshire Fly-tipping Strategy
fly-tipping. Review of engaged Council organisations including housing associations and CPRE Town and Parish Councils. Hampshire
Environment Agency
National Farmers Union
Launch phased Proactively share Hampshire communications communications. County
Page 70 Page campaign. Council Develop Fly-tipping area forums. Test Valley Borough Undertake community ‘clear Council out days’ in target areas. National Target seasonal waste Farmers streams. Union
Environment Agency
Fareham Borough Council
13
Hampshire Fly-tipping Strategy
Aim Two: Reporting, Jointly agree the most efficient process for reporting, collection and disposal of illegally dumped Collection and Disposal waste. Objectives Actions Key tasks Lead and Progress to Status Timescale (cross cutting against Partner(s)* Date RAG multiple actions [italicised]) Establish and agree a Undertake legal Produce a guide to quickly Hampshire common understanding of research on identify who is responsible for County the legislation in relation to relevant what land. Council fly-tipping to help define roles legislation and responsibilities in the concerning: Basingstoke process to make responding and Deane to reported incidents more - definitions of Borough effective. fly-tipping Council - clarification
Page 71 Page over what is Environment public & private Agency land - clarification over responsibilities with regards to highways and surrounding land.
Improve the reporting and Ensure, as a Seek to make reporting more Hampshire recording of fly-tipping start that all consistent across Hampshire. County incidents that are reported by local authorities Council all responsible bodies, refer to the working towards a consistent WasteDataFlow National and comprehensive module Farmers approach. guidance when Union reporting an 14
Hampshire Fly-tipping Strategy
incident and East report back any Hampshire gaps in District definition. Council
Winchester City Council
Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council
Ensure all local Reporting should include grid Hampshire
Page 72 Page authorities references to enable more County record incidents efficient reporting and Council in the same way collection and mapping of ‘hot that are a van spots’. East load or higher, Hampshire including District information on Council location to inform county- Winchester wide intelligence City Council mapping. Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council
Southampton City Council
15
Hampshire Fly-tipping Strategy
Establish a Clear and consistent Hampshire recording/reporti processes need to be County ng process for developed for fly-tipping Council other bodies reporting on both public and dealing with fly- private land. East tipping Hampshire incidents. Seek to make reporting more District consistent across Hampshire. Council
Winchester City Council
Basingstoke and Deane
Page 73 Page Borough Council
National Farmers Union
Investigate the Reporting needs to be simple Hampshire option for a and easy for residents, County single businesses and private Council ‘Hampshire’ landowners across Hampshire. reporting tool for CPRE all (public & Seek to make reporting more Hampshire private) fly- consistent across Hampshire. tipping incidents Southampton such as an City Council app/website, etc.
16
Hampshire Fly-tipping Strategy
Explore the idea of a supplier Produce an Contractual arrangements Hampshire framework agreement, which options analysis need to be explored to identify County will allow any contracting including any barriers to this approach. Council duty body to select from a procurement on number of registered how to proceed. suppliers for the removal of all waste including waste that Conduct Hampshire is difficult to handle, ensuring research with County best value from each WCAs and Council clearance. private landowners on East types, volumes, Hampshire frequencies of District waste and Council
Page 74 Page current costs. Winchester City Council
Southampton City Council
Fareham Borough Council
Work with neighbouring Seek Hampshire authorities and wider opportunities to County partners and at a national feedback to Council level to improve reporting, DEFRA on given that fly-tipping doesn’t reporting stop at county borders. processes.
17
Hampshire Fly-tipping Strategy
Arrange regular Hampshire communication County with Council neighbouring local authorities, via existing waste management networks.
Aim Three: Investigation Work together to maximise investigation and enforcement resources to ensure we use these in the and Enforcement most cost effective way, to seek improved outcomes. Objectives Actions Key tasks Lead and Progress to Status Timescale (cross cutting against Partner(s)* Date RAG
Page 75 Page multiple actions [italicised]) Establish a network and Create an Investigate opportunities to Hampshire platform to share intelligence intelligence hub share databases. County on fly-tipping incidents, best with a single Council practice and resources on point of contact. Investigate the use of a prevention and enforcement Hampshire wide tactical Southampton between partner operations manual and the City Council organisations. benefits of a resource inventory. Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council
East Hampshire District Council
Hampshire 18
Hampshire Fly-tipping Strategy
Trading Standards
Explore options Hampshire for County communications Council tools for information sharing networks.
Create a Identify and take simple, rapid Hampshire protocol for fast action in hotspot areas. County access to local Council
Page 76 Page police intelligence on Test Valley fly-tipping Borough incidents. Council
Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council
Hampshire Constabulary
Establish a Investigate an ‘enforcement Hampshire countywide fly- panel’ including a solicitor etc. County tipping Council enforcement Evaluate the use and group. effectiveness of Fixed Penalty Winchester
19
Hampshire Fly-tipping Strategy
Notices issued across City Council Hampshire.
Use of technology to assist Produce an Hampshire with intelligence gathering options analysis County and enforcement activities. on how to Council proceed.
Research the Review existing technologies Hampshire use of mobile and applications; particularly County technology to where being used by other Council photograph and Local Authorities and plot fly-tipping organisations. Test Valley incidents onto a Borough
Page 77 Page real time Council mapping system. Hampshire Trading Standards
Develop a Consider joint prosecutions, Hampshire countywide map learning from best practice. County of larger scale Council incidents for use as both Winchester intelligence tool City Council and public deterrent. Southampton City Council
Identify more resources that Lobbying Hampshire can be applied against government for County enforcement activities and additional Council 20
Hampshire Fly-tipping Strategy processes. funding and enforcement powers.
Work with neighbouring Initiate Hampshire authorities to investigate and intelligence County bring enforcement action sharing Council against serial offenders networks with neighbouring Test Valley authorities, with Borough designated Council points of contact. East Hampshire
Page 78 Page District Council
Winchester City Council
Eastleigh Borough Council
Ensure enforcement is used Provide Hampshire to good effect with maximum information to County penalties and fines to help magistrates on Council serve as a deterrent to future impacts of fly- incidents. tipping to Hampshire encourage Constabulary maximising available Winchester penalties. City Council 21
Hampshire Fly-tipping Strategy
Enabling Legal Hampshire teams to share County and improve Council best practice on enforcement and prosecutions.
Investigate Hampshire whether civil County recovery action Council can be taken for cases of fly-
Page 79 Page tipping that go through the court process.
Aim Four: Development Continually develop the strategy and action plan, encourage and enable partnership working and lead and delivery of the strategy on delivering the aims, objectives and actions of the strategy Objectives Actions Lead Partner(s)* Progress to Date Status Timescale RAG Employ a fixed term co- Recruit post holder. Hampshire County Council ordinator post for an initial two year period. Develop and lead the fly- Set up group and Hampshire County Council tipping working group manage regular meetings.
Encourage and Hampshire County Council enable partnership working. 22
Hampshire Fly-tipping Strategy
Represent the group Hampshire County Council at PI.
Develop Key Hampshire County Council Performance Indicators and reporting mechanisms.
Update the fly-tipping Keep the strategy Hampshire County Council strategy and action plan with updated as a ‘live’ partners document.
Share examples of Hampshire County Council
Page 80 Page best practise.
Encourage and Hampshire County Council identify work on cross cutting aims.
Cross-border collaboration Liaise and work with Hampshire County Council other Local Authorities and representative fly- tipping groups and organisations.
Ongoing review of Hampshire County Council best practice from other Local Authorities and organisations. Review engagement with Seek to engage Hampshire County Council 23
Hampshire Fly-tipping Strategy wider partners and Town and Parish organisations who are Councils, Housing involved and/or impacted by Associations, fly-tipping. Community Partnerships and other organisations. Page 81 Page
24
Hampshire Fly-tipping Strategy
Appendix B - Fly-tipping Instances in Hampshire
The data below for 2011/12 to 2014/2015 inclusive is from FlyCapture. Data for 2015/16 onwards is now from WasteDataFlow.
Figure 2: Total reported Fly-tipping Instances in Hampshire
20,000
18,000 17,338 17,440 17330 15,972 16,000 14,911 14,000
12,000 9,357 10,000 8,975 8,740 8,419 8,131 8,000
6,000
4,000
2,000
0 2011 - 2012 2012 - 2013 2013 - 2014 2014 - 2015 2015-2016
Hampshire CC area Hampshire Economic Area
25 Page 82 Hampshire Fly-tipping Strategy
Table 1: Instances of reported Fly-tipping by Local Authority area
2015-16 change 2015-16 change Total Number of 2011 - 2012 - 2013 - 2014 - 2015- on year from 2011-12 Incidents 12 13 14 15 16 No. % No. % Basingstoke & 2,391 2,198 1,798 1,308 1,036 -272 -21% -1,355 -57% Deane East Hampshire 286 404 442 437 509 72 16% 223 78% Eastleigh 554 428 529 604 614 10 2% 60 11% Fareham 626 300 404 338 325 -13 -4% -301 -48% Gosport 436 321 423 511 500 -11 -2% 64 15% Hart 602 702 711 602 749 147 24% 147 24% Havant 930 1,167 1,239 1,503 1,130 -373 -25% 200 22% New Forest 821 742 896 875 770 -105 -12% -51 -6% Rushmoor 913 1,314 1,147 1,102 901 -201 -18% -12 -1% Test Valley 1,257 785 523 536 851 315 59% -406 -32% Winchester 541 614 628 603 746 143 24% 205 38% Hampshire CC 9,357 8,975 8,740 8,419 8,131 -288 -3% -1,226 -13% Area Portsmouth 626 646 1,029 923 1,099 176 19% 473 76% Southampton 7,355 7,819 6,203 5,569 8,100 2,531 45% 745 10% Hampshire 17,338 17,440 15,972 14,911 17,330 2,419 16% -8 0% Economic Area
Figure 3: Proportion of reported Fly-tipping Instances by Location 2015/16
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Figure 4: Scale of reported Fly-tipping Instances by Type of Incident 2015/16
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Appendix C - Fly-tipping Responsibilities in Hampshire
Organisation: Responsible for: 11 District and Borough Councils Responsible for investigating and clearing (Basingstoke & Deane, East Hants, fly-tipping on all public land within their Eastleigh, Fareham, Gosport, Hart, Havant, boundaries. Both the Highways Authority New Forest, Test Valley, Rushmoor, (Hampshire County Council ) and these Winchester) local authorities have a responsibility for clearing waste from the Highway for roads which it is responsible for (not motorways or major trunk roads in Hampshire which Highways England are responsible for). Forestry Commission Responsible for clearing fly tipping incidents on the land they manage across the County. Specifically, within the New Forest National Park, this also includes Crown land. Hampshire County Council As the Waste Disposal Authority it is responsible for the disposal of any fly- tipped waste collected by District and Borough Councils. As the Highways Authority it is responsible with the Local Authorities for clearing waste from the Highway for roads which it is responsible for (not motorways and major trunk roads in Hampshire which Highways England are responsible for). As the Waste Planning Authority it also plays a role in enforcement on large-scale illegal waste dumping. Also responsible for clearing fly-tipping on its own land. Hampshire Constabulary Hampshire Constabulary will adopt a risk based approach to responding to any report of Fly Tipping, in general terms reports of fly tipping will not routinely result in the deployment of a police unit and the information will be passed on to the appropriate Local Authority. There may, however, be instances whereby the nature of the incident poses a hazard to the safety of the public and in these circumstances a police unit may be deployed. All such reports will be individually assessed. Highways England Responsible for clearing litter and fly-tipped material from motorways and major trunks roads. Environment Agency Responsible for investigating large-scale incidents of fly-tipping in Hampshire (more than a lorry load), hazardous waste fly- tipping, and waste dumped in a way that is a threat to human health or to the environment.
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Network Rail Responsible for all land between the tracks, as well as up to 100 metres from the end of a station platform. Responsible for all railway land in urban areas and key stations. Remaining stations are managed by train operating companies. In Hampshire this is South West Trains and First Great Western. Land managers, farmers, land owners and Responsible for clearing fly-tipping on occupiers of private land. private land. This includes private landowners, farmers, housing associations and other occupiers of private land in Hampshire. Hampshire Residents & Businesses Responsible for understanding their Duty of Care with regards to wastes they produce, to ensure these are disposed of in a legal manner.
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Appendix D - Penalties for fly-tipping
Fly-tipping is a criminal offence that is punishable by a fine of up to £50,000 or 12 months imprisonment if convicted in a Magistrates' Court. The offence can attract an unlimited fine and up to five years imprisonment if convicted in a Crown Court. There are also a range of other possible penalties including:
Duty of care failure: Anyone who produces, imports, keeps, stores, transports, treats or disposes of waste must take all reasonable steps to ensure that waste is managed properly. This duty of care is imposed under section 34 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and includes a statutory Code of Practice. A breach of the duty of care could lead to a penalty of up to £5,000 if convicted in the Magistrates Court or an unlimited fine if convicted in the Crown Court.
Fixed penalty notices: Local authorities can issue fixed penalty notices of £400 for small scale fly-tipping under new powers granted under the Unauthorised Deposit of Waste (Fixed Penalties) Regulations 2016.
Seizing property: the Control of Waste (Dealing with Seized Property) (England and Wales) Regulations 2015 came into force on 6 April 2015. These regulations establish the procedures which a waste collection authority, the Environment Agency and Natural Resources Wales must follow once they have seized a vehicle and/or its contents because of suspected involvement concerning the transport or disposal of waste (such as fly-tipping).
This strategy will also look to better inform magistrates about the impact of fly-tipping to encourage maximising available penalties and/or prison sentences.
30 Page 87 This page is intentionally left blank Fly-tipping Report Form Please complete monthly and return
Period (mm/yy) ……………… Team/Area Number of incidents by Land type:
Highway Agricultural Roads, pavements, footpaths through Housing estates and Field entrances lay-bys. Footpath/bridleway Private/Residential Garages and parking Tracks, through countryside areas areas in housing estates Back alleyway Commercial/industrial Behind Houses Business parks Water course/bank Other (unidentifiable) Anything that doesn’t fit River/stream/canal anywhere else Council land Parks, open spaces and play areas TOTAL
Number of incidents by Primary Waste type: Animal carcass Construction/demolition Deer or farm animals…no waste. dogs cats or hedgehogs Builders rubble etc Green waste Black bags - commercial Tree loppings, grass clippings Invoices, till receipts paperwork, packaging Vehicle parts Black bags - household Batteries, seats etc (not Waste that should go in a wheelie bin whole cars) White Goods Chemical drums, oil fuel washing machine, tumble dryer Gas bottles, fire extinguishers Other Electrical Other household waste Furniture, DIY waste, mattresses, toys, TV, stereo, videos etc bikes Tyres Other commercial waste Shop fittings, window frames, anything with Plaster board company name on, food waste from burger vans etc Asbestos Other (unidentified) Anything that won’t fit anywhere else Clinical Page 89 Drugs related, medical Total Number of incidents by size: Single black sack
Single other item
Car boot load or less
Small van load
Transit van Load
Tipper lorry load
Significant or multiple loads Total
For each fly-tip you must tick one box in each coloured table.
Please use this box to tell us about any hot spots which are being regularly used for fly-tipping and, if possible, what’s being dumped. Thanks!
Total Number of fridges / freezers collected:
Page 90 Agenda Item 9
TITLE: Leisure Management Arrangements – 2018 and beyond. Cllr Simon Bound, Cabinet Member for Communities & Community Safety
Report to Communities, Environment and Partnerships Committee Ward(s): All Key Decision: No Appendix 1: Decisions and member involvement to date Appendix 2: Summary of the key issues raised during the negotiations Appendix 3: Summary of the offer from the Trust and Serco Cabinet Report – 17th March 2015 Papers relied on: CEP Report – 8 June 2016
Foreword - Cllr Simon Bound, Cabinet Member for Communities & Community Safety
I am pleased to see this report shows that a systematic and robust approach has been taken regarding the management of the council’s leisure facilities from 2018 onwards.
The Member Advisory Panel (MAP) were very supportive of the outcomes achieved through the negotiations which achieve a better deal for the council, whilst improving facilities that meet customer needs and expectations.
Committee is invited to note the outcome of the negotiations with the Basingstoke and Deane Community Leisure Trust in partnership with Serco Leisure Ltd and with Totally Tennis.
The chair of the CEP Committee has requested that the committee has the opportunity to provide feedback to the Portfolio Holder for Communities & Community Safety, which can be shared with Cabinet on 13 June, when a paper is presented for a decision.
Subject to approval, a report will then be presented to full council on 27th July for endorsement
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1 of 10 Glossary of terms
Term Definition CEP Communities Environment Partnerships Committee MAP Member Advisory Panel
1 Executive summary
1.1 The chair of the CEP Committee has requested that the committee receives an update on the contract negotiations to secure management arrangements for the council’s main leisure facilities, the outcomes of which are covered in this report.
1.2 In March 2015, Cabinet agreed that the provision of services from Basingstoke Aquadrome, Tadley Pool, Basingstoke Golf Centre and Basingstoke Tennis Centre, be continued beyond April 2018. Officers then started to explore procurement options and service specification principles to secure management arrangements for these facilities.
1.3 In June 2016, a report to CEP Committee concluded that the uncertainties raised by the Leisure Park scheme particularly in relation to the Aquadrome would not generate a favourable outcome for the council if it undertook a competitive tender process for the existing facilities. Therefore, following briefings with the Gateway Review team, SLT, SMB and MAP culminating in the discussion with the CEP Committee, it was agreed that an extension to the existing management arrangements would be the preferred way forward. This would allow time for the Leisure Park proposals to progress and for officers to consider the implications if the Leisure Park scheme did not proceed.
1.4 On that basis, Serco Leisure (‘Serco’) and the Basingstoke and Deane Community Leisure Trust (‘the Trust’) and Totally Tennis have submitted proposals for extending their management of the facilities which expire on 31st March 2018. Throughout the negotiations with the council, Serco have acted on behalf of the Trust.
1.5 The main outcomes to be achieved for the council through the process of negotiations were:
Continuity of service and an ongoing commitment to deliver high quality customer service A commitment to revenue and capital expenditure to maintain and enhance the facilities A significantly improved and guaranteed management fee for the extended period.
1.6 The proposals were presented to the Leisure Management MAP in March 2017 and the members were consulted on this paper in a follow up meeting in April 2017.
1.7 In the opinion of the MAP group, officers and the independent leisure
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2 of 10 consultant engaged to advise on the process and negotiations, the final offers from the Trust and Serco and also Totally Tennis allowed the council to achieve its objectives as stated in 1.5 which forms the basis of the recommendations to Cabinet on 13th June. This reflects a decision to get approval for the contract extension arrangements and in particular, the capital commitment from the council that will ensure that the building remains “fit for purpose” for the next contract term.
1.8 Subject to approval, a report will then be presented to full council on 27th July for endorsement into the capital programme.
1.9 This report summarises the legal advice enabling the negotiated approach; the outcomes of the negotiations; the final options presented by the Trust and Serco and also Totally Tennis; conclusions of independent analysis of the offers; and corporate implications.
2 Background
2.1 CEP is aware of the need to secure management arrangements for the council’s leisure facilities beyond the current contract period which expire on 31 March 2018 and that a decision was taken by Cabinet in March 2015 to commence the process of procurement.
2.2 CEP is also aware that the opportunities presented by the proposed redevelopment of the Leisure Park, including the prospect of a new Aquadrome, have created uncertainties around the facilities that would be included in a new long term management contract. The approach over the past 12 months has therefore focussed on securing an extension to the existing contract while decisions relating to the Leisure Park and new Aquadrome, which is pivotal to the leisure offer to be put out to tender, are progressed.
2.3 Accordingly, existing operator B&D Community Leisure Trust (the Trust) and its agent Serco were requested to submit a proposal for its continued operation of the Aquadrome, Tadley Pool and Golf Centre.
2.4 Similar contract extension discussions have been held with the operator of the Tennis Centre – Totally Tennis – as it is considered advantageous to tender all the leisure facilities within one process when it is the right time to go to the market. This would also allow economies of scale to engage in one as opposed to two separate rounds of procurement.
2.5 The accompanying appendices provides the following information:
a) Decisions and member involvement to date b) Summary of the key issues raised during the negotiations c) Summary of the options presented by the Trust and Serco
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3 of 10 2.6 The outcome of the negotiations has led to the recommendations to Cabinet that;
1) the offer from the Trust and Serco to manage the Aquadrome, Tadley Pool and Basingstoke Golf Centre be accepted on the basis of:
A 5 year contract extension from January 2018 to December 2022 with provision for further 1 year extensions depending on progress of Leisure Park redevelopment
Payment to the council of £770,000 over 5 years subject to annual inflation increases.
Paying a profiled variable fee rather than annualised flat fee
Improving the customer experience through:
o Capital investment from the Trust and Serco of £1,317,000 o Capital investment from the council of £430,000 (in approved capital programme)
Revenue and capital commitments by the Trust and Serco of up to £1,751,000 for asset management
Revenue and capital commitments by the council of up to £1,671,500 for asset management
Maintaining quality customer service
Retaining concessionary pricing for low income (with adjustment to times of use in the evenings) and other target groups Retaining protected time for Bluefins Swimming Club Some adjustment of midweek opening times for Aquadrome lagoon to reflect usage and operational challenges
Risks as set out in para 9.3
Three way split of any surplus generated
2) that the offer from Totally Tennis for the management of the tennis facilities be accepted on the basis of:
a 5 year extension from January 2018 to December 2022 with provision for further 1 year extensions depending on progress of Leisure Park redevelopment
A management fee to Totally Tennis of £190,000 over 5 years subject to annual inflation increases.
A commitment to work with the Council to implement lighting improvements to improve energy efficiency and reduce the cost of the management fee.
The implementation of a revised Tennis Development Plan
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4 of 10 2.7 A full procurement process for the management of the facilities beyond 2022 would commence in 2020 dependent on the Leisure Park timetable.
3 Legal advice on the negotiated contract extension approach
3.1 The current contracts already include provision for the term to be extended by a further two years. The negotiations to extend the contracts for an additional period have been conducted in compliance with Section 43 of The Concession Contracts Regulations 2016 (‘the Regulations’) , which allows for contracts to be modified without the need to undertake a new procurement procedure providing the scope of the modifications meet certain criteria, including:
(a) where additional works were not included in the scope of the original procurement, and it would be inconvenient or not cost-effective to retender for such works, they can be added to the original contract providing the increase in price does not exceed 50% of the original contract value.
(b) where all of the following are met: the need for modification could not have been foreseen; the modification does not alter the overall nature of the contract; and any increase in price does not exceed 50% of the value of the original contract or framework agreement. (c) where the modifications, irrespective of their value, are not substantial i.e. they do not render the contract or its scope materially different to the one originally awarded and would not have changed the market perception of and/or interest in the original opportunity or altered the original tender award).
3.2 External legal advice was obtained from Blake Morgan prior to commencing the formal negotiations with the Trust in partnership with Serco and Totally Tennis, which generally confirmed that, in the context of the background against which the negotiations were being conducted, i.e., the future development of the leisure park (which caused uncertainty over the normal timetable for carrying out a re-procurement) together with any extension being contained within permitted financial thresholds, we are on safe ground.
3.3 During the negotiations with the Trust and Serco, it was confirmed that a fresh Serco parent company guarantee would be provided to support the contract extension.
3.4 None of the thresholds referred to in paragraph 3.1 will be breached, and there is also no material change to the scope and nature of the contact. Therefore, the council has acted in full compliance with the Regulations.
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5 of 10 4 Desired outcomes of the negotiations
4.1 The main outcomes to be achieved for the council through the process of negotiations were:
To maintain customer levels of satisfaction To ensure the existing buildings remain “fit for purpose” To achieve an improved financial return on the contract.
5 Improvements presented by the Trust and Serco
5.1 The Trust and Serco worked up a number of separate proposals during the negotiations which resulted in the following capital schemes being considered as the most beneficial way to maintain and enhance customer experience and satisfaction as well as providing an improved financial return on the contract.
Proposed Capital Schemes
Serco Trust BDC Notes Scheme Funded Funded Funded Serco fund equipment, signage 40 station gym £430,000 and changing rooms. Council development at Tadley £143,000 funds constructions works. Aquadrome gym refurbishment £562,070
Basingstoke Golf 18 hole Depreciated over 10 years. adventure course £342,000
Aquadrome lagoon Funded from surplus share by £170,303 improvements the Trust.
Project contingency £100,000
Total £1,147,070 £170,303 £430,000 £1,747,373
5.2 The overall offer results in an income to the council equivalent to £154k per year for 5 years from January 2018. This is an improvement of £350k on the 2017-18 management fee payable by the council and equates to a saving of £1.75m saving over the 5 years to December 2022
6 Improvements presented by the Totally Tennis
6.1 Totally Tennis have investigated energy efficiency measures through the introduction of LED lighting for the Tennis Centre, which the council will explore if it can be supported from the Green Initiatives budget. It is anticipated that this may generate some savings during the extended management period that will be reflected in a reduced management fee.
7 Conclusions of independent analysis.
7.1. The consultant from FMG Consulting, took an overall view that the facilities managed by the Trust and Serco are collectively operating at a significant surplus and if the contract was let now on a like for like basis (excluding any investment opportunities or condition survey liabilities), it would be expected to be a surplus making contract, as opposed to the management fee of
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6 of 10 £190k+ per annum that the Council is paying. That said, as a short term 5 year contract, it would not be particularly attractive to the market.
7.2. In his opinion, the final offer from the Trust and Serco is a positive one considering the Council will be generating an average saving of £350k per annum (£1.75 million saving over 5 years) and the facilities will be receiving significant investment and customer facing enhancements.
7.3 The consultant was also of the opinion that the offer from Totally Tennis reflects the current market for tennis and the current performance at the centre.
7.4. In his view, therefore the offers would meet the council’s desired outcomes:
To maintain customer levels of satisfaction To ensure the existing buildings remains “fit for purpose” To achieve an improved financial return on the contracts.
8 Feedback from the MAP
8.1 Members of the MAP received a briefing on the final offer from the Trust and Serco and also Totally Tennis in March 2017. Clarification was sought on the following issues:
1) Concessionary prices.
Officers explained that there is no material change to the scope and nature of the contracts, which includes sections on approving increases to the core pricing schedules by the council and the Trust. Concessionary prices are protected within the new arrangements. However the times of access have been slightly changed at the facilities operated by the Trust and Serco.
2) The risks around the delivery timescale for the Tadley Gym Project which appear to be ambitious.
The Trust and Serco acknowledge that it is ambitious, however they are aiming to open in January as it is the best time of year for health and fitness memberships. The Trust and Serco have agreed to accept the financial risk for a period of 6 months (to June 2018) to allow for any delay to the proposed timeframe.
8.2 Members of the MAP agreed that the proposals meet the outcomes set out for the council to achieve through its negotiations and therefore supported the decision to extend the contracts
9. Corporate implications
9.1. Legal implications
9.1.1 The process for negotiating and agreeing terms for the proposed contract extension has been conducted in accordance with the Regulations, as detailed in paragraph 3.
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7 of 10 9.1.2 The decision to extend the contract will be taken by Cabinet on 13th June and subject to approval, be submitted to Full Council on 27th July for endorsement of identified works into the council’s capital programme.
9.2 Financial implications
9.2.1 The table below presents the improved position of the management fee from the Trust and Serco:
Contract Year Jan 2018 – Apr 2018 – Apr 2019 – Apr 2020 - Apr 2021 – Apr 2022 – Total Mar 2018 March 2019 March 2020 March 2021 March 2022 Dec 2022 Management Fee from Jan £10,952 - £38,211 - £193,034 - £202,170 - £202,170 - £146,606 - £771,328 2018 ( - ) To Council Current budget for £49,000 £196,000 £196,000 £196,000 £196,000 £147,000 £980,000 Management Fee Savings to the £38,048 £234,211 £389,034 £398,170 £398,170 £293,606 £1,751,328 Council
9.2.1. The Totally Tennis Management Fee remains unchanged.
9.2.2. The Condition Surveys for the Aquadrome and Tadley Pool have identified a number of key items for life-cycle replacement. The financial commitment from each party to meet the identified condition survey works to 2023 would be up to £593k for the Trust/Serco and up to £1.671m for the council.
9.2.3. The improvement in the financial arrangements is predicated on the council meeting its obligations for essential maintenance for the facilities.
9.2.4. The investment for the adventure Golf (£342k) is through the Trust in partnership with Serco Leisure Ltd. Provision will need to be made to secure the adventure golf facility for the next contract period. If the extended contract concludes after 5 years, this would be £171k.
9.3. Risk Management
9.3.1. A risk register for the project has been developed in accordance with the council’s risk management and project management processes and updated regularly. Constant review of the project management process by the Leisure 2018 Project Team is helping to ensure risks are identified and managed appropriately.
9.3.2. The key risks to the council in progressing the approach on which the offer is based are:
Medium risk - Having to renegotiate the Tadley Pool component of the offer should planning consent for Tadley gym be refused (note – in this scenario there would be no capital investment by the council on which to make a return). The impact on the management fee would see a significant reduction in payment to the council from £154k per year to £8k per year. This would result in a reduced saving to the council over the 5 years of £1,020,000 (rather than £1,751,328).
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8 of 10 Medium risk - Having to renegotiate the Golf Centre component of the offer should planning consent for Adventure Golf be refused. There is a much smaller risk that this will happen, and in event it does, alternative improved provision will be explored. Equally there may be new competition in the market for adventure golf.
Low risk - The Aquadrome schemes do not require planning permissions, but will be subject to meeting all building regulations and legislation. These risks will be borne by the Trust and Serco.
Low risk - Any increase in the utilities tariff over and above RPIx each year will continue to be picked up by the Council through an agreed recharge process. Budget provision is set aside for this of around £30k each year.
9.4. Equalities implications
9.4.1. An Equality Impact Assessment was undertaken in June 2016 to consider the impact of the proposed extension of the management contract for managing the leisure facilities covered by this report on the protected characteristics groups and its implications for the Public Sector Equality Duty. This concluded that the proposal is positive for all protected characteristics groups (i.e. race, age, sex etc) as these facilities provide activities that improve health and wellbeing and can help enhance community cohesion.
9.4.2 The original Equality Impact Assessment has been reviewed to consider the contract extension proposals. As these have not materially changed from the original contract, therefore the conclusion of the assessment, as stated in 9.4.1 remains the same
9.5. Consultation and communication
9.5.1. Interested parties such as Basingstoke Bluefins Swimming Club (re: Pool time allocations) and the Hurst School in Tadley (re: additional gym proposals) have been kept informed during the process as appropriate.
9.5.2. An updated communication strategy is being developed and will be agreed with the Trust and Serco and also Totally Tennis to cover how the proposals meet the objectives set out by the council.
9.5.3. There will be consultation with interested parties as part of the planning process for the Tadley Gym and Adventure Golf proposals, for which planning applications will be submitted in this calendar year.
9.6. HR implications
9.6.1 Staff at the Aquadrome, Tadley Pool and the Golf Centre are employed by the Community Leisure Trust through Serco Leisure (These arrangements would continue during the contract extension period if approved). Staff at the Tennis Centre are employed direct by Totally Tennis.
9.6.2 The internal council staff resources required to manage the project over the next few years will be allocated through the service planning process and supplemented with external specialist advice as required.
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9 of 10 10 Conclusion
10.1 In the opinion of the MAP, officers and the independent consultant, the final offer from The Trust and Serco and also Totally Tennis allows the council to achieve its desired outcomes. It provides:
Continuity of service and an ongoing commitment to deliver high quality customer service
A commitment to maintain and enhance the facilities
A significantly improved and guaranteed management fee from the Trust and Serco for an extended period of 5 years from January 2018 and beyond if required.
Lead officer Chas Bradfield, Head of Borough Development and Implementation Report author Mike O’Mahony Version Final Dated 31st May 2017 Status Open. It is considered that information contained within this report do not Confidentiality contain exempt information under the meaning of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972, as amended, and therefore can be made public.
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10 of 10 Appendix 1
Leisure Contract Extension Proposals
1 Decisions and member involvement to date
1.1 In February 2015, the council entered into an exclusivity agreement with New River Retail to develop proposals and the business case for redevelopment of the Leisure Park. In March 2015, Cabinet considered a report on the Management of Leisure Facilities Beyond 20181. At that stage the early indications were that the Leisure Park scheme might enhance the existing Aquadrome and the report highlighted an assumption that:
the Leisure Park regeneration proposals will take account of the continued operation of the Aquadrome as a regional destination facility and any positive or negative impact on the operation of the Aquadrome will be factored in to the decision making for both projects when known;
Cabinet agreed that:
in principle, the provision of services from Basingstoke Aquadrome, Tadley Pool, Basingstoke Golf Centre and Basingstoke Tennis Centre (including Stratton Park tennis courts), be continued beyond 2018
further work be undertaken to inform a report to Cabinet in March 2016, which will present procurement options and service specification principles and seek formal approval to secure management arrangements for these facilities from April 2018
1.2 Over the course of 2015 and early 2016, it became clear that that the redevelopment scheme would be more ambitious than originally presumed and would propose a new ‘modern equivalent’ facility to replace the existing Aquadrome.
1.3 With the Aquadrome the ‘anchor’ attraction in the portfolio of facilities to be tendered for a further management period, it was considered that the uncertainties raised by the Leisure Park scheme would not generate a favourable outcome for the council if it undertook a competitive tender process for the existing facility. Therefore, although it had been intended to report back to Cabinet in March 2016 on the proposed procurement arrangements for the leisure facilities, and following briefings with the Gateway Review team, SLT and SMB, it was agreed that an extension to the existing management arrangements would be the preferred way forward. This would allow time for the Leisure Park proposals to progress and for officers to consider the implications if the Leisure Park scheme did not proceed.
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1 of 3 1.4 In June 2016 a report was taken to CEP Committee2 which noted that the impact of the proposals for the Leisure Park had led to a comprehensive review of the intended approach for the management of the leisure facilities ‘until such time the way forward for the Leisure Park is clear’.
1.5 The minutes record that:
That CEP notes the contents of this report, in particular to note: that an extension of the current contract for the management of the Aquadrome, Tadley Pool, Indoor Tennis Centre and Golf Centre beyond 2018 will be instigated, seeking to ensure high quality services and value for money are maintained; that final agreement on contract extensions for the management of the facilities will be approved by the Director of Finance and Resources in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Communities and Community Safety; that the Council plans for a twin track approach to the budget requirements for capital expenditure for a new or refurbished Aquadrome (subject to the Leisure Park development), Tadley Pool, Golf and Tennis Centres. This will be informed by the key findings in the Condition Surveys and the asset management lifecycle plan; a similar “twin-track” approach will be taken in planning for the management of a new or refurbished Aquadrome and the other facilities; that a further report and updated timetable for procurement of management arrangements will be brought back to committee when there is certainty about which Aquadrome scheme will be progressed; that the Leisure 2018 Member Advisory Panel (MAP) continue to meet as necessary during the project. Nominations will be sought for representation from all parties to take part on this panel;
1.6 In accordance with the approach presented to CEP, officers commenced negotiations with the Trust and Serco in July 2016 for an extension to the management contract for the Aquadrome, Tadley Pool and Golf Centre, and with Totally Tennis for the Tennis Centre.
1.7 It should be noted that although representation on the MAP has recently changed; it remained the Portfolio Holder’s intention to continue engage with members through a MAP prior to a decision on the way forward.
1.8 The member engagement and decision making approach taken was through:
Briefing of Portfolio Holders Cllrs Bound and Tate Briefing to SMB 28/3/17 AM Briefing to MAP 28/3/17 PM Briefing to MAP 21/4/2017
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2 of 3 Update report to CEP on 31st May 2017 with the outcome of the negotiations
The Report to CEP covers the basis of the recommendations to Cabinet on 13th June. This reflects a decision by the Executive Director of Finance and Resources to seek approval for the contract extension arrangements and in particular, the capital commitment from the council that will ensure that the building remains “fit for purpose” for the next contract term.
Subject to approval, a report will then be presented to full council on 27th July for endorsement into the capital programme.
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Leisure Contract Extension Proposals – The Trust and Serco
1 Summary of the key issues raised during the negotiations
1.1 The main outcomes to be achieved for the council through the process of negotiations were:
To maintain customer levels of satisfaction To ensure the existing buildings remain “fit for purpose” To achieve an improved financial return on the contract.
1.2 The key issues influencing these outcomes, and which were considered during the course of negotiations, were:
Pricing, programming and operating times of the Aquadrome leisure waters Capital improvements, return on investment and project risks Capital and revenue expenditure on maintenance and lifecycle replacement informed by condition surveys Utility tariff risks Length of the contract extension and commencement date Current financial performance of the contract and surplus share arrangements
1.3 The first proposal from the Trust and Serco generated a number of issues for further clarification and justification. Overall, while it presented an improved financial position for the council, it was considered that this could be further improved without exposing the council to additional risks. They were asked to revisit their assumptions and business case and submit a revised final offer.
1.4 The revised proposal from the Trust and Serco was significantly enhanced with a number of key factors taken into consideration.
1.4.1 Conditions Survey Works
The agreed approach is to establish a lifecycle fund and work in partnership to manage the expenditure so funds allocated are spent in the most cost effective way possible considering the potential future development of the Aquadrome.
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1 of 3 1.4.2 Disruption to Service
The Trust and Serco have now confirmed that any disruption caused by the proposed investment works put forward as part of the contract extension (i.e. enhancement works not lifecycle works) would not form part of any loss of income claims.
1.4.3 Tadley Gym
The revised offer is much closer to the benchmark performance that we would expect to see.
1.4.4 Aquadrome
Gym and Lagoon Investment – The Trust and Serco made a strong representation to invest, to maintain market share. As the Tadley offer and Golf investment offers have been improved, the Aquadrome investment is considered in the light of the overall contract savings rather than on an individual investment business case basis.
Pool Times - Aquadrome lagoon / flumes - to open Monday and Friday evenings from 5pm to 8pm during the week during term time off-peak hours instead of from 4pm.
Programming - Adjustment to low Income gym membership users to not be permitted peak-time evening access (5.00pm until 8.30pm) to the fitness suite at the Aquadrome on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings.
Basingstoke Bluefins – Following meetings with the swimming club and Serco to review current pool allocations, the current arrangements will remain.
1.4.6 Utilities
Following discussions with the Trust and Serco to consider transfer of the risk of Utilities, the current arrangements will stand with the council taking on the risk of tariff increases over and above inflation.
1.4.7 Surplus Share
A 33:33:33 share of surplus generated between the Council, Serco Leisure and the Trust has been agreed. (currently 50:50 between Serco Leisure and the Trust);
1.4.8 Start Date
The Trust and Serco highlighted that their current business model for the contract (due to end in March 2018) includes depreciation on current investment. This would not be settled until end of December 2017 (end of Serco financial year).
Furthermore, the new business model from January 2018 aims to have Tadley Gym and Adventure Golf up and running early in 2018, and would ensure a better offer to the council through the 5 years or more.
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2 of 3
1.4.9 Conclusion
Significant progress was made between the initial and final offer from the Trust and Serco. The overall offer is a positive one considering the Council will be generating an average saving of £350k per annum and the facilities will be receiving significant investment and customer facing enhancements.
Page 107
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Information Pack : Leisure Contract Extension Offer
1 Summary of the offer from The Trust and Serco
Contract Extension – Desired Outcomes for the Council
• Continuity of service and an ongoing commitment to deliver high quality customer service
• A commitment to maintain and enhance the three facilities
• A significantly improved management fee for an extended period of 5 years from Jan 2018 Contract Extension proposals from The Trust and Serco
. Contract Extension over a 5 year period with a further possible 1 + 1 + 1 extension.
. Proposal to reduce subsidy to The Trust and Serco of £191k per annum to a £154k payment to the Council.
. Shared Surplus Share arrangement (33/33/33)
. BDBC to retain existing utility arrangements
. Retain current pricing however restrict low income members of Gym in peak times Monday to Wednesday inclusive between 5.00pm – 8.30pm.
. Lagoon / Flumes to open at 5.00pm during term time (currently 4pm until 8.00pm)
. Partnership Approach to Capital Investment: • BDBC – Tadley Gym • Serco –Aquadrome Gym and Adventure Golf • Trust – Aquadrome Lagoon
Financial Overview
. Proposed Payment to BDBC of equivalent to £154k per annum over 5 years. This equates to a saving of £1.75m for the council.
Capital Investment by the Trust and Serco
. £1,147,070 by Serco into the facilities plus £170,303 by the Trust
Commitment to Maintenance obligations to 2023
. The Trust and Serco Revenue spend - Planned & Reactive Maintenance - £1.751m
. Council Conditions Survey – InvesPaget up to 109 £1.671m for the council
1 of 1 This page is intentionally left blank Agenda Item 10
Community and Voluntary Sector Grant Scheme Programme Grant Strand Cllr Robert Tate, Cabinet Member for Finance, Service Delivery & Improvement
Report to Community Environment and Partnerships Committee Ward(s): All
Key Decision: N/A
Appendix: Summary of Programme Grant awards 2015-2018
Grant Award Scheme: Cabinet Report October 2014 Papers relied on: Strategic Grant Funding and Grant Funded Programmes – Lessons Learned from the grants’ application and award process: CEP Committee September 2015
Foreword - Cllr Robert Tate, Cabinet Member for Finance, Service Delivery & Improvement
1.1 The grant award scheme is an important part of this council's approach to working effectively with its partners in the delivery of the services most valued by our residents. It provides opportunity to support programmes being delivered by organisations we have not previously funded, as well as being able to offer continued support to many local organisations that deliver excellent services and programmes to our communities.
1.2 The grant portfolio covers a wide range of provision that adds value to the council’s own services. This commitment demonstrates that the council sees investment in the community and voluntary sector as a way to best understand and meet the needs of many of our most disadvantaged communities.
Recommendation: The views of the Community Environment and Partnership Committee are sought on contents of this report and in particular the proposed refinement to the Programme Grants’ process.
Page 111 Background, corporate objectives and priorities
The Community and Voluntary Sector Grants Scheme strands support delivery of each of the Council Plan priorities - preparing for controlled and sustainable growth, improving residents’ quality of life and supporting those who need it. The considerations in this report more directly support the following priorities:
- ensure a work ready workforce
- support wellbeing initiatives that improve life chances
- support homeless and vulnerable groups
Glossary of terms
Term Definition CVS Community and Voluntary Sector Grants Scheme
1. Executive summary
1.3 This report provides details of the key observations and learning points from the current portfolio of programme grants, which were awarded through the Community and Voluntary Sector Grant Scheme from 2015/16 to 2017/18.
1.4 It provides suggestions on the next round of programme grant funding, due for launch in July 2017 for financial year 2018/19 allocation and considers how the programme strand could be refined to achieve better outcomes and respond to new, and emerging, priorities.
1.5 The Community and Voluntary Sector Grant Scheme was established following a comprehensive review in 2014. Approximately £1.9 million revenue funding support is currently allocated across a wide portfolio of grants. The scheme contributes to better outcomes in the community in line with Council Plan priorities, good working relationships between the council and funded organisations and the effective and efficient use of the council’s money and wider resources.
1.6 A diverse programme of activity is supported across a range of sectors, including community development, arts, sports, and economic development.
2 Background
2.1 Following widespread consultation, a new approach to revenue grant funding was introduced in 2015/16. This is known as the Community and Voluntary Sector Grants’ Scheme (CVS). This replaced the previous core funding grant processes which had been operating for a number of years.
Page 112 2.2 The updated CVS Grant Scheme was discussed at the Community, Environment and Partnerships Committee on 15 October 2014 and endorsed at Cabinet on 28 October 2014. Grant awards were ratified at the Cabinet meeting held on 17 March 2015.
2.3 Under the Community and Voluntary Sector Grants’ Scheme there are two strands of funding open to organisations:
2.3.1 Strategic Grants – these are only provided where the organisation’s activities are recognised as specialist and deemed integral to delivering and supporting the Council Plan priorities. They:
• provide core funding to an organisation and will not be targeted at specific programmes of work • are for a minimum of £20,000 per annum, with no maximum limit • are awarded for up to five years
2.3.2 Programme Grants – these are focused on specific, relevant and local activities that add demonstrable value and benefit the borough’s communities. They:
• fund specific programmes rather than a whole organisation • are for a maximum of £20,000 per annum, with no minimum limit • are awarded for a period of one to three years
2.4 The main aim in establishing the current grants’ award scheme was to provide a single platform for community and voluntary sector organisations to seek the council’s support, and create a more transparent and accessible grant application and evaluation process. The revised process addressed issues raised through internal audit recommendations and, where possible, the need to reduce over reliance on council grant funding.
2.5 As agreed by Cabinet at its March 2015 meeting, 32 organisations received some funding, of these 10 organisations receive strategic grant funding.
3 Programme Grants Awarded
3.1 For 2015/16 a budget of £328,495 was made available for programme grant applications. However this was significantly over-subscribed. A total of 62 applications were received from 33 organisations with funding requests totalling £862,347 for the first year. Following an assessment and moderation process (and in line with published criteria), 26 programme grants were awarded to 22 organisations (with two organisations receiving two grants and one organisation receiving three grants). Full details of the grants awarded are provided in appendix 1.
3.2 The majority of grants were awarded for a three year period (from April 2015 to March 2018), with the exceptions of Victim Support and Wessex Heritage Trust, both of which received two year funding.
Page 113 3.3 Funding recommendations were considered on a case-by-case basis. However, in line with the published guidance, in most cases grant funding was awarded on an annually decreasing basis. This was in order to encourage recipients to work towards sustainability and decrease reliance on the borough council over the grant term.
3.4 A total of £794,190 was awarded over the three year period as follows:
2015/16 - £328,000
2016/17 - £276,470
2017/18 - £189,720
3.5 To monitor delivery, grant recipients provide a six monthly update on the programme’s progress, against an agreed set of bespoke performance targets (which form part of funding agreements). Where relevant, grant recipients provide data on the numbers engaged in the programme and highlight performance against a range of other key deliverables: e.g. number of activities delivered, numbers gaining accreditation, numbers entering work, number of volunteers involved/volunteer hours etc.
3.6 Organisations also report on agreed outcomes, tailored to programme delivery, which relate back to the Council Plan priorities. These are designed to demonstrate the programme’s impact on participants and provide supporting evidence on the difference/s being made from delivery. Grant recipients are required to explain any variances in delivery in the commentary provided with returns, or raise this at other points during the year if performance is significantly off track.
3.7 At this point, 25 grant agreements remain in place. Delivery of the Hampshire Wellbeing Services programme has now ceased following the loss of key staff members, which made this unsustainable.
4 Key observations from the current portfolio
4.1 It is noted that the portfolio is supporting a diverse programme of activity, across a range of sectors, including community development, arts, sports, and economic development. Organisations differ in scale and operating structure/model, ranging from volunteer-run charities through to larger not- for-profit companies with a number of dedicated paid staff.
4.2 It is evident that the portfolio is supporting a number of more vulnerable participants, including the homeless, those with mental health and confidence issues, young people at risk (e.g. those self-harming, NEETs, those with low literacy), and those living with dementia. There has also been some good anecdotal feedback on the positive impact being made in relation to ‘softer’ skills such as confidence, self-esteem, and wellbeing. These are supported by case study data.
4.3 It is therefore difficult to directly compare grants as these vary significantly, in terms of objectives, focus, target participants, geographical location,
Page 114 resources for delivery and amount of council grant (relative to total programme costs); as noted above some programmes have a more general delivery, whilst others are working with smaller numbers of participants on a more intensive basis.
4.4 As funding provided varies, in both the amount and the contribution to the total overall programme budget, it is also difficult to establish a consistent approach to evaluating what constitutes ‘value for money’.
4.5 Most programmes are on track and delivering as per original applications. Where relevant, some initial targets and outcomes have been amended and streamlined to better reflect actual audiences, delivery potential and respond to participants’ needs, as well as reflect changes in Council Plan priorities.
4.6 Some common themes have also emerged. For example, several organisations have reported that they are dealing with increasingly complex cases, which require longer-term interventions; e.g. YPI, Homestart, Relate and Age Concern, all of whom have seen an increase in the number of clients and the duration (and level) of support provided. Organisations advise that this reflects a marked change in traditional usage patterns and an increasing difficulty for clients to access other services.
4.7 Due to the challenging, chaotic and vulnerable nature of clients being supported by some organisations, it has also been noted that more intensive support has been required than was initially anticipated; e.g. RCS Ltd, Westside Community Association, Mencap, Café Project, Fluid Motion Theatre Company and the Community Furniture Project.
4.8 It is apparent from monitoring arrangements that the sector has capacity issues, including over-reliance on key individuals, and a lack of resilience has been apparent due to staff turn-over within some organisations. In some cases this has impacted delivery and reporting. Programmes are heavily supported by volunteers, illustrating the significant value of volunteering to the economy. However, recruiting, and retaining volunteers can be challenging, particularly in relation to Trustees.
4.9 There is evidence that the portfolio has secured income from a range of sources and has proactively used programme grant funding as leverage. In particular Wessex Heritage Trust has raised an additional £232,000 through the Big Lottery.
5 Key learning and suggestions for the 2018/19 funding round
5.1 An initial ‘Lessons Learned’ paper was taken to the Community, Environment and Partnerships Committee on 16 September 2015. This considered the learning from the grants’ application and award process and made a series of recommendations. These were primarily in relation to the duration of the application window, and the layout and word count of the application form.
Page 115 5.2 Since this report, on-going grants monitoring has provided additional learning from the delivery phase. It is recommended that this learning is used to inform the future direction of the scheme and provide clearer guidance for grant holders, both at the outset and through the monitoring process.
5.3 It is recognised that some programmes within the existing portfolio could be considered ‘nice to have’ rather than delivering clear, measurable outcomes. This is in part due to the ‘open’ nature of the previous round which invited applicants to respond to the full suite of Council Priority themes and former Commissioning Outcome Group priorities.
5.4 This also reflects the fact that this was a newly initiated scheme, with no track record of delivery. In addition it represented a significant change to previous funding arrangements, with a move away from core funding for those organisations which did not meet the Strategic Grant criteria. Programme Grant funding therefore provided an opportunity to provide short-term, interim support. For 2018/19 there is greater potential to focus funding on more clearly defined outcomes, which meet specifically identified needs in conjunction with the wider landscape and other available funding sources.
5.5 As stated in para 3.3 in many cases the funding was awarded on an annually reducing basis over the allocation period to support sustainability and avoid over reliance on council funding. This also reflected a desire to create capacity in the scheme, which could be used to support new applications during the three year funding window.
5.6 No formal interim round has been implemented, in order to allow time to better understand the outcomes of the new scheme and in recognition of the likely significant workload on applicants and officers. Any general grant enquiries have however been monitored in the interim against the scheme criteria. Additional funding support was agreed for Basingstoke Citizens Advice through a Portfolio Holder report in September 2016. A small number of other enquiries have not met the stated criteria, primarily seeking support for ongoing costs such as rent or continuation of core activity.
5.7 It should be noted that a number of organisations received significantly less funding than requested; others were subject to larger year-on-year cuts than they had anticipated. It is apparent that in some cases this has impacted on delivery and the stability of programmes. It has also affected organisations’ ability to build on-going capacity; at this stage, a number of organisations have indicated that the funded programmes will not be sustainable once the current grant arrangements cease.
5.8 For the next funding round, it would be prudent to consider the number of funding allocations to be made, the level of these and the year-on-year grant reductions made. It is noted that the approach to decreasing grant awards remains valid, to reduce dependency on the council and encourage innovation. However, it may be more appropriate to award fewer grants, at a higher value, enabling these to have greater resources for delivery. It may
Page 116 also be appropriate to look at the extent of year-on-year reductions to ensure sustainable delivery.
6 Considerations for next round
6.1 The overall CVS continues to contribute to the Council Plan 2016 to 2020 priorities: preparing for controlled sustainable growth, improving the quality of life and supporting those who need it. As part of the ongoing refinement however and in light of the observations in sections 4 and 5 of this report, it is proposed that a more clearly defined outcomes focus is provided for the programme grant strand going forward.
6.2 This will act as a guide for applicants, providing a clearer steer on the difference expected from funding, without prescribing the content, scope or vehicle of the programme to be delivered. This will also enable a wide-range of applicants to respond, both from the existing portfolio and outside of this, ensuring that the scheme remains open and equitable. This should help to manage demand as the council’s expectations of funding are more clearly articulated.
6.3 It is suggested that the focus aligns with current service team and partnership priorities and sector-specific strategies with particular emphasis on better outcomes for the vulnerable. These include the Health and Wellbeing Partnership, the Children Young People and Families’ Partnership, the Older People’s Partnership and the emerging Cultural and Economic Development Strategies. This approach is intended to strengthen the outcomes achieved through programme grants and recognise that the grants contribute to, but are not the only support, being made available for local priorities.
6.4 It is therefore proposed to invite applications for programmes which will support communities to become more resilient by delivering sustainable activities or services that meet identified local needs. Applications will be asked to identify which of the following five themes will be addressed by their programme:
1. Older people are less socially isolated - Enabling older people to access and get involved in activities which improve their wellbeing and reduce social isolation. 2. Families are more resilient - Helping families from more disadvantaged backgrounds to improve their skills and confidence to enable them to better meet the needs of their family and cope with challenges. 3. Young people can maximise their potential - Supporting young people to raise their aspirations, develop the skills to cope with adversity and maximise their potential. 4. People who face barriers to employment move closer to the job market - Supporting people who face barriers to employment to improve their skills and access jobs and volunteering opportunities. 5. People reluctant to engage are healthier and more active - Encouraging people who face barriers and/or are more reluctant to engage to make
Page 117 healthier life choices, reduce harmful behaviours and become more physically active 6.5 Further work will take place to clarify the scope of each theme. An updated application form and clearly written guidance notes will be produced to support organisations to make high quality applications and encourage collaborative working.
6.6 Further work will also take place to refine the application evaluation process to ensure that each programme is assessed against the clearly defined desired outcomes, that robust monitoring is identified and that the capacity and sustainability of the applicant organisation are also taken into consideration.
6.7 It is anticipated that, where current programme grant recipients wish to reapply for funding for similar work, robust evidence will need to be provided, showing how the programme meets the revised themes and how it has developed in light of the learning from the previous grant. It will also be reiterated that a programme must be differentiated from the organisation’s wider delivery.
7 Strategic Grant Funding
7.1 This paper has focused on programme grants and lessons learned as current arrangements are now in their final year and will therefore release an indicative budget of £266,000 for 2018/19 allocation.
7.2 The Performance Panel currently undertakes an annual review of Anvil Arts performance against the agreed funding agreement with meeting notes reported to Scrutiny Committee. A summary of performance monitoring for all strategic grant organisations will be reported to the Panel each year from 2017. This will enable review of any exceptions reporting to be discussed with organisations in liaison with the relevant Portfolio Holder.
7.3 It should be noted that one strategic grant will also come to the end of current arrangements in March 2018 and will be subject to review and reporting in the autumn of 2017.
7.4 The relaunch of the grant award scheme in July will enable consideration of any new application for strategic grant funding where appropriate.
7.5 If supported, any requests for new strategic grant allocations would reduce the funding available for Programme Grants.
Corporate implications
8 Legal implications
8.1 The provision of grant funding to third parties is a discretionary function and the council must have a statutory power upon which to exercise that discretion.
Page 118 8.2 The Localism Act 2011 introduces a power of general competence; providing local authorities with the power to do anything that individuals may generally do unless there is a specific prohibition against such use.
8.3 The Council has the power to make grant payments to third parties. In exercising its discretion, the council must consider all relevant factors, including the contents of the grant application forms and any supporting evidence required from the applicant or supplied by them. In determining whether to agree to award grant funding to a third party the council must also consider, amongst other things, whether the application meets the criteria for funding, value for money of the proposed work to be undertaken, the benefits of the proposed to the inhabitants of the Borough and the policies of the Council.
9 Financial implications
9.1 The council’s approved revenue budget for 2017/18 includes a total of £263,000 for providing grant funding.
9.2 In accordance with a planned approach to management of grants, £81,200 of this is currently unallocated and provides a contingency for strategic grant funded organisations and the ability to respond to funding request which meet the council’s grant criteria.
9.3 The council’s medium term financial strategy includes a total of £266,000 in 2018/19 which is available for allocation.
10 Risk management
10.1 Organisations are aware that funding is for a defined period and will be used to meet clearly articulated outcomes that demonstrate impact on the Council Plan. Funding agreements have been drafted to enable the council to withdraw funding where necessary and respond to issues of under/non- performance through an escalation process, which is detailed within the funding agreement
11 Equalities
11.1 No significant change has been proposed to the grant award scheme. When considering the Public Sector Equality Duty and the impact of the proposals on the protected characteristics groups (Equality Act 2010), it can be concluded that the scheme continues to be positive for all groups and no issues have been identified with the proposals in this report at this stage.
12 Consultation and communication
12.1 There has been engagement with officers concerning the outcomes of the grant award scheme and any service sector pressures they have identified to inform the refinement proposed within this report. Ongoing monitoring discussions with grant funded organisations has also informed the lessons learned and identified improvements.
Page 119 12.2 It is proposed that applications and recommended allocations for 2018/19 funding will undergo a similar process with a moderation panel of internal (BDBC) and external experts involved in the final evaluation of all applications, with decision to be made by Cabinet.
13 HR implications
13.1 No implications have been identified as part of this report.
14 Conclusion
14.1 This report provides information on the programme grants funded between 2015 and 2018. A broad range of organisations have largely delivered programmes in line with original agreements; in many cases these have sought to meet the needs of our most disadvantaged communities.
14.2 The report further outlines some of the lessons learned from the programme grant strand and proposes some amendments for incorporation as part of the launch in 2017 to enable high quality 2018/19 allocations.
14.3 CEP Committee’s views are sought on the contents of this report and, in particular, proposed refinements to the programme grants’ strand.
Lead officer Lesley Murphy, Policy and Performance Manager Report author Sue Washington, Senior Grants Officer Version Final Dated Status Open It is considered that information contained within this report does not contain exempt information under the meaning of Schedule 12A of Confidentiality the Local Government Act 1972, as amended, and therefore can be made public.
Page 120 Directory of Community and Voluntary Sector Grant Funding April 2015 to March 2018 APPENDIX 1
Outcomes from Council Plan priorities at the time the grants were awarded 1 Increasing economic vitality 6 Protecting our environment 2 Increasing skills and employment 7 Maintaining a reputation for quality arts and leisure 3 Getting connected 8 Supporting active, healthy and involved communities 4 Planning policies that safeguard local distinctiveness 5 Creating neighbourhoods where people feel safe and want to live
Current Council Plan Priorities mapped against original outcomes
[A] Preparing for controlled and sustainable growth [B] Improving residents' quality of life [C] Supporting those that need it
Funded Programme Council Main beneficiary Details of programme deliverables Funding Grant over Summary of key outcomes in 2016/17 Organisation Name Plan period project period Priority M3 Job Club Adult 1,2,3,4 Adults and Grant funding supports unemployed adults and/or 01/04/2015 - £22,500 *Cumulative total of 1,515 clients were supported during the period Employability [A] families - mainly those placed at risk of redundancy to (re)enter 31/03/18 *95 clients re-entered work 40+ looking to get work; the programme works in 16-week cycles that *In-year survey confirmed that 92% of clients feel they are better back into run consecutively, to take people through a full prepared to find paid employment employment programme and to accommodate their need for *95% of clients confirmed that they have increased their levels of
Page 121 Page interviews, job search, etc. motivation, self-confidence and self-esteem
Inspero Love2Grow: 2,6,8 Adults and Grant funding supports the delivery of horticultural 01/04/2015 - £20,050 *670 visits to c. 44 classes during the period Love2Cook [B] Families - and cookery classes, which focus on teaching 31/03/18 *c. 321 individual young people attending primarily within children, young people and adults new skills and *30% of participants were from South Ham, 20% from Buckskin, Buckskin, South promoting healthy eating messages; participants 20% from Popley, with the remainder from other areas of Ham, Popley can access fresh produce through the Basingstoke organisation’s community gardens *In-year feedback indicates that c. 50% of young people confirm they have adopted a healthier lifestyle as a result of the project *80% of participants confirm that they have increased their knowledge of healthy food and how to grow and cook this *70% of participants reported an increase in confidence levels
Relate North Individuals and 8 Adults and Grant funding supports the delivery of subsidised 01/04/2015 - £30,000 *Total of 1,297 subsidised sessions during the period, with higher Hampshire Couples from [B] [C] Families - couples and free counselling advice to local people to 31/03/18 demand amongst lower and middle income clients *565 Low Income and individuals on access services, including relationship counselling individuals attended sessions *732 Families low incomes, and sexual therapy couples attended sessions including single *Feedback indicates that counselling is positively impacting on young people who mental well-being and supports clients' relationship with others may not be able to access the service
RCS Ltd Get That Job 1,2,3 Adults and Grant funding supports the delivery of job clubs to 01/04/2015 - £47,753 *Total of 220 clients supported during the period, through 2,014 job [A] Families - long- assist participants to find work and/or move closer 31/03/18 club visits (with an average of 8-10 visits per individual due to the term unemployed to the work place. Job clubs are delivered in increasing level of support required) with additional Popley, Oakridge and the Discovery Centre *42% of clients reported as moving into employment needs *19% of clients moved into volunteering *39% moved into further learning opportunities Home-Start Home Visiting 1,2,3,8 Adults and Grant funding supports the delivery of a home- 01/04/2015 - £30,000 *Total of 94 families were supported during the period, many of North West Service [B] [C] Families - visiting volunteering service to families to provide 31/03/18 which have complicated and challenging needs Hampshire vulnerable families practical support and advice on parenting, access *This included 4 teenage parents to medical support and play opportunities etc. *10 families received significant support with their finances *56 volunteers supported delivery (with 16 new volunteers trained during the year) *Feedback highlights the positive impact the programme is making on participants' self-confidence and self-esteem Basingstoke Voluntary Car 3,8 Older People - Grant funding supports the provision of an 01/04/2015 - £7,650 *Total of 3,338 trips were delivered during the period, for 505 Neighbourcare Scheme [B] [C] aged 70+; aimed accompanied transport service for registered 31/03/18 clients (157 new clients were taken on during the year) at clients who are clients, which is delivered by volunteer drivers who *84% of clients are aged 70 years and above, many of whom are in physically unable, collect clients from their home and drive them to ill-health or disabled *c. or lack the their destination. 67% of trips during the period were to medical appointments confidence, to use *The service is supported by 55 volunteer drivers (5 new drivers other forms of were recruited during the period) public transport *Feedback indicates that the service enables clients to access services, maintain independence and combat social isolation Age Concern Information and 1,3,5,8 Older people - Grant funding supports an Information and Advice 01/04/2015 - £48,000 *Total of 909 enquiries were received from clients and partners Hampshire Advice Outreach [B] [C] with a specific Outreach Co-ordinator to develop partnerships, 31/03/18 during the period Service focus on socially develop skills in staff and volunteers and deliver *289 clients attended outreach and events during the year isolated groups advice to clients *In line with increasing demand, 134 clients received home visit and vulnerable . support clients including *c. £155,665 of additional Attendance Allowance income was those in rural achieved for clients during the year
Page 122 Page areas *The programme was supported by 40 volunteers during the year
Hampshire Improving 3,7,8 Older People - Grant funding supports a programme of work 01/04/2015 - £9,079 (1st Due to changes in the organisation's staffing, the programme has Wellbeing Wellbeing of [B] [C] over 55s, with at which aims to support targeted clients with lower 31/03/18 year only) now ceased as it was unable to continue delivery Services those with least one other levels of wellbeing to develop a sense of purpose CANCELLED Protected protected and improve their health; delivery includes Characteristics characteristic preparation of an individualised wellbeing plan, which will be supported by a variety of tailored activities according to need and the particular barrier/s identified. Wessex Heritage The Memory 4,5,7,8 Older People - Grant funding supports the delivery of The Memory 01/01/2016 - £18,550 NB the programme is operating on a calendar year Trust Box [B] [C] with dementia Box project, aimed at stimulating people living with 31/01/18 *Total of 288 participants were involved during the period, through dementia through the use of sensory memory 160 sessions within Basingstoke hospital boxes; project also focuses on training volunteers *84 volunteers supporting the programme's delivery, along with 7 to work with patients; initial delivery within hospitals work experience students rolling out into residential and care homes in year 2 *Feedback from health care professionals indicates that involvement in the programme has a positive impact on the self- identity of patients, encourages social interaction and improves their mood *During 2017/18 the programme is aiming to create a new Memory Lane Reminiscence Area on E4 ward at Basingstoke Hospital
Testbourne Family Fundays 1,2,3,4,5,8 Universal - areas Grant funding supports the delivery of a 01/04/2015 - £17,645 *879 participants were engaged during the period, through 16 Community and Learning [B] of rural & programme of family learning opportunities, 31/03/18 events School Programme deprivation. delivered in-house and in partnership with other *The majority of participants were stated as being from the Whitchurch and agencies; these are designed to combat potential Whitchurch, Overton and St. Mary Bourne areas surrounds deficiencies of provision in a rural area *Feedback indicates that 99% of participants rate the programme 'good' or above Hurst Rural Access 1,2,3,4,5,8 Universal - in Grant funding supports the delivery of a 01/04/2015 - £22,964 *Total of 1,842 sessions delivered during the period (of which 1,252 Community Get Active [B] rural location programme of activity, designed to increase current 31/03/18 were for adults [272 of these were aimed at older people] and 590 College including participation levels in sport and physical activity; for young people) volunteers the programme aims to bridge the gap where local *60 volunteers facilities cannot meet demand *47 partners
Newbury Countryside 2,6,8 Universal - Grant funding supports the operation of the 01/04/2015 - £24,777 *Total of 761 people participated during the period, of which 246 Community Knowledge [B] service for all organisation’s ‘Growing 2gether’ site at Cottismore, 31/03/18 were children and 515 were adults Resource Centre which enables people to learn horticultural and *28 workshops and events were delivered countryside skills and rural crafts. *The programme was supported by 9 corporate partners during the year *In-year feedback from participants surveyed indicates that the programme is having a positive impact on reducing stress levels and is helping to increase awareness of the environment
Newbury Community 1 Vulnerable Grant funding supports the organisation to reuse 01/04/2015 - £55,803 *Total of 8.919 customers purchased items during the period, of Community Furniture Project [C] Adults - unwanted furniture and household goods through 31/03/18 which 6,192 were on benefits *24 Resource Centre volunteers from sale or donation to the community families in exceptional need were referred during the year, and a disadvantaged further 51 received assisted support *307.29 backgrounds; free tonnes was diverted from landfill during the period *97% and low-cost of customers surveyed during the period confirmed that the furniture available Community Furniture Project meets their needs to people on low *100% stated that prices are fair *79% confirmed the project is very important to them
Page 123 Page incomes etc. Newbury Five Steps Plus 2 Vulnerable Grant funding supports volunteering and training 01/04/2015 - £36,000 *Total of 290 volunteers were engaged in the programme during Community Volunteering [C] Adults - opportunities for a wide range of disadvantaged 31/03/18 the period, of which 166 are disadvantaged Resource Centre and Training disadvantaged adults in the community. Activities are linked to the *93 volunteers report that they have a disability of some kind Programme adults, incl. long Community Furniture Project’s core business and *288 volunteers accessed work experience opportunities, 168 term unemployed, include furniture repair, electrical repair, customer moved on from the programme into work, education etc. older people and service, administration and IT. *217 have undertaken training and are engaged in the LASER people with process *97% physical & learning of volunteers surveyed confirmed that they had access to relevant disabilities and training, courses and opportunities, which have benefited their mental health development; 92% had gained new qualifications/accreditations problems. *100% of volunteers surveyed confirmed that volunteering has had a positive impact on their mental health and wellbeing; 100% indicated they have learnt new skills that will help them in the future
The Camrose Camrose Centre 1,2,4,8 Vulnerable Grant funding supports the Camrose centre, which 01/04/2015 - £48,780 *Total of 413 service users supported during the period Centre [C] Adults - affected provides advice information and support for 31/03/18 *c. 45% of those responding indicated they were rough sleepers by homelessness homeless people and those that are vulnerably *93 service users were signposted to other services housed in Basingstoke and Deane; the centre is *The programme is supported by 14 volunteers, who provided a open two days a week and provides breakfast and combined total of 7,820 volunteer hours during the year a hot lunch, as well as services from a number of *In-year feedback from service users highlights that the programme providers including assistance with benefits, has had a particularly positive impact on self-esteem and housing advice and addiction confidence levels Queen Mary's May Place 3,8 Vulnerable Grant funding supports the delivery of free weekly 01/04/2015 - £14,342 *38 individuals participated in 46 sessions during the year (with an College Sports Hostel Football [B] [C] Adults - affected football 5/7-a-side sessions on the college site, 31/03/18 average attendance of 16 participants per session) *2 Centre Session by homelessness offering a physical activity in a safe environment participants were signposted to other services *Feedback from participants indicates that sessions have a positive impact on their health and enable them to network and make new connections Fluid Motion Theatricals 3,4,7,8 Vulnerable Grant funding supports the delivery of ‘Theatricals’, 01/04/2015 - £21,011 *Total of 54 participants were supported during the period Theatre [B] [C] Adults - people a drama group for adults with learning disabilities 31/03/18 *2 public performances were delivered during the year, with a Company with Learning and additional needs; this aims to respond to the combined audience of 320 Disabilities needs of participants and build confidence; it is *Feedback from participants indicates that the programme has a delivered with Basingstoke Mencap particularly positive impact on confidence and self-esteem and aspiration levels The Café Project Work Support 1,2,3,4,5,8 Vulnerable Grant funding supports a Work Support Advocate 01/04/2015 - £23,950 *Total of 16 students supported during the period Advocacy [A] [C] Adults - people to move students through into open employment, 31/03/18 *3 students have moved into volunteer placements with Learning enabling the Café Project to offer more *4 businesses providing student placements Disabilities - and opportunities of training to people with learning *In partnership with Mencap, during the year the organisation local café disabilities developed a new strand to the programme, known as Step one – customers Signposting, which is offering weekly drop-in group and one-to-one support to a wider cohort of people with learning disabilities; average attendance is c. 7-10 individuals Basingstoke Aspire 1,2,3 Vulnerable Grant funding supports the operation of the Aspire 01/04/2015 - £36,000 *23 jobseekers supported *20 Mencap Employment [B] [C] Adults - people Job Club, which enables people with learning 31/03/18 jobseekers attended interviews during the period *5 Programme with Learning disabilities to identify their skills, competencies and jobseekers secured work experience Disabilities interests and identify and apply for work and *11 secured volunteer opportunities *5
Page 124 Page volunteering and training opportunities; aimed at jobseekers secured paid work *10 those with learning disabilities, primarily aged 18 to families/ carers of jobseekers on the programme confirmed the 30 project has improved their situation *Feedback indicates that the club provides a supportive environment for members, helps them to move closer to employment, and positively impacts on confidence levels Basingstoke Greenfingers 2,6, 8 Vulnerable Grant funding supports the delivery of horticultural 01/04/2015 - £30,000 *15 services users participated Mencap [A] [C] Adults - people and carpentry activities for adults with learning 31/03/18 *18 supported volunteers and 13 volunteers *5 with Learning disabilities and mental health issues, 5 days a participants accessed interviews and 2 gained employment Disabilities week at a site within the overall South Ham *Feedback indicates that the programme is having a particularly Allotments location; the programme also offers a positive impact on confidence and skills-development, enabling range of volunteering opportunities; aimed at adults participants to learn and develop horticulture skills; it is hoped to (aged 18-60), particularly those who feel socially develop formal accreditation in 2017/18 isolated, and those who have had one-to-one *The programme has now launched a new Gardening in the support activities cancelled recently as a result of Community service which offers supported employment changes to social care services opportunities to service users
Victim Support Mental Health 5, 8 Vulnerable Grant funding supports a specialist outreach 01/04/2015 - £39,465 *186 victims supported during the period Project [C] Adults - victims of project working with victims and witnesses 31/03/17 *100% of service users confirm that the programme has helped crime, people with suffering a mental health crisis as a result of being them to feel safer Mental Health a witness to or a victim of crime. *100% confirmed that the programme had a positive impact on their issues physical and mental health *The organisation has reported that they will be using learning from the grant-funded programme to incorporate the mental health element into core delivery, once the programme comes to an end Westside Youth Services 1,2,4,5,8 Young People - Grant funding supports the delivery of a range of 01/04/2015 - £44,000 *Total of4,035 contacts made with young people aged 11 to 19 Community [C] 11-18 year olds activity at three youth clubs, based at Russell 31/03/18 during the period, with many from chaotic backgrounds Centre involved in ASB. Howard Pavilion in South Ham, The Dome Café in *1,854 young people were recorded at Buckskin, 639 at Brighton South Hams, Brighton Hill and the Ridgeway Centre in Buckskin; Hill and 1,542 in South Ham Brighton Hill, offering young people skills and employment *Feedback from partners indicates that the programme has Buckskin area. training sessions, a place to socialise and impacted positively on incidences of anti-social behaviour, assistance in helping to overcome negative particularly in the Buckskin area perceptions *Feedback from youth leaders highlights a positive impact on participants' awareness of health and wellbeing, particularly in relation to sexual health, healthy lifestyles and emotional resilience
YPI Counselling Young People’s 8 Young People - Grant funding supports a free counselling service 01/04/2015 - £53,049 *Total of 354 young people supported during the period, through Independent [C] aged 11-25 for young people aged 11-25 years in the 31/03/18 1,442 sessions Counselling Basingstoke area *Questionnaire data demonstrated that 82% of service users Services recorded an improved level of well-being from sessions, with 61% recording a significant (5+ point) improvement *1,830 volunteer hours provided *In year-survey indicated 100% of volunteers rated YPI as a valuable place to work’ 100% also confirmed volunteering with YPI has improved confidence and self-esteem Basingstoke Community 2,8 Young People - in Grant funding supports the Community 01/04/2015 - £24,000 *2,874 primary school children involved during the year Rugby Club Development [B] schools and local Development Programme, which aims to introduce 31/03/18 *1,193 secondary school children engaged Programme sports clubs Rugby to Primary and Secondary schools in *64 volunteer coaches supporting programme Basingstoke through curriculum and after school Page 125 Page clubs, encourage rugby take-up, support women's rugby and facilitate coach development
Basingstoke Employability 1,2 Young people - Grant funding supports the delivery of a schools- 01/04/2015 - £17,976 *Total of 563 young people engaged in the programme during the Consortium Skills for 12-13 [A] aged 12-16, based programme of activity, which includes 31/03/18 period year olds businesses and practical Skills Days, employability workshops and *88% of young people surveyed reported an increased awareness schools employer-led assemblies; aimed at year 8 and 9 of employability skills as a result of participation pupils from secondary schools within the borough; *21 teachers involved in programme activities offered on a first-come-first serve basis, *90% of teachers reported changes in student attitudes as a result regardless of educational achievement or of involvement *58 attainment business volunteers supported during the period, with a total of 415 hours; with 100% interested in volunteering again *22 businesses supported, with 100% of businesses demonstrating engagement as having a positive impact on their business
Basingstoke STEM: Ignite 1,2 Young People - Grant funding supports the delivery of a 01/04/2015 - £28,150 *Total of 784 young people engaged in the programme during the Consortium Ambition [A] aged 12-16, programme promoting STEM (science, technology, 31/03/18 period *87% businesses and engineering and maths) careers through of young people surveyed reported an increased awareness of schools workshops, teacher CPD, work experience and STEM and career opportunities *36 teachers business engagement; this also includes the large- involved in programme *88% of scale TeenTech event; programme is supported by teachers reported changes in classroom teaching as a result of business volunteers from across the borough involvement *172 business volunteers supported programme *92 businesses engaged (with 6 new during the period) *46 businesses demonstrating engagement as having a positive impact on their business This page is intentionally left blank
COMMUNITY, ENVIRONMENT AND PARTNERSHIPS COMMITTEE
INDICATIVE TIMINGS OF 2017/18 WORKING GROUPS
Topic May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr Neighbourhood
Management
Scoping
Page 127 Page Evidence gathering Reporting
Agenda Item 11
COMMUNITY, ENVIRONMENT AND PARTNERSHIPS COMMITTEE
PROVISIONAL REPORTS
19 JULY 2017
Agenda item Description CAB Portfolio Report Contact
Basingstoke Town To provide an update on the current position of the Cabinet Member Marion Short - Football Club ground for Basingstoke Town Football Club. for Communities Wellbeing and and Community Community Manager
Safety - S Bound
Evolution of Local Level To assess the outcome of the evaluation and Cabinet Member J Balcombe - Decision Making Pilot recommend a way forward. for Communities Community Arrangements and Community Development Manager Safety - S Bound
Page 128 Page Household Waste To consider the operation of household waste Cabinet Member J Elson - Head of Recovery Centres recovery centres following recent changes by for Regulatory Technical and (motion referred from Hampshire County Council. Services and the Environmental Services Council October 2016) Environment - H Eachus
13 SEPTEMBER 2017
Agenda item Description CAB Portfolio Report Contact
Parking in Residential The committee is to receive an update on the Cabinet Member C Rowland - Head of Areas Programme Parking in Residential Area Programme following a for Communities Environmental Services Update report discussed at the committee in September and Community 2016. Safety - S Bound PROVISIONAL - Waste To consider the market research undertaken as part Cabinet Member J Elson - Head of Contract Tender: of the retender of the joint waste contract for for Regulatory Technical and Consideration of Market Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council and Hart Services and the Environmental Services Research District Council Environment - H Eachus
8 NOVEMBER 2017
Agenda item Description CAB Portfolio Report Contact
Town Centre To approve the scope of works and allocation of Cabinet Member Marion Short - Community Facilities - S016 funding for improvements to Carnival Hall, for Communities Wellbeing and Improvement Works Irish Centre. and Community Community Manager Safety - S Bound
17 JANUARY 2018
Agenda item Description CAB Portfolio Report Contact
14 MARCH 2018
Agenda item Description CAB Portfolio Report Contact
Page 129 Page
COMMUNITY, ENVIRONMENT AND PARTNERSHIPS COMMITTEE
ITEMS TO BE TIMETABLED
. Motion referred from Council of 15 December 2016
Proposer: Councillor A McCormick Seconder: Councillor J Cousens
Council Recognises:
- that the UK Government is committed to leading international efforts to defeat modern slavery
- that slavery takes many different forms (forced labour, human trafficking, servitude, slavery) and may be present in a range of
Page 130 Page sectors (sex industry, service and hospitality industry, farming etc)
- that little is known about scale of the problem in Basingstoke and Deane
Council Commits to:
- working towards the eradication of human trafficking and slavery in Basingstoke & Deane
- raise awareness of Modern Slavery amongst all employees, councillors and partners how it presents and what they need to do should they come across it.
- ensure a multi-agency approach to this issue, to become a partner of the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Modern Slavery Partnership and to engage with and support the work of the Partnership
- implement the Transparency in Supply Chain provisions of the Modern Slavery Act to prevent Modern Slavery from occurring in its own supply chain.
. 12 Month Review of Making Every Adult Matter (MEAM)
. Neighbourhood Management (including Utility Company Highway Repairs motion referred from Council of 15 December 2016)
. Update on Sleeping Rough Project
COMMUNITY, ENVIRONMENT AND PARTNERSHIPS COMMITTEE
CURRENT AND PLANNED WORKING GROUPS
Topic Scope Status CAB Portfolio
TheNominated working Councillors group is tasked with the following:
. To look at ways in which the Council could better engage with partner agencies involved in ‘neighbourhood management’. Cabinet Member . To consider options for the establishment of ‘neighbourhood for Communities managers’ or an active website as a single point of contact. and Community Safety – S Bound . Consider solutions to poorly maintained footpaths and garage areas. Evidence Neighbourhood . To review ways in which to establish land ownership and Gathering Management responsibility in the borough
Page 131 Page Update (19/05/17): The working group will aim to meet shortly to consider current work and also to consider the motion referred from Council of 15 December 2016 regarding utility company highway repairs.
Cllrs M Bound, R Golding (Lead Member), T Jones, P Miller & Nominated Councillors M Westbrook
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