Decision Reference Number: WPCC4-0059
Lead Officer: Sara Ansell
Chief Officer approval: N/A
Date: 08/04/2025
Publication: Information in this form is subject to the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOI Act) and other legislation. Unless the information provided is covered by an exemption and stated to be either confidential or partly confidential, the information contained in the form will be published on the OPCC website.
Status: Non-confidential
If partially-confidential or confidential please detail the FOI exemption applied and specify which parts are confidential:
Decision summary:
This decision notice seeks approval for the receipt and allocation of £1million of funding in respect of the ASB Positive Action grant notified to the PCC after the 2025/26 budget had been approved, subject to Home Office approval of the grant submission.
I confirm that my register of interests declaration is up to date and that none of my interests preclude me from making this decision.
Signature: P. Seccombe
Date: 11/04/2025
Supporting information
1. Background information: why do we need to make this decision?
In mid-February 2025, the PCC was alerted to the potential allocation of the continuation of ASB hotspot funding for 2025/26. Further specific details and allocations followed later in the month, when the PCC was notified of a £1m allocation, as part of the Governments plan for change to support the Safer Streets mission to halve knife crime over the next 10 years and to crack down on anti-social behaviour.
The Hotspot Action fund is separate and additional to the Neighbourhood policing guarantee.
The Hotspot Action fund is aimed at ensuring an enhanced uniformed presence in the town centres and neighbourhoods that have the densest concentrations of knife crime and ASB. The intention being to increase local community engagement and trust by disrupting knife crime and ASB, by supporting forces to adopt strategic problem-orientated policing to address some of the root causes of these crimes.
The governments approach allows force areas to use the full range of uniformed visible presence available in their area to conduct patrols in hotspots. This may include police officers, PCSO’s, local authority community safety wardens, business improvement district patrol staff and others, to deliver a minimum of 9,000 additional patrol hours over twelve months. The grant covers the period from April 2025 to March 2026.
In order to access the funding PCCs were asked to submit delivery proposals to the Home Office by the 31 March 2025 for how they will meet the grant requirements and use the funding available to them. All submissions are subject to Home Office approval and a grant agreement being issued in due course.
The PCC has met the submission deadline and has developed a proposal which includes an analytical assessment of crime, disorder and ASB, to identify the hotspot regions, to ensure activity is targeted at the right places and at the right times. the submission also includes funding for enhanced police and PCSO patrols in those designated hotspot regions and working with partners in local Community safety partnerships in Warwick district, Stratford Bid and With Warwickshire Fire and rescue to undertake uniformed patrols, over the year. Some funding has also been allocated to undertaking enhanced communications around ASB patrols and policing, and activity to divert and respond to issues identified and uncovered as part of the increased patrol activity.
Feedback and approval by the Home Office is awaited, but so all allocations within the bid and this decision notice are subject to their approval. However, the Home Office have been very clear that they do not wish the momentum of patrols to be lost and have encouraged forces and PCCs to continue with their work while the approval process continues.
Subject to the funding being approved, this decision notice seeks approval to receive and spend the funding in line with the agreed proposals, as this is currently not included within the PCC’s budget for 2025/26.
2. What additional documents are relied upon? Please provide a link or separate attachments.
3. What benefits will this bring, including financial, social or environmental benefits?
The receipt of £1m of additional funding will support an enhanced volume of uniformed patrols in hotspot areas to tackle ASB and knife crime and improve public confidence.
4. What is the impact of not approving the application?
The PCC will not receive the additional funding available and will not be able to finance enhanced patrols and opportunities to work with partners to address ASB and knife crime throughout Warwickshire.
5. How much will it cost? (please provide cost breakdown, including any identified savings, and include where they have been approved)
The costs are fully recoverable, through the award of £1million of ASB hotspot Action funding form the Home Office, subject to final approval and quarterly grant claims, for expenditure incurred.
6. Who has been consulted on this proposal?
PCC, DPCC, OPCC staff, Warwickshire Police, all Community Safety Partnership representatives across the county, Warwickshire Fire and Rescue and BID representatives.
7. Will this decision have an impact on any specific individuals or groups or communities?
The decision should not have any impact on specific individuals, groups or communities, although it should have benefits in respect of improving feelings of safety for people who live in the designated areas.
8. Does this decision have legal implications? Has legal advice been sought?
The PCC will have to comply with the conditions specified within the Home Office grant agreement.
Comments from the Chief Finance Officer
The ability to access ASB Hotspot action funding in 2025/26 represents an opportunity to undertake enhanced uniformed patrols in hotspot locations across the county, by Warwickshire Police and by working in partnership with other local stakeholders, including community safety partnerships. All allocations are subject to Home Office approval, which is yet to be received. The OPCC will oversee the submission of quarterly returns to ensure they meet the eligibility criteria.
The approval of this decision notice will also ensure that appropriate authority has been given for the receipt, and spending of the grant, which was not included in the 2025/26 budget, due to late notification of the allocation by the Home Office.
Comments from the Chief Executive and Monitoring Officer
This funding is welcome in Warwickshire to improve the response to Anti-Social Behaviour.
