Agenda item

            The Committee considered the following report:

“1.0      Purpose of Report or Summary of Main Issues

1.1       Members will recall previous agreements at People and Communities Committee providing Officers with authority to develop integrated animation/programming and operations with partners to address anti-social behaviour around Falls Park/City Cemetery and Orangefield Park/Avoniel Park.

1.2       Members will further recall that discussion took place about including other parks/open spaces in this integrated working approach at an appropriate time in the future.

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       The Committee is asked to;

·        agree the inclusion of Marrowbone Park, Ballysillan Park and Dunville Park in the integrated working approach as outlined above.

3.0      Main Report

3.1       As outlined at People and Communities Committee in April 2018, Officers regular review the following information as a way to identify emerging priority parks/opens spaces:

-       Number of complaints

-       Cost of repairs due to vandalism

-       Elected Member queries

3.2       Recent trends have identified significant ongoing issues at Marrowbone Park with increasing levels of Elected Member concern.  Additionally, based on previous issues at similar times of the year it is anticipated Ballysillan Park and Dunville Park will experience issues in the coming weeks.

            As such, Members are asked to agree the following for Marrowbone Park, Ballysillan Park and Dunville Park:

-       Development of a 6 week programme of animation activities in partnership with all local youth and community organisations

-       All Elected Members for the relevant DEA’s to be invited to participate in the development of the programme

-       Animation programme to be delivered by Parks Outreach Service at a time of most benefit based on feedback from local youth and community organisations

-       Education Authority Youth Workers requested to support these activities with staff resources

3.3       Financial & Resource Implications

            Staff Resources

            The above approach continues to support the values and principles of the City and Neighbourhood Services and wider Corporate Change Programme of customer focus, service integration and neighbourhood working.  Learning from this work will continue to inform the ongoing transformation of the organisation.

3.4       Financial Resources

            All of the above work continues to be accommodated from within existing Council and (D) PCSP revenue budgets.  The work is intended to maximise existing resources, reduce duplication and facilitate joined up decision making and resource allocation in the identified parks/open spaces.

3.5       Equality or Good Relations Implications

            There are no equality or Good Relations implication at present, however, this will monitored on an ongoing basis.”

            The Members discussed other parks and open spaces that were also affected by incidents of anti-social behaviour and also the transient nature of the problem.

            Following a request from a Member, the Strategic Director of City and Neighbourhood Services undertook to supply the Members with up-to-date information on the number and levels of fines in relation to incidents of anti-social behaviour.     

            The Strategic Director of City and Neighbourhood Services confirmed that, as the Members were already aware, the situation was fluid and was continuously being monitored and reviewed as and when problems arose.  The Council, in conjunction with other partner agencies, were continuously monitoring these areas and were keen to explore other areas where animation programmes could be introduced which might help to encourage ‘normal usage’ of the affected parks/open spaces.  He referred specifically to the interagency approach being adopted to attempt to identify and tackle problems before they arose and suggested that an update report on the Community Safety Tasking Process would be submitted to the August meeting.

            Following a query, the Democratic Services Officer confirmed that, as previously agreed at the May meeting, a letter had been issued to the Education Authority seeking an all-party deputation to meet with the Education Authority to discuss youth service provision. 

            The Committee:

        ·          granted authority for officers to include Marrowbone Park, Ballysillan Park and Dunville Park as part of the integrated working approach, whereby the Council would work with partner agencies to try and address anti-social behavior through integrated animations/programming and operations;

        ·          agreed that an update report on the Community Safety Tasking Process would be submitted to the August meeting; and

        ·          noted that officers would furnish the Members with up-to-date information on the number and levels of fines in relation to incidents of anti-social behaviour.