Issue - meetings

The Committee received a report from the Operations Manager – Community Engagement and Enforcement. It outlined an overview of City Council Refuse and Environment and Streets and Open Spaces service activity relating to the geographical area served by the East Area Committee. The report identified the reactive and proactive service actions undertaken in the previous quarter, including the requested priority targets, and reported back on the recommended issues and associated actions to be targeted in the upcoming period. It also included key officer contacts for the reporting of waste and refuse and public realm issues.

The following were suggestions for Members on what action could be considered for priority within the East Area for the period December 2016 to February 2017:

Continuing Priorities:

i.     Enforcement patrols to tackle fly tipping at Riverside, Ditton Fields and St Matthews Street area.

ii.    Early morning, daytime and weekend patrols for dog fouling at the following locations:

·        Ravensworth Gardens play areas

·        Snaky Path area

·        Mill Road Cemetary

iii.   Enforcement patrols to tackle environmental crime at Thorpe Way estate

New suggested priority:

iv.  Enforcement patrols to tackle fly tipping, litter, side waste and trade waste in the Petersfield area of Mill Road.

The Committee noted that stray dogs were all being chipped when they were returned to their owners.  There had been two instances of large numbers of needles being found in one location; all council staff were aware of the needle exchange scheme and passed on information about the scheme.

The Committee discussed the following issues:

·        The lack of specific information about action taken in response to complaints about noise.  The Operations Manager undertook to supply an expanded breakdown of the figures to the next meeting.  The Committee noted that enforcement was needed in only a minority of cases; most were resolved by knocking on the door and asking that the noise be stopped.

Action: Wendy Young

·        Action that could be taken against dustbins left out on the road.  It was noted that this was now a civil rather than a criminal matter, and enforcement was a cumbersome process requiring that the intention to issue a fine be notified to the bin owner in writing.

·        The reason for the additional priority.  This had been suggested because officers patrolling Mill Road had noticed an increase in the number of black and white sacks and litter, and in trade and domestic fly-tipping; appropriate education and enforcement action was recommended to address this.

·        Complaints about barbecuing on Stourbridge Common and on Jesus Green.  The Operations Manager advised that her team patrolled all the green spaces in the city centre as a standard action.

·        Blocking of access to a private alley on Tenison Road raised by an earlier questioner.  The Operations Manager agreed that the Enforcement Team could talk to traders about not blocking this access.  Action: Wendy Young

Following discussion, Members resolved (unanimously) to approve the continuation of the three previous priorities for action above, with the addition of a fourth priority, enforcement patrols to tackle fly tipping, litter, side waste and trade waste in the Petersfield area of Mill Road.