To receive a verbal report from the Group Manager for Street Scene and Open Spaces on the options to engage an external contractor for additional littering and dog fouling enforcement duties in the district.
Minutes:
The Group received a verbal update from the Group Manager for Street Scene and Open spaces who explained that he had been investigating the PDG’s request to explore a trial of contracted out enforcement duties for littering and dog fouling. He stated that negotiations prior to lockdown had been ongoing with a local authority company who provided this service for 8 other local authorities and that a meeting had been scheduled with the company to meet with himself and the Councils Legal Services Team to discuss the options available.
He explained that traditional contracted out enforcement used by other Authorities had resulted in low payment rates and increases in their Legal Services time as more people were handed fines but more people had challenged them. The company who had been approached claimed an 87% pay rate and as it was a local authority company the Council would not need to go out to tender for the trial. The company did have concerns that the MDDC District may not be financially viable for them to operate in as it had a relatively low number of instances and was very rural.
Members discussed the increase in the amount of litter which appeared to be affecting many rural parishes as people had been home for longer periods during the lockdown and had been using the countryside for leisure pursuits and not taking their litter home.
In response to a question about how using an external company for enforcement would increase the number of enforcement officers the Group Manager for Street Scene and Open Spaces explained that by using an external company it could increase the number of officers by 2-4. He explained that there would have to be a dialogue with the company about where it operated within the district and include a caveat that our rural parishes would be included. He explained that even with more officers patrolling the service would continue to rely on intelligence from members of the public who witnessed littering and dog fouling.
Members then discussed the possibility of catching fly tippers from take away receipts but the Group Manager for Street Scene and Open Spaces explained that this would not meet the evidence level set and would unlikely lead to a successful prosecution.
The Group discussed the possibility of putting up signs on the main trunk roads within the district which encouraged people to take their litter home. The Group Manager for Street Scene and Open Spaces explained that the Council worked in partnership with other groups such as Highways England, Clean Devon Group and DCC Highways. He explained that there were currently a few vacant spots on sponsored roundabouts in the district and that anti littering signs could be erected on them whilst new sponsors were found. He stated he would provide costings for signs to be erected at suitable roundabouts.
The Group discussed the potential to have wildlife camera’s installed on fly tipping or dog fouling hotspots once the use of CCTV Camera’s Policy and Guidance had been investigated by the Community PDG.
In response to a question asked about trade waste the Group Manager for Street Scene and Open Spaces explained that trade waste generated an income for the Council. Trials had been conducted of food waste from schools and that if that led to reduced costs of disposing of the residual trade waste it could be something to consider but as the Council would be in direct competition with other waste providers it would need to be competitive.