Meetings

Meeting Details

Meeting Summary
Scrutiny Committee
25 Jun 2024 - 18:30
Occurred
  • Documents
  • Attendance
  • Visitors
  • Declarations of Interests

Documents

Agenda

Standard Items
1 APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
To receive any apologies for absence. 


01

 

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Galer & James Wedon (Information Governance Officer).

 

 

 

2 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

You have a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest in a matter to be discussed if it relates to something on your Register of Interests form. You must declare the interest and leave the room while the matter is dealt with.

You have a Personal Interest in a matter to be discussed if it affects
•    your well being or financial position
•    that of your family or close friends
•    that of a club or society in which you have a management role
•    that of another public body of which you are a member to a greater extent than others in your ward.
You must declare a personal interest but can speak and vote on the matter.

Whenever you declare an interest you must say why the interest arises, so that it can be included in the minutes. 

02

 

Councillors Annison & Jeal declared a personal interest in Item 7 as Mr Black was known personally to them.

 

However, in accordance with the Council's Constitution, they were allowed to both speak and vote on the item.

 

 

 

3 pdf MINUTES (148Kb)

 

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 23 April 2024.

 

 

 

03

 

The minutes of the meeting  held on 23 April 2024 were confirmed and signed as a true record by the Chair.

 

 

 

4 MATTERS ARISING
To consider any matters arising from the above minutes.

04

 

There were no matters arising from the above minutes which were not covered elsewhere on the agenda.

 

 

 

 

Report attached.

 

 

 

05

 

The Committee received and considered the report from the Information Governance Lead.

 

The report gave an update on the Council's annual performance for the financial year 2023-24.

 

The report was broken down into two sections:-

 

  1. Progress of key projects as at Quarter 4 2023-24 detailed at Appendix 1; and
  2. Annual performance report of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) 2023-24 detailed at Appendix 2.

 

Councillor Wainwright referred to KPI EN05, detailed on page 49 of the agenda pack, the number of streets in the Borough meeting street cleanliness levels for litter & detritus. Councillor Wainwright reported that he had raised this issue at Cabinet. Councillor Wainwright asked where this data had come from as the figures must be incorrect due to the state of the streets across the borough which were an absolute disgrace. This had become evident to Councillors whilst canvassing across the Borough. The lack of grass cutting, weed spraying of the verges and gutters was the worst he had witnessed in the town and GYS must address it as a matter of urgency.

 

The Head of Service reported that 250 inspections had been carried out on an ad hoc basis across the borough in the last year. Street Cleanliness was graded on an A-D scale, and the majority had been graded A-B which was deemed to be acceptable. This year's figures had seen a slight reduction in litter standards but a slight increase on detritus standards against last year's figures. This was partly due to the transition to GYS and the fact that due to other projects being undertaken. there had been a reduction in the numbers of audits completed by GYS in the final Quarter.

 

The Head off Service reported that this item had been raised at Cabinet and Cabinet had requested that this indicator be reviewed.

 

The Chair asked for a definition of detritus and whether this included weeds, soil, dirt and materials in the gutters. The Head of Service confirmed that the Chair was correct in his assumption. The Chair reported that he did not think that a mechanical sweeper would be able to tackle the amount of detritus in the gutters and that hand sweeping would be required.

 

The Head of Service reported that County was now undertaking its once yearly spraying of weeds across the borough but that parked cars hindered this process.

 

The Chair highlighted that as the grass cuttings were not collected, they ended up in the gutters and then the drains which caused flooding issues in certain parts of the borough.

 

Councillor P Carpenter reported that many of her neighbours along Stepshort in Belton, removed the dirt and detritus from the gutters in front of their houses. She suggested that GYS should not randomly survey areas ad hoc but liaise with Members who could advise them of the problem areas. The Head of Service suggested a mixture of Member intelligence and ad hoc surveys might be the best way to proceed in the future.

 

RESOLVED:-

 

That the Committee note the report.

 

 

6 GRASS CUTTING AND STREET CLEANSING

 

An update will be given at the meeting.

 

 

 

06

 

The Chair welcomed Chris Silverwood, Managing Director of GYS Limited to the meeting.

 

The Managing Director gave an overview of the operational timetable for grass cutting in the borough. Grass cutting had commenced on 2 April 2024, however, due to a warm and wet spring flush, the grass had grown exponentially from February onwards and could not be cut properly by the mowers. The third cut would finish by 5 July 2024.

 

The long and wet condition of grassed areas has meant that GYS had been affected by machinery issues (loss of drive belts and breakage of cutting blades). Some staff have also left due to retirement. Recruitment has been an issue as the salaries offered by GYS Limited did not match up to salaries offered by the private sector.

 

The Managing Director reported that staff had been re-deployed over the last 2 to 3 weeks to get on top of the grass cutting situation. The GYS Hit Squad were also out and about and on track. Additionally, the GYS company board had sanctioned some overtime to respond to the Council's complaints about the length of grass in play areas and recreational/open spaces. QC checks were underway and KPI's were being reviewed. A dedicated GYS email has been set up for exclusive use by elected Members to report any concerns directly. An immediate resolution action plan was being worked up which could be shared with the Committee on request. The Managing  Director assured the Committee that lessons had been learned as a result of the change in unseasonal weather conditions and members' expectations and will be part of the 2025-26 plan.

 

The Chair highlighted the play area at Station Road in Ormesby, the grass was waist high which made the site unusable for children. He further cited Crab Lane, Gorleston which was the only open space in the area and the grass was at least 40 cm high.

 

Councillor Annison reported that he felt totally embarrassed by the state of his Bradwell South Ward. He felt that as a company, GYS were reactive not proactive. Councillor Annison reiterated the Chair's comment that Crab Lane was a disgrace and that grass cutting across the borough was shambolic. The area around the war memorial in Bradwell was a no go area which was disrespectful to those who had given their lives in the service of this country.

 

Councillor Wainwright had concerns in regard to the re-wilding policy and to the best of his knowledge, Members had not agreed to the inclusion of Crab Line. The Head of Service reported that Crab Lane had been put forward by the Tenancy Services Manager. Councillor Wainwright reported that it would be helpful if ward councillors were kept in the loop and it was disappointing that officers, and not Members, had made this decision in silo. Councillor Wainwright also cited poor signage in the re-wilding areas. The Head of Service reported he would come back to Members in regard to the re-wilding policy with better maps and consult with them moving forwards.

 

The Head of Service reported as part of the Open Spaces Review, play areas would be looked at to identify priority sites and that the results of the review would be reported back to Members.

 

Councillor Robinson-Payne raised the issue of the state of the grass in the cemeteries. Family members had visited recently and they were unable to access the grave of a family member and had to return the following day with a pair of shears to cut a path to lay flowers. This had been a really embarrassing situation for her to deal with and had been the source of much upset.

 

The Head of Service reiterated that cemeteries would be looked at as part of the Open Spaces Review.

 

Councillor P Carpenter raised her concerns that staff retention was poor at GYS as grass cutting teams could only be offered seasonal employment and did not enjoy the security of a FT contract so these positions were not attractive to the workforce. GYS also needed the services of a Park Superintendent to over see the work as had been the case in the past when the Council had not encountered these problems.

 

The Executive Director - People introduced the GYS staff present at the meeting and that GYS had a limited budget to undertake an ever increasing remit and assured the Committee that they were doing their utmost to deliver a good level of service.

 

Councillor Freeman reported that he agreed with Councillor Carpenter that GYS appeared to be firefighting at the moment and desperately needed a supervisory post to ensure grass cutting standards were met at all times.

 

Councillor Grant reported that priority sites should not be identified as the whole borough was a priority. Grass should be cut regularly on all play parks. GYS should look after their staff to help with staff retention and pay them a competitive wage. The Council needed to look again at its rewilding policy and those areas should be seeded with wild flower seed and not just left to grass. Councillor Grant asked how long the Open Spaces Review would take. The growing season issues with warmer wetter weather would not go away any time soon due to global warming and the Council needed to adapt to encompass this.

 

Councillor Jeal reported that the main reason for the state of the borough was a loss of £90m of revenue to the Council from Central Government over the last 10 years. 

 

The Director reported that staff training, development and behaviours was a top priority for GYS and this would be addressed in the Open Spaces Review report. Members would receive all the information and data in a forthcoming report to Cabinet which would help to modernise the service and make it fit for purpose for the future.

 

The Open Spaces Manager gave an overview of how the service had changed since he had been employed as an Apprentice gardener by the Council in 1982 when 120 gardeners had been employed. The work remit had remained the same but the number of staff had been reduced to 60 and they were unable to deliver the same level of service. Change could be implemented but this would come at a cost to the Council. The Seafront was cut differently to the verges as it had been identified as being a priority area. Unfortunately, gardeners were very hard to come by and GYS was not in a position to offer apprentices. When the post of Supervisor was recently advertised, there had been one applicant, a bricklayer with no gardening experience which highlighted the difficulty of securing qualified staff.

 

The Chair suggested that GYS needed to address the following areas:-

(1) That the Committee requested a GYS Strategy & Schedule for Grass Cutting and Detritus (including detritus in gutters).

(2) That the Committee requested a GYS Strategy for Staff Training & Behaviours; and

(3) That the Committee requested a GYS Schedule (including mapping) for  Grass Cutting & Re-Wilding areas across the borough.

 

The Chair requested a one page report on the above 3 areas. The Head of Service confirmed that on completion of the Open Spaces Review, an Action Plan would be drawn up and a full list of Council assets would be put together with mapping to show GYS all the areas across the borough which required cutting.

 

Councillor Grant requested that if there were a breakdown of the true costs for each cut, this would give Cabinet the true cost, be transparent and allow the Council to set an appropriate budget to receive the necessary level of service to keep the borough looking presentable to local residents and visitors alike. The Managing Director confirmed that all services were costed to this level and transparent.

 

RESOLVED:-

 

That the Committee request a report on the following:-

 

1) That the Committee requested a GYS Strategy & Schedule for Grass Cutting and Detritus (including detritus in gutters),

(2) That the Committee requested a GYS Strategy for Staff Training & Behaviours; and

(3) That the Committee requested a GYS Schedule (including mapping) for  Grass Cutting & Re-Wilding areas across the borough.

 

 

 

 

Report attached.

 

 

07

 

The Committee received and considered the report and structural survey from the Head of Environment & Sustainability.

 

 

The Head of Service reported that the Haven Bridge Pub has been in a derelict state since March 2022 following a major fire. Since this time the building has been supported with external scaffolding, which at present prevents the building from being considered immediately dangerous. As well as occupying a prominent position on a main thoroughfare into the Town, the building has the potential to become immediately dangerous unless appropriate supports are in place, this would result in in Highways having to close the Haven Bridge which would have significant impact on traffic movements in the Town. The current appearance of the building is unsightly and causes access issues to buildings in the vicinity.
This report updates Scrutiny on the serving of the notice and Cabinet’s decision at the May meeting to support any works in default should the notice not be complied with. 

 

The Head of Service asked the Committee to note the following:-

(1) Section 79 notice under the Building Act 1984 was served on the freeholder of the property on Wednesday 5th June 2024,

(2) Cabinet approved a budget of £120,000 from the general reserve (which includes a contingency) to undertake works in default should the notice not be complied with; and

(3) Cabinet delegated authority to Section 151 officer to approve any additional budget decision within 10% of the above figure.

 

The Chair thanked the Head of Service for his update report and that he welcomed the structural survey report which was in the public domain which ensured that the Council was operating in an open and transparent manner.

 

Councillor Newcombe asked if Business Rates were being paid on the building.

 

The Head of Service reported that he would look into this and report back. Following the meeting, the Head of Customer Services confirmed that this property is still in the ratings list, the leaseholder is liable for business rates, however, the Valuation Office are reviewing the status of the property to determine whether to take the property out of the ratings list. 

 

Councillor Newcombe asked for clarification in regard to the design of the scaffolding. The Head of Service reported that the scaffold was erected to secure the safety of the building due to the nature of the emergency and that the scaffold could be removed or replaced to ensure the continued safety of the premises during remedial works if required.

 

Councillor Newcombe asked for an assurance that if the owner/leaseholder did not respond to the S79 Notice within the 6 month statutory period, subject to the ongoing appeal, that the Council would be in a position to either rebuild or demolish, so the long running saga of this building would not continue. The Head of Service confirmed that the Council would undertake preparatory works with suppliers to enable the necessary steps to be undertaken by the Council following the outcome of the appeal. 

 

Councillor Carpenter asked if the scaffold which had been in situ had been checked. The Head of Service reported that KB Scaffolding had undertaken regular checks and these costs were not being invoiced to the Council.

 

Councillor Grant requested that officers look at a regeneration scheme for that area if the building had to be demolished.

 

RESOLVED:-

 

That the Committee note the report.

 

 

 

 
8 SETTING OF 2024/2025 WORK PROGRAMME

 

The Committee is asked to consider and agree the setting of the 2024/2025 Work Programme.

 

 

 

08

 

The Chair requested that the Committee put forward items they wish to be added to the Work Programme.

 

Members suggested the following items:-

 

(1) Voids 25.07.2024

 

(2) Play Parks & Maintenance 25.07.2024

 

(3) Scrutiny Committee Task & Finish Group Report 25.07.2024

 

(4) Cark Parking Enforcement

 

(5) Anglian Water (Capacity for New Developments – Local Plan & Sewerage releases into Rivers & Seas). 

 

(6) Review of Tenancy Audits.

 

RESOLVED:

 

That a draft Scrutiny Work Programme will be presented at the next meeting for approval.

 

 

9 EXCLUSION OF PUBLIC
In the event of the Committee wishing to exclude the public from the meeting, the following resolution will be moved:-

"That under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that it involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 1 of Part I of Schedule 12(A) of the said Act."

Attendance

Attended - Other Members
Apologies
NameReason for Sending Apology
Noel Galer 
Absent

Declarations of Interests

Member NameItem Ref.DetailsNature of DeclarationAction
No declarations of interest have been entered for this meeting.

Visitors

 

PRESENT:-

 

Councillor Williamson (in the Chair); Councillors P Carpenter, Capewell, Freeman, Grant, Hammond, Jeal, Newcombe, Robinson-Payne, Thompson & Wainwright.

 

Councillor Annison attended as a substitute for Councillor Galer.

 

Ms C Whatling (Monitoring Officer), Mrs P Boyce (Executive Director - People), Ms K Sly (Executive Director - Resources), Mr J Wilson (Head of Environment & Sustainability), Mr C Silverwood (Managing Director GYS Limited), Mr J Holder (Operations & Commercial Manager, GYS Limited), Mr P Kelf (Open Spaces Manager, GYS Limited), Mr M Brett (IT Support) & Ms C Webb (Democratic Services Officer). 

 

 

 

 

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