Agenda item

QUESTIONS FROM MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC NO. 1

Under Procedure Rule No 10, Simon Tracey, of Tamworth will ask the Portfolio Holder Housing and Planning, Councillor Samuel Smith, the following question:-

The question was read out by the Mayor in Mr Tracey’s absence:

Why do Tamworth Borough Council NOT enforce their Zero tolerance policy on the misuse of drugs by council tenants? We have had (and still are) having an issue with a resident who smokes drugs on a daily basis . We have been in our sheltered accommodation since October 2022 and these issues with this resident were being reported to the council even before we moved in.

Councillor S Smith gave the following answer:

The Council is aware of an allegation and are in touch with the complainants at one of our sheltered housing schemes.  As you may know, Tamworth Council prides itself on services to our council housing sheltered housing residents Every Sheltered scheme as both an on-site scheme manager who supports residents along with provision of a 24hr community lifeline service – where residents can activate the service if they have emergency concerns.  In this particular instance the Scheme Manager and Housing Manager will be visiting to reiterate that where evidence exists of ASB we will take swift and decisive enforcement action.

The Council does have a zero-tolerance approach to Anti-Social Behaviour and our new Neighbourhood Impact Service will be dropping in to all schemes to explain the nature of the service and where we can support residents in using our range of prevention, enforcement, and witness support tools.  This will be scheduled over the coming months – please speak to your scheme manager for more details.

In the meantime, any resident experiencing any kind of anti-social behaviour has a number of options.  If they believe they are at risk and a crime is in progress, then they should ring 999.  If they believe it is less urgent but still requires a police response, then they should report it to 101.  If it is to progress any other type of ASB complaint, then residents can contact the Neighbourhood Impact Service on 01827 709709 – details are on the Councils website.

QUESTIONS FROM MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL NO. 1

Under Procedure Rule No 11, Councillor L Smith will ask the Portfolio Holder for Waste, Recycling and Environment, Councillor A Cooper, the following question:-

I was contacted by residents regarding damage to the access gate onto the field at Selker Drive. The original damage took place at the start of this year and a few days ago the gate was completely cut down. I have emailed the council several times, not demanding for the gate to be fixed but simply asking for an update on the timeline so I can inform residents who have asked me about the issue. During this time, I have been told that it has been escalated to the street scene management team twice and I am yet to hear a response. So, my question is, how long are people expected to wait before the council takes action?

Councillor A Cooper gave the following answer:

The gate is not in place because it has unfortunately been vandalised several times by someone with a stihl saw; the vandals cut the hinges off the gate. The gate has been repaired several times, however unfortunately every time repairs are made to the gate it gets vandalised again.

A decision was made to have a concrete block put in place to secure the open space from unauthorised access, but to still enable access to the area.

Work has been commissioned to install further site security and a height restriction barrier will be in place before March 31^st.

QUESTIONS FROM MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL NO. 2

Under Procedure Rule No 11, Councillor L Wood will ask the Portfolio Holder for Waste, Recycling and Environment, Councillor A Cooper, the following question:-

I have been approached by residents who are concerned about the wooden bridge near the Snowdome, and how hazardous it is during the cold & wet weather.

What measures has the Council taken to ensure that residents concerns on health & safety are met?

Councillor A Cooper gave the following answer:

The bridge near the Snowdome has had work undertaken to it to support the ongoing usage of this thoroughfare. The bridge has been surfaced with chicken wire and a number of holes have been drilled to allow the bulk of rainwater to get away. As with other flat surfaces, there may be some areas of standing water in extreme weather conditions.

There is a line in the budget to replace the bridge in the long term.

Councillor L Wood asked the following supplementary question:

I originally contacted Members Enquiries on behalf of the residents on the 15^th October last year but I haven’t had a response from the Officer who deals with that area. How long do residents have to wait for a response when it concerns Health and Safety?

Councillor Cooper gave the following answer:

I agree that it should be better, and I will take that away and have a chat with the team to understand it. I think that what they have been looking at is various measures to put in place before feeding back a response. I take your concern and if you do have a concern about a Health and Safety matter, please raise them up to me so that I can deal with them, lets’ not just sit and wait until can come in here and speak about it; Health and Safety is key and something I take very seriously.