Agenda item

Summary

At the 27 March 2012 Resources and Performance Scrutiny Board meeting, Members reviewed the 2011/12 Quarter 3 Performance Monitoring Framework (PMF). Members noted that the PMF indicated a reduction in customer satisfaction with street cleansing and requested that officers submit a briefin on the Council’s street cleansing service.

A briefing note is attached and the Head of Environmental Services will be present at the meeting to answer any specific questions.

Recommendation

The Resources and Performance Scrutiny Board is recommended to consider the information and to determine if there any areas they wish to add to their work programme.

The Chairman welcomed the Head of Environmental Services and the Cleansing Services Manager to the meeting and explained that Members had requested a briefing on the council’s street cleansing performance in light of the 2011/12 Quarter 3 Performance Management Framework which had indicated a reduction in customer satisfaction with street cleansing.

The Head of Environmental Services explained that the Street Cleansing service carried out a wide range of activities including litter picking, litter bin emptying, sweeping of roads and pavements, fly tip removal & emptying dog bins in villages and in the three urban centres. To keep the district clean a combination of operational performance, education and enforcement was employed. The team was made up of a Street Cleansing Manager, two Street Cleansing supervisors and around 26 staff operating from the two depots.

In terms of performance, the Board was advised that until 2011 the annual customer satisfaction survey had shown consistent rises in satisfaction levels. The Head of Environmental Services reported that the fall in customer satisfaction in 2011 had been difficult to understand as there appeared to be no fall in Street Cleansing standards and in some areas standards were still increasing.

The Board was advised that to test out standards, Cherwell had entered the Clean Britain awards. This involved a days unannounced independent inspection at some point during July or August. The result of this award will be known in  mid- September and a report will be received.

Additionally, since the survey the profile of the service had been increased through increased press releases, through more articles in Cherwell Link and ensuring the few areas which can get dirty get attended to quickly. In addition Neighbourhood blitz events had been broadened to try and involve more organisations and individuals.

The Head of Environmental Services advised Members that the results of the 2012 Customer satisfaction survey would be known in September 2012 and it would then be evident if the 2011 results were a blip.

In response to Members’ questions, the Head of Environmental Services and the Cleansing Services Manager reported that there were increasing numbers of fly tipping cases involving tyres and confirmed that several successful prosecutions for fly tipping were achieved each year.

Members commended the work of the team and made particular reference to the litter blitzes which were welcomed by residents. The Head of Environmental Services explained that the teams activities were largely restricted to adopted highways and resources were generally not committed to private estates or sites although the enforcement team does investigate where appropriate and work with housing associations and private landlords to address issues that are reported.

The Board thanked the Head of Environmental Services and the Cleansing Services Manager for attending the meeting. Members commended the work of the street cleansing team and requested that they be advised of the outcome of the 2012 customer satisfaction survey in relation to street cleansing when this information was available.

Resolved

(1)       That officers be requested to submit a further update once the 2012 customer satisfaction results are available.