Minutes:
Dan Kennedy, Corporate Director for Planning, Environment, Education and Community Services, was present for this item and gave the Committee an overview of the Council’s Anti-Social Behaviour and Enforcement Team (ASBET) and some of the changes that would be taking place to the service. Members were informed that ASBET dealt with a broad spectrum of issues from low level nuisance to serious harassment, which could cause distress, damage quality of life and interfere with the ability for people to enjoy the peace and quiet of their home, local environment and community. The Council’s response team was composed of three types of officers:
The Committee were also informed that, where possible, visible patrols were coordinated with police in hotspot areas.
Members noted that the ASBET service typically received a stable amount of service requests at around 1,000 per month; there was usually a seasonal spike in the summer months primarily related to noise complaints. Roughly half of service enquiries came through the Council’s Contact Centre and half came through the online self-service tool. 24% of enquiries were concerning the depositing of waste material, it was noted that officers did follow up with fly-tipping prosecutions where evidence was obtained however gathering evidence was often very resource intensive and the priority was removing the waste. 23% of enquiries were noise related and officers addressed these where complaints persisted. 15% of enquiries were vehicle related incidents, primarily where vehicles had been abandoned.
Officers gave some examples of positive outcomes noting that joint working and prosecution with a neighbouring local authority had resulted in the conviction of an offender for 16 offences related to illegal waste disposal across the two Boroughs. CCTV images of perpetrators fly tipping were now being circulated on social media platforms for identification purposes. Officers had identified six offenders from CCTV footage provided by the CCTV Control Room which resulted in Fixed Penalty Notices being issued.
The Committee were also given an overview of the Council’s new approach to Anti-Social Behaviour with a move towards proactive prevention in the first instance rather than reactive enforcement; although it was highlighted that enforcement would still be a key part of the service particularly where early intervention methods may not be achieving results. From August 2021, ASBET had moved towards a geographical patch-based model, this would allow officers to dedicate their resource to designated wards and areas and build a relationship with local Ward Councillors and give officers an improved understanding of the complexities of their specific area. Previously, officers had worked all over the Borough travelling between jobs and weren’t getting to know specific areas. A key facet of the new prevention model would be working with a range of Council departments to deliver targeted problem-solving days to identify areas of concern with Ward Councillors and develop plans to address the most significantly disruptive behaviours and issues in their ward. The Committee were also notified of the ASBET service’s new case work management system which would be coming online over the coming months which would allow management a stronger oversight and evaluation of ongoing case work.
Other work that the Committee were informed of included ASBET patrols over the early November fireworks period where clear guidance had been issued over the appropriate use of fireworks; additionally, there would be an upcoming campaign with the Public Health team raising awareness in schools about the dangers of nitrous oxide canisters.
Members were encouraged by the new approach to ASBET and enquired as to the roll out of the new geographical patch-based model; they were informed that the roll out would be phased and a series of meetings with Ward Councillors and the Cabinet Member for Public Safety & Transport would be taking place to explain the new approach and methods of working. It was highlighted that the new working model for ASBET had been devised in direct response to what had been set out in the recent internal audit resolutions. Members emphasised that the internal audit had highlighted changes that needed to happen and were confident that the changes would bring about positive outcomes.
The Committee queried whether the clearance of instances of fly-tipping could set a precedent for repeat offenders. Officers noted that the speed of the response was the top priority for public health reasons, each incident was plotted and where trends were formed and evidence found, action could be taken against perpetrators.
With regard to vermin and complaints that animals, including foxes and rats, had been causing damage to residents’ vehicles and properties, the Committee noted that effective remedies to the situation were limited and the issue was a sensitive one. Unfortunately, with regard to foxes, removal of the animals was not deemed an effective solution due to their territorial nature, it was understood that this was a common issue across many London Boroughs. Officers highlighted that, generally speaking, where the individual experiencing an animal infestation was the homeowner, they would be required to make arrangements to deal with the infestation themselves; more vulnerable residents could contact the Council for assistance. Officers noted that discussions were ongoing about developing an education campaign to help prevent rat and vermin infestations, Members noted that an education campaign would prove useful and unassuming items such as birdfeeders and fallen fruit from fruit trees could be seen as a food source for vermin.
The Committee were encouraged by the officer’s presentation and thanked the ASBET team for the important work that they do within the Borough.
RESOLVED That the Select Committee noted the officer’s verbal report.