Agenda item

To consider the report of the Director of Service Delivery (copy enclosed).

The Committee considered the report of the Director of Service Delivery that highlighted the need for the Council’s existing Street Collections Policy that had been published in November 2018 to be reviewed. This Policy provided guidance relating to charitable street collections on how the Council administers applications for permits, applies the law/regulations and ensures fairness to charities.

The Chairperson introduced the report and then deferred to the Head of Environmental Health, Waste and Climate Action to present the detail. The Officer took the Committee through the report advising that Officers had undertaken a comprehensive review and made appropriate changes to the existing policy to ensure that it reflected the current best practice and updated guidance. He advised that the revised version could be found at Appendix 1 and a summary of the substantive changes to the policy were detailed in paragraphs 3.8.1 to 3.8.8 of the Officers report.

At this point of the meeting Councillors S J Burwood and N D Spenceley declared an other registerable interest in that they were members of Heybridge Rotary Club and took part in street collecting every year with a licence.

In response to issue raised Officers provided the following information:

•           Where a collection took place on private land, it would be for the operator of that private land to determine whether that collection could take place or not.

•           There was great difficulty in enforcing collections and it was a problem nationally. It would be down to any authorised officer within the Licensing Department or Environmental Services to question whether collectors had a permit and permission to be there. If a collector did not have a licence / permit the only power the Council has was to try to deter members of the public from donating.

•           When a licence gets granted a permit and written confirmation would be given to the applicant(s) which included the designated collection time and place requested. If questioned by an authorised officer a collector would need to produce this. The Officer provided further information regarding collections, causing nuisance and begging.

•           The Policy outlined any exemptions e.g. the British Legion, and although not exempt provided consideration for organisations like the Rotary Club.

•           This Policy did not cover house to house collections, this was part of the ‘Police, Factories, etc. (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1916. Essex Police were investigating a number of organisations thought to be collecting fraudulently. Members were advised that if concerned, to ask to see a permit and if the collector was unable to produce one then don’t donate and report it to the licensing department with any details that could be obtain about the collector.

There being no further discussion the Chairperson moved the recommendations as outlined in the Officers report and proposed an amendment to recommendation (iii) to include in consultation with the Chairperson of the Committee. This was duly seconded and when put to the Committee was agreed.

RESOLVED

(i)         That the revised Street Collections Policy as set out in Appendix 1 of the report is agreed as a ‘consultation draft’;

(ii)        That officers to commence consultation with the public and key stakeholders, as outlined in this report;

(iii)       That subject to only minor or inconsequential amendments / changes arising from comments or feedback received during the consultation process, that the Head of Environmental Health, Waste and Climate Action in consultation with the Chairperson of the Committee, be authorised to make such changes to the draft Policy at Appendix 1 of the report;

(iv)       That subject to (i) – (iii) above the revised Street Collections Policy be presented to the Council for adoption.