Decision details

Tackling Alleyway Dumping - Funding of Additional Cleansing Resources

Decision Maker: Cabinet

Decision status: Information Only

Is Key decision?: No

Is subject to call in?: No

Decisions:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Councillor Bernie Mooney

 

 

Reason for Decision:

 

Additional cleansing resources will be required to support sustained and increased enforcement activity. In addition, the Council is to embark on a series of ambitious changes to waste management services during the period 2016 – 2018. Resources will be required to support such changes. 

 

Future enforcement action will engender the required behavioural change to further reduce alleyway dumping and other forms of environmental crime, leading to improved environmental quality and less demand on cleansing resources.

 

Decision:

 

That

 

(1)  the allocation of £242,000 from the Waste Development Fund (WDF) for a further 2 years (2016/17 and 2017/18) from 1st April 2016, to sustain an enhanced passageway cleansing service to effect behaviour change and reduce alleyway dumping as outlined in the report be approved; and

 

(2)  the call-in period for the decision be waived to enable service delivery to continue in a seamless manner.

 

Purpose:

 

Councillor Bernie Mooney introduced a report, reviewing the funding of additional cleaning resources supporting the “Tackling Alleyway Dumping” campaign introduced in April 2014.  The initial agreed budget was £400,000 for 2 years comprising 2 separately funded elements.

 

a) A Cleansing Team to increase the frequency of passageway cleansing in affected wards. (All wards are affected with the exception of Clatterbridge, Eastham, Heswall, Leasowe and Moreton East.)

 

b) A Waste Investigation Team to investigate incidents of dumped waste and undertake investigations to assist the Council in pursuing legal action against offenders. 

 

c) A Business Support Officer employed on a temporary basis to coordinate referrals for enforcement action and subsequent prosecution.

 

This report examined the Cleansing Team element only. The Waste Investigation Team was the subject of a separate report to the Cabinet. 

 

The Cabinet was informed that the campaign had been established to tackle the amount of waste dumped in alleyways in terraced housing areas and to promote compliance amongst Wirral residents to help meet targets set for waste reduction and recycling. It was widely recognised that improving local environmental quality would have a positive impact on people’s health and wellbeing aligning to the Wirral Plan. The findings of the 2015 Insight survey also highlighted improved local environmental quality as a key priority for residents. 

 

Publication date: 07/04/2016

Date of decision: 21/03/2016

Decided at meeting: 21/03/2016 - Cabinet

Accompanying Documents: