Decision details

Proceed with new environmental initiatives, campaigns and recruitment.

Matter for Decision

It was felt that Streets and Open Spaces is overdue for a review which would help performance and equip the service for the evolving future. Part of this review will incorporate the new environmental priorities identified in the Cambridge City Council Annual Statement, whereby the focus will be on Education, Engagement and Enforcement.

 

In Refuse and Environment there are also important changes identified within the Annual Statement which include the reintroduction of the Pest Control Team and bulky waste days.

 

Decision of Executive Councillor for Environment, Waste and Public Health

       i.          Agreed to proceed with the recruitment of the Enforcement Officers and increase the Dog Warden role to a full time equivalent.

     ii.          Agreed to implement the changes and environmental priorities identified within the Annual Statement and this report.

   iii.          Agreed to request Officers to continue to investigate improved methods of Efficiency, Engagement, Education and Enforcement.

 

Reason for the Decision

As set out in the Officer’s report.

 

Any Alternative Options Considered and Rejected

Not applicable.

 

Scrutiny Considerations

The Committee received a report from the Interim Head of Services, Streets and Open Spaces.

 

The Committee made the following comments in response to the report:

       i.          Welcomed the focus on education.

     ii.          Felt restorative justice was an interesting idea. The punitive focus was less favoured as this could have long term criminal record implications.

   iii.          Queried if people could volunteer to help clean up the city (as they do now), instead of only becoming involved as a result of enforcement action.

   iv.          Queried how the impact of environmental measures would be evaluated as there was no process in place to do so now (as a benchmark). Also asked what measures would be used. For example, how to measure if streets and open spaces were becoming cleaner.

    v.          Welcomed targeting services at key times when they were most needed.

   vi.          It was important to have a clean city in order to attract people to live, work and visit; this affected the economy.

 

In response to Members’ questions the Executive Councillor for Environment, Waste and Public Health said the following:

       i.          The new initiatives would do more than just expand on previous ones.

     ii.          The Executive Councillor was looking at ways to improve the service, such as amending Dog Warden patrol hours to focus on when people were most likely to be outside exercising their pets. Services would set their operating hours for best service provision.

   iii.          The timing of Enforcement Officer patrols was key to getting the best impact. The Executive Councillor asked Councillors and Officers to feed into the reporting process to evaluate the impact of services so they could be targeted where needed.

   iv.          A future workshop is proposed to get officer input on how to make services more efficient. Area Committee Chairs would also be consulted to get Councillor input.

    v.          There were ways of measuring the impact of services. Information would be monitored and made available to Ward Councillors for use at Area Committees etc to decide how to target resources, hotspots for enforcement etc.

   vi.          Area Committees would have the discretion to request when services would be made available as part of ‘Ward Blitzes’.

 vii.          Extra service capacity would enable Officers to target resources where needed, such as supporting recycling in areas of low take up.

viii.          Restorative justice would enable people to undertake community work instead of paying fines for offences. A range of powers would be available for Officers to use.

 

In response to Members’ questions the Interim Head of Services, Streets and Open Spaces plus the Senior Operations Manager said the following:

       i.          Officers were working with Keep Britain Tidy to address issues such as dog fouling in streets and open spaces.

     ii.          An experiment to reduce dog fouling by putting up posters (with pictures of eyes and a caption saying “you are being watched”) had some success. This experiment would be used at other locations across the city in future. This would be used together with other tools such as Dog Warden patrols and dog fouling bins that could be allocated to wards by Area Committees.

 

The Committee resolved by 5 votes to 0 to endorse the recommendations.

 

The Executive Councillor approved the recommendations.

 

Conflicts of Interest Declared by the Executive Councillor (and any Dispensations Granted)

No conflicts of interest were declared by the Executive Councillor.