Agenda item
Final Report of the Council-owned Neighbourhood Parades Scrutiny Panel
The Leader’s Portfolio
To consider report OSC/303 of the Chair of the Council-owned Neighbourhood Parades Scrutiny Panel, which was referred to the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Commission on 5 September 2022.
Decision:
RESOLVED
That the Cabinet:
i) Engages the Council's Business and Economic Development Team to signpost all neighbourhood parade tenants to business and training support, advice, and resources (e.g., the West Sussex Retail Hub) at the beginning of and, when appropriate, during their tenancy.
ii) Incorporates into any future review of CCTV coverage in the borough an assessment of any blind spots at any neighbourhood parades, including through representations to the Safer Crawley Partnership.
iii) Prepares and sends an annual questionnaire to parade shop tenants, with the process reviewed after the second year, based on the experience of the extent of demands on officer time this creates.
iv) Subjects the lease agreement to an external test of the language used (e.g. Crystal Mark accreditation) and produces a summary version in plain language, accompanying while not substituting for the legal content of the main lease, for which tenants must continue to ensure they obtain their own independent legal advice before signing.
vi) Requests that Sussex Police provides tenants with updates on the mechanisms for crime and anti-social behaviour reporting.
vii) Considers a capital resource allocation to assess a further round of neighbourhood parade improvements, to maintain the benefits delivered by the previous programme.
viii) Requests that officers circulate to all councillors details of the Asset Team's small budget allocated for improvement works on the neighbourhood parades.
ix) Raises awareness among parade businesses on options for putting together their own Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) if they consider that matters such as an enhanced inspection and cleaning regime and dedicated warden patrol patterns would be desirable as an increased priority for the neighbourhood parades.
x) Gives instructions to the Asset Team that confirm that they must pro-actively prevent the build-up of unacceptably high tenant debt in the interests of the tenants and Council taxpayers, to include the realistic consideration of an early termination of tenancy in preference to allowing an increasing debt with no prospect of repayment.
xi) Continues to maintain a web presence for all neighbourhood parade shops that wish to be represented, with this forming part of the offer of a new lease assignment.
Reasons for the Recommendations
The Cabinet adopted those recommendations which it considered practical and viable considering the current financial restraints on the Council, whilst having due regard for the detailed work of the Panel.
The Panel’s original recommendations reflected the objectives set out in the scoping framework. The main aims of the Panel were to examine the various roles of Crawley Borough Council’s neighbourhood shopping parades, explore how effectively these were being discharged, and to consider any improvements that could be made.
The Panel’s recommendations were consciously framed with a whole Council approach, noting that contributions can be made by various departments beyond that responsible for the Property Strategy, and by partner organisations.
Minutes:
Councillor Nawaz left the room and took no part in the discussion or vote on this item.
Councillor Lanzer as Chair of the Council-owned Neighbourhood Parades Scrutiny Panel presented report OSC/303, the Panel’s final report to the Cabinet. The Cabinet was reminded that the main aims of the Scrutiny Panel were to examine the various roles of Crawley Borough Council’s neighbourhood shopping parades, explore how effectively these were being discharged, and to consider any improvements that could be made.
The Cabinet was informed that the Scrutiny Panel’s large number of recommendations were consciously framed with a whole Council approach, noting that contributions can be made by various departments beyond that responsible for the Property Strategy, and by partner organisations.
Councillor T Belben presented the Overview and Scrutiny Commission’s comments on the report as detailed in report OSC/304 to the Cabinet following consideration of the matter at its meeting on 5 September 2022, which included:
· Endorsement of the report and recommendations and thanks to all Panel members and officers involved in the process.
· Disappointment at the response rate to the parade tenant section of the consultation but recognition that further in-person consultation had been successful. The need for tenants to seek legal advice when signing a lease was discussed, and concerns were raised about the level of arrears owed.
· Some concern about the costs involved in some of the recommendations.
Councillor Crow was invited to speak on the item and in doing so thanked the Panel for its considerations and recognised the importance of the work that was done. Concerns were raised regarding the appropriateness and viability of recommendations (a), (b), and (m).
Councillors C Mullins and S Mullins spoke as part of the discussion on the report. It was considered important to ensure the neighbourhood parades continued to be community hubs with their own identities – the work of the Panel reflected this, but there were hesitancies about the financial implications of some of the recommendations especially as it would be difficult to fairly distribute funds or resources across all parades. It was highlighted that there were problems of crime and anti-social behaviour in some areas and this was a matter for Sussex Police; it would not be appropriate or fair to request the Council’s community wardens to undertake further work on this issue. Also discussed was the extent to which the Council should have influence on the balance of trades at the parades.
The Leader of the Council, having heard the views expressed by the Cabinet and the Overview and Scrutiny Commission, concluded that it was possible to adopt some of the Panel’s recommendations. Others however were not financially viable at present in light of the current financial restraints on the Council, or not practicable (for example, because it was difficult to exercise control over the balance of trades/uses). It was also highlighted that the Council needed to maintain a professional tenant-landlord relationship with shop tenants and some of the recommendations were seen to confuse or compromise the balance of responsibilities between the two. The Leader presented each of the Panel’s recommendations in turn and summarised which were to be approved, amended, or rejected, and gave the reasons for doing so.
RESOLVED
That the Cabinet:
i) Engages the Council's Business and Economic Development Team to signpost all neighbourhood parade tenants to business and training support, advice, and resources (e.g., the West Sussex Retail Hub) at the beginning of and, when appropriate, during their tenancy.
ii) Incorporates into any future review of CCTV coverage in the borough an assessment of any blind spots at any neighbourhood parades, including through representations to the Safer Crawley Partnership.
iii) Prepares and sends an annual questionnaire to parade shop tenants, with the process reviewed after the second year, based on the experience of the extent of demands on officer time this creates.
iv) Subjects the lease agreement to an external test of the language used (e.g. Crystal Mark accreditation) and produces a summary version in plain language, accompanying while not substituting for the legal content of the main lease, for which tenants must continue to ensure they obtain their own independent legal advice before signing.
vi) Requests that Sussex Police provides tenants with updates on the mechanisms for crime and anti-social behaviour reporting.
vii) Considers a capital resource allocation to assess a further round of neighbourhood parade improvements, to maintain the benefits delivered by the previous programme.
viii) Requests that officers circulate to all councillors details of the Asset Team's small budget allocated for improvement works on the neighbourhood parades.
ix) Raises awareness among parade businesses on options for putting together their own Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) if they consider that matters such as an enhanced inspection and cleaning regime and dedicated warden patrol patterns would be desirable as an increased priority for the neighbourhood parades.
x) Gives instructions to the Asset Team that confirm that they must pro-actively prevent the build-up of unacceptably high tenant debt in the interests of the tenants and Council taxpayers, to include the realistic consideration of an early termination of tenancy in preference to allowing an increasing debt with no prospect of repayment.
xi) Continues to maintain a web presence for all neighbourhood parade shops that wish to be represented, with this forming part of the offer of a new lease assignment.
Reasons for the Recommendations
The Panel’s recommendations reflected the objectives set out in the scoping framework. The main aims of the Panel were to examine the various roles of Crawley Borough Council’s neighbourhood shopping parades, explore how effectively these were being discharged, and to consider any improvements that could be made.
The recommendations were consciously framed with a whole Council approach, noting that contributions can be made by various departments beyond that responsible for the Property Strategy, and by partner organisations.
The Cabinet chose to adopt only those recommendations which it considered practical and viable considering the current financial restraints on the Council. The parades are run as a commercial concern and the need to do this helps in part to support paying for the Council’s wider work and provision of services.
Supporting documents:
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