Agenda item

To consider Gating Orders for the following areas:

• Brooklands Court / Easedale Mount, Seacroft
• Somerville Green / The Oval, Killingbeck
• Oakham Way, Osmondthorpe

Brooklands Court / Easedale Mount, Seacroft, Somerville Green / The Oval, Killingbeck and Oakham Way, Osmondthorpe, Leeds

The following issues were addressed in questions to the Alleygating Coordinator:

• Members of the Forum raised their concern that for one of the Gating Orders a large number of people would be given a key to the gates which could potentially undermine the reason the gates were required. The nearest alternative route was also quite a substantial detour. The Officer explained to Members that all those in the vicinity of the gates would be written to and advised that they were entitled to request a key. Officers would also deal with other requests for keys as they arose. This method had been used in Meanwood and had proved successful.
• There was a lot of local support in favour of the Gating Order however there were also objections to the proposed Orders also.
• Alternative options such as increasing the number of patrols by the Neighbourhood Policing Teams (NPT) had been considered but it was not possible to guarantee that a member of the NPT would be available at the time of an incident.
• Members raised the issue of whether officers required a certain level and type of crime to begin the proceedings for a Gating Order. The Officer informed Members that he had been in touch with other local authorities in relation to this matter and some authorities used a level of a minimum of 10 crimes which took place adjacent to, adjoining or in the area of the proposed Gating Order. Officers were looking into a standard level but as Gating Orders were relatively new it was difficult to agree an appropriate level at this stage.
• The Rambler’s Association had been invited to comment on this application.

Withdrawal of Gating Order Proposal for White Laithe Garth, Whinmoor, Leeds

Members received a report on the withdrawal of a Gating Order proposal for White Laithe Garth which had been circulated to Members prior to the hearing. A proposed Gating Order was publicly advertised on 4^th July 2008. There were five objections made in reference to the Order which mostly related to concerns of displacement of nuisance groups of youths in the area and the suggested alternative route. Part of the alternative route would have encroached on private land, the privately owned car parking spaces in the area. The owners of the land objected to the Gating Order and it was felt that the Council could not identify a suitable alternative route which meant that officers could not progress the application for a Gating Order. Officers were in the process of looking at other crime prevention options to assist local residents. Members noted the update and requested that the Forum should be kept up to date with the effectiveness of alternative crime prevention options which could assist them when considering Gating Orders in the future.

RESOLVED:

1. That the Gating Orders for  Brooklands Court / Easedale Mount, Seacroft, Somerville Green / The Oval, Killingbeck and Oakham Way, Osmondthorpe, Leeds be supported

2. That the withdrawal of the proposed Gating Order for White Laithe Garth, Whinmoor, Leeds be supported and that any information on the impact of alternative crime reduction options be submitted to the Forum.