To consider progress against the recommendations arising from the Enviro-Crimes Review and to approve closure of the review.

72.1           The report of the Environmental and Housing Services Group Manager, circulated at Pages No. 58-61, provided an update on the progress against the recommendations arising from the Overview and Scrutiny Review of Enviro-Crimes.  Members were asked to consider the report and to approve closure of the review. 

72.2           Members were advised that an Overview and Scrutiny Committee Working Group had been established to review the Council’s approach to tackling environmental crimes such as dog fouling and fly-tipping.  The Working Group had been very productive and its report had been adopted by the Executive Committee at its meeting on 16 July 2014.  The report contained a series of recommendations, progress against which was set out at Appendix 1 to the report.  In the report which had been presented to the Committee in July 2015, all but two of the review recommendations had been completed: organise a training session tailored to the Police, explaining how they can help in tackling dog fouling; and carry out an educational campaign at local schools to make them aware of the dangers of dog fouling, and explore partnership working with other agencies.  Both of these actions had now been completed.  Members were advised that, in November, Tewkesbury Borough Council had arranged a multi-agency ‘Day of Action’ in Churchdown which put Officers in the community to highlight and tackle issues relating to dog fouling, littering and fly-tipping.  The day had also promoted volunteer litter picking and the Council’s Paws on Patrol scheme which encouraged dog walkers to observe and report any crimes they may witness.  A ‘drop-in’ information stand had been set up in the GL3 Churchdown Community Centre where Officers had been on hand to give advice and information.  The Police had been heavily involved in the event; they had brought a mobile vehicle to the GL3 car park to inform the community about burglaries, and had accompanied Tewkesbury Borough Council Officers on early morning and evening dog walking patrols, giving information to dog walkers about the consequences of allowing dogs to foul, as well as information on how to report incidents of dog fouling they may witness.  The exercise had also served to educate those in the Police most likely to get involved in such issues in what to do if they witnessed dog fouling.  Another ‘Day of Action’ was planned for the spring in a different Parish with the intention of holding the events on a regular basis in future.  Members suggested Longford and Winchcombe as areas which would benefit from an event and the Environmental and Housing Services Group Manager explained that the information which was received via the Achieve system regarding dog fouling, fly-tipping etc. would be reviewed initially in order to identify hotspots.

72.3           A Member noted from the Officer report that the Police had played an educational role in terms of the work which had been carried out in Churchdown and he sought further information as to the information they had been given and what their role would be going forward.  The Environmental Health Manager explained that one of the main difficulties with enviro-crimes was gathering the necessary evidence to take action; the Police may be able to provide valuable information about incidents they had witnessed when out on patrol and they had been advised to report any evidence to Environmental Health to take this forward.  The Member welcomed the community days of action and indicated that he would like to see them take place year on year.

72.4           Attention was drawn to Page No. 60, Paragraph 2.4 of the Officer report, which set out the proposal for Tewkesbury Borough Council to lead on a project to employ an Officer to complement the work which was done by the Borough Council and Town and Parish Councils in terms of tackling enviro-crimes.  A Member noted that Town and Parish Councils would be expected to pay a contribution for the project to operate for a two or three year period and he asked whether any feedback had been received given that the majority would already have set their precepts for the forthcoming financial year.  The Environmental Health Manager recognised that the opportunity may have been lost for 2016/17 but the anecdotal feedback from the Town and Parish Seminar was largely positive with the majority stating that the community was already doing the work themselves.  He was hopeful that a business case could still be put together as a dedicated role would help to ensure a co-ordinated approach and would secure good coverage across the whole Borough.  He recognised that it would be important to frame the post in the right way i.e. as a street/community warden who would cover a wide range of activities.

72.5           A Member indicated that Officers had provided him with signs to try to deter people from letting their dogs foul near his property and they had been very successful, however, he continued to have concerns regarding fly-tipping which was a particular problem in his Ward.  The Environmental Health Manager explained that there had been a number of changes within Environmental Health as a result of both the enviro-crimes review and a systems thinking review of the department which had changed the approach to enforcement.  Officers were now regularly examining litter as well as using surveillance and signage; however, it was a difficult problem.  He provided assurance that, although the actions arising from the Enviro-Crimes Review were now complete, Officers would not be resting on their laurels and this would be used as a basis to inform the work which would be done going forward.  A Member queried whether an electronic leaflet could be sent to Parish Councils and schools for display on their notice boards and the Environmental Health Manager advised that a leaflet was already available and he would be happy to re-distribute it. 

72.6           Having considered the information provided it was

RESOLVED          That the progress against the recommendations arising from the Enviro-Crimes Review be NOTED and the closure of the review be APPROVED.