The Community Safety Scrutiny Committee of Lincolnshire Council met on Tuesday 25 November 2025 to discuss the county's Section 17 Crime and Disorder Strategy, the update of the Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue (LFR) control programme, and performance reports across various community safety services. Key decisions included supporting the recommendations for the new Section 17 Crime and Disorder Strategy and approving the re-procurement of essential LFR equipment.

Lincolnshire County Council's Section 17 Crime and Disorder Strategy

The committee reviewed the proposed Section 17 Crime and Disorder Strategy for 2025-2028. This strategy aims to embed crime prevention across all council functions, promoting safer communities and reducing harm, in line with the council's statutory responsibilities under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998. Jade Thursby, Interim Deputy Community Safety and Business Manager for the Lincolnshire Domestic Abuse Partnership, and Martyn Parker, Assistant Director of Public Protection, presented the report.

The strategy outlines four priority areas: prevention, early intervention, responding to risk and harm, and long-term recovery and support. It was noted that approximately 80% of the strategy reflects existing work, with 20% identifying areas for development. Councillors raised questions about the effectiveness of early intervention for at-risk children, the timeline for the action plan, and the need for specific costings and numerical targets within the strategy. Concerns were also raised about data sharing and governance responsibilities with partners.

The committee resolved to support the recommendations to the Executive regarding the strategy and agreed to pass on their comments for inclusion.

Update of LFR Control Programme

The committee considered the proposed re-procurement of Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue's Station End Equipment (SEE) and Mobile Data Terminals (MDTs). David Lynch, Area Manager for Service Improvement, Prevention and Protection and Organisational Support, and Dan Charlesworth, Commercial and Procurement Manager, presented the report. The previous procurement process for these items had been unsuccessful due to a prescriptive specification and high costs. The proposed approach involves an open procedure to attract more market attention and potentially reduce costs.

The SEE alerts fire crews via pagers and activates station equipment, while MDTs provide incident information to appliances. The current equipment is nearing the end of its life. The committee discussed the importance of innovation, contract length, and potential price increases during contract extensions. Concerns were raised about the dominance of a single supplier for SEE and the potential for cost savings through collaboration with other fire services. The committee also sought assurances regarding the implementation plan and the transition from old to new systems.

The committee resolved to support the recommendations to the Executive Councillor for Community Safety regarding the re-procurement of SEE and MDT software, and to agree to pass on their comments.

Trading Standards - Animal Health & Welfare and Feed Activity 2024-2025

Mark Keal, Head of Trading Standards, and Barbara Ward, Principal Trading Standards Officer, presented an update on the work undertaken by Trading Standards in animal health and welfare, and feed activity during the financial year 2024-2025. The report highlighted the significance of the agri-food sector to Lincolnshire's economy and food security.

The team, comprising 3.8 full-time equivalent officers, faces challenges due to limited resources, particularly in animal health and welfare enforcement, which is largely reactive. Feed enforcement is more proactive, being funded by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and income generation. The report detailed a significant increase in complaints, particularly relating to abattoir referrals, and noted the impact of financial hardship and mental health concerns among farmers. The committee discussed the handling of complaints, the inspection programme, and the challenges posed by disease outbreaks such as Avian Influenza and Bluetongue.

The committee expressed satisfaction with the report and assured on the delivery of the work. Councillor Bamford proposed that the committee advocate for additional funding to support the vital work of the Trading Standards team.

Service Level Performance Reporting against the Performance Framework 2025-26 as at Quarter 2

This item provided a summary of service level performance against the performance framework for 2025-26 as at Quarter 2. Reports were presented for Fire Safety, Emergency Planning, Safer Communities, Coroners and Registrations, and Volunteering.

Fire Safety: Performance was generally good, with response times to dwelling fires and other incidents meeting targets, although journey times have increased. The risk-based inspection programme was on track, and a high percentage of Home Fire Safety Visits were conducted at households with vulnerable occupants. However, the target for responding to building regulation applications within 15 working days was not met, attributed to complexity and a shortage of competent inspectors. Data on fire fatalities and casualties was presented, with a notable increase in casualties compared to the previous year.

Emergency Planning: The percentage of parish/ward areas in higher risk flood areas with completed Community Emergency Plans remained at 30%, significantly below the 90% target. While 77.4% of all parish/ward areas had been contacted and offered support, the development of plans is a voluntary and time-consuming process. The committee discussed the challenges of engaging with parishes, particularly in urban areas, and the realistic nature of the 90% target.

Safer Communities: The report highlighted joint fraud initiatives, with 85 fraud interventions in Quarter 2. This included the installation of call blockers and the delivery of fraud prevention presentations. The Friends Against Scams e-learning programme also saw significant uptake.

Coroners and Registrations: The percentage of births registered within 42 days exceeded the target at 99%. However, the timeliness of death registrations within five days fell short of the 90% target, with families having the choice of when to register. The number of open inquest cases and those exceeding 12 months remained within acceptable limits.

Volunteering: This section provided contextual data on the number of voluntary and community groups supported (565) and individuals supported to access volunteer opportunities (1,058). The report detailed ongoing work with volunteer centres, funding initiatives, and plans for a county-wide volunteering campaign.

The committee reviewed and commented on the performance reports, with a proposal to approve the findings and ensure all comments were added to the minutes.

Community Safety Scrutiny Committee Work Programme

Tracy Johnson, Senior Scrutiny Officer, presented the committee's planned work programme for 2026. The next scheduled meeting on 13 January 2026 will include discussions on revenue and capital budget proposals, the engagement strategy review, the Lincolnshire Local Resilience Forum business plan update, the registration and celebratory service annual report, and an update on combating substance misuse.

The committee reviewed and agreed the work programme, with members highlighting the importance of ensuring the action plan from Item 5 would be reviewed when ready and suggesting the exploration of additional funding sources for the revenue and capital budget proposals.

The meeting concluded with the committee approving the planned work programme for 2026.