The Scrutiny Committee met on 14 October 2025 to consider the following items. Report and recommendations, including those from its working groups, are published as a late supplement.

• Project approvals and delegations for the Westlands Drive/ Halliday Hill affordable housing development
• Anti-Social Behaviour Policy
• Annual Safeguarding Report 2024/25
• Optimism Bias on sizeable commercial properties in the City Centre
• Quarterly Performance Integrated Report - Q4 2024/25
• Quarterly Performance Integrated Report - Q1 2025/26

The Scrutiny Committee met on 14 October 2025 and reviewed the following items:

• Project Approval and Delegations for Westlands Drive and Halliday Hill
• affordable housing scheme
• Anti-Social Behaviour Policy
• Annual Safeguarding Report

The Finance and Performance Working Group met on 11 September 2025 to consider a range of reports:

• Optimism bias on sizeable commercial properties in the city centre
• Performance Integrated Report Q4 2024/25
• Performance Integrated Report Q1 2025/26

Councillor Alex Powell presented the Scrutiny Committee’s discussions regarding the Project approvals and delegations for the Westlands Drive/Halliday Hill affordable housing development. He noted that no recommendations arose from the Committee’s conversations about this report.

Councillor Alex Powell presented the Scrutiny Committee’s discussions and recommendations regarding the Anti-Social Behaviour Policy. He noted that the Committee had discussed the need for there to be a clear line in accountability and that questions had been raised regarding how they would make the information and guidance about this policy accessible to a diverse range of communities.

• Recommendation 1: For Officers to explore the feasibility of gathering and analysis of data on protected characteristics of both: individuals complained about through the ASB service, and individuals making complaints through the ASB service. Recognising that some data may be limited in validity, that findings from the collected and analysed data be reported back to the Scrutiny Committee at an appropriate time within the next two years.
• Recommendation 2: That officers set out within the Policy the work the Council is currently undertaking and plans to undertake in relation to proactive prevention of ASB, including actions such as working with youth groups, redesigning areas, and improving coordination between council services.
• Recommendation 3: That there is a clear commitment within the ASB Policy to work collaboratively with Registered Providers in addressing anti-social behaviour, including requesting information from local RPs on levels and types of ASB reports received within their housing stock. This information can then be used to identify patterns, overlaps and gaps between council and RP data, and reporting back on the efficacy of this partnership working and health of relationships with RPs as part of the Council’ wider multi-agency approach to ASB management.

Councillor Arshad responded to the Committee’s recommendations on the Anti-Social Behaviour Policy. She welcomed the Committee’s engagement with the policy. She noted that Cabinet accepted all three recommendations relating to this report.

Councillor Alex Powell presented the Scrutiny Committee’s discussions and recommendation regarding the Annual Safeguarding Report 2024/25. He noted concerns that were raised by the Committee regarding the multiple organisations working in this area and how they could most efficiently work in a cooperative manner.

• That future Safeguarding reports provide comparisons with previous years data to allow monitoring of trends and assessment progress, particularly data in relation to modern slavery and exploitation, and severe weather emergency protocol (SWEP). Where the data allows for trend analysis, that previous statistics be included to enable a year-on-year comparison and evaluation of changes overtime.

Councillor Arshad responded to the Committee’s recommendation on the Annual Safeguarding Report 2024/25. She stated that Cabinet had accepted the recommendation on this report.

Councillor Alex Powell presented the Working Group’s discussions and recommendations regarding the Optimism Bias on sizeable commercial properties in the City Centre, the Quarterly Performance Integrated Report - Q4 2024/25, and the Quarterly Performance Integrated Report – Q1 2025/26. He noted that no recommendations arose from the Working Group’s discussions of these reports.