Issue - meetings

Report ES14029

Members considered the draft Environment Portfolio Plan for 2014/17.

The Vice-Chairman offered her congratulations on progress made against priorities in the Plan.

In respect of street cleaning and some roads having tightly parked cars during the week, the Portfolio Holder highlighted that such roads could be cleaned at weekends. Officers were looking to improve the weekend service and Members were encouraged to liaise with the Portfolio Holder and officers on this. The Chairman highlighted the Committee’s intention to review street cleaning performance again at its January meeting.

On waste, the level of recycling in the borough had plateaued with the quantity of waste having increased. Initiatives had been planned around Green Garden Waste (GGW) and textile collections to increase recycling.  However, paper quantities for recycling had reduced but improved recycling of other materials and the new initiatives had so far compensated for this. A decreasing level of paper could be attributed to an increasing use of digital media, a trend which was unlikely to reverse.

Councillor Brooks suggested that a number of residents in housing blocks might be unclear on where to place different categories of material for recycling. He also recommended that the “Fix My Street” facility on the Council website be more widely advertised.

It was confirmed that a 2013/14 return on the percentage of children travelling to school by car would be in the half-year performance report to Members. For a 2013/14 performance return on (i) principal roads condition, (ii) non-principal classified roads, and (iii) town centre footway surfaces, a percentage return would be provided when figures were available hopefully next month. Footnotes were suggested in the Plan to explain these points. The Chairman indicated that the details would also be circulated to Committee Members. 

In view of the particularly difficult budget position faced by the Council, the Chairman suggested that Council communications convey the cost and value of services and public facilities e.g. parks.

RESOLVED that the Portfolio Holder be recommended to endorse the aims, activities, outcome measures and service expectations proposed in the draft Portfolio Plan, taking into consideration the budget for 2014/15 which has already been agreed.