Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from Councillor Payne with Councillor Barrett substituting.

The minutes of the meeting dated 29 May 2013 were agreed as an accurate record.

The Committee were provided with updates on the possible review topics that had been suggested at the meeting dated 29 May 2013. It was noted that, following officer investigation, none of the five topics were considered to be appropriate for a review at this time. During discussions the following issues arose:

• It was noted that there were thousands of alleyways and bridleways in the Borough and that only a small proportion of them were on a regular cleaning schedule. Those that were not on the schedule were cleaned when problems were reported.
• Waste Services did not have the exact data of how many alleys and bridleways there were in the Borough and how often they were cleaned. Members asked that this data be collected to ascertain whether there were wider issues that needed to be addressed.
• Officers advised that the issues of air and noise quality in the Heathrow area were already being dealt with adequately through existing monitoring processes. Members asked that a briefing paper on what the Council was doing to monitor these issues be circulated.
• It was noted that Building Regulations would be a difficult area to review because they were controlled by national rather than local policies. Officers advised that residents of the Borough could choose various agencies to undertake checks including other local authorities or private companies. This would make a review highly complex and difficult to explore at the Committee level.

A number of further review topics were suggested including the quality of parks in the Borough, S106 Agreements and spitting. During discussions it was agreed that officers would provide Members with the number of people that had been fined for spitting in the Borough.

Following discussion, the Committee agreed that the first major review of the municipal year would explore the topic of Water Conservation in the Borough’s green spaces and facilities. Officers noted that the Council used significant amounts of water in its operations and that work could be done to improve management practices. The Council did not have a clear strategy on water conservation nor did it feature significantly in the Local Plan. A review could contribute to the development of strategies and policies that, in turn, could lead to long-term savings for the Council.

It was agreed that a scoping report on water conservation in Hillingdon be produced for the next meeting.

Resolved: That:

1. Steven Maiden circulate a briefing paper on air and noise quality in the Heathrow area to Committee Members.
2. Nigel Dicker provide figures on the number of people fined for spitting in the Borough. Steven Maiden to circulate to Members.
3. Steven Maiden ask officers to produce a scoping report on water conservation in the Borough for the consideration at the next meeting of the Committee.

Officers introduced the report and informed Members that it set out the main financial issues facing the Council and the Residents Services Directorate and the work being undertaken to address these issues. Officer highlighted that:

• The Government’s March budget had introduced a further 1% cut to Local Government funding in addition to the cuts already announced in the Comprehensive Spending Review 2010. However, it was noted that details of the savings required would only be known fully in December 2013.
• The Budget report to Council in February 2013 had identified a savings requirement of £17m for the Borough in 2014-15.
• The Council was relatively well placed financially to deal with this challenge as it held balances of £30m.
• Residents Services was required to produce roughly £7m of savings of which £3m had already been banked or achieved.

Members noted that there was not enough time in the current schedule for the Committee to discuss and influence the budget prior to it being agreed by Full Council. It was agreed that the Committee would have sight of the budget as early as possible within the existing schedule to allow time for consideration and comment. It was also agreed that officers would circulate a breakdown of what proportion of the £30m balances were made up by savings from Residents Services including a more detailed breakdown of where savings had been achieved.

Resolved: That:

1. The January 2014 Budget report be provided as early as possible within the existing schedule.
2. Andy Evans provide the breakdown of the £30m balances that the Council held and what proportion of this was made up of savings from Residents Services.
3. The Committee noted the 2014/15 Budget Planning Report.

Officers provided an update on fly tipping in the Borough in which it was noted that crews dealt with roughly 3 and 4 large-scale, traditional fly tips a day and somewhere between 30 and 40 smaller tips a day. Fly tipping was a daily event in some parts of the Borough and the issue had been getting worse over recent years. Officers advised that they would drive home to the crews that, within reason, they should pick up both reported and unreported tips when they visited a site. It was emphasised that it would not be realistic to expect crews to deal all unreported fly tips as this could jeopardise the removal of tips that had been reported elsewhere in the Borough.  

Resolved: That the Committee noted the update on fly tipping in the Borough.

Officers provided an update on the current practice and guidance surrounding roadside memorials within the Borough. It was noted that this was a difficult and sensitive issue that could cause distractions to motorists and be considered as a public nuisance. The Council’s approach was to leave roadside memorials if they were not dangerous or causing a nuisance. The Council also undertook work to liaise with the families of the deceased to work with them to reduce the size and scale of memorials over time. It was noted that the problem had been getting worse over recent years.

The Chairman raised his concerns that the Council’s guidance on roadside memorials was not adequately communicated to families and that this led to it not being applied. He suggested that a notice should be left at a memorial to inform those grieving of the Council’s guidance.

Officers emphasised that roadside memorials were often associated with violent and sudden deaths and that the situations were often emotionally charged. This could make it difficult to approach those grieving and communicate the guidance to them. However, officers agreed that it would be appropriate for a sensitively worded notice to be left at a memorial asking those grieving to contact the Council for more information on the guidance.

Resolved: That:

1. Nigel Dicker investigate the possibility of putting notices on roadside memorials with contact details for the Council and report findings back to the Committee.
2. The Committee noted the update on roadside memorials in the Borough.

Resolved: That the Committee noted the Forward Plan and decided not to comment.

At the Chairman’s request, it was agreed that alternative dates for the meeting scheduled for 25 September 2013 would be circulated to Committee Members.

Resolved: That:

1. Steven Maiden to circulate alternative meeting dates for the meeting scheduled for 25 September 2013.
2. The Committee noted the Work Programme 2013/14.