The Community Safety Scrutiny Committee of Lincolnshire Council was scheduled to discuss a range of topics aimed at enhancing community safety and service delivery. Key areas for consideration included the operational activities of Trading Standards, an update on the Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue's Community Risk Management Plan, and progress on the Anti-Social Behaviour Project. The committee was also set to review its own work programme.

Trading Standards Fair Trading Activity 2024-2025

The committee was scheduled to receive a report from Mark Keal, Head of Trading Standards, detailing the Fair Trading Enforcement activities undertaken by Lincolnshire County Council's Trading Standards Service during the 2024/25 financial year. The report, titled Committee Report Fair Trading 2024-25 [https://lincolnshire.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s72165/Committee%20Report%20Fair%20Trading%202024-25.pdf], outlined the team's focus on tackling detriment and reducing harm, supporting the local economy, and promoting health and wellbeing. Key areas of concern for 2024-2025 included doorstep crime, lettings, used car sales, and intellectual property. The report detailed enforcement activities such as investigations into doorstep crime, with examples of successful prosecutions, and participation in regional projects like Operation OXBOW to address issues in the used car sector. It also highlighted work on intellectual property, including seizures of counterfeit goods and convictions. The lettings project assessed compliance with legislation such as the Tenant Fees Act 2019, and Operation Flamingo focused on hallmarking inspections. Pricing inspections at convenience stores and the promotion of the Buy With Confidence scheme were also part of the planned discussion.

LFR Community Risk Management Plan 2024-2028 - Update Report

An update on the Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue's (LFR) Community Risk Management Plan (CRMP) for 2024-2028 was scheduled for discussion. The report, LFR CRMP 2024-2028 - Annual Review Report [https://lincolnshire.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s72167/LFR%20CRMP%202024-2028%20-%20Annual%20Review%20Report.pdf], provided an overview of the plan's progress and a summary of the review of the community risk profile. The CRMP is a statutory requirement for fire services, designed to assess foreseeable fire and rescue-related risks and outline how prevention, protection, and response activities will mitigate their impact. The review incorporated an expanded PESTELO (Political, Economical, Social, Technological, Environmental, Legal, and Organisational) analysis, noting national political changes and the increasing risks associated with Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) and lithium-ion batteries. The report detailed strategic priorities, including sustainable interventions for changing communities, optimising data use for risk targeting, ensuring skilled professionals for fire safety legislation enforcement, and providing sustainable mobilising and command infrastructure. It also covered streamlining data management, ensuring a sustainable response model, and prioritising staff health and safety. The development of training facilities at Waddington and leadership capability were also on the agenda.

Community Safety Scrutiny Committee Work Programme

The committee was set to consider its work programme for the coming year, as outlined in the report Community Safety Work Programme [https://lincolnshire.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s72170/Community%20Safety%20Work%20Programme.pdf]. This agenda item provided an opportunity for members to comment on the proposed content and ensure that scrutiny activity was focused where it could be of greatest benefit. The forward plan included items such as the Trading Standards Fair Trading Activity, the LFR Community Risk Management Plan update, and an update on the Anti-Social Behaviour Project for the current meeting. Future scheduled items included reports on the Voluntary Sector, LFR's Waddington Training Facility, Domestic Abuse Strategy updates, and various Trading Standards activity reports.

Anti-Social Behaviour Project - Update

A report from Clare Newborn, Head of Community Safety, and Ann Beck, Community Safety Service Development Manager, was scheduled to provide an update on the Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) Project. The project, supported by £1 million of non-recurrent funding, aims to tackle and reduce ASB across Lincolnshire by collaborating with partner organisations and the community. The report, titled Anti-Social Behaviour Project - Update , detailed activity across two key strands: adults and children. For adults, a review highlighted an increase in police-recorded ASB incidents and identified a cohort of repeat and vulnerable victims. The project explored the journeys of these individuals through various services, revealing systemic challenges such as a lack of coordinated response and inconsistent record-keeping. The findings led to a recommendation for the Lincolnshire Safeguarding Adults Board (LSAB) to lead on systemic change. For children, the Beyond project, a collaboration between Future 4 Me (Positive Futures) and Community Safety (Stay Safe), was presented. This 12-week programme offers preventative education in schools and community-based activities designed to encourage positive community relationships and individual aspirations. Preliminary analysis of the Beyond project indicated a decrease in youth-related crime and ASB in pilot areas.