London Road Local Action team meeting November 28th 2023


  1. Welcome and apologies

Apologies
Sue Shanks and Pete West, Andy Keeffe, Mike and Tony, Sarah Tobias, Roz Lopez, Sandy Crowhurst

Present
Richard G, Judi Lynn, Vanessa and Georgia (PCSOs)
Simon Bannister (BHCC)
Lucy Dunleavy (Vice Chair)
Alan Bringginshaw, Chris Sevinck, Elspeth  Broady
Rob Rosenthal, Signalman Licensee – Romy
Cllr. Ellen Mcleay,

Corinne Lamb (notetaker)

Philip Wells (Chair)

(15)

2. Minutes. Date of next meeting – January 2024
Agreed minutes and up to date
January date of next meeting- 16th Jan 2024



3. Policing –

London road Local Action team meeting
November 28th 2023

  1. Welcome and apologies

Apologies
Sue Shanks and Pete West
Andy Keeffe
Mike and Tony
Sarah Tobias
Roz Lopez

Sandy Crowhurst

Present:
Richard G

Judi Lynn

Vanessa and Georgia (PCSOs)
Simon Bannister (BHCC)
Lucy Dunleavy
Alan Bringginshaw
Chris Sevinck
Elspeth  Broady
Rob Rosenthal
Signalman Licensee – Romy
Cllr. Ellen Mcleay

Corinne Lamb (notetaker)

Philip Wells (Chair)

(15)

2. Minutes. Date of next meeting – January 2024
Agreed minutes and up to date
January date of next meeting- 16th Jan 2024

  • 3. Policing – with focus on issues around “Signalman” / London Road station
    • The issues at the station are not any of the Signalman’s customers. Have had a group of teens making issues.
      Ben (PCSO) has been very useful has been coming in since first reported, and would appear since the reporting has suggested there have been no issues for a week.
    • The police are making their presence known, but the pub is still having issues with them, and the 2 houses up by the station. They are getting CCTV to help.
    • Chris S.  [PSCO] has seen the manageress from London Road station and it’s the same group with vast numbers of needles. This is now fluctuating. It’s not constant just happens on occasions. Often goes together with behaviour on the platform and outside the station, mixture of lots of little issues.
    • London road coop have had a similar group of people causing issues 11-16 years, possibly the same group. PCSO need to make sure with photos that have been gathered.
    • Looks like the issues are getting worse but the PCSOs are looking to work with the parents of the children. Some of the issues are:
    • Stealing alcohol and then going to the Level and then getting drunk and aggressive
    • PCSO Lauren Lewis has started a problem profile for London Road and IDing these individuals when issues occur.
    • Has asked for dispersal authority but doesn’t always work. Most of these people are banned from London Road.
    • If the dispersal order is in place and is requested, they can the police can go in to the area and then issue section 35 which says they are banned and if they do enter the area they are arrestable.

      Why has this not happened?
    • Multiple shoplifting happening again and again, which stretched the number of officers that could be elsewhere.
    • The coop already do reporting but is dealt with slowly on a time by time basis.
    • The decision about the coop was made by the inspectors and so have to let the coop security deal with it.
    • Action Point: Need to look into business crime reporting system
    • PCSOs will look into why the coop is so bad.
    • If there is a knock-on effect then they can ask for a dispersal order. These are dealt with on a slow time basis. They cannot deal with them with the CPS involved.
    • It feels like nothing is being done about reporting etc. but the police are doing as much as they can with this area and the problem profile.
    • Immediate justice kicks in when the police have referrals, which is within 2-3 days of the offense. It is up to Andy Saville (Chief inspector) to make decisions on the immediate justice. This method is instead of going to court and is offered as an alternative (like driving instruction course is offered to speeding drivers).
    • The police do know the names and ages and are in touch with the schools, if they happen from 3pm-5pm, and these are huge issues.
    • There have been issues of screaming indecent language, bottles etc through people’s windows by the pub and this is insidious. 
    • There needs to be a joined-up approach of all services and they all need to work together to solve this.
    • The PCSOs can also use geo locate to look into what is happening so they will know first-hand what is happening. The police’s call centre is very busy and can be overwhelmed with incidents.

      The Level:
      One of the PCSOs hotspots and gets patrolled daily and is a requirement that police, PCSOs etc go to regularly.
      They still have the hub in the park, which needs to be used more
  • 4. London Road “Red Route” – a meeting was held with plans for future meetings in February and May 2024
    • The money for this is coming from the buses go faster scheme, which is a temporary measure. There has been a consultation. They are still negotiating, it will be starting in April for 6 months, to meet again in February 2024.
    • Officers were listening to traders.
    • Rob: If there was a consultation, we need a report. It doesn’t seem to have gone through due process.
    • Action point: The LAT need to say it needs to go through the due process.
    • Simon: Needs a degree of consultation. Experimental traffic orders can be rescinded. This is part of the consultation by trying it out first      not instead of consultation. It’s up to 18 months. It takes time for things to change.
    • Needs a period of time to tinker then implement the scheme.
    • View expressed: LAT should make a protest against this.
    • Cllr Ellen can bring it to the next transport committee and put the questions to committee.
      Due process is a key issue to take to the committee.
      The responses were due in by 18th September 2023. But the idea for this started in 2021.

  • 5. Providence Place/Elder Place– full update will be in 2024 rather than at this meeting (November). 
    • Please could Councillors advise us regarding access to CIL funding and Councillors’ funding?
    • There is also money that can be allocated to Providence place from the following places:
      Nature hubs fund.
      Postcode society trust fund
      Sussex PPCC
      Magic little grants fund
    • We need a plan on how we go forward with accessing these pots of money funds.
    • Philip has received email from Thalia to see how we go forward. Council Officers have come up against funding and are querying which components of the scheme can be phased in – or similar
      PCSOs asked have we talked to the designing out crime team.

    • Things have taken longer than have hoped but there is a a plan, which had items that we expected.  The plan had more that could be budgeted for.
    • Philip and Judi went to the meeting with the Council Officers.
    • There are steps that need to be taken.
    • The vision is good the next step is to open it up to the public and to people who live there and enjoy it.
    • Money to do this is from the York and Elder development money – Section 106

  • 6. Report from Graffiti and Tagging meeting 21st November
    • No solutions as yet.
    • Good number of commitments of solving solutions by community groups
    • They have just done a paint-out in Jubilee Street.
    • There was a brainstorming session from the council.
    • The next step is to take it to consultation on how to do dealt with graffiti. 
    • Elspeth: We have asked for better communication from the council, who do we contact etc.
    • Seems to be that individual effort to combat the issue is best, but there needs to be targeted help from the council to irradicate it and help clarify the areas of issue.

    • London road station bridge has had more tagging has occurring.
    • If offensive it will be taken off by the council within 24hours.
      Matt Smith and Nesh (council) are involved in this.
    • Repeat offenders: some individuals are determined to catch the people in the act.
    • Can only deal with one criminal at a time. POV: Council could do better in getting rid of spray paint from shops. Could they do better in surveying it and the availability of cans.
    • POV: What are shops doing to keep an eye on the sale of the goods. This would make a public statement.
    • The age of the taggers has gone up, some are in their 40s.
    • If it’s a council building the council will help you find a solution.
    • London Road station bridge:
      • Simply painting it out is causing a repeat to happening again.
      • Where do we go from here: funding, public art team and how do we do this?
      • Maybe have the large-scale street art that have happened in other parts.
      • Different materials and things that are appropriate to the area.
      • Better at getting art funding from the council
    • There was a online survey from the meeting.
  • Action Point:  Philip to look at survey and send out.

  • 7. Abacus and London Terrace – current state and plans.
    • Resident suggests it has been quieter at the moment in the area, which is progress.
  • 8. Level, Café?

There has been a meeting with Maureen and Sue.

They are going to develop the McLauren pavilion and toilets, part of the challenge is finding someone who is going to take responsibility on taking this forward, including the need for security around the toilets. The aim is to have this open by the summer. Including finding a business to take it on.  The rent would be a reduced rent for the business.

There is a opportunity for everyone to comment on the graffiti tagging reduction strategy on the council website.

Nothing is planned to be done with the other building as there are lots of issues with it.

Close at 19:50 approx

9. LAT Chairs or similar? – no progress to report



  1. nothing to report on the following
  2. LAT Chairs or similar? – no progress to report
  3. – any other issues?