Agenda item

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1.    Background Information                    

            The objectives of the ASB programme are to:

·        enhance the environment around Parks and Leisure facilities;

·        develop education initiatives involving creative or supportive interventions to model acceptable behaviour around facilities;

·        define enforcement as a deterrent against infraction of bye-laws or legislation; and

·        develop sustainable interagency and inter-departmental networks and leading a partnership approach to reducing antisocial behaviour.

2.      Key Issues

      The ASB Coordinator prioritises action and expenditure by collating evidence gathered through ASB incident reports.

      Below in Table 1, illustrates the comparative data of the number of incident reports of ASB in parks between December 2012 to April 2013 and December 2013 to April 2014.  It shows an increase in the four electoral areas of Laganbank, Pottinger, Upper Falls and Victoria.  This trend can be attributed to the ASB occurring during the darker winter nights. This involves reports of trespass when drinkers enter parks creating damage by lighting fires.      The data specifically highlights an increase in the following types of ASB; Criminal Damage; increased reports of fire setting etc, Drinking, Trespass, and Vehicle nuisance.

      It also shows a downward trend in parks within Balmoral, Castle, Court, Lower Falls and Oldpark electoral areas.

         ASB in park and leisure facilities

         The data details the three parks with the most incidents of ASB in each electoral area, the hotspot categories of ASB and where there were more than 20 incidents (these locations appear in bold type).

         Planned Interventions

         Planned intensive interventions are designed and introduced for parks that have more than 20 ASB incidents. The planned interventions span across all 4 objectives of the ASB programme: education, enforcement, environment and partnership. Interventions will resource and schedule enforcement operations in partnership with existing council services or PSNI and interventions also involve the environmental and physical development of a site.

         Table 2 outlines the parks that have had more than 20 incidents during December 2013 and April 2014 and the specific interventions planned for the coming months.

      Citywide ASB programme development

      Alongside the intensive and citywide interventions planned to tackle reported incidents of ASB, a number of citywide ASB programme developments will be implemented during the coming months:

·        Development of family friendly activity programmes. These programmes are designed to draw in legitimate park users and displace rowdy groups.

·        Support to the Bonfire management programme to reduce fly tipping and accumulation of hazardous materials in parks.

·        Park Wardens are currently deployed in parks as part of an ongoing enforcement programme. They will issue fixed penalties in relation to litter and dog fouling offences.

·        Park Wardens will also work in close partnership with PSNI and Community safety officers during planned operations to tackle alcohol consumption in parks.

·        Park Warden operations planning will support the ongoing Community safety joint operations with PSNI. It is intended that the opportunities for joint working in Park areas will also be shared with the DPCSP.

         Strategic alignment with Health and Environmental Services

         At Committee’s request, both Health and Environmental Services and the Parks and Leisure Department have successfully adopted a joint approach in planning and implementing high visibility and discrete operations.  There have also been a number of operational meetings for BCC staff to ensure better co-ordination of resources.  Park Wardens operations are regularly requested to tackle issues of litter, dog fouling and drinking; and it will be necessary to coordinate with a number of PSNI neighbourhood teams and the DPCSP.

         Health and Environmental Services Committee has requested a strategic review of ASB interventions.  The expansion of the Council boundaries during Local Government Reform will require greater coordination of Council and Police services to provide the high quality partnership work required to reduce antisocial behaviour in a variety of ‘new’ Belfast neighbourhoods.

         Parks officers will participate fully in the review in order to further improve Council practices to tackle ASB.  It is anticipated that the review will report to Health and Environmental Services Committee in late 2014 and the Parks and Leisure Committee will be kept fully informed of the implications arising for its services and assets.

3.      Resource Implications

         The development of the programme will be facilitated through the agreed ASB budget 2014-2015 which is approximately £250,000.

            In response to Members’ queries, the Director undertook to provide information in respect of the number of cases of antisocial behaviour which had been reported within the vicinity of the Knocknagoney Linear Park. In addition, he outlined the steps which the Department had taken - and which were proposed to be taken - in conjunction with a range of bodies and agencies to address disorder involving teenagers which had been reported within the vicinity of both the Ormeau Park and the Avoniel Leisure Centre.

            Arising from discussion, the Assistant Director outlined the measures which the Department was considering to address the issue of dog fouling within parks and indicated that an evaluation report would be submitted to a future meeting in respect of the trial dog control enclosure which had been established within the Grove Park in June, 2013. Concern was expressed also regarding the practice which had been adopted by individuals of discarding bags containing dog waste within parks. Members pointed out that such a practice posed a serious health risk, especially to children, and that it would be prudent for the Council to seek to address that issue as a matter of urgency.

            After discussion, the Committee noted the information which had been provided and noted further that the Chairman would seek to convene a meeting with the Chairman of the Health and Environmental Services Committee, together with relevant officers, to discuss the control of dog fouling within parks and open spaces.