Issue - meetings

To give consideration to an update report on the Community Safety Warden Service.

The Committee considered a report of the Community Safety Manager informing the Committee of progress made in respect of a number of matters raised originally at its meeting held on 6 January 2011. On 2 February 2011 the committee had received an interim report of the Community Safety Officer containing initial responses to matters raised by the Committee relating to the operation of the Community Warden Service.

Tony Potts, Community safety Manager presented the report and answered Members questions.

Tony informed the Committee that the proposal to reduce the number of Community Wardens employed by the Council from the current 12 to 8 would deliver annual savings of £157,000. The 8 staff would be divided into two teams of 4, and located in Crewe and Macclesfield police stations. In response to questions from members about the extent to which the fixed costs of supplies, transport premises and other ancillary costs could be reduced as a result of employing fewer staff, Tony informed the Committee that he could not quantify the precise figure at the moment, but it was suggested to him that he should be aiming for a 25% reduction.

Tony also explained that the service was undergoing a review of the functions a role of Community wardens. He explained that in future, the wardens would concentrate on their statutory duties and enforcement issues concerning environmental and streetscape services but would withdraw from non stautory duties  such as the promotion of community safety issues in schools.

It was also reported that wardens would routinely attnd LAP metimngs, although it was suggested by Members that perhaps wardens should only attend such meetings as and when required.

RESOLVED – That the report be received and the the new working arrangements as set in the report be noted, but the Community Safety manager be requested to report back to this Committee in six months time on progress with the service and with detailed financial information on the savings achieved through the restructure.