Issue - meetings

Report of the Cabinet Member Development and Safety

RESOLVED THAT

1.    the strategic priorities for town centre security as set out in section 2.1 of this report be endorsed;

2.    the offer of £15k per annum grant funding from the Cheltenham Business Improvement District (BID) be accepted to support a more intensive programme of security-related activities in the town centre over the next two years;

3.    the use of an additional £50k per annum in each of the next two years be approved from resources secured from efficiencies generated within the enforcement team, as an indirect result of additional HMO licensing fee income in 2018-19, to underpin additional staffing for town centre support activities as set out in Appendix 2.

The Cabinet Member Development and Safety introduced the report and provided an overview of security issues affecting Cheltenham town centre, the safety and functioning of which was critical to the well-being of the local economy and the population which it served.

The Council recognised that it had a key leadership role as well as operational responsibilities in relation to the town’s security, but that its strategic objectives could only be realised through working together with a wide range of statutory and voluntary agencies and the wider public, to plan and secure the long term sustainability of the local environment and economy.

He informed that the authority had recently secured an offer of £15k per annum for two years from the Cheltenham Business Improvement District (BID) to support more intensive work in the town centre to target security related issues.

The Cabinet Member referred to the key outcomes associated with joint investment through this project as outlined in the appendix.

Members welcomed the much needed resource and strategy which could provide additional benefits to the wider town. The Leader welcomed the lead the council was taking on this by working in partnership which facilitated more resource being invested in the area. He hoped it would be a success. He informed that as he was the council’s representative on the BID he had declared an interest when the BID was discussing the request for funding.

RESOLVED THAT

1.    the strategic priorities for town centre security as set out in section 2.1 of this report be endorsed;

2.    the offer of £15k per annum grant funding from the Cheltenham Business Improvement District (BID) be accepted to support a more intensive programme of security-related activities in the town centre over the next two years;

3.    the use of an additional £50k per annum in each of the next two years be approved from resources secured from efficiencies generated within the enforcement team, as an indirect result of additional HMO licensing fee income in 2018-19, to underpin additional staffing for town centre support activities as set out in Appendix 2.