Agenda item

Report ES13057

Report ES13057 provided information on achievements of Environment Portfolio services in 2012/13, in the context of the agreed Portfolio Plan for the year as well as performance going back to 2006/07.

On Street and Environmental Cleanliness, the Vice-Chairman highlighted that the percentage of streets below standard had increased during 2012/13.

In response, the Chairman referred to the new street cleaning contract and the Assistant Director (Parking and Customer Services) highlighted that this was the first year of the new contract during which there had initially been an issue at overflowing litter bins, and the cleaning of rural roads needing improvement. Client officers and the contractor had taken action over the problems, and standards had improved.

Councillor Grainger expressed a preference for monthly data to take account of trends which Members could then comment on. In particular, he asked whether monthly plots could be provided for deaths on roads for the purpose of monitoring trend.

The Assistant Director advised against reporting to Members data covering statistically small periods of time. For street cleansing, whole-borough monitoring only took place during three inspection periods each year, and there would be cost implications for an increased number of inspections. Action had been taken by the contractor to improve street cleanliness on rural roads and this was reported to Members in the half-year report in November 2012. Road deaths and serious injuries were subject to seasonal differences. The Assistant Director advised that annual reporting on road injuries would be an appropriate time period.

The Vice-Chairman recalled that quarterly data had been provided to Members previously. She felt this was useful to Members for identifying possible issues. The Chairman reminded Members that the Street Cleaning contractor appeared before the Committee last municipal year and he suggested that the contractor be asked to return later in the current year.

Pressing further on a desire for more frequent performance reporting, the Vice Chairman suggested that it would be useful to have performance data for all three tranches of street cleansing inspections appended to the performance report. The Assistant Director confirmed that this information would be provided in future Portfolio Plan monitoring reports to the Committee.

Councillor Ellis felt that there was a noticeable improvement in the level of street cleanliness in her ward. She considered the level of street cleanliness to be good. Where the Council was leaseholder for some shops, as was the case at Cotmandene Crescent, she suggested that conditions be written into a shop lease stipulating that the shop trader had responsibility for maintaining pavement cleanliness outside of the shop e.g. sweeping the pavement clear of leaves.

On data related to road deaths and injuries, Members were advised that it was possible to plot data monthly but the number of accidents shown would not take account of seasonal variations e.g. fewer accidents in the winter months given weather conditions such as snow discouraging pedestrians. Such quarterly figures were already provided to the Portfolio Holder and could be provided directly to individual Members.

Councillor Ellis suggested that statistical data could be provided electronically in an information briefing for Committee Members. 

RESOLVED that report be noted.