Decision details

Cabinet received a report seeking approval for a new combined Policy for Environmental Crime and Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) including all the new legislation.

Part 2 of the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003 required social housing landlords to prepare and publish policies and procedures on anti-social behaviour that must be made available to the public. 

The Authority’s current ASB policy had been published in 2012 and was no longer fit for purpose.  Recent legislation changes, including the Policing Crime Act 2014, had changed the landscape in how the Authority tackled and prevented environmental crime and ASB. 

This Act introduced key changes such as the introduction of Closure powers, Community Protection Notices, Absolute ground for possession and the Public Space Protection Orders (PSPO) which the Authority had adopted in October 2018, with the implementation of Fixed Penalty Tickets (FPN) for enforcement of the PSPOs.

Tackling ASB and wider crime in the borough was a key priority for the Authority. For the majority of residents Environmental Crime and ASB was not an issue. However, the Authority understood the importance of residents feeling safe in their homes and communities.

The Authority continued to work in partnership with key services represented on the Safer North Tyneside Partnership. This partnership was vital to the Authority’s commitment to address community and public safety, crime and disorder and environmental crime issues affecting its communities. Therefore, a combined policy represented this and ensured a consistent approach.

The Authority had reviewed the current ASB Policy and by combining the policy with environmental crime enforcement activity it provided a framework of the powers available to the Authority relating to environmental crime and ASB.  It ensured that any enforcement action was clear, concise, proportionate, consistent and targeted to ensure a responsive, effective and value-added service.

The new policy, if approved, would fit in with the ambitions of the Safer North Tyneside Plan and the wider strategy that ran until 2024.

The policy aimed to:

·         Outline North Tyneside Council’s approach to tackling ASB and how the Authority would manage cases and work with its residents and partners;

·         Inform residents of the borough about what to expect when environmental crime or ASB contraventions were found and where resources would be targeted; and

·         Facilitate the development of sustainable communities where people wanted to live and feel safe.

The Elected Mayor welcomed the report and the Young Mayor’s comments that everyone in North Tyneside had a responsibility to look after the Borough.

Cabinet considered the following decision options:

Option 1 - to approve the Policy which will allow the combined service to work together, operating a consistent approach in order to maintain a clean, safe environment and strengthening the Authority’s approach to tackling crime within the borough of North Tyneside.

Option 2 - to reject the Policy and the service will revert to working from separate policies for both environmental crime issues and ASB issues.

Option 3 - to request further information prior to approval of the Environmental Crime and Anti-Social Behaviour Policy.

Resolved that the Environmental Crime and Anti-Social Behaviour Policy, attached at Appendix 1 to the report, be approved.

(Reason for decision: The policy brings together all enforcement options for Housing and Environment under one policy, taking into consideration the most recent changes to legislation to ensure a consistent approach.)