Issue - meetings

The Committee received a report from the Operations Manager – Community Engagement and Enforcement, presented in her absence by the Public Realm Enforcement Officers.

 

The report 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. 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 June to August 2016:

 

Continuing Priorities:

 

1.   Enforcement Patrols to tackle fly tipping at Riverside, Ashbury Close, Ditton Fields and St Matthews Street area.

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

·        St Thomas’s Square and Road

·        Ravensworth Gardens play areas

·        Thorpe Way play area

·        St Bedes Crescent

·        Coleridge Recreation Ground

3.   Enforcement investigation and action to deal with littering problems Newmarket Road from Tesco and around the areas of Wickes and Staples, B&Q and Cambridge Retail Park.

4.   Illegal camping barbeque and green space patrols at Stourbridge Common.

 

New suggested priority:

 

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

 

The Committee discussed the following issues:

 

i.     Passed on reports of dog fouling on Barnabas Road, and asked whether a walkabout of the Whitehill Road area might be arranged to see the problems

ii.    Asked whether it might be possible to have a further allocation of litter bins and dog waste bins to wards which had used their quota, such as Abbey

iii.   Expressed thanks for the clearing of rubbish from the alleyway between Abbey Road and Elizabeth Way bridge

iv.  Suggested that, once resurfacing of the walls of the Elizabeth Way roundabout underpass had been completed, some sort of watch should be kept for further graffiti-writers.  The Public Realm Enforcement Officer said that covert observation could be difficult, as their powers were very limited 

v.   Raised the possibility of deterring fly-tippers by posting notices referring people to the Milton Recycling Centre, but acknowledged the problem of clutter from too many street signs.  Noted that the maximum fine for fly-tipping was now £400, the proceeds from which could be used for clearing fly-tipping sites

vi.  With reference to Newmarket Road, queried whether it was possible to hold businesses responsible for clearing up litter.  Noted that some authorities were making use of Community Protection Warnings, and that the possibility of using them in Cambridge was already being investigated

vii. With reference to a recent find of a large number of used needles at one location, noted that the person concerned in that incident had not appreciated the potential issues involved, and that drug users under medical care were usually supplied with sharps boxes

viii.   Received assurance that abandoned bicycles were now being donated to charities for refurbishment

ix.  Requested dog litter signs for Petersfield ward, at the two entrances to Mill Road cemetery on Mill Road and on Norfolk Street

x.   Asked that care be taken when using weed-killer not to spray a wider area than necessary, in order  to avoid unsightly grass die-back

xi.  Expressed thanks to the City Rovers for the work on the East Road estate, as illustrated in the committee report

xii. Suggested further places where the Community Payback Team could usefully be deployed, namely in the Budleigh Close and Burnside area, to deal with overgrown bushes, and at the Petersfield end of the Carter Bridge, where the bollards were still not white.

 

Action: Cllr Roberts to investigate possibility of additional litter and dog waste bins for wards which have exhausted their allocation.

 

Frank Gawthrop, Secretary of the South Petersfield Residents’ Association, requested a replacement for the standard waste bin outside the Bodywork Studio; the previous bin had disappeared, and a means of disposing of cigarette butts was required.

 

Following discussion, Members resolved (unanimously) to approve the continuation of the four previous priorities for action above, and the addition of the new priority of Enforcement patrols to tackle environmental crime at Thorpe Way estate.