Agenda and minutes

This meeting is to be webcast. Members are reminded of the need to activate their microphones before speaking. The Chairman will read the following announcement:

“The Chairman would like to remind everyone present that this meeting will be broadcast live to the internet (or filmed) and will be capable of repeated viewing (or another use by such third parties).

If you are seated in the lower public seating area it is likely that the recording cameras will capture your image and this will result in the possibility that your image will become part of the broadcast.

This may infringe your human and data protection rights and if you wish to avoid this you should move to the upper public gallery.”

The Chairman made a short address to remind everyone present that the meeting would be broadcast live to the internet, and would be capable of repeated viewing, which could infringe their human and data protection rights.

In the absence of the Vice Chairman, the meeting appointed Cllr R Bassett as the Vice Chairman for the duration of the meeting.

To report the appointment of any substitute members for the meeting.

The Committee noted that Cllr Janet Whitehouse would substitute for Cllr McCredie.

To declare interests in any item on the agenda.

There were no declarations of interest pursuant to the Council’s Members’ Code of Conduct.

To agree the notes of the meeting of the Select Committee held on 15 March 2022.

That the notes of the meeting held 15  March 2022 were agreed as a correct record.

(Chairman/Lead Officer) The Overview and Scrutiny Committee has agreed the Terms of Reference and work programme for this select committee. Members are invited at each meeting to review both documents.

The Committee requested confirmation of the date that sustainable transport update would be brought to the Committee. Members would put forward items to be considered for the work programme.

The Committee noted the Terms of Reference and the Work Programme.

(James Warwick - Acting Service Director (Contracts)) To consider and comment on the Litter Strategy.

J Warwick (Acting Service Director (Contracts) introduced the Litter Strategy and advised the Committee that the Strategy would support the commitment to Government’s Litter Strategy for England, the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and the Code of Practice on Litter and Refuse (2019), and reflected residents desire for a clean and healthy environment free from litter, fly-tipping and dog waste. The Litter Strategy set out the legal duty, accountability, and enforcement actions. The priority for the Litter Strategy was to prevent litter through education with partners. The Council would continue to work in partnership with a range of voluntary groups, other authorities and partners to prevent litter and would continue to support national initiatives. The Committee were informed that five litter picks had been completed and seventy-two bags of litter collected during the Great British Spring Clean.  There had also been sixteen applications for support for equipment for litter picks, fifteen of these had been completed.

Members of the Committee suggested:

·       that the strategy lacked specifics including specific aims and objectives

·       the document could be improved through the realignment and strengthening of sections. 

·       the enforcement section should be strengthened and could contain details of FPN, the use of mobile CCTV and other relevant actions.

·       a description of targeted enforcement days would be beneficial.

·       the document could have more detail on the education programme.

·       closer liaison with Town and Parish Councils and adjacent authorities.

·       an area wide impacts could be considered though a multi-agency approach.

·       proactive enforcement in prioritised areas should be used.

·       a balance between education and enforcement was required to ensure an effective strategy.

·       information relating to special bulky collections and other service provided could be included.

·       the litter strategy should be set in the wider context of the waste hierarchy.

·       that the Council could lobby for higher levels of fines for litter and fly-tipping offences.

·       proactive enforcement in known areas of high littering.

Members of the Committee also challenged:

·       why rural areas were not included in the street cleansing standards report, 

·       the appropriateness of overall volumes of waste as a KPI for littering and asked if alternative measures could be developed or used including number of fly tips and number of fixed penalty notices issued.

·       how this strategy aligned with the Essex Waste specifically in relation to the restrictions on civic amenity sites and commercial waste, which the committee felt exacerbated the number of flytips:

·       if fines for dog fouling would continue to be enforced

Members of Cabinet emphasised the need for a littler strategy and suggested that the comments made by the Select Committee would strengthen the Strategy, before being considered by Cabinet.

The Committee were advised by J Warwick that

·       waste collected in litter bins that contained dog waste could be separated and cleaned for recycling at the he Edmonton facilities

·       weeds formed part of the standards of street cleanliness, the responsibility fell to Essex CC who contracted EFDC to carry out weed spraying. The budget provided by Essex CC has been reduced and this has  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

To note that next meetings of the Stronger Place Select Committee will be held at 7.00pm on 13 September 2022.

The Committee noted that the date of the next meeting would be 13 September 2022.