Agenda item

Briefing Note of the Director of Streetscene and Regulatory Services

The Scrutiny Board considered a Briefing Note about the Impact of Covid-19 on the Hot Streets Surveillance Project. Councillor P Akhtar introduced the item and emphasised the importance of stopping fly-tipping.

Key points raised included;

·  There was a focus on the top 30 hot streets. These were streets which saw the highest levels of fly-tipping. Very few residents reported fly-tipping on these streets.

·  The pilot involving cameras was agreed in recognition of the fact there were fewer on foot patrols.

·  The use of camera surveillance was not new but had predominantly been used to tackle commercial fly tipping as opposed to fly tipping in residential streets.

·  COVID meant there was a challenge and delay to implementing Safer Streets, as the procurement and installation of the cameras was pushed back and staffing resource had been challenged due to shielding, self-isolation and redeployment. 

The Scrutiny Board questioned officers and the Cabinet Member, and received responses on the following issues including:-

·  The streets were chosen due to high levels of fly tipping as well as good lines of sight for the cameras. Six streets were included in the pilot.
The highest levels of fly tipping in the City were in Foleshill ward.

·  Fly tipping in St Michael’s ward could be addressed through cameras installed as part of the safer streets fund which would be operational by April.

·  All wards had fly tipping hotspots. If the pilot was successful, then the service would look to expand it, should funding be available to do so. The pilot had been largely funded by fixed penalty notices for littering. Each camera cost around £8,500 which covered five years data and maintenance. The cameras could be redeployed to new locations.

·  The aim of the pilot was to engineer behaviour change so that enforcement was unnecessary.

·  Street Pride Officers letter dropped the areas in the pilot to explain the aims of the scheme. Street champions had been requested who would let the team know when there was flytipping so that the footage could be reviewed. Waste crews also knew to let the team know when there was a problem.

·  The footage from the cameras could be used as evidence in all criminal activity.

·  The 30 hotspot streets had remained in similar locations during COVID as pre-COVID.

·  There had been a rise in flytipping across the City. The last 12 months had been challenging as COVID had impacted on waste collections and access to the tip during a time when many people were spring cleaning.

·  Cameras were mounted on the lampposts to protect them from damage.

·  Camera locations were data driven.

·  The data could be accessed remotely.

·  There were 20 cameras in total – 12 for the pilot and 8 mobile cameras.

·  The list of current hot streets would be shared with Members.

·  Joint work took place with the housing association when flytipping took place on their land.

Members requested the following information:

·  Waste tonnage at the Recycling and Reuse Centre

• Share the 30 hot streets with Members

RESOLVED that the Communities and Neighbourhoods Scrutiny Board (4):-

1) Note the actions and programmes in place to deliver this project.

2) Request that a further report is brought back to the Board in October 2021.

3) Request that the Cabinet Member for Policing and Equalities reference the ability to enforce and prosecute on signage used as part of the pilot project