Agenda item

The Scrutiny Committee will consider the Cleaner, Greener Melton (Collaboration to support environmental quality) report.

The Director for Housing and Communities and the Waste and Environmental Services Manager introduced the report and delivered a presentation. The Portfolio Holder for Governance, Environment and Regulatory Services added that this is an ongoing piece of work which everyone will benefit from and was thankful for the dedication of the Director for Housing and Communities and the Waste and Environmental Services Manager. The Portfolio Holder also thanked the volunteers who played a role in the area’s Pride of Place.

The comment was made that the list of assets was useful, as once the Council understood what it owned, the amount of time that can be saved knowing is worthwhile. On its own, that is a good piece of work as queries can be reported and triaged and directed to the relevant body quickly.

In response to a query about the importance of volunteers and how the Council recognises them, it was confirmed that an event would be established to recognise and celebrate volunteers.

Following a question on how the work of the team can be measured and benchmarked, the Committee were informed that the Pride of Place group establish the Terms of Reference and so there is a reference for people to refer to, in order to establish whether the group is fulfilling its duties. In terms of the team, the Waste and Environmental Services Manager is looking at implementing performance indicators and establish the quality of work. In terms of Biffa contract, the Waste and Environmental Services Manager is working closely with Biffa and is looking to do similar set up.

A Member queried how ad hoc are handled and how can the Council make it more efficient. In response it was confirmed that they are difficult to deal with, however by using online forms and a single point to coordinate the responses, they are easier to manage.

It was noted that the Council had not received an environmental complaint since the Waste and Environmental Services Manager has been in post.

A discussion ensued regarding dog fouling and the nuisance it causes in Melton Mowbray. Officers were asked whether there could be a dog warden as they could be a deterrent. In response, Members were informed that with the constraints of resource need to work out what is best. It was noted that people can report dog fouling and that this is encouraged because if the Council knows about it, something can be done about it. It was recognised that the Council needs to be clear about its messaging and raising awareness as the information needed from a public health perspective is different to the information needed to prosecute a person for an offence. It was confirmed that the approach needs to be sensible approach, with campaign-based work being effective.

It was recognised that if the Council raises awareness more, then it could make a difference. Members stated that there is a need for the Council to publicise its actions in order to engage the public and as a response to comments and reports.

A discussion ensued regarding using volunteers and it was noted that the risk with volunteers is that coverage can become uneven. Also, as volunteers fall away, gaps are created. This is why the Council actively recruits volunteers. 

Members were informed that Officers are mapping hotspots for littering and establishing how the authority can focus on those areas and act. A discussion then ensued regarding littering from fast food outlets and the Committee were informed that the Pride in Place Group could work with the fast food outlets in order to resolve this issue.

In discussing emergency response arrangements, Members were informed that the Council would enhancing its sandbag policy, with one of the measures being introducing limit on the number of sandbags issued per house, although Members noted that one household’s needs could be vastly different to another’s needs and that there needs to be a balance between where the houses are and how they are affected by the flood.

A Member commented that the supply of sandbags didn’t reach Bottesford, however it was noted that one of the challenges was that flooding occurred at places that there wasn’t flooding before and that affected the stock. In addition, the Council is not the responsible flood authority and can only do so much.

It was noted that the flood response can be chaotic, although the Council coordinates the response with Leicestershire County Council. The Council has a responsibility to report on the safety of vulnerable residents.

A comment was made that there appears to be less bins available in Melton Mowbray and in response, the Waste and Environmental Services Manager will work with Biffa to calculate utilisation rates and establish if more bins are required.

Members requested visibility of the schedule for different pieces of work, e.g. grass cutting and cutting of hedges, this is because Members receive a lot of queries from the public and if the schedule was available, then Members could answer the queries and set expectations. In response, the Committee was informed that the Pride in Place group would map everything and schedule it.

It was noted that Parish Councils have their part to play and that recently Bottesford Parish Council had put in their newsletter how to report things to different authorities.

In response to a query about the noise of the mechanical sweeping vehicles, it was confirmed that there are contracted operating times and should only operate at a time that is reasonable.