Report for the 18 September 2017 Full Meeting of Crick Parish Council From Councillor Brian Hughes 17/332 Parking To discuss all parking issues within the parish, including parking warden visits and decide on what action needs to be taken. Enforcement by NCC Northamptonshire County Council is responsible for parking enforcement in Crick see http://www3.northamptonshire.gov.uk/councilservices/northamptonshire- highways/parking/Pages/parking-enforcement-.aspx . NCC is working in partnership with NSL Services who provide parking related services on behalf of the council. This includes the management of the Civil Enforcement Officers who are based in Northampton. A FOI request was made to obtain details of the number of visits made by Parking Enforcement Officers to Crick from 2014 to August 2017 and the number of Penalty Charge Notices (PCN) issued. The figures are attached. They show that Crick is rarely visited and that few tickets have been issued. Do we need to encourage more visits, particularly as new restrictions are about to be applied? How can we best do this? Local Initiative in Conjunction with Police To highlight the problem parking issues to offenders and reduce the problem, Sgt Sam Dobbs has suggested that we consider initiating a local scheme with the help of the Police, details as follows: 1. The Police design and print a ‘traffic advisory’ (TA) notice like a PCN. 2. TAs are affixed to cars that are problem parked on yellow lines, pavements etc. by volunteers (Councillors and others) who make a brief record i.e. Index No, Time and Place. 3. The TAs will advise the vehicle owner that the purpose of the TA is to keep the roads and community safe and they may be committing an offence. It will tell them that the Police are aware that they have caused a problem when parking and request them to consider how they have parked and to contact the Police for further information. The exact wording etc. has yet to be agreed by the Police. Would we support such a scheme? 17/345 Neighbourhood Plan Andrew Ashcroft has been appointed as the Independent Examiner of the Plan and has started work. He made an unaccompanied visit to Crick on Wednesday 13 September and subsequently wrote to us via DDC seeking clarification of a small number of points, none of them being major. These have been discussed with Jane Parry, DDC on 15 September and a draft response has been agreed and circulated to the CVNDP Steering Group for comment so that we can respond by 21 September as requested by the Examiner. In addition to the specific points raised, his initial comments on the Plan were as follows: “The Plan is very well-presented and written. It provides a clear and distinctive vision for the neighbourhood plan area. In addition, it is clear that there has been a close overlap between the evolution of the Neighbourhood Plan and its consultation and evidence base. The evidence base is particularly thorough and extensive. This is best practice and follows the approach set out in Planning Practice Guidance. Its connections with the local planning policy context are also clear.” The Examiner has requested that the protocol for responses is as follows: “I would be grateful for comments from the Parish Council by 21 September 2017. Please let me know if this timetable may be challenging to achieve. It is intended to maintain the momentum of the examination. It also reflects the relatively limited nature of the issues raised. In the event that certain responses are available before others I am happy to receive the information on a piecemeal basis. However irrespective of how the information is assembled please could it all come to me directly from the District Council. In addition, please can all responses make direct reference to the policy or the section concerned.” The CVNDP Steering Group will continue to manage this and respond on behalf of the Parish Council unless it feels that there are major issues that need to be addressed by Council. 17/346 Policing Sponsored PCSOs Staffing. Both Les and Duncan are working in the area again. For the past few weeks, Les has been concentrating on Crick and Kilsby and Duncan has been concentrating on DIRFT but they are available to respond throughout the area when on shift. PCSO Funding. The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) has met with Inspector Byrne and Sgt Dobbs, and a paper has gone to Chief Officers about the future and options for PCSO sponsorship. Jacquie Slater, who wrote to us in December 2016 putting us formally on notice that the current arrangements would cease on 1 September 2017, has left the organisation. Inspector Byrne and Sgt Dobbs have reminded the OPCC and their Senior Officers of that letter and deadline; as a result, we have received a letter recently, indicating that the deadline is being delayed to the end of the financial year, which should be a far better fit with our financial and precepting/budget deliberations. Sgt Dobbs awaits to hear what the 100% funding figure for a PCSO will be (around £37k) and the terms on which the Police will continue conversations with existing and new sponsors. New Northamptonshire Police Service Delivery Model. This is due to go live in October. Rural Policing is now known as Neighbourhood policing. I am circulating more information with this report. Fatality on Railway Sgt Sam Dobbs met with DCI Davies, the senior investigating officer for British Transport Police (BTP), who have taken investigative primacy on the case, with the agreement of Northamptonshire Police and that of HM Coroner for Northamptonshire. BTP liaison with remains good, and Sgt Dobbs asked the DCI if it was possible to have report for our meeting. He sent us the following: ‘As it stands, a joint investigation continues between the British Transport Police and ORR (Office of Rail and Road). The victim of the incident, Harrison Ballantyne has now had his funeral and his family continue to receive support from specialist trained officers. The witnesses to the incident at DIRFT on 27/06/17 have provided accounts to the Police and have been offered specialist support in coming to terms with what they witnessed that night. A number of rail safety talks are planned at local schools in the area as a joint enterprise between BTP, Northamptonshire Police and Network Rail all aimed at preventing a repeat of that night’s tragic incident. It is likely that the investigation will run for several months whilst investigations continue between BTP and ORR. A Coroner’s Inquest will follow the conclusion of this investigation.’ Schools and Youth liaison. The Police will continue to pursue appropriate opportunities to spread the message to young people about the dangers of trespassing near to live high voltage electricity and Sgt Dobbs has asked for a meeting with Guilsborough School next week. Crime Report - July 2017- 13 September 2017 • Burglary Non-Dwelling: Total 3 o Eldon Way Crick. Offender located on enclosed premises. o Post Office, Crick. o Public House, Crick. • Theft from Motor Vehicle: Total 4 • Theft From HGV: Total 2 o HGV Parked Overnight in Location. • Criminal Damage: Total 1 o Crick Recreation Ground. Investigation ongoing. • Criminal Damage Trespass on Rail Line: Total 1 “A person gained access to railway lines at DIRFT, near Kilsby, and used spray paint to mark a number of trains with the word ‘YOUT’. The incident happened at about 1.20am on Saturday, 26 August, when it’s believed the offender climbed over some metal fencing and walked along the railway track to where a number of goods trains were being kept in the sidings. The offender is described as white, about 6ft, and wearing a black North Face jacket, black skinny jeans and was carrying a lightweight North Face logo bag. Officers investigating the incident would like to speak to anyone who may have been in the area at the time, or who may recognise the person pictured. Witnesses or anyone with information about this incident can call police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. Officers would like to take this opportunity to remind people of the dangers of walking along railway tracks, where there are countless hazards which could result in serious injury, including high voltage overhead lines and high speed trains. We would also ask any members of the public who see anyone trespassing on railway lines to report the incident to us on 101.” Watford Gap Services Sgt Dobbs attended Watford Parish Council meeting last week where concerns were raised about the consequences of illegal access and egress from the Watford Gap Service Area by motorists using it as what he termed ‘Junction 18a’. Sgt Dobbs reported that aside from any traffic issues and contravention of traffic regulations, this practice also allows motorists to slip the strategic ANPR net and bring travelling criminals off the motorway and deliver them onto our patch. Sgt Dobbs said that as a result of a planning application by Roadchef to introduce a drive-through Costa outlet on the southbound side, they had discussions with Highways England and installed data recorders to identify the scale of the problem. This showed 1000+ vehicles using each access slip road from the car park to Station Road and vice-versa on a daily basis. As a result, DDC has made it a planning condition that the barriers are reinstated, so this should assist villages all around. FOI Request - Parking Enforcement Visits and Notices (PCNs) Issued 2014 Iss. Apr 2014 Iss. May 2014 Iss. Jun 2014 Iss.