Issue - items at meetings - Monitoring the Scrutiny Review of Services for Victims of Sexual Violence

49.1 Head of Sustainability and Environmental Policy, Thurstan Crockett, introduced the progress report on renewable energy potential following the 2010/2011 scrutiny review. He said the planned photovoltaic (PV) programme had been significantly affected by national changes to the Feed in Tariff; the City’s Climate Change Strategy was now published; the Sustainable Energy Working Group  terms of reference had been drawn up  and scoping had started on the City Energy Study.

49.2 Going through each recommendation (Appendix 1) Thurstan Crockett  said photovoltaic installations at Hove Town Hall, Bartholomew House and the Learning Development Centre had now received planning permission. Shoreham Port had signed a 10-year agreement on renewable energy schemes.  At recommendation 5 (Sustainable energy team), available resources were key to progressing these initiatives.  Complex data issues were involved in the monitoring of sustainable energy (Recommendation  9).

49.3 A three-month photo exhibition on renewable energy was being held at Brighton Station and a Big Lottery partnership bid to tackle climate change under the ‘Communities Living Sustainably’ programme had now been shortlisted. On Community Energy, the city partnership behind this was bidding for funds amongst other things to investigate the feasibility of anaerobic digestion, a community wind turbine and solar photovoltaic energy in partnership with Brighton Energy Co-operative. 

49.4 The Chair Councillor Morgan welcomed the short-listing of the Big Lottery Bid. He pointed out that on-shore wind turbines had previously been discounted.

49.5 The Strategic Director, Place Geoff Raw referred to efforts to bring forward renewable energy proposals. He emphasised that these were required to be ‘investable’ propositions. PVs installed on roofs were commendable but changes to the Feed In Tariff had had a big impact and companies were looking for alternative solutions.  The government’s new Green Deal would open up more opportunities for various energy efficiency markets and measures that the Council and partners could take up where appropriate.

49.6 A report to Cabinet would be looking at the ‘workstyles’ programme in the context of PV; this was a relatively small but important part of the investment plan.

49.10 Regarding Shoreham Port, the Head of Sustainability and Environmental Policy said a range of schemes, such as insulation and the potential for wind turbines were at the early discussion stage. Joint planning arrangements between Brighton & Hove, West Sussex and Adur were already established.

49.11 The Committee heard answers to further questions. On the capacity of the Sustainability Team; the Council would use its available resources to prioritise work to best advantage.  Power from the Rampion offshore wind programme was not being brought ashore at Shoreham; capacity had been identified elsewhere and this was a commercial decision by the developers in discussion with National Grid.

49.12 The Sustainable Energy Working Group was an advisory body. The linked work programme would be commercially orientated to bring active solutions   (Thurstan please clarify?)

49.13 In relation to traffic movements linked with Shoreham Port, these would be limited to an extent by  the transport of oil by sea into the Port, and the positioning on-site of the electricity generators. Department for Transport was looking at significant investment in transport infrastructure via the Coast to Capital LEP.

49.14 The focus of the scrutiny panel had been on PV rather than solar thermal, for which at that time the Feed in Tariff gave the higher rate of return, intended to have been invested across the Council’s housing stock to spread the benefit. Business models were now changing; the Council would consider any ‘investabl’e proposition that stacked up financially.

49.15 Marine technology was considered to be less feasible here than elsewhere in the UK; best potential for tidal and wave energy was around West and Northwest coasts eg Scotland, Cornwall, the Severn estuary. Brighton University was working on a wave energy model. Window glass and roof tiles were dealt with by Planning.

49.16 Members congratulated the sustainability team for its work that was nationally important. The Chair thanked the Strategic Director and officers.

49.17 RESOLVED: that the actions from the scrutiny review continue to be monitored via scrutiny under the new governance arrangements.

30.1 The Commissioner Community Safety Linda Beanlands presented monitoring reports on the outcomes of two Community Safety scrutiny reviews; Services for Older People and Victims of Sexual Violence.

30.2 The Scrutiny Review of Older People and Community Safety had led to the inclusion for the first time, of Older People as an additional priority in the current Community Safety Crime Reduction and Drugs Strategy 2011 – 2014. Each of the Strategy’s 13 Priority Areas typically has a dedicated lead officer, however it was not until October 2011 that an officer had specific responsibility to deliver the recommendations on Older People. There had therefore been less significant progress than anticipated, although much work in relevant areas for instance on domestic violence, sexual violence and acquisitive crime, was helping to improve the safety of older people as well as other age groups.

30.3 Members also heard of initiatives in Portslade that helped to bring younger and older people together.

30.4 There had been much progress on support services for victims of sexual violence, including setting up a Sussex-wide Sexual Assault Referral Centre with clinical and forensic services to meet immediate service needs. Joint Commissioning arrangements with the Police, NHS and East and West Sussex County Councils were established to give good value for money. As well as statutory providers, other local support services are commissioned to provide good opportunities for reporting, and for receiving medical support. There was much support from independent Third Sector agencies such as the Survivors Network, Women’s Centre, Rise, Oasis, Threshold and Mankind.

30.5 The Chair Councillor Warren Morgan mentioned Age UK being well placed in the Community to help support older people. He asked about the implications of substance misuse with regard to support services.

30.6 The Commissioner said drinking to excess was an added risk factor for both perpetrators and victims and it was a key aim to try to reduce this risk. In line with scrutiny recommendations it was important to ensure the City’s workforce, especially police, housing officers etc, were able to identify alcohol as a factor in dealing with individuals. Referral pathways were now more developed to improve the connection between services.

30.7 She answered questions on the high number of victims and on improving awareness, reducing social tolerance and promoting healthy relationships through City events (eg one in November) and via schools and colleges. Social density had not been shown to be a factor in incidences of the crime, though could potentially exacerbate severity.

30.8 Members were pleased at progress made against the scrutiny recommendations and requested case studies to show examples of the systems now in place.

30.9 RESOLVED that a further progress update be provided for both the scrutiny reviews, including case studies.