Agenda item

Report ES12143

Report ES12143 outlined half-year stage progress against commitments made in the 2012/13 Environment Portfolio Plan.

A selection of priority aims from the Portfolio Plan had been previously submitted for the Council’s 2012/13 Building a Better Bromley commitment and Appendix 1 to Report ES12143 outlined progress against those aims.

A summary of half-year performance against the full set of milestones agreed in the Portfolio Plan was included at Appendix 2 to Report ES12143.

In discussion, it was indicated that income was being achieved from textiles delivered to bring sites for recycling. There was also a funding agreement with WRAP for a kerbside collection service.

End of year performance data was preferred to highlighting “snapshot” in-year figures, enabling a reliable comparison against performance in previous years. Councillor Grainger advocated the presentation of figures in graph form to identify trends.

It was confirmed that the possibilities of parking payment by debit card were being investigated.

Responding to a question from Councillor Fookes, the Portfolio Holder indicated that the volume of and success from inspecting 80% of utility street works in L B Bromley was exemplary in London. Concerning School Crossing Patrols, the Portfolio Holder indicated that the Council continued to fund schools for crossing patrols in all but two cases, where the schools concerned were considering the offer.

In regard to developing the borough’s street café culture, the Portfolio Holder indicated that this was primarily an area for the Renewal and Recreation Portfolio although fee income from issuing street trading licences to cafes, restaurants and other traders came to the Environment Portfolio.

The Portfolio Holder updated the Committee on progress in lobbying for DLR and Tramlink extensions into the borough. It had been emphasised to TfL Officers, MPs and London Assembly Members that an extension of the DLR to Bromley was the priority link for Bromley. This was followed in priority by potential Tramlink connections to Crystal Palace and Bromley town centre. The DLR extension would enable Bromley residents to reach the City and the east of London quickly. Provisional TfL figures were now available but at the time of receipt, the Mayor of London’s Business Plan had been drafted. The Director of Renewal and Recreation was taking forward the business case for a DLR extension. 

Concerning School Crossing Patrols, Councillor Grainger supported moving towards engineering solutions such as a refuge rather than a School Crossing Patrol (SCP). The Portfolio Holder indicated that schools often saw SCPs as a priority for safety and schools had demonstrated that they wanted to retain their SCP personnel. He suggested that in some cases zebra crossings or a refuge would work but in other cases they would not. There were not many wanting this type of approach and the Portfolio Holder thought it would be particularly unpopular to force a move to such a solution. 

Councillor Samaris Huntington-Thresher suggested, given the current financial climate, that some schools might prefer an engineering solution. 

On recycling, Councillor Samaris Huntington-Thresher suggested focusing on those not recycling. The Portfolio Holder agreed in principle suggesting that it might be possible to move to a position where waste left for collection could be checked. He was not sure how this would be received and was not supportive of punitive enforcement measures. Nevertheless, he felt that it might be worthwhile to carry out some exploratory work in this area.  Councillor Samaris Huntington-Thresher felt that there were acceptable ways of carrying out such checks in co-operation with the householder. The Chairman highlighted that waste officers had in the past visited properties where no recycling materials had been left for collection negating the need to check the contents of an individual resident’s waste but still challenging attitudes to recycling.

Responding to a question the Portfolio Holder considered a three weekly household waste collection to be unworkable indicating that it would be difficult to get all waste into one bin over such a period. He did not support such a move. Councillor Grainger referred to an approach in California where householders had compactors for their waste. He suggested that analysing waste was key particularly on the extent that DIY material was included in waste. The Chairman suggested that the points raised on waste and recycling were for the Waste Working Group to consider.

RESOLVED that progress against the 2012/13 Environment Portfolio Plan be noted.