Agenda item

To answer questions asked after notice in accordance with the provisions contained in paragraph 10.3 of the Council Procedure Rules of the Constitution on any matter in relation to which the Council has powers or duties or which affects the District:

 

(a)               to the Chairman of the Council;

 

(b)               to the Leader of the Council;

 

(c)               to the Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee or

 

(d)               to any Member of the Cabinet;.

 

Council Procedure rule 10.4 provides that answers to questions under notice may take the form of:

 

(a)       direct oral answer;

(b)       where the desired information is in a publication of the Council or other published work, a reference to that publication; or

(c)       where the reply cannot conveniently be given orally, a written answer circulated later to the questioner.

 

Answers to questions falling within (a) and (b) above will be made available to the member asking the question one hour before the meeting. Answers to questions falling within (c) above will be circulated to all councillors.

 

 

Questions, if any, will follow if not received in time to be incorporated into the agenda.

(a)        Fixed Penalty Notices

 

By Councillor Janet Whitehouse to Councillor Knapman, Environment Portfolio Holder

 

“(1)      How many officers from the Environment and Street Scene Directorate are authorised to issue Fixed Penalty Notices for litter offences and when did they start doing this;

 

(2)        How many Fixed Penalty Notices have been issued and for what offences in:

 

Buckhurst Hill

Chigwell

Loughton

Epping

Theydon Bois

Waltham Abbey

Ongar

the rest of the District; and

 

(3)        How many of these have resulted in prosecution?”

 

Response of Councillor Knapman, Environment Portfolio Holder (read by Councillor Wagland, Leader and Legal Portfolio Holder in the absence of Councillor Knapman)

 

(1)       9 Officers - (6 Environment & Neighbourhood Officers, the Environment & Neighbourhood Manager, the Animal Welfare Officer and the Assistant Director (Neighbourhoods)).

 

It should be noted that no Fixed Penalty Notices (FPN) are issued in the field. Litter offenders are stopped and following an explanation of the offence they have committed they are issued with an incident ticket that records the offence and the offender’s details. The incident ticket has no legal standing and is simply a means to record the offence and act as a visible deterrent to others.  The evidence is then taken back to the office and checked.  If there is sufficient evidence to instigate prosecution proceedings, consideration is then given to offering the offender the opportunity to discharge the offence through a FPN.  In normal circumstances, when the offender has cooperated a FPN will be issued for first time offenders.

 

A FPN can be issued on the basis of any evidence that is sufficient to prosecute a relevant offence through the Courts.  Anyone in receipt of a FPN but then fails to pay will normally be prosecuted through the Courts unless additional information comes to light.

 

15 Police Community Support Officers are being trained by Council officers to enable them to use the same procedures in respect of dog fouling and littering offences.  Prosecution or the issue of a FPN will then be dealt with by the Neighbourhood Team as appropriate. 

 

The 1st FPN was issued for an offence that occurred in November 2010.

 

(2)        28 FPNs have been issued for the offence of littering, in the following locations

 

Buckhurst Hill - 1

Chigwell - 2

Loughton - 18

Epping - 2

Theydon Bois - 0

Waltham Abbey - 5

Ongar - 0

the rest of the District – 0

 

An additional 7 FPNs have been issued in respect of failure to use the correct waste receptacles (Sections 46 & 47of the Environmental protection Act 1990).  5 of these were issued in Loughton and 2 in Buckhurst Hill.  No incident ticket is issued in these cases.

 

(3)        Of all of the above, 3 litter related FPNs and 1 waste related FPN have resulted in a prosecution, all of which have been successful.

 

Although not part of the questions asked, I thought Members would also be interested in the various activities and operations undertaken by the Neighbourhoods Team:

 

(a)        4 planned operations per quarter targeting litter and dog fouling are being carried out by the Neighbourhoods team (one littering operation in area South, West and East plus one dog fouling operation);

 

(b)        Operations have been completed in High Road, Loughton; Sun Street, Waltham Abbey; High Road, Epping; High Street, Ongar; Larsens Recreation Ground, Waltham Abbey;  Nazeingbury Parade, Nazeing; and Queens Road, Buckhurst Hill;

 

(c)        “No littering” posters are provided and displayed by local shops priors to littering operations. In addition to the no littering posters, cigarette pouches are also distributed to information points and via Loughton Pub Watch;

 

(d)        An article was published in the ‘Forester’ regarding littering and enforcement. A press release was issued regarding an offender prosecuted from an operation in Loughton; and

 

(e)        A reporter from the local Ongar newspaper accompanied Officers on an operation in High Street, Ongar resulting in a two page article in Ongar Gazette “Hitting the street with litter patrol”. 

 

(b)       Parking Restrictions – The Broadway, Loughton

 

By Councillor Jennie Hart to Councillor Smith, Safer, Greener and Highways Portfolio Holder

 

“In view of the Broadway Parking Scheme being the last to be implemented (and this is now accepted), will Councillor Smith assure me that she will support the effort being made by County and District Councillors to get yellow lines painted on dangerous corners and junctions where commuters are persistently parking, and where, in some cases, the requests have been outstanding for years?”

 

Response of Councillor Smith, Safer, Greener and Highways Portfolio Holder

 

Since the formation of the North Essex Parking Partnership, the Office managing requests for andthe implementation of junction protection and related traffic signing has changed.  For most requests approved prior to the formation of the Partnership, the responsibility remains with the County Council, and for most made after the formation of the Partnership, the responsibility rests with the Partnership.  If Councillor Hart will provide me with a definitive list of the locations causing her concern I shall ask officers to determine which are outstanding with the County Council and which should be brought to the attention of the Partnership.  I will then use my best endeavours to ensure that these are progressed accordingly.

 

Supplementary question by Councillor Jennie Hart:

 

“Could you clarify whether this is a matter for the North Essex Parking Partnership or the County Council.  I was initially advised it would be the North Essex Parking Partnership but subsequently it was suggested that it would be a matter for the County Council in view of the outstanding parking review in relation to the Broadway.”

 

Response of Councillor Smith, Safer, Greener and Highways Portfolio Holder

 

As you will be aware from the programme for the outstanding parking reviews it will be some time before the Broadway Parking Review is progressed.  Outside of this meeting you have asked me to look into a specific issue and I am pursuing that matter.  If you wish to receive any further clarification please speak to me after this meeting.

 

(c)        Staff Vacancies

 

By Councillor Jon Whitehouse to Councillor Wagland, Leader and Legal Portfolio Holder

 

“(1)      Please list those posts on the Establishment which are:

 

(a)        vacant;

 

(b)        have been vacant for three months or longer;

 

(c)        have been vacant for six months or longer; and

 

(2)        Please identify which of the above posts are:

 

(a)        currently the subject of an active recruitment process;

 

(b)        currently have no activity planned;

 

(c)        subject to a recruitment freeze”.

 

Response of Councillor Wagland, Leader and Legal Portfolio Holder

 

1(a) (Posts on the establishment which are vacant) -

 

55 posts are vacant which equates to 47.2 full time equivalents

 

1(b) (Posts which have been vacant for three months or longer) -

 

13 posts have been vacant for 3 months to 6 months

 

1(c) (Posts vacant for six months or longer) -

 

27 posts have been vacant for 6 months or longer

 

(Therefore 15 posts have been vacant for less than 3 months)

 

2(a) (Posts currently the subject of an active recruitment process) -

 

Of the total 55 vacant posts, 26 are currently being advertised either internally or externally

 

2(b) (Posts which currently have no activity planned) -

 

Of the total 55 vacant posts 28 have no activity planned at this time. This includes posts which are under review, contractors are currently carrying out the work (i.e. cleaning) or consultants are being used (i.e. Building Control)

 

2(c) Posts which are subject to a recruitment freeze) -

 

There is no recruitment freeze but there are recruitment restrictions in place. Of the total 55 vacant posts, 1 is subject to the recruitment restrictions and has not been advertised.

 

(d)       Parking Restrictions – Station Way, Buckhurst Hill

 

By Councillor Dodeja to Councillor Smith, Safer, Greener and Highways Portfolio Holder

 

“As you will be aware the Buckhurst Hill Parking Review area does not include Station Way, Buckhurst Hill.  This road includes a shopping parade and Roding Valley Underground Station.  The current uncontrolled parking arrangements around the station attract a large amount of all-day commuter parking.  This causes problems for local residents and local traders and means shoppers find it difficult to park close to the shops.  There have also been a series of accidents in the area.

 

What plans does the Portfolio Holder have to ensure that parking arrangements in Station Way are reviewed in order to provide a better balance of parking in the area, including limited waiting parking for shoppers?”

 

Response of Councillor Smith, Safer, Greener and Highways Portfolio Holder

 

The extent of the Buckhurst Hill Parking Review was agreed following consultation with Members.  There followed an informal public consultation exercise.  Station Way was never included within that review, although the parking pressures in the area are understood, along with other areas affected by commuters parking near to Central Line stations.

 

Any changes to parking arrangements in the vicinity of Roding Valley Station will need to be considered by the North Essex Parking Partnership and to that end I will ensure that the area is included in any future programmes of traffic regulation orders.