Agenda and minutes

An apology of absence was received from Councillor J M Englefield.

To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meeting of the Panel held on 28 January 2016.

It was AGREED that the minutes of the Streetscene Policy Development and Review Panel meeting held on 28 January 2016 be confirmed and signed as a correct record.

The Chairman reminded the Panel that the Clean for the Queen event was taking place the following day, Friday 4 March 2016 between 10am – 3pm in Portchester Car Park and Precinct.

To receive any declarations of interest from members in accordance with Standing Orders and the Council’s Code of Conduct and disclosures of advice or directions received from Group Leaders or Political Groups, in accordance with the Council’s Constitution.

There were no declarations of interest made at this meeting.

To receive any deputations of which notice has been lodged.

There were no deputations made at this meeting.

To consider a report by the Director of Operations on a final review of the Panel’s work programme for 2015/16 and Draft Work Programme for 2016/17.

The Panel considered a report by the Director of Operations which gave a final review of the Panel’s work programme for 2015/16 and the draft work programme for 2016/17.

The Director of Operations addressed the Panel and directed members to Appendix D of the report which set out the Panel’s proposed work programme for 2016/17, and offered members another opportunity to put forward suggestions for the work programme. The Chairman suggested that an unallocated item be added onto the work programme for a Verbal Update on Vanguard.

It was AGREED that the Panel:-

(a)  approves the work programme 2015/16;

(b)  agrees, subject to the inclusion of the unallocated item of ‘Verbal Update on Vanguard’, the proposed work programme for 2016/17;

(c)  submits the proposed work programme for 2016/17 to the Council for endorsement.

To allow Members to ask questions on any Streetscene related topic.

At the invitation of the Chairman, Councillors Ford, JP, Mrs K Trott and Miss T Harper, Executive member for Streetscene joined the Panel for this item.

The Chairman invited Councillor Ford to present his question to the Panel, and his question was:

 “Whilst understanding that our recycling rates are pretty good in comparison with other authorities in the County, they are pretty static over recent time. I wonder what initiatives we are considering to help drive the rate up? Is there a forum with say project INTEGRA partners for discussing specific initiatives and authorities across the country for the exchange of ideas?”

The Recycling Co-Ordinator provided the following response:

“There are a number of initiatives undertaken by Fareham Borough Council, both singly and in conjunction with Project Integra, to promote recycling. These are:

·         Bin Collection Calendars – which are delivered to each household in the autumn providing information on bin collection dates and how/what to recycle;

·         Pledge to Recycle – Web-based campaign was developed to encourage people to take a Pledge to recycle. All Pledges were entered into a free prize draw to win a hamper donated by Sainsbury’s;

·         Flat Bags – bags have been delivered to flats for them to store recyclables in an effort to reduce the incidents of plastic bags going into the recycling bin;

·         Talks and Presentations – to groups, schools etc;

·         RCV Livery – the refuse collection vehicles will be fitted with new recycling and food waste messages over the next few weeks.

·         Bulky Waste – Fareham Borough Council is working closely with Project Integra to send more furniture for re-use, rather than collecting it as bulky waste. When a customer calls to book a bulky waste collection they will be asked a number of questions to see if the item is suitable for re-use, and if so they will be invited to arrange a free collection with a local re-use charity.

·         Champions – Project Integra through Hampshire County Council are running a scheme with volunteer ‘champions’ who promote messages about food waste and home composting. They will pass on tips and advice through giving talks, attending local events or contributing articles for websites or community newsletters.

The Chairman then invited Councillor Mrs Trott to present her question to the Panel.

Her question was:

“I remember that you responded to a resident who complained about the litter situation at the Jct. 11 motorway by e-mail earlier this year. You pointed out the safety implications for litter pickers but it was cleared.

Most unfortunately both sides of the slipway are in a really bad state with unsightly littering particularly bad again on the upward slope, the western side. This also extends down the slope towards Southampton.

Littering is particularly bad next to the lay-by. Could we not have a bin there to encourage proper disposal? How often are those areas litter picked? Is there a regular cleaning regime?”

The Operations Manager provided the following response:

‘Officers are aware of the build-up of litter at the lay-bys near the motorway junction. As previously discussed, due to the speed limits in force here we need to arrange appropriate traffic management before we are able to undertake the litter clearance safely and must also book the necessary lane closures with the Highway authority. These arrangements are currently being made and a date will soon be set for this work.

The requirement for traffic management came about as a result of a fatal accident involving a litter picker working for a private company in 2007. The private company assumed all safety issues were sound with good risk assessments and method statements and expected the 3^rd party driver to be at fault. However, the company was pursued by the Health& Safety Executive for a lack of traffic management. Despite an appeal at the High Court they received a significant fine and thus a precedent has been set by the Courts. Further to this event and from October 2014, not complying with Chapter 8 (Safety at Street Works) was made a criminal offence.

The Operations team currently undertake a major tidy up of the junction on two occasions per annum that includes litter picking, grass cutting and the cutting back of overgrowth. Further litter picks are arranged in between these operations as and when there is a build-up of debris. The traffic management is expensive (up to £1,250 per occasion) and Officers are looking at securing a few dates through the year, rather than as and when, so that we do not have to wait for the traffic management companies to find some time to fit us in. However, this may prove problematic due to the need to co-ordinate lane closures with the Highway authority so as not to conflict with any separate road works nearby and the requirement of a minimum notice period of two weeks prior to works commencing.

The suggestion to install a litter bin at each layby is not without issue. The bins are likely to be filled on a regular basis as the lorry drivers that park here would most likely take the opportunity to clear out their cabs and use this facility for their waste disposal. Indeed bins were installed here a number of years ago and were removed for this very reason. In addition, the provision of bins would not negate the need to litter pick the debris that is discarded by passing cars or wind-blown onto the adjacent verges. Therefore, the proposal to install litter bins would introduce an additional high frequency operation that would not solve the main issue of litter on the verges.”

The Chairman thanked officers and members for their participation in the Members Open Forum.