Agenda and minutes

There were no disclosable pecuniary interests.

(a)  To agree the minutes from the meeting of Cabinet on 9^th March 2021

(b)  Matters arising

The minutes of the meeting held on 9^th March 2021 were agreed as a true record.

There were no matters arising.

Report of the Director of Streetscene and Regulatory Services

The Cabinet considered a report of the Director of Streetscene and Regulatory Services that sought approval to renew the Dog related Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) that was last approved in 2018 and was due to expire on 29^th August 2021. The proposed draft Order, maps of relevant areas and impact statements were provided as appendices to the report.

The Order was required to assist with the enforcement of dog fouling offences, but also to specify: where dogs should be kept on leads, where dogs were prohibited, the maximum number of dogs that could be walked by one person and enabled officers to request that a dog be put on a lead if problems were ensuing. The Order would provide for the continued use of powers to address matters pertaining to the control and management of dogs in the City, with a particular focus within parks in the City. It was devised following extensive consultation and collaboration with a number of stakeholders in the City, a number of which had provided impact statements detailed in an Appendix to the report.

The City Council believed that the Order was currently working very well, was fit for purpose and enabled people to enjoy parks and public spaces whilst providing clear guidance as to when it was and wasn’t appropriate to allow dogs to exercise off leads or when they needed to be under the direct control of their owner. There was a high level of compliance with the Order, this could be seen by reference to the relatively low levels of enforcement Council officers had to use and this was referred to in the Impact Statement from the Pest Control and Animal Welfare manager.

RESOLVED that the Cabinet approves the renewal of the Public Space Protection Order for a further three years and made the Order effective on 28^th August 2021m this being the day before the existing order was due to expire.

Report of the Deputy Chief Executive

The Cabinet considered a report of the Deputy Chief Executive on the Council’s new duties under the Domestic Abuse Act 2021.

Domestic abuse was a manifestation of one-person (or persons) exerting power and control over an another with whom they shared a personal connection. Domestic abuse could take many forms including, but not limited to, psychological, physical, sexual, financial and emotional abuse. It also included honour-based violence, forced marriage, other culturally recognised forms of abuse and a range of controlling and coercive behaviours. The Domestic Abuse Act 2021 also highlighted economic abuse. 

Preventing harm from Domestic Abuse was a priority within Coventry and was a key measure within the One Coventry Corporate Plan. Coventry’s Domestic Abuse Strategy 2018–2023 outlined the city’s approach to addressing domestic abuse, including honour-based violence and forced marriage.

The Domestic Abuse Act 2021 received Royal Assent on 29 April 2021. The Act provided, for the first time, a statutory definition of domestic abuse and delivered a number of significant changes to improve the protection of victims within the community and the criminal justice system.

The Act had a number of implications for the Council, as a Tier 1 Local Authority, including the requirement that a new statutory board be created, the implementation of a statutory definition of domestic abuse, a duty to produce regular needs assessments and strategies, delivery of specific minimum types of support for victims within safe accommodation, the prioritisation of domestic abuse victims within homelessness applications and a requirement to annually report to the Secretary of State.

The Government had provided Coventry City Council with a grant of £849,930 in 2021/22, for the purpose of and the expectation that the Council started to prepare and fulfil the relevant functions under the duty. No funding had been provided beyond 2021/22 and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government stated that any further funding would be confirmed as part of the Governments Comprehensive Spending Review. The Grant terms did not include a requirement for spend to be completed by 31st March 2022, and as detailed in paragraphs 1.16 and 1.29 of the report, the plan was to commit the grant over the period up to 30th September 2022 to reflect time for the needs assessment to be completed as well as further commissioning activity.

RESOLVED that the Cabinet:

1)  Approves the proposal to create the Domestic Abuse Local Partnership Board as a statutory board of the local authority.

2)  Approves acceptance of the grant of £849,930 in 2021/2022 from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to fulfil the functions of the new statutory duty on Tier 1 Local Authorities relating to the provision of support to victims of domestic abuse and their children residing within safe accommodation.

3)  Notes the Council’s new duties under the Domestic Abuse Act 2021.

There are no outstanding issues

There were no outstanding issues.

There were no other items of public business.