Agenda item

Up to 30 minutes is allowed for this item; no longer than 10 minutes for  presentation of the report and then up to 3 minutes for each question to be put and answered.

The Portfolio Holder for Environmental Services and Community Safety presented the annual report for Members’ consideration. In doing so the following was highlighted:

·       The North Worcestershire Community Safety Partnership (NWCSP) had agreed a three-year action plan and the priorities identified as a result of data gathered. Following the retirement of the previous Chairman of the NWCSP, a new Chairman had been appointed. It was reported that the Executive Director for Environment and Communities of Bromsgrove District Council would carry out this role going forward.

·       Environmental Services had experienced a number of challenges over the previous year; however the team were well placed to continue to deliver the high-quality service to Bromsgrove and its residents. The new waste freighters were due to be delivered to the depot by December 2025 along with new pavement sweepers. It was confirmed that the depot was currently fully staffed.

·       Fly-tipping within the District remained a concern. However, it was noted that the Officer response team continued to respond effectively and quickly to instances of fly-tipping that were reported in order to ensure that Worcestershire Regulatory Services (WRS) Officers could carry out their investigations using evidence collected at the fly tipping site.

·       A weekly food collection service had been introduced during the year for businesses and would be offered to residents the following year. Some funding from the Government had been received to implement the food collection waste service. This would provide funding for the food caddies and vehicles. However, the amount, if any, of revenue funding to operate the service was still unknown.

·       A commercial waste service had been operating at the Council for ten years and a report was due to be considered at this meeting to consider the expansion of this service.

The Portfolio Holder for Environmental Services and Community Safety thanked the Community Safety and Environmental Services Teams for their hard work and commitment to providing the District with high quality services.

Following the presentation of the report, Members asked questions in several areas. These included:

·       Would the street information on the Council’s website be updated to inform residents when any replacement bins that had been missed during the deliveries would now take place? – Members were informed that any missed bins could only be identified if the Environmental Services Team were informed by residents. Therefore, it was requested that residents notified the team who would quickly rectify any missed replacement bin deliveries.

·       Were there any plans to provide any additional recycling bins in and around the town centre e.g. Sanders Park? – It was reported that these were relatively new bins and an expansion of availability of these bins would hopefully be carried out as soon as possible. A response from Officers would be requested and provided following the meeting. In terms of any communications in respect of the new recycling bins, it was hoped that these bins would increase awareness and educate residents of the necessity to place uncontaminated waste within them in order to increase recycling rates.

·       Tree Management and Tree Planting Policy – What Council owned land would be utilised for the planting of trees and how many trees had been planted since a Motion on Notice was considered on this subject in July 2024? – A response from Officers would be requested and provided to Members following the meeting.

·       Bulky Collections – As the bulky collection service seemed to be successful, were there any concerns regarding capacity over the coming months as there seemed to be a trend for increased numbers of residents accessing the service in October, November and December? In addition, were there any plans to increase the service? – it was noted that there were no concerns in respect of capacity over the coming months and no plans to increase the service which was currently running well.

·       Reduction in Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) funding for 2025-2026 – did the information contained within the report regarding Community Safety Partnership funding reflect the twenty per cent reduction in funding for this municipal year? – it was reported that there had been a reduction in West Mercia Police funding of £8 million for this year, which had inevitably resulted in a reduction in funding for the Partnership. The data contained in the report was from April 2025 and therefore reflected the information available prior to any reduction in funding.

·       Breakdown of video evidence – Could there be some breakdown in areas of where video evidence had been captured in terms of Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) and crime and disorder? It was noted that due to the sensitive nature of this evidence, this information was not possible to provide as it might impact on any future court proceedings.

·       Community Safety Team attendance in other centres within the District – Members requested clarification as to whether the Community Safety Team would be able to visit areas outside Bromsgrove town centre where there had been issues with ASB. It was noted that Officers would visit where a need had been identified. If there was ASB within the other centres Members could encourage residents to report these issues in order for Officers to understand the needs within these areas.

·       Online Road Sweeping Schedule – It was requested that an updated schedule be provided on the Council’s website as the current timetable on the website was not up to date. It was clarified that the schedule was currently being updated and would be available very shortly.

·       Increased presence of Police and Community Safety Officers on the streets – There had been a reported increase in ASB within the District. In light of the recent reduction in funding for the PCC, what could the Council do to work with the West Mercia Police to assist in their operations? – Members were informed that this was a difficult question to respond to, due to limitations in resources within the Police.

·       Delay of the implementation of the food waste service –The Council had requested the information from the Department for the Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) in terms of funding for this service to be rolled out, however the Council had still not received a response. The Council was in discussions with neighbouring Councils and other external partners to look at the potential to provide a shared service due to space and capacity issues required to implement this new service. It was noted that the deadline for the implementation of a food waste collection service was April 2026. This was in line with the requirements of the Environment Act 2021.

·       Vehicle Activated Signs (VAS) – was it possible to access the data relating to these signs in order to demonstrate a change in driving behaviours when these were installed. It was reported that there was the possibility to access the data and any Parish Councils that were responsible for VAS could access this kind of data. The importance for these signs was that they were sited in the correct spot. A point of clarification was made in that the data from VAS gifted to Bromsgrove District Council by Worcestershire County Council in unparished areas could be accessed.

·       Could at least one recycling bin be provided to Parish Councils in the other centres within the District? – A response from Officers would be requested and provided following the meeting.

During consideration of this report the Place Team Coordinators, Community Safety Manager and Community Safety Projects Officer were thanked specifically for their hard work and dedication. However, Members also extended their thanks to all the hard work undertaken by the Environmental and Community Safety teams over the previous year.