Agenda item

The following question has been submitted by Cllr B Stephenson:

“Could the Street Scene Parks and Open Spaces Portfolio Holder please provide a statement regarding fly tipping on privately owned back alleys, as rubbish continues to pile up in certain areas?At what point can Wyre Council take action and intervene?”

Any further questions received by the specified deadline of noon on Friday 8 June 2018 to the Mayor, a member of the Cabinet or the Chairman of a Committee under Council Procedure Rule 12.1 will be published and circulated separately.

1.    Cllr B Stephenson asked a question (previously published and circulated) to the Street Scene, Parks and Open Spaces Portfolio Holder (Cllr Bridge) about clearance of fly-tipping from back alleyways.

Cllr Bridge in his response, explained the process which was followed when fly tipping incidents were reported, including the need to obtain permission from the land owner if the material to be cleared was on private land. He also referred to the enforcement measures taken by the Council.

In response to a supplementary question from Cllr Stephenson, he stressed the need to persuade people not to drop litter or dump rubbish in the first place.

2.    Cllr Raynor asked a question (previously published and circulated) to the Neighbourhood Services and Community Safety Portfolio Holder (Cllr Berry) about the opening of the Rossall flood defences.

Cllr Berry said in response that it had not been possible to make arrangements to invite local residents to the official opening of the scheme because work had been taking place until the last minute.

He confirmed, in response to a supplementary question from Cllr Raynor, that local residents would have an opportunity to attend other celebratory events taking place on the sea front throughout the summer.

3.    Cllr Fail asked a question (previously published and circulated) to the Street Scene, Parks and Open Spaces Portfolio Holder (Cllr Bridge) about dog fouling fines.

Cllr Bridge said in his reply that four £75 fixed penalty notices for dog fouling offences had been issued in 2017/18 and one fixed penalty notice of £100 had so far been issued in 2018/19. Two had been in Jubilee Ward, two in Stannah Ward and one had been in Great Eccleston.

Cllr Bridge said in response to a supplementary question from Cllr Fail that dog fouling was a difficult problem to deal with, but stressed that the Council did take enforcement action when appropriate. He also stressed the need for all Councillors, whenever possible, to encourage dog owners to be more responsible.

4.    Cllr Fail asked a question (previously published and circulated) to the Neighbourhood Services and Community Safety Portfolio Holder (Cllr Berry) about the potential, following the opening of the flood defence scheme, for further works along Rossall Beach.

Cllr Berry referred in his reply to the possible further beach management works described in paragraph 6.1 of his Executive Report to be considered later in the meeting. He said that further enhancements to the area referred to by Cllr Fail would be made in the future, but the criteria for funding could not currently be met.

5.    Cllr Lees asked a question (previously published and circulated) to the Planning and Economic Development Portfolio Holder (Cllr Michael Vincent) about the proposed A585 Mains Lane Bypass.

Cllr Vincent confirmed in his reply that the Council’s response to the pre-submission public consultation on the scheme was available and that he would provide a copy for Cllr Lees.

He said, in response to a supplementary question from Cllr Lees, that the A585 Windy Harbour to Skippool improvements were part of a wider strategy to improve traffic conditions between Fleetwood and the M55, which should be welcomed.

6.    Cllr Barrowclough asked a question (previously published and circulated) to the Street Scene, Parks and Public Spaces Portfolio Holder (Cllr Bridge) about maintenance of the water fountains at Marine Hall Gardens.

Cllr Bridge said in his response that the fountains were serviced twice a year and were inspected weekly. Action had been taken to avoid a recurrence of the current problems, which he acknowledged had been caused partly by grass cuttings. Prices were being obtained for the repairs required. He said he would let Cllr Barrowclough know the timescale for the repairs when known.