Issue - meetings

The Committee received a report from the Operations Manager (Community Engagement and Enforcement) regarding environmental data which provided an overview of City Council Refuse and Environment and Streets and Open Spaces service activity relating to the geographical area served by the West/Central Area Committee.

 

Comments from members of the public:

 

i.        Suggested that litter picks on Burleigh Street and Fitzroy Street should be carried out later in the day as there seemed to be a large amount of rubbish on these streets.

ii.       Noted graffiti on the flats overlooking the Market Square in the City Centre and asked if and when it could be removed.

 

Comments from the Committee:

 

i.        Questioned what could be done regarding the land that the Co-op on Histon Road stood on, the landlord had neglected the surrounding environment and needed to be made aware.

ii.       Large yellow signs had put up by the Council around Lamas Land which cluttered the area. Enquired if the impact that the signs had on the surrounding area had been considered and what evidence was there that these signs were required.

iii.      Enquired what could be done for streets in Newham where parked vehicles obstructed the mechanical sweeper which was deployed to sweep the carriageways.

iv.      Stated that leaves left in wet weather on the carriageways caused a danger to cyclists if not swept up and a better solution was required.

v.      Queried if on street parking areas could be closed off and if vehicles could park for free elsewhere in order for cleaning with mechanical sweeper to be undertaken.

vi.      Suggested if vehicles could not be moved to make the way for the mechanical sweepers, alternatives should be investigated such as machines that could sweep underneath the vehicles.

vii.     Agreed that there was an increase in litter on Burleigh Street and Fitzroy Street.

viii.    Suggested that the side roads to and from Burleigh Street and Fitzroy Street should also been cleansed and swept with as much regularity as the two main streets.

ix.      The report showed that recycling rates were stagnating or decreasing in the City and asked if it was possible to produce a breakdown between wards. Asked what could be done to increase the recycling rates.

x.      Advised that the ground between the railings on Drummer Street and Christ Piece’s had become a dumping ground for rubbish and requested that this could be looked at. Also the railings required repainting.

 

Councillor Cantrill reiterated the Committee’s thanks to the Operations Managers and her team for the ‘walk abouts’ that had taken place in West/ Central area and the efficient and effective work that Officers undertook.

 

In response the Operations Manager made the following statements:

 

i.        As the land and the car park on Co-op was privately owned it was a matter for the landlord. Agreed to speak with Enforcement Officers to investigate what action could be taken.

ii.       Would arrange for the removal of the yellow signs on Lamas Land. The signs had been previously used at Strawberry Fair to discourage camping.

iii.      Removal of the graffiti on the flats would not be an immediate fix as access was required. This needed to be arranged with the landlord of the properties and was being investigated.

iv.      Agreed to speak with the Senior Operations Manager regarding the litter picking on Fitzroy, Burleigh Street and the surrounding streets and would report back to the Committee at a future meeting.

v.      Litter picking around parked vehicles could be done easily as this was a manual task and litter. However it was not possible to move parked vehicles for the mechanical sweepers which did require clearance.

vi.      When a stretch of road that was usually congested was clear of parked vehicles this would be swept with a mechanical sweeper as part of the cleaning process. This was done in small stages was not a simple one, therefore it did not produce an instant result.

vii.     Had been advised from the Waste team that recycling rates were not available at ward level.

viii.    Agreed to speak to speak with the Recycling Team to ask what actions would and could be taken to increase recycling in the City. This would be included in the next report to Committee.

ix.      Noted the comments regarding the railings on Drummer Street.

 

The Committee:

 

Resolved (unanimously) to agree the following priorities:

 

1       Enforcement and City Ranger patrols in the City Centre to address issues of illegally deposited trade waste and littering.

         

         Justification: Littering and illegal deposited waste if left un-investigated can cause ongoing issues and encourage antisocial behaviour. This priority has been included as a continuation to balance the high standard of trade waste management and litter patrols already existing in the West/Central area and to continue to build upon this work further.

 

2       Early morning, daytime and weekend dog warden patrols for dog fouling on Grantchester Street, Lammas Land and surrounding areas.

         

         Justification: Dog fouling continues to be identified by the Dog Warden and members of the public who have recorded problems in the areas. A number of individuals spoken to have not been aware of dog control orders; this recommendation remains in order to balance education and enforcement. Further reports have been received that has identified an increase of dog fouling on the routes to and from the local school.

 

3       Proactive small scale graffiti and flyposting removal by City Rangers across the West/Central area.

         

         Justification: Work already conducted by the City Rangers has been positive and enhanced the areas where cleared. This recommendation is to continue this work as a priority for all the rangers covering the West/Central areas.

 

4       Ownership and cleansing of Garrett Hostel Lane ditches.

         

          Justification: Work to identify the ownership of Garrett Hostel Lane ditches is ongoing.

          Work on maintaining the cleanliness of the ditches is ongoing and remains a focus for the Operations team. No further updates have become available on land owners; however Operations staff continues to undertake regular cleansing.

 

5       Jesus Green ditch cleansing – looking at frequency of    activity.

         

          Justification: Work has already been undertaken in this area since July / August 2015 time, however in order to measure the success of this activity it is necessary to examine the effectiveness of weekly cleansing over a lengthy period of time and carrying this priority over into the summer months would allow for that.

 

6       Joint working patrols to address the issues of fly tipping at public recycling points.

        

         Justification: Fly tipping at Lammas Land, Adam and Eve Street and Castle Park recycling centre account for an increase in the fly tipping figures across the West area. Enforcement and ranger work to focus on these areas will balance education and enforcement to deter this problem.