The Safer and Stronger Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee met on Friday 26 June 2026 to review performance data from the fourth quarter of the 2025/26 financial year, discuss road safety and home fire safety, and consider the committee's work programme for the upcoming year.

Road Safety Report

The committee was scheduled to receive an update on road safety activities undertaken by the County Durham and Darlington Road Safety Partnership. This partnership includes Durham County Council, Durham Constabulary, County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service, Highways England, and Darlington Borough Council. The report was expected to provide information on road casualty performance, current initiatives, and future road safety objectives. The presentation was intended to cover data from 2021 to 2025, highlighting trends in collisions and casualties across different age groups. It was also to detail the partnership's approach to road safety through education, enforcement, and engineering, including specific campaigns and speed management strategies.

Home Fire Safety Report

A report from the Director of Community Risk Management at County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service (CDDFRS) was scheduled to outline the service's home fire safety initiatives. The report indicated that CDDFRS had been strengthening its Home Fire Safety Visit (HFSV) programme through targeted interventions and the use of partner data to identify those most at risk. The service aimed to exceed its target of 18,000 HFSVs for 2025/26, with a significant proportion directed towards higher-risk households. The report was also expected to detail the reduction in accidental dwelling fires over the past five years and compare CDDFRS's performance against national averages.

Quarter Four, 2025/26 Performance Management Report

The committee was to review the Chief Executive's report on progress towards the strategic ambitions and objectives set out in the Council Plan 2025-30. This report focused on data available as of 31 March 2026, covering the fourth quarter of the 2025/26 financial year. Key performance messages were to be presented, categorised as 'going well' and 'issues to be addressed'. Under the 'Building Better Communities' ambition, the report was expected to highlight that reports of fly-tipping remained low and anti-social behaviour was at its lowest recorded level in two years. It was also to provide an update on the selective licensing scheme for private rented properties. The report was to include detailed Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) related to anti-social behaviour, fly-tipping, road safety, and the selective licensing scheme.

Work Programme 2026/27 for the Safer and Stronger Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee

The committee was scheduled to consider a draft work programme for 2026/27. This programme was to be framed around the shared County Durham Vision 2035 and the three priorities of the Safe Durham Partnership Strategy: anti-social behaviour and crime, hate crime and community cohesion, and sexual violence and other violent crime. The proposed work programme was designed to be flexible to accommodate emerging issues, with specific topics for review including road safety, home fire safety, the Safe Durham Partnership, nuisance vehicles, anti-social behaviour strategy, combatting drugs and alcohol, community protection services, hate crime, domestic abuse and sexual violence, counter-terrorism, serious violence, open water safety, organised crime, and probation services. The committee was asked to comment on and agree the draft work programme.