Agenda item

Streetscene

Minutes:

The Service Lead StreetScene introduced the service plan for the service for 2022-23, highlighting the following:

·        There are significant pressures on the StreetScene services, with a 30% increase in some operational demand last year.  This has increased the pressure on frontline delivery teams;

·        A budget request of £280k for StreetScene Operations has been deemed unaffordable and this will have a implications for service delivery including:

o   A probably reduction in standards of street cleansing in a visible way.  In some areas the team will be unable to deliver the Council’s statutory services;

o   Communications with the public and councillors on service requests will need to be curtailed to core services only.

o   The team will not have the resources to engage in communications should standards of operational delivery fall below what the public expect;

o   Staffing issues will necessitate the team’s focus to be on day to day delivery of services only, impacting on planning, system changes and efficiency improvements;

·        A further large pressures area is the Suez contract bridging solution, with an approximate £1.2 million increase for collection resources;

·        There were a number of objectives set out in the service plan under 4 themes: i) operational delivery ii) recycling and waste iii) engineering projects; and iv) green spaces and community. 

 

Discussion included:

·        The Portfolio Holder Coast, Country and Environment commented that the electorate expect StreetScene to provide a good service and he hopes this can continue, but the service needs more funding.  He added that whereas East Devon was ranked ninth for recycling among local authorities, he aims for the Council to be ranked as number one;

·        In response to a question about whether bin lorries will be electric, the Service Lead for StreetScene commented that currently the technology is not there for HGVs and RCVs, and is still evolving.  A meeting is scheduled with Suez to discuss decarbonisation of the Suez fleet and there is a need to look at the infrastructure of depot requirements for decarbonisation;

·        Disappointment was expressed that some areas will lose some statutory street cleansing services, especially given that some of those areas pay more than others for the collection of bins.  It was suggested that this point should be reviewed, with a view to all areas paying the same.  The Service Lead StreetScene stated that it costs the Council different amounts to collect from different places and whereas a review of chargeable services might be appropriate, the team does not have the capacity to carry this out;

·        In response to a question about dog waste bins, it was confirmed that there is no cost saving to be had in removing dog waste bins and the waste instead going into general waste bins;

·        In response to a question about on-street aluminium recycling bins, the Service lead StreetScene stated that he hadn’t looked into this as there was typically a large amount of contamination with on-street recycling bins, and it would require the purchase of additional vehicles.  He added that a deposit return system would probably be in place in a couple of years’ time.

·        In response to a question about the Blue Flag awards and the release of sewerage, the Service Lead StreetScene confirmed that the Environment Agency test the bathing water quality and, in the event of a storm event, if the Council has displayed a water quality warning notice, then that sample is discounted from the water quality results which affect the Blue Flag.

 

Recommended to Cabinet by the Overview and Scrutiny Committees that the Service Plan 2022-23 for StreetScene be adopted.

Supporting documents: