Issue - meetings

(Report of the Chair of the Scrutiny Review)– To agree the report outlining the conclusions and recommendations of the Review

The Chair of the Scrutiny Review of Neighbourhood Wardens, Cllr Dawson, introduced the report and commented that there were worries over the funding of neighbourhood wardens when ODPM funding came to an end, especially in the light of the findings of the review which concluded that the Wardens’ powers should be enhanced. It was hoped that the service could be mainstreamed and developed by direct Council funding. The budget report dealing with the funding of neighbourhood wardens should be clarified as the figures can either be read to be £500k or £750k, when the current cost of funding the service is approximately £600k.

The Committee raised a potential source of discontent in the warden service, the pay and responsibility differential between some wardens. It was agreed that recommendation 4 of the Review be re-worded to reflect the need to train all wardens in the full range of enforcement powers. The issue of warden visibility was also raised and it was agreed that recommendation 2 be re-worded to include the supply of high-visibility clothing to neighbourhood wardens. The issue of park wardens and the Park Constabulary was raised, and it was commented that this was not covered in the scope of the review. The Committee recommended that this be considered as a future topic of a scrutiny review by the future Overview & Scrutiny Committee.

RESOLVED:

That the recommendations of the Neighbourhood Wardens Scrutiny Panel in respect of the Review of Neighbourhood Wardens be endorsed and that the report be referred to the Executive for its consideration subject to the following amendments/additions to the recommendations:

i)                    That recommendation 2 be re-worded to include the recommendation that Neighbourhood Wardens be supplied with high-visibility clothing.

ii)                  That recommendation 4 be re-worded to include the recommendation that in future all Neighbourhood Wardens be trained in the full range of enforcement powers.