Agenda item

The Service Director People and Places has submitted a report about a programme of initiatives that will be developed to create a cleaner greener Wyre.   

The Street Scene Manager, Ruth Hunter, submitted a report. Ms Hunter and the Service Director People and Places attended the meeting to present the report and respond to questions from councillors. 

Ms Hunter summarised the report and highlighted several key points. The council’s most recent Life in Wyre Survey (2016) showed that resident satisfaction with front line services such as refuse collection, recycling, street cleansing and parks and open spaces was generally high.

It was the council’s aim to engage more with customers and businesses to encourage them to take greater ownership of their environment.  Elected members could play a significant part in supporting this approach, which would have an impact on changing behaviours.

In response to a question about fly tipping, Mr Billington explained that councillors had wanted a dynamic service that would deal more effectively with street cleansing, including fly-tipping. There was no specialist fly-tipping team, dealing with such matters being part of the street cleansing team’s day-to-day job. The comment was made that by providing a free bulky waste collection service the amount of fly-tipping would be reduced.  Mr Billington suggested that the matter was not as straightforward as that; a lot of fly-tipping was material that would not normally be collected by a bulky waste collection and the cost to the council was difficult to assess as dealing with fly-tipping had been integrated into staff roles as the norm. The reality of the problem did not always match the perception of residents. 

The comment was made that it was often private roads that were affected by fly tipping, which was not within the council’s responsibility. 

Mr Billington added that improvements to enforcement were being considered. There was new legislation regarding littering from a vehicle, although enforcement would depend on sufficient evidence being collected.

A new officer was soon to be appointed, their role to include the management of the Cleaner Green Wyre project. The role would encompass engaging with communities, developing local groups and ambassadors (a group that could include councillors) to take increased responsibility for their own neighbourhoods and to develop civic pride.

In response to questions from councillors Mr Billington confirmed that cigarette littering was a good example of the sort of targeted campaign that would be developed in the future.  Ms Hunter added, in response to a question, that four Area Officers and four Countryside Rangers had the powers to enforce Public Space Protection Orders.

The Chairman proposed that the committee set up a task group to make recommendations in support of this project, with a focus on enforcement and culture change. Mr Billington confirmed that he would advise the Scrutiny Officer of an appropriate time to commence a task group, once the new officer was in post.

It was agreed:

1.    That Ms Hunter and Mr Billington be thanked for their report to the committee.

2.    That a task group be commissioned about the Cleaner Green Wyre project, to review enforcement and culture change in particular, once a new officer had been appointed.

3.    That the excellent work of the Area Officers be noted.