The Safer and Stronger Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee of Durham County Council was scheduled to discuss serious violence, an update on open water safety, and the council's performance in the third quarter of the 2025/26 financial year. The meeting's report pack detailed the planned discussions on these key areas.

Serious Violence Duty

The committee was scheduled to receive an update on the Serious Violence Duty, a government initiative introduced under the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022. This duty requires specified authorities, including the police, fire and rescue services, justice agencies, and local authorities, to collaborate on preventing and reducing serious violence. The report pack indicated that a presentation by Assistant Chief Constable Richie Allen of Durham Constabulary would outline the partnership approach to tackling serious violence within the county. This approach is guided by a strategic needs assessment, with the partnership's vision being that County Durham and Darlington are safe places where individuals, families and communities thrive, making the most of the opportunities to live, learn and work free from the fear of violence. The strategic priorities identified include prevention and early intervention, focusing on children and young people at risk, and alcohol-related violence. Criminal justice and enforcement priorities cover repeat and habitual offenders of serious violence, domestic abuse-related serious violence, and a cohort linked to repeat offenders. The report pack noted that a new strategic needs assessment had been completed in January 2026, with a refreshed strategy to be published in summer 2026.

Open Water Safety Update

An update on open water safety was scheduled to be presented, detailing actions taken by Durham County Council and its partners. The report indicated that the City Safety Group (CSG) and the county-wide Open Water Safety Group (OWSG) meet regularly to review interventions and risk mitigation. While there has been a positive trend in reducing open water fatalities in Durham City Centre, fatalities across County Durham remained at similar levels to previous years. The report highlighted the importance of a proactive approach to education and awareness, with continued positive partnership working. National guidance, such as Managing Safety at Inland Waters, and best practices from organisations like the National Water Safety Forum have informed the council's open water safety policy. The report included statistics on non-fatal and fatal water-related incidents in County Durham from 2014 to 2025, noting that in 2024, there were 193 water-related fatalities in the UK, two of which were in County Durham. The report also detailed the composition and activities of the City Safety Group and the Open Water Safety Group, including a successful event at Riverside Park in Chester-le-Street.

Quarter Three, 2025/26 Performance Management Report

The committee was set to review the council's progress towards its strategic ambitions and objectives as outlined in the Council Plan 2025-30. This report, covering the period from October to December 2025, would provide an update on Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). The report pack indicated that the council had a new administration following the May elections, with the Council Plan reflecting their political direction. The report would present performance data through dashboards, focusing on trends, direction of travel, benchmarking, and performance against targets. Key areas highlighted in the report pack included Building better communities, with objectives to create safe, clean, and attractive places to live, and ensure residents' concerns are addressed. The report noted that reports of anti-social behaviour were at their lowest recorded level for two years, and fly-tipping rates remained low. However, the report also identified an increase in road traffic fatalities and serious injuries compared to the previous year. The selective licensing scheme for private rented properties was also discussed, with 69% of properties either fully licensed, in the process of being licensed, exempt, or subject to legal proceedings. The report pack also detailed the council's performance measurement framework, which uses an Outcomes Based Accountability (OBA) model, and provided a glossary of terms used in performance reporting.