Issue - meetings

The Chairman invited the Head of Community Services and the Senior Community Safety Project Officer to introduce the Alvechurch Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA) Inquiry 12 Month Review Report.  For the benefit of new Members of the Board, the Senior Community Safety Project Officer provided background information as to why the investigation had been carried out.  The Review had been carried out in order to up date Members on the implementation of the 11 recommendations which had been considered and agreed (subject to minor amendments) by Cabinet at its meeting held on 3rd November 2010. 

Members were informed that recommendations 9 and 11 (removal of the perimeter wall and the seating panels) had not been completed.  This was a decision made by the Parks and Recreation team, who had suggested that the relocation of the street lighting and the removal of the basket swing in conjunction with other measures had significantly reduced the Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) in Swanslength. 

The Chairman invited Councillor S. R. Colella, as Chairman of the MUGA Investigation, to comment on the report.  The Chairman thanked officers for the update and asked for it be noted that, should the circumstances at the MUGA site change, then the implementation of recommendations 9 and 11 be reconsidered.

The Board discussed the following areas in more detail:

• The youth services provided by the Lounge and funding provided by the Local Strategic Partnership (the Executive Director, Finance and Resources to clarify details of the grant referred to in the appendix to the report).
• The reduction in ASB in Swanslength, the sustainability of the reduction and the extra resources put in place.
• The changes to the recording of ASB and a comparison of the changes to the categories used by the Police in recording ASB (the Senior Community Safety Project Officer agreed to provide this information for Members).

RESOLVED that the Alvechurch Multi-Use Games Area Inquiry 12 month Review report be noted.