Agenda item

45 minutes

An issues paper prepared by the Opposition Group is attached for information.

Councillor Laban introduced the paper and made the following key points based on the paper:

·         Over the last four years there has been a decline in street scene in the borough;

·         Fly tipping has increased and there has been an increase in overflowing bins;

·         Shrubbery and greenery in the borough is overgrown resulting in people being unable to walk on pavements;

·         Fly tipping hot spots are largely ignored. Fly tipping is removed but the issue remains;

·         She was pleased to see that bulky waste collections are now free as this should help ease the issue;

·         Barrowell Green remains under a booking system despite Covid-19 restrictions easing;

·         Many estates in the borough are unclean, and have looked this way for a number of years. During the pandemic bin capacity was not increased in these areas to deal with the additional waste produced by residents being at home more.

The majority party made the following points in response:

·         Residents and councillors care deeply about the environment;

·         Central Governments funding has made street scene and the general environment and this is an issue nationally. A national solution is required. Ministers have been written to ask for better funding;

·         The Strategy for improving street scene and reducing fly tipping has been to Scrutiny and received a positive response;

·         The borough has been affected by the shortage of drivers for bin collections. Thirty additional street cleaners have been hired and there are two more enforcement officers focused on estates who issue fixed penalty notices to those who fly tip;

·         During the pandemic, extra bin bags were collected.

·         Residents are able to book up to six collections for bulky waste;

·         It was the previous Conservative administration who closed the Caterhatch Road recycling centre;

·         Officers who worked tirelessly during the pandemic to keep the borough clean were thanked;

·         Reporting fly tipping can be done through the council website. Councillors were encouraged to do this so issues can be resolved as soon as possible by the correct team;

·         Enfield Council has planted street trees, plant boxes and improved drainage systems to make the borough a better place.

The majority opposition also made the following points in support of the paper:

·         Many residents have emailed concerns regarding street scene;

·         Overgrown bushes by schools have forced residents to walk in the road and caused damage to cars;

·         It is a basic service residents of the borough can expect for street scene to be maintained which has not been achieved;

·         Residents want parks and green spaces grass cut and kept clean to reduce rubbish, pests and dog fowling in these areas;

·         Concerns were raised about the skate park in Enfield which has not been cleaned recently.

The minority opposition made the following points:

·         The recycling centre in Winchmore Hill being open for longer hours has meant an increase in noise pollution, fly tipping and ques outside resident’s homes in the area;

·         Environmental challenges require a fresh approach;

·         Concerned that the paper mainly focuses on bins and does not comment enough on pollution and the incinerator in the borough;

·         A number of points in the paper were covered during a recent scrutiny meeting which the Cabinet Member for Environment attended;

·         Concerns were raised that fly tipping in the borough often happens by people who come from outside of Enfield;

·         The Labour manifesto stated there would be a second recycling centre in the borough.

Following the discussion, the recommendations in the paper were not agreed.