Agenda item

Referring to Minute 10 of the meeting held on 18^th June 2012, the Locality Manager (East North East Area) submitted a report which provided a half year update on the performance against the Service Level Agreement (SLA) between Inner North East Area Committee and the East North East Environmental Locality Team.

The report also provided the Area Committee with information of the range of functions being delivered across the area during this period against the priorities and commitments set out in the SLA, and how they were helping to make a difference on the ground/at the front line.

It was noted that the Area Committee had an opportunity to influence the service and budget planning process for 2013/14 and that views on service developments and continued top priorities for Inner NE were sought, particularly in light of the expected further financial pressures.

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

• Analysis of service requests responded to by ENE Locality Team during the reporting period May to October 2012 (Appendix A refers)
• ENE Locality Team – Financial Position 2012/13 (half year update)

(Appendix B refers)

·  Leeds Citizens Panel – Environmental Services satisfaction results (Appendix C refers)

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

Mick Johnson and Andrew Gibson, East North East Locality Team, Environmental Services were also in attendance to provide background details.

Prior to discussing the report, the Area Committee were requested to consider the following specific issues:-

i) what aspects of the service they feel were working well and delivering against the commitments made in the SLA;

ii) what aspects of the service do the feel were not working as well as they

should against the commitments made in the SLA and would like to see

improvements made;

iii) what the Area Committee’s views were on the key service developments

and what continued top priorities for Inner NE should be in planning for 2013/14, particularly in light of the expected further financial pressures

Detailed discussion ensued on the contents of the report and appendices.

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

·  The concerns expressed about leaf fall on roads and pavements and clarification of the current sweeping arrangements)

(The East North East Locality Manager responded and outlined the current arrangements

·  Clarification of when more resources would be provided in relation to emptying additional bins

(The East North East Locality Manager responded and raised his current concerns about this service which was at saturation point)

·  The need to acknowledge that street furniture was still causing problems

(The East North East Locality Manager responded and agreed to investigate this issue further with the assistance of enforcement officers)

·  Clarification of how the department dealt with the issue of large mixed race communities i.e. Saville’s and the Mexborough’s)

·  Clarification of the duties of agency staff/Continental Landscape employees and whether they would be able to respond to problems associated with snowfall and gritting in the three wards

(The East North East Locality Manager responded and could not give any guarantees of this type of service. It was noted that that such staff would continue de-leafing until January 2013)

·  The need to get more public engaged in relation to surveys and to raise awareness of the services provided by Environmental Services

(The East North East Locality Manager responded and confirmed that there was still more to do in this area. Despite resource issues, he confirmed that more press releases would be issued around surveys and that a review of sweeping blocks would be undertaken, together with addressing new ways of working with the Environmental Protection Teams)

·  The need to introduce an additional column showing what was outstanding in relation to the analysis of service requests responded to by the East North East Locality Team

(The East North East Locality Manager responded and agreed to address this issue within future reports)

RESOLVED-

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

b)  That the follow up issues raised above be addressed by the East North East Locality Manager and the East North East Area Leader.

c)  That this Committee notes that a further progress report on Period 3 would be submitted to the Area Committee in six months time.