Agenda item

Report of the Executive Director for Environment.

The Committee received a report of the Executive Director for Environment, concerning the impact of the additional resources introduced in April 2024 for street cleansing in the City of London. Following the introduction of the report, members of the Committee asked questions and made comments, as follows:

A Member queried whether there were additional street cleansing resources in Bishopsgate Ward, specifically referencing the high footfall in Liverpool Street Station. The response was that the area did receive additional resources, including additional beats and a night-washing crew.

It was confirmed that it had been agreed with the Chamberlain, the Resource Allocation Sub Committee (RASC), and Policy & Resources Committee that there would be medium-term funding allocation from the On-Street Parking Reserve.  The Reserve was ringfenced and could only be used for specific matters, such as street cleansing. It was noted that should the financial situation ever change, and for the worse, resources would have to be allocated based on priority.

It was queried what campaigns had occurred with the new officer role focused on public engagement for littering and other anti-social behaviour. The Committee heard that there had been a campaign trialled in lunch areas for workers to dispose of their rubbish, which was hoped to be communicated out more widely. There had also been a controlled campaign to discourage smokers from using drains to dispose of cigarette ends with Keep Britain Tidy and Anglia Ruskin University Cambridge across six sites in the City. On the latter, Members suggested handing out pocket ashtrays to smokers at pubs. The Committee heard that there had been some on-street activity with enforcement workers to identify issue spots and hand out the pocket ashtrays. The enforcement officers would return to the same site two months later and enforce, utilising Fixed Penalty Notices.

Formerly a third-party app was used for members of the public to report street cleansing issues, which has been expensive. There was now an in-house online reporting tool that functioned like an app, with a Member briefing planned in the future to demonstrate its functionality.

RESOLVED – That the report be received, and its contents noted.