Agenda item

To receive the report of the Contracts Team Leader on the provision of street cleansing in the District.

Councillor David Buckle left the meeting at this point and did not return.

The Contracts Team Leader introduced the report which asked the Committee to note the street cleansing provision within the district.

The Executive Lead Member for Housing, Health and Culture was in attendance for consideration of the item.

The Committee acknowledged that the Environmental Services contract had been awarded to Enterprise Managed Services Ltd., now known as Amey Plc., and had commenced on 1 October 2009 for a period of 7 and a half years (to align the contract with the financial year), with an option to extend for a further 7 years. The contract extension had been taken up in April 2017 and the agreement would run until March 2025. The contract consisted of the following three service streams:

·           Waste and recycling collections

·           Street cleansing

·           Ground maintenance.

Members noted that each service stream had a service specification that detailed the work requirements, performance standards, quantum and working parameters, such as hours or days of operation, which the service provider was required to deliver.

Officers highlighted a number of current issues to the committee. In relation to the cleanliness of major roads such as the A64, there were sections that were difficult to clean because to do so would require temporary traffic measures or road closures, which were expensive and disruptive. The Council continued to work with partners at NYCC and Highways England in order to ensure the work was done but with as little disruption as possible.

It was explained to Members that the performance indicators and levels used to monitor the service had not been adjusted for a few years, despite an increase in demand for services such as more litter and dog bins to empty. Therefore, the performance in some areas looked worse than it was, as the indicator levels required updating; this would be done in 2019. The Committee agreed the importance of the targets being both meaningful and challenging.

Members expressed concerns about missed bin collections due to collection vehicles being unable to access certain streets due to parked cars, particularly recycling collections. Officers explained that the recycling vehicles were wider than the refuse wagons and as such could not access narrow roads which had been made narrower by parked cars. It was acknowledged that this was an issue in some areas of the district, but that the District Council had no powers in relation to parking enforcement. Whilst parking permits or yellow lines could be explored by the Highways Authority in order to prevent this happening in the future, unfortunately there was no ‘quick fix’. Officers confirmed that they would continue to work with NYCC colleagues on the matter.

The Committee asked what the worst streets for detritus were, and it was explained by Officers that it tended to be those with cars parked on them on a regular basis, as street sweepers couldn’t access whole sections. Officers explained that they did give local people notice that cars should be moved in order for a road to be cleaned, but this message was not always heeded.

RESOLVED:

 To note the report.