Issue - meetings

The Head of Operations submitted a report that provided an overview of the performance of street cleansing activities delivered by contractors on behalf of East Herts Council. She introduced and welcomed Jeanette Lowden, Client Side Contract Manager, to the meeting and advised that this report had been submitted to Members following a direct request from the Committee.

The Head of Operations said that the report outlined methodology and current performance. She said that the report also acknowledged some of the challenges being faced by the Council as well as highlighting some of the areas for improvement that the authority needed to take forward.

Members were advised that traditionally there would be a contract renewal task and finish group as there was now a joint waste service. The Head of Operations said that the recommendation moving forward was for a joint cross party Member working group to be established to look at contract specification in terms of design.

Councillor Goldspink asked who had the contract for cleaning parks and open spaces and also asked how decisions were made in respect of how many litter bins and dog waste bins were provided.

Councillor Goldspink asked who was responsible for unblocking drains and gulleys and also asked if there was more the Council could do to help community groups who swept up autumn leaves in their own roads, perhaps by collecting up and disposing of all the bags of leaves which had been swept up.

Councillor Goldspink asked if the street cleaners and the staff responsible for waste collections were interchangeable. The Head of Operations said that Grounds Maintenance was carried out by Glendale Environmental Services as part of a separate contract. She advised that Hertfordshire County Council carried out the clearance of drains and gullies.

The Head of Operations said that an assessment based approach was taken where requests were made for an additional street bin or a new parks and open spaces. She said that there were inconsistencies in relation to the two contracts in respect of grounds maintenance and waste. Members were advised that a bin infrastructure audit had been carried out and the Council now needed to have streamlined principles in terms of litter and bin collections.

The Head of Operations acknowledged that behaviours had changed and more people were now using parks and open spaces. She said that Members were being asked to join Officers in working out what a future contract should look like. Members were advised that services needed to be more streamlined and a holistic approach needed to be taken.

The Head of Operations referred to campaign work whereby the public were being encouraged to take litter home. The Contract Manager said that leaf fall could be placed in garden waste bins and leaf clearance was carried out in flood prone roads as part of the normal cleansing cycles. She advised that these roads were inspected each year and any roads particularly susceptible to leaf fall would be added to an additional cleanse if this  ...  view the full minutes text for item 389