The Strategic Director, Place, will present a report (Document “P”) which provides an update on the Street Cleansing service including detailed information on complaints and performance in relation to litter and flytipping.

The report also provides information on recent major changes including the merger with Parks and Green spaces, service redesign and the recent recruitment of new staff.

Recommended –

1.    That the information contained in Document “P”, particularly the major changes to the service, the information on complaints and monitoring of cleanliness standards and the recent recruitment of staff, be noted.

2.    That the Strategic Director, Place, be requested to provide a further report in 2020 outlining the full-year impact of operational changes made since April 2019.

(Regeneration and Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee)

(Damian Fisher – 01274 437146)

The Strategic Director, Place, presented a report (Document “P”) which provided an update on the Street Cleansing service including detailed information on complaints and performance in relation to litter and fly tipping.

The report also provided information on recent major changes including the merger with Parks and Green spaces, service redesign and the recent recruitment of new staff. 

The report revealed that since June 2019 the clean teams had commenced work earlier in the day and cleaned the essential strategic networks in the constituency before moving into their respective wards. 

A map of the ‘gateway’ routes into the district was tabled and it was agreed that this would be emailed to all Members. A Member believed that one of the ‘gateway’ routes in his ward was not a litter hotspot and questioned if resources could be diverted elsewhere periodically.  It was explained that following attention to the gateway areas the teams returned to their wards.  Working in those wards allowed them to develop their personal knowledge; identify problem hotspots more easily and to develop a pride in their location.

It was questioned if the ‘gateway’ arrangements were sufficient in times of pressure and if it was possible to deviate from the 6am to 9am schedules to respond to particular events.  It was confirmed that the service did react to particular incidents and areas would be attended to after 9am if the usual schedules were not sufficient.

Changes to staffing structures following a £1m budget cut to the service were reported and the successful transition following the merger with the Parks and Green Spaces team was discussed.  It was reported that Area Co-ordinators and Managers were currently looking at how both operations could link together in the future.

Street cleaning complaints were documented in Document P and had reduced when compared to the same period last year.  Those statistics also showed the nature of complaints and their prevalence.  A Member questioned how complaints were recorded and was informed that complaints made via the Council’s Contact Centre were recorded.

It was acknowledged that Members often received complaints directly and they were requested to urge residents to use the Contact Centre so the details could be logged.  Complaints received to the Keighley Area Co-ordinator’s office would be assessed and discretion would be used as to how they should be progressed.

Methods to monitor litter were detailed in the report and included that visual audits of each areas had been conducted for some time.   In summer 2018/19 a new opportunity had arisen to allow monitoring of litter to be undertaken in a swifter fashion using technology.  The process, Land Audit Management System (LAMS), could be utilised in parks, grounds and cemeteries as well as public highways.  Statistics for the Keighley area were reported, by individual ward, and revealed that standards were very high by District and National levels.

Publicity and marketing campaigns to encourage behaviour change around littering were discussed and focused on different themes including chewing gum, litter from vehicles, householder’s duty of care and city centre littering.  Examples of marketing literature were provided.

A Member questioned the budget for the marketing campaign and was advised that the campaign was funded through the marketing department budget and those details were not available at the meeting.  It was explained that the parks staff utilised the ‘Don’t be a Tosser’ campaign and mechanical sweeper vehicles had marketing literature displayed.

The responsibility for clearing discarded cigarette butts was queried and it was reported that the road sweepers would clear those.  A view that people needed to be educated to stop cigarettes butts being discarded and to understand the damage caused was expressed.

In conclusion Ward Officers from the Keighley Area Co-ordinator’s office were commended for their work within their wards.

Resolved –

1.    That the information contained in Document “P”, particularly the major changes to the service, the information on complaints and monitoring of cleanliness standards and the recent recruitment of staff, be noted.

2.    That the Strategic Director, Place, be requested to provide a further report in 2020 outlining the full-year impact of operational changes made since April 2019.

OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY COMMITTEE: Regeneration & Environment

ACTION: Strategic Director, Place