Agenda item

Report ES19038

Members considered the draft 2019 Environment & Community Services Portfolio Plan setting out the Portfolio’s key service outcomes, associated issues (service drivers), aims, and performance measures.

The Plan includes indicators to measure performance against service outcomes and sets out actual 2018/19 performance along with performance details for the past three years (for comparison). It also sets targets for the next two years (to gauge ambition).

The Plan provides a yardstick against which achievements can be measured and a high level performance update (dashboard) is provided to each Committee meeting.

Addressing the Committee, the Portfolio Holder referred to the new contracts delivering services - services to protect the environment for future generations being a strong theme running through the Plan. 

The new Environment contracts were let towards the end of 2018/19 and following an implementation period, changes where necessary can be considered to outcomes. The Council’s Food for Thought campaign was also undertaken over the 2018/19 Christmas period and saw an 8% improvement in food waste recycling.

The Portfolio Holder also referred to the Council’s new Local Implementation Plan (LIP3) now approved by the Mayor of London. LIP funding has supported road safety initiatives in the Ravensbourne/Shortlands area (amongst a number of schemes borough-wide) and two Cycleways will be delivered in the borough (Greenwich to Kent House Cycleway in 2019/20 and the Lower Sydenham to Bromley Cycleway intended for delivery by 2022). Additionally, the Council and Metropolitan Police have worked co-operatively on measures to reduce incidents of vehicles passing close to cyclists.

The Penge Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) will be reviewed as will the Bromley Town Centre CPZ; APCOA are also working with officers on a Civil Enforcement Officer (CEO) deployment plan.

On air quality, work has been taken forward to provide a number of Electric Vehicle charging points to supplement those provided by TfL.

Investment has also been funded for planned highways maintenance and more street light columns have been fitted with LED lanterns throughout the borough. So far about 50% of street lighting in the borough comprises LED lighting and a further percentage will be converted next year using Salix funding. Invest to save capital could also be needed.

The Portfolio Holder highlighted fund raising by Friends Groups and delivery of projects by Friends; a number of Friends Groups have welcomed working with iDverde. The Portfolio Holder also paid tribute to the hard work of the Environment and Community Services Department.

On station improvements, the Assistant Director, Traffic and Parking, indicated that Network Rail expect delivery of improvements/accessibility enhancements at Shortlands station to take place this year. However, it might be necessary to wait a further five years for improvements/accessibility enhancements at Petts Wood and St Mary Cray stations. Unfortunately, there is no assurance that the enhancements can take place sooner; officers will, however, continue to lobby for the improvements.

Concerning the Lime e-bikes trial, over 1,000 journeys had already been made since the scheme’s launch on 20^th May 2019. With only 50/60 e-bikes in the borough it is possible to track journeys made and routes most often used. These were shown to Members to highlight the highest demand - the Council can influence Lime on whether it expands the scheme in the borough. Lime expect the average time of an e-bike journey to be about ten minutes. The Assistant Director offered to provide further information on whether the e-bikes are increasingly used.

The e-bikes cannot be used without their battery and no service facility currently exists south of the River Thames. There were also a few communication issues with station staff moving e-bikes and residents had reported e-bikes left outside their home. However, residents are growing in understanding how the scheme works.

Although the Chairman considered the bike hire cost expensive, he supported the scheme suggesting a role for L B Bromley in generally advertising the scheme and providing more information on the Council website. Members supported more being done to promote the scheme. 

The Chairman also considered user feedback necessary and noted no requirement for riders to wear helmets; however, the Portfolio Holder highlighted a15 mph maximum speed for a Lime e-bike. The Chairman felt that use of a Lime e-bike might be an entry point for some to take up cycling permanently.

Concerning the Performance Indicator, Municipal Waste Landfilled (%), (Outcome 2, Minimising Waste and Increasing Recycling), the Vice-Chairman highlighted a typographical error for the 19/20 and 20/21 targets. This would be corrected. 

The Vice-Chairman also suggested having an indicator for arboriculture performance on trees on the borough. Tree planting is of interest in his ward and trees are removed but not replaced. A Member noted a number of indicators on parks and greenspace but there seemed a net loss of street trees. The Chairman also noted that trees can be planted but subsequently die.

The Portfolio Holder was open to Committee suggestions on a performance indicator for trees. He also understood that a newly planted tree is under guarantee to survive at least a year; should it subsequently die, the cause could be related to inappropriate planting by the contractor, though an element of new trees naturally not surviving is expected, hence the guarantee. Local residents are leafletted with a request to water a newly planted tree; however, it was suggested that a notice on the tree would be more effective. The Vice-Chairman highlighted an example where residents had not been notified to water a new tree; trees had also been removed some years previously and he enquired of the procedure to plant replacement trees. The Portfolio Holder referred to a need to adequately record trees that are removed. 

Noting that a newly planted tree is supported by a stake and band, a Member highlighted that some trees can grow over the band if it is not removed and she asked what process the contractor has to trigger the band’s removal when appropriate to do so. Should residents be concerned that a newly planted tree might be neglected in this way the Portfolio Holder indicated that the problem can be reported via Fix My Street on the Council’s website. Advice would also be provided to Members on how the contractor might record tree related matters and decide when to replace trees. Additionally, advice would be circulated on any facility for residents to request space outside of their home for a tree(s) to be planted. A scheme was also suggested to adopt a tree pit in an area thereby encouraging residents to adopt a tree and improve the street scene. It was also confirmed that the Council has no contractor to remove growth from the base of a tree protruding over a footway; instead, the Council looks to the co-operation of Street Friends with residents asked to trim the base of trees where the problem occurs.

Resident complaints had also been received on grass cutting and the length that grass has been allowed to grow before cutting. Locations in some grassed areas had also been missed during grass cutting. The Member suggested that some grassed areas might need more frequent cuts. Enquiries would be made of the contractor to try and define working practices for matters related to grass cutting schedules and standards. The Member referred to problems most years with grass cutting and suggested the service is reported in the Performance Overview dashboard to each Committee meeting. The Portfolio Holder was aware that grass can sometimes be too wet and ground too soft during spring and there has also been a staff turnover issue for the contractor.

Noting a 98% service standard target in 2019/20 and 2020/21 for the contractor to Enhance Bromley’s Parks and Green Spaces, a Member asked about action to deal with issues such as wild growing sycamores which he noticed when walking through Kelsey Park. However, it is necessary to be mindful of how idverdeundertakes maintenance and the companycould be asked to provide a presentation to the Committee on such issues. 

In summarising discussion, the Chairman felt the Portfolio Plan should have a little more coverage on tree maintenance, tree planting and grass cutting.

RESOLVED that the Portfolio Holder be recommended to endorse the outcomes, aims and performance measures set out in the draft 2019 Environment & Community Services Portfolio Plan, taking into account the 2019 budget and the views of the Environment and Community Services PDS Committee including those related to the Plan having more coverage on tree maintenance, tree planting and grass cutting.