Agenda item

To consider a report of the Manager of Street Cleansing and Enforcement (ENE Locality) on progress in relation to the Environmental Service Level Agreement.

The East North East Locality Manager, Environment and Neighbourhoods Directorate submitted a report in relation to the Environmental Service Level Agreement for 2012/13.

Appended to the report was a copy of the following document for the information/comment of the meeting:-

‘Outer North East Area Committee – Services Level Agreement 2012/13 – Delegation of Environmental Services’

John Woolmer, East North East Locality Manager, Environment and Neighbourhoods Directorate presented the report and responded to Members’ queries and comments.

For the benefit of the meeting, the new issues in relation to the Service Level Agreement were highlighted.

In summary, specific reference was made to the following issues:-

• Clarification if there was an underspend or overspend in relation to the ENE Locality Team – Budget for 2011/12 (Appendix B refers)

(The East North East Locality Manager responded and informed the meeting that he did not have the final position yet for 2011/12, but he was confident that the budget was on target with possibly a very limited overspend. He agreed to supply Area Committee Members with a copy of the specific details in due course)

• Clarification of the past pension costs as referred to in Appendix B of the report

(The East North East Locality Manager responded and informed the meeting that this could relate to a corporate figure supplied by the Finance Section and there were no plans to delegate this budget/cost. He agreed to obtain more information on this issue)

• Clarification of the fleet and transport costs and whether or not the hire and repair costs in relation to a path sweeper were correct

(The East North East Locality Manager responded and confirmed that the costs were correct. He agreed to provide a breakdown of the £170,000 fleet hire costs to Area Committee Members in relation to value for money and confirmed that the current interim contract was due to end in 2012 and that looking at value for money and other options would be part of the procurement process for a future longer term contract)

• The need for drivers to be fully trained when driving sweepers to avoid any un-necessary repair costs

(The East North East Locality Manager responded and acknowledged this suggestion)

• Clarification of the range of activities that were enforced by Enforcement Staff

(The East North East Locality Manager responded and outlined the range of activities that were highlighted on page 80 of the document)

• A suggestion to incorporate Planning enforcement within the Environmental Services team

(The East North East Locality Manager responded and welcomed any moves to look at services becoming more locality based/accountable and learning from the experience and successes of the Environmental Services enforcement delegation. It was agreed to discuss this further at the Ward Member meetings)

• Clarification if a cost benefit analysis had been undertaken for the procurement of road sweepers

(The East North East Locality Manager responded an agreed to look into this issue)

• Clarification of the procedure for the removal of overgrown vegetarian on path ways
• Clarification if litter picking was undertaken by the contractor before or after grass cutting

(The East North East Locality Manager responded and confirmed that, as part of the terms of the contract, the contractor should ideally litter pick first, but that was ultimately a decision for the contractor based on operational circumstances, but whatever order it was done it the area was required to be left cleaned and cut to the agreed standard and at the agreed fixed price)

• Clarification of the process of appointing ‘Champions’ for the various partnerships

(Mr S Robinson, Governance Services responded and confirmed that a report on this issue would be presented to the September meeting)

• Clarification of grass cutting widths; gully cleansing operations and weed spraying in the Harewood ward and other areas

(The East North East Locality Manager responded. He urged Members to inform him of any blocked or collapsed gullies within their wards which would be given priority status for cleaning and referred to highways if the problem was structural. In relation to weed spraying, he agreed to forward the quarterly rotation schedule to Area Committee Members for their information/retention)

RESOLVED-

a)  That the contents of the report and appendices be noted and welcomed.

b)  That approval be given to the Service Level Agreement for the delivery of delegated environmental services during the 2012/13 municipal year in accordance with the report now submitted.

c)  That approval be given to the following membership of the Member Environmental Sub-Group for 2012/13 to manage the detailed oversight of the delegated services with officer support:-

-  Councillor N Buckley

-  Councillor M Robinson

-  Councillor G Wilkinson