Local democracy

Agenda item

STREET CLEANSING, ENVIRONMENTAL ENFORCEMENT AND COUNCIL WARDENS SERVICE

Previous reference: Minute 20 (2017/18)

 

The report of the Strategic Director, Place, (Document “O”) updates Members on future changes to Street Cleansing, Parks, Environmental Enforcement and Warden Services.  The report also provides an update on performance and information on current and planned initiatives and the merger of the Parks Service into Neighbourhood and Customer Services.

 

Recommended –

 

1.    That the information contained in Document “O” be noted and welcomed.

 

2.    That the Strategic Director, Place, be requested to present a further report, in 2019, outlining a new operational model for the service based on constituency working.

 

(Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee/ Regeneration and Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee)

(Damian Fisher - 01274 437146 / Louise Williams – 01274 431066)

 

Minutes:

The report of the Strategic Director, Place, (Document “O”) updated Members on future changes to Street Cleansing, Parks, Environmental Enforcement and Warden Services.  The report also provided an update on performance and information on current and planned initiatives and the merger of the Parks Service into Neighbourhood and Customer Services.

 

Document “O” reminded Members of the Street Cleansing Services requirement to deliver a 25% reduction in its budget for the year 2019/20.  The removal of £1m from the budget meant there had to be significant redesign of how the service was operated.  It was also intended to merge Street Cleansing with the Parks Service to ensure greater efficiency between the two services.

 

The transformation covered three distinct changes:

 

·      ‘Lift & shift’ merger of Parks and Landscapes operation to Neighbourhood Services and a joined management structure for Street Cleansing and Parks

·      Separation of Council Wardens into two distinct roles – civil enforcement and community engagement/environmental enforcement

·      Reduction of Street Cleansing resources. Specifically  the loss of 25 frontline staff and 5 mechanical sweepers

 

Negotiations were being conducted with the trade unions regarding assimilation of staff into the new structure. It was intended that the frontline parks staff would move into Neighbourhoods in April 2019. Whilst new operational arrangements in Street Cleansing were bedded in Area Coordinators would need to assess the parks operation in detail and how both operations could link together in the future. This was estimated to take a year including assessments of all current operations, roles, synergies, responsibilities, locations and any joined up working.

 

Document “O” reported changes to the Warden Services and whilst numbers would remain the same two different types of wardens would be created.  The wardens would be known as Council Wardens and Neighbourhood Wardens.  Their distinct roles, with Council Wardens acting as Civil Enforcement Officers and Neighbourhood Wardens focusing on environmental education and enforcement based in area teams, was explained in detail.

 

Operational changes to Street Cleansing within the district were reported and would create 23 new gateway routes that would cover busy gateway and arterial routes.  It was estimated that those prescribed routes would last two to three hours and require crews to start earlier at 6.00am.  Upon completion of those routes crews would be deployed in their constituency areas.  Due to the reduction in staff numbers it was felt that maintaining consistent ward based teams was not seen as viable. 

 

Following a very detailed presentation Members raised a number of issues including:-

 

·         An increase in re-active wardens was welcomed.

·         It was not felt that concentrating on street cleansing routes was always the best method.

·         The Keighley constituency contained three substantial centres and this should be taken account with regard to operational changes to the street cleansing routes.

 

A Member referred to data contained in Document “O” which suggested that less tonnage was being collected from fly tipping.  He questioned if that was because less rubbish was actually tipped.  In response it was explained that the data he referred to was a record of the reports to the Council contact centre about fly tipping.  There would be some duplication of those calls with several residents often reporting the same issue.  It was agreed to investigate the potential for the recording system to eliminate that duplication.

 

The ability to assess the working time lost through the reduction in Council depots and subsequent increased travel time for operatives was raised and assurances that depots were not closing and that constituency working would result in operatives travelling only one day per week. 

 

It was suggested that equipment be stored in each constituency area and it was agreed to investigate that option.  A Member proposed that dedicated clean teams operated over two combined areas and it was explained that a decision on that option would depend on resources available.

 

The shift pattern of the enforcement officers was questioned and it was explained that they worked from 9am to 5pm although those shifts could be extended if required.  During the summer time and up to the end of October wardens worked a longer shift pattern.  The new operational arrangements would facilitate a shift pattern working into the evening.

 

The policy to ban A Boards on pavements was questioned and it was explained that the responsibility for enforcement of that policy was with the Highways Department.

 

The report contained a table highlighting actions taken by the Environmental Enforcement Team in relation to waste offences.  It was queried if that information was district wide and included enforcement taken through previous legislation in the Planning Act.  In response it was confirmed that the information was district wide.  It was agreed to investigate under which legislation the prosecutions had been taken. 

 

A Member questioned if the loss of 25 frontline staff from the Street Cleansing Service would be undertaken through compulsory redundancy.  It was explained that there were vacancies in the Waste Service and it was hoped that staff could be redeployed in that department.  Members were assured that options to be considered in February 2019 could be reviewed at a later date if staffing issues had not been settled.

 

It was questioned if the Enforcement Wardens were funded by income generated from parking charges and it was explained that the income did contribute to their cost but it was not known if all the costs were met from that source.

 

The location of the 23 gateway routes which were to be created was questioned and Members were assured that a further report being presented in February 2019 would include the whereabouts of those routes.  

 

It was also requested that the report provide a more comprehensive business plan for the future changes to Street Cleansing, Parks, Environmental Enforcement and Warden Services and include detailed budget proposals.

 

Statistics contained in Document “O” revealing reductions in street cleansing cases reported to the Council Contact Centre were queried.  It was noted that cases in the Craven Ward had halved and it was questioned if this was because the Parish Council had employed additional street cleansing resources in that area.  It was also noted that the Ilkley Ward had also seen reductions in those reports and it was suggested that residents in the wards employing their own staff were paying twice, through their Council Tax and Parish Council precept, for that service.  

 

Resolved –

 

1.    That the information contained in Document “O” be noted.

 

2.    That the Strategic Director, Place, be requested to present a further report, in February 2019, which presents options for a new operational model, including details of staff changes, for the service.

 

ACTION: Strategic Director Place

(Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee/ Regeneration and Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee)

 

Supporting documents: