Issue - meetings

(Environment Portfolio Holder) To consider the attached report (C-029-2009/10).

That the Safer Cleaner Greener Strategy document be adopted.

The Environment Portfolio Holder presented a report upon the proposed adoption of the Safer Cleaner Greener Strategy.

The Portfolio Holder reminded the Cabinet that the Safer Cleaner Greener initiative was adopted in February 2008 as part of the corporate restructure which was being undertaken at the same time. The proposed Strategy had been endorsed by the Safer Cleaner Greener Scrutiny Panel and Overview and Scrutiny Committee. The Cabinet was requested to formally adopt the Safer Cleaner Greener Strategy.

The Cabinet was informed that in respect of graffiti on private fences in public areas, each case was judged sympathetically and the Council would help wherever possible. Officers were currently undertaking their accreditation with Essex Police, and if they passed would then be able to issue Penalty Charge Notices, however the emphasis would be on education rather than prosecution. It was highlighted that the Strategy was being funded from savings made by the Council and re-invested in front line services. All the Officers involved in the formulation of the Strategy were thanked for their efforts by the Leader of the Council.

Decision:

That the Safer Cleaner Greener Strategy document be adopted.

Reasons for Decision:

To implement a strategy document that would set out the Council’s approach to its Safer Cleaner Greener initiative.

Other Options Considered and Rejected:

To not adopt the strategy. However, this could not be recommendedsince it was important to set out the Council’s approach to the initiative.

To further amend the Strategy and refer it back to Overview & Scrutiny. However, this would cause delays in publication, and postpone the formal launch date for the service.

(Chairman / Lead Officer, Safer Cleaner Greener Standing Panel) To endorse the Safer Cleaner Greener Strategy.

The Director of Environment and Street Scene, Mr Gilbert, introduced the Safer Cleaner Greener Strategy document. The ‘Safer Cleaner Greener’ (SCG) initiative was adopted by Cabinet in November 2007, which, alongside the corporate restructure, resulted in the formation of the Environment and Street Scene Directorate. As part of this, a new Environmental Response Unit was formed and an enlarged Safer Communities Unit was established. The Audit Commission undertook an inspection of the Council’s waste services in April 2008. One of their recommendations was that there should be some formal documentation and associated action plan to demonstrate intent. This need for a formal strategy was formally recognised.

The resulting strategy had initially gone to the Safer Cleaner Greener Standing Panel who had agreed it with some minor amendments. He noted that the strategy still had some typing errors and that some of the abbreviations had to be set out in full.

The committee noted that it contained useful and clear overview of what the SCG strategy was all about, it also included an information and action plan. The Committee noted that the action plan was still work in progress and needed some more work.  If the Committee endorsed the strategy it would then go to the Cabinet in September, for their formal adoption.

Councillor Angold-Stephens commented under ‘safer’ on page 8, officers should add a reference to ‘diversionary strategies’. Mr Gilbert was happy to do so.

Councillor Knapman said officers were to be congratulated on the document. It contained a lot of common sense. But he was not keen on the recommendation to just ‘receive the strategy’. They were not there just to ‘rubber stamp’ the work brought to them.

Councillor Jon Whitehouse commented that most of the ‘strategy action plan’ section of the document would have been implemented by the time it went to the Cabinet in September. It would also be useful to have telephone numbers listed and to see the targets; but it did not say in what circumstances they would be implemented.  Mr Gilbert said it was an overarching document; and that officers had struggled to identify what to include and what to exclude. However, he accepted that they needed to make that page more straightforward, perhaps take a different approach.

Councillor Mrs Grigg asked that the size of the font be made larger to make it more easily readable. She also asked about dog fouling, what if the parish council would not undertake a fouling system, would the District continue to enforce it. Mr Gilbert replied that the Council would continue to do what it did now; but, they would also help parish councils to make their own rules for their local area. They would also use a larger font for the strategy document.

Councillor Philip noted that the council had already adopted a climate change strategy.

            RESOLVED:

That the Committee endorsed the Safer Cleaner Greener Strategy subject to the comments raised and recommended it to the Cabinet.