Agenda and minutes

To approve as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting of the Sub-Committee held on 20 March 2018 and authorise the Chairman to sign them.

The minutes of the meeting held on 20 March 2018 were agreed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

The Sub-Committee considered the Corporate Performance Report for Quarter 4. 

The report identified where the Council was performing well (Green rating) and not so well (Red rating). It was explained that there were no current direct financial implications arising from the report, but it should be noted that the waste tonnage performance indicator had potential future financial implications in that, as costs continue to rise year on year, without controls to restrict waste volumes, campaigning on its own would not be enough to mitigate the potential £10m rise in costs by 2017. The plans to address this would be raised through the appropriate channels as necessary. 

There were two Performance Indicators that had been requested to be monitored by the Sub-Committee for 2017/18.  These indicators were:

·        The level of waste per head of population presented to East London Waste Authority (ELWA).  The indicator was currently rated Green’

·        Average number of days taken to investigate and remove fly-tips.  The indicator was currently rated Green. 

  It was explained that the number of reported fly tipping incidents were reported quarterly to DEFRA by type and size and it was estimated that the cost to Havering to clear reported fly-tips was at least £224,000 per annum rising to approximately £1m if you included un-reported fly-tips.

Members were advised that the in-cab technology allowed for photographic imaging and recording of size of waste and geographical map locating.

Back office staff were able to view live, real time information which would allow monitoring of crews’ progress and better management of resources.

Members sought an update on Gerpins Lane and were advised that the road had been closed with a barrier.  Unfortunately, the barrier had been broken by individual(s) whom were determined to access the road and whom had disregarded the road closure. The barrier had been replaced shortly after the incident.

Waste tonnages remained a high financial risk for the Council.  Members discussed the challenges of limiting black bags and the risk that this might lead to an increase in fly-tipping.

Members discussed the various activities taking place to encourage waste prevention and reuse, which included Love Food Hate Waste, Food Waste Challenge and Composting Workshops. 

It was agreed that an update on fly-tipping be given at a future meeting of the Sub-Committee.

The Sub-Committee noted the contents of the report and presentation.

The Sub-Committee considered a report which detailed the remit of Environmental Services.

The Assistant Director of Environment handed out to Members a briefing document which detailed the services provided by the service.

The service was broken down into four areas these included:

Public Realm

Waste and External contracts

Grounds Maintenance

Street Cleansing

Estate Services

Parks and Open Spaces

Highways Traffic and Parking Group

Maintaining the boroughs roads and footways

Parking enforcement

Design and implementation of traffic and parking schemes (including controlled parking zones)

Design and implementation of road safety, traffic calming schemes

Coordination of streetworks on the highway

Direct service outfit carrying out highways works

Enforcement

Manage Traveller Incursion on Parks and Open Spaces & Public Highway including resident’s complaints.

Enforce the Fly Grazing of Horses Notice on Bretons Field (removal of horses) 

Respond to increased levels (during Summer) of reported ASB in Parks and Open spaces (breaches of by-laws, riding motor bikes/mopeds, poaching, camping etc)

Investigating and tackling domestic fly tipping  on the public highway   

Investigation and removal of abandoned vehicles

Responding to complaints of ASB on Estates (higher during summer months)

Delivering the Clutter programme for Housing Department (Post Grenfell Fire – removal of clutter from communal stairwells)

Review of CCTV equipment and potential to work ‘smarter’ with local police

Public Protection

Air Quality, Contaminated Land, Noise on construction sites

Nuisance noise, smoke, odour

Drainage on private land

Enforcement for pest infestations

Private Sector Housing – licensing and disrepair

Filthy & Verminous properties

Underage Sales of tobacco, alcohol, knives

Doorstep crime, Counterfeit and unsafe products

Licensing and Health & Safety inspections

Food safety inspections, infectious diseases, animal welfare

In response to a question relating to the provision of an out of hours noise service, Officers confirmed that the Council did not currently provide this service.

Members asked if they could visit the Council’s depot in Upper Rainham Road to see it in operation. Officers undertook to arrange a site visit.

The Sub-Committee noted the contents of the report and the presentation.

The Sub-Committee considered a report which updated Members on the requirements for the preparation of the forthcoming Local Implementation Plan (strategy) document and outlined the current proposals for its preparation and delivery.

The 1999 GLA Act required boroughs to prepare a Local Implementation Plan.  A LIP (as it was known) was a long term strategic document setting out how a borough intended to implement that Mayor’s Transport Strategy (MTS) in its area.

The final MTS was published in March 2018. Boroughs must submit their LIP’s to TfL as soon as reasonably practicable after the Mayor had published his final Mayor’s Transport Strategy.

Havering’s last Local Implementation Plan (2010) set out Havering’s transport objectives, priorities and targets over a 20 year period (the life time of the previous Mayor’s Transport Strategy). The new LIP will span the lifetime of the recently published Mayor’s Transport Strategy up to 2041.

Most importantly, the new LIP would provide the opportunity for the borough to promote its wider ‘connections’ ambitions such as improvements in north-south connectivity and the importance of radical interventions at Gallows Corner through the setting out of long term interventions up to the year 2041.

The report also advised what the key requirements of a LIP, the Borough’s transport objectives, delivery plan and additional requirements were.

TfL required that LIPs were the subject of engagement and consultation with TfL itself and other stakeholders.

Havering’s draft LIP (LIP3) must be submitted for consultation with TfL (along with all other consultees) by 2 November 2018.

TfL will aim to return comments by 7 December 2018.

Boroughs would then have to submit their final LIP for Mayoral approval by 16 February 2019. The Mayor would either approve or fail a boroughs LIP by March 2019.

TfL’s aim was for all Local Implementation Plans to be approved by the Mayor and “active” by April 2019.

The Sub-Committee noted the contents of the report.

Members considered the report which outlined the Sub-Committee’s Work Programme for 2018/19.

Appended to the report was the Work Programme that showed previously agreed areas for the Sub-Committee to consider during the forthcoming year.

Members were advised that this was a live document and could be added to at anytime.

The Sub-Committee agreed to adopt the final version of the programme.