Issue - meetings

Members noted the report.

In response to the petition the portfolio holder reported to the meeting that currently 30% of the total operational services cleansing resources were given to the Cliftonville West ward. It was also reported that in response to requests from the ABC group, additional deep cleansing had taken place in Athelstan road, the surrounding alleyways, Godwin, Sweyn, Harold and Gordon roads and had been completed.

Before the petition was received, Council had been served out 40 enforcement notices and 204 Breach of Condition Notices to private landlords for waste and litter in respect of dwellings within the ward of Cliftonville West.

Members were also advised that Council officers met with the ABC group and a pilot was agreed with Operational Services for an Environmental Action Team to tackle the issues identified in the petition.

The Environmental Action Team made up form multi-departmental officers from Cleansing, Enforcement, Waste, Private Sector Housing Licensing, Open spaces and Minor works were working on this pilot project. These dedicated resources worked daily within the ABC Group identified four zones and hot-spot areas and were tasked to resolve all identified issues and success had been recorded by the team.

In the first four weeks in September 2017, the team had removed:

•  20 additional tonnes of waste, including wood, rubble, soil and bagged waste;

•  12 Abandoned or nuisance vehicles;

•  20 mattresses;

•  11 settees;

•  12 old push bikes.

About 50 additional enforcement notices and warnings had been served on businesses, managing agents and residents for waste management and disposal. The team caught two fly-tippers and prosecution proceedings were currently underway.

The team had also weeded and weed sprayed the whole of Zone 1 (including alleyways) and most of the alleyways were cleared of all rubbish. In excess of 60 bin lids and 10 complete bins had been replaced in Zone 1.

Councillor Bayford spoke under Council Procedure 20.1.

Councillor Lin Fairbrass proposed, Councillor Cabinet agreed to note the new approach and pilot of an Operational Services Task Force for Cliftonville West ward cleansing hot-spot locations.