Issue - meetings

Report  ES15074

Members considered a six-month progress report against commitments made in the 2015/18 Environment Portfolio Plan.

In discussion attention was given to the problem of fly-tipping. Incidents had increased over the past three years and at times lorry loads of material was now fly-tipped on to carriageways. The cost of legitimate waste disposal contributed to fly-tipping. For some large fly-tips it would be necessary to mark off the tip or close the road. On occasions specialist vehicles would need to clean a site. There had been success with Kent police identifying individuals leading to prosecution. It was necessary to achieve more convictions. To report a fly-tipping incident outside normal hours the Council’s emergency duty officer should be contacted.

To help deter material being passed for fly-tipping it was suggested that a reminder might be helpful particularly in regard to consequences and the availability of legitimate waste disposers. In this regard the Portfolio Holder’s column in the winter edition of Environment Matters was highlighted. The Portfolio Holder’s column included advice against passing waste to non-legitimate disposers which could itself incur a criminal record (an article was also included with advice on how to ensure that waste is passed to a legitimate waste disposer; the article also seeking the co-operation of residents in providing information which could lead to a successful prosecution for fly-tipping). 

In regard to street cleansing it was highlighted that 69% of residents are satisfied with the cleanliness of the borough’s streets with 87% satisfied with the cleanliness of town centres. It was agreed with Cllr Brooks that a check would be made to establish whether it was possible to provide a ward breakdown of these percentages.

In considering whether to call the Council’s street cleansing contractor or another contractor to appear before the Committee in March 2016, Cllr Phillips highlighted that some of the complaints from residents in her ward concerned “fall-out” of material along streets from waste collection rounds. As this was a concern she offered her preference to hear how the contractor might improve performance on this aspect of service. Members agreed that the Committee’s meeting on 15^th March 2016 would include attendance by Veolia as the Council’s contractor for waste collection.

RESOLVED that:

(1)  progress against aims set out in the 2015/18 Environment Portfolio Plan be noted; and

(2)  Veolia be invited to attend the Committee’s meeting on 15^th March 2015 as the Council’s contractor for waste collection.