Issue - meetings

The Committee received a report and oral update providing an overview of City Council Refuse and Environmental and streets and Open Spaces service activity relating to the South Area Committee. The report and presentation identified the reactive and proactive service actions undertaken in the previous year, including the requested priority targets and highlighted the recommended issues and associated actions suggested to be targeted in the following period.  

Questions / issues raised included:

     I.        Vehicle parking issues in Cherry Hinton and the Fulbourn Road layby.

   II.        Sam Davies wished to go on record to thank Wendy Young and her team on behalf of the Queen Edith’s Community for the work which had been undertaken which received a round of applause.

  III.        James Woodburn raised the issue of the collection point for recovered stolen bikes, highlighting that there was not one central place to collect them. He suggested the need for one single location which was widely publicised and also that the bikes  should be kept for a specified period before being disposed of as currently recovered bikes were stored at different locations. In response, Wendy Young indicated that there was a standardised procedure by the City Council City Rangers who were responsible for the Council’s recovered bike service. In terms of timescale, they were kept by the Rangers for two weeks with the charity holding them for two weeks after that. To check on whether the City Rangers were holding a particular bike, this could be achieved by either e-mailing them, or completing a form online. The details  would then be checked against their records and also where a bike had been reported to Police as having been stolen and a crime police number issued, a check  made against that list.

 IV.        As a follow up James Woodburn highlighted the different practice adopted at Cambridge Station. In reply it was explained that this was private land and the City Council did not have the power to demand the details in respect of the bikes they had recovered. As part of the ongoing action, the officers would take away the comments made and seek to make the point of contact details simpler.

  V.        With reference to page 65 6. ‘Proactive and Community Work: Previous period and the Friends of Cherry Hinton Community Action Day’ and the free dog chipping service offered, in answer to a question raised regarding whether this event had been advertised, it was confirmed this had been undertaken via social media and through the Friends of Group.

 VI.        Mowbray Road – Two issues raised:

VII.        Council lawnmowers cutting grass without the operator first removing plastic bottle and other debris, resulting in them being shredded, and dangerous sharp debris being left behind.

Action: to ensure lawn mower operators were reminded of the need to check before mowing that all rubbish was removed first. 

VIII.        The need for building workers to remove the debris / dirt when undertaking building work, as nails and other debris was being left at the end of the day, which had resulted in punctured tyres. 

 IX.        Long Road – Student Smoking Nuisance – this was still an issue for local residents. A question was raised on whether extra bins should be provided and if fixed penalties could be introduced?  In response it was explained that the bin design currently provided did not have an ashtray facility. As result officers were looking at different designs and would be engaging with the college to arrange for suitable alternatives to be provided. In respect of fixed penalties, these could not be issued to under 18’s and were therefore not appropriate for the target college age group. Education was seen as the key, with the measures to be taken to include increased signage, changing the bins and engaging with the College on sending reminders.

Action: Councillor Taylor offered to make contact with the college and to pass on the officer details to help facilitate closer co-operation.    

Following discussion, Members resolved unanimously;

The following priorities within the South Area for the period September to November with the addition of adding to recommendation 4 the words “and Fulbourn Road Layby”