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Issue - meetings
Improving the Hastings Street Scene
Meeting: 06/03/2017 - Cabinet (Item 81)
81 Improving the Hastings Street Scene PDF 166 KB
(Cabinet Decision)
Minutes:
The Assistant Director Environment & Place presented a report to provide Cabinet with details of a range of linked initiatives that will lead to improved street scene for Hastings. They include raising public awareness about street scene offences, a pilot with a specialist street scene enforcement contractor, and new ways of working for the Council’s Warden Service.
Councils Wardens have been responsible for enforcing Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) relating to littering; dog fouling and fly tipping. Subsequent changes involving a reduction in the number of wardens; implementation of Public Space Protection Orders (PSPOs) and an overall increase in functions, necessitates the need for new resources and priorities to address offending behaviour.
The Council seeks to pilot a 12 month scheme with a Specialist Enforcement Contractor in May 2017 and review it after 6 months with a view to assessing options in the future.
It is expected the scheme will free up the Councils Wardens and will potentially generate a profit share income for the Council of up to £50.000, which subject to further discussions and agreement, could be reinvested in the Council’s Environmental Services and improvements.
Cabinet expressed their thanks to all wardens for their contribution and hard work.
Councillor Davies proposed approval of the recommendations to the report which was seconded by Councillor Fitzgerald.
RESOLVED (unanimously) that:
1) Implement a 12 month litter and dog control enforcement pilot with a specialist environmental enforcement contractor;
2) Review the pilot and assess the scope for future specialist enforcement options;
3) In consultation with the Lead Member for Environment and Place, the Director of Operational Services and the Chief Legal Officer, to review and update the Council's enviro-crime enforcement policy on an ongoing basis as and when necessary. Starting immediately with the suggested changes to the sections relating to the level of payment for littering, dog fouling and fly tipping FPNs, and the criteria for issuing FPNs or prosecuting for fly tipping offences. Then in parallel with the introduction of the Hastings Public Space Protection Orders, the use of the new anti-social behaviour (ASB) powers.
4) In consultation with the Council's Executive Manager of People, Customer and Business Support develop the Council's Warden service into a service better able to address the emerging ASB agenda and enforcing Public Spaces Protection Orders.
The reason for this decision was:
The work set out in this report will contribute to the Council's vision for a safer cleaner town, and in the longer term reduce the cost of environmental services such as those associated with street cleansing and environmental enforcement.
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