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The Working Group met to hear a briefing on how the Council's Cleansing, Waste and Highways teams work together to manage the street scene, including roads, signs, litter and bins. The minute records no decisions on the briefing itself. The Working Group agreed 11 conclusions and recommendations, to be sent to Cabinet Members in a letter.
There were no disclosures of personal and prejudicial interests.
None.
No public questions were received.
Cllrs Anderson, Stevens and several officers attended to give an overview of their briefing and to answer questions from group members. · Operational inter departmental briefings were discussed, with more clarity requested. · The impact of scheduled and emergency works on waste collections was discussed including the impact of work carried out by utility companies. · The issues surrounding the alignment between grass cutting and litter picking were considered. The Working Group was informed of the introduction of long roads teams to service rural lanes. · Waste and Cleansing reported on the rollout of a new CRM and digital reporting system, with full implementation expected in 2027. · Enforcement was discussed and the Working Group heard that it is predominantly intelligence led. Officers highlighted the importance of reporting through the recognised and appropriate channels. · Daily missed collection maps are no longer routinely issued due to improved service however, the service can provide ad hoc reports when significant disruption occurs. · The Working Group was informed that additional resources for enforcement have been approved through the budget process. Concern was raised on the low number of Fixed Penalty Notices related to dog fouling. Officers explained that enforcement is intelligence led. · Concerns were raised regarding the poor condition of many road and street name signs. Planned budget increases were referenced with the potential introduction of a new design. · The option of fixing signs to buildings in order to minimise street clutter was discussed. · Officers explained that the ageing underground cable network and the lifecycle of LED units are contributing to failures, though many are still within warranty. The Council now has approximately 97% coverage of LED street lighting across the city. · It was noted that glyphosate remains the only viable option for maintaining the full highway network at scale. All green spaces sit within a rotating planned maintenance schedule, though storms, waterlogging and emergency priorities can divert resources. · Officers confirmed that going forward, tree stumps will be left at a minimum height of 1.2 metres, making them more visible and significantly reducing trip hazards while stump removal is prioritised and programmed based on risk. · The announcement of an additional 50% expansion of Cleansing Ward Operative Teams (CWOT), two new deep clean teams in the city centre, and further investment in cleansing related to active travel routes, was welcomed.
From their discussions the Working Group Members made the following conclusions and recommendations which are summarised below: 1. Further clarification on the structure, frequency and purpose of interdepartmental meetings is requested and, where applicable, a copy of the minutes. 2. The most recent data on the number of fixed penalties and prosecutions for fly tipping and if possible, by ward was requested. 3. A city wide communication is recommended, explaining that enforcement is intelligence led, how residents can report regular problem times/locations and how councillors can support the targeted approach. 4. The Working Group supports exploring options for a uniform council wide design, so long as the same style is kept for the foreseeable future. 5. It recommends researching approaches adopted by other councils in relation to mounting street signs on buildings, including how issues such as permissions and liability are addressed in practice. 6. With the increase in budget, the Working Group asks whether an audit programme for street signage could be introduced. 7. It requests confirmation as to whether any refund has been, or would be, sought from the company that supplied the prematurely faded street signs. 8. It requests exploration of purchasing in house equipment for tree stump removal if demand continues to rise, to avoid the expense of hiring of equipment. 9. The Working Group encourages the idea of community‑led litter picks, particularly those involving residents, families and young people. 10. Further detail is requested on how additional CWOT hours will be distributed across wards, including whether this will be allocated evenly or targeted to areas of greatest need. 11. The Working Group recommends strengthening the feedback mechanisms between the Street Scene services and Planning.
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