The Community Services Committee met to discuss several key initiatives, including approving a new grant aid policy for 2025-2027, recommending the integration of CCTV assets at Addlestone One and Magna Square into the council's wider CCTV network, and renewing the council's commitment to the Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) Help Pledge. The committee also received updates on the Runnymede Pleasure Grounds recreation and key performance indicators for the first quarter of 2025-26.

CCTV Integration at Addlestone One and Magna Square

The committee recommended that the Corporate Management Committee approve the integration of public space CCTV assets at Addlestone One and Magna Square into the wider CCTV network operated by the council. To complete the work of transferring assets into Safer Runnymede¹ and integrating them into the council's network, the committee recommended for approval a supplementary revenue estimate of £23,500.

The council has a well-established network of public space CCTV assets across the borough, which support the detection, evidence gathering and response to criminality and anti-social behaviour in the borough. CCTV by its nature also serves as a deterrent to such actions or behaviours for some.

Within the developments of Addlestone One and Magna Square, Public Space CCTV assets have been installed, for the same purposes as outlined above Following a review it has transpired the public space CCTV cameras are not sitting within an integrated network which requires resolution to ensure continued public safety and aligned approach with regard to infrastructure.

In 2017, the council entered a contract with RBC Services (Addlestone One) Limited (RBCS Ltd), for the delivery of CCTV monitoring and maintenance services, for a period of five years.

At Magna Square, at the commencement of construction of the development, a public space CCTV asset was removed from Egham town centre to enable access to site. This CCTV asset was not reinstalled and instead, public space CCTV was installed across the development, totalling twenty cameras.

Grant Aid Policy 2025-2027

The committee approved the new Grant Aid Policy 2025-2027, which takes effect from September 2025. The policy aims to support the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector while acknowledging the upcoming local government reorganisation in April 2027.

Key decisions regarding the Grant Aid Policy included:

• Extending core funding for one year (2026-2027) to four key organisations: Addlestone Community Centre, Citizens Advice Runnymede and Spelthorne, Runnymede Access Liaison Group, and Voluntary Support North Surrey.
• Extending Rent Grant Aid until 31 March 2027 for current recipients, with no new applications to be accepted, but with the ability to make exceptions.
• Approving a Community Events Grant Scheme for 2026-2027, offering up to £750 for equipment, materials, or event costs.
• Continuing the Runnymede Community Grant Scheme, offering up to £5,000 for VCSE organisations.
• Allocating £20,000 per year to support children and young people in economically disadvantaged areas, with a partner organisation to be identified to administer the scheme.

The committee also approved the allocation of £60,000 over two years from non-recurrent NHS funding to support the grant aid policy, the virement of £17,300 from Community Services budgets to the Economic Development Strategy budget for Christmas arrangements, and the allocation of £5,000 for the continuation of the Period Poverty Project for 2026-2027.

Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) Help Pledge Renewal

The committee approved the renewal of the council's commitment to the ASB Help Pledge and delegated authority to the Safer Communities Manager to sign the pledge.

The ASB Help pledge, spearheaded by the national victim's charity ASB Help, promotes the rights of victims and ensures effective support by responsible agencies. The pledge asks agencies to promote awareness, confirm legality, ensure accessibility, develop processes, generate inclusivity, and establish a precedent of putting victims first and deterring perpetrators.

Runnymede Pleasure Grounds Recreation Update

The committee approved the procurement of additional play equipment at Runnymede Pleasure Grounds to enhance the recreational offer of the site in light of the likely high costs of installing a splash pad.

The paddling pool at Runnymede Pleasure Grounds was opened again this summer but this has not been without operational issues. The current system for automatically dosing the pool has been working in a more consistent manner than last year but the equipment is ageing. The surface also requires constant inspection and may need patching again this winter.

After initial investigations, colleagues in Assets and Regeneration have found that to achieve the required electrical output, significant trenching would be needed across much of the site, including digging up large sections of the existing paths. This would likely run into hundreds of thousands of pounds, not including the additional risk and cost associated with ground investigation works, which would need to be carried out before any installation could begin combined with the site's flood risk.

Community Banking Hub Motion Update

The committee approved further work be undertaken in relation to a possible Community Banking Hub, specifically the engagement of residents and businesses on their experiences and challenges in accessing banking services, and subject to the evidence collated through feedback received, the resubmission of an application for a review of banking facilities in Runnymede, in early 2026.

In February 2025, a Council motion was passed for officers in Community Services to explore the potential for a Banking Hub in Runnymede, to address a perceived lack of access to both cash withdrawals and banking services by residents and businesses.

Assessments were completed by LINK for Addlestone, Chertsey and Egham, but the assessments confirmed that there were no recommendations for the provision of any new cash services in those areas.

Safeguarding Policy Review

The committee were asked to approve the adoption of the new Safeguarding Policy (2025) as proposed, and note changes to and processes within the Policy to support their role and responsibilities as elected Members.

The Runnymede Borough Council Safeguarding Policy that was adopted by the Council in 2022 sets out how it will meet its obligations to safeguard children and adults at risk. It applies to staff, Councillors, agency workers, volunteers and contractors employed by the Council. It also recognises that Safeguarding is everybody's responsibility so as citizens, residents, neighbours and community members we all need to be alerted to neglect and abuse and committed to reporting our concerns.

Runnymede Community Safety Partnership Annual Report 2024-25

The committee received the Runnymede Community Safety Partnership Annual Report 2024/25. The Runnymede Community Safety Partnership (RCSP) is the statutory partnership under The Crime and Disorder Act 1998, with The Crime & Disorder Committee of Runnymede Borough Council having responsibility for the overview and scrutiny of Community Safety matters in the Borough.

The RCSP identified three priority areas which will be the focus for 2023/25;

• Preventing Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Focus on promoting the StreetSafe reporting tool and responding to areas of concern.
• Antisocial Behaviour Focus on environmental antisocial behaviour including littering, fly-tipping & noise nuisances and being cognisant to upcoming policy changes (Government ASB Action Plan).
• Water Safety Focus on education around using bodies of water safely and appropriately.

Chertsey Museum wellbeing project – St Peter's Hospital Untold

The committee received a report on the completion of Chertsey Museum's St Peter's Hospital (SPH) project. The project collected the personal histories of SPH through staff past and present, volunteers, patients, and those in the wider community in the form of oral and video interviews, used the personal histories to inspire activities for the creation of creative art boxes which were distributed to patients in the stroke ward, dementia centre and to the children wards, and displayed a temporary exhibition at Chertsey Museum from January to April 2025 which incorporated the video/oral history testimonies, together with new artwork created for the project, and objects from our collection as well as those loaned to us by participating SPH staff.

Key Performance Indicators Quarter 1 2025-26

The committee noted the results of the Key Performance Indicators (KPI) pertaining to Community Services in 2024/25. In doing so it was noted that some of the services did not have key performance indicators they were more presented as statistics to demonstrate the social value of those services particularly in Community Safety and Safer Runnymede.

Cabrera Trust Management Committee Minutes

The committee received, and noted for information, the minutes of the meeting of the Cabrera Trust Management Committee held on 1 July 2025.