The Place Overview and Scrutiny Committee of West Northamptonshire Council discussed the development of the Active Lives Strategy and the Playing Pitch Strategy and Sports Facilities Strategy, as well as the Fly Tipping Charter and Town Centre Enforcement Policy. The committee provided scrutiny input on these topics and requested updates on progress in six months.

Active Lives Strategy

Peter Cox, Head of Sport, Leisure & Culture, presented the development of the Active Lives Strategy. The strategy is being reviewed and refreshed following local government reorganisation. The population of the West Northants area is less active than the national and East Midlands averages. The strategy aims to identify barriers to active living, such as age, low income, disabilities, and ethnicity. Benefits of a more active population include improved health and social wellbeing.

Key points discussed included:

• Avoiding duplication of existing schemes and ensuring alignment with other local and national strategies.
• Engaging with other council service areas to identify groups struggling to access activities and finding solutions.
• Emphasising communication and education to inform people about available activities.
• Learning from other councils' best practices and unsuccessful initiatives.
• Encouraging early engagement in sports and physical activities to promote lifelong habits.
• Leveraging events like the Women’s Rugby World Cup to motivate community involvement.
• Addressing transport barriers, especially in rural areas.

Andrew Wallace, Leisure Facilities & Contracts Manager, discussed the Playing Pitch Strategy and Sports Facilities Strategy. Legacy councils had their own strategies, which need to be combined and refreshed for West Northamptonshire Council (WNC). Funding is required for facility repairs and maintenance, with potential contributions from developers under Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) arrangements. The possibility of partnerships with commercial sports and leisure providers was also explored.

The committee resolved to provide scrutiny input into the development of the Active Lives Strategy and the Playing Pitch Strategy and Sports Facilities Strategy, and requested a future report in six months.

Fly Tipping Charter and Town Centre Enforcement Policy

Two members of the public, Simon Harris and Jean Lineker, raised concerns about littering on the B4525 and the council's response times to fly tipping and needle collection. Karen Pell, Head of Environmental Protection & Environmental Crime, provided an update on the Fly Tipping Charter, launched a year ago. The charter includes actions around CCTV, patrols, communication campaigns, and education, with enforcement as a last resort.

Key points discussed included:

• Deployment of CCTV in 'hot spot' areas and challenges with providing cameras in rural areas.
• Encouraging the use of doorbell and dashcam camera footage by residents.
• The Town Centre Enforcement Policy, which went out for consultation in February and will be submitted to Cabinet in May. The policy aims to provide off-road storage for bins and limited collection times, tying in with the Traffic Restriction Order for the Market Square redevelopment.
• Increased fixed penalty fines for littering and fly tipping.
• Redistribution of resources across the West Neighbourhood warden team, with no increase in base numbers.
• Collaboration with the Public Health team to reach diverse communities and emphasise education.
• Trialling the Town Centre Enforcement Policy in Northampton town centre before rolling it out to other areas.

The committee provided scrutiny input into the Fly Tipping Charter and the Town Centre Enforcement Policy.

Review of Committee Work Plan

Councillor Carl Squires requested the addition of an item on climate change to the work programme. The Chair advised that this could be added, and Councillor Squires was asked to complete the relevant proforma. The Executive Director for Place and Economy noted that the highways contract was already the subject of a working group reporting back to the committee as needed.

The work programme was noted, and the meeting closed at 8.08 pm.