Agenda item

ES20391

In response to a Member’s question regarding the issue of badly hoarded homes within the Borough, the Assistant Director of Public Protection confirmed to Members that the number of such cases was low, but the severity was high and hoarding could be both dry and wet. Wet hoarding was where wet substances were involved and also where animals were at the property, whether deceased, decaying or living in the unhygienic conditions. In such cases the RSPCA would be involved when engaging with the resident.

A query was raised regarding Bromley’s involvement in infestation issues within peoples’ homes. The committee heard that it would depend on the tenure of the property i.e. Housing Association, local authority or private-rented. Bromley would be involved if the infestation was impacting on neighbouring properties or area, with further action taken if required.

In respect of recurring infestations outside of properties and peoples’ homes, e.g. in alleyways, behind flats, near shops etc, the committee noted that a major part of controlling the problem was general housekeeping, i.e. ensuring correct disposal of food and rubbish, availability of secure dustbins etc.

Comment was made on the amount of vape shops opening up and to what extent were these premises regulated, especially to ensure that super-strength vapes were not being sold within the Borough.

Members heard from the Head of Safer Communities that this was an area where Trading Standards were very active, although such premises were unregulated in that the Borough could not control how many shops could open or their location. Regulations applied to the product, and as a tobacco product their purchase was age restricted. The Government was looking to introduce more legislation to prohibit certain vape types, particularly disposable vapes. The issue of vapes was a big priority within the Borough, with seizures of vapes and test purchasing continuing. Trading Standards would be tasked to enforce any disposable vape legislation when it came into place.

Referring to the seizure of vapes, the Head of Safer Communities informed Members that for 2023, 3450 vapes were seized, together with 2015 illegal cigarette packs. This was a big increase on the previous year which saw 1659 vapes seized.

Regarding schools’ involvement with the problem of under-age vaping, Members were informed that Trading Standards had spoken to Head Teacher forums to obtain information on where pupils were buying vapes and these premises could then be visited for inspections, seizures and under-age test purchasing. It was felt that schools also implemented their own approach to the use of vapes within their grounds.

The Chairman commented that the Bromley Youth Council could play a part by contacting schools to obtain the information required on vaping, and their representatives on the committee could take this suggestion back to the BYC.

A BYC co-opted member informed the committee that the BYC had produced a video previously sent to schools, but some schools had been more receptive than others. A question was asked of whether between the BYC and Trading Standards there was a way of distributing the video more widely, and it was suggested that this issue was raised through the BYC Line Manager.

A Member commented that there was a lot of concern regarding the issue of the sale of vapes to those under-age within the Borough. The Chairman recommended that the Member write to him with suggestions for possible ways to improve/develop current Trading Standards strategies in this area.

Councillor Brock declared that he had been previously employed by a smoking cessation company and still held shares with the company. Members heard that it was felt that generally the country was behind with vaping legislation and this created a lot of the problems regarding vaping issues.

With regard to the Borough’s anti-idling enforcement, a Member expressed appreciation for the work done in this area and expressed the view that it was important to educate parents on the importance of parking correctly and considerately around schools. The Chairman stressed the importance of both education and enforcement in this area. The provision of CCTV cameras was not a statutory responsibility on the Council, and the Chairman informed Members that he would be raising questions regarding numbers, availability and costs of CCTV cameras and would share findings with Members if appropriate.

RESOLVED that the Portfolio Holder for Public Protection and Enforcement be recommended to endorse the outcomes, aims and performance measures set out in the draft Portfolio Plan.