Report ES18019

Members considered the performance of Kier Environmental Services for Street Cleansing.

Report ES18019 reviewed factors affecting cleanliness standards, examined trends in performance and public feedback/satisfaction levels, proposed improvements, and provided a focus for the strategy and direction of street environment services.

Key performance areas measuring street cleaning standards and effectiveness comprised:

·contractor performance monitoring following routine scheduled street cleaning operations;

·measuring public satisfaction with street cleanliness; and

·analysis of customer feedback/reports and trend information.

The contractor’s performance on cleanliness levels fell to satisfactory as measured from regular inspections and by mid-February 2018 235 default correction notices had been issued for works failing to meet required standards during 2017/18. 

The Neighbourhood Management client team undertake a minimum 23,200 inspections of footway and carriageway assets to provide 90% confidence that works are to required standards. The Neighbourhood Manager (Street Environment contracts) also undertakes a bi-monthly evaluation to ensure inspections are made to sufficient levels to meet monthly objectives. The client team was projected to undertake 22,500 annual inspections by the end of the year compared to 17,686 for 2016/17. Contract monitoring data in Report ES18019 outlined contractor performance during 2017/18.

The annual independent satisfaction survey indicated a maintenance of standards overall with 7% improvement in residents identifying their streets as ‘clean’ and an 8% improvement in residents noting a reduction of ‘dog fouling’. However, the survey scored autumnal leaf fall clearance less favourably from a residential street perspective and from a town centre perspective, levels of cigarette litter and chewing gum also scored less favourably (5% satisfaction reduction due to ‘cigarette ends’). Other littering issues were also identified, particularly those in country lanes, as was fly-tipping, particularly lower volume incidents, occurring in residential roads. Outcomes from the survey, including trend analysis, are used to focus resources on improvement.

From 2015 to 2017, the percentage of enquiries through Fix My Street (FMS) continued to rise although the overall level of enquiries reduced. On average 751 street cleansing enquiries were received per month via FMS with an average 10 day time period between reporting and fixing a problem. A reduction in street sweeping enquiries between October and November 2017 was the likely result of a changed approach to leaf removal. Autumn leafing had the lowest favourable score for residential streets in the 2017 survey and through a new methodology between 23rd October 2017 and 8th January 2018 removed tonnage increased 17.16% (by 29th January 2018) on levels removed in 2015 and 2016. Initial weeks of the programme focused on roads with a density of Horse Chestnut trees known to be first in shedding leaves.

The Heavily Parked Roads scheme launched last September focused cleansing resources on 136 local roads nominated by Councillors as having heavy residential and/or commuter parking. An alternative treatment schedule for the roads required action outside of ordinary working hours, particularly weekend and evening working, and prioritisation to channel cleansing and detritus removal (with litter removal maintained through existing schedules).

A new Street Scrubber machine had also been operating in the Bromley High Street area since January 2018 with stakeholder feedback particularly positive. Proficiently removing surface stains and ground in dirt, the equipment goes some way to addressing public concerns on discarded cigarette material and general litter. The device could also be used in a snow event for gritting and ploughing.

In terms of value for money provided by the service, the Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE) had highlighted a decreasing trend on customer satisfaction for street cleansing in recent years. Against average satisfaction levels across participating councils, L B Bromley performance was generally positive with all data points apart from one (2015/16) reflecting better scores than the national average. APSE data for the cost of cleansing services per household also showed the service achieving outcomes at a lower than average cost.

To further enhance street cleansing services it was proposed to:

·  review enforcement policy against littering so the Council can make greater use of its powers, improve education and awareness raising, and ensure that action is strategically planned and adequately resourced;

·  refine street cleaning schedules so that ‘optimal modelling’ of the best time to clean streets is taken through the delivery schedule, taking into account recycling collection days, grass cutting operations, and commuter parking;

·  continue to review working methods for removing autumn leaf fall, programming work to align with priority areas (tree species based); and

·  build upon year on year improvements from 2016 to 2017 in the 2018 satisfaction survey.

Other street environment contracts had performed well. On graffiti removal (by Community Clean), most graffiti is removed within 24 hours with offensive graffiti largely removed within two hours. For cleansing highway drainage (by Veolia Environmental Services) over 9,000 gullies and 470 soakaway assets had been cleansed in 2017/18. 

At the meeting, Kier was represented for the item by their Operations Manager for the contract and Kier’s Southern Area General Manager.

It was confirmed that chewing gum litter should reduce over time through use of the Scrubber machine along Bromley High Street. Vehicles used by Kier had tracking facilities and Kier closely monitored for problems such as missed streets or streets unsatisfactorily cleansed. Hot spots are mapped with further resources put in place for such locations e.g. additional bin beats. Areas of regular concern are often found in the west and east of the borough and standards are maintained in roads with parked cars.

Highlighting the significant upgrade to Beckenham Town Centre and commending contractors for graffiti removal, Cllr Michael Tickner (Copers Cope) requested a scrubber machine for Beckenham Town Centre in view of complaints about chewing gum litter. Cllr Tickner also suggested a competition for inventors to devise a machine for efficiently removing chewing gum. He felt that gully cleansing vehicles might not be emptied regularly enough as collected material had been observed dropping from an apparent full vehicle. However, a weigh load indicator on a vehicle showed when a vehicle’s bin is full; should the indicator continually show full the problem would be addressed. The vehicles are also regularly serviced and a system provided for drivers to report defects. Drivers are expected to empty a vehicle when full and an overweight vehicle can lead to disciplinary procedures. The gulley cleansing vehicles were bought at the start of the contract and a seal on the observed vehicle might have developed a problem. Should a similar problem be observed Members were advised to contact Keir’s operations manager.

Ward Security carried out enforcement against littering with Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) issued against those seen to cause litter. A significant amount of litter had been noticed in hedgerows and to provide an opportunity to remove it staff training was being provided in stop and go procedures for traffic in country lanes.

The Code of Practice on Litter and Refuse from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) is followed to assess whether a road meets necessary standards of cleanliness. Nevertheless, if public satisfaction is not so high, a Member felt there is still more to do even though performance against standards might be good. However, there was a reasonably high level of public satisfaction in the borough but where standards are failing - as was the case with leaf fall clearance - such problems are able to be identified from performance monitoring.

To indicate the location of sites vulnerable to litter, information had been sent to Ward Members last year and the list would be circulated (to Committee Members). Information from monitoring inspections can help in timing the frequency of streets to be cleaned.

The average 10 day time period between reporting and fixing a street cleansing problem was the second most reactive in the UK and comprised the time taken for the full process and not just the reaction time. On the Council website, rather than remove a report from the FMS map when in hand, it was policy to keep the location highlighted until the problem had been dealt with so holding the Council to account. The map is also used to highlight reports of other matters apart from street cleansing problems e.g. street lighting issues.

Removing bins where household waste is regularly deposited can be helpful as a litter problem can often be eliminated. On the other hand, eight additional bins in Kelsey Park had helped to reduce litter. Litter bins are located on a case by case basis and work had been undertaken on the aperture size of bins and apertures with a lid. A problem could be improved by removing or adding bins and in some cases adapting bins.  

The Chairman highlighted significant improvements to leaf clearance and a reduced level of enquiries. Should leaves not be cleared, they would become sludge and detritus with slip hazards. The detritus could also accumulate in drainage and might create a bed for weeds with potential long term damage to highways and drainage.

The Chairman thanked the Kier representatives and Members noted the recommendations in Report ES18019.

 RESOLVED that the following be noted:

(1)  the continued year on year improvement in regard to the independent resident satisfaction survey of street cleansing services along with the main concerns of survey respondents;

(2)  the annual performance of the street cleansing contractor with particular reference to improvements in the removal of autumnal leaf fall and decrease in enquiry volumes; and

(3)  the success of the street cleansing graffiti removal service and Highway drainage maintenance programme.